Member Reviews
I literally cannot get over how cute this was. Bea and Gibson (I totally can’t call him Gib I’m sorry! My brain goes right to Gibby from icarly and then I giggle uncontrollably) are childhood enemies turned adult forced-by-Golly-proximity-lovers!?!?!? I die. Excuse me while I find more third party interloper helping hand books. And my own Golly. Bea is in Greece to help get over writers block and to help her grand?-god mother plan a blowout retirement party. Gibson is in Greece to get back in touch with his roots where he was closest to his dad. Which means staying at Golly’s guest house. Beas room. And oh my GOODNESS I DOUBLE BOOKED YALL. see where I’m going?
Golly doesn’t know the word “stop” or “no” and sometimes that’s GREAT. Other times it was super annoying and she felt like a spoiled petulant rich lady-baby. Been there, seen that IRL, over it. If it weren’t for the smaller side characters and me liking the main characters so much I’d have skipped tbh with how bad golly was and the massive time leap at the end.
Bea has a BAD BAD habit of bringing up her ex. A lot. Like. A LOT A LOT and comparing Gibson to him. A LOT. with little to no backstory, history; clear reasoning and despite her claims “I’m over him! It was five years ago!” GIRL IF IT WAS FIVE YEARS AGO WHY DO YOU BRING HIM UP EVERY OTHER CHAPTER, and who tf goes celibate for five years IN THEIR PRIME DATING YEARS BY CHOICE BECAUSE OF A BREAKUP. PLEASE.
— But I’m glad I stuck around to watch them fall in love with now. This DOES HAVE MISCHIEVOUS CHARACTER ARCS AND THE MISCOMMUNICATION TROPE. both things I’m not too big a fan of. But if you are? Oh 1000000% best read of the year. But for me this is a safe bet for a good but not great.
What a wonderful journey of self discovering, and finding love this story took me on.
Thrown together by circumstances our FMC Bea and our MMC Gibson find themselves forced to share a one bedroom cottage with you guessed it one bed.
Both characters have troubled and complicated pasts which make trusting and opening up hard but the chemistry and physical attraction between them is hard to deny. Can the two of them find a common ground?
Set in the stunning scenery of Santorini, Joss Woods takes us on an adventure full of fun, angst, self doubt and love. Love between the family we choose, and the people we surround ourselves with. She takes us on a ride with both MC's as they learn to navigate their pasts, find themselves, overcome self doubt and self regulation and become better versions of themselves. But can they do this together or are they destined to be apart when the vacation is over?
Joss's writing is easy to read, the plot easy to follow but with twists turns and written to bring out your emotions. I laughed out loud at the antics of Bea's Godma, I teared up with Bea and Gib's pain and I felt joy. Plot development and character building was on par and I could have read more about all of the characters in this book.
Loved every part of this story.
This books writing style just wasn’t for me. I did not connect with the characters through the 3rd person POV.
This delightful, fast paced rom-com delivers everything a reader could want from a sunshine-filled romance! One Bed by Joss Wood combines classic romance themes—forced proximity, a shared bed, and a hint of enemies-to-lovers—in an enjoyable story. Bea, a quiet and successful author, finds herself organising her godmother Golly’s birthday party in Santorini, only to discover she must share her cottage (and bed!) with Gib, an old acquaintance. Bea’s journey of self-discovery and growth is both relatable and engaging, while Gib’s development adds layers to their dynamic. The pacing feels natural, taking readers through heartfelt conversations, misunderstandings, and laugh-out-loud moments that build to a satisfying, heartwarming finale.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing an ARC.
This was such a cute, spicy read! This is my first read by this author and I really enjoyed reading One Bed. I thought the plot was fun especially with Bea being an author, which was one of the reasons I requested this arc on Netgalley. The cover is so cute too and it pulled me in. Bea and Gibson have tons of chemistry, pulling readers in from the very beginning with their story. The plot was good and the story made sense and was well thought out. It didn't feel tooo far fetched, and I thought the spice was written well. The descriptions were well written. The book didn't feel too long.
I really enjoyed this book!
Thank you Netgalley and the author/publisher for this advanced copy. All thoughts are my own and my review is my own opinons.
I loved the setting of this story, sounded so beautiful. Makes me want to go! I enjoyed the characters and the differences amongst them. The plot was fun, and romantic. The only drawback to this book for me was the slower pace. The first half of the book seemed to drag a bit, and took me a little to get into it. It picks up near the middle and doesn't slow back down. Overall, a fun read.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I really struggled with the first part of this but got into it from halfway. I didn't grab on to the main point of the story, and it felt really messy in the first half. It was like a teenager read their first smutty book and thought i could do this!
The chapters were far too long for me. I hated the abbreviations like 'irl' and the overuse of a few '!!!'
However. I loved Golly (the godma) she was quite the character, although I wanted more from her. To know they whys a bit more. I liked bea as an fmc she was relatable, but I did not care for Gib. It's like he couldn't make up his mind on what kind of character he wanted to be and by the time it was decided it was well into the story before I started to get on bored with him.
🩶
"Calm the hell down, peasants! A toast! It matters not if the wine glass is half empty or half full. Clearly, there's room for more! Here's to me!"
'Just that. He made her feel. Like a woman. Like she was
noticed, like she mattered'
"Listen, I died once when I was five, and my mother told me to just walk it off."
3⭐️/2🌶️
Thank you netgalley for an ARC of this book! :)
This was a cute little light romance with such a beautiful setting! I've been to greece before and this just brought back so many memories. I loved both of our MC's and honestly anytime a story has a nosey grandma/god mother, it just makes it even better!
Oooh boy, romance on a beautiful Greek island, what more could you ask for? I thoroughly enjoyed following author Bea through her vacation of discovery as she struggles with coming out from behind her pen name, finding trust in a man, and moving past the issues created by her horrible parents. Gib was a thoroughly flawed MMC that we can happy to root for.
The supporting characters, like Golly, were a hoot. Have to ask why so many characters ended up with "g" names, I got a little confused by it. Overall, enjoyable read. The ending was great as well as the epilogue.
As an avid reader of romantic novels, I was thrilled to dive into Joss Wood's "One Bed." This delightful novel follows rising star author Bea Williams as she escapes to her godmother's cozy Greek island retreat for a much-needed vacation. Little does she know what awaits her in this sun-soaked paradise!
Wood masterfully crafts a story that's both refreshing and captivating. The forced proximity trope gets a clever twist, keeping readers on their toes. The main characters are wonderfully sympathetic, their chemistry palpable in every glance and argument. But it's the lovable supporting cast that truly adds depth to this tale.
The Greek island setting is nothing short of magical, providing the perfect backdrop for this romantic escapade. Wood's writing style makes for an effortlessly enjoyable read, with just the right balance of humor and heart.
While some might find the premise a bit far-fetched, it's this very element that adds to the book's charm. "One Bed" is a perfect escape for romance lovers, offering a unique take on a beloved genre.
Overall, this special book earns a well-deserved 4.75 out of 5 stars. It's a must-read for anyone seeking a fun, heartwarming romance with a dash of Greek island magic.
Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and Joss Wood for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This was my first by this author and won’t be my last! This was such a good romance, filled with all the elements that I love and lots of spice!
One Island, One Villa, One Bed. Literally say no more. I knew I had to read this book. He’s is tasked with throwing her grandmother, Golly’s, retirement and 70th birthday party in Santorini which is also where they have an estate. Golly has already promised the last cottage to Gib, a CEO who is looking to relax and disconnect from people. However, this is the cottage that Bea has stayed in forever and the only place left to stay. No surprises here, there is only one bed!
Watching their relationship grow from an awkward encounter to a deeper understanding of each other was right up my alley. I also ate up Golly’s eccentric personality and shenanigans and loved the dynamic between her and Bea. This was a great low stakes rom-com that I highly recommend!
Thank you NetGalley and Harpers Collin’s UK for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I am so glad I was given the opportunity to read 'One Bed' before its publication date in December as I loved the premise of the book through its initial description and also the front cover. Thank you Harper Collins for giving me the opportunity.
Bea and Gibson's back stories were so well thought out and I loved the banter and the initial arguments on who was going to get the use of the Cottage and ultimately the bed.
Golly and Reena were also hilarious and god I hope I can be like them when I get to that age, in living life to the full and to hell with what everybody else thinks.
Would definitely recommend this book and will read it again in the future.
This book had an interesting synopsis which is the reason I wanted to read it. And I’m glad I did!
The book is about a shy writer with a secret career and a recluse CEO who’s closed off to people, being forced to share a one bedroom cottage. Of course this forced close proximity leads to sparks flying.
The characters hold depth as they hold their secrets close them, slowly unravelling as their feelings grow. I really enjoyed the love/hate relationship and comical banter throughout the book.
Seeing as I’ve never been to Greece, I was delighted that the book is set in there, with the writer using amazing descriptive writing to help you visualise the location, leaving you dreaming of the beautiful faraway location.
Overall I give this book a 4 stars out of 5 and would love to read future work by this author.
2.5/5
One Bed offers classic tropes - forced proximity, grumpy-sunshine, enemies to lovers - while sprinkling in humor and plenty of spice. The story drew me in quickly, and I enjoyed the introductory scenes for the main characters. Golly (FMC’s Godmother) was by far my favorite! Eccentric, wild, witty and mischievous, she definitely added some much needed humor to the story. Our main love interests, Bea and Gib, offered relatable back stories of parental failures. Unfortunately, the overall story fell flat and seemed to lose steam about a third of the way through. The last half of the book was too long, and the characters became hard to like. Gib was a constant contradiction - this is only a fling, but I’ll grab and hold your hand in front of everyone - I’ll hound you about what’s wrong and what’s bothering you, but that’s not the same as me asking you to open up to me. I eventually began skipping sections/pages of text in order to stay focused and finish the book. If you’re looking for an easy read with spice, this story isn’t a bad option! If you like your characters to have more depth, I’d keep browsing.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the opportunity to read One Bed.
A lively rom-com, a writer reconnects with a Chris Hemsworth type man who she knew as a child and sparks fly. It's actually quite an adorable book , with her outrageous Godmother Golly, and the beautiful setting and the "only one bed" trope. I didn't really love the male main character Gib, who came off as a bit arrogant at times, and Bea was sweet but kept looking back at a past relationship that went wrong.
There is nothing wrong with the writing, and overall this book has loads to offer romance readers, it just fell a little bit flat for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This was a fun little book. Very relaxing and easy to read through. The characters delivered more than just lighthearted fun. They had depth to them which I enjoyed.
This only took one evening to speed through! Full of obvious tropes and stereotypes but that just meant I didn't have to think too hard (which is what you need sometimes!)
Moments of brilliance, the scene where Gib rejects Bea the morning after hooking up was devastating and painfully realistic.
Love that the usual tropes led to growth and learning to communicate in the end, rather than the protagonists just dwelling in toxic miscommunication forevermore or ignoring it was ever an issue.
Proof copy provided by Netgalley.
Thank you net galley anf publisher for the opportunity.
I enjoyed the story very much. Our FMC was likable and believable. Our MMC .... I struggled to connect with . He seemed very childish to me. I was hoping he would grow out of it over all I did like the book.
If you couldn’t gather from the title, this is a spicy one-bed trope romance! Bea and GiB are forced to share a bed in romantic Greece during Bea’s godmother’s celebration week. While a lot of the themes are predictable it is still a cute story! There are some heavy storylines with both of the main characters which tug at the heartstrings. I did have to dock points for the predictability but otherwise. Overall this was a great read!