It’s a real pleasure today to share my review of the latest book from Eva Jordan, Only You – published for kindle by Bloodhound Books on 9th October (£1.99 to purchase, or free via Kindle Unlimited) and also available in paperback. Eva did, very kindly, offer me a pre-publication copy of this one but, as I knew I was going to be a little late with my review, the e-copy I read was my own, purchased via Amazon.
I’ve been delighted to read and review two previous books from Eva, and really love her writing. The first was All The Colours In Between, the second in her The Tree of Family Life trilogy – such excellent characters, stunning emotional authenticity, a family living their lives between the book’s pages (you’ll find my full review here) – and I’m still regretting not having managed to read either the first, 183 Times a Year, or the third, Time Will Tell. But I was thrilled to see her back, with a new publisher, in November last year with the quite wonderful A Gift Called Hope – one of my 2022 Books of the Year, a book filled with love, and a festive story with a real difference (you’ll find my review here). If you missed it last year, I’d really urge you to add it to this year’s Christmas reading list – it deals with grief in a way that really tears at your heart, but focuses on the importance of family, the moments of joy amid the darkness, and the individuals will long stay in your memory as they did in mine.
But now we have another, and the publishers promised it would be “a heartbreaking and uplifting novel about love, loss and redemption” – and it was a book I was so looking forward to…
Can true love survive betrayal?
Once upon a time, Ben and Leora fell in love and dreamt of a bright future together. But after he committed an unforgivable act, she was left heartbroken. Decades later he still had no memory of that fateful night…
Now, their worlds are about to collide in a way they never imagined. Drawn together again by an unforeseen tragedy, in a world that has drastically changed since they first met, Ben and Leora are about to discover whether true love really can endure. But will the couple’s reunion be more of a nightmare than a fairytale?
Only You is a powerful novel about passion, friendship and betrayal.
A stunning and frightening prologue, victim and timing unknown – followed by a couple of opening chapters, set in 2016, capturing what might be a difficult meeting and introducing us to Ben and Leora, with a few clues as to what has brought them to this point. And then the story returns to 1985, and their school days – strong friendships and first love, their absolute clarity about the fact that they were meant to be together, followed by a dreadful betrayal that sees their lives taking separate paths. And we follow their lives over the next thirty years – their careers, their relationships, their losses, their successes and failures – until a horrifying incident brings them back together, and explores what their futures might hold.
There are constants in their lives – the friends from childhood, straight-talking Ali and the more gentle Eileen for Leora, the lovely Dobs for Ben – always there for each other when needed, fading into the background at times as other friendships and alliances come and go. The passage of time is clearly marked – by the way their lives unfold, by the chapter headings, and by the references to contemporary issues and events that sometimes impinge on their lives – and I found the way that was managed absolutely stunning and particularly authentic. And the story is told, albeit in third person, from both their perspectives – as, over the years, we witness their vulnerability and insecurities, their wrong turns and compromises, their frequent regrets, and become deeply involved in their lives.
I will admit that I found the earlier part of the story just a little on the slow side – I mention that only in case you might feel the same – as I’m never a particular fan of coming-of-age stories, but it does provide essential insight into the various individuals and a firm grounding for everything that comes later, where I thought the pacing was never anything but perfect. The emotional content – and the book deals with a number of particularly difficult and hard-hitting issues – is powerful and affecting, sensitively handled but raw and completely heartbreaking at times.
I’m deliberately not retelling any of the story – and it’s so much more than that, as you become drawn in and part of Ben and Leora’s very real lives, finding joy in their special moments, shedding tears when things go wrong – because I think it’s really important to experience its many shocks and surprises. There’s a great deal of love in this book – but there’s plenty of its uglier side too. And there are a number of strong messages – always with that glimmer of hope for a happier future. It was a book I found so difficult to put down – as we all have to, at times – and my thoughts always stayed with the individuals who’d found their places in my heart, desperately hoping that they would have their unlikely happy ending.
This really is an extraordinary piece of writing – entirely engrossing, inspirational and life-enhancing in so many ways, ultimately gloriously uplifting, and totally unforgettable. Very highly recommended – I really loved it, and it might just be one of my books of the year.
About the author
Eva, who has a degree in English and History, describes herself as a lover of words, books, travel, and chocolate. She was born in Kent, has close family ties to London’s East End, but currently resides in Cambridgeshire. She describes her novels, 183 Times A Year, All The Colours In Between, Time Will Tell and A Gift Called Hope as family-based dramas that take a humorous but at times, tragic and poignant look at contemporary family life.
Her fifth novel, Only You, a love story come psychological thriller, has just been released. Like her previous novels, Only You, which was inspired by a well-known and much respected celebrity, does not shy away from difficult subject matters. However, Eva always makes it her goal to leave her readers feeling uplifted and hopeful because she believes, despite the hardships of life, people can never have enough love or hope. As well as writing novels Eva also writes short stories and is a columnist and book reviewer for a local lifestyle magazine.
