Well written, very compelling story. A love story.

This book takes you through the life and love of Clara and Benjamin. How they met and what happens along the way. The life after first love and possibly moving on. Then the meeting again after so many years. What will happen. Will she make the right decision. Will he.

This story is told from two timelines and two povs. Clara and Benjamin both tell their story. While I was not crazy about Clara she is a vital part of this story. It's not the kind of story you expect it to be either. Yes it's a love story but also so much more. There is a what happened? A who done it? And that ending.. That wonderful ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc. This is a winner.

This sentence, taken from the blub—story about growing up, growing apart, the people who first steal our hearts, and the surprising, winding roads that love can take us on—sums up this story perfectly. Do any of us really forget our first love and wonder what our life would be like if that relationship would've just worked out?

Clara and Benjamin are very much in love and have hopes for the perfect life together, until it all goes wrong. As they each live their separate lives, they can't forget about what they had. Twenty years later, another tragedy throws them together and are the sparks still there?

I enjoyed The One That Got Away and was totally rooting for this wonderful couple. They aren't perfect by any means but then, who is? The goal is to be happy in your life and I was hoping for the best for them. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Every once in a while a book comes along with such a grabber of a first line that it pulls you in and doesn’t let you go until you’ve finished, and this book fits that bill.
This is the love story of Clara and Benjamin. They met in 2000 during their first year of University. They couldn’t have been more opposite of each other, and yet they knew they were meant to be- until they weren’t. Told third person from each of their perspectives and told during multiple years (not always in consecutive order) Charlotte Rixon tells a beautiful story of first loves and how they’re never forgotten.
This is a very character driven book filled with topics such as sexual assault and alcoholism. The characters Ms. Rixon created are very real and sometimes hard to like because of that. That being said, the reflections they have on their past selves add so much to the realistic nature of this story.
This is not your typical romance and as such there is none of the typical predictability that is often found in books of that genre. This is, however, a very realistic look into the lives of first loves and the fallout of their breakup. This is Charlotte Ricon’s debut novel, and what a debut it is. I can’t wait to see what else she has to offer in her career. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy. This hit the shelves August 15th.

The One That Got Away by Charlotte Rixon was a decent read but not a memorable one for me. While the theme of the book is Clara and Benjamin’s relationship, this book fits more into the contemporary fiction genre than a true romance novel. If you're reading this book thinking you're getting a lighthearted second chance romance, you're in for a wild ride. While I think the author had a good idea with the story, it wasn't my cup of tea.

This one was a bit of a let down for me!

There were many things that didn’t work for me in this one. The timelines being all over the place was really confusing, as you had to manage 2 POVs along with time jumps.

There were also many many things that I was not expecting, like cheating (both emotional and physical) and child abuse. Sure it made the book more emotionally impactful and dramatic, but it also left me with a bad feeling.

I also just didn’t get on with the characters, so sadly it was a miss. But if you enjoy a second chance romance about finding your way back to your first love despite growing apart, then give this one a try!

THE TIME LINES FELT A BIT CONFUSING.

I REALLY WANTED TO LOVE THIS AS I AM A HUGE FAN OF SECOND CHANGE ROMANCE BUT IT JUST DIDNT DO IT FOR ME, SADLY.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was not what I expected when I requested this book. I was expecting a sappy love story, but found something much more. Clara and Benjamin are pulled together, but driven apart so many more times. I felt as though in reading this book there was such a lesson in how keeping secrets can continue to drive wedges. We saw that in many of the relationships (don’t want to give any spoilers!!).

Ultimately, I felt that the author, Charlotte Rixon, did a beautiful job of tying in sensitive subjects without them being the only focus, areas such as sexual assault, manslaughter, infertility, bombings. I gave this book a solid 4⭐️. I would say that I enjoyed the book, though I found the main character, Clara, to be a bit whiny feeling. It fit in regards to the story line. However, I generally prefer strong female main characters and she didn’t really shine through as one till the very end when she shows up for Benjamin and Aiden.

I really liked how this story was laid out. There's present day and chapters in the past with two narrators. This book was pitched as a romance, which I suppose it sort of is, but it is much more than that. This would fall under domestic drama, too, I think. Benjamin and Clara meet at uni and immediately fall in love. Something happens, though, and we aren't sure what until towards the end, but there's a slow build up to it. But there are important side stories going on in each of their lives that add meat to the story and help explain how life sometimes gets in the way.
I think there was too much introspection on both of their parts. "It's all my fault" "I'm a failure" "If he loved me" etc etc etc. This book doesn't need all that filler. Lay off the receptive inner thoughts.
It is a good read and I do recommend it.

Clear came from a very rich upper background. Benchman came from like a working class background. Benjamin mcclair when they were both at the universities.. Claire was standing outside a bar and Benjamin offered to take her home. Benjamin had another friend who did not Like C l a I r e. Benjamin was a very confused man and he liked football. But he also had a drinking problem.. He tried so hard to be everything to everybody. Claire and benjamin hit it off. Claire wanted him to do better in life. So she helped him get jobs through her father.. Benjamin r Benjamin was very secretive about his past. Where I have problems too. But she seemed to manage everything like a perfect machine.. They were like soulmates until something tragically happened. When they left the University, everybody was partying that night. Because they were graduating the next day. Richard, who started it because claire slept with him one time to get back At Benjamin He was watching the football games and drinking with his buddies. And things just seem to get crazier and crazier.. He could not reach claire so he decided to go looking for her. Richard was pestering claire and benjamin who had a temper went off on him. Benjamin ended up in jail. It cost the punch killed richard. So benjamin started a new life after getting out of prison, and he went back to his parents house. Things were not easy from there either. Because he got a woman pregnant, and he was trying to raise his son because His ex girlfriend did not want him to do with the child. And it was really interesting how they talked about drinking sexual abuse in this book. His son was experiencing that through football with this coach. Claire and benjamin somehow found a way together because of the bombing of the stadium. Claire was Was married to a man named thompson, but they had a lot of problems in the marriage and claire was not very happy. Her best friend, laura had children, and she seemed to be really happy with her husband. In this book re You'll find out what truth love is. And soul mate is because it seems to be tied together at the end of the book.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: contemporary fiction📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
Such a realistic and dark romance.

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Unique romances
Second chance romances
Books that cover heavy topics
Complex and emotional reads
Alternate POVs

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
Short chapters
The unique plot

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
I didnt really feel the chemistry
I found the characters unlikable

𝙵𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚀𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜:
★ “A simple life with people I love. That's all I've ever wanted. “

The kind of romance that I love -- second chance with a young love. Loved this story!! Thanks for the opportunity to review.

I was really looking forward to this read but I had a hard time connecting with the characters. Which of course made it difficult for me to get into the story. I also thought this would be an easy romance to read but this book had tons of heavy topics. As a mood reader maybe it wasn’t the right time to read this or maybe this book just wasn’t for me.

This was quite the heavy read for a second chance romance. I also feel like it was more of Clara having a midlife crisis than romance. I actually really disliked Clara which made it hard for me to connect to the story. The timeline writing was off and it was too much back and forth to enjoy it. I didn't want to have to think while reading a romance.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I loved this book. It’s a great second chance romance book.

Thank you, Netgalley, and the publisher for the eARC! This book was about a couple in college and their story after college. The story jumped back and forth between present day and the past, and longer chapters made it choppy at times. There was a twist at the end but then the story ended- it would’ve been nice to read more about the characters during present day and even in the future. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book- it held my interest throughout the entire story.

If you're reading this book thinking you're getting a lighthearted second chance romance, you're in for a wild ride. There are so many content warnings that were never mentioned in the synopsis--suicide, self harm, mass bombings--just to name a few. I'm not someone who looks into warnings, but I do think they may be important to mention in a book that's seemingly so innocent.

The story takes place over 20ish years and is told from two perspectives in dual timelines. I did like the setup, and I found it easy to follow. I just didn't get anything from it, even though I don't really have much bad to say about it. I did enjoy the ending. The rest was just fine.

Wow, this book by this new author to me was a roller coaster ride of epic proportions.
Brimming with all sorts of emotions, there was a lot happening in this book and the trigger warning about them ought to have been announced early on in the book!
This is Clara and Benjamin’s story is a very compelling, unique and heart wrenching romance story. Told in dual POV, theirs is a painful, tragedy filled journey that left me thinking whether or not they could have a second chance. I found the characters not to be the most likable but they were portrayed realistically considering the content of the plot.
Second chances are put to the test in this read and it’s worth checking out.

This is not your typical romance story, but it is a love story. I enjoyed the realistic viewpoint of a relationship and co-dependency once I got used to it. I would have liked a bit more exploration of Clara's mental health issues and how they affected her relationships. It would have added more depth to her character.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Told between 2 time periods, the love story of Clara and Benjamin is tragic but also lovely.

During the first period, their love story unfolds when they meet and brings them through university years. Unfortunately, a misunderstanding leads to their break up.

20 years later, when tragedy strikes, Clara rushes to where Benjamin lives (their old stomping grounds), where they reunite.

Can time heal all wounds?

I read this in just a few hours, I loved it so much! Highly recommend!

If you loved “Normal People” then pick this book up!

Watching Clara and Benjamin’s lives unfold in this dual timeline story was heartbreaking and healing all in one.

This book demonstrates how it’s never too late to reshape and learn who you are. How people from your past can be forever present even when they’re no longer actively in your life… and how one tragic event can cause the present and the past to collide. This is not your average love story, it is not a romance, but it’s exactly what a reader needs. Cheers to a great ending.


**Trigger warning (mentions SA)