Book Review: The One That Got Away.

It wasn’t love at first sight but my affection for The One That Got Away, by Melissa Pimentel, grew with each turn of the (digital) page – especially after Ethan and Ruby meet again for the first time in a decade and old emotions resurface.

While most of her friends have married and moved away, single Ruby has spent the last 10 years in fast-paced New York concentrating on her career in advertising – often at the expense of everything else.

In fact, she barely has time in her hectic life for a long-haul trip to England for her little sister’s wedding, particularly when it means she will come face to face with her ex, Ethan, again, who happens to be the groom’s best friend.

Their split all those years ago seems to have haunted them both but will they be able to get beyond the past and have a future?

Here’s the blurb:

Ruby and Ethan were perfect for each other. Until the day they suddenly weren’t.

Ten years later, Ruby’s single, having spent the last decade focusing on her demanding career and hectic life in Manhattan. There’s barely time for a trip to England for her little sister’s wedding. And there’s certainly not time to think about seeing Ethan there for the first time in years.

But as the family frantically prepare for the big day, Ruby can’t help but wonder if she made the right choice all those years ago? Because there’s nothing like a wedding for stirring up the past . . .

While the first pages of the book provide plenty of colour about Ruby’s frenetic Manhattan lifestyle, it is when she and Ethan come face to face again that the story really comes into its own.

Pimentel creates authentic, likeable and funny characters who you want to see find their happily ever after.

And, even though you know everything will work out in the end, there are definitely a few spanners in the works to keep things lively (not to mention laugh out loud entertaining).

The book is divided into “Now” and “Then” and switches between first and third person narrative, which I thought would seem disconcerting but actually works really well in this story.

While I initially found her too wordy for my taste, once I got used to her style I was swept along to the point I found it hard to stop reading (even though an early morning beckoned).

Format: Kindle (out now).

Price: £4.99

My rating: 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Penguin UK for the ARC (via NetGalley). All views are my own.