From the moment I first read the synopsis for this book I was excited, and from beginning to end, this brilliant debut had me hooked!

The day Scarlett dies should have been one of the most important of her life so far; the start of her getting to fulfil her dreams. But now she will never get the chance and she’s still here – wherever that may be – watching the effects of her death on those she loved the most.

Evie cannot begin to contemplate her life without Scarlett in it and she definitely cannot forgive Nate, the man she blames for her death. But Nate keeps appearing when she least expects him to, sending her life in directions she’d never let herself believe possible.

If you could go back, knowing everything that happens after, all as a result of just one moment in time, would you change the course of history or do it all over again?

I really liked the alternating chapter perspectives of Evie (in the third person) and Scarlett (in the first person) and was so invested in both of these characters. I loved how unique Scarlett was in being able to see her family and Evie as they struggle to continue without her. She could choose to observe what she wanted in the present and could also transport herself back to re-live memories in her then body (even though she couldn’t change anything about them). I loved getting to learn more about Evie and Scarlett as the book progressed and seeing the journey Evie went on thanks to Nate. I also loved Evie’s interactions with next door neighbour Astrid!

It’s hard to say more without giving things away but there were so many incredible and thought provoking moments that I know will stay with me. It is such a beautiful story and one that I really didn’t want to have to come to an end. As for that final chapter, my goodness! That will always be one moment I will remember forever!

I just adored this beautiful debut and honestly cannot recommend it highly enough. I cannot wait to see what Becky writes in the future!

One Moment is an impressive debut from Becky Hunter with a powerful message of hope , love and friendship. Evie is struggling with her recent diagnosis of MS but her world is completely shattered when her best friend since childhood and current flatmate is killed in a tragic accident. She is in danger of retreating into her solitary life even more than she already was after her boyfriend broke up with her
Meanwhile her friend Scarlett is trying to come to terms with the fact that she is dead, and there are so many things that she did not get to do, so many dreams that she will never see come true. All she can do is watch over Evie , which is how she learns that Nate, the man she blames for her death is becoming something of a fixture in Evie's life., and somehow seems to be drawing her out of her self imposed seclusion.
I loved the premise of this book, the idea of a friendship so strong that it endured even beyond death, and through various flashback sequences told from Scarlett's perspective we see just how the friendship came to be. I also really appreciated how the author tackled a character with a chronic illness, showing how much the effects can vary from day to day , and how often the worst symptoms can be invisible to others, making it hard for them to understand the persons experiences. I really appreciated seeing how Evie gradually gained more confidence and learned to trust herself about what her body was capable of and not just give up before the first hurdle. As someone living with a similar chronic illness I thought her journey was wonderfully written and filled with much needed hope.
I wasn't sure how the author would manage to wrap up the two character arcs within the book, and I do not want to say too much for fear of spoiling it for other readers, but I will say it was a brave choice and a completely fitting ending to a wonderful book.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher ,all opinions are my own,

Occasionally I like to take a break from kidnapping and murder and read some women's fiction. I usually enjoy the more lighthearted journey, but I love it when a novel offers me so much more than a love story, and this is the case with One Moment. Becky Hunter is a wonderful talent and she made me cry tears of joy, sadness, anger and happiness all within the space of 300 pages.

In the very first line of the novel, the narrator, Scarlett, tells the reader she is about to die. It's an inventive way to begin a novel, but I was a little wary - supernatural isn't usually my thing. However, this approach absolutely works and it's a brilliant way to get to know Scarlett and understand her relationship with Evie. I really enjoyed seeing her shift between different scenes and comment on what was happening.

Evie is Scarlett's best friend and flatmate and we meet her as she learns of Scarlett's death. She is also coming to terms with a Multiple Sclerosis (MS) diagnosis, and is in the process of learning what she can and can't do. It was wonderful to see her grow throughout the story and try new things and I was really rooting for her as the plot took shape. As someone who has a physical disability, it's brilliant to see disabled people represented in fiction and Becky Hunter has done it so well. Her research is impeccable and this really shines through in the creation of Evie's character.

The ending of One Moment is unexpected but it fits the novel so perfectly and I will have Evie and Scarlett in my heart for a long time.

The focus is on the perspectives of two best friends (Evie and the deceased Scarlett). This isn't a light or easy read, because it explores some difficult subjects, particularly grief, but it is well-written and paced with well-drawn characters, and I enjoy novels about friendship. The emotions and life impacts of chronic illness are sensitively handled by the author in this relatable, emotional debut novel.

One Moment is a novel that encompasses friendship, grief and chronic illness but ultimately is about hope, love and freedom. Told from the points of view of two best friends- Evie and the deceased Scarlett - I felt that the author wrote sensitively and insightfully about chronic illness and the emotions and life changes that accompany this. I wasn't completely drawn into the relationship between Evie and Nate but overall found this to be a promising debut with two convincing female characters.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.
3.5 stars.

One Moment by Becky Hunter

Ohhhh this book.... BEAUTIFUL! A lovely story about friendship, grief, illness and romance. I loved the characters and the story of Evie and Scarlett's friendship. And I loved the aftermath - Evie and Nate, Astrid/Anna. Great to see chronic illness written about so authentically too. The author has written an amazing book and I'm sure it's going to be HUGE... fantastic story, fantastic characters, couldn't put it down! Very, VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Not my usual type of read but I absolutely loved it, well written with great characters and it held my interest from the very first page.

It was full of love, laughter and a beautiful friendship and I can thoroughly recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atlantic Books (Corvis) for this brilliant ARC.

Evie is devastated at the death of her best friend, Scarlett. Scarlett is stuck in some kind of limbo watching down on her friends and family, furious that she doesn't get to play out her own hopes and dreams. She certainly doesn't want Evie to give Nate, the man she holds responsible for her death, the time of day.

I absolutely loved this story, hope, grief and love. Tenderly written it made me want to cry in places for Evie. A heartbreaking but beautiful story.

It was interesting reading about a hidden disability, and I think its important that a topic like this is highlighted.
A bittersweet and powerful debut with thoroughly likeable characters

I raced through this amazing story of Evie and Scarlett, discovering more about their friendship as the story unfolded.

Early in the story, Scarlett is killed in an accident. This fact is made clear right at the start of the book, but the circumstances and feelings evoked by this, were quite profound.

As bereaved best friend, likening her relationship with Scarlett as that of Cristina and Meredith from Grey’s Anatomy, and suffering from MS symptoms, Evie is utterly bereft.

What unfolds is brilliantly told. Such a realistic and difficult scenario fraught with trouble, sadness, resentment and despair, yet with small pockets of hope.

I read this book in one day. I couldn’t put it down. Well done Becky Hunter

Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review

Oh this book is sooo beautiful, heartbreaking and absolutely stunning. I loved it. The characters were great the storyline stunning.

Oh this book ❤ I really wanted to love it as when I was approved to read it the author sent a lovely message through. And I did, I loved it so much! Heart-warming and such a sweet sweet story. The ending I was NOT expecting but it was perfect. I don't want to give anything away but read it. You won't regret it. But have some tissues at the ready. Just lovely 😊

Thanks to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for the opportunity to read this eARC.

This one surprised me. Initially, I was drawn to the book because of the beautiful illustration on the cover, though it is not necessarily the sort of book I would usually go for, in terms of the genre. However, this really lived up to the cover, and surpassed any expectations I might have had.

This is a story of grief and loss, and of female friendship. Told through alternating POV's of two best friends - Evie and Scarlett - we follow the aftermath of Scarlett's death; except she's not gone, not really. Stuck in limbo, Scarlett watches as Evie grieves, praying for her best friend to be able to get through this, and also relives some of the most important moments of her life. Evie, struggling with a diagnosis that she is letting define her without meaning to, feels the loss of her best friend like a hole in the head. How can she possibly go on, when she's lost the one person who has always been there for her?

Effortlessly poignant, and with moments that will make you cry and laugh (and sometimes both at the same time), One Moment is a really wonderful debut. There is a lot in this book that most people can relate to, and it's a super honest portrayal of grief. The guilt, the sadness, the blame and the anger that both parties experience with regards to Scarlett's parting are cycled through candidly, and I think it was just very realistic throughout. I loved seeing the characters growth - even Scarlett's, despite her being dead! - and it was just a really lovely story, with a heartwarming ending and a healthy dose of closure.

I wasn’t sure at first about this story but it sucked me in pretty quickly and I absolutely loved this book. I loved all the characters especially Evie, I related to her so much. It was nice reading a story that highlighted a hidden disability, Evie’s struggles felt very real and how she dealt with her illness internally and externally and how others treated her too. I have fibromyalgia so similar symptoms so I understood her so much especially when talking to her mum. So thanks to the author for being authentic and making us feel like we can be loved even with our disabilities. So I will be recommending this book to everyone and anyone and I will be purchasing this book to go on my bookcase.

Unfortunately, the blurb part: "If you could go back, knowing everything that happens after, everything that happens because of that one moment in time, would you change the course of history or would you do it all again?" kind of gives away the ending, as it quickly becomes apparent that the story won't include the motive of going back and making amends.

That being said, for me it wasn't what put me off "One Moment". For me, the story lacked depth, even though it touches the deep issues of chronic illness, depression, grief and loss, as well as extramarital affairs. These were not treated with enough narrative maturity, rather than glossed over. Personally, I'm not very fond of stories in which entering a romantic relationship is a goal that changes one's life story for the better.

There were couple of narrative plot holes, i.e. the situation with Scarlett's new flat. We're given the perspectives of Evie and Scar for a reason. This should have been resolved in Scarlett's narrative line immediately, rather than towards the happy-ish ending.

I don't think this story was particularly memorable or entertaining, hence only 3 star rating.

An incredible read that gave me all the feels. I loved the writing style, I found it so engaging and the story hooked me and didn't let me go. The charcaters were well developed and I took them to my hear. It made me laugh, made me cry and left me breathless. I loved it.

Oh my word, I loved this book! The story is so incredibly romantic and made me gasp and cry in numerous places, it is so well written, heartbreaking, emotional and inspirational - simply loved it. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

This story is a beautiful and honest portrayal of a close friendship with all it’s ups and downs.

Evie & Scarlett have known each other since they were young and have seen each other through many of lifes challenges, now flatmates and almost 30, the book opens the morning after they’ve had an argument.

Little do they know that Scarlett will die later that morning and they won’t get the chance to patch things up. The book moves between Evie as she tries to come to terms with Scarletts death and Scarletts story as she looks in on Evie from beyond the grave.

As someone with MS suffering from many of the same symptoms as Evie, I thought this was really well written. Her reaction to her diagnosis and that uncertainty it can cast over everyday life, future plans and relationshipis definitely something I can empathise with.

I really liked the pace of this story with enough hints along the way to make you think there was more to Nate's story and that Scarlett was keeping secrets from Evie before she died.

The irony is that while Scarlett’s death was a tragedy, it took this event and the new people it brings into Evie's life, to shake her up and get her finally living her life.

This debut novel is a bittersweet story about the value of friendship and the power of individual moments to change our lives, with a key feature: it begins after Scarlett's death and is told from the perspective of her best friend and roommate Evie — but also by Scarlett herself, narrating as she watches over the aftermath and remembers her past.

The premise of this story is compelling, but I found myself frustrated as (especially during Scarlett's narration) the message was spelled out repeatedly for me rather than trusting me to figure it out for myself. The dual perspective, although valuable for showing the backstory and full picture, also gave away so much that I never really got to feel surprised; the events played out just as I expected they would.

I wish Hunter had held back a bit more, but I do tend to prefer stories that leave more open to interpretation (and, in that vein, would have loved a more open-ended conclusion). This is a sweet story exploring how sadness and happiness can be intertwined, and if you're looking for a straightforward celebration of friendship and love, this might be the right book for you.