One Plus One

by Jojo Moyes

One single mom. One chaotic family. One quirky stranger. One irresistible love story from the New York Times bestselling author of Me Before You

Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t afford to pay for. That’s Jess’s life in a nutshell—until an unexpected knight-in-shining-armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own, and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages... maybe ever.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Adult, Audiobook, Adult Fiction

368 pages, Hardcover

First published February 26, 2014

About the author

Jojo Moyes is a British novelist.

Moyes studied at Royal Holloway, University of London. She won a bursary financed by The Independent newspaper to study journalism at City University and subsequently worked for The Independent for 10 years. In 2001 she became a full time novelist.

Moyes' novel Foreign Fruit won the Romantic Novelists' Association (RNA) Romantic Novel of the Year in 2004.

She is married to journalist Charles Arthur and has three children.

Reviews

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this a while ago and now reviews are starting to pop up everywhere I thought I'd add mine.

I feel I should begin this review with an apology to Diane Chamberlain ... Whenever I'm asked who my favourite author is - I name her, as she never fails to delight and presses all my buttons with her lovely romantic family dramas - Well I'm sorry Diane, I'm not dumping you, honest I'm not, its just that Jojo Moyes is my flavour of the month at the moment and looks to be taking top spot for some time yet, I feel almost as though I'm being unfaithful but she just gets better and BETTER.

When I was offered an advance galley of the new book by Jojo Moyes to read and review through the wonderful Netgalley - I was delighted, I adored "the girl you left behind" and so loved her book "Me before you", I really didn't think she could even come close to writing anything that good ever again.

Well I was wrong! She HAS done it again and completely blown me away with her latest romantic novel "the one plus one". I just knew from the first few pages it was going to be something special - you know when you pick up a new book and with some you think "OK I'm sure I'll get into this soon", or "Hmm this looks good", and on the all too rare occasion you get a shiver down your back and go ... "OMG this is AMAZING" - straight off, well that's what I did with this - shivers - immediately.

It's a simple storyline, really. At the start we are introduced to Jess, single parent of a young daughter and stepson, working as a cleaner, living on a sink estate, scrimping and struggling to make ends meet - and this is done so beautifully I found it impossible to believe Jess wasn't someone not only real but very well known to me, I kept wanting to shout out loud at things she thought and felt "me TOO"

Jess really wants better for her kids, and they are amazing kids - down to earth, real, loveable and flawed. Daughter Tanzie 8 years old going on 80, doesn't fit in at school, is regarded as a swot for her passion and uncanny ability with maths. Her stepbrother Nicky, full of teenage angst, Goth verging on Hippy, picked on for his differentness, finds it hard to relate to anyone.

When Tanzie is offered the opportunity of a lifeline, Jess tries desperately to seize the chance for her to gain a scholarship to the school of her dreams but being a real person, and therefore not perfect, Jess makes a few bad decisions and what follows is a comic tragedy of grand proportions - resulting in a journey of a lifetime and the opportunity to change all their lives - but can she make the most of it or will she just make everything a whole lot worse?

Enter Ed, with a story of his own to tell - his life's falling apart and the very last thing he needs in his life are a cleaner, her 2 weird kids and their flatulent, farting, hearth rug of a dog, but he gets sucked into their story and as his own situation gets worse he tries to help Jess - and the unlikely couple hit it off against all odds, even though they are from lifestyles too diverse to even be able to relate to one anothers' problems.

The emotions this book stirs up are very mixed - I gasped aloud with laughter many times, (and it takes quite a lot to tickle my funny bone) I shrieked aloud and I sobbed. My vocabulary can't even begin to do justice to just quite how brilliant I think this book is, how much I loved it.

The sheer poetry of Jojo Moyes writing elevates this page turner of a romance, way above the genre of chick-lit and into the realms of literary fiction, such a pleasure to read and an easy to follow story told with amazing assurance and realism. Every word a joy to read from start to finish. I loved all the main characters especially Norman the great lump of canine daftness and unswerving loyalty who is their dog.

This book is sheer class, pure quality and its what reading is all about. I'm so envious of everyone who hasn't read it yet as you've got all this pleasure ahead of you - read it and enjoy every nuance.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.7/5 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

“You know, you spend your whole life feeling like you don’t quite fit in anywhere. And then you walk into a room one day, whether it’s at university or an office or some kind of club, and you just go, ‘Ah. There they are.’ And suddenly you feel at home.”

― Jojo Moyes, One Plus One

This was a good book. With good characters. A good storyline. And a good romance. But it only got this far. To the adjective "good". This was one of the easy-to-read books you read when you're bored, when you literally have nothing to do with your life at the moment and just pick this random book up you know is gonna be convenient to read. A book you don't care much about what happens to the characters, a book you won't remember in some time, but also a book you can't leave down just because the plot in chick lits many times gets intense.

We have our main character, Jess. She has two jobs, two kids, a dog, huge ass financial problems and a huge ass prick of an ex. We have Tanzie, Jess' gifted daughter, more than talented with math who can't find her moment to shine, we got Nicky, Jess' ex' kid who she got under her custody, that is bullied in school, and Norman, their fucking huge ass lazy dog, who is a brave warrior inside. Then we got Ed, a rich developer who's about to be convicted for fraud, there at the right time to help the family... the knight in shinning armor.

I had many problems with Jess as a character. She was going through so many turmoils in her life, mostly financially, and I understood. I really understood. But she was so disrespectful to Ed, especially in the beginning. The man offered, with no reciprocation whatsoever, a total stranger to them, to get them in time in Scotland on Tanzie's behalf, a three day journey, and there we have Jess throwing her legs up on the dash of his expensive AUDI, being rude to him, causing trouble with food because "she couldn't go to McDonald's", and basically being a bitch all the time. And the other thing... oh man that thing. The thing where she thought she was superior to everyone because she was poor. She treated Ed like his money grew on a fucking tree. Like he didn't work hard to obtain them, like he didn't deserve his wealth. I was pissed off. Life is like that, you know. Some people have money some people don't. Some people work hard for them, some people don't. Some people work hard and never get wealthy some people don't. It's how the world is. Don't be an asshole about it. Being poor doesn't make you an innocent butterfly. And not all rich people are rude and condescending. I'm a poor person too, so I don't have any privilege but I wanted Jess to be more respectful towards a man who offered her and her family everything.

Furthermore, the romance. After all the weird looks and talks, the awkward silences and the bad situations, we have a romance blooming. I liked the romance, the characters fit well together but it was too rushed and overdramatic, in my opinion. And I think this deep connection they felt with each other happened right after they had sex. Instantly. And all this dramatic bullshit "I can't live without him." "She has left a hole in my life that can't be filled and I can't stop thinking about her." was too motherfucking rushed. You realize they spent four days together, right? They might have gone through a motherload of shit but it was still four days. A person can't leave a hole inside your soul after four days, come on. No matter how good the sex was.

Apart from that, the way the plots ended were too unrealistic. I was rolling my eyes so hard at how everything was fixing itself. Severe situations that were too dramatic by themselves miraculously being solved just with pure coincidences. It got out of hand, after a certain point. Life is not like that. I hope it was.

Aside from all the bad things, this book had good elements. I liked the multi POV way Moyes writes, I enjoyed it in her other two books I read too, the pacing was good, at some parts it lacked speed but it didn't get me bored and the characters didn't feel flat to me. I ain't gonna lie, I enjoyed reading this book and its little unrealistic twists but it was too problematic for me to give it a good rating. Moyes always succeeds in making books that are hard to leave down. I don't know if I'll ever read something more of hers, but she has intrigued me as an author.

Overall, a book with an interesting premise and a good set of character, humor and romance but with too many problems, in my opinion. If you want a quick and easy read, this is the book for ya. And till the next one... K BYE!

[Aj the Ravenous Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not a stranger to what it means to live by making ends meet, to just have enough before the next payday comes and sometimes, just sometimes, I feel bad that I couldn’t get the ones I love more than what they need. But to a single mom like Jessica or Jess, to be rich simply means to be able to stay at home, read books and just be with your family without having to worry about the money all the bloody time which kind of made me feel like a douche because the story made me realize that I AM rich. I was just too full of myself to see it and for a book to make me turn over a new leaf, IT IS something. This book is definitely something.

Jojo Moyes is best known for her Me Before You but I must say, she deserves more praises for this novel. This was so unexpected, not your typical chick-lit. It’s profound, deeply relevant and undeniably true. The would-have-been simple plot, to get Tanzie (Jess’ little girl, a Math prodigy) to the Math Olympiad has turned into something adventurous (there’s an awesome, hilarious road trip, yay!) when the family [composed of Jess, Tanzie, Nick (Jess’ stepson) and a huge lazy, slobbery dog] had to require the help of a stranger (Ed,who at first I hated but who I eventually learned to appreciate). The sum of them added up to something better. Please see super cute cover for illustration. *fangirls over the cover*

The characters were done really well and the narrative style (in the third person omniscient) is very impressive. It’s every character’s perspective without actually having to read a particular character whine about his woes or brag about his accomplishments. Things were presented truthfully without sugarcoating stuff that are sad but without being mean at the same time. Gah! I just love the author’s writing style! It’s charming, funny, painful, sad but really hopeful too and worry not because nobody dies. Whoopee!

Happy Early Birthday, Dear (Ate) Jennifer! (March 4 is her actual birthday). I found this perfect birthday message for you. Stay the way you are and time will never put its mark on your beautiful soul! Happy Birthday! <3

[[~Ami~]♥Sexy Dexy♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars



I never expected to laugh so much reading this. Even though plotwise it was slow moving it never really felt like it because the humour kept the story going. What I liked most about this was how realistic and normal these people were.

This is more woman's fiction/family type book than romance. Had there been a touch more romance it would have been perfect. Loved all the characters. Great writing. Great humour. Really enjoyed it!

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Plus One was just soooo good! It was a well rounded story with romance, quirky humor, heartache, and sadness all rolled into one gorgeous story!

Jess Thomas has been struggling the last two years since her husband, Marty suffered a bought of depression and moved back with his mother. Financially she barely makes ends meet, even working two jobs. Add to that, her teenage son, Nicky is bullied constantly for being different (apparently goth) by schoolmates. They’ve gone to the authorities and school and no one will do anything. Her daughter, Tanzie is ten years old and a math genius, but she’s socially awkward. This hasn’t been a problem thus far, but when she switches up to middle school, Jess knows it’s just a matter of time before Tanzie becomes a target as well. Getting a generous scholarship to the prestigious private school, St. Anne’s, where Tanzie would thrive, seems like a prayer answered until Jess hears the cost of her share. It seems impossible until Jess hears of a Math Olympiad with its winning payout and she hatches a plan!

Ed Nicholls has his own problems after a stupid mistake lands him in hot water and accused of insider trading. His company and the millions he’s made are in jeopardy and to top things off his father is gravely ill. Hiding out in his seaside vacation home and wallowing in self-pity is about the only things on his agenda until his path collides with Jess, Tanzie, and Nicky. The plans of getting to Scotland for Tanzie’s Math Olympiad are all but in ruins until Ed impulsively offers to drive them. Let the crazy road-trip begin!

One Plus One is told from four different perspectives: Jess, Ed, Nicky and Tanzie. You might think this would be confusing and a little much, but it worked perfectly. Each voice added depth and richness to the story. It took a little while to get through the back story because there’s a lot going on, but once these four come together things really take off. Their trip is full of mishaps and humor, from Norman the dog and his bodily functions to buying a kabob from a dodgy food vendor that does not end well, at all! Seriously hilarious!

I adored Jess! She was just so optimistic even with every bad thing thrown at her. She didn’t wallow in self-pity rather she looked for the good and for a workable solution. Only when Jess discovers the truth about her estranged husband does she unravel for a bit, but Ed was there to help prop her up. I was so outraged and sad for Jess! Not only was Ed there for Jess but he helped with the kids, too. Small things he did made a huge impact, especially for Nicky. But this wasn’t a story of some rich man coming along and fixing everything. Bad things still happened, and Jess dealt with them. She helped Ed, too with his perspective on life and with his family. They both helped each other:

It wasn’t that Ed would make it okay—he had his own problems to deal with—but somehow the sum of them added up to something better. They would make it okay.

While the romance was not the whole focus of this story, it was my favorite part. Realistic and surprisingly passionate it gave me all sorts of feels!

They drove and she recalled the previous two nights in hot, dreamy fragments, his hands, his mouth,—and it was all she could do not to reach across and bury her face in his neck, to slide her hands up the back of his T-shirt for the sheer pleasure of it.

As for the narration, it was superb! I highly recommend it. There were four narrators, one for each character, which is a rarity with audio books but it greatly enhanced the story. All had English accents (love!) and sounded age appropriate for the character.

One Plus One is just too big and wonderful to encapsulate in a review. I laughed, cried and swooned in equal measures. It was amazing on so many levels!

You can find this review and more at The Readers Den.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

One Plus One was pure Hallmark--or was it Disney?--with several fucks thrown in to try to pretend it was hip instead of drip. One Plus One equals 2 boring.

When I was reading this, I wanted to smoke a cigarette and drink, neither of which I do. The book is just so mundane, someone needs to rebel, spice things up, and it might as well be me.

Don't get me wrong. This book is fine. The plot is fine. The dialog is fine. Everything is fine. But fine only goes so far. Can something be too heartwarming?

At one point, the 8-year-old kid I babysit for was reading over my shoulder. She read the pages as fast as I did and understood the content perfectly. (Luckily, I wasn’t on one of the few pages full of “fucks”; I would have slammed the book shut, pronto!) Even she seemed bored. But really? There was something unnerving about being able to share my book with a little kid.

I loved Me Before You and was hot to read One Plus One. The first thing I noticed, and which disappointed me, was that the basic plots of the two books were similar: earnest, spunky, nice-looking young woman who can barely make ends meet is employed by a handsome rich man--you can figure out the rest.

There are a lot of differences between the two books though. Jess, the main character of One Plus One, has a couple of kids—one a Goth, the other a nerd. And a lot of the story takes place in a car (where there are farts and there is puke—how Disney and disgusting and sophomoric can you get?). Also, Jess is really harried, unlike the heroine in Me Before You. But talk about formulaic--surely Moyes could have come up with a different character structure for the two books. And whereas Me Before You dealt with a couple of heavy topics--the life of a quadriplegic and the issue of suicide--there was no such hook in One Plus One. The story just wasn't compelling.

I got tired of how, throughout the whole book, we see Jess penny pinching and acting all prideful when the rich guy tries to help. Yes, it's a real bitch to be poor, and I'm not trying to be callous here. (I've sometimes had to seriously pinch pennies myself.) But Jess's tough life and obsession with her poverty, though very real and sad, was way over done. We get it. Yeah, we still get it. Move on with the story, change the channel for a while, whatever. Really, we get the picture.

Okay, at one point she does change her tune, but it seems way too abrupt. One minute (many many minutes, actually) she is refusing to stay in a hotel that the guy insists on paying for, and the next thing you know, she is sharing a room with him. We didn't get to hear her thoughts on why she suddenly changed her mind.

Maybe it's just that lately I've read a few heavy hitters with deeper plots and sophisticated language, because this one sure seemed too simplistic and predictable. I would have preferred that the 8-year-old I babysit for walk away because the story was beyond her comprehension.

Despite my long list of complaints, the story was well written and I was mildly interested in what was going to happen. I didn't, however, lick my lips in gleeful anticipation when I returned to the story each day. The simplistic language and boring story got to me. I mostly wanted it to be over so I could get on to something juicier.

Readable? Yes. Compelling? No. Would I recommend it? Not really. I did believe the characters’ emotions, and I was rooting for them, so I guess that’s something. But truth be told, it was mundane. Pass me a cigarette and a glass of wine if you would.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Plus One is another wonderful standalone novel written by the amazing Jojo Moyes. I adored the characters in this novel...even the K-9 one; they all had their quirks but it works for this particular family. The events that take place in this story are funny, inspiring, as well as heartbreaking, and the message of perseverance is repeated over and over. I found myself quickly engaged in the storyline and invested in every character. I don't want to spoil anything about the story itself, so I'll sum up my review with one of the many things I took from this book:

Is there bad in the world?
Yes.
Does the good in the world outweigh the bad?
Yes, Yes, Yes!
Thank you Ms. Moyes for the reminder.

Ms. Moyes gently restores our faith in humanity through the eyes of multiple perspectives. The characters remind us that optimism is the only thing that keeps us going sometimes, even though that light can so easily diminish in us all. If you believe that triumph over circumstances is possible, then read One Plus One. I'm so glad I did!

My favorite quote:
“The law of probability combined with the law of large numbers states that to beat the odds, sometimes you have to repeat an event an increasing number of times in order to get you to the outcome you desire. The more you do, the closer you get. Or, as I explain it to Mum, basically, sometimes you just have to keep going.”

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 4 out of 5]

BUMP FOR RELEASE DAY 7/1

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

First – massive props to the good people over at NetGalley for giving me this ARC. Things could have reached an uncomfortable level of multi-requesting had you turned me down, but you didn’t so . . .



Now, let’s get on with the show.

Jess’ life is not easy. She’s raising not only her 10-year old daughter Tanzie, but also her teenage stepson Nicky. Her husband split two years ago and hasn’t sent a dime to help support the kids. Now Jess works two jobs and still barely makes ends meet. Somehow through all of this she has managed to remain a “glass half full” kind of gal.

Ed’s life was fairly easy – until he let his judgment get clouded by an old college acquaintance who made him feel wanted again after his wife left him. Once Ed figured out he was shagging a real Stage 5 Clinger, he offered her a little bit of financial advice to get her out of his hair – only to find out that is what the pros call insider trading. Now he’s facing exorbitant fines and potential jail time – and he’s anything but optimistic.

A series of unfortunate meet-cutes has Jess and Ed at the same place at the same time – and when Jess’ car breaks down on the way to Tanzie’s Math Olympiad, Ed is the only person who can save the day – making for a road trip unlike any other.

After reading a couple of heavy books (The Goldfinch and We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves), I wanted something light. I was thrilled to see that I had been approved for this ARC, but I was also more than a little leery about starting being that I have a love (Me Before You) hate (The Girl You Left Behind) relationship with JoJo Moyes. However, I’m no coward, so I pulled up my big girl panties and dove in.

Now, this is obviously not Pulitizer material we’re talking about here. It’s most definitely “chick lit,” but I judge a book for the genre in which it is written and for a romance, it was everything that I wanted it to be.

I wanted humor:

“What is this?” He stared at it suspiciously.

“Scotch, triple sec, and orange juice.”

He took a sip. And then a larger one. “This is all right.”

“I knew you’d like it. I made it especially for you. It’s called a Mithering Bastard.”

and likeable characters:

“Where the hell are we, anyway?"

“Oh, somewhere on the Yellow Brick Road.”

“Is that the one with the godlike lion that saves everyone?”

“You’re thinking of Narnia. This one is cowardly and useless.”

“Figures.”

and romance:

He dropped his head and kissed her. He kissed her and it was a kiss of utter certainty, the kind of kiss during which monarchs die and whole continents fall without your even noticing.

I wanted to feel like the girliest girl girling out over what should be a cliché boy meets girl/boy loses girl/boy gets girl back girl meets boy/girl loses boy/girl gets boy back story, but what somehow instead ends up being just the right thing at the right time – and I did (and you probably will too).

This book officially comes out on July 1st. Summertime. Take a break from the serious, put on your sunscreen, take this little gem poolside and fall in love. In a couple of years I wouldn’t be surprised to see the story played out on the big screen, making “date night” a chance to fall in love all over again – like we’ve done so many times before . . .

[Norah Una Sumner · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You know, you spend your whole life feeling like you don’t quite fit in anywhere. And then you walk into a room one day, whether it’s at university or an office or some kind of club, and you just go, ‘Ah. There they are.’ And suddenly you feel at home.”

Aw, I really enjoyed reading this book! I don't know what exactly did I expect but it kind of surprised me - the characters were very interesting and the whole story was quite perky at times but still serious. The storyline is not that complicated or over-the-top dramatic which made this book much more pleasant to read, to be honest. I absolutely loved Nicky! But every character was really well-developed and showed his flaws in the best light. JoJo Moyes's writing style is great, I need to read more of her books!

[Dem · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A little of what you fancy does you good" and this is exactly what I felt while reading One Plus One by JoJo Moyes.

The story is is basically an unconventional romance story and I don't normally do romance or chick lit novels but I think JoJo Moyes manages to bring a series edge to to her plots and her books are far more thought provoking than most romance novels. Having read and really enjoyed Me Before You
I thought it was time for another novel by JoJo and I choose One Plus One in audio format as a running companion and I have to say it kept me engaged and interested.

I think what works in this novel is the fact that the author takes every day situations and people and weaves a story around them. I love the element of familiarity about Moye's novels as I always feel I know the characters or have met them somewhere in life. There is a lovely feel to her writing that is relaxed and airy and yet wonderful elements of emotion and humor.

A light, enjoyable read that I would recommend for the holidays.

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so disappointed! I like JoJo Moyes! It was hard to believe this book was written by her! It's very predictable and quite unbelieveable. It's not even funny in the parts I'm guessing it's suppose to be...Sorry, I put it down in the middle, it wasn't worth finishing.

[Sara Kamjou · Rating 5 out of 5]

اول از همه بگم که بعد از مدت‌ها کتاب جذابی خوندم که می‌تونم به بقیه توصیه‌ش کنم و از این بابت خوشحالم!
داستان به صورت موازی از دیدگاه افراد مختلفی روایت می‌شه که باعث می‌شه بتونیم چند جانبه به داستان نگاه کنیم و شخصا از این سبک خوشم میاد، گرچه خوب درآوردنش کار راحتی نیست اما مویز به خوبی از پسش براومده بود.
جس، در نگاه اول یه زن خدمتکار، تنزی، دختربچه‌ای باهوش، نیکی، نوجوونی سرکش و اد، مردی از خود راضیه که در ادامه با هر کدوم از شخصیت‌ها بیشتر و بیشتر آشنا می‌شیم و شناختمون تغییر می‌کنه.
شخصیت‌پردازی کتاب فوق‌العاده خوب بهش پرداخته شده بود، جوری که حتی شخصیت‌های فرعی داستان کاملا باورپذیر بودن و می‌شد تو داستان کتاب شناور بود و به صورت جزئی از داستان، نظاره‌گر و همراه شد.
داستان برای من خیلی الهام‌بخش بود و از نظر اخلاقی باعث رشدم شد. شخصیت جس رو خیلی دوست داشتم و می‌تونستم عمیقا باهاش همذات‌پنداری کنم و ازش یاد گرفتم.
از نظر تربیتی هم به نظرم حرف‌های زیادی برای گفتن داشت که خیلی خوب می‌شه مخصوصا هر مامانی این کتاب رو بخونه. حرف‌هایی که نه در قالب شعار، بلکه تو بطن زندگی به ذهن و قلب آدم رسوخ می‌کنه و کاملا اصولی هستن و تو کتاب‌های روانشناسی بهشون تأکید می‌شه ولی تو داستان یاد گرفتنش به مراتب اثرگذارتره.
+ من کتاب رو به صورت صوتی با صدای شیما درخشش گوش دادم که راضی بودم و تجربه‌ی خوبی بود.
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یادگاری از کتاب:
تو فقط باید آدمایی مثل خودتو پیدا کنی...
...
قضیه این است که وقتی تمام مدت دارید به کسی سرکوفت می‌زنید، نتیجه‌اش فقط این است که آن شخص به حرف‌های خردمندانه‌تان هم دیگر گوش نمی‌دهد.
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وقتی مادرت تو را محکم در آغوشش نگیرد یا دائم به تو‌ نگوید که باارزش‌ترین موجود زندگی‌اش هستی یا حتی به حضورت در خانه بی‌توجه باشد، چیزی در درونت اتفاق می‌افتد. بخش کوچکی از وجود تو مهر و موم می‌شود.
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بهتر از هر کس می‌دانست نمی‌توان کسی را مجبور به ماندن کرد. اصلا چرا باید به کسی که تو را نمی‌خواهد چسبید؟
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چه‌قدر عجیب که آدم دلش برای چیزی که همیشه از دستش شکایت می‌کرد تنگ بشه.
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دوست واقعی مثل کتابی‌ست که هر وقت زمینش بگذاری، می‌توانی بعد از یک هفته یا حتی دو سال دوباره دست بگیری و ادامه‌اش را بخوانی.
...
قانون احتمالات در ترکیب با قانون اعداد بزرگ می‌گه برای افزایش شانس موفقیت، گاهی باید کاری رو بارها و بارها تکرار کنی تا به نتیجه‌ی مطلوبتون برسین. هر چی تلاشتونو بیشتر کنین به هدفتون بیشتر نزدیک می‌شید. یا طبق توضیحی که خودم به مامی دادم، گاهی فقط مجبوری همینطور به راهت ادامه بدی.

[Ahmad Sharabiani · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Plus One, Jojo Moyes
One single mom. One chaotic family. One quirky stranger. One irresistible love story from author of Me Before You. Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t afford to pay for. That’s Jess’s life in a nutshell—until an unexpected knight-in-shining-armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own, and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages... maybe ever. Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t afford to pay for. That’s Jess’s life in a nutshell—until an unexpected knight-in-shining-armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own, and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages... maybe ever.

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز چهارم ماه اکتبر سال 2017 میلادی

عنوان: یک بعلاوه یک؛ نویسنده: جوجو مویز ؛ مترجم: مریم مفتاحی؛ تهران: آموت، چاپ اول تا ششم ‏‫1395؛ در 561 ص؛ شابک: 9786003840225؛ چاپ هفتم ‬تا چهاردهم 1396؛ چاپ پانزدهم تا نوزدهم 1397؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان بریتانیایی - سده ی 21 م
عنوان: یک بعلاوه یک؛ نویسنده: جوجو مویز؛ مترجم: مرتضی حسنوند؛ تهران: آسو‏‫، 1396؛ در 656 ص؛ شابک: 9786008755098؛
عنوان: یک بعلاوه یک؛ نویسنده: جوجو مویز؛ مترجم: فاطمه سرباز؛ تهران: متن دیگر‏‫، 1396؛ در 561 ص؛ شابک: 9786008699385؛‬
عنوان: یک به‌علاوه یک؛ مولف: جوجو مویز ؛ مترجم: سیمین تاجدینی؛ ویراستار: سمیرا فتحعلی‌آشتیانی؛ تهران: انتشارات آتیسا‏‫، 1396؛ در 656 ص؛ شابک: 9786008399742؛‬
عنوان: یک بعلاوه یک؛ نویسنده: جوجو مویز ؛ مترجم: ناهید محمدی؛اصفهان : نگین ایران ‏‫، 1397؛ در 517 ص؛ شابک: 9786006230658؛‬
عنوان: یک بعلاوه یک؛ نویسنده: جوجو مویز ؛ مترجم: فاطمه امینی؛ تهران: شاپیگان کتاب ، ‏‫‏‏‏1398؛ در 471 ص؛ شابک: 9786008937036؛

گاهی عرصه چنان بر انسان تنگ می‌شود که او ناچار به تصمیم‌ گیری عجیبی در زندگی‌ می‌شود. اگر انسان با علم به اشتباه خود تصمیم نادرستی بگیرد ذهن او مدام به دنبال یک توجیه درست و منطقی برای این تصمیم می‌گردد. در نهایت زمانی که عواقب اشتباه خود را می‌بیند تمام سعی خود را می‌کند تا اشتباهاتش را جبران کند. اما چه کسی می‌تواند بدون کمک و همراهی دیگران به تنهایی از پس همه‌ ی مشکلات بر بیاید. همیشه گفته‌ اند یک دست صدا ندارد. «جوجو مویز» هم در رمان حیرت‌ انگیز «یک به علاوه یک» از همراهی عشق و دوستی برای جبران اشتباهات می‌گوید. رمان بلند و عاشقانه‌ ی «یک به علاوه یک» در 40 بخش به صورت دانای کل روایت می‌شود. یک به علاوه یک داستان زندگی مادری 27 ساله ی تنها و بی‌ پشتوانه به نام «جسیکا توماس» است، که به سختی در دو نوبت کار می‌کند، تا از پس هزینه‌ های زندگی خانواده‌ اش بر بیاید. همسرش «مارتی» دو سال پیش «جس» را با دختر و پسرش ترک کرده است. «جس» تمام سعی خود را می‌کند، تا با درآمد ناچيز به عنوان نظافت‌چی خانه‌ ای در دریا کنار، و کار در کافه، روی پای خود بایستد، و بتواند از«تانزی» دخترش حمایت کند، و از پسر همسرش «نیکی»، که با آن‌ها زندگی می‌کند، و رفتارهای عجیبی دارد مراقبت کند. «جس» همیشه لبخند می‌زند، و باور دارد، که همه چیز به نتیجه خواهد رسید. اما زمانی که او متوجه می‌شود، دخترش «تانزی» برای مسابقات ریاضی، باید به شهر دیگری برود، و آن‌ها به پول نیاز دارند، شرایط سخت‌تر می‌شود. او با مشکلات مالی دست و پنجه نرم می‌کند، و بازهم تمام تلاش خود را می‌کند، تا به عقب حرکت نکند. اما چیزهایی در زندگی است که به تنهایی حل نمی‌شوند، و هیچ‌کس در زندگی به «جس» یاد نداده است، که درخواست از دیگران اشکالی ندارد. داستان با آشنایی «جسیکا» و «اد نیکلاس»، رنگ‌ و بوی دیگری می‌گیرد، و همه چیز عوض می‌شود. نیکلاس مرد موفق و ثروتمندی است، که به دلیل ارتکاب یک اشتباه بزرگ در گذشته، پشیمان است، و تصمیم گرفته تا اشتباهاتش را جبران کند. او مدتی را برای استراحت، و فکر کردن به دریاکنار آمده است، و حالا کارفرمای «جسیکا»ست، که طی ماجرایی تصمیم به همراهی «جسیکا» می‌گیرد. آن‌ها یک سفر جاده‌ ای را آغاز می‌کنند، تا «تانزی» را به مسابقات، و موفقیت درسیش نزدیک کنند. اما آیا «جسیکا» و «اد نیکلاس» می‌توانند در این سفر کنار هم بعلاوه شوند و به هم کمک کنند؟ ا. شربیانی

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

***** 5 YOLO stars *****

This is only my second book by Jojo Moyes, and she managed again to pull on all of my heartstrings. I adored the characters in this book, including the big slobbery dog. The book is told through 4 different perspectives,

Jess- Single mom trying to raise her ten year old daughter and teen stepson while working two low paying jobs to make ends meet.

Ed High tech business man who has recently landed himself in self induced legal hot water.

Tanzie Ten year old math prodigy.

Nicky Withdrawn teen stepson who is constantly being bullied.

I don't like to give the story away, so I'll let you read the book to find out how these four quirky characters plus a dog end up going on a road trip to Scotland together. I was surprised by how much the events happening during this road trip made me laugh, and getting Ed's perspective on spending time with this family was priceless.

I loved all of the characters, but I could especially relate to Jess. There is kind of a universal understanding when you are a mom, that it's your job to be positive and make everything seem OK, even when it's not. It can actually be a lot of pressure to be the one who is never allowed to have a meltdown. My favorite thing about the road trip was seeing Ed, who started out being a little snobbish, end up feeling humbled by this mom who holds things together with a positive attitude, even though the world never seems to give her a break.

This book was extremely well written women's fiction/ chick lit. Even though a sweet romance develops, the focus is more on family, and persevering through difficult times. I would always recommend Me Before You, but at the same time I think this book would be a great place to start for anyone new to this author. While this book was sweet and emotionally moving, it wasn't a sob fest:)

* Thanks for another fun br Ami!! xo

[Jennifer Masterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I'd give it 10 stars if I could! JoJo Moyes' book, "Me Before You", is one of my favorite novels. I read a couple of her other books and didn't like them. I didn't expect much from this book just assuming "Me Before You" was a fluke. Boy was I wrong! It's a lighter read then "Me Before You" but it is wonderful in its own right. This was such a great story with wonderful characters. I laughed and I cried and I didn't want to put it down.

[Rachel Maniacup · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel for me is like,reading the Attachments all over again because it did give me the same,exact reaction after reading this.Yeah,you'd think it was slow and boring but I guess real good novels starts like this in the first few chapters..don't you think so?

So anyway,this is a story of an unusual,bizarre family where in Jessica"JESS"Rae Thomas,an amazing woman and a single parent and also the head of the family,because her husband left her two years ago leaving their two children to her(one isn't hers,but a son he's got from another woman,what an
*---hole*),finds herself in a constant struggle to support her family by working hard.She works as a cleaner in rich peoples' houses by day,and a barmaid in a pub by night just to make ends meet.

Added to her pains and griefs is her step-son Nicky,(the gothboy)who is oftenly bullied by some psychopatic brats who gives him a lot of bruises after beating him. Then one day,Jess received a call from her daughter,Tanzie's school,where she was offered a scholarship in one of the most admired schools in their country,exclusive to math geniuses.

Now,in order for her to make it to that school(St.Anne's),she has got to go to Scotland and take the Math Olympiad competition so she could have a source of funding for entering St.Anne's.The problem is,Jess doesn't have a car to take her family to Scotland. But in unexpected twist of fate,Mr. Ed Nicholls,a rich cleaning client of her and a computer wizard,offered her to drive them to Scotland just to escape his own big trouble for a while.And this is where their weird,hilarious and adventurous story had began..

This story is an inspiring,touching,uplifting family drama where you would be charmed by the features of the characters.My next favorite to Jess was Ed because inspite of his imperfection,lacks manner and attitude,or wasn't the best person in the world,I did admire him because he completely grew during the trip.And though he doesn't have children of his own,I loved the way he treated Nicky and Tanzie.And of course,I especially loved the moment when he helped Nicky with the kids who constantly bullied him.

The story is more about honesty,kindness,understanding relationships,humanity,family,and most of all,this serves as an eye-opener to everyone who thinks they are poor,when in fact they are rich..I'm sure you do know what I mean,'cause having read this book deeply affected me that I had a lot of crying moments..(glad that I've read this in my room,or else my mum-in-law would think that my husband and I had a fight,hehe)

This is my first of Jojo Moyes,and after reading this author's beautiful writing,I want to READ ALL of her books! Many thanks to my sister AJ for recommending me this book,and please do check her beautiful review as well on this one.(though I haven't read it yet,hehe..but now that I've read this,I'd do just right that!)^^

[Carmen de la Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

En este libro la autora nos presenta la vida de Jess Thomas, la matriarca de una pequeña familia, en la que ella juega el rol de los ambos padres, una mujer que siempre trata de ver positivo ante todas las situaciones y que siempre piensa en como darles lo mejor a sus dos hijos. Su hija Tanzie, es una niña muy tierna, inocente y una genio de las matemáticas. Por otro lado tenemos a Nicky, su hermanastro, un chico taciturno que se la pasa jugando vídeo juegos en su habitación, que casi nunca sonríe y que es victima del bullying. La vida de esta familia no es nada sencilla, su esposo la dejo hace dos años y no hay mucho aporte de parte de él, por lo que Jess tiene que trabajar duro por sus hijos y por ese gran perro que tienen por mascota.

Ed Nicolls, es el personaje principal masculino de la historia, un hombre con una exitosa empresa que le provee de un buen sueldo para subsistir muy cómodamente, sí, su vida suena muy buena, pero no se dejen engañar, Ed Nicolls tiene problemas muy serios que tendrá que enfrentar. Las cosas toman un pequeño giro en la vida de ambos, cuando él se detiene en medio de la carretera para ayudar a una mujer que casualmente resulta ser Jess y entonces comienza el viaje en el que llegarán a conocerse aún más de lo que esperan.

Todo está relatado por un narrador omnisciente, en capítulos cortos enfocados a cada uno de los personajes. Así la narración pasa de un personaje a otro y en cada capítulo nos enteramos de los pensamientos e intimidades de un personaje en específico. La escena no cambia, lo que cambia es el enfoque del narrador, y la continuidad de la historia se diversifica y no se ve afectada. Es una historia a diferentes cuadros.

Desde un comienzo el libro engancha, a pesar de que en un primer bloque se debe contar la historia por separado de la familia de Jess y de Ed; lo que podría resultar un tanto aburrido. Pero la utilización de un título y una buena sinopsis da a entender antes de comenzar a leer de que existirá un romance entre los dos protagonistas. Eso pone al lector en alerta y se convierte en un buscador del momento y la situación en que esas dos vidas tan diferentes se encontrarán. Por lo tanto las primeras páginas se leen con mucho interés.

El eje estructural, el pilar de todo el libro, se basa en la pequeña Tanzie, en que logre a través de su talento cambiar su destino y quizá el de su familia. El romance que se irá formando entre Ed y Jess es consecuencia de que se intente cumplir con este motivo principal. Por lo tanto Tanzie se convierte en el personaje más importante de la historia, el que sostiene todo el argumento.

Ya con ese pequeño análisis nos podemos dar cuenta de la importancia estructural que cada personaje tiene, nada está puesto al azar, no hay personajes ni diálogos de relleno o de adorno. Hay un perfecto esquema que se cumple a la perfección. Lo mejor de todo es que al principio, cuando piensas que no está sucediendo nada y solo se está contando la historia, la autora deja pequeños cabos sueltos que pasan desapercibidos, pero son muy importantes. Porque la historia de Tanzie no siempre puede mantener la misma intensidad y cuando el ritmo baja, usa estos pequeños cabos sueltos que dejó con anterioridad, los retoma, y le da un nuevo y fantástico impulso a la historia. Le da un giro y la potencia nuevamente.

El tema que lleva al lector a tomar el libro, es el romance, el encuentro entre estos dos seres llenos de problemas que se van a enamorar. Difícil tarea y más aún porque la autora quiere lograr ese efecto en una historia que tiene una duración de unos pocos días, todo un desafío, porque en estos tiempos, los clichés románticos ya no funcionan como antes. Debe ser un romance convincente. Y creo que la autora lo logró, no de la forma que yo esperaba, flaquea en algunas escenas, pero lo logró. Utilizó muy bien el recurso del personaje de Tanzie para colocar a estas dos personas en diversas situaciones en que dejan al descubierto sus vergüenzas, miedos y necesidades. Terminan conociéndose profundamente. Y cuando dos personas se conocen a fondo, pueden terminar dándose cuenta de que realmente pueden ser el uno para el otro.

En resumen: Este libro es hermoso, Jojo sabe mantenernos adictos a sus libros. Me gusta la profundidad de sus personajes y la trama. Creo que esta tan bien escrito (los que han leído a Jojo Moyes saben a lo que me refiero, su pluma es especial) hacia que me enfrascara tanto en el libro que durante el viaje en coche me sentí como si estuviera ahí, sentí que estaba a lado de Norman jajajaja.
Jojo es especialista en dramas familiares y obviamente este libro no es la excepción, cuando crees que todo siempre sera color de rosa, todo se destroza, se desmorona y no tienes idea de como todo se arreglara. Me gusto, fue muy entretenido y me reí mucho en varias ocasiones.

[Nσҽɱí · Rating 5 out of 5]

Después de varias lecturas algo "Flojitas" leer uno más uno ha sido increíble...Con decir que me lo terminado de leer en dos días,lo digo todo.
Una historia con problemas reales,personajes increíbles y que cada uno tiene algo que aportar.
Es fácil de leer,cada personaje cuenta uns parte de la historia desde su punto de vista y eso me ha gustado.
Te ríes,te emocionas,te cabreas,tiene de todo esta historia.
Así que poco más de que decir,me ha encantado

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

I am such a fan of “Me Before You” that I naturally started this book with pretty high expectations. So the question is, ‘Did this book live up to my expectations?’ I have struggled with this question not only while I was reading but for some time after I finished this book.

Up until around the 15% mark of this book, I kind of had trouble following the story. It seemed to jump around to different character’s POV before I could grasp an understanding of what was going on. This became a bit distracting for me. But once I did, I was definitely hooked.

I feel that once I was pulled into the story that the author did a fantastic job of building up the characters and making them come to life. Once I finished the book, I felt a bit nostalgic and disappointed that this quirky family was no longer going to be a part of my life. (One of those silly nuances of being a book nerd!) I honestly felt close to them all. So that answers part of the ‘yes’ in the initial question if this book could live up to the prior one that I read.

I struggled a bit during certain aspects of the story and these moments pulled me out of the story and I found that to be a disappointment at times. For instance, one of the main characters (Jess) teaches her children proper morals and how honesty is important in life, yet she vandalizes another woman’s property (because of a man) out of anger but never seems to apologize to the woman for her actions or the damage that she caused and I didin’t feel that went along with her character that was so well established up until that point in the story. I also couldn’t help but think if this story were true that it isn’t something that people just ignore but there are usually financial consequences and angry people when these instances happen so it drew out of the story a bit.

I also struggled with the ensuing drunken mishap that later took place between the two main characters (Jess and Ed). It just seems to me that if a drunk woman were to do the things that she did to and around a man whom she had only really gotten to know in the span of a couple of days, any man would have bolted straight out of there. So, it was confusing that he calmed her when she acted insane and yet was upset by something that happened later in the book that wasn’t quite as crazy, but more desperate. It just didn’t blend very well for me during this part of the book for me. I also found Ed’s sisters reaction to their breakup to be unbelievable.

Those were my biggest hangups an dthey were minor compared to the rest of the book. There always seemed to be some action going on in the plot which I loved because I not once became bored. I was totally hooked into the story and was always curious of what would happen next and I love books that pull this interest from me.

I have become a true fan on Jojo Moyes and I very much look forward to her next one! I think that this is a fun read and I highly recommend it to those out there who love a quirky love story. This is a perfect summer read.

[Margitte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Popular romance, in whatever media it may come, is often an expression of a frivolous or silly social mythology, and a value judgement on the social mythology is likely to be more relevant to criticism than a value judgment on the literary merit - Northrop Frye, The Secular Scripture

Or as as the novelist George Elliot in the Westminster Review essay "Silly Novels by Lady Novelists (1856)" so daintily described it as 'a genus with many species', including the "frothy," "prosy", "pious," and "pedantic," and condemns it all to witless.

Everyone who knows me, also knows that I do not do romantic, often chick lit potboilers, very well. In fact, I prefer to save the chickerati as well as their books from disaster by not reading it and then not reviewing it. I'm doing them the favor of the century, sort of (that's a little bit of my massive egotism on display, humor me, please). Not that they need my humble favors at all. For instance, an estimated $137 million rattled the banks through chick lit sales in America alone in 2005. Bridget Jones and her stiletto sisters, get the female groupies to laugh, love and live happily ever after in astounding numbers. Where an average chick lit novel may sell 5000 copies, author such as Marian Keyes, with her novel The Other Side of the Story sold a whopping 488 508 copies in 2005. Get my drift? My ego is seriously over inflated in trying to do them a favor!

Remember the old song 'Little Boxes by Pete Seeger? It goes something like this:

"Little boxes on the hillside
Little boxes made of ticky tacky
Little boxes
Little boxes
Little boxes all the same
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same
And the people in the houses all go to the university
And they all get put in boxes, little boxes all the same
And there's doctors and there's lawyers
And business executives
And they're all made out of ticky tacky and they all look just the same
And they all play on the golf course and drink their martini dry
And they all have pretty children and the children go to school
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university
And they all get put in boxes, and they all come out the same
And the boys go into business and marry and raise a family
And they all get put in boxes, little boxes all the same

Different Little Boxes have different buyers and there are many to choose from. The Little Box with a picture of a glass of martini and/or stilettos stuck to it, is the chick lit number. Also called Shoe Lit. Inside, a protagonist, a young professional woman who is trying to make it in the corporate world will be found, with relationship issues, financial woes, a shopping addiction, and circle of like-minded friends. She is on the hunt for Prince Charming in her pursuit of her modern fairy tale ending.

Life is tough and time is precious. We carefully choose our Little Boxes in which we want to climb and escape reality, right?

So why do I expose Jojo Moyes to this fate of being reviewed by me? Well, the author convinced me to spend a few valuable hours on her writing with her book Me Before You, thanks to the raving reviews encountered on GR by my highly respected friends. Jojo Moyes got me reeling in different directions at once. It was a magnificent read. Most importantly though, Jojo Moyes redefines chick lit by adding a little more substance and soul to her tales. And she doesn't have the stilleto and martini-duo on the cover at all! Neither the pearls and the lipstick applied to perfect lips.

Sooooo, it was time to try again. I do have the follow-up book, The Girl You Left Behind but prefer not to read it. I chose One Plus One instead.

From the blurb:

Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t afford to pay for. That’s Jess’s life in a nutshell—until an unexpected knight-in-shining-armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own, and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages . . . maybe ever.

The reason why this often very funny novel worked for me is that it was the perfect antidote to my recent dark and stark reads of the past several weeks. I wanted to read something light, but not necessarily fluffy. This book was a perfect choice. It's still not a genre I want to pursue often. Formulaic and just too boring in general.

The tale is oh so chick chick chick lit for sure. The bone structure of this genre is perfectly and safely intact. However, with her journalistic background, she adds meat to the bare bones with real issues challenging the outcome. The reader's journey becomes much more than a satirical take on Pete Seeger's Little Boxes. There's an oomph to the tale which even convinces a chick lit-phobic like me to nod in approval and instead of punching the air with a Torquamadian middle finger, I conclude the experience with a four star thumbs up!

[Jonetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

quick summary
Jess Thomas is a 27-year old single mother raising two children; Tanzie, a 10-year old math prodigy and Nick, her teenaged stepson (Dad's moved on). Tanzie has an opportunity to attend a special school but money is an object. Ed Nicholls is a wealthy tech whiz who's in big trouble, facing possible insider trading charges for inadvertently trying to help out a friend. Jess and Ed's paths cross as he tries to help her get Tanzie to a big math contest with a monetary award to the winner.

what I loved
Jess represents every ordinary parent who's trying to do the best for her children and struggling to make ends meet. Despite her imperfections and failures, her resilience had me rooting for her throughout the story. Ed initially comes across as self-centered and superficial, which kept me from seeing any potential romance between these two. There are extremely hilarious moments as they contend with all the obstacles on the way to the math contest. There are also tough moments as the issues both face are realistic for their circumstances.

romance?
I categorized this as contemporary fiction because most of the story falls in this category. There is a romantic element but it's not the primary focus so I'd recommend you read (or listen) through this lens.

narration
There are four narrators to represent the voices and points of view of Jess, Ed, Nicky and Tanzie. This my first time listening to a story with more than two and it was a highlight of my reading experience. All of these characters are so distinctly drawn and having distinctive voices for them made the performance more effective. I loved it!

the bottom line
I enjoyed this story immensely, especially the audio experience. Jess is a wonderful character who goes the distance for her children and puts her pride aside for their sake. You'll laugh, cry, get angry and tense (there are some dicey moments), which are hallmarks of a really good book. So plug in and enjoy.

(I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review)

[Aditi · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Heartbreak was a luxury too costly for the single parent.”
----Jojo Moyes

Jojo Moyes, an international best-selling British author, have spun yet another heart-touching tale about a single parent and her priorities in her life, in her latest book, One Plus One. They say, it's hard for a single parent to stay strong and take care of her kids, but Jojo Moyes gives a whole new definition on being a single parent in a hard life.

Synopsis:

One single mum.
With two jobs and two children, Jess Thomas does her best day after day. But it's hard on your own. And sometimes you take risks you shouldn't. Because you have to...

One chaotic family.
Jess' gifted, quirky daughter Tanzie is brilliant with numbers, but without a helping hand she'll never get the chance to shine. And Nicky, Jess' teenage stepson, can't fight the bullies alone. Sometimes Jess feels like they're sinking...

One handsome stranger.
Into their lives comes Ed Nicholls, a man whose life is in chaos, and who is running from a deeply uncertain future. But he has time on his hands. He knows what it's like to be lonely. And he wants to help...

One unexpected love story.


Jessie Rae Thomas, is a single mother, left abandoned by her husband, Marty, who got scared of mature responsibilities of their two teenage kids, Nicky, a meek and geek boy, and Tanzie, the maths wiz. Jess tries hard to make ends meet by working as a cleaning lady in a glitzy and posh neighborhood houses and as a barmaid at a local pub. Nicky, Jess' stepson, is a subject to constant bullying by some neighborhood guys, and one fine day Tanzie gets an opportunity to participate in a maths competition in Scotland, unfortunately, Jess didn't have that kind of money to support for this competition. But in her already messed up life, Jess' path crosses with the dashing and rich computer techie, Ed Nicholls in a strange circumstance when Jess and her kids were waiting by the pavement to go to Scotland for the competition, while this Ed guy stops his car to help them, thus rescuing Jess from a difficult situation. But Ed has his own demons and crisis to fight for, and Jess' and her kids presence surprisingly makes things easier for him. Read the novel to know how Jess and Ed's relationship unfolds.

The writing style is absolutely fantastic, and the plot is layered with humorous moments and funny anecdotes. While reading the book, I felt that the author must have poured all her emotions into this book, at each and every step, my heart was filled with sympathy and content for Jess, who no matter how hard the situation became, she never lost her hope, and many a times, she almost lost it due to Nicky's constant being bullied by the local thugs situation. In short, the emotions run deep and the author have described those bullying scenes sensitively. The narrative is catchy and free-flowing, and with such an articulate prose, I was engrossed into this deeply emotional and at times funny journey of Jess.

The character are striking and I can say that Jess is the epitome of any single mother in this world, yes there's lot to learn from the way she handles her kids and at the same time trying to provide them roof and food. Her strong determination is one thing that will keep you hooked on the depth of this story. Her kids, Nicky is a nerd guy, struggles with bullying, meek, and he can be related to many boys of his age. The author crafted Nicky's character with enough realism. Tanzie is fabulous and will make a mark upon our hearts with her lively and intelligent demeanor. Ed comes across as the selfish and self-centered guy in the beginning, but as he starts to open up, we are only bound to feel sorry for his financial crisis. All the characters are, in short, thoughtfully drawn and they all are a package of their own flaws and burden and maybe that's what made so interesting to read about them!

This book is perfect for a lazy weekend read since it is romantic yet not too cheesy, emotional yet not too dramatic, funny yet not too comic and thoroughly engaging.

Verdict: With such a realistic and unpredictable storyline, this is a must read book for all chick-lit readers.

[Patrice Hoffman · Rating 3 out of 5]

One Plus One is the latest fun, romantic story by Jojo Moyes. For those unfamiliar with her insanely popular Me Before You, please remove yourself from the rock in which you are living under. Now, please!

One Plus One follows the romance novel schtick where opposites attract. That's no secret. It's expected and hoped for. It's why women like me swoon over romance novels. We all think that our Knight in shining armour is out there, even if we aren't looking for them. Jess isn't looking for any knight. She's simply trying to keep her head above water by working as a maid and a barkeep so that her two children can have food on the table. Her daughter Tanzie has been given a gift for numbers. She can compute like none other. This gift gets her noticed by an elite private school where her talents can be nurtured. The only problem is that Jess is unable to cover the fees given her meager salaries.

Ed, an up and coming tech guru has fallen into some trouble. He is being investigated for insider trading because he's an idiot. No really. He wants to get rid of a girlfriend so he gives her money and tells her to invest in his company since it will be extremely profitable for her... and get her out of his hair. Basically, he's a tool. A nice tool, but nonetheless, a tool.

Of course these two, Jess and Ed, have a chance encounter that places them in each other's atmosphere. Ed offers to drive Jess and her family, to Tanzie's math competition. This competition is her only chance at getting enough money to go to a private school. Tanzie winning would be the one stroke of luck that this family so desperately needs.

True to form, Jojo Moyes gives us characters who are enjoyable and a treat to be acquainted with. Who couldn't love Jess? She took in her exe's son after he disappeared on them. She refuses to let her children eat at McDonald's because that's not the single mother she wants to be. Also, she's just so positive. Her belief that things won't be bad forever really steals readers hearts.

As the novel shifts focus between Jess, Ed, Tanzie, and Nicky's point of view, each character really shines through. This makes her romance novel a step above the rest. Others aimlessly meander from one overwhelming feeling of attraction to another until it's all one happily-ever-after fest. Moyes has a little more depth than that... but only slightly.

The one gripe I have with this novel is that I feel this formula for putting together two people who have absolutely nothing in common together, is a little overdone. Sure Moyes is a skilled writer, it's just a subject that is hard to revamp.

In conclusion, One Plus One is a good, often funny, look at two people who are trying so hard to keep from adding more to their complicated equations, but ultimately are unable to resist. Because I'm a fan of Jojo Moyes, I look forward to her next romance novel, even if there will never be another Me Before You, I still await the next time one of her characters steals my heart.

Copy provided by Penguin Group via Netgalley

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

ONE PLUS ONE started off a little far-fetched for me with Ed, a well-to-do and supposedly bright software geek, giving away insider information just to be rid of a bimbo he regrettably hooked up with; and likewise, Jess is just as bad deciding to drive to Scotland in a junk heap limo without knowing directions or quite how to drive for that matter.....BUT, as I read along, I found myself laughing at all the crazy mishaps that occurred on the trip and loving Norman, the big goofy (slobbering) dog, as well as the ten year old brainy Tanzie and her unconventional half brother Nicky knowing this story would turn out to be another entertaining JoJo Moyes read.

Does not hold a candle to ME BEFORE YOU (my favorite) but still a fast, easy and fun little romance adventure.

[Julie James · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book by this author, and I enjoyed it. A little predictable, but sometimes a little predictability isn't a bad thing.

[LeeAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Plus One
by Jojo Moyes

Three and 1/2 Stars

This is a cute, light, enjoyable read. It does NOT come anywhere close to packing the same punch as Me Before You which has to be one of the most unique, creative and insightful books I've ever read.



I do recommend this book, but be warned, it is filled to the brim with every other rom-com cliche you can think of:

* Two people from opposite worlds with nothing in common get stuck in a cramped car on a harrowing road trip.
* He is wealthy but an unlikely, nerdy hero
* He comes across as a sexist jerk who only dates models but that's because he has not yet met the right girl.
* There is an adorable, lovable dog to bump up the cuteness factor.
* She is a quirky, adventurous girl who brings a spark of life to his boring, materialistic life.
* She is a single mom of two bullied but likable kids
* She is flat broke, works two full time minimum wage jobs but is always brimming with cheerful energy.
* All of the men in her life have treated her like garbage
* Oh did I mention she is gorgeous and also happens to be his house cleaner?
* We get the inevitable “couple forced to share a bed” chapter, demanding they confront their sexual attraction for one another.
* We get the mandatory "one character has to race to get to the other character BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!!!" chapter. OMG! Will they make it in time?
* We also get the misunderstanding chapter, when a terrible secret is exposed and the misunderstanding of it splits the lovers apart.
* Last, everything gets wrapped up in a happy bow at the end.

[Corina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, truly loved it!

After reading Me Before You I was a little bit cautious reading another of her books. Me Before You destroyed me, it truly wreaked me. I cried, which is the last thing I want to do reading a book, I'm not a crier and don't appreciate it. But that woman can write amazing books.

So, I gave One Plus One a try, and loved it!!!!!

The story, the kids, the farting dog, the romance and the happy ending. Woohoo

She wrote Jess as one amazingly strong and fierce woman, that would do anything and did anything for her children. And Ed, gosh, he was so geeky and nerdy, and kind, and wonderful, and, and, and.......

Those two deserved each other, no doubt about that.

I laughed and shook my head disbelieving, and teared up (again), and hoped, and smiled. Wonderful witty dialogs, such great characters, and a storyline that gripped me and didn't let go. It won't be my last book of hers, but I'm still proceeding with caution, with her I need to be careful, otherwise I'm turning into a crybaby every single time.


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[Marisa Sauco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Decir que esta novela es maravillosa es quedarme corta. Más que una historia de amor entre dos personas, es una historia de amor entre cuatro personas tan diferentes entre sí, que terminan por elegirse, por necesitarse y por amarse; y que establecen un vínculo sólido y profundo.

Se nota que cada personaje fue pensado y creado con mucha inteligencia y mucho amor por parte de su autora. Es perfecta la evolución de cada uno de ellos a lo largo de la historia, en forma individual y en las relaciones entre ellos. Es tan sutil la manera en cada uno deja su huella en el otro. Y es tan profundo y tan hermoso el mensaje que deja, que es imposible que no te llegue al corazón.

Intensa. Emotiva. Preciosa.

[Shannon A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute book! More depth and whimsy then I was expecting :) if you like Little Miss Sunshine, I would check this out.

[Purple Country Girl (Sandy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Plus One is the second book I’ve read by JoJo Moyes. The first was Me Before You which I devoured in about 2 days and ended up blubbering like a baby. That book stayed with me for several months. One Plus One did not pull me in immediately like Me Before You did. It took a few false starts and a few chapters before I finally settled in and became absorbed in the story. It’s a light story that is entertaining and rather moving in places, but not heavy like Me Before You.

As the book opens, Ed Nicholls has just discovered that he is an imbecile. He has managed to get himself on the hook for insider trading. His excuse: he wanted his crazy girlfriend, Deanna, to go away and he didn’t realize what he was doing was wrong. For a tech genius, he’s a bit stupid. Ed’s pretty much blackballed from his own company while an investigation is opened into his activities. His best friend is furious with him, more for getting into a relationship with Deanna (a woman from their shared past) than with the bone-headed move to provide her with inside information on a forthcoming product launch.

Jess Thomas is an optimistic single mother working two jobs to support her family, which includes her precocious, math-mad daughter and her bullied, sensitive stepson. Her ex-husband pretty much has disappeared from their lives and Jess struggles to make ends meet. When her daughter, Tanzie, is offered a partial scholarship to attend a prestigious private school, Jess is determined to make it happen, even though she cannot afford to make up the difference. After asking her ex for help with paying for Tanzie’s tuition and getting rejected, and after her stepson, Nicky, is beaten up by bullies, she is close to giving up. That is until Tanzie’s teacher tells her about something called the Maths Olympiad with cash prizes up to five thousand pounds. Unfortunately, it takes place in Scotland and she doesn’t have the money for train tickets so she comes up with plan B.

Plan B, packing up the kids and their dog and driving her ex-husband’s old junker of a Rolls Royce to Scotland, hits a snag and ends with them stranded on the side of the road with two less than helpful policemen. When Ed Nicholls pulls up to offer assistance, Jess is embarrassed as Ed is the owner of a house she cleans and their previous meetings were on the unpleasant side. To her surprise, he offers first to drive them back home and, after hearing about the Maths Olympiad, he offers to take them all to Scotland. An unusual and long road trip filled with ups and downs of every sort follows as they make their way slowly to Scotland.

Though the book does become predictable, it is still very enjoyable. You feel like you’re in the car with these four people and a big, smelly dog, listening in on their conversations and watching as they start to form bonds. Each character is well-developed and unique and each has endearing qualities - well, maybe not so much Ed. He does improve over the course of the book but he is still a bit dense. There are many obstacles thrown into the characters’ paths, some rather typical of chick-lit type books, but they didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment. It’s a sweet-natured book full of love and hope. I’m definitely becoming a big fan of Moyes:)