I went into reading this book with an open mind and excitement because second chance romances are not my normal genre.

The biggest issue is the amount of triggering content with no warning what so ever.
Otherwise, the story was just hard to follow. There wasn’t that great flow you expect.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me access to read this book for my honest review. I was not compensated in anyway.

If you're looking for a "feel good" romance with likeable characters and a strong story line, this is not your book. Certainly not a lighthearted romance, more like a 20-year messy, dysfunctional relationship with lot of heavy topics. Alcoholism, assault, child sexual abuse, death of a parent, infertility, cheating and depression. The story line goes back and forth during the 20-year timeline but sadly, in the end, neither are better off for the time spent. It was especially difficult to finish this one as neither of the main characters are particularly likeable. Had this not been an arc, I would have dnf''d this one. Many thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy (ARC) in exchange of my honest review.

Rixon attempts to take 'the one that got away' trope to a deeper level, and almost gets it there.

This story spans decades, alternating between present day when tragedy strikes, when Clara and Benjamin meet, and everything in between. It allows you to see where they started, what broke them apart, and to explore whether they are truly 'the one' for each other.

The early stages of the relationship hard to read as both characters handled things very poorly, but perhaps that is an accurate depiction of young love. Honestly, Clara did not become more likeable or wise in her 40s. I find it frustrating when the whole story arc depends on one character withholding information, as is what happened here.

This was a character driven book, however I found the characters to be lacking. While Clara and Benjamin were depicted as being so in love with each other, as characters they fell quite flat, and it was hard to imagine that they felt that way. The secondary characters were also not developed, and did very little to move the plot along. Benjamin's development throughout the book was the most engaging.

It took until about 60% through for the plot to become more complex and engaging. While it ended with depth, and I wish that depth had been there all along. This was an interesting idea, simply lacking in execution. Rixon shows promise as an author, and I am hopeful that her next book achieves greater depth.


Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Charlotte Rixon for this ARC.

So excited to read more from Charlotte Rixon!!!
The One That Got Away will captivate you from the start!!!
It's a huge page turner with so much depth in the plot that it makes you feel like you just need to keep reading to know what happens. The development of the characters could have been a bit better as I found myself a bit annoyed with them at times but other than those moments it was a great read.

- Dual POVs and timelines. This book kept me surprisingly on edge the whole time. & I think overall I really enjoyed this book!!! **Please read trigger warnings on topics talked about in this book**

I couldn’t get past the editing errors. I also don’t love stories that are about having feelings strong enough to do what she did while married.

When I requested this book I thought it was going to be one of those second chance romances that I really love reading. But this is definitely packed with so much more then a second chance at love. The One That Goat Away was quite deep at times, there are dark secrets in this story that lead up to the event we all read about in the very first chapter. There is a lot of depth to this book, but I’d you push through these hard to read chapters it is so worth it. I found myself reading faster and faster as the story went on.

Overall I liked this book, I think it’s a great first novel for this author and I look forward to future books.

***Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC copy in return for an honest review***

The One that Got Away wasn't quite what I imagined. For some reason, I thought it would be either a time travel or a sliding doors type book, but instead it was set throughout multiple timeframes and told by the perspective of Clara and Benjamin. The two were college sweethearts, but an event tore them apart and finds them living separate lives 20 years later... while still wondering what if and googling one another. A bombing at a soccer stadium in present day leads Clara to seek Benjamin out in person, to make certain he is ok.
I found this book to be pretty good. It definitely held my attention and I read it pretty quickly. While there were predictable parts to the main story, there were plot lines that were surprises as well. Id rate this a strong 3.5 but am rounding up to a 4.
Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and the author for access to this ARC.

Overall, I loved this book more than I thought I would. I did love ending and the “one that got away” trope; though I feel the title might be too on the nose.

I believe the main characters were not always likeable, borderline annoying or unlikeable because of the way they acted/talked to each other, but their story was sweet. Ultimately the relationship and feeling that you may have missed out on “the one” was relatable and sweet.

I received this book complimentary from NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

This was very sweet ultimately! The characters were interesting. The story was unique and well written. I really enjoyed this one. This is the debut book for this author and it’s a great debut.

We never forget the one who got away. Maybe it is was your first love. Or maybe it was something brief but lasting. Maybe you were both just too young. All stories about the one who got away are full of a vast range of emotions. This story is chockfull of emotions.

Clara and Benjamin meet by chance at a club when they are first year uni students. They quickly fall for one another and develop a strong attachment. There relationship is full of mistrust, secrets, and occasional fights. But regardless they still deeply love and care for one another. Clara has both their futures planned out. But their relationship ends on an unfortunate note. Clara never really moves on from the one that got away. Although, she is now married and trying to be happy. Flash forward to 20 years later where there is a bomb at a local stadium in Benjamin’s hometown. Clara immediately leaves and heads to his hometown to make sure he is safe. Will there be a chance for second love for them?

What I enjoyed:
- Dual POVs and timelines. We get both Clara’s POV and Benjamin’s point of view. We also flip from their past to present day.
- I had a hard time liking Clara. But I still couldn’t put the story down. I needed to piece together what happened and what was happening. I was compelled to keep reading. Although she was flawed in many ways, it did made her feel more real.
- This was well paced and kept me surprisingly on edge the whole time.
- The ending was really satisfying in my opinion. I like where it went and the development of everyone involved.


This was a heart aching read. But it felt truly real and honest about young love. Those feelings of being young and hoping that person is the one were relatable. I thought it was a well written and truthful look at the one that got away theme. I look forward to future reads by this author! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

There is a lot of dark themes in this one. So please be warned that it involves: child sexual abuse, sexual assault, alcoholism, bombing, suicide, IVF, abuse, cancer, death of a parent, and child abandonment.

When I think back on my late teens or early twenties, I can assure you that I did some stupid stuff. Pining after boys way out of my league or staying out all hours of the night. Which, in hindsight, those were the good old days. The nights out, not the pining after guys thing, obviously.

I didn’t really have a person I would consider “The one that got away”, but nevertheless I enjoyed the novel by Charlotte Rixon. Was the past storyline sometimes a bit cringy to read? Sure. But who really has great communication skills in their early twenties, especially when riddled by jealousy and love?

Grown Ben and Clara have not talked in the last twenty years and when a bomb goes off at a soccer stadium, one that Clara knows Ben to visit every Saturday, feelings re-emerge and past issues resurface. With the help of flashbacks and jumping back to the current timeline, we learn what transpired all of those years ago and why Clara and Ben are not together anymore. The current storyline was what really kept me interested in the story

When I first read the synopsis and started reading the book, it reminded me of One Day by David Nicholls, but comparing the two does not feel fair after having finished both. One Day shredded my heart in two, whereas The One That Got Away kept me engaged for sure, but left my heart untouched.

The One That Got Away is a solid 3 Star read. Definitely check your trigger warnings though, our protagonists went through a lot. Maybe a few less issues would have given this book a slightly better rating.

The book will be published on August 15, 2023. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This story was gripping, poignant, and foreboding. It touches on a lot of heavy life subject matters that can be triggering and there are so many, for example; suicide, bomber, sexual assault, alcoholism, death of a parent, fertility issues, and manslaughter, just to name a few. I appreciate that the author handled these subjects with as much care and sensitivity as possible. This story is very character driven and non linear. I personally love non linear/dual timeline plots, I find them more immersive than linear plots. I loved this story and I instantly fell for Benjamin. I greatly sympathized with his character, he reminded me so much of Connell from Normal People. To me Clara was a bit unlikable but I found her state of ennui and her constant indulging in reminisce very relatable. This book had a lot of dark parts but were perfectly balanced with moments of beauty in the simplicity and realism of the characters.
I recommend to anyone who can stomach all the triggers, to fans of second chance romance, to fans of Normal People, and to those of you that relish in the heart wrenching stories, like I do.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and of course Charlotte Rixon, for allowing me to read this E-ARC.

I honestly didn't enjoy reading this book very much, If it wasn't an ARC I wouldn't have finished it. It wasn't until I was 60% done that I wanted to keep reading. Issues I had include poor character development, glamorizing toxic behavior in relationships (though the characters seem to realize this later), clunky writing, switching from past to present quickly and between the two main characters was at times disorienting, and the supporting characters (friends and significant others) were one dimension/didn’t add much.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy to review.

A heart-warming yet emotional story about two people who were meant to be together, but with a devastating mistake their paths diverted. Clara and Benjamin met and fell in love, but then were separated. Life takes them on different paths but they never do forget one another. When a bombing happens in the city where they first met, Clara is forced to confront the events that tore apart.

This was a really good book that will make you laugh and it will make you cry!

The One That Got Away by Charlotte Rixon was a truly captivating read from start to finish. I found myself completely engrossed in the story of two young lovers, Clara and Benjamin, and their struggles to make sense of their feelings for each other in the face of personal tragedies. I felt I could relate to the characters, both as college students and now later in life.
I especially appreciated the way the story ended as it closed the proverbial loops of Clara and Benjamin's falling out and also Benjamin's son's role in the present-day timeline. The language used was distinctly British and though it was a little rough in places, it flowed together nicely. All in all, it was an engaging and powerful story that I couldn’t put down.

Beautiful heartwrenching angsty romance. I loved the second chance aspect. It was both painful and beautiful to read about this couple and their torrid past,and the attempts to salvage what they lost.

for fans of sally rooney’s normal people, this second chance romance follows clara and ben along storylines both presently and from days past. when a soccer stadium is bombed, clara, who knows benjamin has barely missed a home game in 30 years, impulsively travels to the town they first met, to see if he is okay. as present events unfold, we learn more about the early days of clara and benjamin’s relationship, and the twenty years in between their breakup and the current events of the book.

i really loved this book and the close examination the author took to first love, and how early relationships are so often filled with projections, miscommunications, overreactions, and jealousy, as each person is also still figuring themselves out. i related strongly to clara and was endeared to benjamin right away.

my only critique of this book would be that as such a driven, perfectionist, i find it hard to believe that clara would “settle” for someone safe, as she describes her husband thom, or stay with them for so long when the relationship was clearly not serving her. however, overall, i loved this book and its reflective, hopeful tone.

thank you to netgalley for the arc, provided in exchange for an honest review.

This was a beautiful and emotional story that dealt with some very heavy topics. This was definitely not a light romance but it will still make you smile. It’s a story about the power of first love, the repercussions of mistakes that are made, and how a tragic incident can bring people back together. Highly recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to net galley and St, Martens Press for this ARC.

This book takes place over a span of 20 years with many flashbacks to the past. It is told in a dual POV and is a second chance story set in the UK. There are a lot of heavy topics that are covered in this book: IVF, Suicide, Cheating, Death, Rape, Abuse, Bombing, Mental Health, Alcoholism, and Manslaughter.

Originally I thought this was going to be a light, airy romance but this is not the case.

I had a hard time finding the main characters Clara and Benjamin likeable. Their relationship seemed awkward and I never really felt like they were in a "romantic" relationship. They had so many issues but never had a "deep connection" to one another.

3/5

To say it was quite a riveting read for me would be selling it short. I simply loved and enjoyed it. I loved how gritty and raw both the writing style and characters were. And so was voice’s of the characters. I can’t wait for it to be out and about in the world so that I can start recommending it!!