I always look forward to reading Jane Lovering books and this was no exception, though there was a bit more to this one than just the usual romance. While in bed suffering with a bad cold, Cressida is called out to rescue a red squirrel by her journalist friend, Ivo. This is not unusual as she is a wildlife rescue officer, but red squirrels are not native to Yorkshire so it is a bit of a puzzle how it got there.
From totally different backgrounds, Cress and Ivo met at Cambridge university and have remained close friends ever since. Cress has been in love with Ivo since they first met, but has not told him as she is pretty sure he does not feel the same way, and she does not want it to jeopardise their friendship. This is a common trope in romance fiction and is done well here. Ivo has always been a bit eccentric, but to Cress he was just Ivo. It turns out he has ADHD but has never told anyone, until now. After this it all makes perfect sense to her.
The mystery surrounding the dead man on the moors with a squirrel hiding in his pocket is one Ivo cannot resist. Their investigation takes them to the Isle of Wight, to return the squirrel (Fred) to where he came from, and into unforeseen danger. What starts out as a romance novel, gradually becomes a tense thriller. The characters go on a physical and emotional journey, where they each have a beneficial effect on the other. The story is told entirely from Cressida’s point of view, her insecurities at the forefront, and at times her inner thoughts were a bit repetitive and took the reader out of the narrative. Ivo is an endearing character, though his dress sense leaves a lot to be desired. I enjoyed One of a Kind, though I thought the ending was a bit rushed, and I look forward to whatever Jane Lovering writes next. Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.

A lovely combination of mystery and a love story making it a very enjoyable book. Cressida cares about two things, rescuing animals and her friend Ivo, but she's not sure if Ivo feels the same way. When Ivo asks for her help solving the mystery of a dead man with a rare squirrel in his pocket she can't help but say yes. How did the squirrel end up with a dead. man? Can they find the squirrel's home? Will the time together change everything? The mystery kept me guessing and Cressida and Ivo together was so much fun.

It was not exciting at all. I know ROM COMS are like that but it wasn't that much good. I also didn't like the plot

I have read several books by Jane Lovering now, and each one I love.
Intriguing characters who all bring something unique to the story, and a plot that is equally intriguing. I really did enjoy this book

This was a wholesome and charming four star read!

Who wouldn't love a book containing a man found dead with a very-out-place-red squirrel?

Ivo, an investigative reporter, reaches out to long time friend Cress, an animal rescuer asking for her help in figuring out where the red squirrel came from. And, oh - by the way - could she help him determine who murdered the man found with the squirrel?

I really appreciated the neurodivergent character. As someone who is neurodivergent, I always appreciate authors who are able to write such characters with love and understanding.

This was the first book I've read from Jane Lovering and I can't wait to read The Start of the Story!

he majority of this story takes place on the Isle of Wight and the sea and the coastline play an important role in the plot. Cressida and Ivo are an interesting pair as they seem quite different on the surface. Cressida has opted for a steady role in animal rescue, whilst her University friend Ivo has a more flamboyant approach to life and is an investigative journalist. They make a great team. As the story evolves, you understand more about Ivo and what makes him tick. Coming from an affluent family, his attitude to his possessions is quite different to Cressida who has had a much more simple upbringing with her single mother. However, as you discover, there is more to her background than meets the eye.

Although romance is very much on Cressida's mind for the whole of the story, most of the time I felt that this book had a strong feeling of being a cozy crime story. There is quite a mystery to unravel. I enjoyed the book very much, principally because of the relationships and the characters who kept up the pace of the narrative. It is an entertaining read with sparky dialogue and plenty of humour.

In short: warm, entertaining read

This is a very quirky story, not just romantic fiction but a mystery too.

Eccentric Ivo and the more down to earth Cress have been friends since university days, he is a journalist and she works for a local animal rescue group. Unbeknown to Ivo, Cress has been secretly in love with him also.

When Cress is roped in to helping Ivo with a local incident involving a dead man and a red squirrel, this sees them journey to the Isle of Wight. What happened to the man? Who is he and where did he come from? What on earth is he doing with a squirrel in his pocket?

This is a very charming story and gives a great insight into the workings of a mind of someone who has ADHD.

Thanks must go to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book to read and review.

LOVED this one! Thank you so much for the ARC. This story was extremely well written. I will definitely be on the lookout for more books by this author!

Thank you Boldwood books, Rachel’s resources and NetGalley for the E-ARC of One of A Kind by Jane Lovering.

This is my first book of Jane’s and I was quite intrigued by this story it’s a wholesome second chance romance story of Cressida and Ivo, Cressida and Ivo managed to get together to solve a murder, and Cressida( a wildlife rescuer) has always held a candle for Ivo since their uni days and Ivo , who has ADHD is now discovering this whole new person.

While I love the second chance romance trope, I struggled a tad with the simplistic portrayal of ADHD( it didn’t feel like it came from any place of research ) and the pacing was a lot slower than I’d have liked. It’s a nice book. But I didn’t feel that inclined to race to the end. And I really wish the theme of animal rescue and MH was dealt with differently. All in all it was a good book. Definitely worth a read .

I received a ARC from Netgalley. This is my first book from Jane Lovering.
Cressida secretly has feelings for her friend Ivo.
They come together to work on a case, as Cressida works at a animal rescue center and he needs her expertise on a specific animal to start getting clues on a murdered man.

It did not turn out how I imagined, however I liked it.
3.5 stars

Cress and Ivo met at university eight years ago. She works in an animal sanctuary as a wildlife rescue person.
Her feelings for Ivo are more than a friendship, feelings that she denied as hard as she can, she wouldn’t act on them for fear of ruining their lovely friendship.
She owns a two-bedroom cottage and rents the spare room to Lilith and Dix.
Ivo is a reporter, he has a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics and works in a local newspaper covering boring stories.
One day when she is sick with the flu and receives a phone call from Ivo, who needs her help with an animal rescue, an unexpected event unveils. Ivo found a mystery body on a moor with a red squirrel in his pocket.
Together they are on a mission to discover the truth, where the animal came from (rare to the area) and what happened to the dead man.
During the amateur investigation, they discover something else, an unexpected mutual feeling for each other.
I loved reading about the life of people working in the wild animal rescue field, as an animal lover I appreciate what they do.
Thanks to Boldwood books, Jane Lovering and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

I finished this book yesterday afternoon, and I’m still unsure what to make of it - in a good way. Was it a romance, cosy mystery, thriller? I think I’ll plump for all three, probably in equal measure! Whatever it is, I enjoyed it immensely. Character-wise, I found it slow to begin with, whereas the plot moved forward pretty quickly.

Once I realised that Ivo had ADHD, everything about him made a lot more sense, and I found him quirky and loveable. Our female protagonist, Cressida, was slightly slower on the uptake, but she got there in the end!

The author explained Ivo’s ADHD in great detail, and I love understanding how brains are wired differently to give them the diagnosis they receive. I find any book containing an element of neurodivergence fascinating and educational.

If you want a summer read, then go and grab yourself a copy of this book. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Oh, and Fred is the best character of all - I think perhaps he’s wired a little differently too!

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review One of A Kind by Jane Lovering.

This was a lovely read , perfect for summer. An interesting mix of mystery and romance but I loved how the mystery focused on the unusual animal involved rather than the dead man. Great characters and dilemas - highly recommend

I really enjoyed this book! I am a huge animal lover so to have the main character be an animal rescuer was so fun and unique! Cressida is in love with Ivo and as readers we know that from the beginning. Ivo is not neurotypical and I felt that his character was really well done!

I enjoyed the mystery, and how it was slightly different than normal mysteries. Instead of focusing just on the dead body it also focuses on where did the squirrel come from that was found in the pocket of the dead man. This was just a fun twist that for the first time ever I was more invested in the animal than the actual mystery itself!

I liked that they were far from perfect detectives and you could see that they are just winging it. This, to me, made the book more fun and made me chuckle in places as well.

I recommend this book to anyone that needs a fast-read mystery, or someone that wants a light read.

I really enjoyed this book. Such a perfect summer read. I loved everything about it. I would highly recommend it

I usually adore Jane Lovering stories and characters but I found myself just liking this one unfortunately.

I couldn't understand how Ivo could be Cress best friend who she was secretly madly in love with yet could have deep suspicions about. Surely, even without the knowledge of his personal challenges she would have a fundamental understanding of the person he was and what he was or wasn't capable of?

None the less I enjoyed the story and laughed out loud at some of the situations the MCs found themselves in.

Jane Lovering’s One of a Kind is a witty, emotional, heart-rending and mesmerizing tale about the ties that bind, unrequited love and taking chances readers will find impossible to resist.

Despite of the vast social chasm that divides them, Cressida and Ivo are the best of friends. While Cressida cannot remember a time in her life when she wasn’t scrimping or saving, Ivo lives in an ancestral home cluttered with priceless antiques. The two of them have been friends since meeting at university, but Cressida has a secret that she daren’t reveal to everyone – not even to Ivo: she’s been head over heels in love with him for years.

When a mystery plunges the two of them even closer together, Cressida wonders whether the universe is telling her to stop burying her feelings for Ivo and reveal the depth of her affection for him. As this puzzle takes them all the way to the Isle of Wight, they begin to get closer and closer and as they begin to understand each other more, they wonder whether they dare take their friendship to the next level. But when the unthinkable happens, will Cressida and Ivo fight for their right to be happy? Or will they end up losing their friendship and the future together they had hoped for?

Jane Lovering could write a shopping list and make it laugh out loud funny and heart-breakingly emotional and she is at her absolute best with One of a Kind. An enjoyable and captivating read set against a vividly described background, One of a Kind is a gorgeous page-turner infused with warmth, intensity, magic and humour readers will want to recommend to all of their friends and family.

In this fun fiction novel, readers travel to rural Yorkshire where Cressida Tarbet runs an animal rescue center and spends time with her friend Ivo, an art and antiques collector. Despite their differences, Cressida has had a secret, unrequited crush on Ivo since college, and nothing seems to happen between them until a strange death happens in their village. United in their attempt to solve this mysterious crime, Cress and Ivo travel across England to the Isle of Wight to discover the truth behind this crime and death, but along the way they discover secrets about the other that will transform their relationship. Nothing is as it seems here, and readers will experience this fascinating mystery and romance with Ivo and Cress in Lovering’s latest novel. Cress and Ivo are wonderful characters with a fascinating and unique relationship, and Lovering brings them and their differences in personality to life in this novel. Their relationship is genuine and realistic, making the novel relatable to readers, and the balance of romance and friendship is particularly enjoyable to experience. With a fascinating plot, wonderful characters, and a cozy rural setting, this mystery and romance novel is a fun read for those looking to escape to rural Yorkshire.

Cressida Tarbet was trying to sleep off a nasty cold when her phone rang. Her best friend, Ivo, needed wildlife rescuer, Cress at a possible crime scene on the Yorkshire moors. The victim had something unusual in his pocket that Cressida would undoubtedly be interested in. The police seemed to think it was an accidental death but Ivo wasn’t convinced. Cressida couldn’t resist Ivo’s pleading, despite the years they’d been the best of friends and her secret but nonetheless confusing and conflicting feelings she harboured for him, she was curious to know what had prompted Ivo to call her. She couldn’t have been more surprised.

Ivo dreamed of being a successful investigative journalist and thought this would be the perfect opportunity for a story. Cressida wasn’t so sure but first and foremost she was here in her role as animal rescuer.

'Prepared to initiate emergency measures should it panic, I touched it, very gently with the tip of my finger. A head emerged and a beady eye rolled upward, then, in a flash of auburn, the little creature had fled into my nicely enclosed, dark and safe-looking transport box and I closed the door behind it with relief.'

Getting the cute little rescue back where he belongs takes Cressida and Ivo down south, also to the Isle of Wight and, since they decided to try and investigate what Ivo is certain is nefarious goings on, into danger. They have no idea what they’re getting themselves involved in.

One of a Kind was an enjoyable read, part mystery, part (desire for) romance with two very likeable characters. Cressida and Ivo have completely different lifestyles and personalities, she supplementing her small income by taking in lodgers, he living in the opulent gatehouse of the family estate. Cressida has had lots of time to get used to Ivo’s almost extreme, excitable flitting from one subject or idea to another in the blink of an eye and I appreciated the author explaining his thought processes from his own perspective. I enjoyed the insight into animal rescue too.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this story, this is my objective review. Cress is a wildlife rescue worker and is close friends with Ivo, a local reporter. Very opposites attract, Cress is practical and grounded and an over-thinker, Ivo is flamboyant and a bit flighty and scattered. Cress is nursing a huge crush on Ivo, and she has convinced herself that she must quash what has to be unrequited feelings. These are two close friends who maybe don't know each other quite as well as they thought, and who must deal with the effects of their changing relationship. Equal parts romance and mystery, Cress and Ivo find themselves working closely to solve a mystery involving a dead man and a squirrel named Fred, which is an overly simplistic way of describing this book but I don't want to give anything away. It's no spoiler that Fred is adorable, though.

The story is first person POV from Cress's perspective. Cress is an over-thinker and full of self-doubt, and Ivo is charming and neurodivergent. Cress is both keenly introspective and at other times extremely clueless, which I guess is somewhat true of us all. There were times I found her inner thoughts about Ivo to be a bit frustrating, especially when she was questioning his trustworthiness. Maybe it was just her questioning her own feelings, which she did a lot, that was a bit frustrating for me, I don't know. Her angst levels took me out of the story a little from time to time but I did like the story overall. Nice comedic notes. Also, I hope you love Fred as much as I did! New-to-me author but I enjoyed this one enough that I would read her again.