Review: One Hit Wonder by Elyssa Patrick

There was a lot of hype surrounding Ms. Patrick’s debut novel, As You Wish, but unfortunately I had to DNF it because the hero was a widower, and you know how I feel about those. But I liked her voice, and when I saw that she had a new story out, I was happy to give her a second chance. I’m glad I did.

One Hit Wonder is a novella about a has-been pop star and the assistant who secretly loves him. It’s short, sweet and entertaining, exactly what one would expect from reading the blurb. You can pretty much guess what happens, but that’s fine because the real star of the story, what makes it good and fun, is the hero. 

Damon had one hit when he was a teenager, and that was it. He’s rich thanks to that one song, and he’s completely happy and content with it. Of course he wants to be more than that, and it’s in the middle of staging a comeback, but in the meantime he’s happy singing the same song over and over, and dancing on demand. There’s no angst, no feelings of failure or regrets, no demons to battle, nothing. This guy is as uncomplicated as it gets. And the reason why there’s no drama is because he’s confident and self-aware. Damon was a breath of fresh air in the middle of a sea filled with tortured characters, and as I said, he’s the reason you should read this novella.

Such a flamboyant hero gets paired with a heroine who’s more subdued and balances his personality. Jane is likeable and, well, cute. I enjoyed spending time with her and I was happy she got a happy ending – an ending that I didn’t see coming, by the way. Literally, the book ends on the 78% mark, so it came out of nowhere. The ending was rushed and it comes with a bit of an epiphany that conveniently hits the hero when he most needs it. The other 22% is promo material. I was extremely annoyed, and the fact that I thought that the story still had 20% more to go made the ending lacking and disappointing. Knowing how much book is left, is part of the reading experience. So please, include a warning or stop filling these e-books with promo material. The quality of the story is the one in charge of selling your other work. I was already convinced; I didn’t need the extra samples.

It takes less than an hour to read One Hit Wonder, but it thoroughly achieves its goals: it made me happy, and I wanted to read more by the author. So it’s a great example of what Ms. Patrick can do, and I look forward to reading her next book(s). It gets a recommendation from me, especially if you’re in the mood for a light, fun story, and sick of overbearing alpha-males. Just remember that it ends sooner than it seems.

One last thing! There’s a charming thank you note at the end that encourages lending the book, so that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I’m going to lend my Kindle copy to the first person who asks, just let me know on the comments or email me at brie.clementineATgmail.com

Note: Am I the only one who thinks the cover looks a lot like the covers from Entangled's Indulgence line?

Review by Brie

Grade: 3.5

Sensuality: McSexy

Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis:

Jane Timmons has two weeks to . . . 

1. Keep her distance from her sexy boss, the once famous pop singer, Damon Suarez.
2. Stay firm. No kissing allowed!
3. And not let Damon know she loves him.
Damon Suarez has two weeks to . . .
1. Convince Jane to not quit.
2. Stage a comeback and be more than a one hit wonder.
3. Win Jane's heart—no matter what it takes.

One Hit Wonder by Elyssa Patrick

Elyssa Patrick. December 04, 2012.