#Review #NetGalley #TheOneThatGotAway
Two years together. Twenty years apart. One day to change their story.
Benjamin's world is turned upside down the day he meets Clara. Instinctively, he knows that she is his person and he is hers, but the events of one devastating night will take their lives in very different directions.
20 years later, a bombing is reported in the city where Clara and Ben met, and she is pulled back to a place she tries not to remember and the first love she could never forget. Searching for Ben, Clara prays that twenty years of silence is about to end.
But is it too late to put right what went wrong?
This is not a love story. But it is a story of first love, of the mistakes people make, and the lengths they'll go to put things right.
Buy It Here!
My Review
This was an amazing read. I was captivated by the storyline from the very beginning, and couldn't put the book down once started. We meet Clara and Ben at various times in their lives. Ben was Clara's first love and one she never forgot. When Clara hears there has been a terrorist attack at a football match for a team which she knew Ben always used to watch, she literally drops everything to go and find him, even though they haven't seen each other for years.
The story is told through different timelines, from Clara and Ben's university days right through to present day. Whilst we are taken through different years, it's done uncomplicatedly, and the time switches are easy to follow. I liked the two main characters, although I preferred Clara as an adult. They both had flaws, issues and problems throughout their lives, but the fault for these didn't lie with one specific person but more as a result of what happened over their lives. What did happen is revealed slowly throughout the book, but for fear of spoilers I won't say any more about these! There are lots of different plot lines all running alongside each other, some connect, some don't, but the author has done a fabulous job of holding the tension and suspense high throughout. Whilst I guessed where some of the stories were heading, others came as a complete shock to me!
There are some major triggers throughout this book (abuse, death, cancer, terrorism to name a few), and this may be an issue for some. The author has written these with sensitivity, but I would advise caution for those who may be affected by these. It's a love story of sorts, but completely different to what I expected. I was completely captivated by it and could feel the differing emotions as I read. There are lots of sad parts, but equally plenty of life-affirming and uplifting moments. My second book read of the New Year but this one will stay with me for a long time. Would definitely recommend.
The Author
Charlotte Rixon is the pen name of Charlotte Duckworth, USA Today-bestselling author of suspense fiction published by Quercus. Charlotte studied Classics at Leeds University and went on to gain a PGDip in Screenwriting. She worked for many years as a magazine journalist, and is a graduate of the Faber Academy 'Writing A Novel' course. You can find out more about her on her website: charlotterixon.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment