Definitely more "Normal People" vibes than Colleen Hoover. Definitely had intense mental health content including self harm and suicidal ideation. I didn't ever connect with the characters enough to really feel the depth of their trauma, etc.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing the ARC.

I'm just going to start off this review by saying that this book is decidedly not for me. I have a very hard time with trauma-related books. Plus I absolutely do not vibe with a specific choice that one of the characters made.

I also found the characters insufferable, especially Clara. I feel like at almost 40, she might have grown up some, but as it turns out, she was still the same as she was when she was 18. I didn't really care for Benjamin either. Also not a fan of the writing style, but that was less problematic than the characters themselves.

That aside, I am sure there are people that will absolutely love this book. I found that my personal preferences were very hard to work around for this one.

I am really surprised that this book doesn't have a higher rating, I absolutely loved it. It was quite different than your usual romance novels and it is a unique take on the second chance romance trope. Benjamin and Clara meet in 2000 and dated for a couple of years. It was an intense relationship. Twenty years later there is a bomb at the stadium where Benjamin has season tickets. Clara sets off to find him in the melee.

There is a lot of heavy subject matter in this book...spousal abuse, sexual assault, addiction and cancer to name but a few. The author handles these situations in a realistic and sensitive manner and I appreciated that. The book is very character driven and they are well rounded and fully flesh out, flaws and all. I really enjoyed the two timelines as we get to see how this couple meets and how their relationship changes over time, it was also great to have the story from both points of view. The chapters are short and I liked that because as soon as I came to a new one I kept repeating oh just one more. Imagine my surprise to find that the author is none other than Charlotte Duckworth, I have loved her books for years. This one is captivating, emotive and I highly recommend it and the author's other works. All. The. Stars.

could be interesting for someone interested in reading about failed relationships, toxic relationships, and obsessive behavior.

While "The One That Got Away" looks like a fun romantic novel, it is quite the opposite. Charlotte Rixon's debut novel tells the story in back and forth timelines. Clara and Benjamin were loves of each others lives until circumstances happened. Blast to the future, Clara's working at a newspaper office and hers news that a sports field was bombed and thinks Ben may have been there. Will she be able to connect again with the one that got away?

This book is a contemporary fiction novel that will pull at your heartstrings. However; it also reminded me of a story I read at the beginning of the year and I found it hard to connect to Rixon's characters and storyline.

Clara and Ben knew they were meant to be instantly upon meeting. They spent two angsty years together until a devastating accident upturned both their lives. 20 years later, they still wonder, what if?

I should start by saying that this is not a romance by any means. I sort of expected one going in, by the title and summary alone. But it is full of heartbreak, loss and triggering subjects. I found Clara to be depressing and whiny and Ben was incredibly self deprecating. I’m all for unlikable characters if there is some sort of redemption throughout the story but there wasn’t much here to leave you feeling something besides sad.

This one just didn’t do it for me.

As I was reading, I was astounded at the similarity of my feelings when reading The One That Got Away as I had to reading Normal People by Sally Rooney. So Rooney fans, get excited! The bouncing timelines of these two twisted loves, going from first love to jaded and back again was entrancing. I was comfortably floating along when sudden twists would catch me by surprise! You don't think you're on your toes until Rixon suddenly pulls the rug out from under you. It was an incredibly enjoyable read, follows young love, complex friendship, emotional maturity, personal trauma and gives you hope and longing and laughs along the way.

This book wasn't at all what I expected, but I definitely enjoyed it. I thought it was going to be a romance, and while I would call it a love story, it's definitely not a romance. There was a lot of sad moments and serious issues raised. I found myself riveted to the pages and anxious to find out what happened to Ben, Clara, and Aidan.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of The One That Got Away by Charlotte Rixon.

This was an emotional read. It is categorically a romance - of first love, first heartbreak, and never really getting over that first true relationship. However, there is so much more to this book than just romance. It deals with many topics that could be triggering (alcohol abuse, physical / emotional / sexual abuse, suicide...). Heart ache feels like a common theme, whether from family situations, bad decisions, or miscommunication.

Spanning 20 years, we bounce between timelines of Clara and Benjamin first finding love, sticky middle years full of "what might have been" feelings, and the present day where a tragedy brings them back together in an unexpected way.

I enjoyed this book, as hard as it was on my poor heart!, and I read it pretty quickly wanting to know what was going to happen next. However (the big however)… I did not love Clara's character. And it's hard to constantly be annoyed with the main character! I realize some of it was just part of her character development. But, she still was not my cup of tea. I also found that part of the reason I kept reading was because I wanted more of the present day chapters, as some of the past sections felt like they dragged a bit.

I give this book 4 stars. There were moments where I considered it a 3.5 star read, but overall I am really glad I read it and was invested in the story most of the time.

This was a really well written book with a well developed story and character building.
I enjoyed this, but I do feel like this story has been told a few times? Not a bad thing, just something to note.

Overall though, the writing was beautiful and kept me completely engaged.

I really wanted to love The One that Got Away, but unfortunately it really didn’t work for me. A love story told over two decades, Clara and Benjamin are college sweethearts who break up after a tragic incident but 20 years later Clara is desperate to find him again after news of a bombing. I never connected with either of the characters, and Clara is still married for 95% of her second timeline, so it becomes super frustrating that she’s looking for this lost love. They’re both also super immature—Clara is impulsive and argumentative and Benjamin keeps so much inside that if he just talked to her there’d be less fights. The two decades also deal with a ton of trauma (including alcoholism, assault, child sexual abuse, death of a parent, infertility and cheating) that felt just so heavy. I feel if it wasn’t advertised as a romance it would have been different but it was a heavy read with a very open ending that made me wish there were more answers and more romance overall. What I did like though was the descriptions in the writing and the way the dual timelines worked; that felt easy to follow and the build up to where they are was well done, and I’m obsessed with the cover for it.

This book has heavy topics so I would suggest looking at trigger warnings. Its a good story but has some down moments. I would still recommend this book and will real be reading more of her books.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

I liked this book, but I also found that it was lacking something to make it truly stand out. It felt eerily similar to The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo. And many people have said that fans would love this book, but it’s a little too on the nose. Some people will love this book because they like to read within this specific sub-genre, but sadly it was not for me.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of this book! The premise of it sounded so good.

I was very excited to read The One That Got Away. I mean, the title and the cover are stunning! Unfortunately, the book left a little to be desired. I never connected to the characters or their love story, so I wasn't really invested in anyone "getting away."

The writing is really good in this story, though, and that was the saving trace. I ended up rating the book three stars because the writing was well done and beautiful; the story of the main characters just didn't connect with me.

Rating: 3⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY by Charlotte Rixon. I thought the writing was lovely in this book, and the portrayal of young love really realistic and nuanced, with flawed people. The little mysteries and withheld information from the dual-timeline really pulled me through quickly so I could find out more—some of it gave me a lot of anticipatory dread, not going to lie. I also thought the reason they broke up when they were young felt very legitimate. I could both see how the way it happened would make it feel unfinished and how it would keep them apart. I will admit that I was a bit disappointed by the ending (I found myself writing a different one in my head), but I can see what the author was trying to get across.

This was an overall good book that I liked but didn’t love. I enjoyed the second chance romance part of the book, yet I did have a hard time relating to Clara. I enjoyed the pacing, the plot, and most of the characters. The book mostly held my interest and I was invested in the storyline, and wanted to see how the book ended. 3.5 stars rounded out to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC.

This was such an emotional, addicting, page turner. I loved the plot and found myself invested in the characters and their story. Loved it!

I had incredibly high hopes for this read and was really interested in the premise but unfortunately this one did not work for me at all. I struggled tremendously with Clara. She was so unlikable that it was incredibly difficult for me to really enjoy anything about the story and unfortunately had to DNF at about 30 percent. My love of character development is too strong to not vibe with a main character and Clara really drove me nuts. Although I wasn’t a fan, I would still check this one out and consider other reviews before deciding for yourself as there are a lot of glowing reviews on netgalley and goodreads!

“A simple life with people I love. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

The One That Got Away was a fascinating read about some of the most difficult parts of the human experience. Sometimes the smallest thread of untruth, one simple decision, taking a chance on someone or something, can have such a profound impact on life.

I truly feel this book deserves a higher average rating, but I can see why it may be off putting to some readers. There are many heavy topics including alcoholism, infertility, death, a mass bombing, rape, etc (check trigger warnings) but I feel the author portrays these events in a way that are relevant and relatable to the real challenges and hardships of life.

Clara and Benjamin are two ordinary people who are imperfect and trying to figure their lives out. The story spans the course of over 20 years of their lives most difficult and beautiful moments. While this story was sad, I found myself wanting to know how life turned out for both main characters and was still able to experience hope, joy, and healing through their eyes.

If you are looking for a quick, but meaningful read I think you may enjoy this story.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the arc. All opinions are my own.

Main Characters:
-- Clara Davies-Clark Beaumont – early 40s, journalist, married to Thom Beaumont for 10 years, but still thinks about her college boyfriend
-- Benjamin Edwards – Clara’s college boyfriend, has a son Aiden; always spent his Saturdays watching soccer, especially if Newcastle City was playing
-- Lauren – Clara’s college roommate and best friend, works in human resources, the only other person who knows everything about Clara and Benjamin
-- Thom Beaumont – Clara’s husband, successful jeweler, proposed to Clara after they were together for six months

Trigger Warning: terrorism, sexual assault

The One That Got Away tells the story of Clara and Benjamin over the span of 22 years. It begins with a bombing at a soccer stadium in Newcastle, which is where Clara and Benjamin meet. Clara works for a newspaper, and when she hears the breaking news, she finds herself buying a ticket for the three-hour train ride to Newcastle from London. She tells her husband that she’s out with Lauren and sets out to find Benjamin. She must make sure he’s alive.

Over the course of the book, we experience Clara and Benjamin’s love story told in alternating chapters from each of their points of view. They had an amazing love story in college, seemingly perfect for one another and deeply in love. But something happened that tore them apart, and the author does a great job of offering pieces of their past and present along the way.

This story is perfectly paced with tidbits thrown in that make you want to keep reading. I wanted to know why Clara and Benjamin split up because they seemed so perfectly matched. Despite their split, they kept tabs on one another and reached out occasionally. The biggest question, of course, is what happened to split them up to begin with because they obviously never stopped loving one another.

When I looked up the author, I discovered that Charlotte Rixon is a pen name for Charlotte Duckworth, a bestselling suspense writer and who I previously rated 4 stars for Unfollow Me (Who Wants to be Internet Famous?). Suddenly, the desire to keep reading made perfect sense. This is romantic women’s fiction, but I definitely felt the suspense.

I think everyone has someone in their past who pops into their head every once in a while. Where did they end up? Are they happy? Do they have a family, kids? Rixon’s book takes those thoughts a step further because Clara and Benjamin never stop thinking about one another. Their lives kind of revolve around the what if, and I enjoyed discovering it right along with them.

I hope Charlotte Rixon continues to write suspenseful women’s fiction. I will definitely continue to read it.