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Καλή δουλειά; Έγινε. Αγορά σπιτιού; Έγινε.
Η λίστα με τα πράγματα που θέλει να πετύχει η Ίβι μικραίνει, και η ζωή της βρίσκεται σε πολύ καλό δρόμο. Τι της λείπει; Ένας ενδιαφέρων άντρας για να ταράξει τα νερά.
Απόμακρος, σέξι, και με τους δικούς του δαίμονες, ο Λόγκαν Μπλακ είναι και με το παραπάνω ενδιαφέρων. Αλλά πριν λίγα χρόνια δεν τάραξε απλώς τα νερά, ταρακούνησε όλο τον κόσμο της Ίβι. Του έδωσε τα πάντα -κι εκείνος δεν ήξερε πότε να σταματήσει να παίρνει ...
Αυτή τη φορά η Ίβι δεν πρόκειται να ξανακάνει το ίδιο λάθος. Αλλά αυτό δεν σημαίνει ότι έχει ξεχάσει πως είναι να παραδίνεσαι σ' έναν άντρα σαν τον Λόγκαν. Και να υποκύπτεις στις πιο σκοτεινές -και τόσο απολαυστικές- επιθυμίες του ...
Καλή δουλειά; Έγινε. Αγορά σπιτιού; Έγινε.
Η λίστα με τα πράγματα που θέλει να πετύχει η Ίβι μικραίνει, και η ζωή της βρίσκεται σε πολύ καλό δρόμο. Τι της λείπει; Ένας ενδιαφέρων άντρας για να ταράξει τα νερά.
Απόμακρος, σέξι, και με τους δικούς του δαίμονες, ο Λόγκαν Μπλακ είναι και με το παραπάνω ενδιαφέρων. Αλλά πριν λίγα χρόνια δεν τάραξε απλώς τα νερά, ταρακούνησε όλο τον κόσμο της Ίβι. Του έδωσε τα πάντα -κι εκείνος δεν ήξερε πότε να σταματήσει να παίρνει ...
Αυτή τη φορά η Ίβι δεν πρόκειται να ξανακάνει το ίδιο λάθος. Αλλά αυτό δεν σημαίνει ότι έχει ξεχάσει πως είναι να παραδίνεσαι σ' έναν άντρα σαν τον Λόγκαν. Και να υποκύπτεις στις πιο σκοτεινές -και τόσο απολαυστικές- επιθυμίες του ...
160 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2014
44 people are currently reading
1496 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Hunter
288 books424 followersAustralian born Kelly Hunter is a three time Romance Writers of America Rita finalist, a USA Today Bestselling author and loves writing to the demands of the short category romance form.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
January 20, 2013
4.5 stars
Evie and her business partner, Max, have a problem. They need 10 million dollars to jumpstart a building project that is perfect. Now, the problem is that they simply don't have it. But what Max does have is a trust fund that he will come into when he turns 30 (which is 2 years away) or when he gets married. Since they need the money rather desperately, they come up with a plan - simply get married, use the money, and then divorce after two years. Best laid plans and all that... :D
You see, there is a problem. When Evie meets Max's older brother Logan she realizes that Logan is the man she had a flaming one week affair more than 10 years ago. Obviously, that is quite a glitch. An even bigger problem - she never really got over him. The way they ended things wasn't good. And the attraction is as strong as ever. All of them need to decide how to proceed, because denying their feelings sure won't be easy.
A great book. Evie and Logan make a beautiful couple who deserves to be happy. I really liked them both. Evie is a strong woman willing to fight for what she wants, but still a part of her is unwilling to sacrifice major parts of herself so that she could be with Logan. Logan, for his part is emotionally scarred by his childhood. He doesn't want to care for anybody, because then they have the means to hurt him. But resisting Evie proves to be impossible. :D
While they were some parts when the feelings ran too high, it is still really well drawn with amazing characters that drew me in and refused to let me go.
The other characters are great as well. Especially Max and Kit.
One thing I really don't get is the cover. The story is not really light and fluffy. And what's with the balloons? Something a bit more darker would fit better, and wouldn't trick the reader into believing that it's an easy and light story.
All in all, a great read from Ms. Hunter. It affirmed her place on my list of Harlequin writers whose books I truly enjoy. :D
ARC received from Harlequin via NetGalley
Evie and her business partner, Max, have a problem. They need 10 million dollars to jumpstart a building project that is perfect. Now, the problem is that they simply don't have it. But what Max does have is a trust fund that he will come into when he turns 30 (which is 2 years away) or when he gets married. Since they need the money rather desperately, they come up with a plan - simply get married, use the money, and then divorce after two years. Best laid plans and all that... :D
You see, there is a problem. When Evie meets Max's older brother Logan she realizes that Logan is the man she had a flaming one week affair more than 10 years ago. Obviously, that is quite a glitch. An even bigger problem - she never really got over him. The way they ended things wasn't good. And the attraction is as strong as ever. All of them need to decide how to proceed, because denying their feelings sure won't be easy.
A great book. Evie and Logan make a beautiful couple who deserves to be happy. I really liked them both. Evie is a strong woman willing to fight for what she wants, but still a part of her is unwilling to sacrifice major parts of herself so that she could be with Logan. Logan, for his part is emotionally scarred by his childhood. He doesn't want to care for anybody, because then they have the means to hurt him. But resisting Evie proves to be impossible. :D
While they were some parts when the feelings ran too high, it is still really well drawn with amazing characters that drew me in and refused to let me go.
The other characters are great as well. Especially Max and Kit.
One thing I really don't get is the cover. The story is not really light and fluffy. And what's with the balloons? Something a bit more darker would fit better, and wouldn't trick the reader into believing that it's an easy and light story.
All in all, a great read from Ms. Hunter. It affirmed her place on my list of Harlequin writers whose books I truly enjoy. :D
ARC received from Harlequin via NetGalley
February 19, 2015
.5/5 Malleable Stars
That was one hell of a boring book.
Every word is like a pit stop that's begging for me to take a fuckin break. Even the sex scene was boring.
Okay, um. Let's just dig into the characters. First Evie/Angie/Evangeline is a former sex submissive. And her Dom? Is her business partner's brother Logan.
Logan and Evie shared a weekend, best and worst weekend as Evie described it. I hated the fact that she kept on saying that she had change but she kept on throwing herself on Logan. (If she wasn't, well she seemed to me that she was)
Logan on the other hand, is a broken hero. Yeah cliche much on the abusive father. But what pissed me off is the nonexistent amount of grovelling he did. He's unapologetic and Evie's just feeding his ego more..
I'm to read a pair much unsuitable than this two. It took them one conversation to decided that they still have feelings with each other which sucks because all they did was romp and fuck before.
This is my first Kelly Hunter ride and I hope the other's are much better that this.
P.S Cover's good!.
Evangeline "Evie" Jones
Logan Carmichael
That was one hell of a boring book.
Every word is like a pit stop that's begging for me to take a fuckin break. Even the sex scene was boring.
Okay, um. Let's just dig into the characters. First Evie/Angie/Evangeline is a former sex submissive. And her Dom? Is her business partner's brother Logan.
Logan and Evie shared a weekend, best and worst weekend as Evie described it. I hated the fact that she kept on saying that she had change but she kept on throwing herself on Logan. (If she wasn't, well she seemed to me that she was)
Logan on the other hand, is a broken hero. Yeah cliche much on the abusive father. But what pissed me off is the nonexistent amount of grovelling he did. He's unapologetic and Evie's just feeding his ego more..
I'm to read a pair much unsuitable than this two. It took them one conversation to decided that they still have feelings with each other which sucks because all they did was romp and fuck before.
This is my first Kelly Hunter ride and I hope the other's are much better that this.
P.S Cover's good!.
February 26, 2013
I'm huge fan of Kelly Hunter's romances and this book is no exception.
Like the finest chocolate, it's rich, intense and satisfying.
I love a bad boy tortured hero and Logan is one of the best.
Could barely put it down.
Like the finest chocolate, it's rich, intense and satisfying.
I love a bad boy tortured hero and Logan is one of the best.
Could barely put it down.
January 3, 2013
3.5 stars
Let me start off this review by saying what a horrible disservice the cover art team at Harlequin did for this book. A happy-go-lucky couple on a beach with...balloons?? Even from the summary, I went into this expecting something so completely off from what I got that it was jarring.
This is not light-hearted. This is not fun. This is not a happy-go-lucky couple that smiles all the time and enjoys snuggling on the beach and flying balloons.
This is a story about pain. And demons. And fear and strength and finding your way when you didn't think you could. It's a struggle.
Did you get that from the cover?
After the initial shock wore off, I was able to really get into the bones of this story. Evie was a great heroine. I enjoyed her sass and her strength. And Logan. Now this was an example where an author walked that fine line of Alpha hero without pushing him over to controlling asshole. Logan hovered over it, let me tell you, but in my mind, he stayed on the still-lovable side of it.
And then we had the secondary characters. Max and Kit and even Caroline all came to life without taking away from the story of Evie and Logan. She balanced them all nicely that gave us a reprieve from the H/h when necessary, but wasn't so much that the reader is left wondering when we'll get time with the couple again.
Besides the misleading cover, there were some other issues I had with the book. For one thing, there wasn't a definite arc, to me. When we had the big climax, it lasted for about three sentences. It was over so fast, it can't even be considered an arc in my mind. The story just sort of ambled, and though I liked where it ambled to, that still doesn't give it a free pass. Second, and I think a great deal of this has to do with this being Australian, but it was very very hard to read. There were excessive dialogue tags and first and last names mentioned constantly when talking about people we'd met fifty times before. And finally, I'm not sure if it's this author's writing style or the fact that the complete edits haven't been done, but their were heaps of sentences that needed things like commas and periods. I get when an author does a sort of stream of consciousness thing, and that's fine. Sometimes. But when it takes a life of its own and detracts from the story, it's too much.
The ending in this left me with a big smile on my face. I wished we'd gotten to see more of that easy-going, happy, romantic Logan through the entire book, but I also know why we didn't.
All in all, this was a good book, though don't be tricked by the cover. This isn't your typical fluffy CR. This has grit.
Let me start off this review by saying what a horrible disservice the cover art team at Harlequin did for this book. A happy-go-lucky couple on a beach with...balloons?? Even from the summary, I went into this expecting something so completely off from what I got that it was jarring.
This is not light-hearted. This is not fun. This is not a happy-go-lucky couple that smiles all the time and enjoys snuggling on the beach and flying balloons.
This is a story about pain. And demons. And fear and strength and finding your way when you didn't think you could. It's a struggle.
Did you get that from the cover?
After the initial shock wore off, I was able to really get into the bones of this story. Evie was a great heroine. I enjoyed her sass and her strength. And Logan. Now this was an example where an author walked that fine line of Alpha hero without pushing him over to controlling asshole. Logan hovered over it, let me tell you, but in my mind, he stayed on the still-lovable side of it.
And then we had the secondary characters. Max and Kit and even Caroline all came to life without taking away from the story of Evie and Logan. She balanced them all nicely that gave us a reprieve from the H/h when necessary, but wasn't so much that the reader is left wondering when we'll get time with the couple again.
Besides the misleading cover, there were some other issues I had with the book. For one thing, there wasn't a definite arc, to me. When we had the big climax, it lasted for about three sentences. It was over so fast, it can't even be considered an arc in my mind. The story just sort of ambled, and though I liked where it ambled to, that still doesn't give it a free pass. Second, and I think a great deal of this has to do with this being Australian, but it was very very hard to read. There were excessive dialogue tags and first and last names mentioned constantly when talking about people we'd met fifty times before. And finally, I'm not sure if it's this author's writing style or the fact that the complete edits haven't been done, but their were heaps of sentences that needed things like commas and periods. I get when an author does a sort of stream of consciousness thing, and that's fine. Sometimes. But when it takes a life of its own and detracts from the story, it's too much.
The ending in this left me with a big smile on my face. I wished we'd gotten to see more of that easy-going, happy, romantic Logan through the entire book, but I also know why we didn't.
All in all, this was a good book, though don't be tricked by the cover. This isn't your typical fluffy CR. This has grit.
February 11, 2013
I love Kelly Hunter. This one was nice but not her best. She took a risk here I think by skirting around the issue of domination and submission. These two had had a relationship 10 years before the book starts that was evidently of this nature and they broke up because the hero couldn't handle finding out that he was "into" that type of sex. He was afraid he would turn abusive like his father. The heroine was naturally submissive but here it is ten years later and she's learned to stand up for herself.
They meet when the heroine who owns a business with the hero's brother enters into a pretend engagement with that business partner/hero's brother and they realize they've met before.
The majority of the tension comes from the hero not wanting to get involved because he is afraid he'll be abusive since he still feels the same about her. She has to prove that she's strong enough now not to let him dominate her anywhere but the bedroom.
Ultimately the thing that kept it from rating higher with me was the lack of conflict and tension towards the end. The conflict just seemed to peter out rather than coming to a climax and then being resolved.
The sex scenes were well done though and very hot. Not a light and fluffy read and I don't think it necessarily fits what Harlequin has stated this new KISS line will be about.
I'm still a Kelly Hunter fan...
They meet when the heroine who owns a business with the hero's brother enters into a pretend engagement with that business partner/hero's brother and they realize they've met before.
The majority of the tension comes from the hero not wanting to get involved because he is afraid he'll be abusive since he still feels the same about her. She has to prove that she's strong enough now not to let him dominate her anywhere but the bedroom.
Ultimately the thing that kept it from rating higher with me was the lack of conflict and tension towards the end. The conflict just seemed to peter out rather than coming to a climax and then being resolved.
The sex scenes were well done though and very hot. Not a light and fluffy read and I don't think it necessarily fits what Harlequin has stated this new KISS line will be about.
I'm still a Kelly Hunter fan...
June 22, 2023
3.5. I've caught a couple by this author and her writing and dialogue is definitely whip smart. And I use the word whip advisedly here. Did quite a few blinks in the early stages of this romance because for a HP the BDSM element was pretty candid. Maybe a little unrealistically candid - not sure I'd be up for the kind of dinner table conversation which the h, Evie has with the mother of the two brothers Logan (our rough sex giving Dom H) and Matt (h's friend and business partner) in which she confesses that she and Logan had previously met when their violent sex games had put her in hospital. Or words to that effect. A little pause here to bow an apologetic head to Violet Winspear et al, who had to be a lot more discreet and would be either electrifyingly excited by this modernity or utterly horrified. Turns out a DV past has left a lot of scars and Evie has just the tastes and emotional intelligence to help them heal. It was certainly different to the usual and if you like the rough, painful sex stuff you'll find more of it in this than your average HP (although it's possible it's allover the more modern ones that I seldom read, and we aren't exactly in KU territory).
That sweet and cutesy cover is stunningly inappropriate as ever 😂
That sweet and cutesy cover is stunningly inappropriate as ever 😂
December 16, 2012
Evie’s life is going rather well at the moment. She and her friend Matt are running a very successful business, she’s bought her own house and they’ve just put in for a big tender. The only problem is they need capital due to the way the contract is structured.
Fortunately, Matt is the heir to quite a substantial fortune. Unfortunately, he either has to get married or wait two more years until he comes into his fifty million dollars. He proposes that he and Evie have a marriage of convenience in order to secure the funds they need to begin the big project, should they be granted the contract. Evie needs some convincing but eventually she sees the merit in the idea – neither of them are attached. Matt has a succession of partners that never last long and Evie can’t forget the one week she spent with a man nearly ten years ago.
When Matt takes her to Melbourne to introduce her to his mother and announce their engagement, a spanner is thrown in the works in the way of Matt’s older half-brother Logan, who just happens to be the man Evie spent that week with all those years ago, when she was going by the name Angie. It was one of the most intense experiences of her life and the hardest thing she ever did was walk away when it got to be too much. She hasn’t seen him since and she had no idea that he was Matt’s brother.
Logan hasn’t been able to forget her either. Angie, now Evie, made him lose control and do things that he didn’t think he’d ever do, things that he’s not very comfortable with. He doesn’t want to be anything like his abusive father but Evie gave him so much and all he could do was keep taking. He can’t face the thought of her being engaged to his brother – he still wants her.
Logan and Evie are both older now and maybe this time around they’ll be able to better deal with the blistering chemistry between them that pushes all their boundaries…. Evie isn’t sure she would survive if it were to fall apart again.
I’ve never read Kelly Hunter before but I do know romance readers who absolutely rave about her books. This is one of the Harlequin KISS titles and I was very much looking forward to reading it and discovering what Hunter was like. I have to say that the cover for this one is fairly terrible. It does not reflect the story at all and it’s pretty misleadng. It looks like some happy, fluffy romance and that’s not exactly what you get. What you get in this novel is quite a lot of personal and familial angst.
Logan is quite the tortured soul. Ten years ago in another country, he and Evie (short for Evangeline, and she was calling herself Angie at the time) had one week of intense passion that culminated in them breaking a table and Angie injuring her head. This triggered some severe warning bells for Logan, who was the product of a dangerous, abusive man. Logan has a temper that he keeps tightly reined in so as not to become that man and he struggled with just how far he went during that week with Angie.
When Logan is confronted with Angie, now Evie again, the old feelings resurface and he cannot support the sham marriage. He still wants Evie and at first he attempts to give Matt the money he needs for the start-up capital if Matt cuts Evie out of the business and it was pleasing to see that Matt was able to resist the dangle of dollars and refuse to cut out his business partner. It was a total douche move and when it didn’t work Logan seemed to basically switch to rekindling things with Evie. They live on opposite sides of the world and it becomes a relationship based on meeting up for crazy, consensual sex whenever Logan can fit a visit to Sydney into his schedule.
There were parts of this novel that I really enjoyed – the friendship between Matt and Evie, the character of Matt and Logan’s mother and her backstory, Evie herself. However there were other things that didn’t really work for me and I think that was the relationship of Evie and Logan. I don’t think the time they spent together 10 years ago was explored in enough detail to warrant such reactions in the present, it left the reader a bit out of the picture. Logan was very intense at times and sometimes it seemed to make sense and others it didn’t. I didn’t really connect with them as a couple trying to make it work and their struggle often seemed unnecessarily dramatic – manufacturing drama that really didn’t need to be there. Everyone is also excessively rich, which made it even more difficult to connect with their struggles.
This is an extraordinarily well written book but the character of Logan and his story just wasn’t something I got really caught up in.
Fortunately, Matt is the heir to quite a substantial fortune. Unfortunately, he either has to get married or wait two more years until he comes into his fifty million dollars. He proposes that he and Evie have a marriage of convenience in order to secure the funds they need to begin the big project, should they be granted the contract. Evie needs some convincing but eventually she sees the merit in the idea – neither of them are attached. Matt has a succession of partners that never last long and Evie can’t forget the one week she spent with a man nearly ten years ago.
When Matt takes her to Melbourne to introduce her to his mother and announce their engagement, a spanner is thrown in the works in the way of Matt’s older half-brother Logan, who just happens to be the man Evie spent that week with all those years ago, when she was going by the name Angie. It was one of the most intense experiences of her life and the hardest thing she ever did was walk away when it got to be too much. She hasn’t seen him since and she had no idea that he was Matt’s brother.
Logan hasn’t been able to forget her either. Angie, now Evie, made him lose control and do things that he didn’t think he’d ever do, things that he’s not very comfortable with. He doesn’t want to be anything like his abusive father but Evie gave him so much and all he could do was keep taking. He can’t face the thought of her being engaged to his brother – he still wants her.
Logan and Evie are both older now and maybe this time around they’ll be able to better deal with the blistering chemistry between them that pushes all their boundaries…. Evie isn’t sure she would survive if it were to fall apart again.
I’ve never read Kelly Hunter before but I do know romance readers who absolutely rave about her books. This is one of the Harlequin KISS titles and I was very much looking forward to reading it and discovering what Hunter was like. I have to say that the cover for this one is fairly terrible. It does not reflect the story at all and it’s pretty misleadng. It looks like some happy, fluffy romance and that’s not exactly what you get. What you get in this novel is quite a lot of personal and familial angst.
Logan is quite the tortured soul. Ten years ago in another country, he and Evie (short for Evangeline, and she was calling herself Angie at the time) had one week of intense passion that culminated in them breaking a table and Angie injuring her head. This triggered some severe warning bells for Logan, who was the product of a dangerous, abusive man. Logan has a temper that he keeps tightly reined in so as not to become that man and he struggled with just how far he went during that week with Angie.
When Logan is confronted with Angie, now Evie again, the old feelings resurface and he cannot support the sham marriage. He still wants Evie and at first he attempts to give Matt the money he needs for the start-up capital if Matt cuts Evie out of the business and it was pleasing to see that Matt was able to resist the dangle of dollars and refuse to cut out his business partner. It was a total douche move and when it didn’t work Logan seemed to basically switch to rekindling things with Evie. They live on opposite sides of the world and it becomes a relationship based on meeting up for crazy, consensual sex whenever Logan can fit a visit to Sydney into his schedule.
There were parts of this novel that I really enjoyed – the friendship between Matt and Evie, the character of Matt and Logan’s mother and her backstory, Evie herself. However there were other things that didn’t really work for me and I think that was the relationship of Evie and Logan. I don’t think the time they spent together 10 years ago was explored in enough detail to warrant such reactions in the present, it left the reader a bit out of the picture. Logan was very intense at times and sometimes it seemed to make sense and others it didn’t. I didn’t really connect with them as a couple trying to make it work and their struggle often seemed unnecessarily dramatic – manufacturing drama that really didn’t need to be there. Everyone is also excessively rich, which made it even more difficult to connect with their struggles.
This is an extraordinarily well written book but the character of Logan and his story just wasn’t something I got really caught up in.
January 26, 2013
Reviewed @ Enticed by Books
The One That Got Away is a book full of shocking surprises. Literally. The publishers marketed this book so wrongly, and it's unfair to the audience. The cover and premises of the book is completely misguided. The One That Got Away is not a happy, chocolates & balloons romantic book, it is much darker in a sense that the couple experiences D/S relationship. It's not graphic, but you know what happens when you read about the next morning scene explaining the after effects. And the premises stating "Leaving Logan was the hardest thing Evie's ever done" is wrong. The guy left her, not the other way around. Why giving out false & misleading information?
Once the initial shock wore off, I was very much into the story. It wasn't romantic, it was passionate, sexy and very hot. Logan likes to dominate, and Evie is the perfect match for him with her submissive nature. Like I said, their private moments were detailed, but you could still feel their undeniable sexual tension whether it was over at a casual dinner or just by being in the same room. I loved their chemistry, I was melting just by reading about it and that doesn't happen often. Logan has insecurities and doubts when it comes to relationship because his father was an abuser, so that's what Logan thought he was too. I ached for him, I wanted him to trust himself more, and look past the bad things to have a good future.
As for Evie, I don't have much to say about her. She was okay, nothing special, but I wished she didn't take her relationship with Logan lightly, and let him control everything. She shouldn't give in to easily, and I get that she wants the best for Logan, and doesn't want to upset him, but she should've done what she did in the ending way before that. I loved the first half of the book, it was sensual and very gripping, but the second half disappointed me a lot. The couple were still clueless of their feelings or maybe they didn't want to work through the problem, whatever it was, I was frustrated with it, and wanted to throw my kindle at the wall. It barely survived.
Overall, The One That Got Away was a very unexpected and exciting read for me. Logan is one of the most intriguing characters I've ever read, his fears were so real, and I've never thought about it that way. If the second half of the story would have been different & less frustrating, then this book would easily be a 5 star read, but things are not always right. I still liked it a lot, and if Max gets his own book, I would love to read it. Kelly Hunter has made me a fan of her work, and I'll be looking forward to her other books.
A Copy was provided by the Publisher and Netgalley for an honest review. (Thanks You!)
The One That Got Away is a book full of shocking surprises. Literally. The publishers marketed this book so wrongly, and it's unfair to the audience. The cover and premises of the book is completely misguided. The One That Got Away is not a happy, chocolates & balloons romantic book, it is much darker in a sense that the couple experiences D/S relationship. It's not graphic, but you know what happens when you read about the next morning scene explaining the after effects. And the premises stating "Leaving Logan was the hardest thing Evie's ever done" is wrong. The guy left her, not the other way around. Why giving out false & misleading information?
Once the initial shock wore off, I was very much into the story. It wasn't romantic, it was passionate, sexy and very hot. Logan likes to dominate, and Evie is the perfect match for him with her submissive nature. Like I said, their private moments were detailed, but you could still feel their undeniable sexual tension whether it was over at a casual dinner or just by being in the same room. I loved their chemistry, I was melting just by reading about it and that doesn't happen often. Logan has insecurities and doubts when it comes to relationship because his father was an abuser, so that's what Logan thought he was too. I ached for him, I wanted him to trust himself more, and look past the bad things to have a good future.
As for Evie, I don't have much to say about her. She was okay, nothing special, but I wished she didn't take her relationship with Logan lightly, and let him control everything. She shouldn't give in to easily, and I get that she wants the best for Logan, and doesn't want to upset him, but she should've done what she did in the ending way before that. I loved the first half of the book, it was sensual and very gripping, but the second half disappointed me a lot. The couple were still clueless of their feelings or maybe they didn't want to work through the problem, whatever it was, I was frustrated with it, and wanted to throw my kindle at the wall. It barely survived.
Overall, The One That Got Away was a very unexpected and exciting read for me. Logan is one of the most intriguing characters I've ever read, his fears were so real, and I've never thought about it that way. If the second half of the story would have been different & less frustrating, then this book would easily be a 5 star read, but things are not always right. I still liked it a lot, and if Max gets his own book, I would love to read it. Kelly Hunter has made me a fan of her work, and I'll be looking forward to her other books.
A Copy was provided by the Publisher and Netgalley for an honest review. (Thanks You!)
December 6, 2012
This was one seriously incredible read! I fell in love with the heartbroken and turmoil 'ed character of Logan,so much the man brought me to tears.
The author did a exquisite job at brining together the characters of Logan and Evie,two souls that are meant to be together yet there are demons from Logan's past that prevent him for letting go and finding happiness with the one woman that is his everything.
I loved how the author played with the erotic parts,letting me as reader pick up on the wild sex Logan and Evie share,but at the same time not giving me all the details which allowed me as reader to get that perfect balance between a Harlequin romance and a erotica book.
The characters were both strong and independent, and the turmoil of Logan's insecurities is what made the character of Evie such a delight to read about,she does not back down and is not afraid to push Logan for what she needs and for the man she knows he can be to come out of hiding. I adored reading how the author lets Evie draw Logan out from his shell of old entrapping memories.
The author used the somewhat clashing personalities of both characters,the erotic element and the troubles from the past to bring forth a story so breath takingly stunning and emotional, that it is one that will stay with me for a long time.
I particularly loved the fact that the author incorporated abuse into the book reminding me that this might as well be about real people as so many woman suffer at the hands of controlling and overbearing men that in the end it does severe scarring to the personalties of children who get caught up in the whole mess.
The book was a combination of erotica,romance and emotional upset combined with the message that we sometimes need to look deep within ourselves and find the right balance between love and control to make it work.
Excellent work Kelly!
"Between the line of pleasure and pain,there is love"
5/5 star review
The author did a exquisite job at brining together the characters of Logan and Evie,two souls that are meant to be together yet there are demons from Logan's past that prevent him for letting go and finding happiness with the one woman that is his everything.
I loved how the author played with the erotic parts,letting me as reader pick up on the wild sex Logan and Evie share,but at the same time not giving me all the details which allowed me as reader to get that perfect balance between a Harlequin romance and a erotica book.
The characters were both strong and independent, and the turmoil of Logan's insecurities is what made the character of Evie such a delight to read about,she does not back down and is not afraid to push Logan for what she needs and for the man she knows he can be to come out of hiding. I adored reading how the author lets Evie draw Logan out from his shell of old entrapping memories.
The author used the somewhat clashing personalities of both characters,the erotic element and the troubles from the past to bring forth a story so breath takingly stunning and emotional, that it is one that will stay with me for a long time.
I particularly loved the fact that the author incorporated abuse into the book reminding me that this might as well be about real people as so many woman suffer at the hands of controlling and overbearing men that in the end it does severe scarring to the personalties of children who get caught up in the whole mess.
The book was a combination of erotica,romance and emotional upset combined with the message that we sometimes need to look deep within ourselves and find the right balance between love and control to make it work.
Excellent work Kelly!
"Between the line of pleasure and pain,there is love"
5/5 star review
March 8, 2013
The cover gives the impression of light and breezy read. Which is deceptive. This book is more heavier and darker than Kelly Hunter usually writes.
Logan is a tortured hero. He lives in constant fear of turning out like his abusive father. He keeps everyone at arm length even his mother and half brother.
Evie is the only one to burrow under his skin and make him lose his self- control. Ten years ago, they had a wild fling - with him being too dominant and her being too submissive - but his loss of control freaked him out and he walked away without a second thought. But he has never been able to forget her. And neither has Evie. But in the intervening years she has become stronger and wiser.
Needless to say that meeting again, 10 y later, is a shocking surprise to both of them. Even so because she was about to get engaged to her business partner and friend, Max, who is also Logan's half brother. Sparks fly. Logan tries - but fails - to resist their ever lasting attraction. But Evie is one hell of a heroine. She is more than a match to Logan. She has the strength of character, the patience and - more important - the love to help Logan fight his own demons and see that he is nothing like his father.
Logan is a tortured hero. He lives in constant fear of turning out like his abusive father. He keeps everyone at arm length even his mother and half brother.
Evie is the only one to burrow under his skin and make him lose his self- control. Ten years ago, they had a wild fling - with him being too dominant and her being too submissive - but his loss of control freaked him out and he walked away without a second thought. But he has never been able to forget her. And neither has Evie. But in the intervening years she has become stronger and wiser.
Needless to say that meeting again, 10 y later, is a shocking surprise to both of them. Even so because she was about to get engaged to her business partner and friend, Max, who is also Logan's half brother. Sparks fly. Logan tries - but fails - to resist their ever lasting attraction. But Evie is one hell of a heroine. She is more than a match to Logan. She has the strength of character, the patience and - more important - the love to help Logan fight his own demons and see that he is nothing like his father.
March 12, 2013
I would give this 3.5 stars. As others have mentioned, the cover was extremely deceptive. From everything I've heard, the Kiss line is fun & flirty. This was a good book but hardly fun & flirty. The hero is very dark and tortured and while the sex scenes are sensual they gloss over the D/s. I have nothing against the D/s aspect,I would hardly call checking for bruises after sex "fun & flirty".
I also found a lot of telling instead of showing in the last part of the book. The back & forth dialogue between the characters was fun and witty but there was a lot of the author telling the reader what was said or done instead of letting the reader experience it.
I read the ending a few times but couldn't find the hero ever saying those 3 words I waited the whole book to hear. I couldn't find the hero ever saying to the heroine "I love you." She said it to him but couldn't find him saying it. Big disappointment.
The author did a great job of keeping the hero likable despite all his issues.
I also found a lot of telling instead of showing in the last part of the book. The back & forth dialogue between the characters was fun and witty but there was a lot of the author telling the reader what was said or done instead of letting the reader experience it.
I read the ending a few times but couldn't find the hero ever saying those 3 words I waited the whole book to hear. I couldn't find the hero ever saying to the heroine "I love you." She said it to him but couldn't find him saying it. Big disappointment.
The author did a great job of keeping the hero likable despite all his issues.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2013
I love Kelly Hunter's style and this book was different from most in the genre and so compelling. I only wish she'd gone a little farther with Logan's pleasure/pain dilemma, but I suspect she was reined in a little bit by editorial.
April 10, 2022
The one that got away / Un fantasma del pasado es uno de esos harlequines que merecen la pena, dentro de lo que es un formato tan cortito.
Por un tema profesional, Evie, que es ingeniera, se plantea un matrimonio de conveniencia con un amigo. Pero al conocer a la familia de este se reencuentra con Logan, otro aussie con quien compartió un tiempo apasionado en Londres hace años. Las llamas se avivan entre ellos, pero su propia pasión es tan intensa que Logan recela de que sea auténtica.
Resumiendo, un harlequin de segundas oportunidades ambientado Down Under.
Crítica más extensa, en mi blog.
Por un tema profesional, Evie, que es ingeniera, se plantea un matrimonio de conveniencia con un amigo. Pero al conocer a la familia de este se reencuentra con Logan, otro aussie con quien compartió un tiempo apasionado en Londres hace años. Las llamas se avivan entre ellos, pero su propia pasión es tan intensa que Logan recela de que sea auténtica.
Resumiendo, un harlequin de segundas oportunidades ambientado Down Under.
Crítica más extensa, en mi blog.
July 24, 2013
2.75 stars. Not better than average. Superficial, like a magician’s trick: giving the illusion of substance but actually without depth.
It occurs to me that Kelly Hunter writes ghost stories, and that this is yet another one.
I want to begin by saying that the title of this book nearly made me skip it. FWIW, it should be "The One WHO Got Away", and so thanks very much to everyone involved for that grammatical inaccuracy right from the outset.
Another reason I nearly skipped it was because the buzz for it was that it was dark and heavy and not at all a light read. Well, IMHO, it wasn’t that much of anything. While a captivating read, I didn't find it emotionally engaging. There was a lot going on, a lot to like about this book and the people in it. But I found it rather flat and superficial, despite the fact that it was a carnival ride of plots with a surfeit of thread tracks (most of which were irrelevant, unexplored and unresolved).
It reminded me very forcefully of my least favorite book by K.Hunter {which just showed up at a 2nd-hand bookstore so somebody else wanted to get rid of it ... and having read it, too, I already knew not to buy it!}, Trouble in a Pinstripe Suit. It also reminded me of: The Man She Loves To Hate (which I rather enjoyed!), and - to a much lesser extent - Exposed: Misbehaving with the Magnate and Revealed: A Prince and a Pregnancy . All of these books, as I have already said, are ghost stories. That is to say: the characters are all still acting and reacting to situations and each other based on their history with a person who is already deceased before we (Readers) enter the story. In Trouble in a Pinstripe Suit, everyone (but the heroine -- and I) loved the dead woman; in this book, everyone loathed the dead man. And call me Goldilocks, but in my opinion, other 3 stories are more successful takes on this on this situation (trope?), both because the dead men were more believably complex and because there were more survivors in the modern timeline who were bringing their own issues in to complicate the current story.
The anachronic aspect of this story was not carried off smoothly - and transparently – enough by the author. Mostly, a whole bunch of history was talked about and then talked about some more and then something might have actually happened, but whoops! -- how could anyone notice amidst all the rehashing? … yawn. This story is heavy on the exposition and, while written well enough, there’s just too much talking (and not talking) about what happened long ago to the point of Reader fatigue.
Another grievance I have with the book was the sudden development of Max's interest To the same extent, I also object to merely for the sake of closure and redemption. Whatever the motivation on the author's part, both felt shoehorned in to give the illusion of action in the flagging contemporary plot, and therefore clumsy.
Bottom line, I really didn’t feel that this book was worth all the rave reviews that have been written about it, nor yet was it as dark as I had been led to believe. It was light on substance, and - despite flashes of wit and attempts at humor - somewhat ponderous in tone. Read without any expectations and you’ll probably be fine with it.
(Your Grammar May Vary.)
It occurs to me that Kelly Hunter writes ghost stories, and that this is yet another one.
I want to begin by saying that the title of this book nearly made me skip it. FWIW, it should be "The One WHO Got Away", and so thanks very much to everyone involved for that grammatical inaccuracy right from the outset.
Another reason I nearly skipped it was because the buzz for it was that it was dark and heavy and not at all a light read. Well, IMHO, it wasn’t that much of anything. While a captivating read, I didn't find it emotionally engaging. There was a lot going on, a lot to like about this book and the people in it. But I found it rather flat and superficial, despite the fact that it was a carnival ride of plots with a surfeit of thread tracks (most of which were irrelevant, unexplored and unresolved).
It reminded me very forcefully of my least favorite book by K.Hunter {which just showed up at a 2nd-hand bookstore so somebody else wanted to get rid of it ... and having read it, too, I already knew not to buy it!}, Trouble in a Pinstripe Suit. It also reminded me of: The Man She Loves To Hate (which I rather enjoyed!), and - to a much lesser extent - Exposed: Misbehaving with the Magnate and Revealed: A Prince and a Pregnancy . All of these books, as I have already said, are ghost stories. That is to say: the characters are all still acting and reacting to situations and each other based on their history with a person who is already deceased before we (Readers) enter the story. In Trouble in a Pinstripe Suit, everyone (but the heroine -- and I) loved the dead woman; in this book, everyone loathed the dead man. And call me Goldilocks, but in my opinion, other 3 stories are more successful takes on this on this situation (trope?), both because the dead men were more believably complex and because there were more survivors in the modern timeline who were bringing their own issues in to complicate the current story.
The anachronic aspect of this story was not carried off smoothly - and transparently – enough by the author. Mostly, a whole bunch of history was talked about and then talked about some more and then something might have actually happened, but whoops! -- how could anyone notice amidst all the rehashing? … yawn. This story is heavy on the exposition and, while written well enough, there’s just too much talking (and not talking) about what happened long ago to the point of Reader fatigue.
Another grievance I have with the book was the sudden development of Max's interest To the same extent, I also object to merely for the sake of closure and redemption. Whatever the motivation on the author's part, both felt shoehorned in to give the illusion of action in the flagging contemporary plot, and therefore clumsy.
Bottom line, I really didn’t feel that this book was worth all the rave reviews that have been written about it, nor yet was it as dark as I had been led to believe. It was light on substance, and - despite flashes of wit and attempts at humor - somewhat ponderous in tone. Read without any expectations and you’ll probably be fine with it.
(Your Grammar May Vary.)
February 4, 2013
Great book. Logan and Evie were involved in a one-week extremely volatile borderline BDSM relationship a little over a decade ago. In present day, after agreeing to an emotionless name-only relationship with Logan's brother, Max (who she does not know is his brother) she comes home to meet the family, only to quickly find out that the man she once fell in love with is the half-brother of her fiance and business partner.
Honestly, there was a lot to make you go "huh?" with this novel, but a lot to recommend it as well. Evie isn't the usual insecure, hand-wringing walking-on-eggshells stereotype that we get a lot with romance novels. She's strong, knows her own mind, and is pretty in-your-face with Logan about what she wants and what she expects. Logan is a bit more of a "typical" hero in that he's broody, dominant, and a bit overdramatic at times, but the author turns this archetype on its head by having a plot with an almost sort of subversive commentary on the fact that many romance novel relationships are just a stone's throw away from abusive. Of course she never comes out and says it, but the fact is, Logan isn't that different than a present-day Lora Leigh or a (ugh!) Diana Palmer hero, or even a (double ugh!) Stephanie Meyer or E.L. James hero (barf!). Like several of those heroes, Logan lives in constant fear that those "alpha" traits of his will eventually develop into an abusive personality, like his father's, but unlike those heroes, he has a heroine who - best part - actually stands up to him. Seriously, Evie saved this book from being a total throw-back to a Fifty-Shades-fest. Most romance novels sort of allude to the heroine being strong and kick-butt, but the heroines never actually DO anything but simper and get swept away by tidal waves of unbelievable lust when the hero wants something. Evie actually was. She called Logan on his alpha male B.S., and told him when he was going too far and when he was pressing in on her boundaries. It would have been nice to see her square off with Christian Grey in one of the Fifty Shades books. Evie might have given him a run for his money instead of meekly acquiescing to his every demand and "curing" him with her magical powers of luuuurv at the end. (Ugh! Gag me - and not in the fun way).
... But I digress.
The parts of the story that took away a star were small, but they added up. For one thing, I had a hard time believing their long-ago affair was that intense. After one week together, she was in love and he'd ruined her for all other men? And Logan was so torn up about the affair and its aftermath that he had THAT strong of a reaction to her when he saw her with Max eleven years later? Further, I'm supposed to believe that in all of the world, she somehow managed to hook up with the half-brother of the guy she had a torrid affair with eleven years ago in another country? And never knew in the however-many years that they were business partners that Max and Logan were brothers? As much as the two of them talked about their personal lives with each other, I just had kind of a hard time believing that Max never mentioned his half-brother. Also, as refreshing as Evie's romance with Logan was in that it was different, there wasn't much tension there. They got together pretty quickly after their initial animosity and the rest of the book was mostly Evie and Logan figuring out how to handle a long-distance relationship and how to convince Logan that he wasn't going to go crazy on Evie and beat the heck out of her someday. I'm aware of the irony - the thing that made me love Evie made me less interested in the story because that tension would have been there if she'd been less inclined toward open communication, but there you have it.
So yes, I really liked this book. Evie got 5 stars, but the plot got 3, so I'm splitting the difference at 4. Not sure how much I'll re-read it, but I'm not sorry I spent the money on it.
Honestly, there was a lot to make you go "huh?" with this novel, but a lot to recommend it as well. Evie isn't the usual insecure, hand-wringing walking-on-eggshells stereotype that we get a lot with romance novels. She's strong, knows her own mind, and is pretty in-your-face with Logan about what she wants and what she expects. Logan is a bit more of a "typical" hero in that he's broody, dominant, and a bit overdramatic at times, but the author turns this archetype on its head by having a plot with an almost sort of subversive commentary on the fact that many romance novel relationships are just a stone's throw away from abusive. Of course she never comes out and says it, but the fact is, Logan isn't that different than a present-day Lora Leigh or a (ugh!) Diana Palmer hero, or even a (double ugh!) Stephanie Meyer or E.L. James hero (barf!). Like several of those heroes, Logan lives in constant fear that those "alpha" traits of his will eventually develop into an abusive personality, like his father's, but unlike those heroes, he has a heroine who - best part - actually stands up to him. Seriously, Evie saved this book from being a total throw-back to a Fifty-Shades-fest. Most romance novels sort of allude to the heroine being strong and kick-butt, but the heroines never actually DO anything but simper and get swept away by tidal waves of unbelievable lust when the hero wants something. Evie actually was. She called Logan on his alpha male B.S., and told him when he was going too far and when he was pressing in on her boundaries. It would have been nice to see her square off with Christian Grey in one of the Fifty Shades books. Evie might have given him a run for his money instead of meekly acquiescing to his every demand and "curing" him with her magical powers of luuuurv at the end. (Ugh! Gag me - and not in the fun way).
... But I digress.
The parts of the story that took away a star were small, but they added up. For one thing, I had a hard time believing their long-ago affair was that intense. After one week together, she was in love and he'd ruined her for all other men? And Logan was so torn up about the affair and its aftermath that he had THAT strong of a reaction to her when he saw her with Max eleven years later? Further, I'm supposed to believe that in all of the world, she somehow managed to hook up with the half-brother of the guy she had a torrid affair with eleven years ago in another country? And never knew in the however-many years that they were business partners that Max and Logan were brothers? As much as the two of them talked about their personal lives with each other, I just had kind of a hard time believing that Max never mentioned his half-brother. Also, as refreshing as Evie's romance with Logan was in that it was different, there wasn't much tension there. They got together pretty quickly after their initial animosity and the rest of the book was mostly Evie and Logan figuring out how to handle a long-distance relationship and how to convince Logan that he wasn't going to go crazy on Evie and beat the heck out of her someday. I'm aware of the irony - the thing that made me love Evie made me less interested in the story because that tension would have been there if she'd been less inclined toward open communication, but there you have it.
So yes, I really liked this book. Evie got 5 stars, but the plot got 3, so I'm splitting the difference at 4. Not sure how much I'll re-read it, but I'm not sorry I spent the money on it.
January 18, 2013
Evangeline is happy with her life. She is part owner of a business along with her best friend, Max. She enjoys what she does and has settled into a happy life even if at times she still remembers the man she spent the best week of her life with. Through an unconventional set of events she encounters this man again. Their chemistry is as powerful as it was ten years ago, but Evie is not the same woman she was back then.
Logan is as handsome and sexy as ever and Evie can't help but be drawn to him. Logan wants no part of it. Although he has never forgotten 'Angie', he doesn't want to be in the position he found himself ten years ago - obsessed and out of control. Logan is a tortured soul. He has issues with control and Evie has always managed to make him forget about those. He tries to stay away from her but he fails. Like a moth to the flame he is drawn to her and keeps coming back.
They develop a friends with benefits long distance relationship, but every encounter brings them closer to falling in love. The only true obstacle is Logan's inability to open up emotionally and his fear that he will lose control of himself and end up hurting Evie.
I liked this story a lot. With complex characters and a darker edge to it, this title is different from what I have come to expect from Harlequin but I enjoyed it thoroughly regardless. I found myself wanting to know more about Logan's past and wanting to shelter him from all his conflicting emotions. Evie was a great characters to read and my favorite type of heroine - strong where it counted and vulnerable and yielding when it came to her emotions. I enjoyed their dialog not to mention their chemistry.
The writing was very good and the author kept me interested from start to finish. Kelly Hunter managed to bring a lot of emotion to the page. From doubt and hesitation to lust and tenderness, the story was packed full of emotional insights into the characters which helped me relate to them more. I liked that the author spanned their relationship over time because it added to my acceptance of them getting together in the end. Logan's development throughout the book was a treat to read and without that time span I don't think that their relationship would have felt as real to me as it did.
The secondary characters were interesting to get to know too. They added to the story in their own right and I am especially curious to read more about Max. Logan's mother was a key character to have since it is her history that reveals what's behind Logan's true conflict with himself.
The chemistry between these two was sizzling hot. Although Logan's conflicts about his lack of control that centered around what happened to them during that week they spent in bed were included, I can't help but feel that this was not dealt with deep enough on the page. Their sexual encounters were very enjoyable to read but the scenes were not what I was expecting. I wanted to know more about what led to the conflict that made Logan walk away so abruptly, but I only got an idea of what happened. I feel cheated in a way, but that's just me. This is romance and not erotica so I will overlook it. Oh, but I would have loved more in-depth scenes!
All in all, a great romantic read with interesting characters and a bit of angst to make it more of a darker read than expected.
Logan is as handsome and sexy as ever and Evie can't help but be drawn to him. Logan wants no part of it. Although he has never forgotten 'Angie', he doesn't want to be in the position he found himself ten years ago - obsessed and out of control. Logan is a tortured soul. He has issues with control and Evie has always managed to make him forget about those. He tries to stay away from her but he fails. Like a moth to the flame he is drawn to her and keeps coming back.
They develop a friends with benefits long distance relationship, but every encounter brings them closer to falling in love. The only true obstacle is Logan's inability to open up emotionally and his fear that he will lose control of himself and end up hurting Evie.
I liked this story a lot. With complex characters and a darker edge to it, this title is different from what I have come to expect from Harlequin but I enjoyed it thoroughly regardless. I found myself wanting to know more about Logan's past and wanting to shelter him from all his conflicting emotions. Evie was a great characters to read and my favorite type of heroine - strong where it counted and vulnerable and yielding when it came to her emotions. I enjoyed their dialog not to mention their chemistry.
The writing was very good and the author kept me interested from start to finish. Kelly Hunter managed to bring a lot of emotion to the page. From doubt and hesitation to lust and tenderness, the story was packed full of emotional insights into the characters which helped me relate to them more. I liked that the author spanned their relationship over time because it added to my acceptance of them getting together in the end. Logan's development throughout the book was a treat to read and without that time span I don't think that their relationship would have felt as real to me as it did.
The secondary characters were interesting to get to know too. They added to the story in their own right and I am especially curious to read more about Max. Logan's mother was a key character to have since it is her history that reveals what's behind Logan's true conflict with himself.
The chemistry between these two was sizzling hot. Although Logan's conflicts about his lack of control that centered around what happened to them during that week they spent in bed were included, I can't help but feel that this was not dealt with deep enough on the page. Their sexual encounters were very enjoyable to read but the scenes were not what I was expecting. I wanted to know more about what led to the conflict that made Logan walk away so abruptly, but I only got an idea of what happened. I feel cheated in a way, but that's just me. This is romance and not erotica so I will overlook it. Oh, but I would have loved more in-depth scenes!
All in all, a great romantic read with interesting characters and a bit of angst to make it more of a darker read than expected.
March 6, 2013
Interesting book. Evie and Logan had a very intense one week encounter ten years ago, which ended when Logan decided that he had no control over himself when he was around her. Now she is a partner in a very successful construction business that is about to take on a big project. In order to do so, they need an infusion of cash so her partner suggests a marriage of convenience so he can get control of his trust fund. When he takes her to meet his family it turns out that his brother is Logan, which puts an end to the engagement real fast. At first he tries to buy Evie out, anything to separate her from the business and his world. When she refuses he has to learn to deal with the new Evie.
I liked Evie a lot. When she and Logan were together the first time she was pretty submissive to his intensity. She didn't feel threatened and she certainly enjoyed their time together. When he left, she got on with her life but never forgot him. Fast forward to the present. In her job she has to be able to be in charge and does a great job at it. When Logan reappears she is stunned to see him but well able to hold her own against him. Their attraction is just as hot as ever and she is quite willing to pick up where they left off. Since he lives in London and she is in Sydney theirs is very much a long distance relationship. As they spend what time together they can, Evie learns more about Logan and why he has the issues he has. I liked the way that she showed how confident she was about him and how he would treat her. She had a few issues of her own to overcome, dealing with her parents' multiple marriages and their effect on her attitudes.
Logan was harder for me to warm up to. His dominance at the beginning was very intense and what he felt for Evie scared him because he was afraid of becoming like his father. When he made his appearance his anger seemed way out of proportion considering he had been the one to walk away from their relationship. When he realized that he wasn't going to be able to run her off he gave in to the attraction that was still there. He has learned some things about control since he had last been with her but he also still feared hurting her. I liked the way that he started to open up and trust his relationship with Evie, but he still wouldn't trust himself. It took a near tragedy with his and Max's mom for the walls around his emotions to crack and be able to let Evie all the way in.
I did really like all the relationships and how they worked together. The connection between Logan and Evie grew from purely physical as the time they spent together allowed them to develop a real relationship. I liked the way that she stood by him and helped him overcome his fears. It took Evie's connection with both Max and Logan to deepen the relationship between the brothers. There is a great scene in the bar where both of them get their eyes opened about some things. Their mother carried a lot of guilt about things that happened to Logan with his father and it took both of them together to overcome that.
I have to agree with other reviewers that the cover of this book reflects absolutely nothing about the story. There were also times I felt like this story belonged more to the Desire or Blaze lines than the Kiss one.
I liked Evie a lot. When she and Logan were together the first time she was pretty submissive to his intensity. She didn't feel threatened and she certainly enjoyed their time together. When he left, she got on with her life but never forgot him. Fast forward to the present. In her job she has to be able to be in charge and does a great job at it. When Logan reappears she is stunned to see him but well able to hold her own against him. Their attraction is just as hot as ever and she is quite willing to pick up where they left off. Since he lives in London and she is in Sydney theirs is very much a long distance relationship. As they spend what time together they can, Evie learns more about Logan and why he has the issues he has. I liked the way that she showed how confident she was about him and how he would treat her. She had a few issues of her own to overcome, dealing with her parents' multiple marriages and their effect on her attitudes.
Logan was harder for me to warm up to. His dominance at the beginning was very intense and what he felt for Evie scared him because he was afraid of becoming like his father. When he made his appearance his anger seemed way out of proportion considering he had been the one to walk away from their relationship. When he realized that he wasn't going to be able to run her off he gave in to the attraction that was still there. He has learned some things about control since he had last been with her but he also still feared hurting her. I liked the way that he started to open up and trust his relationship with Evie, but he still wouldn't trust himself. It took a near tragedy with his and Max's mom for the walls around his emotions to crack and be able to let Evie all the way in.
I did really like all the relationships and how they worked together. The connection between Logan and Evie grew from purely physical as the time they spent together allowed them to develop a real relationship. I liked the way that she stood by him and helped him overcome his fears. It took Evie's connection with both Max and Logan to deepen the relationship between the brothers. There is a great scene in the bar where both of them get their eyes opened about some things. Their mother carried a lot of guilt about things that happened to Logan with his father and it took both of them together to overcome that.
I have to agree with other reviewers that the cover of this book reflects absolutely nothing about the story. There were also times I felt like this story belonged more to the Desire or Blaze lines than the Kiss one.
January 22, 2013
Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick
I was surprised by how much I liked this book and when I say liked I really mean loved. I loved this book. It was so good and I just couldn't put it down. Looking at the cover I thought I was going to be reading something light and cheery, but that was definitely not the case. This book was deep and filled with so much emotion.
Several years ago Evie and Logan spent one passion filled week together that left a lasting impression on both. Neither has been able to get over what happened between them even though they both went their separate ways to live their lives. Now their paths have crossed again and both try to act like nothing serious occurred between them. The passion between Evie and Logan is apparent to everyone around them. Both continue to deny their feelings but before long neither are able to keep their hands and mouths off one another.
When Logan and Evie spent that one week together, it scared Logan to death. The passion and heat between them was explosive and brought out a side of Logan that he was afraid of. Evie just gave in too easily to his demands and his need to dominate her freaked him out. When Evie is accidentally hurt during one of their interludes, it's a wake up call to Logan. He sees himself becoming like his father who was abusive to him and his mother and he is terrified. So he makes the decision to walk away from Evie and all of the feelings and emotions she brings out in him.
Seeing Evie again brings back all of the feelings and emotions that Logan had long ago buried. Logan would like nothing more to be with Evie but he just doesn't do relationships. He keeps himself closed off from everyone and no one really knows the real Logan, not even his family.
I loved the relationship between these two. It was hot, explosive and in your face. Yet at the same time it was sweet and tender. The way that these two were able to grow and learn from one another was great to see. They both have such a strong bond and I love that Evie was patient and strong enough to stick with Logan and help him conquer his demons.
This was such an amazing book filled with so much love and passion. I definitely can't wait to read more from this author.
**ARC copy provided by NetGalley**
I was surprised by how much I liked this book and when I say liked I really mean loved. I loved this book. It was so good and I just couldn't put it down. Looking at the cover I thought I was going to be reading something light and cheery, but that was definitely not the case. This book was deep and filled with so much emotion.
Several years ago Evie and Logan spent one passion filled week together that left a lasting impression on both. Neither has been able to get over what happened between them even though they both went their separate ways to live their lives. Now their paths have crossed again and both try to act like nothing serious occurred between them. The passion between Evie and Logan is apparent to everyone around them. Both continue to deny their feelings but before long neither are able to keep their hands and mouths off one another.
When Logan and Evie spent that one week together, it scared Logan to death. The passion and heat between them was explosive and brought out a side of Logan that he was afraid of. Evie just gave in too easily to his demands and his need to dominate her freaked him out. When Evie is accidentally hurt during one of their interludes, it's a wake up call to Logan. He sees himself becoming like his father who was abusive to him and his mother and he is terrified. So he makes the decision to walk away from Evie and all of the feelings and emotions she brings out in him.
Seeing Evie again brings back all of the feelings and emotions that Logan had long ago buried. Logan would like nothing more to be with Evie but he just doesn't do relationships. He keeps himself closed off from everyone and no one really knows the real Logan, not even his family.
I loved the relationship between these two. It was hot, explosive and in your face. Yet at the same time it was sweet and tender. The way that these two were able to grow and learn from one another was great to see. They both have such a strong bond and I love that Evie was patient and strong enough to stick with Logan and help him conquer his demons.
This was such an amazing book filled with so much love and passion. I definitely can't wait to read more from this author.
**ARC copy provided by NetGalley**
January 12, 2013
This cover is extremely deceptive. Do not judge this book by its cover. I think a cover with a darkly lit hotel room would be more appropriate...
That said, I loved every bit of this story—especially the beginning with the delicious unravelling. It's darker and sexier than what Hunter's usually come up with (although incidentally, the love scenes seem tame in comparison to the tone). So many stories nowadays fail to deliver the genuine emotional baggage that results in such erotic tension between characters, yet Kelly has created a believable and evocative back story and supporting characters for Logan and Evie. I willed them to overcome their fears, as much as they gave me shivers for hitting me close to the bone.
I love this book so much and I am expecting more of the same now. More!
That said, I loved every bit of this story—especially the beginning with the delicious unravelling. It's darker and sexier than what Hunter's usually come up with (although incidentally, the love scenes seem tame in comparison to the tone). So many stories nowadays fail to deliver the genuine emotional baggage that results in such erotic tension between characters, yet Kelly has created a believable and evocative back story and supporting characters for Logan and Evie. I willed them to overcome their fears, as much as they gave me shivers for hitting me close to the bone.
I love this book so much and I am expecting more of the same now. More!
March 3, 2013
This is the 2nd book I've read in Harlequin's "Kiss" series, and I think I will be an avid reader of others in the future. Although I must admit this book was a bit "darker" than I expected. And although it wasn't amazing, I did like it.
The following may or may not contain spoilers.
"The One That Got Away" by Kelly Hunter is about Evie, a woman who is planning to marry her business partner Max in order to help him obtain his trust fund. Enter Logan, the haunted man from Evie's past, the one who broke her heart. Evie coming back into Logan's life puts a twist on things and he wants her out. Can Evie tame this wild beast?
Again, this book does lack anything super memorable, but I did like the ending, and am glad all the characters (my favourite being Max) all found a happy ending. Totally a fun quick read for a plane ride or a beach day.
The following may or may not contain spoilers.
"The One That Got Away" by Kelly Hunter is about Evie, a woman who is planning to marry her business partner Max in order to help him obtain his trust fund. Enter Logan, the haunted man from Evie's past, the one who broke her heart. Evie coming back into Logan's life puts a twist on things and he wants her out. Can Evie tame this wild beast?
Again, this book does lack anything super memorable, but I did like the ending, and am glad all the characters (my favourite being Max) all found a happy ending. Totally a fun quick read for a plane ride or a beach day.
February 11, 2013
Excellent read but then it's Kelly Hunter and I'd expect no less. I'm not sure about this cover though? it certainly doesn't do the book justice nor do I feel it in any way represents what The One Who Got Away is even about. It might throw some people off who would maybe want to read this book and that would be a shame. This book is no light and breezy day at the beach.
February 21, 2015
This was definitely darker than I was expecting from a book in the Kiss line, but I was into it. I liked the variety of relationships presented in the book, from the business partners to the hero/heroine to brothers and the dudes getting romantic. There was just a lot here and I was very happy to be reading it.
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March 11, 2017New Series!
You think of flirting as an art form! Harlequin KISS stories are all about the delirium of a potential new romance—where fun-loving heroines and irresistible heroes just can't get enough of each other.
Four new Harlequin KISS titles are available each month!
You think of flirting as an art form! Harlequin KISS stories are all about the delirium of a potential new romance—where fun-loving heroines and irresistible heroes just can't get enough of each other.
Four new Harlequin KISS titles are available each month!
February 21, 2013
Like other reviewers have mentioned, the cover of this book is misleading. I expected a fun/flirty read, but was happily surprised by the level of emotional depth in this well-told story. This is my first Kiss book as well as my first Kelly Hunter book and I really enjoyed it!
November 5, 2013
I got this for free at Kmart. I don't remember why--I think it was free if I bought candy or something. This book was like candy for the brain. A little steamy with a predictable formula but fun anyway.
November 13, 2014
My first Mills & Boon! A quick easy read. Slightly over the top with the drama, but enjoyed the Melbourne and Sydney references.
March 22, 2015
I loved everything about this book from start to finish. Love the edginess Kelly Hunter injects into this book, the issues she explores and her awesome characters. Couldn't put it down. As usual.
September 5, 2016
Strong adult characters! This is why I love Kelly's writing. No one acting child like - or stupid. Real issues to with real adults addressing them.
June 28, 2022
3.5 stars
Let me start off this review by saying what a horrible disservice the cover art team at Harlequin did for this book. A happy-go-lucky couple on a beach with...balloons?? Even from the summary, I went into this expecting something so completely off from what I got that it was jarring.
This is not light-hearted. This is not fun. This is not a happy-go-lucky couple that smiles all the time and enjoys snuggling on the beach and flying balloons.
This is a story about pain. And demons. And fear and strength and finding your way when you didn't think you could. It's a struggle.
Did you get that from the cover?
After the initial shock wore off, I was able to really get into the bones of this story. Evie was a great heroine. I enjoyed her sass and her strength. And Logan. Now this was an example where an author walked that fine line of Alpha hero without pushing him over to controlling asshole. Logan hovered over it, let me tell you, but in my mind, he stayed on the still-lovable side of it.
And then we had the secondary characters. Max and Kit and even Caroline all came to life without taking away from the story of Evie and Logan. She balanced them all nicely that gave us a reprieve from the H/h when necessary, but wasn't so much that the reader is left wondering when we'll get time with the couple again.
Besides the misleading cover, there were some other issues I had with the book. For one thing, there wasn't a definite arc, to me. When we had the big climax, it lasted for about three sentences. It was over so fast, it can't even be considered an arc in my mind. The story just sort of ambled, and though I liked where it ambled to, that still doesn't give it a free pass. Second, and I think a great deal of this has to do with this being Australian, but it was very very hard to read. There were excessive dialogue tags and first and last names mentioned constantly when talking about people we'd met fifty times before. And finally, I'm not sure if it's this author's writing style or the fact that the complete edits haven't been done, but their were heaps of sentences that needed things like commas and periods. I get when an author does a sort of stream of consciousness thing, and that's fine. Sometimes. But when it takes a life of its own and detracts from the story, it's too much.
The ending in this left me with a big smile on my face. I wished we'd gotten to see more of that easy-going, happy, romantic Logan through the entire book, but I also know why we didn't.
All in all, this was a good book, though don't be tricked by the cover. This isn't your typical fluffy CR. This has grit.
Let me start off this review by saying what a horrible disservice the cover art team at Harlequin did for this book. A happy-go-lucky couple on a beach with...balloons?? Even from the summary, I went into this expecting something so completely off from what I got that it was jarring.
This is not light-hearted. This is not fun. This is not a happy-go-lucky couple that smiles all the time and enjoys snuggling on the beach and flying balloons.
This is a story about pain. And demons. And fear and strength and finding your way when you didn't think you could. It's a struggle.
Did you get that from the cover?
After the initial shock wore off, I was able to really get into the bones of this story. Evie was a great heroine. I enjoyed her sass and her strength. And Logan. Now this was an example where an author walked that fine line of Alpha hero without pushing him over to controlling asshole. Logan hovered over it, let me tell you, but in my mind, he stayed on the still-lovable side of it.
And then we had the secondary characters. Max and Kit and even Caroline all came to life without taking away from the story of Evie and Logan. She balanced them all nicely that gave us a reprieve from the H/h when necessary, but wasn't so much that the reader is left wondering when we'll get time with the couple again.
Besides the misleading cover, there were some other issues I had with the book. For one thing, there wasn't a definite arc, to me. When we had the big climax, it lasted for about three sentences. It was over so fast, it can't even be considered an arc in my mind. The story just sort of ambled, and though I liked where it ambled to, that still doesn't give it a free pass. Second, and I think a great deal of this has to do with this being Australian, but it was very very hard to read. There were excessive dialogue tags and first and last names mentioned constantly when talking about people we'd met fifty times before. And finally, I'm not sure if it's this author's writing style or the fact that the complete edits haven't been done, but their were heaps of sentences that needed things like commas and periods. I get when an author does a sort of stream of consciousness thing, and that's fine. Sometimes. But when it takes a life of its own and detracts from the story, it's too much.
The ending in this left me with a big smile on my face. I wished we'd gotten to see more of that easy-going, happy, romantic Logan through the entire book, but I also know why we didn't.
All in all, this was a good book, though don't be tricked by the cover. This isn't your typical fluffy CR. This has grit.
July 5, 2018
This is one of Hunter's kind of overwrought romances where everyone is damaged and talks in sentence fragments and they are all victims of bad parenting; but I think those tics were generally well-done here. That said, Evie remains kind of a blank - we learn a little about her upbringing to explain why this kind of relationship works for her - but basically her role is to be loving and supportive as Logan opens up his heart and Learns To Love Like A Normal Person. I kept waiting for her to have her own freak-out, and it never happened.
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