The One That Got Away is a beautiful love story about missed opportunities, misunderstandings, but also about never losing that first connection when you fall in love. It’s about growing apart, finding oneself and growing stronger. But most importantly, its realizing that the simplicity of life with those you love and care about is what really creates happiness.
The story begins on a Saturday in April of 2022 when Clara, a journalist hears about a bombing at a stadium. She suddenly realizes her old boyfriend, Benjamin, who was truly the love of her life but due to circumstances they drifted apart. Always a season ticket holder to the Saturday soccer games which are played there she is concerned about him. But this was over twenty years ago. Would he still have those tickets? Could he have been in the stadium and was he hurt?
Clara has been married to her husband Thom, a jeweler for years, but continues to be restless in her marriage, deep down knowing she had made a mistake when she married. But Clara can’t admit aloud exactly what she feels deep in her heart. She has always known she should have been with Benjamin but due to a horrible event it was never meant to happen. Clara and Benjamin’s relationship was always tumultuous with her never truly being able to trust, him and his obsession with soccer and drinking did not help either.
So Clara decides she must travel to the city where the stadium is and find out if not only Benjamin was there, but if he is still alive. She lies to Thom and says she’s going out with a friend. While we learn about Clara’s life with Benjamin and what happened to their relationship throughout the years, in separate chapters we learn about Benjamin and his past life leading up to this fateful day. He has had a difficult life since he has last seen Clara, but throughout it all he has never forgotten her.
As they both relive their journey from their first meeting, which coincidentally occurred at the stadium, their love and heartbreak and trauma with Clara never understanding why Benjamin didn’t go after what he really wanted in life and Benjamin always feeling if only Clara could have a little bit more faith in herself things would have gone better.
What they both really want is to find peace, within themselves and with each other. But is it possibly too late?
The One That Got Away is a touching story of first love and first heartache of losing part of your soul and fighting hard to get it back. It’s understanding that sometimes the ordinariness of a life with someone you love gives much more happiness than a massive ring on a finger which may look beautiful but means nothing.
Thank you #St.MartinsPress #TheOneThatGotAway #CharlotteRixon for sending me the free copy #SMPRomance.
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