I have a soft spot for stories about romantic relationships that span multiple decades and this second chance romance really satisfied that for me. Benjamin and Clara meet in 2000 while in college and their shared story is emotional, long-lasting and captivating. When Clara is still filled with regret 20 years later, she explores if it’s too late to make amends for what happened. I would definitely recommend this touching and complex book.

In The One That Got Away, Clara has all the reasons to be happy. She has an amazing job and a handsome husband who makes her feel safe. But despite it all, her heart is not content. Inside, Clara still yearns for the one that got away. Two decades ago she fell in love with a boy named Ben until something awful happened and their love was torn apart. Clara has tried to put him in her past, but when a bombing happens in a place she knows Ben used to frequent, Clara can no longer ignore her past or her heart. She must go and see if Ben is okay. She must try to repair what is broken, if only it isn't too late.

Rixon captures the overwhelming, heady feeling of first love in all it's bright and dark moments. She also captures how one decision, one minute, can forever alter someone's life. While the story is about love, I wouldn't say it is a romance. Clara and Ben's story is both wonderful and painful. They have so many struggles, both in their separate lives and in their relationship with each other and I found myself rooting for their health and happiness, but wasn't sure if I wanted them to find that with each other. I love stories that feature second chances at love, but the complexity of this story kept me wondering if that was really what they both needed.

This book stuck with me, but I wouldn't recommend it to those looking for a light romance. It deals greatly with mental health, grief, alcohol abuse, sexual abuse and other issues. While I think it is well written, I felt very conflicted throughout which made it difficult for me to fully connect with the characters.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Very interesting read! The book pulled me in from the start and I wanted to see how it ended. Try it and see if this book is for you!

I loved this book. It was a classic love story with a shocking twist that you won't see coming. I highly recommend this book.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

In 2000, Benjamin meets Clara - it was a chance meeting after seeing her two weeks before in a bar, but was not able to talk to her. Now, he is outside the bar where she is having an issues with her friends. That night would change their lives forever, bind them together in a love story that include time, prison, marriage, a child, and pregnancy failures.

This story is amazing ride back and forth on what a love story can be.

Clara and Benjamin were together for two years but after a devastating night, the two went in separate directions. 20 years later, Clara is a successful, married, business woman. However, she feels like something is missing. One day at Clara's work, the emergency alert system interrupts the news to say there has been a bombing at the place her and Benjamin first met. A place she knows he frequents regularly. Clara drops everything and risks her current life to find the man she knows her heart still loves. In the search for Benjamin, Clara must decide what she wants in her life. Will she find her first love or will it be too late?

OH. MY. I could not put this book down. My heart was racing from the end of the first chapter, trying to figure out what happened and if Clara will get the answers she is looking for. Everything I thought was going on had me fooled. It was twist after twist that I did not see coming. This book was so unbelievably good!! Definitely pulled on my heart strings for multiple different reasons.

Trigger warnings: Depicts scenes of suicide and mass casualty.

I'll start by saying The One That Got Away is not a romance. It's not a story that will leave you swooning and leave you with butterflies. It IS a story of a young relationship and the power of a first love.

Benjamin and Clara meet in 2000, after a night at the bar. After that, they were nearly inseparable for two years. While at times their relationship is seemingly perfect, they also have epic fights, mistrust, and at times control issues. In 2022, their worlds collide again when Clara who is unhappily married decides to board a train to Newcastle after learning about a bombing at the soccer stadium, to make sure Benjamin is okay knowing he was a huge Newcastle fan and never missed a game.

The book is broken into five parts bringing the reader through all aspects of their relationship; the good, the bad, and the ugly. I loved Rixon's storytelling style and found the book very easy to follow along and I was completely engrossed in the story. I was completely hooked from the very first chapter and absolutely loved how she weaved all of the surprise elements throughout.

While I wouldn't call it a happily-ever-after ending, it's still positive.

I enjoyed my time with this book for sure.
Thank you, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC!

"The One That Got Away" paints a sincere and heartfelt picture of the journey through growing up. Charlotte Rixon's impactful novel has left a lasting impression on me. Rixon navigates through sensitive topics, so it may not be suitable for everyone. A word of caution: check out the trigger warnings before diving in. As for me, "The One That Got Away" has earned a spot in my book collection. Highly recommend!

3.5 ish star. I love second chance romance so much, and the first half to two thirds of this book had me in an emotional lock down. I could not put this book down. The dual POV and nonlinear timeline worked so well to keep me engaged for so long. The last third of the book seemed to shift onto a lot of the present day drama and I think it took away from the romance plotline. The author herself stated this was a story about first love, not a love story specifically, but I personally would have loved it more if it had remained a love story. I'm a huge soccer fan, so all of the soccer setting and references were right up my alley. This book gave me Colleen Oakley You Were There Too vibes with a lot of trigger warnings and emotional drama.

This is a wonderful book about life and the struggles of being in your early 20's in love and with trauma.

This book follows two star crossed loved over 20 years and how their own stories intertwine and their lives move on. I thought this was going to be a silly romance but it was more deep and heart-wrenching than that.
The writing was beautiful and both main characters felt well developed.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. It is out now and definitely a read you should pick up.

The One that Got Away is a heartfelt exploration of love's enduring impact, making it a potential choice for readers who appreciate emotionally charged narratives. The novel explores themes of regret, second chances, and the enduring impact of first love. I think this book is for readers who enjoy reflective narratives about love, regret, and the passage of time.

This was such a charming and somewhat thought provoking book! I really didn't know what to expect so I am so glad that I decided to read it. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Not good not great! I think this book had the potential of being really strong, but lacked a lot unfortunately

This one was too slow for me to continue. I thought with the explosion in the beginning the book would be a fast pace emotional one but the reality was a slow moving plot (both in the past and present timelines). Just not for me.

This is labeled romance, and I guess it is, but it is also deep and thought-provoking. It's honestly pretty realistic. We can all relate to making mistakes when we're young and feeling like we need a do-over. Clara and Benjamin were college sweethearts with an intense romantic relationship. They parted ways over silly mistakes, as one does, and always felt like they were "the one that got away." Clara is married to another man, struggling with life, and Benjamin is a single dad, also unhappy and unsatisfied. A lot of the book is the inner dialogue of each of them, which makes this feel like a mid-life crisis story. However, a tragic event prompts Clara to go looking for Benjamin and face her past. There are a lot of triggering subjects in this book, from suicide to infertility, addiction, and abuse. It was a quick read, though. The chapters were short and left me wanting to find out how these two would decide to be in each others' lives. It's emotional but a worthwhile read.

Such a beautiful beautiful book. This book was so deep, so moving, so incredible. It had such a strong foundation and the writing was so generous. I was immediately sucked into the book and I did not want it to end. Such perfection. This book had a core and I love how it turns out to be one with so much meaning.

The only reason why this has 3 stars is because of Benjamin!

This book should have never insinuated this book was a romance and triggers warning should have been all over.

I honestly could not stand Clara, there were so many "icky" moments with her that I just could not see pass that. Benjamin in the other hand was shy and sweet. They were definitely not a good couple I'm glad it ended the way it did.

Benjamin deserves a person that loves him without doubt and that person is not Clara, Clara needs to work on her before she can love someone else.

"The One That Got Away" by Charlotte Rixon is a breathtaking and emotionally charged novel that takes readers on a poignant journey of love, regret, and second chances. With its captivating storytelling and deeply relatable characters, this book is a heartfelt exploration of the enduring power of first love and the choices we make that shape our lives.

The narrative unfolds in two timelines, transporting us between the year 2000 when Benjamin and Clara first meet and the present day, where they lead separate lives. From the very beginning, Rixon draws readers into the world of Benjamin and Clara, creating an instant connection with these characters. Their chemistry is palpable, and their love story is both sweet and heart-wrenching.

The author excels in capturing the essence of young love, the excitement of new beginnings, and the promise of a shared future. Benjamin and Clara's connection is so genuine and intense that it's impossible not to be emotionally invested in their relationship. As their story unfolds, you can't help but hope for a reunion, even as the years pass and life takes them in different directions.

Rixon's writing is beautifully evocative, creating a vivid sense of time and place in both timelines. The nostalgia and longing that permeate the pages make the reader reflect on their own experiences of love and the paths not taken. The dual timelines effectively build suspense, keeping you eager to discover how the past and present will converge.

Clara's journey of self-discovery and reflection is a central theme in the book, and her character development is both relatable and inspiring. Her search for Benjamin becomes a metaphor for reclaiming a piece of herself that she lost along the way. The author handles this aspect of the story with sensitivity and depth.

The title, "The One That Got Away," encapsulates the essence of the story, and readers will undoubtedly find themselves reflecting on their own "ones" as they immerse themselves in this novel. It's a reminder that sometimes, the choices we make can have a profound impact on our lives, and that the past never truly fades away.

In conclusion, Charlotte Rixon's "The One That Got Away" is a deeply moving and beautifully written novel that explores the complexities of love, regret, and the enduring power of first love. It's a story that will resonate with readers who appreciate emotional depth and thought-provoking narratives. For fans of contemporary romance and women's fiction, this book is a must-read that will leave you with a profound sense of nostalgia and a renewed appreciation for the power of love.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.

The One that Got Away is an emotional story about Benjamin and Clara. They dated in college, but split up after an incident led to Benjamin being incarcerated. However, years later, Clara hears about an explosion at a soccer stadium; one that she knows Benjamin went to for every single home game. She can't get Benjamin out of her head, so she leaves to try to find him and make sure he's ok. The story is dual timeline, and dual POV; past and present, so we hear the story of their relationship and the current situation with the explosion. Additionally we get the story from both Benjamin and Clara's viewpoints. I was pretty engaged at the beginning, and was trying to figure out what happened between them in the past, and also who exactly caused the explosion at the stadium. But the more I read, the more I wanted to just skip to the end. It's emotionally taxing, but still fell a bit flat for me.

Second chance romance takes center stage, however there are many other elements to digest The characters drive the story and I loved that.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.