Review: Love, Love, Loved it!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 28, 2013
John Boy and Melanie make a few appearances in The Only Exception, but never together and never significant enough to really get to know them. However, I liked both of them so I was eager to dive into their story and see how it all would unfold. I think I love them more than Trey and Monica and I am definitely in love with John Boy.When Melanie meets John Boy, she is instantly attracted to him and finds his shameless flirting mesmerizing. John Boy is intrigued by Melanie and because she is different from any girl he's ever met. He wants to show her one amazing night and break down her walls a bit to see her wild side. What he doesn't count on is the way she sees him like no one else does and when tragedy strikes Melanie, she never counted on John Boy being the friend she needs. As their attraction mounts, both of their walls start to break down old habits and insecurities threaten to ruin it all.I liked Melanie. She is smart, hardworking and a bit reserved. She was badly hurt by her previous boyfriend and that makes her a bit guarded. She definitely tries super hard to fight her attraction to John Boy but the more time she spends with him, the harder it is. She sees a side of him that most people don't and she definitely likes what she sees. However, I think she definitely plays it safe and she is never really honest with herself or John Boy about her feelings for him. This made me sad because it was so obvious how he felt about her but she never really gave it a chance to blossom.Oh, John Boy. I am definitely lusting after him. He is definitely a charmer and he immediately takes interest in Melanie. At first, it's just a physical thing for him and he likes the challenge of letting loose the wild side of Melanie, who is so uptight and put together. However, I felt like the more he got to know her, the more he wanted her to really know him. He definitely puts on a show for everyone and there is a lot more to him that what people think. He definitely has a reputation but I think he hates being that guy and he doesn't want to be judged by it.I really adored the relationship between Melanie and John Boy and the amazing friendship that they created. Clearly they are both attracted to one another from the beginning and they definitely want to get physical to try and get each other out of their system. However, the more they got to know each other and let down their defenses, the emotional element of their relationship over ruled the physical. Tragedy strikes Melanie and John Boy is there for her in a way that most guys wouldn't be. Considering he barely knows her, I was blown away by the kindness and support he showed. It was obvious he was falling for her even though he didn't always make the best decisions or let his actions show it. However, there were plenty of times that it was so obvious to me and I wanted to shake Melanie for holding back when she felt the same way about him.It was really hard watching Melanie cope with everything she had going on. Her life is turned upside down and it makes her really insecure and unsure of herself. I could totally understand why she felt that way and it made me so sad to see it get in her way with John Boy. She let her doubts and these insecurities hold her back from getting what she really wanted and what he would so gladly give to her. I wanted to be annoyed by her pity party and the way she was always feeling sorry for herself, but I put myself in her shoes and I could totally understand why she would feel that way. She always doubted John Boy's attraction to her and his interest and after everything she goes through, she feels even more broken and damaged. John Boy constantly showed his support and I felt like he made his feelings for her pretty clear. When she finally pushed him too far and let all of her fears and insecurities get in the way, I was so afraid that he would walk away for good. In the end, John Boy proved himself to Melanie and to me and he finally broke down Melanie's defense for good. I absolutely loved the ending to this book and the epilogue was truly beautiful.Overall, I really loved everything about The Only One. It had a unique backstory behind the plot that held me captive and the development of the characters was truly fantastic. I really felt connected to Melanie and John Boy and I felt all of their emotions with them. I was actually sad when it was over because I just wasn't ready to say good bye to them. I am definitely a fan of Magan and I can't wait to read more of her books. With the holiday season on upon us, I'm looking forward to her new Christmas novella, Off The Market