One Day by David Nicholls

One Day
by David Nicholls
Pub. Date: June 2010
Genre: Fiction
437pp

Synopsis from BN.com:
It's 1988 and Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley have only just met. They both know that the next day, after college graduation, they must go their separate ways. But after only one day together, they cannot stop thinking about one another. As the years go by, Dex and Em begin to lead separate lives lives very different from the people they once dreamed they'd become. And yet, unable to let go of that special something that grabbed onto them that first night, an extraordinary relationship develops between the two.

Over twenty years, snapshots of that relationship are revealed on the same day July 15th of each year. Dex and Em face squabbles and fights, hopes and missed opportunities, laughter and tears. And as the true meaning of this one crucial day is revealed, they must come to grips with the nature of love and life itself.

Why I Picked It:
Another audiobook to keep me busy while doing laundry, trying to sleep, etc...

My Review:
This was your typical story of two people who secretly love each other while life seems to keep getting in the way. The format worried me at first. I thought that only getting to learn about one day each year would be unfulfilling, but instead, the author handled it well enough, creating both male and female personas with enough wit and depth and tangled circumstances to keep me hitting 'play'.

Found myself thoroughly enjoying it. A light read, brutally funny characters, nice and believable near misses over so much time, and a twist. After said twist, I found myself a tad confused at how the book continued. It almost should have ended there, but I suppose the extra chapters filled in a few more blanks for us. I ended up thinking that the additional information could've just been included earlier. I'm not sure how I felt about the way it was wrapped up. Ultimately, I will just say that it felt a little clumsy. Or maybe I only say that because I fell asleep every single night at the same point and it took me a week to listen to the last hour. I may just be more irritated that I've been too exhausted to complete the book.

Regardless, I enjoyed visiting their lives... It was a worthy listen/read.