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Book Summary and Reviews of One & Only by Maurene Goo

One & Only by Maurene Goo

One & Only

by Maurene Goo

  • Critics' Consensus (9):
  • Readers' Rating (2):
  • Published:
  • Feb 2026, 336 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

In Five Years meets a millennial The Joy Luck Club in the adult debut from the author of YA Reese Pick Throwback— a funny and fresh love story of a woman thrown a curveball by fate, and the family secret that will make her question everything.

She knows what her happily ever after looks like. And it's not him.

Cassia Park believes in soul mates. Fated love stories. It's her family business, after all—for centuries, from Korea to Los Angeles, Park women have peered into clients' past lives to find their one true love, their fated. This magical secret is why One & Only Matchmaking has a 100% guarantee…for everyone but Cassia.

For ten years, Cass has been searching for her fated, a man named Daniel Nam. But he's still nowhere to be found.

And so, on the eve of her 40th birthday, Cass decides to do something for herself. She impulsively has a fling with Ellis. He's twenty-eight, indecently handsome, and not destined to be the love of her life. But she's surprised by their connection and their fling feels like something more—up to the moment he introduces her to his boss…Daniel Nam.

As she battles between fate and chance, head and heart, a family secret is revealed that will make her question everything she's ever known. Cassia will have to decide if she'll follow her fate…or make her own.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"In her adult debut, Goo creates a delightfully dramatic love story that will keep readers on their toes…A perfect blend of steamy angst and family drama makes for a love triangle that's impossible to put down." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"YA author Goo's (Throwback) adult debut is certain to steal readers' heart… A must-buy title that's perfect for book groups, with themes of love, generational ties, and harmony." —Library Journal (starred review)

"YA author Goo makes her adult romance debut with this enjoyable contemporary…Add in a touch of magical realism, vivid prose, and well-rounded characters, and this makes for a diverting romp." —Publishers Weekly

"Best-selling YA author Goo's adult debut provides older readers the same frothily addictive, feel-good story she's been gifting teens, proving no one's too old to swoon." —Booklist

"A swoony, funny, romantic novel about fate, love, and the best food in Los Angeles. A wildly good time." —Rebecca Serle, New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years

"A love story about family, fate and free will, One & Only had me immediately swept up in the magic and chaos of one woman's search for true love. It's at once funny and gut wrenching, and also deeply thought provoking. I really, truly, loved this book." —Annabel Monaghan, New York Times bestselling author of It's a Love Story

This information about One & Only was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own reviewwrite your own review

Janine_S

Corny but sweet romance
Cute romance with a touch of magical realism. Perfect for a cozy snowy day or beach read. And, this is the author’s debut adult novel. Well done!

One & Only bills itself as being able to match you to your own one true love, the one you are fated to be with. This is done by a unique process of face reading (explained in the book) which the Parks women have been able to do for hundreds of years from their roots in Korea to Los Angeles today. This where we meet Cassia Park who herself has been fated and for the last ten years has been looking for Daniel Nam. Instead she meets Ellis Yang-Cohen but lo! and behold! his boss is Daniel Nam. What follows is a love rivalry - very cleverly done! You have to read the book to find out who wins.

What I love about Asian romances are the families. They are so filled with gossips, interferers, zany humor and family love. This book has a bunch of elderly relatives and friends who fill the pages with their laughter and a tinge of bittersweet sadness. I gave a similar book a few years back to my Vietnamese hair stylist. She remarked after reading the book (the characters were Vietnamese) how true the characters were to her culture. I think that’s important for authenticity of characters if you are writing a book in this milieu. The author has done this well.

I enjoyed reading this book. It has heart and angst and the pages are filled with genuine warmth. The romance isn’t too steamy because the book is less about that snd more about finding out what true love is.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and G.P. Putnam and Sons for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.
#One&Only
#MaureneGoo
#GPPutnamandSons

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Author Information

Maurene Goo

Maurene Goo is the author of several acclaimed and award-winning books for young adults, including I Believe in a Thing Called Love and Throwback, which was a Reese Book Club YA winter pick. Several of her young adult novels are in development for film, and her books have been translated into twelve languages. She also writes for screen, games, and comics. She writes and lives in Los Angeles, with her husband, son, and two cats. One & Only is her adult debut.

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Read-Alikes

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