REVIEW: The One That Got Away by Bethany Chase

In The One That Got Away by Bethany Chase, Architect Sarina Mahler is not one to reminisce. When she lost her beloved mother to cancer a decade ago, she chose to look forward and honor her memory by graduating and becoming successful in her job. The one person Sarina does find herself thinking about from time to time is Eamon Roy. Their one spectacular night together left her feeling lost when she never heard from the award winning swimmer again. Even though they share a best friend, Danny, she’s never found out what happened all those years ago.

‘After all this time, I absolutely cannot believe he is here, saying these things to me now, offering me exactly what I had once wanted so badly. And now I can’t take it.’

Now Sarina has a loving relationship with Noah and has been looking forward to what their life will bring them. He’s on assignment in Argentina for several months, making their romance the long distance type. And it’s difficult. Especially when Eamon moves back to Austin and Sarina realizes she’s just as attracted to him now as she was years ago. Knowing she has a decision to make and that someone is going to be hurt, Sarina begins soul searching just as she gets heartbreaking news. Emotionally spent, she struggles to figure out where she is headed, both professionally and romantically.

‘I had everything I wanted cupped in the palm of my hand, and I opened my fingers and let it blow away like dandelion seeds.’

The One That Got Away is a rock solid debut by author Bethany Chase. This romance is for anyone who has wondered what would happen if they ever got just once chance with that elusive person they have never really gotten over.

I enjoy reading books that are filled with honest, open feelings and that aren’t afraid to get down to the real heart of the matter. To me, that was what made this book shine. Bethany Chase wrote this with relatable characters who all interacted in a truly realistic manner. The setting itself being in Austin, Texas, gave this a hip framework for Sarina’s homebase. The descriptions of the city, the businesses, the nightlife, and of course the houses (she’s an architect!), made it extremely easy to picture everything that was happening in the story.

Then there were the emotions. Sarina ran the whole gamut from elation to grief; passion to loss; anger to acceptance. And through it all, I was right there with her. There was such honesty in the way she processed her feelings. It wasn’t always smooth, and there were a lot of times that as a reader I wanted to help point her in what I thought was the right direction. But I think that’s what made this story seem real. It’s the same way we feel with our friends and loved ones, wanting to help them but knowing they have to make those choices themselves.

Aside from the myriad of emotions, I thought Ms. Chase’s use of pop culture references helped give this story a fresh outlook. Plus it gave the readers a look into Sarina and her friend’s personalities, which was fun. There was also a lot of humor blended into the scenes that turned this into a quick read for me. I especially enjoyed those moments where Sarina was hanging out with Danny, Nicole, Eamon and the rest of her friends, simply being a normal thirty-something year old woman trying to relax and live her life.

Emotionally complex but infused with laughter and love, The One That Got Away was a engaging story that I just couldn’t put down. I hope you can find the time to follow Sarina on her journey as she finds out what love, friendship, and family truly means to her.

Book Info:

Publication: March 31st 2015 by Ballantine Books

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 down: 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

“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 away: 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. Bethany Chase kept me laughing out loud as I quickly turned the pages. With a love story perfectly balanced between sexy and sweet, and settings so vivid and hip they feel like a literary Pinterest board, Chase will have you swooning.”—Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of After I Do