That may make this book sound really sad and depressing (it did make me cry) but I promise you it is also hopeful and joyful. While the title One Moment can be taken as Scarlett’s death for me it was also the moment your life is changed by illness.

Nate’s life was so different from hers. His world was still so big, whereas hers had compressed right down. And whose fault is that, hmm? She wasn’t sure if it was her voice or Scarlett’s in her mind.” This book truly gripped my heart and brought me to tears more than once. Evie was the perfect character for the situation (it was brilliant seeing the representation of a hidden illness), and I loved that Scarlett wouldn’t have necessarily been a likeable character for me personally while alive, but her growth in death was heartbreaking and inspirational. A story of friendship, loss and how one moment can change your whole life. A gorgeous debut. Sharp, funny, tear-jerking, so assured and well observed. What a debut! The way the two friends Scarlett and Evie are both coming to terms with death and a life-changing diagnosis is really well done. I adored the friendship, love and how one moment can change your whole life forever.

Becky’s experience with The Novelry

As for Scarlett, will she every be able to finally rest in peace? Only if she can put things right for Evie, whom she never meant to betray.

I was inspired to get writing and keep going, and the course made me think more deeply about plot and character, so that I had a finished manuscript that needed relatively little editorial change. The story is about two best friends, Scarlett and Evie. Scarlett leaves her flat one morning after an argument with Evie; it should have been the most important day of her life but in a few short hours her life will end.Whilst the romance between Evie and Nate is integral to the story, there’s a much bigger love story at play here, and that’s the love between Evie and Scarlett. Their relationship might have become strained in no small part due to Evie’s MS but their shared history isn’t something that can be easily erased. There’s such a sense of sisterhood between them – they champion each other’s successes and commiserate each other’s defeats. That doesn’t just disappear when Scarlett dies. If anything, the time and distance makes their love stronger because they begin to understand each other better. US rights were sold to Grand Central in a significant six-figure two-book pre-empt. Corvus has dubbed One Moment‘the most joyful, poignant debut of 2023’. A warm and thoughtful novel that skewers friendship, loss and negotiating grief in a touching and relatable way. I was completely caught up in Evie and Scarlet's stories.

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. Evie cannot contemplate her life without Scarlett, and she certainly cannot forgive Nate, the man she blames for her best friend’s death. But Nate keeps popping up when she least expects him to, catapulting Evie’s life in directions she’d never let herself imagine possible. Ways, perhaps, even those closest to her had long since given up on.

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Scarlett and Evie have been best friends since they were children. They went to the same school, holidayed together, remained as close as sisters through university, and eventually moved in together in London. But now Scarlett is dead, a freak accident as she stopped to help a cyclist on the road, and Evie isn’t coping well. Not least because she argued with Scarlett the night before she died, but because Evie also has MS, a debilitating disease that saw her give up her beloved violin and has left her all-but housebound. She can’t contemplate life without the one person who made life feel less difficult, and she certainly can’t forgive Nate, the man she blames for Scarlett’s untimely death. The Promoter will not be liable for technical, hardware, or software failures of any kind or lost or unavailable network connections that may limit or prohibit an eligible entrant’s ability to participate in the competition. Other than death or personal injury arising from the acts or omissions of the Promoter or its employees, the Promoter will not be liable for any loss or damage arising out of the winner’s (or their guest’s) enjoyment of the prize. So when Scarlett dies, on the morning of the day that is supposed to make or break her career, because she stops to help a stranger, Evie completely falls apart. She cannot contemplate her life without her best friend – and she certainly can’t forgive Nate, the man she blames for Scarlett’s death. But Nate keeps popping up, catapulting Evie’s life in directions that, because of her illness, she never would have dreamed possible. Evie can’t deny the growing attraction to Nate, but it would feel like a betrayal to Scarlett, to let anything happen between them. But Scarlett’s story isn’t over yet… The day Scarlett dies should have been one of the most important of her life. It doesn't feel fair that she'll never have the chance to fulfil her dreams. And now, she's still ... here - wherever here is - watching the ripple effect of her death on the lives of those she loved the most. The day Scarlett dies should have been one of the most important of her life. It doesn't feel fair that she'll never have the chance to fulfil her dreams - all because she stopped to help a stranger. And now, she's still ... here - wherever here is - watching the ripple effect of her death on those she loved the most.