Love minus cliché

This novel stands out among its rivals, the typical formulaic romantic-comedy literature from the past decade, with its unique format. One Day is the story of Emma and Dexter, who first connect on July 15 of the year they both graduate from college. The novel follows them into middle age, giving readers a glimpse into every year by focusing only on each subsequent July 15. A realistic and highly relatable account of how Emma and Dexter grapple with careers, family, triumphs and letdowns, Nicholls manages to paint their flaws without turning his readers against the pair, and also allows us to witness the transitions—in mindset and style—from the late 1980s to the new millennium. It also covers Emma and Dexter’s transition from friends to more than friends, but just because you know they’ll end up together, don’t assume you know everything about the book. It’s far from a clichéd love story.