I requested this book because, although I am not a fan of insta-love, I was intrigued by the concept of being genetically destined to be with someone. In this story everyone can find their perfect love-match by taking a very simple genetic test, and it poses some interesting questions about finding the one - what if your soulmate is a person of the same sex, but you're not gay? What if they are 20 years older/younger than you? What if they are not what you expected at all? Would they still be the one?

The actual science behind the Match sounds completely bogus, but at least there's an honest attempt to explain it and the shortcomings of the test are also acknowledged (your Match can be someone with no access to this technology at all, or maybe they just don't care about finding you, etc).

The One follows the stories of five different characters as they find their Matches, and although there is a connection between all of them, it's quite weak and they can be read as independent short stories. This worked for me only part - I was very invested in some of the stories, while I didn't really care about some others. The writing is clean and simple and the chapters are short, very easy to read, but at times it felt like there were too many POVs.

Now on the individual stories.

MILD SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!

Mandy is a divorcee whose husband abandoned her for his Match after they failed to have a child. Now she's been Matched to a hot surfer, but their fairytale may not have a happy ending after all. This is probably my least favourite - both twists were very obvious to me, and although I tried not to judge, Mandy's reactions and decisions were very stupid in my opinion, and the actual ending was completely unbelievable and over-the-top.

Christopher is a meticulous psychopath who's not interested in finding love at all, but he signed to be Matched out of curiosity about what kind of person could love someone like him. This one was creepy and the detachment in Christopher's voice was very impressive. I liked both the Match and the ending, but I couldn't really buy Christopher's transition into 'a normal person' just because he learned to love his Match.

Jade has been paired with a sweet Aussie she cannot afford to meet, as she lives in the UK and is stuck in a menial job. The whole time I thought she was being catfished, which was not far from the truth. Her story was OK, and I totally understood her reasons for doing what she did, but in the end I couldn't really empathise with her character - I think she's supposed to be this strong, independent girl, but most of the time she comes across as a selfish brat.

Nick is about to marry the woman of his dreams. He doesn't believe in the Match, but agrees to do it anyway because his fiancée wants to 'be sure they're soulmates'. This one was my favourite by far, but again it was kind of ruined by an ending that was way, way too much. I never liked the fiancée, but by the end of the story she had turned into this villainous ex whose only purpose was to make Nick's happy ending absolutely perfect.

Ellie is the CEO of a multibillion company and doesn't have time for a personal life. She signed to be Matched a decade ago, but it's only now that a Match has been found for her. My second favourite! It was obvious that something dodgy was going on with Tim, and I kind of guessed what it was, but the ending was still shocking and powerful, and although I was not happy that Ellie turned out to be your typical evil scientist without a conscience, she was probably the most interesting character in the book for me.

So all in all the book is not perfect, but I enjoyed it and loved all the ways it questions what makes THE ONE, well… the one for us :P

Wow, a big fat five stars! Loved this! Superb story lines, what an amazingly fresh concept. To think that a simple test can sort ones love life out! Sounds simple right?! WRONG, it can and does cause all sorts of problems. Just when I thought I knew where this was going, I was pleasantly surprised with another twist. This is my first John Marrs read and it's left me wanting more!

Brilliant book. Wonderfully told.

Expect to be asking yourself 'would I?' And as you read on, you'll start thinking about the impact on society. If you expect to be matched with a white 20 something woman what would you say if you got an Asian 50 yo man?! Fascinating.

Even if you don't love it, you'll thinking about it next month and probably the month after too!

The One is a fantastically written book, keeping you on the edge of your seat with every chapter, I truly could not put this book down, well written a really great read.

A very different kind of dating website. This is not my usual kind of book so I started with an open mind. I'm glad I did as it was a very interesting read

Oh my..this book sucked me in hook, line and sinker! Lots of small stories around the characters and you just can't imagine where the story is going. A fantastic read!

This book surprised me (in a good way). The premise behind the story was interesting, and believable, There are 5 different plots and each of them was different and effective. Overall this is definitely worth a read.

I'm absolutely buzzing about this book and I'm sure this one will create a whole lot more buzz in the next few months. How come I'd never heard of this author before? I can put it down in three words: he's brilliant! The One is such a different read than what I'm used to but it's still entirely my genre. I had already heard great things about this book, which made me even more sceptical really, but I readily agree that this book will most probably be hyped, if it's not already. This is my first 5 star rating in 2017 because I've actually binge-read this one.

It's no wonder I devoured these pages because the chapters were kept very short, only a few pages before alternating to one of the other timelines of the 5 different people featured in this novel. This clever approach made me feel I had to keep turning these pages to know more.

So 5 people in this book signed up and found their match and all of their stories were diverse but equally interesting. From the start in chapter 1 I was - quite blithely - thinking I'd have a bit of a laugh with the whole concept but by chapter 3 I was already entirely captured by the events. There's the eternal singleton, the career woman who never stays in a relationship because men focus on her wealth or status more than her after a while, there's even a couple who tries it out to see if they really are a match. They all receive an answer who their match is and believe me when I tell you that the people they are matched with turn out to be very different than expected. Every single one of these stories take very surprising turns. That's the understatement of the year! I almost have to bite my tongue here not to share more because nobody knows how much I want to!

Oh yes and then there's also, as one of the people followed throughout this novel, Christopher. He's actually a ruthless serial killer and out of sheer curiosity he also seeks out his match. His match is not a weak woman he can simply toy with just as long as he likes before killing her if you're thinking that. His match is also his equal so this will prove quite a challenge.

You might think that the serial killer thread would be the most interesting one, sticking out among the other threads but I can assure you that the other storylines were just as engaging and not a single one of the different endings was predictable.

The end of this book proved to be quite thought-provoking too. After you've finished this book you are bound to think about the question: would you take the test? Do you want to know who your match is?

I don't know how but this book just worked its magic on me. Highly recommended read!

I loved this book. In fact I resented having to put it down to go to a party!! Would you like to meet your DNA match? How much would it control or change your life? Can you really only find happiness with, "The One?" The book follows 5 characters,, Nick, Ellie, Christopher' Jade and Mandy. I enjoyed exploring all their stories. In fact it was hard to put the book down because as soon as one chapter ended I wanted to start the next. Totally different to anything I've read and can see this becoming a great film. Well done John Mars, a fabulous read.

This book was very good despite having a huge amount of characters that didn't all seem to link up.

What really impresses me is how well the author writes and how much I like his characterization he does.

My test of a good book is whether or not I find myself sneaking away from my family to read "just another few pages" - The One has me sneaking away - a lot.
With short, sharp chapters the story twisted and turned through the lives of four different couples, apparently matched by the Match DNA dating agency (a brilliant premise).
Nothing is ever quite as it seems for any of our characters - and the book makes the reader question nature over nurture and the power of suggestion.
Although some of the themes in this book are quite dark, it never strays into too serious or depressing a read. In fact it is hugely entertaining and hugely enjoyable.
This is one to watch in 2017.

This was a book that stayed glued to my hands, I really was so enthralled with not only the superb writing but the plot.
What an original high quality top marks concept of a wonderfully woven story.

It's unlike any story that I've read before, so, this is so going to be remembered by me in the future as it stands out because of it.

Falling in love.
Seems straight forward.
Attraction, like, emotions, appeal.

Not in this book!

What if there was really a Mr Right or Mrs Right for you somewhere in this big wide world, doesn't take in race, creed, religion, looks, where in the world you lived, age or even sexual orientation?
That there is a genetic match......just for you.


Would you get tested even if you already had a partner? Just to see if they were genetically matched with you?
Oh heck, what if they weren't.

Each chapter took on several chapters individually and as couples.

The chapters would read overlap to the next making it such a fantastic experience as a reader keeping abreast with individuals.

This really has a thumbs up from me. I loved it.

Thank you to Random House Ebury for my advanced copy to enjoy.

Wow! This book has so many twists and turns I nearly put my back out!

It is a very up to the minute and original book with characters you can relate to. If you want a can't put it down read then this is THE ONE!

I highly recommend it!

This book was so creative! Absolutely loved this story! Looking forward to reading more books by this author!

Wow, this was an incredible book, and I don't think I drew breath until I had finished it! It was a stunning, complex, multi-faceted read, and my first John Marrs book. I doubt it will be my last though!

Such an interesting idea - you can find out who your perfect match is by way of a simple DNA test. If you had the opportunity to do it, would you? That is the million dollar question though. Would you take it if you had been happily married for decades? How far would you go to be with your Match?

This book goes into the stories of 5 people who take the test, 5 very different people, all in different phases of their lives. The beauty of this book is that it starts off quite gently and you get to know the characters, their lives and the people in their lives. And then, bit by bit, the book ramps up until you are on a rollercoaster that is going very fast and all you can do is hang onto the sides and enjoy the ride.

Highly recommended read from me!

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Thank you to Del Rey Publishing and to the author for crafting a book that was SO real, I ended up doing a bit of a Google search after I had finished the book. It also took me two days to write this review, as I was still processing what I had read. THAT, to me, is the mark of a 5 star book :)

A amazing roller coaster of a ride that you won't want to get off . With characters you will love and hate in equal measures .

Imagine if your DNA held the secret to your ideal partner? The world has divided into those lucky enough to have a match and those who are still having to use the old-fashioned approaches. The author has partitioned the action among a few different characters until the whole premise is put into question. Dark and amusing and a good read.

This book was bloody brilliant and i loved it - can you tell!
If you had the chance to take a DNA test to find your perfect match - well would you? Or do you think it should be left to fate? That's the question the people in this book face.
Initially you are introduced to a few characters who are all telling their own story - i was worried there were too many people to keep tabs on but that definitely was not the case. Some of these people are in relationships, some are single and some just had other plans. We follow these 5 folk as they follow there own route to finding their perfect match. This however is no love story! This may be about dating but it is so much more - it is a gripping read and i really cannot tell you why. You must must read it!!!!