The One Plus One

This is the first book that read of Jojo Moyes. I did need tissues in the end. Never a dull moment. I loved it and didn't want to end reading.

The story follows Jess - a single mother straining to make ends meet, Tanzie - Jess’s daughter with a knack for maths, Nicky – Jess’s teen-aged step-son who is trying to do his best but is weighed down by drugs and bullies and Ed – a successful man at the verge of losing everything and battling his own insecurities. Add to the mix, a manipulative spouse, belligerent neighbors, disappointed families and the dismal reality of vanishing finances to get the full extent of what the novel explores. A moment of weakness, a sliver of hope and a kind act leads to Ed, Jess, her kids and the family dog taking a road trip. Along the way, the characters learn to voice their fear, to let go, to enjoy the moment and to do their best. But this does not mean that the journey is smooth or its conclusion inevitable. The characters must face betrayal, own up to lies, acknowledge their shame and be willing to get dirty. It is an easy read and it is also easy to see where the characters are coming from and why they act the way they do. For under INR 250, it is a good buy for those interested in the genre. For fans of Jojo Moyes, this book is a must read. For those who have just read ‘Me Before You’, you have to be a little patient with the wordiness of the novel and the time required by the situations within the novel develop fully. The Book: It has a very good and heavy quality cover page. The texture and the cover page illustration attempts to add to the story. The book is light compared to its volume and the feel of its cover. It has regular mass paperback quality paper with large font, and sharp and clear printing. The margins on the top and the right seem a little small but do not affect the reading experience. The spine creases mildly but holds strong overall.

Really glad that Amazon has the option to purchase "used" books. Got mine in perfect condition and there's no tear or folds in. Got it for 158 Rupees and no delivery fee. It smelled a little funky in the beginning but I kept the book outside to air for a while and it's okay now :). Havnt read it yet, will update once I do.

My second Jojo Moyes novel and i loved it. A delightful chick-lit. Once you start reading it, you will never want to put it down. Each character lives with you, even if you finish reading it.

The product was delivered on time by Amazon and in a good condition. This book is a must read for all hopeless romantics looking for some magic. I've always been fan of Jojo and this book cemented that even more.

loved the language and continuity along with the storyline of the book.

Really good read and great quality book.

Received in less than pristine condition. Dog eared and torn at the edge. Have not read the book yet

Habe diese Geschichte von Jojo Moyes mit Freude und grossem Vergnügen gelesen. Eine Art Roadmovie in literarischer Form, wobei auf herzerwärmende und kein bisschen kitschige Weise von den Sorgen einer alleinerziehenden, in ständiger Geldnot befindlichen Mutter erzählt wird, von ihren zwei sehr besonderen Kindern und dem riesigen Hund Norman.. Mit von der Partie ist ein in Schwierigkeiten geratenen Londoner Jungunternehmer, der als ambivalenter Retter in der Not auftaucht und alle auf eine recht bewegte Reise nach Schottland mitnimmt. Natürlich ist das Ganze auch eine Liebesgeschichte, aber mehr noch ist es eine schöne, humorvolle Erzählung von Zuversicht, Zueinanderstehen, Verzeihenkönnen, Nicht-Aufgeben und eben: Liebe. Jo-Jo Moyes gelingt es, dies alles so zu erzählen, dass es keineswegs zu zuckrig wird, trotz einer gewissen Vorhersehbarkeit spannend bleibt und nie ins Triviale abgleitet.

I just loved this story. I read it years ago and it was so good , I wanted to reread it. It is a wonderful combination of funny and sad. The characters are well developed, and you identify with the difficult situation that the family is in. This is a must read.

シングルマザーの不安や日々の葛藤が描かれていて(私自身シングルマザーだったので）感情移入して読んでしまいました。世界中のシングルマザーにEdのような男性が現れてくれたら良いのにと思う楽しい結末です。

I loved this book and couldnt put it down...read in two days! I recommend reading it if you enjoy a good love story!

Oh boy, I LOVED this book. In fact, all of Jo Jo Moyes’ stories are absorbing and un-putdownable, even her earlier, more historical genre books. She is such a talented author who presents us every time with credible, interesting characters whom we want to cheer on. What should basically turn out to be a depressing read, featuring a struggling one-parent family, is not. Jess, with her cleaning and bar jobs is just about coping to bring up Tanzie, her talented daughter, a maths prodigy who doesn’t fit in at her tough school. She cares for Nicky too: not her son, but the result of her loser of a husband, and his affair with a drug addict. Said husband, Marty, has also dumped Jess, Nicky and Tanzie for a new woman and offers no support whatsoever. Nicky is another child who is “a bit different”, who needs to find his “tribe”, his own people and in the meantime is mercilessly bullied and beaten up by the loathsome Fisher and his gang. Seriously beaten up. Enter Ed Nicholls, another “different” person, with a clever IT brain and owning a successful software business. Jess and her friend Nathalie clean his swanky, vast house that never looks lived in every week. Materially Ed wants for nothing but his private life is a mess and in a mad, thoughtless, rather naïve and desperate moment, he gives away company information – a disastrous move. He is now at rock bottom too. (And also another lovable character). He becomes entangled in the life of Jess and the plot thickens. No spoilers but the main event is a crazy car journey to Scotland where all these “different” characters, (minus of course the sh**** Marty), plus a lolloping, farting dog called Norman, travel north for hours to get Tanzie to a Maths Olympiad. Bewildered? All will be explained when you read this fabulous book… It’s an intensely moving story and it is also hilarious in parts: a combo hard to pull off, but Moyes does it exceedingly well and I thoroughly recommend this book. I really couldn’t put it down and it’s her fault if my own writing word count has suffered. What a brilliant writer she is. I’d give her more than 5 stars.