A reunion between an estranged mother and daughter opens a world of secrets in a poignant novel by the bestselling author of Magnolia Nights.Julia Martin grew up wealthy, but it wasn’t until she met her husband, Jack, that she knew true happiness. He made her feel worthy and loved. Their marriage was also an escape from her sister’s bullying, her father’s scrutiny, and her chilly and enigmatic … chilly and enigmatic mother. But when tragedy strikes on the night she gives birth, Julia’s happiness is shattered. She has no choice but to return home to her family’s South Carolina mansion, where the grief and guilt buried in her mother’s past await her.
As a young woman trapped in a bitter marriage, Julia’s mother, Iris, once needed her own means of escape. In Lily, she found a best friend. In the flower shop they opened, she discovered independence. Then came a transgression—unforgivable, unforgettable, and unresolved—that changed Iris’s life forever.
Now, in Iris’s most desperate hour, her only hope is to regain the trust of the daughter she loves—and to share the secrets of the heart that could rebuild a family’s broken bonds.
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I loved this book it has family drama, grief, loss and second chances. This is the first book I have read by this author but will not be my last I love her style of writing and could not put it down
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC
Once I peeked inside, I couldn’t put it down. In the southern setting of Beaufort, SC, Ms. Farley weaves a riveting tale of loss, secrets, lies , pain and joy, while, all the while, taking a close look inside a dysfunctional family. A great, well-written read.
I loved Only One Life! Ashley has written another amazing story full of emotion, secrets, turmoil, relationships, growth, forgiveness, and love. I was immediately swept away with the story-line and the range of characters that went from lovable to bullheaded and deplorable. It is a story full of interesting relationships—so many different dynamics within this dysfunctional family and their circle of friends.
This was a story that captured my heart from the start and one that I quickly devoured. Ashley writes southern fiction like no other and I was instantly transported to Beaufort, South Carolina as soon as I settled in.
I have read and loved all of Ashley’s books but with Only One Life, she has really taken her story-telling to a new level. The complexity of the relationships she created and the emotions she was able to make me feel, might make this one my new favorite of all of her books.
I highly recommend Only One Life if you need to get away and escape from your own life for awhile. That’s exactly what I did!
“……what you make of your life that determines whether you’re happy or not.”
I didn’t want this book to end. As soon as I started it, it grabbed me and I read every chance I got. Farley has such a wonderful way of telling fantastic stories of strong females. This didn’t disappoint. I loved getting to read not only Julia’s story, but also getting to go back and read how her mother, Iris, came to be the woman she is. This book has some heartbreaking moments and some really happy ones. I just adore it.
Phenomenal!!
Only One Life had me holding my breath and hanging on tight for this wild ride of emotions!
Soul shattering goodness!!
Once I started this book, there was no stopping. I was completely and absolutely hooked. This book owned me! I think this is Ashely Farley’s best work yet! This book had so much depth, turmoil and emotion. With characters that flew off the pages and became real.
An ABSOLUTE MUST READ!!
I don’t say this often…. but if I could give this book 6 stars… I absolutely would! It was that good!
When I pick up an Ashley Farley book I know I am in for a wonderful and emotionally moving story. Only One Life is a beautiful and heartfelt story about family and frienships that is sure to keep you thinking long after you have finished it.
If I could give this book more than 5 stars I most certainly would. I found it captivated my attention from the start and left me sad that had to end.
I was given an advanced readers copy and this is my honest opinion. I loved Only One Life so much, I have since pre-ordered a copy.
Only One Life was an emotional look at a family’s relationships. I enjoyed the way the women’s relationships were portrayed. Shortly after Iris gets married, she meets Lily who becomes her best friend and business partner. Iris and Lily experience a lot together and separately throughout the years. Iris has two daughters, one who is difficult and distant, and one who has become estranged from her life. One day, Iris’s estranged daughter Julia reappears in her life. Iris and Julia try to work through what has happened before to try to move forward. The story is a look at the inner secrets and dynamics of their family from the past.
I love a good southern fiction book and Only One Life was amazing! I loved the different viewpoints and learning about Iris and Julia’s stories, layer by layer. I read this captivating story in one sitting…unputdownable! Grab a glass of sweet tea, pull up a chair on the porch and settle in with this book!
I have never read anything by Ashley Farley and now I want to read everything she writes! This story shows the unhappy life with family dysfunction and how truth and love can bring healing to those who are open to it. There will be the need for a few tissues for this beautiful story!
Ashley Farley is one of my favorite authors and in picking up one of her books, I know I will have a winner. This one was no exception. With moments of sadness, joy, frustration and anger family members work to overcome their differences and reunite. I was very touched by the journey each one took in their life. Loved the rich characters the plot and the excellent writing. Strong 5 rating for this one!
Only One Life is a wonderful book that shows that being wealthy isn’t everything while it examines the rot at the heart of Iris and Max’s marriage. This story is filled with sibling rivalry, best friends and their ups and downs and life in a smallish town.
This story is Ashley Farley displaying her talent for Southern fiction, much as she did with the Sweeney Sisters series. I’m assuming and hoping this is the start of another series, as there is certainly room for that in this story.
If you enjoy Southern fiction, small towns or family dramas, this book is definitely for you.
Many thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for approving me for an ARC. My thoughts in this review are my own and freely given.
Only One Life by Ashley Farley is a book whose story has many layers. Iris Forney enters a marriage fraught with problems from the very beginning. As she grows and learns her place in society, she finds herself more and more discontented with her husband, who is not a good man. A friendship with another woman with whom she becomes a business partner in a flower shop opens her world and gives her certain freedoms. But the strong friendship between the two and a horrible secret force Iris to continue to live her with her abusive husband and their two daughters. As with all secrets, this one changes the lives of all involved. Only One Life is another wonderful book about women for women by Ashley Farley, one you’re sure to love.
Ashley Farley writes emotionally compelling novels set in the South. Her characters are complex, full of angst and passion but she always resolves their issues in an emotionally satisfying manner. I received an ARC of Only One Life from NetGalley and I had to force myself to put it down to go to bed.
Julia married for love, not money and prestige like her father demanded of her. Her parents’ marriage was miserable and she wanted better for herself, which she found with Jack Martin. When he died rushing her to the hospital for the birth of their child, my heart broke and I almost put the book away. But I know the author would extract good out of the tragedy and I’m glad I persevered because the story was wonderful. Women who discover their strength and resiliency are my favorite characters and three out of the four primary women in Only One Life successfully navigate their crises. Great read.
Ashley Farley does an amazing job with the story line and characters in this book. I had so many different feelings as I read this book – joy, sadness, disgust, and pity were only a few of these. I was especially moved by Iris’s story – her whole life has been filled with challenges and heartache and yet she still persevered as best as she could (until she couldn’t…). Once I started, I did not want to put this book down.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.
Live It. In this tale of love, loss, and recovery, we see a mother, a daughter, and a mother’s undying love for her children. This story was executed very well, if a bit unorthodox in style- in a very good way. Having lived in the Columbia SC region and having friends who lived in Charleston and Beaufort, I can tell you that Farley – a native of the region herself, per her bio -brought the region to life very well, for both better and worse. Overall a truly excellent work, and I look forward to reading more from this author – *maybe* even a sequel here? Very much recommended.
Only One Life by Ashley Farley
I just finished Only One Life by Ashley Farley and the ending left wanting more. Ms. Farley just has to make this a series and let us know what happens to the main characters. This is not the first book (I have read (Magnolia Nights was amazing!) by this author and it won’t be my last.
Ms. Farley writes in a style that is easy to read. Her characters came alive in my mind with her detailed and easy to follow descriptions. While the story line follows many other romance novels, Ashely Farley approaches it from a new viewpoint. You may think a character is going to do something and then he/she doesn’t, they take a new approach.
An estranged mother and daughter reunite after many years apart. This reunion opens up old wounds and brings out dark secrets. Iris has lived a tough life and it takes reuniting with Julia to bring so much to closure.
Read Only One Life and grow to know the characters while hating some and loving some. You will be happy you chose this novel to read!
03.12.19
Ashley Farley has written a story filled with many unexpected twists and turns. That, in turn, keeps the reader turning pages until sometimes well into the night. The book starts out with a jarring incident right away. That sets the tone for the balance of the book. The main theme is family expectations and how they affect every member of the family not only immediately but also well into the future. Julia is disowned by her father when she gets pregnant in college and marries, in his opinion, beneath her social standing. However, her mother keeps tabs on her through the years without her husband’s knowledge. Through a series of events which are both anticipated and sometimes unexpected, reconciliations take place, secrets are revealed, and a path to healing is undertaken by more than one character in this book.
Meet Julia, Iris, Lily, Gus, and Jackson. The reader is also introduced to Julia’s father and sister. The author has masterfully crafted their characters to such a degree that I will not even mention their names..
This is Southern fiction written beautifully by a Southern author.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Another wonderful story of love, loss, and life in the south! Characters that are brought to life by this incredibly talented author.
COMPELLING DRAMA!
Ashley Farley is one of the greats when it comes to writing Southern Fiction! She delves into family situations and deep friendships as though she’s dissecting them to reveal all their deepest secrets, both old and new. Her latest novel, ONLY ONE LIFE, proves she is a master at her craft.
Farley has chosen to place her novel in the small town of Beaufort, SC, not too far from Charleston. The characters she’s described are so real you’ll feel as though you’re in the room with them watching the drama unfold before your eyes. Oh! What drama there is! Old family money that is guarded until death and beyond. Marriage brought on by “love” or was it our rebellion? Two children – one conceived in love & one conceived in rage. Best friends and best couple friends. Debilitating depression and temptation. Rage, rage and more rage. Lovelessness and going through the motions. Life and death. Best friends through the thick and then. Pure Evil. Death & Dying. Old friends are new again. Hope Springs Eternal. ONLY ONE LIFE Can you live with the choices you make for the rest of your life?
I was provided an ARC of this book by Lake Union Publishers and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.
A family divided and brought back together through tragedy and a mother’s love. Julia was wealthy and married a man who was not well off. Her father resented it and disowned her. Her mother kept checking on her but did not let Julia know she was doing so. Julia returned home after a tragedy in her life and her mother welcomed her back much to her father’s dismay. Come to find out her mother and father’s situation we’re just the opposite of Julia’s, her father being the wealthy one and her mother coming from a poor background. Her father always treated his wife poorly and did not accept Julia. Julia and her mother developed a beautiful relationship and finally found happiness in their lives. This was one of the harder reviews I’ve written simply because there is so much you could add but it would give away the story. It is a wonderful book to say the least and I would highly recommend it. I received this book as an ARC for an honest review.