The One That Got Away

by Bethany Chase

Perfect for fans of Emily Giffin and Jennifer Weiner, this bright, funny debut from a fresh voice in fiction offers a delicious take on love, family, and what it means to build a home of one’s own.
 
Sarina Mahler thinks she has her life all nailed a growing architecture practice in Austin, Texas, and an any-day-now proposal from her loving boyfriend, Noah. She’s well on her way to having the family she’s hoped for since her mother’s death ten years ago. But with Noah on a temporary assignment abroad and retired Olympic swimmer—and former flame—Eamon Roy back in town asking her to renovate his new fixer-upper, Sarina’s life takes an unexpected turn. Eamon proves to be Sarina’s dream client, someone who instinctively trusts every one of her choices—and Sarina is reminded of all the reasons she was first drawn to him back in the day. Suddenly her carefully planned future with Noah seems a little less than perfect. And when tragedy strikes, Sarina is left reeling. With her world completely upended, she is forced to question what she truly wants in life—and in love.
 
Full of both humor and heartbreak, The One That Got Away is the story of one woman’s discovery that, sometimes, life is what happens when you leave the blueprints behind.

Advance praise for The One That Got Away
 
“A warm, witty, and wise novel, The One That Got Away announces the arrival of a great new voice in fiction.”—Emily Giffin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The One and Only
 
“Love can be complicated, and in The One That Got Away, Bethany Chase captures every nuanced beat of a conflicted heart. An authentic and warm voice infuses this story of humor, heartbreak, and home. While Sarina finds her way, we as readers might also find a way back to our own unique lives.”—Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of And Then I Found You
 
“This perfectly paced story is full of fresh, engaging characters, but Chase’s greatest accomplishment is Sarina Mahler. Sarina is so human, her inner world such a compelling mix of guarded and open-hearted, confident and faltering, that—through every loss, every funny moment, every blazing triumph—I felt completely with her and grateful to be there.”—Marisa de los Santos, New York Times bestselling author of Falling Together
 
“[A] sparkling debut [that] packs serious emotional punches . . . This utterly enjoyable romance will have readers swooning, sobbing, and eagerly anticipating Chase’s next book.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Bethany Chase is utterly charming and writes about loss with wisdom and heart.”—Allie Larkin, author of Why Can’t I Be You
 
“Don’t let this one get Chase’s debut is fun, romantic, steamy, and populated with heartfelt characters—not-to-miss delicious escapism!”—L. Alison Heller, author of The Never Never Sisters
 
“We fell in love with The One That Got Away from the very first page. In her charming debut novel, Bethany Chase reminds us about the one that got away, and makes us wonder what would have happened if he hadn’t.”—Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, co-authors of Your Perfect Life
 
“The One That Got Away is juicy, steamy, witty, and real.”—Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of After I Do

Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres: Romance, Chick Lit, Fiction, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Adult, Womens Fiction

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 31, 2015

About the author

Writer of love stories, designer, and eternally hopeful A-cup. Author of USA Today bestseller THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY and the upcoming RESULTS MAY VARY. Welcome to my page... can I get you a drink?

“A warm, witty, and wise novel, The One That Got Away announces the arrival of a great new voice in fiction.” — Emily Giffin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The One and Only

https://twitter.com/MBethanyChase
https://www.facebook.com/bethanychase...
https://www.pinterest.com/mbethanychase/
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Reviews

[Paula M · Rating 3 out of 5]

 

'Every woman has one. That name you Google at two o’clock in the morning. That intoxicating connection that somehow never solidified into anything real; that particular memory you still visit every now and then, for that guaranteed hit of pure, sugar-packed dopamine. It’s that story that starts with “There was this one time” and ends, reluctantly, with “but I guess …”'

 

Katy Perry is totally playing at the background.

So, this was a total chick lit. And although I had some minor problems with it, I still enjoyed this book so much.

First, who agrees with that quote above? Raise of hands please. Well, I totally do. Let me tell about you about Sarina. Sarina is getting married and she's about to see Eamon again after 7 years! Who is Eamon by the way? Well lets just say she's Sarinas 'There was this one time' so I guess its kinda normal that she's freaking out a little bit? What if she isn't over him like what she's saying?

The One That Got Away is very light and fun. I can absolutely say that even though Sarina is older to me, she was relatable. I like her humor and how she thinks and acts towards her situation with Eamon. She have a fiance, and SHE KNOWS IT. Her action were very acceptable to me and I admire that the way she acts is perfect for her age! Not like some immature lady who is deprived of love. I never liked those characters.

I had some problems with the pacing though. It was slow and there was a moment when I feel like it was dragging. I had to close it for awhile and talk myself into picking it up again.

But the way the story wrapped up was realistically written and I really liked it. I was even stoked when I found out that there'll be more for Bethany Chase's other characters. I'm really looking forward to that. Overall, The One That Got Away is recommended for readers who inhales books in this genre. If you're looking for a beach read or a book for a lazy afternoon? TOTGA is perfect for that too!

[Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contemporary-A-Thon read # 6: (doesn’t apply to a challenge) - COMPLETE!

This was cute! Not the best thing I’ve ever read, but it held my attention the entire time and even made me tear up once or twice. Would definitely recommend if you’re in the mood for a southern-y chick-lit book!

[Myrn🩶 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve had this book for awhile and finally got around to read it. The first 3/4 of the book kept me interested and engaged. While it was slightly predictable, it was still enjoyable. Besides the romantic side of the book, there was also a lot of emotional stuff. The author did a great job of making you feel what Sarina was going through. Towards the end of the book though, I just wanted it to end. Sarina was annoying me. Maybe it was just me! LOL. 3.5 stars!

[Judy Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A special thank you to Random House, Ballantine, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bethany Chase’s witty and razor-sharp, swoon contemporary debut, THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY, will keep you laughing and entertained as every grandmother, woman, teen, and girl can recall that one guy who slipped away. . what could have been. A schoolgirl infatuation . . . where is he now, and more importantly, does he remember you? Yum!

Loved the opening:

That name you Google at two o’clock in the morning. That intoxicating connection that somehow never solidified into anything real; that particular memory you still visit every now and then, for that guaranteed hit of pure, sugar-packed dopamine. It’s that story that starts with “There was this one time” and ends, reluctantly, with but I guess . . ”

Eamon Roy. The guy. Sarina’s one night stand, a former fling seven years ago. She has never heard from him since. Not even a drunken late-night booty text. A guy she has never forgotten. Her roommate Danny’s best friend from college.

Sarina, now thirty-one an architect in Austin, TX has a dependable and stable boyfriend of four years, Noah— currently in Buenos Aires, working on a corporate merger. Noah made it so easy to fall in love with him— his southern charm; she could see a future with him, marriage. Noah, of course does not know she and Eamon slept together, once upon a time. OMG, now Eamon, a retired Olympic swimmer is BACK in Austin, asking her to renovate his new fixer-upper.

Sarina: “And God also knows the last thing I need is a time-sucking micro-project for an obsessive perfectionist. Especially one who will probably expect me to work for him as a favor because he deigned to sleep with me back at the dawn of time. No thank you.”

However, she DOES love fixers! We, in the design world can relate to the temptation of the job, more so than the guy. Let the fun begin, OR should we say "a love triangle". Maybe having Eamon back in Austin, will not be so bad? What does she really want? Timing sucks.

Sarina: “I watch till the lights of his car disappear around the corner, then exhale a slow breath. This is not good. This is not good at all. Despite my resolution to put a bullet in my crush, I’ve been using his project as a way to indulge my craving to be near him, and, instead of burning out, it’s just getting stronger. I have to find a way to distance myself. Only problem is, it’s the last thing in the world that I actually want to do.” Tenderness, protectiveness, desire, affection, and an aching longing to be able to act on those feelings. For him to return them.

From Texas, to Virginia, Tennessee, and New Orleans --from memories, to family, from idolizing to the real thing. From romance, sass, passionate kisses, Texas fun, sex, lust, jealousy, guilt, the south, roommates, cocktails, karaoke, hipsters, design, good friends, clients, love, crying, and laughing, a compelling and engaging chick-lit debut!

Fans of (my favs) Emily Giffin, Jennifer Weiner, Wendy Wax, and Sarah Pekkanen will devour THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY, and Chase’s wit, charming banter, clever storytelling, and realistic portrayal of modern relationships, and cast of likable characters.

Second Book: Can’t wait for her upcoming second novel, featuring Sarina’s brother in law, Colin and friend Hilary and more from Sarina and Eamon. (excerpt included). An author to follow.

Personal story

I had to laugh thinking of my very young and innocent crush story. At a mere age of thirteen (looked sixteen), with my parents and little sis in Florida for family summer vacation. In walks, Saul Griffith, Jr. age sixteen, hot, buff, sexy blonde, tan California surfer; on vacation with his grandparents—staying at the same hotel. With innocent talks on the beach (within my parent’s view, of course) and a few stolen kisses. My strict Southern Baptist parents refused to allow me to accompany his family to dinner, upon their invitation. At thirteen, this was the end of the world. I hated my parents--- he was leaving the following morning.

The next morning, the bellman comes to our hotel door, and informs me I have a message waiting at the front desk. I am rushing out the door, hoping he is still here in Florida. Unfortunately, it was a letter from SG telling me they had to leave and he wanted to say good-bye and how much he enjoyed meeting me, etc. —I cried and cried over this stupid letter. Long forgotten, cannot recall exactly what was in the letter; however, remember re-reading this note for years before it was thrown away. Of course, back in the day, we did not have cell phones or emails, but I think he left his address. Of course, now divorced much older and much wiser - this book made me think about this one guy.

Sorry, Bethany, I am a web analyst and pro searching the web; Curious, no luck on Google except for a famous Australian inventor which does not fit the age range (unless it is his son). Oh, well the blonde tanned good-looking surfer, at age sixteen is probably now fat, bald, and a loser. The original image is a much better memory!

Congrats, on a winner! Could easily be a 5-star, but want to save a star for your next one.

JDCMustReadBooks

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Sherwood Smith]

Provided by NetGalley.

What a voice! Bethany Chase drew me in immediately. The opening is quoted in many other reviews,and in the blurbs; let me pull up a couple more quotes that stood out.

Here's a bit about the boyfriend who got away:

His face still has that openness that invites you to slide a chair next to him and tell him all the stories even your best friends don't know. Isn't that a thousand times more visceral than a catalogue of his hot features or his sexy voice?

And she understands about the pain of grief:

Nicole sat me down on our limp green futon one evening, with the kind of well-meaning arrogance that only a 21yr old could muster, to tell me she was worried that I wasn't "letting my pain out."

As if it was an infection that would heal up all tidy and new once the pus was released. Instead, it's like groundwater. Pooling underneath my skin, seeping to the surface here and there, now and then. Endlessly replenished. Easy to forget about, until it startles me with the depth of it. . . .

And one more:

Because I finally understood what [my mother] had tried to explain to me so many times when I was eye-deep in the morass of my high school relationship, or my college one: kindness only mattered when it came naturally. Not when it was handed out with my vagina as the reward, or my forgiveness for some selfish transgression.

I wanted to talk up front about how good I thought the writing was, because this book almost, but didn't quite, work for me. And it is a very strong almost. Chase involved me in the life of Sarina, who sees the world in a very different way than I do. Made her sympathetic, even when she is casually dismissive of spiritual matters, when she's getting snot-nosed drunk as a way of dealing with rage and pain, when she makes discussions of the possibility of future grandchildren all about herself, specifically "ownership of her reproductive organs."

Sarina was taken by two-years-younger Eamon during a fling eight years ago, and she's never forgotten him, though she's engaged to a wonderful guy named Noah, who has wonderful parents. She's got loving, loyal friends, and a terrific step-dad, all of whom give her support and advice as she tries to deal with being pulled in two directions.

She has other issues, the strongest (besides the title dilemma) being a rage-fueled grief at the loss of her beloved mother when she was young. She has a way of steadying herself by reductionism (it's all just dopamine) that doesn't quite work; she tries to negotiate honestly between her determined love for Noah and her old romance with Eamon, while lying to herself in little ways. And therefore lying to others.

I know many confident women of the younger generation who will admire her as centered. To me she was self-centered, in that in every situation, she is constantly taking her own emotional temperature to see if she can handle this or that action or decision: and so she gets angry with Noah's parents when they bring up grandchildren and the possibility of her staying home to raise them; she rejects her step-father's plea to come home to see him, because she can't deal with being in her mother's house; she hurts people without being aware of the pain she's causing, because she is so closely monitoring her own emotional state that she can't see what she's doing to them.

With that much inward dialogue, I flat out could not accept the last third, almost the last half of the book Specifically her total surprise that she is in love with Eamon. Everybody else knew it!, which makes it feel like it's dragging, when actually there is a great deal going on. But the non-forward movement of what is obvious to the reader with respect to the most crucial emotional issue made it feel unwieldy.

That said, I want to go back up to the admiration of her graceful, humorous, witty prose. So much vividness, freshness, so much style! I don't know that I would reread this one, but I am definitely going to be on the watch for her next.

[Ginger at GReadsBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best things I've read in a long while. The heart of this story beats a steady rhythm through the trials of relationships, both romantically and personally with friends and family. This novel reminded me of the blissful feeling of losing your conscious mind and falling head over heels into the pages of story that refuses to let you go. I cannot recommend this one enough.

[Brandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book until about 75% and then I got a little frustrated with the back and forth and lack of communication. Still a great story and an author I'll be auto buying in the future!

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up a copy of this book because of the references to authors, Emily Giffin and Jennifer Weiner. This book started out good. So much to the point that I had to stop reading for the moment to quickly go to my co-worker and have her read a certain passage in relation to when Eamon appears and Sarina's friend, Nicole sees Eamon after he has been gone for a long time. The conversation goes like this:

Nicole is peering at Eamon like Gollum at the Ring. "God damn". "He got even hotter. I can't believe you hit that, you lucky bitch."

Sarina-"If you mention that , I will shank you and leave your child motherless."

I proceeded to keep reading this book for a while. I got about half way and put the book down. I came back to it after a short break but things changed and I realized that without the humor which then started to be few and far between, the characters were not that interesting and I felt no real chemistry involving Sarina, her current boyfriend, Noah or even Eamon. I kind of found myself skimming the rest of the book just to see if it got better and I wanted to fully immerse myself into the book again. This did not happen.

[Esil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for an opportunity to read an advance copy of a The One That Got Away. The title of this book really says it all. Sirana -- a young architect -- is dating Noah -- a corporate lawyer currently based in Argentina. Seven years earlier, Sirana spent what she thought of as a very special night with Eamon -- an Olympic swimmer -- but Eamon disappeared immediately without an explanation. Then Eamon reappears, and the rest you can imagine but I will avoid any spoilers. The enjoyment of some books depends on where and when you read them. I read The One That Got Away while traveling on a 4 hour flight, and it was perfect entertainment to distract me from the tedium and crush of an overcrowded flight. While the story is predictable and while Sirana's self delusion started grating on me toward the end, what made this book very readable and a great distraction were the characters. Sirana, Eamon, Noah and their friends are lovely characters, and Sirana's relationship with her stepfather John is especially touching. The comparison to Jennifer Weiner seems apt -- the characters are smart, funny and not unidimensional. On occasion when the mood is right for the book equivalent of a romantic comedy, I would be happy to read another book by Bethany Chase.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you ever ask me the question who my favourite author is, I’ll tell you Sophie Kinsella. But, if you ask me what my favourite book is, I’ll tell you Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin. It’s one of the only novels about cheating that I can stand (and I say this in every review I write that blurs the lines in regards to cheating). It’s a hard balance to get right, so when I heard about The One That Got Away by Bethany Chase, not only did Emily Giffin’s novel Love The One You’re With spring to mind, but I was also DESPERATE to read it, because there aren’t many authors like Emily Giffin. Some have tried, but none even come close to her greatness. Sometimes you just know you’re going to love a book before you’ve finished the first page, and I knew as soon as I started that The One That Got Away was a book you must NOT miss this year.

I’ve had a bit of a drought with regards to good Chick Lit books. They’re few and far between these days, as a lot of them peddle the same stuff time and time again so I’ve been mixing up my genres and, despite the fact I’ve read 17 books so far in 2015, this is my first five-star Chick Lit read (or Women’s Fiction, I literally don’t care what name you use!) and comes at a welcome time when I barely even started my last book before giving up.

The great thing about the novel is it will likely have a lot of people wondering about their ones who got away (or didn’t get away, the lucky ducks) and Sarina is one of the most refreshing people to ever tell a story. I loved her. I loved her honesty, I loved that she was all girl-power and wanting to make her own way in the world, and I loved that she didn’t actually cheat on Noah. That’s ALWAYS my bug bear in these novels, where relationships start from cheating and then you’re always on edge for ever more, because you just can’t base a relationship on cheating (and only Something Borrowed has changed my mind on that, no other book has managed it). I loved that for a long time Sarina was loyal to Noah – at the end of the day, it would have been so easy to just forget Noah and jump in to bed with Eamon. A guy who digs you and is in your own state vs a guy who digs you all the way from Argentina? No contest, but Sarina was different.

Sarina and Eamon are on a knife-edge the whole novel. We know how Sarina feels, but it takes ages before we see how Eamon feels, and I liked their banter. It wasn’t always clean (in regards to Noah, I mean) but it toed the line enough that I was okay with it. I loved Eamon. I loved that he was so willing to let Sarina, a fantastic architect (Ted Mosby would have loved her!) help with his house re-build on his return to Austin. It was so cool to see how much Eamon appreciated and “got” Sarina’s plans for his house. Heck, it was just so cool to see Sarina being an architect. That’s not what you see every day, but like Eamon, I totally got her vision. I loved how she appreciated buildings and put so much effort in to her work and it was a really fun to get a glimpse in to Sarina’s work life. What made Sarina’s dream of being an architect even more amazing was John, her step-dad. I love how he instilled so much in to her, and inspired her to become an architect and how John would get SO excited to see Sarina’s work and the plans for Eamon’s house etc.

The One That Got Away was pretty much a pitch-perfect novel, I loved the triangle-that-wasn’t-really-a-triangle, I loved Sarina’s relationships with everyone in her life most especially John, who was such a special character. Sarina had such great friends, too! Danny and Nicole were amazing friends. Probably my only fly in the ointment was View Spoiler » I suspect though that that spoiler is just me being prim and proper. This novel made me laugh, it made me cry, and gave me that wonderful feeling in my stomach when two characters just finally do what you’ve been wanting them to do for ages. Sigh, I miss that feeling, it’s a rarity these days. The One That Got Away is a must read, I swear. And I am SO excited that the next book is Colin’s story. The Roy family are the Maddoxes of the Chick Lit world… and I can’t wait for the next installment!

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. It left me a huge book hangover and reading funk. I ended up DNF-ing three YA books. I admit, it took me awhile to read anything, so here I am, totally not expecting a Chick Lit book to sway me away.

It’s been forever since I read a book from this genre. Its so refreshing to be back. The One That Got Away's premise and the story itself speaks to me. This is one of my favorite tropes ever. And I think it's been done well, though there are couple of scenes that rubs me the wrong way. Hence the one less star.

Review to come.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this authors other two books and wanted to read this one. I’d have to say this one is not as good as the others. I’m not sure if this was her first writing?

This is a love story, a fairly complicated one at that. Sarina is our main character, an up and coming professional who know her stuff when it comes to real estate and design and decorating. She currently has a boyfriend, Noah, whom she professes to love, but those tingles you experience when you truly love someone are not there. I seemed to think she was settling for something that she thought was true love. Settling for comfort. Plus Noah’s family are snooty and rude, upper class “yacht people” and she is always uncomfortable with them, especially when they try to tell her what to do with her life when she becomes a mother. Hell, she is not even engaged yet! But what comes out of Noah’s mouth is not very supportive of her thoughts and wishes and he sides with his family on a stay at home mom mentality. And this is where things really to go awry.

In the meantime, a one night stand long ago with a former Olympic swimmer remains in Sarina’s backing mind. After their one night together, he left and she doesn’t know why he left. She takes this very personally.
Now Eamon shows up in Austin and flames rekindle. Sarina is hired by Eamon to find a house with property to rehab and decorate for him. They spend a lot of time together. Noah is away on a business trip overseas.
Hmmm, where is this going?

Not to spoil the story for you, but Sarina is a very conflicted individual personally. She’s not sure what she wants. She’s not sure what she’s feeling. She inserts herself in situations that she should not be going into. She knows damn well what she’s doing or how it looks. Everyone else notices and calls her on it. Yet she does it anyway. She gravitates back and forth. Yes, no, maybe. Maybe, no, yes. What do I do??? She hurts several people deeply along the way.

In time and at the end, she gets there/figures it out, however, I did not care for the way she handled herself or her thought processes. She was an excellent designer and businesswoman, but poor at realizing her true personal feelings and actions. I’m still not sure she did the right thing in the end, but that’s just me talking. Eamon was rather manipulative of her - he knew damn well what he was doing, too. So this all was rather conflicting and dysfunctional.

I think I’d walk away from both Noah and Eamon.

I’d like to see where Sarina is five years from now. Is she truly happy? Is she the CEO of her business aspirations? Did she get married and lives happily ever in Austin? Is she a stay at home Mom? Does her partner support her 100% both personally and professionally? Did she make peace with the death of her beloved mother and stepfather?
Did she make the right choices in the end?
Did she find her true love? More importantly, did she find her true self? Because first and foremost, that’s what was the most important.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming book I gobbled up in one sitting on a plane. I have an ARC, which doesn't have the final (amazing) cover art, so I was going to say that it is perfect for Emily Giffin fans (but even better ;) ). Then I see that Emily Giffin has a blurb on the cover! Perfect match! In this, protagonist Sarina is an about-to-be married architect who ends up working on a project with an ex. While this might sounds like standard fare, what sets this book apart is the sharp, funny writing, the Austin setting (love when an author ventures outside of the typical New York!), the delicious descriptions of homes and interiors (descriptions of the Blue Ridge Mountains are also spectacular), and perhaps, most of all, the beautiful, moving relationship between Sarina and her stepfather. It is so refreshing to read something where the main character does have some "pain" from her childhood but it's not because her parents were negligent or selfish jerks. Their relationship is such a highlight of the book. On top of this, I love how important Sarina's career is to her...it's not a sideshow as it is in most books of this genre. Overall wonderfully executed and just plain fun to read.

[Mary Kubica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply can't say enough good things about this book. The characters are absorbing, the story is fresh and unique. I couldn't put it down. Bethany Chase is a master of words, and her descriptions of characters, settings and emotions are lush and palpable. THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY will have readers swooning. Sweet, sentimental and steamy all rolled into one. Not one to miss!

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Every woman has one. That name you Google at two o'clock in the morning. That intoxicating connection that somehow never solidified into anything real...."

This book starts out SO good and then peters out somewhat by the end. Still, it's a fun ride and will leave a smile on your face.

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Love triangle, cheating and superfluous comparisons abound. So not the book for me.

[Megan • Reading Books Like a Boss (book blog) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The opening lines of this book totally pulled me in...

Every woman has one. That name you Google at two o'clock in the morning. That intoxicating connection that somehow never solidified into anything real; that particular memory you still visit every now and then, for that guaranteed hit of pure, sugar-packed dopamine. It's the story that starts with "There was this one time" and ends, reluctantly, with "but I guess..."

Sarina is an up and coming architect in artsy Austin. On the cusp of success career-wise, she feels content with her job and her relationship with her boyfriend Noah, who is thousand of miles away for work. None of the projects she has done could have prepared her for her next job involving "the One." Sarina's "one that got away" is Eamon Roy. After a one night stand and one hell of a connection, Eamon disappears, leaving Sarina heartbroken and feeling silly for envisioning him anything more than a one time thing. Now he's back in town and he wants her to remodel and design his new house — a job that will take well over a year. She doesn't plan on his presence awakening her heart.

What I really liked about this book is its premise. The idea that you get a second chance with that "one" from your past. An opportunity for a do over. That small minuscule possibility that this person may feel something for you. Sarina's emotions were all over the place and rightfully so. Eamon's arrival shook up her whole world, leading her to ask herself some pretty important questions: Do I like him? Does he like me? Why did he leave? What should I do? But I love Noah...Noah...Noah. What do I want?

While there is romance in this book, it's more of a journey of self-discovery for Sarina. Not only is she faced with making big relationship choices, she must has to decide what she wants out of life, what is important to her.

I had a hard time being fully connected to Sarina and Eamon as a couple. The author presents Eamon as a swoon worthy, funny, sweet, and kind guy. He and Sarina have the same sense of humor and are like-minded. They are perfect for each other in a lot of ways, but I feel like I needed more time with them to see their connection instead of connecting the dots for myself. Also, towards the end of the book, there was a lot of contrived back and forth between Eamon and Sarina. Some of Eamon's behavior towards the end was very contrary to his supposed feelings for her, especially considering what he had asked of her. I'm all for characters making mistakes, but what his actions seemed out of character.

I would recommend this book to someone looking for a sweet second-chance romance and thread of self-discovery. I definitely look forward to reading about Eamon's brother, Colin, and Hillary in the next book!

* I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars




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[Stephanie Tibbs · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

"And suddenly, I think of Noah and how much he hurt me, and the fact that, even after he promised me we'd work together to sort out the issue of kids, he still just assumed I'd do what he wants. And then through a convoluted and self-serving mathematical equation inside my head, Noah hurting me somehow equates to me being entitled to spend the night sleeping in a bed next to the only man I've ever wanted more than him. "

No. Just no. Unfortunately this book was a huge disappointment. I can deal with characters I don't like. I can deal with flaws and characteristics that make these characters unlikeable or broken. In fact, some of my favorite books are my favorites for that exact reason. However, this was just not executed correctly. Sarina, the protagonist, who is supposedly around 30, behaves like she's in high school. This entire book read like a melodramatic soap opera with the main character being so self involved that they can't even see that their actions are unmerited. Oh you and your fiancé don't agree on the subject of kids? You haven't had "that" talk yet to figure out some compromise so this justifies you going and sleeping with a man you've only had a one night stand with over a decade ago because he just "understands" you? All while said fiancé is in South America for a few months and being the supportive partner that you are you go and work for that same one-night stand just to see how things would go? NO. This entire book was awful.

"I'm almost asleep when I realize I never called Eamon today, and I feel a flood of pure need. I have the impulse to punish myself by going to sleep without speaking to him; it's barely been a few hours since I ended things with Noah, and I feel guilty and mean putting in a call to one of the biggest reasons why. But I do it anyway."

HOURS. Mere hours after breaking your fiancé's heart and you feel "a flood of pure need." I'm sorry that doesn't sound like love to me that just sounds like you can't keep it in your pants.


If the writing had at least compensated for the lack of an original story line I might have given this a higher rating but alas, I just wasted a few days and brain cells.

"And god, I miss him. Miss his Bambi eyes and his cute little overbite and his beautiful smile, miss the familiar sound of his voice on the phone, his incessant teasing."

BAMBI EYES? OVERBITE?...

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SO sexy!

[Stefanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welp, I have a new favorite adult author. This book was perfect. I loved Sarina, I loved Eamon, I loved Sarina's ridiculous cat and her insane troupe of delightful friends. I loved the way that Sarina grew, treated her friends well, and was always her own person, no matter what was happening in her love life. This book made me cry and it made me swoon.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://www.chicklitcentral.com/2015/0...

[Jamie Rosenblit · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⬆️ to 4. This was the first Bethany Chase of mine and I'm curious to read Results May Vary now! I finished a very heavy book earlier and needed something lighter in between. This was the perfect choice. The first 75% I was absolutely hooked, speed reading and devouring. After that, things got a little overly saccharine, but I still really enjoyed.

[Christina (Ensconced in Lit) · Rating 4 out of 5]

After blazing through and loving Results May Vary, I immediately went and picked up Chase's first book. I was not disappointed.

The One That Got Away by Bethany Chase stars Sarina, who is a fiercely intelligent and driven architect (by the way, this was one of my favorite parts of the novel), and is almost engaged to a wonderful man, Noah. But an old flame from the past, Eamon, reappears when Noah is gone on a long extended business trip, and Sarina starts to realize that perhaps her perfect relationship is not so perfect after all.

The writing I grew to love in Results May Vary is great here as well. And Sarina is a terrific, strong protagonist just like her counterpart Caroline. Eamon is smoking hot, and Noah is the sad, third wheel who is kind, but rather boring. I absolutely loved the fact Sarina was an architect and that she was driven to build a business for herself. She was obviously talented, and I loved the descriptions of how she designed her projects. There was one particular part of the book, which was my favorite, where she takes a random trip and it really changes things for her. I enjoyed reading about her and Eamon together, they were a sizzling couple from start to finish, and Danny and her stepfather John among others were entertaining secondary characters. Also, this book hit a very personal note, which made it that more poignant to me. Before I met my husband, I was in a relationship with a guy who told me after years of dating that he wanted a wife who didn't have a career and would stay at home with the kids. It was clear I was not that woman, and maybe it was in the heat of the moment, but I was devastated. It's difficult already in this cultural climate to have a career as a woman, but to have someone so close to me tell me something like that really rocked my world. So I could completely empathize and understand what Sarina was going through. And ultimately, I couldn't stop reading this book and read it in one sitting just like Results May Vary.

A couple of personal issues (MINOR SPOILER ALERT): I don't like to read about people that think about cheating or cheat, and regardless of the circumstances, I'm not thrilled about it. I would especially think someone in their 30s to get a clue and realize there is something wrong with the relationship she is currently in if she can only think about another guy (but then again this is probably realistic thinking about the affair/divorce statistics). That said, Chase makes it a bit more palatable the way it all turns out in the end but I wish it were more of a conscious decision. I'm also not thrilled how Eamon totally pursues her even though she's practically engaged. That seems like a huge red flag for me, especially when Sarina very accurately points out that he likes to win and is a major competitor.

Overall, a fast read with a fun, flirty and sizzling romance, but even more, a wonderful woman power book in which a talented, driven woman can succeed.

[Huiyee · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the worst. This book is the reason why so many women in their 30s act like self-absorbed high school girls.
Like me summarize the book for you:
Sarina has been dating boyfriend Noah for 4 years.
Noah will be working half across the world for ONE year. Sarina's former one night stand comes back to the city she is staying in.
Sarina is STILL physically attracted to her former fling Eamon who is also a national athlete (even though its been 8 years since she last saw him). She tries to rationalize their awkward relationship and define it as strictly "business" so that she can spend more time with him (like sleeping with him in bed, going furniture shopping with a 'client').
She avoids and misses calls with her boyfriend Noah (sometimes even on purpose). When her bf starts suggesting that she have children and stop working, she used it as an excuse to further distant herself from him (how could he assume I would stop working??!!!).
After her stepdad died, she decided it was time to breakup with Noah (nothing says "shitty novel" like a badly timed breakup). And merely hours after breaking up, she had a deep "need" to be with Eamon.
While rushing back to Eamon's place, she finds that Eamon is sleeping with someone else (hey, you cant expect a man to be celibate).
She doesnt walk into the house. Instead she runs away and goes cold on him (hello, you are a 31 year old adult for christ's sake). A month later they talk (yell) it out after drinking too much alcohol. He made it seem like it was totally fine to sleep with someone else since Sarina kept pushing him away (her stepdad just died. of course she is not in the mood to talk!) Instead of him apologizing to her, she starts apologizing to Eamon for not being open enough and forgave him for sleeping with some other chick (while telling her he is in love with her).
This is the reason why so many adult women live in their romantic fantasy world and fail so hard at spotting manipulative bastards.

[MM Finck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chase may be a new voice on the scene, but she will most assuredly be a long-running one. The Austin/SXSW setting was perfect. Sarina, Eamon, and Noah were utterly human. Flawed and magnetic. I felt everything Sarina felt. The dilemma of being a talented, ambitious woman with a career she is killing herself to build, butting up against convention and her own desire for children and a husband hit me very close to home - which is a good thing. Chase wrote this woman so expertly that I felt that I was her. I too loved Noah. I too relaxed into myself with Eamon. The narrative line of Sarina's mother and stepfather John drew on another emotional level that was equally compelling. The love scenes too were crazy-hot. Perfectly drawn. I couldn't be more thrilled that Sarina and others will be living on in her next novel. I will be recommending this book to anyone within hearing distance for a year to come.
*** read as an ARC. review posted with permission from the publisher. ***

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

well, wasn't that just lovely.

[Ilariafiamma · Rating 1 out of 5]

Soporifero.

[Estelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I could not put this one down. Thoughtful, fun, and full of crazy tension. Plus it was set in Austin. So much to love.

--- complete thoughts first posted on Rather Be Reading Blog.

Sarina. She’s hungry two hours after she eats. (I can relate.) She’s creative. She is protective of her independence. She’s also completely confused about her path, and I don’t blame her. How many times have we made the safe choice that makes us somewhat happy because we are too scared, too apprehensive to switch gears even if it means the possibility of extreme happiness? Too many times to count, I’m sure.

Here we have Sarina perfectly content with her relationship (even if it’s mostly long distance right now) and diving head first into her new business, trying to make a name for herself. She has great friends, a cat who loves her, and yet when Eamon comes back into her life — a guy she had such a connection with years ago but never called her after their night together — something shifts. I don’t for one second think that Eamon is the sole reason why she started questioning the way her life was going. The catalyst would have come sooner or later. Maybe, just maybe, there is more to the life she has carefully crafted for herself.

From the very beginning, the chemistry between Sarina and Eamon is off the charts but I have to give my girl some credit — she has self-control. Sure, many of her thoughts revolve around him, she loves spending time with him, but the boundaries don’t exactly breakdown like they could have. (Like I’ve seen them do so in other books.) Instead, Sarina and Eamon build a professional relationship (she’s helping him fix up a house), laugh together, and slowly begin to lean on each other. At the same time, Sarina deeply cares about her boyfriend and doesn’t foresee ending things with him. She throws herself into work, skypes with the boyfriend, visits with her beloved stepdad, and silently obsesses over Eamon until she realizes things can’t remain the same anymore.

Does her partner understand her? Is her business going in the direction she wants it to? Should she have to choose between her career and the kids she doesn’t have yet? Will she ever stop mourning her mother’s death? Is she scared of being happy? Of being honest with herself? Debut author Bethany Chase attacks each of these questions thoughtfully, peppered with humor and sexy moments. Halfway through, the ache associated with ending a book was already (!!) setting in. I already knew it would be hard to leave Sarina, her Austin, these friends, and her journey. That feeling is so heartbreaking but, at the same time, that’s how you know a book is special, right?

The One That Got Away covered a larger expanse of time then I imagined it would, and Sarina was constantly surprising me. Ice cream in bed, road trips, sweet supporting characters, late night drinking, and the promise of rustic home decor mixed in with all those difficult, big kid moments we hate to deal with — I am a solid supporter of this novel and can’t wait to check out what Bethany is cooking up next.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars

The One That Got Away is a Chick Lit/Adult contemporary romance.

The narrator is Sarina a 31 year old woman who has her own architecture business in Austin Texas. Danny is her funny/gay roommate. She is almost engaged to Noah (who is working out of town).

The premise of the story is that 7 years before she had a fling with Danny's good friend swimming star Eamon.

Now Noah is out of town and Eamon is moving back to Austin. And he wants to hire Sarina for a project.

One thing I wish the author did was tell the reader how to pronounce Eamon. I enjoy unusual names. But I strongly dislike if I am not sure how to pronounce a name. I could not figure out if it was A-mon or Ee-mon (like Easter).

I actually really enjoyed this book even more than I thought I would like it. The blurb sounded interesting. But the book had the right balance of heartbreak, sadness, and funny banter. If you enjoy Chick Lit then the book is engaging and enjoyable.

There were quite a few original aspects to the story. First Eamon was a former Olympic swimmer. I absolutely loved this. My niece is a competitive swimmer so I really enjoyed hearing all of the details that pertained to swimming.

Also Sarina was an architect. I loved this! She was so good at her job. What a fantastic occupation for a female narrator. I loved learning everything about what she did. It was fascinating.

There is one part of the book that I can't decide if I liked or not: the leaps in time. It's not uncommon for a book to go forward a few weeks, but often it is mentioned as "six weeks later". In The One That Got Away there were numerous leaps in time and the reader just had to figure it out and follow along.

I enjoyed many of the characters especially Sarina, Eamon and Danny. I know that books have to have conflict. And I respect that Danny did not pick sides (with his friendships with Eamon and Sarina). However, I think that so many of the problems in this story could have been avoided if Danny had talked to both Sarina and Eamon.

Because I tend not to read the full book description (I dislike book spoilers and find that often the book blurbs give too much detail) the book took a very unexpected turn for me. I think I was expecting the book to be a fairly light read. But there were definitely some aspects that made me cry.

The One That Got Away is a wonderful title that really gets to the point of what the book is about. I am sure that many people can relate to the idea of someone that they dated that got away. It was this intriguing concept that drew me to this book. And I must say that I was not disappointed. This book was excellent for a debut novel. I cannot say enough good things about it. Definitely a surprising and engaging novel.





Thanks to Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine books and edelweiss for allowing me to read this e-book.

[Jaime Arkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The One That Got Away magically appeared on my doorstep courtesy of Ballentine Books, and while the summary sounded interesting I added it to my to be read pile, but thought I’d get to it when I could.

Then I saw the lovely Ginger at GReads raving about it, and I know she and I have similar tastes in adult fiction so I bumped it up the list and I’m incredibly happy I did so.

Every woman has one. That name you Google at two o’clock in the morning. That intoxicating connection that somehow never solidified into anything real; that particular memory you still visit every now and then, for that guaranteed hit of pure, sugar-packed dopamine. It’s that story that starts with “There was this one time” and ends, reluctantly, with “but I guess…”

The One That Got Away is Sarina Mahler’s story. She has amazing friends, she’s in a wonderful relationship with her boyfriend Noah, and she owns her own architecture business that is just starting to take off.

But when Eamon Roy, the now retired Olympic swimmer she used to have a thing for, shows back up and wants to hire her to help remodel his new home, she suddenly begins to question everything she has planned for future. I don’t want to make you think that Eamon is the only reason behind Sarina’s reevaluating her life, because he is only one part of the story. There’s more here than just a chance at rekindling a romance.

I love YA books you guys… you know this, but I honestly love when I can find women’s fiction that I just absolutely fall for, and this was one of those books. I love being able to relate to characters that have experienced a bit of life already, and Bethany Chase does an amazing job creating that.

From the plot to the characters to the use of one of my favorite tropes, I really just absolutely loved this. There were a few things that kind of bugged me a bit… I feel like some of the drama could have been alleviated if Sarina and Eamon had had a conversation, but overall this story just was a wonderful read.

Chase creates a charming story of second chances, loss and love, filled with romantic, sexy and sweet moments… exactly what I was looking for when I picked it up!

Definitely grab this one if you’re looking for something in the women’s fiction genre, with a strong voice and wonderful writing.