*REVIEW* One Moment

Synopsis:

This was supposed to be the best summer of Maggie’s life. Now it’s the one she’d do anything to forget.

Maggie Reynolds remembers hanging out at the gorge with her closest friends after a blowout party the night before. She remembers climbing the trail hand in hand with her perfect boyfriend, Joey. She remembers that last kiss, soft, lingering, and meant to reassure her. So why can’t she remember what happened in the moment before they were supposed to dive? Why was she left cowering at the top of the cliff, while Joey floated in the water below—dead?

As Maggie’s memories return in snatches, nothing seems to make sense. Why was Joey acting so strangely at the party? Where did he go after taking her home? And if Joey was keeping these secrets, what else was he hiding?

The latest novel from the author of The Tension of Opposites, One Moment is a mysterious, searing look at how an instant can change everything you believe about the world around you.

One Moment was a pleasant surprise for me. I hadn't read Kristina McBride's previous book, The Tension of Opposites, so I was not sure what her writing would be like. I found myself completely immersed in the story... McBride has a way of hooking you in with wonderful, multi-faceted characters and deep and heart-felt emotions. I was very touched by One Moment and would highly recommend it!

One Moment is the story of six incredibly close friends who have grown up with each other and shared more good times and memories than can possibly be counted. Their junior year of high school is winding down and they are all looking forward to a fun and memorable Memorial Day weekend. Friday night finds the friends at a raging party where strange emotions seem to be brewing beneath the surface. The next day, the group ventures to one of their favorite spots for some cliff diving, sunbathing, tossing back some drinks, and just enjoying their friendships. No one could have predicted the tragic turn of events that would leave Joey, Maggie's boyfriend and fellow group member, lying shattered on the ground.

Following the accident, Maggie and the group try to begin picking up the pieces. Maggie's memory loss is alarming and forces her into therapy to try to figure out what exactly happened during those last moments on the cliff with Joey. As Maggie works on recovering her lost memories, secrets and mysteries begin to be revealed making Maggie question everything: What was Joey hiding from her? Where was he the night before the accident? Why do Adam and Shannon seem to be holding things back from her? As Maggie delves deeper and deeper into the truth, one thing becomes certain--this group of friends will never be the same.

I don't want to spoiler the book for anyone because it really is a good read. It's a QUICK read, but it's emotional, touching, and will stay with you after you've turned the final page. I WAS slightly disappointed by how quickly I had sussed out one of the main secrets of the book. I smelled that one coming WAYYY before the big reveal, but surprisingly, even knowing it was coming didn't ruin it for me.

And one thing I really and truly loved about the book was the friendship the six characters had. It was far from perfect, but it was realistic. Friends that grow up together and go through such a tumultuous phase of life, like adolescence, are bound to hit snags. It's not going to be pretty and perfect and honest and all of that ALL the time. That's not realistic. There will be jealousy, lies, secrets and possibly even betrayal as six people grow up and learn who they really are and what they really want. I commend Kristina McBride for beautifully showing that with these characters.

So to sum it up, you should read this! Definitely worth it. It releases on June 26th and would be a PERFECT beach read for you fellow beach readers out there... enjoy! *XOXO*

*thanks to Around the World Tours for the ARC*