[Review] Just One Thing by Holly Jacobs

Just One Thing (Kindle Edition)
by: Holly Jacobs
Published: June 10th 2014 by Montlake Romance
Goodreads rating: 4/5 ☆

Goodreads summary:

“Artist Lexie McCain spends her days literally weaving the story of her life into a gorgeous tapestry. But on Monday nights, she walks to the Corner Bar, drinks a Killian’s, and answers the same question every week from Sam the bartender: “One thing?” She starts with her name, then her cottage, slowly moving on to the devastating tragedies that tore her life apart.

Sam Corner’s smile doesn’t seem to hide any pain. One night, Lexie turns the tables on him, asking Sam, “One thing?” To her surprise, Sam reveals his own tragic history. Together, Lexie and Sam learn that, with good beer and a trusted friend, sharing just “one thing” might lead to the one thing they both thought was lost forever: love.

From award-winning author Holly Jacobs comes the story of heartache, hope, and the power of sharing just one thing.”

I was just randomly browsing my kindle when I saw this freebie – yes, I got it for free, and since I didn’t need to pay a dollar for this, I quickly grabbed it. I mean, who doesn’t like free novels, right? 😂

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much from this. It felt like an ‘adult-y’ novel for me, but oh boy was I wrong because I actually enjoyed it in the end. The novel is about a woman named Lexie who has a very dark and emotional past life. Living alone, she spends her days in a cycle of waking up, working on her tapestry, caring for her dog and walking to the Corner Bar every Monday night. In the bar, she meets the bartender Sam (who also owns the bar) who gives her Killian’s in exchange for “one thing” about her every week. Answering this “one thing” becomes a routine – gradually unwrapping her life in the past. At the same time, one Monday night, Lexie also asks Sam “one thing” about him. And so, the whole novel goes back and forth from present to past telling the stories of both main characters.

I grew to love every character in this book. Lexie and Sam are portrayed as individuals who had gone through a lot in the past to the point of nearly losing hope – until of course, they met and found each other as catalyst of change. I like the fact how realistic the portrayal of a mother had been made with the despair of Lexie losing her youngest child, at the same time still had fought to live for the sake of her two remaining children. I may not have an experience in regards of motherhood, but I felt the heart-wrenching emotions while reading along, you know? Anyways, both Lexie and Sam’s characters pretty much left me an impression of life experience is equals to life lessons. Couldn’t agree more.

Another character that really left a huge impact is Grid’s. He’s a great, great (I can’t stress this enough) friend. He’s loyal, straightforward and honest.  He’s the type of person who  doesn’t give up on you and keeps on encouraging you when you find yourself losing hope. Like, I need someone like him in my life!! 😂 I believe that every character in this novel has their own role just like in real life. There were people who’d be the reason why you were suffering – may it be intended or not, while on the other hand, there’d be the others who would reach out a helping hand to give you another hope in life. Promising!

Holly Jacobs did a good job at threading all the information from the past into the present. Some may have been bothered by the series of flashbacks, but the style actually became one of my likes in this novel. I didn’t mind that kind of storytelling at all. Her writing is full of beautiful, heart-wrenching and motivational phrases. Also, she uses a lot of imageries and descriptive words to help the readers visualise everything.

Conclusion

Just One Thing is book that gave me a one of a hella emotional ride. It explores the notion of pain, healing and love. These three are perfectly weaved together, creating an awesome story. It may seem a bit overwhelming, but in the end, it has a great message to tell regardless of your age. I recommend this to people who are looking for a bittersweet story to read.

Favourite Quotes & Passages

“Chemistry studies the structure and composition of matter and the changes it undergoes during a chemical reaction. That totally describes my relationship with you, Lexie. My life had a structure before you came. It had the same rhythm and certainly as the numbers I work with. But that changed when I met you. That day on the quad while you were cursing your chemistry class, there was a chemical reaction that fundamentally changed the reality of me. After that moment, I was no longer a man who saw life in black and white – you’ve shared your artist’s vision and I can see so many colors and nuances in everything around me now. You are a part of me – the best part of me. Lexie – and this marriage only formalizes that.”

“Old pains kept crowding out the happier memories.”

Twilight smells of silent things. Of dreams. Of hopes. Of memories

“Time doesn’t matter when you’re talking about the pain of losing someone.”

“Lex,” he said sadly and move as if to pull her into an embrace. Or maybe he reached for her to cling to her, like a drowning man grabbing for something to hold on to.

“… being brave doesn’t mean doing things on your own. It means being smart enough to ask for help when you need it.”

“Maybe being brave isn’t about how you feel, it’s about doing what needs to be done, despite what you feel.”

“Life is full of lines that you don’t know you’ve crossed until you’re on the other side. And once you’re there, you need to discover who you’re going to be.”