The One by Audrey J Cole Book Review

About the Book:

To save their marriage, Sloane must forgive her husband's affair. Instead, she tries a more tempting option-settling the score. But will it prove to be a deadly mistake?

ER doctor Sloane Marks is shattered when she learns her husband Ethan slept with his partner at Seattle Homicide. She considers leaving him and joining The One, having gone to college with the popular dating app's billionaire founder, Brody Carr. But at forty-two, Sloane feels she has no choice but to forgive Ethan if she wants a chance at creating the family she never had.

Months later, Sloane bumps into Brody, who's recently returned to Seattle. In due time, Ethan worries she's cheating. His suspicions are confirmed when he learns the rich app founder took Sloane on a freediving excursion in the San Juan Islands. Soon after, Brody's famous wife dies in an accident. Ethan becomes the lead investigator in her death, which he suspects wasn't at accident at all.

Caught between a distrusting husband and a powerful billionaire who protects his secrets at all costs, Sloane is in a fight for her life. And the only way out is to take matters into her own hands.

My Review:

Cole does well in crafting complex plots that are engaging. While this novel seemed to get off to a slow start, the second half was compelling. It certainly brought out the entanglement when one strays outside the bonds of marriage. I initially had compassion for Sloane. It seemed like she was getting the bad end of the marriage. But when she tries to equal the score, my goodness, events cascade into darkness. I was shocked at her actions towards the end of the book.

Cole has designed the plot so that at the end, there is new revelation that surprised me. I had been deceived into believing one thing when the truth was really something different. The best part of the book for me was the last chapter. It was so ironic yet made me smile too.

This is a good novel for readers who like to read about people solving their own problems, no matter the harm to others. You'll get to learn a bit about free diving too. I have read all of Cole's novels and have liked them. Each is a stand alone thriller.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Audrey J. Cole is a USA TODAY bestselling thriller author. She resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two children. Before writing full time, she worked as a neonatal intensive care nurse for eleven years. She’s also a pilot's daughter. You can find out more at https://www.audreyjcole.com/. 

Rainier Publishing, 306 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)