Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Charlotte Rixon for the e-ARC!

The One That Got Away follows Clara and Ben who meet one night in college and fall in love, planning their futures together. They are too soon torn apart by tragedy- will another also bring them back together? Spanning twenty years, the emotional story unfolds as these two characters face the many trials of life and love with the other always in their mind and heart.

There are a lot of heavy topics in this book, it is not a light read. I enjoyed this book and concept of soulmates, and was very happy to see how the characters developed throughout the story. 3.5/ 5 stars!

I loved the writing in The One That Got Away. It was so hard to put the book down when it came time to go to work. The story is quite compelling, but the writing itself was stellar. I think patrons will enjoy this one so we will definitely be adding it to the collection when released.

"The One That Got Away" follows the multi-decade long relationship between Clara and Benjamin - two college sweethearts who have been separated after tragic events. The novel spans the course of this relationship and alternates between each character's perspective. If you enjoy dual perspective narratives, second chance romances, and contemporary fiction, you may like this one!

I had high expectations for the book based on the description; however, it fell a bit short for me. The author includes lots of heavy topics in the book. Although this may make the characters more relatable to some readers, it seemed over the top to me and actually made me feel less connected to the characters. Some of the topics, like disordered eating, also seemed to be brushed over with little connection to the main plot or character development. I also did not find myself rooting for Clara - her character had little development and seemed to place the blame on her actions/behaviours on other people in her life and outside events. While this made sense for the character early in the book, it got tiring as the plot continued.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing a digital ARC with me!

As I first started reading this book, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. Turns, out I did — and I cried (twice, at least)! I, like Clara (one of our main characters) am not into football. Her love interest, on the other hand, bleeds “Newcastle City” as he says. However, the more I read, the more I found myself flipping the page and longing to know what happens next. Or perhaps, what happened before, as this novel hops back and forth over 20+ years.

I honestly don’t know how to define the genre of this book. It’s not wholeheartedly a romance. There’s also family drama and a mystery element. From the beginning, we’re left wandering three main things) who bombed the Newcastle City stadium, who the woman is that Clara meets at the office, and what happened twenty years ago.

While neither character was particularly likeable in their university years, they grew on me. But wow did Benjamin annoy me in his early 2000s days. I have so many annotations that are like “!?!? What does she see in this guy?” But to each their own… her soul was fated.

They both are young, dumb, and in love — but boy are just a hair toxic! While Benjamin was often quiet and relaxed, he was a bit cold, distant, and rude in his speech (“Newsflash, CDC, there are [football] matches every week.”) Clara, on the other hand, was possessive, controlling, and jealous. Somehow, despite their odds, they loved each other very much — though I wasn’t rooting for their romance.

One thing I did find particularly irritating about Benjamin and their romance was how he took her on a first date to dingy man’s pub that, of course, she hates but she’s still thinking along the lines of “this is the love of my life. I want to hold his hand until the end of time.” Excuse me!? But I’ll write it off as they’re 18 and I doubt my dating spots were much better at that age.

With all that being said, I cried a few times and really enjoyed reading this! The book gets better the more pages you read. If any part feels weak, it’s the beginning for me. It could have been 5 stars if I felt more invested in their romance.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for this ARC

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)

A massive thank you to St. Martin press for the ARC of "The One That Got Away".
I loved that the author not only alternates between characters in each chapter but also goes back and forth between the present day and a 20-year time period in the past. The novel has 6 parts, each part containing between 5-10 chapters. The last 3 parts were action-packed and it was impossible to stop reading because the reader is finally getting substantial answers to the various mysteries that Rixon was building up in the first 3 parts. That being said, it was hard to want to keep reading at many points in the first two parts in particular. Clara was absolutely unbearable in this section of the book. I understand that Rixon wanted to hone in on the youth of the characters for the plot, but I think it might have gone a little too far because I forsee DNF's by readers once released out of annoyance towards the characters and the redundancy of the content. Overall, the 4-star rating I gave the novel was heavily influenced by parts 4, 5, and 6. If not for the fast-paced, page-turning content and the growth that the characters showed, the book would certainly be rated lower.

This was a very character-driven book and I enjoyed the development of the characters from college students to adults. Clara was very unlikeable in many sections of the book and sometimes it was challenging to stay engaged with her. I had a hard time believing the connection between Clara and Benjamin and the ending was a bit too quick for me. Overall, it kept me engaged and wondering and it was a thoughtful read.

This is an incredibly touching story of young love (maybe the love that each one of us has missed), and finding that love again late in life by an intriguing series of emotional connections. Sentimental and meaningful, I think it would find a place in almost any woman’s memories of her early days of “falling in love.” The couple is pulled apart by a drunken, mis-perceived incident that results in the accidental death of a young man. They move on, only to find each other after another emotional and contemporary event. During their university days, there is an incident where Benjamin misperceives that Clara’s interaction with another young man and their separation occurs. After a stint in prison, Benjamin gets his life back together and raises his son with his father while Clara a man she doesn’t really love. How many of us have an early love whom we might want to see again? So an interesting, personally relevant, and heart-wrenching story that makes a spell-binding read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the Advanced Review Copy.

3.5 rounded up. I’ll be honest and say this was really a five-star read for me up until the very end. While I’m normally a fan of ambiguous endings, it didn’t work for me in this instance. It left me feeling like we didn’t really get much of a pay off from this epic love story between Clara and Benjamin. I really enjoyed the characters and their individual arcs but the ending fell flat for me. I would have almost preferred an additional scene or chapter where we got to see a flash forward of Clara and Benjamin together and how that relationship positively affected Aiden. I enjoyed the author’s writing style and her ability to create flawed but likable characters. I would definitely read more of her work.

Rixon does a good job showing how two people genuinely in love can reconnect after time apart--when that time is full of life experiences. Both Clara and Benjamin are immature and naive, but life gives them the opportunity to see if they can mature and come together.

I really enjoyed this book! It tells the story of Clara and Benjamin over a 20 year period. You get to hear the story from both of their point of views which I always love. Like all relationships, it takes you through all the highs and lows. It's emotional and heartbreaking. Not your everyday love story. Great read!

Oh my god this book had me in a hold. I didn’t not look up from my kindle for hours.. The book follows the once lovers throughout the two decades in the past (leading up to their last communication) to the present where Carla tries to find Benjamin after a tragic incident at a football stadium. The first chapter had me hooked instantly. I was on the edge of my seat each 2022 timeline chapter. At first I thought that 2002 Carla was kinda clingy and toxic but she grew up a lot in 20 years and 2022 Carla is great in my opinion. The ending had me shocked in a way. I predicted some things that happened but they weren’t in the exact same way I predicted them so I didn’t mind that at all. It’s a book about love, regret, and possible second chances. Overall such an amazing book and it became a favorite of mine!

Thank you NetGalley and Charlotte Rixon for the opportunity to read this book in exchange of an honest review!

First off, I really enjoyed this book. The concept of "the one that got away" is something I think everyone thinks of at some point in their lives. I really liked how the chapters skipped through different time frames and through the perceptions of Clara and Ben. I was waiting for a more climactic ending though. I really wanted that happily ever after for them as a couple, but instead was left with a friendship and a cliffhanger to their final story.

Overall though, I did really enjoy it.

Thanks to NetGalley, Charlotte Rixon , and publishers for exchanging this ARC for an honest review.

This book is deep, emotional, heartbreaking and leaves you hopeful. I really enjoyed this book.

It's a story about Clara and Benjamin who fall deeply in love. You get both point of views, which is a format I really enjoy, so you get an understanding from both sides. This book had me laughing which turned to being sad then to being hopeful, an emotional rollercoaster for the characters an the reader. Definitely worth the read and will be recommending this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin Press for early access in turn for my honest opinion!

Thank you NetGalley, for an advance copy of this book for an honest review in return.

This book surprised me. It has a little bit of everything - an intriguing main, a disaster, a reconciliation. I think this book was solid, but the thing I hated was that Benjamin's story was all stream-of-consciousness. As a reader, we didn't get to really understand his backstory as someone looking in; all we saw was Benjamin as Benjamin saw (and a little bit of how Clara saw him, too). I have a problem with this because there's SO MUCH NUANCE. I feel like the tragedy and the ending could have been stronger if there was a little less going on, and a little more development of the characters. I wanted to know about Aiden, and although I guessed early on what was happening on his soccer team, I feel like it just kind of....fell flat. There's a lot of potential for a very moving book here, and with one less THING, it could have been five stars. Like why did Clara have to be married in the beginning? That's so typical. Why couldn't she just go for BE once she heard about the bombing? BE's dad also didn't really need to be a peripheral character with a moving part as well, but this is probably why I don't write books!

Three and a half, or three and a quarter. Solid, but needs MORE.

This was such a good book! It was both heartfelt and suspenseful. I was quite surprised by a few of the twists and really enjoyed this overall.

The One That Got Away
Charlotte Rixon

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY by Charlotte Rixon as an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC). The story takes place in the UK against a university setting and follows Clara and Benjamin as they navigate their love-at-first sight feelings in the throes of early adulthood.

Clara captures those early feelings of insecurity and obsession with new love that is felt by many young women in society. Benjamin embodies the quiet and emotionally stunted male character who struggles with sharing his feelings, but also lingers in a constant state of self-doubt.

The past and present multiple POV format creates a rich experience tethering together pieces of Clara and Benjamin’s complicated past while also propelling them into the present day tragedy that reunites their paths.

A story about forgiveness, self-love, and following your inner voice, THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY is a thoughtful and well-written read that reminds readers that sometimes one needs to return to their past in order to live in the present.

Rating ⭐️ 5/5

Publish Date: August 15, 2023

Reading about Clara & Benjamin's young love makes me very thankful I'm no longer in college anymore. Despite having elements of first love, it dives into deeper topics of substance abuse, perfectionism, and mental illness. Thank you netgalley & the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Benjamin and Clara's story. It spanned over a bit more than 20 years, with flashbacks from 2022 to 2002 and 2012. At the beginning, it read like a romance, but it wasn't really that. The One That Got Away <i>is</i> a love story, though. But not all that conventional.

Have you ever wondered <i>what if...</i> about someone you were with when you were younger? How your life would have turned out different if only you had made some different choices? Both the good and the bad. That's what happened here with both Clara and Benjamin. They felt like they would be together forever when they were young - and they both kept having regrets long, long after they left uni.

Really well written, The One That Got Away has a lot of heartache, a little happiness, some hope, and quite a bit of working on oneself for both of the main characters.

I enjoyed this book a lot and instantly fell in love with our main characters Clara and Benjamin. I was rooting for them the entire time and love the second chance romance/ what if trope. These two met in college when they were still very much trying to figure out themselves, which I think a lot of college/ high school romances relate to. It's difficult to navigate a relationship with another person when you are still trying to figure out your place in this world. Now 20 years later, the question becomes will they or won't they find their way back to each other? While this trope is not unique, I really did enjoy the character development throughout this novel. I am definitely adding this author to my TBR list.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to review.

I would like to thank St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC.I finished this book yesterday and waited until today to write the review. I really was not sure how I was going to review this, and needed time to let it sink it. First, if you think you are getting a lighthearted second chance romance, do not read this book. There is nothing light hearted about it.It is a dark, serious work, with many dark and disturbing themes( infidelity, abuse, terrorism, sexual dysfunction, and alcoholism, to name a few.) It is well written, but not at all what I expected from the blurb. Benjamin and Clara are British and meet while at the University. They are immediately attracted to each other. At first they are kept apart by a misunderstanding, but then become a couple. Two years later,just before graduation, something horrific happens to split them up . In 2022, something else happens that draws them to each other again. The book is written in 2 points of view, Clara's and Benjamin's. There are numerous non linear timelines. These can be hard to follow. There is also a lot of discussion of British Football ( Soccer to Americans) and several plot points hinge on this.The main characters are not that likeable. There are some likeable side characters, but not many.This is a dark sad book. It is interesting that in the book, Clara is writing a book which is critiqued for having an unlikeable narrator. A wink perhaps, or art imitating life? Again, not a lighthearted read, but if you are looking for a more serious book, you may enjoy it.