The first time Emery dies, she is only five years old…
Emery is born with a heart condition that means her heart could quite literally stop at any moment.
The people around her know what to do – if they act quickly enough there will be no lasting damage, and Emery’s heart can be restarted. But when this happens, she is briefly technically dead.
Each time Emery’s heart stops, she meets Nick. His purpose is to help people adjust to the fact that they are dead, to help them say goodbye, before they move on entirely. He does not usually meet people more than once – but with Emery, he is able to make a connection, and he finds himself drawn to her.
As Emery’s life progresses, and she goes through ups and downs, she finds that a part of her is longing for those moments when her heart will stop – so that she can see Nick again.
This is the story of two fated lovers who long for each other, but are destined never to share more than a few fleeting moments – because if they were to be together, it would mean the end of Emery’s
life.
Becky Hunter lived and worked in London for several years before moving to Mozambique to volunteer with horses and try her hand at writing. A few
years, a few destinations, and a few jobs later she had the idea that would become One Moment. Alongside writing, she now works as a freelance editor
and publicist, splitting her time between Bristol and London, and constantly trying to plan the next adventure.
This is heartbreakingly beautiful and so full of emotion.
I usually read more crime and sometimes jump into contemporary/romance novels for a change. When I saw this novel pitched as One Day meets The Time Traveller’s Wife, I had to read it. It delivered everything it promised. There’s romance and a little magical realism, and yet it stays believable and addictive. You keep turning pages whether you’re in one of the more heartbreaking chapters (there are a few!) or one of the more story building chapters. I loved this book. It’s both life affirming and heartbreaking in the same breath. There were times I found myself sobbing and yet I still couldn’t stop myself from reading. It’s definitely a book that you need to set time aside to enjoy and just lose yourself in. I enjoyed the book immensely and Becky Hunter’s writing which was full of feeling. I hope this is a massive hit as it deserves to be.
With thanks to Anne Cater, the publisher and the author for the advanced reading copy of this book.
Books’n’banter 