by Gena Showalter
Narrator: Savannah Richards
Length: 4 hours and 24 minutes
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchase
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Heat Level:
Narration: 3.5 cups
In small-town Oklahoma, reputation is everything, and Kenna Starr will do anything to overcome hers. The supposed bad girl is determined to walk the straight and narrow, a seemingly impossible task when Tall, Dark and Sexy shows up…Rich and powerful, Dane Michaelson is every woman's dream. When he returns to Strawberry Valley after a sixteen-year absence, he is unprepared for the redheaded girl he's never been able to forget. She's all woman now—and he's never wanted anyone more. But to have her, he'll have to break through her defenses… and surrender his own.
The One You Want by Gena Showalter is book 0.5 in the Original Heartbreakers series. I listened to the story narrated by Savannah Richards. I loved the small-town setting and concept, but The One You Want felt too over the top and ended up falling short for me.
I was excited about a bad girl trying to walk the straight and narrow, but Kenna turned out to be a small-town girl who made a mistake and is just trying to make the best of it. Of course, in a small-town she is indeed classified as the bad girl, after all she got pregnant as a teen and had a child. Kenna is a working hard as a waitress to provide for her daughter and barely making ends meet. I liked her. She is putting herself through school and keeping her head down.
This is a second chance romance that begins when Dane Michaelson, “Mister, Talk, Dark and Sexy” *rolls eyes * returns to town sixteen years later. He always had a crush on Kenna but they had a falling out. Seeing her again awakens those feelings. Of course, he has rules about dating and he does not date woman with children. However, he seems to forget that every time she is around.
Sounds sweet right? I liked Kenna, but Dane to be blunt was an ass. Every time he opened his mouth, I thought Kenna should have punched him and she does resist him somewhat, but eventually a slow-building romance develops with plenty of heat. They are further thrown together because her Mom and his father are marrying. Did I doubt Dane’s feeling for Kenna? Nope and I even appreciated his growth but couldn’t swallow the fact that Kenna who is working so hard to clear up her tarnished name would have allowed anything to happen.
We do meet some secondary characters in The One You Want who will be in the series, and I really like West. Now why couldn’t Kenna like him? Kenna’s roommates and daughter were lovely and for a novella, this was fully developed. I just found it over the top at times and not wholly believable.
Savannah Richards handled the narration well, but the way it was written with characters saying one thing and then holding inner dialogue was a tad confusing at times on audio.
The One You Want was a cute and predictable romance that I am sure would offer the perfect evening escape for some.
Listen to an Audio sample of : The One You Want
About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
Lorna
Not for me either I don’t think. If I don’t like one of the main characters than that’s it for me! 2.5 stars? No thank you 🙂
kimbacaffeinate
Yeah it kind of puts a damper on things
The Bibliophile Babe
Dane sounds like a real PITA!
kimbacaffeinate
*grins*
Priscilla
Dane sounds like an awful jerk D: I have found out that when it comes to predictable stories, audio books are the best way to go.
kimbacaffeinate
I do love listening 🙂
AngelErin
Great review. Too bad it was a bit predictable.
kimbacaffeinate
Thank Erin 🙂
Braine Talk Supe
I hate it when authors let their heroines fall for shit like this. Like this is the reason why this lady’s, for example, life is in limbo because of assholes like this dude. And you make her fall for another one again?! If this romance is real, I wouldn’t be surprised if this two broke up after a year or so.
kimbacaffeinate
Right…good point Braine
Sophia Rose
I’ve got this one sitting on the TBR pile, but have hesitated b/c her books are hit or miss for me. I can see why this would be a miss if he was being a jerk and she was wishy washy about her bad girl thing.
kimbacaffeinate
I am the same way with this author and apparently so are a lot of folks,
Melissa (Books and Things)
Yea, I have a feeling Dane wouldn’t have done enough for me to say… “Okay, now I get why she fell for him.” I think I’ll stick to her PNR (which I need to get caught up in anyway) for now.
kimbacaffeinate
Not a bad idea 🙂
Lover Of Romance
I had an okay time with this novella…but not my favorite. And the other books in the series are so much better. It seemed too rushed for me even for a novella.
kimbacaffeinate
Glad it wasn’t just me.
blodeuedd
I could listen to this
kimbacaffeinate
I enjoyed the narrator.
Angela Adams
I do admit to liking that blurb description — “Tall, Dark, and Sexy.” Thanks for the post.
kimbacaffeinate
I did too 🙁
Dani Chapman
Ehhh… Maybe that is why I don’t seem to want to pick it up. Great review as always! 🙂
kimbacaffeinate
I am like that with some books..I shuffle them around in my tbr pile forever..LOL
Katherine
Ugh I don’t like the sound of Dane. As someone who was a single mother at one point I can’t imagine anyone with a child being willing to date someone who has a rule against dating someone with a child even if he’s willing to “overlook it”. Yeah I think not. I do like the sound of everything else but I have a feeling Dane would make me furious. I do want to try a book from this author but this doesn’t sound like the book. Maybe West will get his own book?
kimbacaffeinate
I am hoping West’s book is a win 🙂
Leona
Great review! I’m really looking forward to this series because Gena Showalter = awesome lol. I hope the first book in this series irons out some of the issues you found with THE ONE YOU WANT.
kimbacaffeinate
I am hoping the same as I already like West.
Bookworm Brandee
Hmm, it’s a shame it didn’t deliver, Kimberly. But you can’t really root for a couple when you think one half of it is an ass! 😉 I’m glad there were elements you liked about the book though – at least it wasn’t a total time waste.
kimbacaffeinate
No it wasn’t. I enjoyed aspects otherwise it would have been a DNF
Mary Kirkland
I haven’t read any of her books except for the Lords of the Underworld series and I loved those. But we aren’t always gonna like the book we pick up, it happens.
kimbacaffeinate
Very true Mary, although I always go into a story hoping I will love it
kindlemom1
There is a good ass and a bad ass LOL! Sounds like he was one that just couldn’t recover from it. Sorry this wasn’t a better read with a more lovable hero.
kimbacaffeinate
No, I just never connected and couldn’t understand the attraction
Angela
I’ve had this one floating around on my Kindle for ages. Hopefully, I manage to actually get around to it in the near future.
kimbacaffeinate
Happy read. I am curious about West. He was a sweetie
Aubrey Wynne
Nothing wrong with a little escape. And I agree with Melanie. The hero can start an ass but we really have to see a sincere growth or change or it just gets frustrating!
kimbacaffeinate
I agree, he just never endeared himself to me
Melanie Simmons
Sorry this one didn’t work out for you. The only books I’ve read from Gena Showalter are the Lords of the Underworld. Those were very hit or miss for me. I can handle a jerk hero sometimes, but they have to have something redeemable about them. If I want to punch them in the face every time they talk, I can’t deal with it. Hope you have better luck with the next one.
kimbacaffeinate
She has been really hit or miss with me as well Melanie. I either love them or feel like this.
Quinn's Book Nook
This one didn’t work for me, either! I can’t remember exactly what bothered me, but I think Dane was a jerk.
kimbacaffeinate
Yep, he was a jerk..I never warmed up to him
Nick
There’s a difference between being alpha and between being ass, and this dude definitely doesn’t sound like a guy I would want to root for! >,<
I've heard similar things about this book from others too. Sorry this wasn't the greatest, Kim! :/
kimbacaffeinate
I just never found a redeemable quality about him. I am curious about the next book though.
Ksenia
Lovely review, Kim! Sorry to hear it wasn’t a winner. I agree it’s unlikely that Kenna would start a romance, because of her situation.
kimbacaffeinate
I have no issue with romance for her, it just didn’t seem probable that she would tolerate him or take the risks she did 🙁