One in a million is the 12th and the last book in the Lucky Harbor series by Jill Shalvis. Lucky Harbor is a set of 12 books. All these books contain stories of love, family, fun and more.
This book is a story of love that energised after seeing the crush in the town. How they met and how they get started to love and understand each other.
The female lead character is Callie Sharpe, who is the mastermind behind one of the successful virtual wedding website. She comes back to Lucky Harbor (hometown) to check on her grandmother Lucille.
While she is back in her hometown, she meets her first crush Tanner Riggs after a long time. And as predictable as it can get, they embark on a journey that begins with friendship.
It soon turns towards friends with benefits. And, finally ends with Callie and Tanner falling in love and getting married.
Quite unlike the name of the novel, the story is no one in a million. Every page you turn has a lot of clichés. There is nothing that you could not have expected.
The author does not try to convince the readers about anything new. The aim is just to reinstate your faith in good old school love stories.
Do you love delving into racy romantic reads? Then One in a Million is just the right book for you. You can pick up the book, read quickly through it, enjoy the clichés, and then get over with it.
There is no food for the soul in the book. But for afternoons when you are missing the spark of love in your life, One in a Million will be the simplest and easiest way to fill the void.
Table of Contents
Author: Jill Shalvis
Jill Shalvis (born 1963) is an American author of many New York Times and USA Today bestsellers. She lives with her husband and three children near Lake Tahoe, California.
She has worked as a vet, at senior folks home, and then as an accountant. Jill Shalvis began her writing career during what she prefers to call the “Deep Dark years of Hell”.
She says that that was not the right time to switch careers. Author and her husband were both facing tough times in their respective jobs.
And yet, this is exactly what she did; become an author. A brave and life-altering move for sure.
She wrote her first novel under the pseudonym, Jill Sheldon. The book was published in 1999. A plethora of her works has made it to the New York Times Bestseller List.
She has received numerous awards for her books, which include;
- Three National Readers’ Choice Awards,
- Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award for Simply Irresistible, and
- RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award.
Some popular books of Jill Shalvis:
- Animal Magnetism Series (2011- 2015, 7 books)
- The Lucky Harbor Series (2010 – 2014, 12 books and a couple of novellas)
- Cedar Ridge Series (2015 – 2016, 3 books)
- The Wilder Series (2009 – 2010, 3 books)
- Pacific Heat Baseball Series (2009 – 2010, 2 books)
- Sky High Series (2007 – 2008, 3 books)
- American Heroes: The Firefighters Series (2008, 3 books)
Shalvis has also written many other single titles, novels, and multi-author series.
Here is the link of her website: Jill Shalvis website
One in a Million Book Review
A lot of characters in the novel have backstories revealed in the previous parts. For someone who has not read the previous parts, the characters seem underdeveloped.
A lot more could have been said about the characters to make the new readers feel more real.
Callie’s grandmother, Lucille, for example, is popular for her meddling matchmaking ways. Unfortunately, you don’t see her meddling in anyone’s life except her granddaughter.
Her escapades in the previous novels would prove that her depiction is true. But, from the perspective of a One in a Million’s reader, it is a mere statement with no story.
There are many other characters whose stories seem to be missing. A lot, of course, has been mentioned in the previous books. But here, it creates a lot of storyline gaps.
It is highly recommended that you read the other parts of the series to enjoy this one. (There is no set order for reading the books though.
And the novels can serve the purpose even as standalone novels. But if you want to understand the Lucky Harbor universe truly, it is a good option to read all the novels.)
If you are looking for a quick romantic read that reinstates your faith in cliché love stories, One in a Million is the best pick. The language is fluid.
Most characters are cute and charming, and writing style is gripping.
The descriptions in the novel are so well written that it doesn’t take much effort in creating pictures.
You almost instantaneously imagine the scenarios in your head. An all in all good read, with little food for thought, but enough love to fill your hearts.
The Story Line of One in Million
The story revolves around Callie Sharpe, who runs TyingtheKnot.com. Opposite Callie, we have Tanner Riggs, a high school heartthrob and adrenaline junky, a divorcee, a responsible father trying to get close to his son, and ever so charming, now.
Defining details about the characters and their lives are told at relevant places. And you will have no trouble finding out why Callie and Tanner don’t believe in love.
The storyline is simple. Girl meets her first crush after a long time; they strike chemistry. Then friendship and attraction bloom over coffee and doughnuts.
Things soon take an intimate turn, and the lead couple gets close. But they don’t want to accept their feelings for each other. Now, the whole town tries to push them towards each other.
After a while, both realise that they are more than just friends with benefits. There is absolutely nothing new in the story. And after a certain point, you already know what will happen next.
The only interesting subplot is Tanner and his rocky relationship with his son, Troy. This subplot could have developed further. Troy’s relation with Callie could also have made for a very interesting read.
The storyline is average and not unique in any way. The only thing keeping the reader glued is phenomenal writing.
The Characters
There are a lot of characters in the story, but not much is available to read. If you haven’t read the earlier parts of the series, you will find no well-defined characters.
Tanner Riggs is the most attractive character. He is easily the one that will stay close to your heart even after you finish the novel.
Details about his life have been given in bits and pieces and yet you seem to form an instant connection with him.
Callie, on the other hand, is a glorious mess. She was left waiting at the altar, and that has severely skewed her vision towards love.
The author attempts to depict her as effortlessly charming. But all that can be said about her is that she is borderline annoying. It’s like, we get you girl, but still, you need to pull yourself together at least at some point!
Troy, Tanner’s son is a little ray of sunshine in the otherwise gloomy character depiction. He is exactly how teenagers are. Tanner is moody, tough to understand, and having a mind of his own.
His character, his life, and his relationship with his father, mother, and Callie would have made for an excellent storyline.
Lucille, Tanner’s friends and business partners, Sam and Cole; and their better halves, Olivia and Becca, who are Callie’s neighbours, have just fleeting appearances. There is not much to say about them, at least, in this part of the series.
Almost all characters in the novel are in a relationship (even Lucille!), and it seems like Callie and Tanner are the only ones left and that is why they end up together!
The Settings and Subplots
The story is set in Lucky Harbor, a small town near Washington City. It is a beautiful place and a close-knit town. Everyone seems to know everything about everyone else. There is no way things can be kept a secret.
Other than the fact that everyone in this little town has found love, there is nothing spectacular about the setting.
Lucille and her obsession with social media and gossip are mostly fun. However, there are times when you feel granny is going too far.
Various subplots seem to be interesting than the storyline. But none of them has been properly developed.
Troy, Tanner’s mother’s struggle as a single mom, and Lucille’s love life would make a entertaining plot.
We can only hope that Jill Shalvis develops these storylines if she ever plans to continue the Lucky Harbor series.
You might come across a lot of why’s, how’s, and what’s during the story, and it might seem like plot holes.
But, all that is because you probably haven’t read the other books. This makes you feel like you should rather be reading those stories than this one.
What I like the Most
The best part about One in a Million is that it is a book full of clichés. It is just the right read for someone who loves those clichés.
The storyline is so simple and predictable since the moment you start reading it. You know Callie and Tanner are going to end up together.
When the couple sees some tough times emotionally, and it feels like they may be falling apart. But, you know this is not going to happen. The predictable storyline saves you from a lot of heartbreaks.
There are quite a few lovely scenes depicted here and there. And they never fail to make you feel a fuzzy feeling in your heart.
If you are in a relationship, you will feel like hugging your partner ever so tightly. And if not, you will want to have a partner to do that.
The novel efficiently makes you believe in a happily forever after, cheesy love stories and a life that goes from being all mess to near perfect.
If you are looking for hope that love will find you one day, this is the perfect book for just that.
What I didn’t like
The book has nothing new, nothing at all. It teaches you nothing (other than the fact that you will get love in the end).
There are no little epiphanies between the lines: no lessons, no mysteries, and relative no excitement. You know the end since you read the first line.
The plot may even seem boring to those who don’t necessarily enjoy romantic depictions. The depictions about Callie and Tanner’s intimacy seem written for just turning you on. The lack of feel and carnal desires take an edge over feelings.
The writing is otherwise nice, but the sloppy storyline seems to be pulling the overall book down. A lot of things could have been a lot better, but there is nothing much you can do about it.
One in Million Quotes
Some beautiful, quirky, cheesy and crazy quotes from One in a Million:
“After a lifetime of not belonging, I found my place, my home, and my heart.”
“And no worries, my elevator still goes to the top floor.”
“The good news is your head’s still attached to your shoulders,” Cole said. “And the bad news?” Tanner asked. “The hit doesn’t appear to have knocked any sense into you.”
“you think they let you have sex in the old people’s home?” Lucille asked Callie. “Because I’d really miss it.”
“Yes, but she’s a nice crazy,” Callie said. “Mine’s just crazy crazy. And I’m the one who sent her out into the world with my technology knowledge in the first place. I’ve created a monster.” “Did you see what she’s been doing on Tumblr?” “Oh, God,” Callie said. “I’m afraid to ask.” “She’s blogging daily naughty autocorrects.”
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