Only Once: A Single Parent- Hollywood Romance

Ahh Ryan. I didn’t know if I wanted to punch him or jump him! Bexley and Ryan were college sweethearts, but poor timing, miscommunications and lack of communicating, plus insecurity pulled them apart. Fast forward years down the road, Ryan is a super star actor and an even bigger tool. Bexley is a divorced single mom struggling to make ends meet at a terrible job. Which Ryan happens to show up at. Ryan is horrible to her at the beginning, just a horrible person in general. Bex is clearly struggling, has a life, and Ryan is jealous. But once Ryan and Bex finally sort through their issues, it’s pretty clear they’re soulmates. There are definitely things they have to work through, Ryan has some big life decisions he needs to decide on, but these two are meant to be together.

I loved this book. I like characters that have to go grow up a bit, it makes the story so much more emotional, and Ryan definitely needed to grow up. Bex too, in different ways.

This book deserves all the stars, I love Ashley’s books!

Only Once brings a celebrity romance, a sports romance and a second chance romance all together into one book that will touch your heart.

I was completely invested in this story. Bexley was every mom...putting her kids first and doing everything she could to make sure they had what they needed. She was one of the realist characters I have read. She wasn’t perfect but her love for her kids, friends and Ryan was.

Ryan was a tough one at times....he confused and intrigued me until I started to love him. I like complex characters like that...how one event from 10years ago really shaped the man he became and what it took for him to realize he hadn’t ever really moved on from Bexley. He grew and changed in the best way.

I’m a sucker for cute kids in books. Cole and Bella just made this book even sweeter and cuter.

This story is sexy, all the feels and the perfect amount of angst. It’s beautifully written, and an emotional journey as Bex and Ryan face so many trials and tribulations on their way to their long awaited and earned. HEA.

... that brought me to my knees in anguish for the two people who experienced that love, and lost it.

I should make this a short one-line review: I absolutely LOVED-LOVED-LOVED this second chance sports/movie star angsty romance and reckon it’s one of my top reads for 2021. I would absolutely recommend it to all and sundry, so go and read it now!!!

I honestly don’t know how she does it, but Author Ashley Munoz packed a lot of feels into this book that I seemed to get through rather quickly, but with it being at almost 400 pages apparently, I can’t say that it’s a short read! What I can tell you is that once again, I was a slave to her words, consuming it in one sitting by staying up until the early hours of the morning to get it finished – the first time.

In the prologue we met Bexley as the unwanted child of a man who visited her mother occasionally and refused to acknowledge her very existence as his daughter. Her mother compared her to ice-cream flavours; she was not a flavour that her father liked, and she would learn that she would not be everyone’s first choice of flavour. At nine, she decided she “didn’t want to be someone’s second or third—or last— choice.”

This set the tone for her future choices, her future heartbreak, and the heartbreak of others. Ms Munoz wrote a book that contained all the feels. All. The. Feels. 😭😭😭

I loved Bexley. While she did carry the weight of never-ending heartbreak, disappointment and loss heavily around her neck, her absolute love for her children shone like an aura around her character. She was a ‘real’ person, a mother who died of embarrassment at the behaviour of her little cretins, but would do anything in the world to love, feed and clothe them. Especially when her cheating ex neglected to send his share of the kids’ support money through, or was too busy with his new family to carry out fatherly duties.

Ryan, our gorgeously buff and tattooed movie star hero carried anger. So much anger. It fairly vibrated from him at times and I wondered what an earth Bexley could have done to him to deserve the diatribe that she got. Her early promises to herself, and hearing their history in her POV certainly differed from his, and he came across as the young and selfish 20-year-old that he was at the time. Hearing from these two characters is exactly why I love the dual POV style of writing. We know that people see the same situation through different lenses of previous life’s experiences, and for them, that is exactly what happened.

All this sounds black and white, but it wasn’t. Ms Munoz put into writing the mess and feelings that are human emotions. They swirled around the story in a whirlwind that whipped even the present love and reconnection between them with so much muddy childish insecurity that when other’s stirred in some trouble, it was hard to move past the existing hurt and distrust.

I have a special shout out for the unconditional love that Gary and Gloria, Ryan’s parents, had for Bexley and her kids. It’s as if Ms Munoz wrote my in-laws into her book, and they’ve been the best ever in-laws and grandparents I could ever have wished for me and my children.

I just loved everything about this book. It’s worth more than 5 Stars •💖•

This very well written story was everything anyone who reads this genre could want. The romance was sweet and loving with a strong love between the two main characters (but endured numerous bumps and off-ramps in the road that had to be traveled which of course brought interest to the story). Both main characters were likable, and as with the side characters, were so real to life. The story flowed well making it hard to put down, and ended with a satisfying and beautiful HEA. All-in-all, a very enjoyable story.

This book had me in tears and gasping for breath at one point. Please, check your triggers. -loss of a baby -estranged while pregnant -jealousy -misplaced anger

The two MC’s were together in college only to become estranged after some heated words, a hard situation, and expectations not being met.

Once to two bump into each other the first time, it’s like the universe shoves them together over and over again. While we know how it is when you’re in your big feelings… there was a whole lot of flip flopping on the MMC part. I loved that our FMC stood her ground and made him do the groveling and big gestures!

If you haven’t read an Ashley Munoz book… please do it! Enjoy!

When you take a chance on a new-to-you aųthor, it may be a grand sląm, or it may be a strıke out. Or in the case of Ryan Prince, a touchdown or a fumble.

Bexley and Ryan dated in college and for a few reasons ended up going their separate ways, him to a life as a professional football player and then on to the big screen. Bexley's life wasn’t nearly so glamorous, and ten years later she's a single mother working at a posh resort when Ryan and his current arm candy stroll in. While the college-aged employees gawk at the movie star, Bexley wishes the floor would open up and swąllow her whole.

There are so many things I loved about this book. The writing is polished and the second-chance premise is one I always enjoy. Bexley's kids are loveable and funny and add a lot to the story, and I adore Ryan's parents so much. The characters are complex and relatable and engaged my emotions throughout the story.

The element that gave me pause was the ambivalence between Ryan and Bexley. I felt like I was riding a yo-yo at times and it kept the story from moving forward for me. I think it's really a personal preference, and if you’re an angst lover, you’ll eat this one right up.

All in all, I’m impressed with this story teller’s abilities and am looking forward to reading more from her. I definitely recommend giving this one a read, especially if you love angst, and I can’t wait to see what this talented lady brings us next!

Please don’t let the negative reviews distract you from reading this book. I read the reviews but had already paid for the book and audible lol so I listened to it and I was not disappointed at all!!!! It may not be some people’s cup of tea but it was my hot chocolate! The kids were cute, the guy was making some really dumb mistakes and so was the main woman but I feel like some of the choices they were making were some that we would make in real life when we have been hurt so after I finished listening to it I was like hey this was an enjoyable listen! I am about to read it as well so I can hear the characters in my own chosen voices for them lol but overall it was good.

It was a good overall story. Felt like both Bexly and Ryan were stuck in time as young college kids with the maturity of their lives and where they should have been at emotionally. The single mom side of Bex was completely more mature than the single looking for love Bex. She was strong for her kids and carried the weight of being both parents but then her on navigating love seemed very early college years of life. Her and Ryan both stayed superficial with feelings and how they acted towards a relationship. The author who hint at them having deeper thoughts but you were hoping that eventually they would snap out of the marry go round of running away and not talking stuff out. I get that that adds build up to the story but there is only so many times two characters can chase each other in one book. I wanted to see more of Ryan’s mom having a heart to heart with him. Seemed her character was more attached to Bex than her own son. Kinda seemed like if his parents meant so much that their love for their son and helping him figure things out should have been included more. The base of their relationship was heartwarming tho. Again the over all story was good. Just know some things are repetitive and drawn out. You’ll be able to connect with some or all of the characters in some form of another. Just expect slow development and then semi anticlimactic.

Ryan n Bex met in college n fell in love. He played football n was being scouted. His big break comes n Bex finds out she’s pregnant. He accuses her of trying to trap him. She realizes he’s just like her parents n wouldn’t put her first. That Ryan is consumed by football n nothing else. Not even her. She ends up having a miscarriage n walks away from Ryan. Leaving him to follow his dream.

Ryan: 10yrs have passed n he’s a famous rich movie star. His career in football ended when he got injured. He appeared on reality shows n starred in movies. This mmc gave me the ick. It opens to him n his girlfriend. He’s decided to break it off w/her during their vacay. They both use each other n know the deal. The ick for me was: she goes to please him n his thought was: “I wondered if I should mention to her I’d rather read my tax documents then have her blow me.” Then like the gross man he is he doesn’t stop her. He knew he didn’t want to be w/her. He should’ve respected her n pulled her up n told her how he felt. That moment showed me he didn’t respect woman.

Bexley: She is a single mom of two. She’s been separated from her ex fiancé for a minute. Throughout the yrs he has asked her to marry him 3-4 times but she turned him down. He knew she still loves her ex n wouldn’t ever have her heart but still tried. He gets tired of her rejections n cheats on her getting the other woman pregnant. He shows up one day w/his pregnant partner to move out n leaves to a town 2hrs away. He doesn’t show up for the kids. He doesn’t pay child support. He basically punishes her through the kids. Bills are piling up so she has to take a second job at a vacation resort.

Meet up/Story: Ryan runs into Bex at the resort w/his girlfriend. He’s still loves her n is hurt at how she left. So he flaunts his gf in front of her. Making Bex take em to restaurants. He makes her watch him making out w/his gf. Just anything to get Bex jealous. He finds out she has kids n is hurt she had a fam w/someone. He bulldozes his way into her life when he finds out she single n she basically lets him. There’s no groveling for what he said to her in the past. He basically puts the blame on her for leaving. There was no communication w/this couple. Ryan would get upset about something n shut down ignoring Bex’s explanations. Trying to treat Bex like all the other meaningless hookups in his life. Bex would get upset n leave. Ryan would chase after her n she’d give in easily cause his touch. Not even solving the problem. There were a lot of ups n downs. Ryan acted like he wanted to be a family man but did too many f-boy crap to make it believable. Bex knew her kids would get attached to Ryan n let it happen. Knowing damn well his actions n words weren’t matching. He had to many mood swings.

Overall thoughts: I didn’t enjoy this read. Idk why authors(ESPECIALLY WOMEN) think some of us want stories where the mmc is w/OW. Or he’s a manwh-re n the fmc is this barely touched thing(only been w/mmc n one other person). I couldn’t root for Ryan. I thought Bex should’ve taken her kids n ran. The way he treated his ex. The way he treated Bex. He was angry w/her for having a family cause he loves her n wanted it to be w/him. Yet his ass was sleeping w/anything with a pulse. As if she was supposed to wait around. She was to naive n let him get away with too much. She forgave to easily. The author dragged out the story then rushed the ending imo. I honestly don’t see myself ever picking this back up.