One True Thing

Another sweet and wonderful story ... I'm so happy Dusty found love and the happiness he deserved. Asher was made for him and really blended with him ...
The way they supported each other and move forward after the mess with the twin ... Brilliant ...
Great book to read !

I was excited to read this book because I had really enjoyed the first one. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with Dusty's story. It didn't click for me and some of it seemed too pat and scripted.

So much drama ensues when Dusty mixes up twins. It could have ended up really badly but they finally get things straightened out. Luckily, Dusty picks the right brother.

Stars: 3.5/5
Overall
While I enjoyed this novel, I also was very blasé about it. The writing felt stiff compared to One Small Thing and while the plot was interesting, I had a hard time getting into the characters and siding with them. Don't get me wrong, I liked the characters, but also struggled to really care about them.
This is worth a read, but I found it disappointing after how much I enjoyed the previous story.
Review
Dusty and Asher are a cute couple; both men are looking for true love, and they feel the classic zing when they meet. They definitely fall into the love at first site trope, but it's pretty well-handled and a majority of the story doesn't focus on that so much as the twin confusion and the later troubles involving Archer. I still found it a bit irksome, but not enough to put down the book and not continue.
The broader cast in this book is enjoyable, and the roles they play in the story (minor though most of them are). I'm also hoping we'll get a Lane/Josh book, because things were definitely set up for that to happen. The additional cast added some nice flavor to the story and let characters talk out their problems with outside sources, but I also felt like most of the extra characters were just cardboard cutouts. They lacked much depth, although I still found them darling.
I really wanted to smack Asher (after taking a hit at Archer) for how he handled his brother and the entire fiasco that he causes. I found the whole thing super annoying, but I can also respect that people react differently to situations. In the end, I found the end resolution very fitting and kind of amusing.
Everything gets tied up rather neatly in the end, but that doesn't mean there isn't a little bit of heartache. I was glad the ending had a bit of melancholy because that balanced out the love at first sight perfection from the beginning of the novel.
This won't be for everyone, but I think fans of the authors and the standard contemporary romance will enjoy.

Every once and a while, I get the urge to read about characters who are simply sweet. Not boring or bland, but good hearted people who end up with a HEA. In One True Thing, Vaughn and O'Shea each write a main character who is sweet. Dusty, who appeared in One Thing #1, is finding his way at a new job, having lead his family cross country from Delaware to Southern California. Dusty loves his non-traditional family: His best friend Rue, Rue's partner Erik, and their daughter Alice. But Dusty feels like a third wheel, and hopes for a partner of his own. He stumbles on an attractive man who seems to be a dream come true, but has a hard time connecting with him again. To make matters more complex, his fantasy guy, Asher, has a very real identical twin, Archer. Archer is a promiscuous, lazy, dishonest, low life, yet Asher feels responsible for him. Even after a classic twin mix up of switched identities, Asher and Dusty get together. But will their Archer's greed and sloth ruin their fragile but blossoming love? Both Asher and Dusty are generous, kind-hearted, humble, sweet people, but they aren't perfect. Dusty is jealous, and sometimes a bit desperate to hook up with who he thinks is his ideal man--even when that man treats him poorly. Asher is mired in the porn industry, which is fine--except he has misgivings about his involvement. You really root for both Asher and Dusty (ironic names there, Ash and Dust) because sometimes, the good guys should win! And these good guys are well written enough to make you care about them. I found Dusty to be particularly charming--humble and sweet. Asher was a good match for him, and their romance was both warm and funny.