The things that can happen in just one day…

Synopsis

One day, five lives, but whose hearts will be broken by nightfall?

It started like any other day in the picturesque village of Weirbridge.

Tress Walker waved her perfect husband Max off to work, with no idea that she was about to go into labour with their first child. And completely unaware that when she tried to track Max down, he wouldn’t be where he was supposed to be.

At the same time, Max’s best friend Noah Clark said goodbye to his wife, Anya, blissfully oblivious that he would soon discover the woman he adored had been lying to him for years.

And living alongside the two couples, their recently widowed friend, Nancy Jenkins, is getting ready to meet Eddie, her first true love at a school reunion. Will Nancy have the chance to rekindle an old flame, or will she choose to stay by Tress’s side when she needs her most?

One Day with You – two fateful goodbyes, two unexpected hellos, and 24 hours that change everything.

My review

Max and Noah have been best friends for years. Max is happily married to Tress, who is heavily pregnant with their first child. And Noah still absolutely adores his own wife Anya, after all these years.
But while everyone expects life to go its usual way, nobody sees it coming that secrets will come out that will devastate each and every one of them. And that on the same day that Tress goes into labour.
And then there is neighbour Nancy Jenkins, a rock for both couples, who is ready to meet Eddie, her first true love and the one that got away… Will that old flame spark again? Or will Nancy be where she is needed, by Tress’ side and not where she wants to be, dancing with Eddie?

I have to admit that I was wrong, when I started to read this book. I was questioning (just a little bit though!) how this author would manage to write a wonderful story that just takes place in one day.
Would a good story need more time to really touch its readers, to understand the characters?
But what was I thinking, questioning this amazing author???? Because I KNEW her ability to write compelling stories! 

First of all, I liked it how Noah and Max have been best friend for ages. It always warms my heart to see how friendships can stand the test of time. And seeing that Noah and Max were vey close despite their personal differences, made it even sweeter for me. 

No matter how different their lives went, with Noah being marred to Anya for years while Max was known in the past for not doing long relationships and has not been married to Tress that long, their friendship for sure has been the one certainty in their lives. 

This one day not only turns out to be a turning point of both couples, but it is also a heart – breaking one, also for the reader.
And for me, it felt the worse kind of betrayal that could be taking place…
When you start this book, you already have a hunch of what secrets may be revealed. At least, that was in my case.
And even if these are fictional characters, my heart broke when the truth came out. And not only the truth but the depth of betrayal… 

Can I just say that in my humble opinion, Noah deserves a statue… Despite his discovery, he shows what a good friend he is, especially towards Tress. While Tress is in labour, Noah stand by her side despite his own heartbreak. He is the kind of person who puts his own pain and struggles aside to help whoever is in need of his help. 

While reading, I felt the whole experience as a rollercoaster. Every kind of emotion, it’s all there. Obviously, this book made my own feelings surface very strong. I absolutely loved Noah and Tress, while my feelings for Max and Anya were the complete opposite.  
It made me realize that people don’t always do the right thing. And the secrets made me ask the same question time over time: Just how could you do that to your beloved ones???? 

Luckily, to lighten the sometimes heavy mood, we have Nancy to brighten it all up. She is the kind of neighbour everyone should have. Although that wouldn’t do her justice, as she is so much more than just a neighbour. She is everyone’s friend and ready to help out in her own unique yet marvellous way. Her story may not be the protagonist, but I had my fingers crossed that her meeting with Eddie may be exactly what she expected. But also in this case, Shari Low surprised us and added a twist, perhaps even making Nancy’s little story even better! 

I feel like this book is not to be taken too lightly, as there are many things happening in it that unfortunately also happen in real life. It makes the reader think about what kind of person they want to be. Do they want to be like Noah and Tress, the best kind of man you can imagine and a woman stronger than she may seem like? Or is their path just like Max and Anya, knowing what they are doing is wrong, but not being able to let go? 

Even with the heavy subjects, and the tissues I shred, I found it impossible to lay it aside and I just had the urgency to keep reading until the finish!