One boy, two girls, and a journey through the heady, mad, rock’n’roll 1960s. June 1968: Renza is preparing to leave school – and England. Her family are moving to Germany and she can’t wait – till the four gorgeous boys who make up pop band Narnia’s Children move in next door. She falls head over heels for lead guitarist Scott, but after a romantic summer of love together, Renza has to go … … December 1968: Stella meets Scott at a local dance where Narnia’s Children are playing. Scott’s the most beautiful boy she’s ever seen, and she falls for him hard … As the colourful, exciting final year of the sixties dawns, both Renza and Stella realise there can be only one woman for Scott…
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“Only One Woman” is written in diary format, charting the falling in love of two young women – Renza and Stella, with guitarist Scott of the fictional band Narnia’s Children.
Renza is a sweet 16 year old, who cares for her younger siblings and is treated like “Cinderella” by her abusive mother. Scott and Renza meet when the band moves next door, and they start to walk out together – literally, around local beauty spots. Sadly, they are torn apart when Renza’s family move to Germany, and both their hearts are broken.
Will Scott fall for Stella, a vibrant and beautiful young girl, who becomes the band’s fan club secretary? Or does his heart belong to Renza?
Although the book is written by two authors, it flows beautifully and takes the reader back to the music, fashion and culture of the late 60’s – a very exciting time to be young.
I enjoyed a walk down memory lane, and smiled at the details of the fashion, makeup and food of my youth. Vesta curries and Fray Bentos steak and kidney pies were favourites in my family too!
Youth, love, and a beautiful rock God could only mean one thing . . . and the reader will ache for both heroines as the novel pulls them into love, travel, good music, and wrenching heartache.
Only One Woman grabbed my attention from the first diary entry of love-stricken Renza and held my fascination to the very last page. Though I grew up post-sixties, I’ve always been fascinated by the music of this era. The author’s extensive knowledge and repertoire of 60’s music had me singing favorite lyrics as I delved into Renza and Stella’s worlds. Ingeniously crafted, we experience the two heroine’s lives, loves, and heartache through their diaries. And through their personal experiences, we meet Scott and his fabulous Rock Band, Narnia’s Children.
Inherently different, the two heroines are raised by parents with a different set of standards and values. Sweet and prudently innocent, Renza lives with her authoritarian mother who wields control like a prison guard. Edgy and stylishly bold, Stella, recovering from a debilitating illness, lives with her liberal, easy-going, and loving parents who allow her many freedoms as an only child. Though Renza and Stella have different upbringings, they have four things in common, their love for Scott, music, reading, and writing.
Both women tugged at my heart, and I found myself rooting for both, but as the titles suggest, there can only be one woman for the devastatingly sexy Scott. At times, I grew angry at the heroine’s naiveté, and spoke under my breath, “Wise up!” On several occasions, I wished I could reach through my Kindle and thoroughly shake sense into all three, especially Scott. Such heartache and havoc he wreaks unknowingly? Did he know? That would call for an additional diary containing Scott’s thoughts. But the reader senses he’s torn and struggles with his decisions.
The authors kept me guessing which heroine would succeed victoriously in capturing Scott’s eternal love, and wondering if they’d both be better off without him. This book would be fantastic on the screen with the fashionable, colorful clothing, and music of the sixties set in several lovely locations. Hmmm . . . I hope! Thank you, Ms. Jones and Ms. Risdon for a fantastic read!
Only One Woman
Christina Jones and Jane Risdon
I have long been an admirer of the work of Christina Jones, but Jane Risdon was a new author for me. As a child of the Sixties myself, I was instantly engaged by this story of Renza and Scott, a charismatic guitarist in a rock band.
But the Sixties are a long time in the past, and it was a huge pleasure to be taken back to those halcyon days when I was young, wore skirts that left very little to the imagination, and music was like nothing to which our parents had listened on the BBC’s Light Programme.
This novel has been meticulously researched. The period details took me there. Renza observes that Cilla Black didn’t look all that special close up. People boiled kettles on gas rings and children had tricycles and drum kits for Christmas. They made Airfix models and the adults listened to music on tape recorders. The excitement of listening to those new rock bands on my little transistor radio is something I remember so well. They were great, weren’t they? Of course they were, and that’s why we have so many tribute bands today.
I wanted to know how the relationship between Renza and Rob would pan out. Surely they were meant to be together? But, but, but…
Also interwoven with this thread is Stella’s story, and all this is what kept me reading and enjoying the novel. I kept thinking I should have a look in those boxes in the attic to see if any of my own Sixties clobber (a good Sixties word, people) is still up there.
The novel is seamlessly written and I soon gave up trying to work out which author had written which parts of it! Did one write and one edit, then did they swap roles so that the whole story hung together as one organic whole? Whatever they did, it’s all worked out very well!
So beautiful and touching. This book grabbed a hold of my heart right from the start of the book. Fantastic book and really easy to get into.
The story was set in 68/69, when I was 10/11 years old.. I remember a lot of what was included in the book, the sheer cold before central heating came alone, the fashion, and of course all the sixties music was a joy.
Scott, a member of the band Narnia’s Children seemed to love two women. Cleverly, the story is told by diary entries from each girl, Renza and Stella. I was waiting for the girls to meet, but they never do. I was also trying to jump ahead, and guess which girl Scott would end up with. At times, I even wondered if he would end up alone.
Scott and the other band members were exceptionally good looking and it was easy to understand why the girls fell hopelessly in love with him. We went through all the angst of teenage love and the heartbreak and I really felt for the them.
As I headed towards the end of the book, I began to think Scott was a love rat, and perhaps didn’t deserve either of them. Strangely enough in most stories you get to favour one, hoping they will get the guy, but I couldn’t choose. I liked them both. Scott couldn’t choose either.
All in all, I loved this book. I loved stepping back in time and the music played through my head as if it was real!
Loved my trip back to the 1960s with this book. I can’t wait for the sequel.