One and Only
By Maurene Goo
Putnam
Do you believe in soulmates? That there’s that one person out there for you and all you have to do is find them?
In “One and Only,” the latest book by Maurene Goo, Cassia Park doesn’t just believe in fated love, she’s able to see it in people’s faces through shamanistic practices. All the women in her family can, and they’ve capitalized on it. Their matchmaking service boasts of a 100 percent success rate … so far.
Ten years ago, Cassia received the name of her own perfect match: David Nam. But despite years of careful searching, she hasn’t found him. On the eve of her 40th birthday, she does something impulsive and starts a fling with a 28-year-old guy named Ellis. Things are going great, better than she could have imagined for someone who isn’t her fated match, until she meets Ellis’ boss/mentor/friend, and his name is ... David Nam.
Cassia dumps Ellis to be with David. You can’t argue with fate, but something still nags at her. Her love with David is great. They’re aligned on so many things, they have similar experiences, and they’re literally meant to be, but she can’t get Ellis out of her head. Hijinks ensue.
“One and Only” is the story of Cassia figuring out her true love, but the heart of the book is about fate. It’s romantic to imagine “the one” out there for you somewhere. You’d be perfectly matched if only you could find them. But in “One and Only,” knowing who it is becomes a burden. Every time Cassia makes a connection with someone who isn’t her fated love, she knows it’s doomed to fail. What if knowing your fate takes away your free will to choose to be with someone because you want to be, not just because you have to be?
At one point, Cassia exclaims to another character that it’s not fair that she has no idea what would happen if she chose someone else.
“That’s the problem,” she says.
“Or maybe that’s the adventure.” the other character says with a smile.
Not knowing sucks sometimes. We go on dates, spend money on dinners and drinks and develop feelings all the while knowing that the odds are against it being forever. You might just end up with a broken heart, a balance on your credit card, and a bunch of items you need to send to Goodwill. Love is taking risks, and Cassia is the kind of character you want to root for as she does. She’s drawn to both guys, and Goo does a good job of making sure it’s clear that she could be happy with either of them. Ellis is a free spirit who goes where life takes him, but he sees her on a deep level. Daniel understands her pain.They both seem like good partners, and there are problems in both relationships.
This book is like Celine Song’s “Past Lives” but as a light-hearted romance with half the heartbreak. The perfect messy romcom read for Valentine’s Day season whether you’re still searching for the one or think you’ve found them.
