This was a pretty good, cute story! It was entertaining and kept me turning the pages. The title is catchy but I think the cover could be cuter!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved that it explored first love through the years as lives go separate ways and the people mature. And then gives just a glimpse of what could happen if paths converged again 20 years later. It was a great concept and one I really liked.

Bring your big girl pants and take a chance reading about The One That Got Away -

This story takes the reader on the journey of two peoples lives and showcases how seemingly ordinary days, innocuous actions, interactions between family, chance meetings, and irreversible actions shape their lives. It’s like the domino effect - when you look back and review how one interaction led to the next and so on all throughout our lives.

Benjamin & Clara’s story isn’t one full of rainbows, lollipops, or even a spoonful of sugar - it’s a story told between present & past encounters over a span of twenty-years. This is women's fiction through and through. This book is very raw. As I read it I experienced a wide range of emotions and I honestly wasn’t sure how I felt about the book until the very end. Initially I actually DNF’d the book after the first chapter, I honestly didn’t think I could read a story that began as this one did, I am glad I went back. So many triggers in this story that I hope the publisher is including a serious trigger warning preface.

📚Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press publishing via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, comments, and interpretations of the story are my own and bias free. I did not receive any money in exchange for this review. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to review. Reviews are cross-posted to social media, goodreads, and blog. 🦄

Thank you to Net Galley for this advanced copy. I initially went into reading this book thinking that this was a romance. Once I realized it is not a romance and in fact is really more tragedy than anything, I really go into it. The book is full of very heavy topics and while the two protagonists are extremely flawed I did root for them. It can be difficult to read a book where the characters are not likeable but that was the point of this novel. That despite having huge issues, mental health, alcoholism etc. you are still loveable despite these flaws.

The other theme of this book was how small choices can have bigger ramifications in the future was very interesting. There was a lot to unpack in this novel and I really liked how the author approached these themes and ended the book.

I would recommend this book but definitely go in to reading this book knowing it is not a romance in the usual way.

I enjoyed the story of Clara and Ben, its clear they needed some growing up, the relationship was certainly juvenile but intense nonetheless. I'm not a big fan of 3rd person writing, even so, this book was pretty easy to follow. The end seemed super abrupt and left me wanting a better conclusion. Other than that, the book was pretty enjoyable.

It wasn't the story I was expecting. I thought it would be a second-chance romance, so when it didn't end that way I was a bit disappointed. The story was okay, but it didn't stick out to me

This isn’t another run of the mill romance novel. It has some mystery/suspense to it. I found myself trying to piece together clues like I do when reading a thriller. This book really picked up around part three and I stayed up far too late because I HAD to finish it. The story unfolded at the perfect rate, leaving no questions unanswered in the end. Favorite quote: “A simple life with people I love. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.” This quote encompasses the book so well. Thank you to Charolette Rixon, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an opportunity to read this ARC for an honest review. I throughly enjoyed it!

While not quite what I expected, I did enjoy this book. Don't we all have that person that was our "first love" and wonder what/how they are doing? In "The One That Got Away," after a bad break up, Clara and Benjamin lose touch with each other, although with social media they are able to keep track of each other. Told from Benjamin's point of view and Clara's, we follow the two over 20 years. A unexpected tragic event brings the two of them together again. Kind of a heavy read with some triggering plot lines, I still liked the book. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This wasn’t the story I was expecting, but it was good.. I honestly was expecting a second chance romance that was light hearted & warm.. While it was a second chance at romance story, it came with a ton of trauma.. If you have triggers, this book likely has it & I suggest you check those before starting..

With all that being said, The One That Got Away is an excellent story that is well told and captivating..

4 stars!

I had mixed feelings on this book. I was expecting it to be a love story/romance but it was much deeper than a rom-com. At its heart it is a book about two college lovers who meet again some twenty years later. In those ensuing years she marries and is unhappy, he gets custody of of his son after his mother abandons him. The author covers some very dark topics. As I was expecting a more light hearted book I did not particularly enjoy it, and Ben and Clara were not particularly likeable to me. Having said that I would recommend that public libraries purchase this title, just because I did not love it doesn't mean that others won't.

It's so hard to enjoy a novel when you dislike the main characters.

Not only that but I wasn't convinced of their romance or "deep connection". They were constantly fighting about the same things and they never resolved their fights. They just brushed it under the rug and pretend it never happened. Not to mention, they weren't honest with themselves, each other either, or other partners.

The novel wasn't all bad. I really enjoyed the last quarter of the novel. That's when we finally got more substance to the story. We found out why Clara and Ben were apart and why the bombing occurred. I wish the rest of the novel could of been like this.

Wow this had a bunch of twists and turns. I liked how we see flashbacks of Clara & Benjamin and their journey together.
This is a good story of first love and the complications of life.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the EArc of this book! I was interested by the synopsis and the beautiful cover of this book.

Unfortunately this book just did not work for me. I really failed to find any sort of connection to the characters, I found them both to be very unlikeable in an obnoxious way, and sadly didn't feel they were a good match for each other so I struggled to root for them and their relationship.

There was a lot that happened in this book, our characters go through a number of traumatic events and dont really seem to deal with their feelings and emotions in a healthy way. The main relationship in this book is quite toxic in my opinion.

In the present timeline I really struggled with our female MC Clara, being married to another man, but still pining after Benjamin like she was a teenage girl. The only character I found I actually liked in this book was Lauren, who repeatedly called Clara out for acting in the wrong way.

The reunion between these two characters was lackluster for me, and felt rushed. It seemed they didn't really resolve anything from their past and went straight back to being together.

Sadly this one just didn't work for me. But I did love the concept and idea of this book, and Charlotte Rixon's writing style is one that I did enjoy.

In reading The One That Got Away, I enjoyed the relationship and the complexity that life took them through. As a reader, I had a love/hate relationship with the author and the way she allowed one to wonder about the mishap that occurred and the suspense of Aiden.

Overall, I enjoyed reading a realistic ,what if story about love and relationships with those you just cannot seem to get out of your head.

Once again my thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this book.

From the synopsis I read prior to receiving this book I thought I was going to truly love it. It was interesting, I wanted to finish the book (which I did), but I also felt it redundant. The bar scenes both with Clara and Benjamin permeated the novel were all too familiar. Perhaps that was the purpose of the author - to show how mundane Clara and Benjamin's relationship actually was. Afterwards both characters would doubt not only their love but if their love interest really was the perfect match.

I'm anxious to hear other comments about this book.

I already had read some of the other reviews and was a little comprehensive to dive into this story. But on the other hand, I love sadder and darker stories and actually like flawed characters.

Despite loving gritty stories, this one was a miss for me. Unlikable characters, too many timelines, and at 29% I decided to quit. I’m sorry and I hope other readers who love darker second chance love stories will love this more than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for providing me this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This book tells the story of Clara and Ben who fall in love but end up drifting apart but Clara realizes that Ben is “the one that got away.”

Tropes: Second chance romance, dual POV, miscommunication

I really enjoyed this book! I couldn’t put it down! I finished it in 2 days and I think the brilliant writing is a big reason for that! The book talks about some very heavy and potentially triggering topics, but it gave the book more weight, separating itself from your classic romance read.
The book has dual POV narration that goes back in forth from present day and the past. The character development was very realistic. Both Clara and Ben did things that weren’t perfect and quite frankly made me frustrated with them at times, but I also felt like their mistakes and flaws were a breath of fresh air. Clara and Ben came from such different backgrounds growing up which played a huge part in their relationship struggles. Getting to see Clara and Ben grow and mature throughout the years was also entertaining and exciting. The book also has short chapters which I found nice.

Overall, this book had the perfect amount of heartbreak, drama, comedy in it and if you enjoy second chance romance reads with a lot more depth this one is definitely for you.

TW: mental health issues, self harm, suicide bomber, rape

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an arc of "The One That Got Away."

I went into this thinking I had a light and easy romance. College kids fall in love. They break up and find their way back to each other. I was so very wrong. about this book. I'm not sure that Clara and Benjamin were in love. I don't know if Clara trusted her feelings for anyone. Clara's issues may stem from her perceived inattention from her parents due to her younger sister's illness. Benjamin was a bit too forgiving. He was willing to put others before himself to a fault. We should all be so altruistic. Truly there is so much to unpack in this book. It just seems to be an overload. I don't know why these two would want to get back together. The event that led to their breakup was no small spat. I don't see growth in Clara. Benjamin seems to be moving forward, so would Clara be a help or a hindrance? Benjamin has other interests now. Will Clara be okay with Benjamin not wanting to spend all his free time with her? Not sure if a rekindled romance is in the cards. Maybe a platonic association when it's convenient.

Endearing story of a couple who fell in love in their college days, then grew apart. They married others but never forgot about each other. Twenty years later, they reunite.

I couldn't finish this. I didn't enjoy the writing style or the plot. It could be just a me thing though!