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The One That Got Away
Would you risk your future for a night with your past?Molly Greene loves being married. Exciting adventures lie ahead for her and husband Dan that will change their lives for ever, but Molly's not sure they're making the right choices.While teetering on the brink of the biggest decision she's ever faced, she sends an impulsive message to the very last person she ought to contact, someone who should have stayed forgotten, and is now coming looking for her.When he finds her, there is no turning back. One night is all it takes to threaten everything she holds dear - for good.
399 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 14, 2010
26 people are currently reading
599 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Dawson
26 books656 followersLucy studied Psychology at Warwick University before becoming a children’s magazine editor. Her first bestselling book – His Other Lover – was published in 2008. Since then she has published four other novels and her work has been translated into numerous other languages. She lives in Exeter with her husband and children. Lucy finds writing in the third person uncomfortable.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
May 25, 2013
Chic-lit of the lowest order. Too much dialogue, too much unnecessary detail & a simpering, spineless leading lady.
Oh, and sue that doctor for breach of confidentiality.
Oh, and sue that doctor for breach of confidentiality.
April 23, 2012
I think I'm getting over some kinds of chick lit. Was waiting for the "sinister twist", which I am afraid never arrives! Ok for a brain number in between heavier reads..
February 24, 2020
I was tolerating this stupid book right up until the doctor from the sexual health clinic blurts out her having been a patient at his clinic for a broken condom in the middle of a work party.
I mean FFS. As if! Even the most incompetent doctor wouldn’t be that idiotic.
The female lead was an utter fucking nuff-nuff. Why are the female leads in these books always so completely inept? The men do shitful things to them and they spend 200 pages bloody weeping and apologising to everybody for their part in it. Just stop it with this trite shit and one dimensional characters.
And then after all that angst and build up, the author doesn’t even have the decency to write a climactic ending, no we just just get more of her standing about in clueless impotence while the story happens around her and then fizzles out entirely.
Like WTF? That’s not how you write a psychological thriller.
And finally, Having everybody call her Moll was pretty off putting (but that might be an Australian thing.)
God this book was shit.
I mean FFS. As if! Even the most incompetent doctor wouldn’t be that idiotic.
The female lead was an utter fucking nuff-nuff. Why are the female leads in these books always so completely inept? The men do shitful things to them and they spend 200 pages bloody weeping and apologising to everybody for their part in it. Just stop it with this trite shit and one dimensional characters.
And then after all that angst and build up, the author doesn’t even have the decency to write a climactic ending, no we just just get more of her standing about in clueless impotence while the story happens around her and then fizzles out entirely.
Like WTF? That’s not how you write a psychological thriller.
And finally, Having everybody call her Moll was pretty off putting (but that might be an Australian thing.)
God this book was shit.
November 27, 2011
I thought this was a brilliant book - the way the author thought of this story was so good. The twist was unbelievable - predictable happy ending but I really enjoyed the book and will definitely be looking at her other books.
August 10, 2016
Nice, easy read. Protagonist wasn't entirely likeable, and revelation leading to climax was so unlikely as to annoy me for the rest of the book. Overall was ok, and perfectly suited to my rainy caravan getaway.
March 26, 2016
Frustrating, story but I loved it. On tenterhooks the whole way through.
April 20, 2017
i'm glad i didn't have to pay for this stupid book.
March 8, 2021
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Another great read from Lucy Dawson. Even in this more domestic type of thriller she has me captivated and unable to put this book down. I loved the twist at the end. #lucydawson #theonethatgotaway #tea_sipping_bookworm #goodreads #litsy #amazonkindle #thestorygraph #bookqueen #bookstagram #thriller #plottwist
July 19, 2019
This was one one of those stories where you feel so sorry for the main character, as it would be a nightmare to be in that situation. But at the same time find her very frustrating! but do this.... a real page turner though and couldn’t put it down.
November 4, 2010
Molly Greene loves being married to her husband Dan, and thinks that the pair of them have a pretty perfect life. They both have good jobs, a nice house, and are both still very much in love. However, when Molly finds one of her ex-boyfriends on Facebook, she can’t resist sending him a little message to say hi. She doesn’t realise though that it is going to set off a chain of events which just might ruin everything Molly has ever worked for, and might push her beloved Dan away for good. Molly knows she has made a huge mistake contacting him again, but she can’t take it back, so what is she going to do? Hide it from Dan and hope it never gets out, or tell him the truth and face up to the fact he might leave her forever? And what happens when Molly can’t shake him off? How far will he go to get Molly back for good?
This is author Lucy Dawson’s 3rd novel, and luckily for me, she seems to be getting better and better with each book. I didn’t like her first novel at all, but thought her second, What My Best Friend Did, was fantastic. It was a gripping sort-of thriller and really kept me guessing until the very last page which was great. Dawson seems to enjoy doing these edgy chick lit novels, not something you would usually expect in the genre but it really fits in well and seems to be popular too – after all, no one else seems to write books like these at the moment, and that is where I think Dawson has got her edge. When I first saw the cover of this book, I was really disappointed because it looked a bit bland, and after reading the book, I think it definitely deserves a much better cover than it has been given!
The book begins introducing us to Molly, the lead character of the book who we follow throughout. Her and husband Dan are very much in love, and this is what makes Molly’s actions even worse if you like. However, how many of us can say we haven’t looked up an ex on Facebook or other social networking sites to see what they are up to, and perhaps even sent them a message just to say hi? Dawson brings social networking sites to the front of this book by making this the tool which starts everything off between Molly and Leo. Molly just can’t resist looking up her ex-boyfriend after her friend mentions seeing him on there, and then she does something which she will regret forever – she messages him.But Molly isn’t aware of the chain of events her message is going to set off, and that is what makes this book such a great read.
The level of suspense is really kept up through the whole book because we are constantly wondering if Molly is going to trip up and reveal her dirty secret to husband Dan, or if Leo is going to keep his promise to Molly and reveal all to her husband for her. I was actually feeling nervous in parts that something awful was going to happen because of the way Dawson builds up a scene, and I found the way she wrote Molly with her nervousness and paranoia makes it all the more nerve-racking to read because you start to feel just like Molly does, only without the guilty secret of course! Even up until the final scene, I wasn’t sure how it was going to work out for Molly, whether she would get happy ending or not and I enjoyed how this was left in limbo because it really kept up the suspense.
The writing in this book is really fantastic. The story moves along at a good pace that keeps your attention all the way through, and by the time the exciting part of the story comes around, you are already hooked because you want to see what is going to happen – it’s a bit like car crash TV – you don’t want to watch anymore but can’t quite bring yourself to stop, and that’s what this book is like. The characters are all really well written, Molly in particular is so well written that I was feeling her nerves and angst along with her. I did feel extremely sorry for Dan in this book, he is madly in love with his wife and seems to have no idea what is going on behind his back, and I felt sorry for that. Leo is utterly, utterly hate-able, one of the worst and most awful male characters I have read in a long time in chick lit but that is what makes the book so utterly compelling! It is a fantastic read that I really couldn’t put down, and would actually read again – not something I say about many books. Fantastic, you must read this book!
This is author Lucy Dawson’s 3rd novel, and luckily for me, she seems to be getting better and better with each book. I didn’t like her first novel at all, but thought her second, What My Best Friend Did, was fantastic. It was a gripping sort-of thriller and really kept me guessing until the very last page which was great. Dawson seems to enjoy doing these edgy chick lit novels, not something you would usually expect in the genre but it really fits in well and seems to be popular too – after all, no one else seems to write books like these at the moment, and that is where I think Dawson has got her edge. When I first saw the cover of this book, I was really disappointed because it looked a bit bland, and after reading the book, I think it definitely deserves a much better cover than it has been given!
The book begins introducing us to Molly, the lead character of the book who we follow throughout. Her and husband Dan are very much in love, and this is what makes Molly’s actions even worse if you like. However, how many of us can say we haven’t looked up an ex on Facebook or other social networking sites to see what they are up to, and perhaps even sent them a message just to say hi? Dawson brings social networking sites to the front of this book by making this the tool which starts everything off between Molly and Leo. Molly just can’t resist looking up her ex-boyfriend after her friend mentions seeing him on there, and then she does something which she will regret forever – she messages him.But Molly isn’t aware of the chain of events her message is going to set off, and that is what makes this book such a great read.
The level of suspense is really kept up through the whole book because we are constantly wondering if Molly is going to trip up and reveal her dirty secret to husband Dan, or if Leo is going to keep his promise to Molly and reveal all to her husband for her. I was actually feeling nervous in parts that something awful was going to happen because of the way Dawson builds up a scene, and I found the way she wrote Molly with her nervousness and paranoia makes it all the more nerve-racking to read because you start to feel just like Molly does, only without the guilty secret of course! Even up until the final scene, I wasn’t sure how it was going to work out for Molly, whether she would get happy ending or not and I enjoyed how this was left in limbo because it really kept up the suspense.
The writing in this book is really fantastic. The story moves along at a good pace that keeps your attention all the way through, and by the time the exciting part of the story comes around, you are already hooked because you want to see what is going to happen – it’s a bit like car crash TV – you don’t want to watch anymore but can’t quite bring yourself to stop, and that’s what this book is like. The characters are all really well written, Molly in particular is so well written that I was feeling her nerves and angst along with her. I did feel extremely sorry for Dan in this book, he is madly in love with his wife and seems to have no idea what is going on behind his back, and I felt sorry for that. Leo is utterly, utterly hate-able, one of the worst and most awful male characters I have read in a long time in chick lit but that is what makes the book so utterly compelling! It is a fantastic read that I really couldn’t put down, and would actually read again – not something I say about many books. Fantastic, you must read this book!
April 28, 2015
This was really exciting! Somehow the author - Lucy Dawson - managed to mix chick-lit with a dramatic thriller type of story and it worked incredibly well.
This book starts with Molly and her husband Dan having an argument about her lack of enthusiasm about getting pregnant - this continues throughout the story. Molly finds her ex, Leo on facebook and they start conversing. He then unexpectedly starts turning up at places she visits and well, it all becomes a little frightening and out of control. Stalker-ish is probably the right word. Things between her and husband (already rocky) takes a turn for the worst at the same time. To be honest, there isn't anything I can really say about the plot without giving it all away and it's a real treat of a book. Lots of excitement, mixed with eerie suspense and amazingly, humour added in for good measure! How the author managed to combine a number of genres into one book and it actually *working* is beyond me!
Very good.
This book starts with Molly and her husband Dan having an argument about her lack of enthusiasm about getting pregnant - this continues throughout the story. Molly finds her ex, Leo on facebook and they start conversing. He then unexpectedly starts turning up at places she visits and well, it all becomes a little frightening and out of control. Stalker-ish is probably the right word. Things between her and husband (already rocky) takes a turn for the worst at the same time. To be honest, there isn't anything I can really say about the plot without giving it all away and it's a real treat of a book. Lots of excitement, mixed with eerie suspense and amazingly, humour added in for good measure! How the author managed to combine a number of genres into one book and it actually *working* is beyond me!
Very good.
November 25, 2018
Molly Greene loves her husband. They’ve both got decent jobs and love life together, but lately Dan’s been dropping hints that it’s time for a baby together. And that’s pretty much the one thing Molly isn’t sure she wants. So when the ex pops up on Facebook, Molly can’t help but say hi. After all it’s perfectly innocent isn’t it?
This was a freaking fantastic read. Molly had me hooked from the very first page and I laughed with her, I cried with her and I felt all of her emotions. I don’t agree with Molly’s actions, and I feel she should have communicated with Dan a lot more, but this was a fantastic read.
It was the ending that really got me though. I mean damn Leo needs some psychiatric help. And I love the open ending.
This was a freaking fantastic read. Molly had me hooked from the very first page and I laughed with her, I cried with her and I felt all of her emotions. I don’t agree with Molly’s actions, and I feel she should have communicated with Dan a lot more, but this was a fantastic read.
It was the ending that really got me though. I mean damn Leo needs some psychiatric help. And I love the open ending.
February 7, 2017
I really liked this book. It made me feel uncomfortable from the start. Dan's pressure on Molly to have a child was at times harsh. Leo's pressure on Molly for her to contact him was frightening. I really felt sorry for Molly. The author kept up the suspense right until the end. Loved the ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2011
Watch out for ex's on Facebook!
October 1, 2024
Great book, gripping through-out.
July 31, 2022
Molly Greene makes an impulsive decision to Facebook message ex Leo - the one that got away - and after that he starts springing up in her life just as her life starts to derail.
She wakes up in a hotel room after a works conference, remembering that she was - rather conveniently- reunited with Leo at the event. She remembers him being in her hotel room and that they cuddled in bed, but doesn't recollect what else happened as she was blackout drunk. Leos' feelings have been rekindled and he wants to resume their relationship. However Molly is married, and Leo lives with his partner and step-daughters.
Molly guilt consumes her as she tries to hide the night with Leo from her husband Dan, but Leo starts threatening to tell Dan what has happened so that he and Molly can be together. Despite her best efforts, Dan learns the truth and this sets off a domino-effect of awful events for Molly.
In the meantime Dan and Molly (consumed by her guilt) start trying for a baby even though Molly wasn't sure it's what she wanted. I felt the writer went off on a tangent a few times in the novel, where Molly was justifying her reasons for not wanting to get pregnant. I found the detail and emphasis in these parts tedious and unnecessary.
There were a few twists along the way, some expected and some unexpected, but it was less of a thriller and more of a drama about an affair. It was an average read, not quite as thrilling as some of Lucy Dawsons' others.
She wakes up in a hotel room after a works conference, remembering that she was - rather conveniently- reunited with Leo at the event. She remembers him being in her hotel room and that they cuddled in bed, but doesn't recollect what else happened as she was blackout drunk. Leos' feelings have been rekindled and he wants to resume their relationship. However Molly is married, and Leo lives with his partner and step-daughters.
Molly guilt consumes her as she tries to hide the night with Leo from her husband Dan, but Leo starts threatening to tell Dan what has happened so that he and Molly can be together. Despite her best efforts, Dan learns the truth and this sets off a domino-effect of awful events for Molly.
In the meantime Dan and Molly (consumed by her guilt) start trying for a baby even though Molly wasn't sure it's what she wanted. I felt the writer went off on a tangent a few times in the novel, where Molly was justifying her reasons for not wanting to get pregnant. I found the detail and emphasis in these parts tedious and unnecessary.
There were a few twists along the way, some expected and some unexpected, but it was less of a thriller and more of a drama about an affair. It was an average read, not quite as thrilling as some of Lucy Dawsons' others.
October 13, 2023
I was confused by Leo's character development. How was he a normal boyfriend that showed no concerning red flags (other than the obvious cheating and commitment issues). I couldn't understand how he shifted from an ex she felt compelled to get in contact with again to a strange, obsessive stalker. Nothing explained what could've caused Leo's sudden shift in behaviour. Exploring what shifted in the years Molly and Leo were apart would've made more sense to me, little sprinkles of what happened to Leo while they were apart to make him completely change or a chapter dedicated to Leo's perspective would've helped understand his character better.
I had a few unanswered questions as I don't think the story developed enough for me and I felt the ending was sloppy and perhaps rushed. Dan having to explain what the plastic was in Leo's hand annoyed me as well. How did Molly not realise what it was? I rolled my eyes at that part.
I had a few unanswered questions as I don't think the story developed enough for me and I felt the ending was sloppy and perhaps rushed. Dan having to explain what the plastic was in Leo's hand annoyed me as well. How did Molly not realise what it was? I rolled my eyes at that part.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2021
One drunken night Molly Greene cheats on her husband Dan with an old flame Leo. She attempts to put it behind her and move on but Leo isn't having a bar of that and begins obsessively texting and even following her.
I listened to this book on audio and I enjoyed it. I felt Molly's panic as Leo hassled her and pressured her. but still liked the overall pace and events in the story. Dan was quite a likeable character and despite her infidelity, so was Molly.
I listened to this book on audio and I enjoyed it. I felt Molly's panic as Leo hassled her and pressured her. but still liked the overall pace and events in the story. Dan was quite a likeable character and despite her infidelity, so was Molly.
January 19, 2021
I thought the ending was good and tied everything up nicely. Throughout I was troubled by the relationship between Molly and Dan and especially the scene where she has a migraine and he wants to procreate and when she crashes the car and he isn’t bothered if she’s hurt or not. He comes across as a big baby who has always gotten whatever he wanted. To be honest I think she could have done better and should have stuck to her guns if she wasn’t ready to be a mum. I was hoping there would be a reveal where the man On the dating website turned out to be Leo, that would have added an extra layer of deceit I thought.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2021
I really liked this but the ending was a bit of an anticlimax if I'm honest. Not sure what I was expecting to happen, but it certainly wasn't that! Still, I guess it worked out well for Molly and Dan in the end. Leo was a truly evil character and I actually found myself hating him, which means the author must have done a good job in making him seem so real!Overall, a good book and proves that the grass isn't always greener on the other side!
August 16, 2021
This book really infuriated me. From what we are told she was clearly raped and should have told her husband the truth. The fact that she kept trying to cover it up just made things worse. And letting poor co worker taking the blame was not nice.
I was relieved that at the very end we find out what actually happened and that it had a happy ending.
Overall a good read and a good reminder that the past is best left in the past.
I was relieved that at the very end we find out what actually happened and that it had a happy ending.
Overall a good read and a good reminder that the past is best left in the past.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2021
I'll never understand why Lucy Dawson stories don't have higher ratings. I love her books. I love some more than others, of course, but something about her writing always keeps me completely engaged in the story. Whenever I have to take a break from reading one of her books, I can't wait to get back to it. I loved this audio version read by Karen Cass. The narration was excellent. Five stars for the narration as well as the story. I was actually sad that it ended.
November 8, 2024
I enjoyed this book but it lost a star early on for the following reason:
⭕The fat shaming was totally unnecessary and really quite horrible. It made me dislike the FMC immediately and as the reader is clearly supposed to feel for her, I found I just didn't because she had started off by just being mean and shallow for no reason at all. To top it off, her and her girlfriend's then height shame men too which really irks me in the same way fat shaming does.
Other than that, I liked it.
⭕The fat shaming was totally unnecessary and really quite horrible. It made me dislike the FMC immediately and as the reader is clearly supposed to feel for her, I found I just didn't because she had started off by just being mean and shallow for no reason at all. To top it off, her and her girlfriend's then height shame men too which really irks me in the same way fat shaming does.
Other than that, I liked it.
March 18, 2020
I liked this story and felt like I was reading a Jane Fallon, which is a huge complement in my book.
However, I did not like how Molly was pressured into having children as if it was her duty of something like that. On that matter, I didn't think Dan much better than Leo… She would be better alone.
However, I did not like how Molly was pressured into having children as if it was her duty of something like that. On that matter, I didn't think Dan much better than Leo… She would be better alone.
May 6, 2020
I really enjoyed this book - my first encounter with this author. The characters were really interesting and I was fascinated by Leo and Molly's ongoing relationship. I do however think that the doctor should be struck off! I felt really sorry for Molly by the end of the book. Will read more by Lucy Dawson in the future.
July 4, 2023
For a while, I thought the ethically childfree and antinatalist voice was getting a rare outing. But no, yet another pathetic drippy heroine sells out to baby making with a boring man.
Pathetic, embarrassing, anti woman, anti feminist.
Will not be reading this inane author again and do not recommend.
Pathetic, embarrassing, anti woman, anti feminist.
Will not be reading this inane author again and do not recommend.
December 15, 2024
Figuring out what was did and what was going to happen kept me listening.
Molly isn't the most sympathetic character, but I"m not sure she's meant to be.
I thought for sure Leo was going to be found living in their ceiling or something.
I thought this could have amped up the tension, but it was still an enjoyable book.
Molly isn't the most sympathetic character, but I"m not sure she's meant to be.
I thought for sure Leo was going to be found living in their ceiling or something.
I thought this could have amped up the tension, but it was still an enjoyable book.
June 30, 2025
Was an alright book to listen to on audio form, it did have me on the edge of my seat at some parts and some parts it had me sitting back on it again.
The plot and the characters were all good and I did find some alright and some I couldn't stand at some parts of the book.
Will deffo be keeping my eyes open for more works from this author in the near future.
The plot and the characters were all good and I did find some alright and some I couldn't stand at some parts of the book.
Will deffo be keeping my eyes open for more works from this author in the near future.
April 28, 2020
I dont want to spend any more time on this book after wasting half a day of my life already on it other than to warn others, just dont bother!
Ridiculous story, so disappointing after enjoying other Lucy Dawson books. Big thumbs down and sad about it :-(
Ridiculous story, so disappointing after enjoying other Lucy Dawson books. Big thumbs down and sad about it :-(
September 4, 2025
I dont think I can write anything new that I haven't already sad about Dawsons books. Always a great read never disappointed in her books. Love the twists that you never expect yet another smashing read
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews