Once by L.T. Smith is about two women, Beth Chambers and Amy Fletcher. Beth is still recovering from an abusive relationship that she recently ended when she meets Amy with the help of her small dog Dudley. This meeting is the beginning of a sweet romance.
The story is told in the first person narrative through the eyes of the main character Beth, and I have to admit the author did this in a very unique and different way. The story is written almost as though you are sitting down and having a conversation with Beth. She is telling you her story and also talking about how she is writing the tale. That was rather disconcerting to begin with. I wasn’t sure I liked it, but I kept reading, and I’m glad I did. I eventually got used to the conversational tone, and by the end of the book, I liked the style. It kind of made the whole tale more real in a sense. The only problem I had with the story is that it dragged a bit in the middle. There were quite a few times I wanted to grab Beth by the shoulders and shake some sense into her, but that actually is an example of me being involved in the story which is a good thing. I liked the story.
Once is a sweet romance with well-developed characters, just the right amount of angst, and a unique style. And it also has Dudley, who would tell you that he is the cutest and the smartest character in the whole book. If Beth and Amy had only listened to him in the first place, they would have been much happier much sooner.
Get the story. Once is cute. It is sweet and different in a good way.
I received an ARC from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections 