The One & Only

A Novel

By: Emily Giffin

Narrated by: Sofia Willingham

Length: 14 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

In her eagerly awaited new novel, beloved New York Times best-selling author Emily Giffin returns with an extraordinary story of love and loyalty - and an unconventional heroine struggling to reconcile both.

Thirty-three-year-old Shea Rigsby has spent her entire life in Walker, Texas - a small college town that lives and dies by football, a passion she unabashedly shares. Raised alongside her best friend, Lucy, the daughter of Walker’s legendary head coach, Clive Carr, Shea was too devoted to her hometown team to leave. Instead she stayed in Walker for college, even taking a job in the university athletic department after graduation, where she has remained for more than a decade.

But when an unexpected tragedy strikes the tight-knit Walker community, Shea’s comfortable world is upended, and she begins to wonder if the life she’s chosen is really enough for her. As she finally gives up her safety net to set out on an unexpected path, Shea discovers unsettling truths about the people and things she has always trusted most - and is forced to confront her deepest desires, fears, and secrets.

Thoughtful, funny, and brilliantly observed, The One & Only is a luminous novel about finding your passion, following your heart, and, most of all, believing in something bigger than yourself...the one and only thing that truly makes life worth living.

©2014 Emily Giffin (P)2014 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Giffin's writing is true, smart, and heartfelt." ( Entertainment Weekly)

"A dependably down-to-earth, girl-friendly storyteller." ( The New York Times)

"When it comes to writing stories that resonate with real women, best-selling author Emily Giffin has hit her stride." ( San Francisco Chronicle)

Good story

It was what I expected, not too serious and mostly light. I would recommend it to a friend looking for a nice read.

A great love story

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was not predictable as a few others i have read have been.

Good, but not my favorite Giffin.

Umm. Team Lucy? I love Shae, but she makes terrible decisions most of the time.

The Most Annoying Listen...

What did you like best about The One & Only? What did you like least?

I liked the story; though it's very predictable. I say that not having finished so maybe I'm going to be surprised but I doubt it.I knew this would be a "light listen" but it's beyond that.

Would you recommend The One & Only to your friends? Why or why not?

No, I could tell you the story in 5 minutes and save you the time. Story is fine, but performance is awful.

What didn’t you like about Sofia Willingham’s performance?

I don't know if it's her performance or the way book is edited, but the constant "I said", "he said" is unbearable. Before very long I was chiming in with "I said" and "he said".Maybe it's the writer's idea of humor since the main character is a writer and her editor insists that his staff only use " ....said" when writing stories, but it is total overkill here.I've listened to lots of "light reading" types of audiobooks and never noticed this before. It's driving me nuts!

What would have made this romance irresistible?

Nothing. The premise is so farfetched.

Any additional comments?

Don't waste your $$

Not for everyone

This is my first Emily Giffin book and I don’t think it was a good one to start with. The love story & basically the whole plot NEVER feels right. I have no connection with the main character (at all), and it’s WAY TOO MUCH FOOTBALL, to the point where you can go make yourself a drink, come back, & they’re still talking plays and players. NOT my type of book.

Don't waste your money or credit on this one!

I am so freaking disappointed with this book. I like thos author. However this book it done right horrible. I am going to be returning it.

The first book I haven't liked by Emily Giffin

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I didn't like the story or the characters. The story was too slow to build- hours and hours passed before anything actually happened and it was predictable. The main character wasn't relatable at all and I didn't understand the motivation for her actions. She and her best friend Lucy said they were best friends- but I honestly couldn't tell why, other than they lived in the same town.

Would you ever listen to anything by Emily Giffin again?

I will probably try another , as I have liked the rest of her books.

What character would you cut from The One & Only?

Shea, Lucy, I really didn't like many of the characters

Story just felt creepy

I appreciate the effort to be provocative but the whole story just felt weird and creepy. I tried so hard to understand Shay's story, but just couldn't get past the lusting after your best friend's Dad. I've loved everything else so hoping she's done with this phase.

Not her best,

You should like football to listen to to this book. .Not something I like. Disappointed.

Very Disappointing to a Huge Emily Giffin Fan

Any additional comments?

Saying that the One & Only isn't Emily Giffin's best, is a gross understatement. Did she even write this book? The chemistry between the characters was manufactured and didn't seem natural. Big Ick factor. The main character Shea was annoying and the actions of Emily's characters didn't seem to match their personalities.

Also, very disappointed with whoever produced and edited this Audiobook who didn't catch that Sofia Willingham mispronounce Emily Giffin and Emily Griffin.

Emily... please get your groove back for the next one! Maybe a sequel to Where We Belong?