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By Jojo Moyes

ISBN-13: 9780525426585
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Publication date: 7/1/2014
Pages: 384
Format: Other (Audio)
My Rating: 5 Stars

ONE PLUS ONE by Jojo Moyes, is a total riot! One of the funniest, yet heartwarming books I have ever read (listened to).

OMG, the audiobook was epic—Narrated by Elizabeth Bower, Ben Elliot, Nicola Stanton, Steven France; loved the woman reading Jess, and the British accents, as could listen for hours!

I was traveling, visiting my sister in NC with her organic garden, and decided to help her out by agreeing to mow her grass—bloody four acres, while listening to ONE PLUS ONE. I was laughing so hard, with my ipod turned up full blast, I mowed an extra 2 acres!

A total dysfunctional family--high drama with a capital D! Jess the mother is barely making ends meet as a house cleaner for a rich client geeky tech millionaire, Ed while she works at night at pub for her second job. However, she has a good attitude and tries to remain positive. Things are not going in her favor and she cannot catch a break.

Jess’ husband Marty left her with two children, paying no child support. Jess is raising their daughter, Tanzie (math genius, who is almost blind), and her Goth and bullied stepson Nicky, Marty’s son, and to round out the family, their dog, Norman. (a heartbreaker)

Of course, Ed has his own problems, as been charged with insider trading (between his ex-girlfriend and his crazy sister), and oh by the way, he has not told his wealthy parents about his little fall from glory yet, and has no clue what the future holds.

An array of misfits with one drama after another—there is a little matter of Jess finding money, which she meant to pay back—after all, if you work hard and do the right thing, good things will happen.

When Jess gets herself into some trouble, and she has to take her daughter to Scotland for a competition, and now unable to drive since she was stopped with no insurance. Tanzie has been offered a generous scholarship to a private school, and Jess can't come up with the balance. The only hope is winning prize money at a math tournament in Scotland, but how to get there?

Ed agrees to drive them in his car (this group in his Mercedes—it will never be the same). What a wild road trip! Between the car sickness, the kids, the dog, sleeping in the car, the complications at the competition, food, Facebook bullying, the ex-husband’s new surprise life, the meltdown and fight with the car, Ed losing his towel, chasing after his car naked with Jess, and the best of all--meeting Ed’s parents— priceless! One Plus One equals the sum of “us”—beautiful.

What a hilarious yet heartbreaking adventure. Readers will laugh and cry. With side trips to visit Ed’s dying father, and Jess’s now-estranged husband, these two misfits learn to reconcile with their pasts they can’t change and futures they’re afraid to imagine. They have more in common than they may think, for a warmhearted wacky comedy romance.

Off the beaten path,Moyes develops flawed and lovable characters; she speaks from the heart, with raw feelings and honesty. A master storyteller with a witty and wild imagination! Can’t wait to read more.