One Thing I Know is the first book by New Zealand author Kara Isaac I’ve read, and this sweet romance easily captured my heart. The wizard-behind-the-scenes premise is always a crowd-pleaser, and when done well (like this), it’s a winner.
Rachel Somers wrote the book on relationships, literally, as Dr. Donna Somerville—while her Aunt Donna serves as the face of the operation. But late-night radio star Lucas Grant is on the hunt for the truth about Dr. Donna, and he’s not above using his attraction to Rachel to get the story.
But truth is a funny, and often relative, thing. Of course the truth is important, but there’s no denying it occasionally benefits from being bent just a little bit. For Rachel, keeping up the ruse is necessary because the bestsellers pay for her father’s healthcare (and being in a coma for a decade is pricey). And if Lucas can get close to Rachel and unearth Dr. Donna’s secrets, he’ll get a contractual bonus. His family, like Rachel’s, also needs financial assistance. On the one hand, it’s a ruse for a ruse. But on the other, do the ends justify the means when two people so clearly love each other, yet let ego and self-righteousness keep them apart?
Isaac is a great storyteller with smooth pacing and believable character development. It’s easy to connect to Rachel, and the realness of her situation reaches through the page and grabs you by the heartstrings. Lucas is a little tougher because he is so driven by the anger he feels as a result of Rachel’s betrayal. It blinds him, and I kind of wanted Isaac to make him suffer just a little longer.
But One Thing I Know is, in the end, a lovely romance. Isaac is a real-life preacher’s wife, and she does a fine job of balancing the very human realities of emotion and love while developing a kisses-only romance that’s believable and intimate. Kudos to the Kiwi with the heart of gold!
