The One That Got Away
Audiobook
“A poignant and gripping second chance romance...this evocative portrait of first love reunited tugs at the heartstrings”
Two years together.
Twenty years apart.
One day to change their story.
2000. Benjamin’s world is turned upside down the night he meets Clara. Instinctively, he knows that they are meant for each other, but a devastating mistake on their last night at university will take their lives in very different directions.
20 years later, Clara has a high-profile job and a handsome husband. But despite the trappings of success, she isn't happy, and she knows that a piece of her heart still belongs to Benjamin, the boy she fell in love with years earlier. The boy whose life she fears she ruined.
When a bombing is reported in the city where they first met, Clara is pulled back to a place she tries not to remember and the first love she could never forget. Searching for Benjamin, Clara is forced to confront the events that tore them apart. But is it too late to put right what went wrong?
Across the miles and spanning decades, Charlotte Rixon's The One That Got Away is a sweeping, romantic story about growing up, growing apart, the people who first steal our hearts, and the surprising, winding roads that love can take us on.
The One That Got Away named as a top pick on the Today show!
Foreign editions
A letter to readers
Dear Reader,
Perhaps it was the ennui of lockdown, or a recent milestone birthday, but in 2021 I found myself thinking more and more about our early romantic relationships, and how they shape our lives. Suddenly, the character of Clara came to me: a woman my age who couldn’t move past her first great love. Why not? What had happened in her first relationship that had scarred her so immeasurably? I was fascinated by her, and her story, and gradually, she came to life.
I have a lot in common with Clara. I was an insecure teenager; I didn’t have the best time at university. I’d gone from being a big fish in a tiny pond (a very small secondary school) to being utterly lost at one of the biggest universities in the country. While I was there, I fell in love more intensely than I could have imagined possible. When university ended, we split up. My heart was broken. I remember those feelings so clearly; the pain that felt as though it might consume me, the feeling that I couldn’t live without him, because he was everything to me.
These growing pains are something we all go through. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, but it still hurts like hell.
Before we fall in love for the first time, we are ‘baggage-free’: open and trusting. Afterwards, whether we realise it or not, we are surrounded by invisible railings that were forged in the fire of our heartbreak.
For some people, the break-up fire burns more intensely than others. For these people, the railings are higher.
I wanted to examine the impact on two flawed, but very real people, when their first great love story ends in immense tragedy. How did this affect them? What impact did it have on the rest of their lives, and the lives of those around them? And most importantly of all, is there a way they can move on?
Looking back, I feel a great affection for 21-year-old me, who was so hard on herself, who thought she had ruined her own life. In The One That Got Away, Clara makes a lot of mistakes. I did too. I forgive her, and I forgive me.
As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to value a different kind of love. Your last love: one that is equally fascinating and special. But I will always look back on my first love with immense fondness. I hope you do too, and I hope you’ll be moved by Clara and Benjamin’s story.
Happy reading,
Praise for The One That Got Away
“Charlotte Rixon’s The One That Got Away is the kind of book I’m always searching for. It’s a stunning love story that had my heart racing from the first chapter and tears streaming down my face by the end. An instant favorite”
“A poignant story filled with powerful life lessons, The One That Got Away is a testament to the staying power of first love. This is one heartwarming read”
“In The One That Got Away, Charlotte Rixon captures masterfully the magic and devastation of first love, as well as the all-consuming aftermath of heartbreak...a powerful exploration of the relationships that shape us, this is a nostalgic, fierce and utterly spellbinding read”
“Compelling tale of the power of first love. Hooks you in with a sucker punch and never lets go”
“The One That Got Away is a powerful page-turner that perfectly portrays the destruction and jealousy of a relationship between two damaged young people, too inexperienced to deal with the intensity of their feelings. A tense, gripping read - I loved it”
“Twisty and poignant and beautifully written, The One That Got Away will stay with you long after the final page. Captures the enormity of first love and how our pasts shape our futures, and how early relationships cast long shadows. Emotional, thoughtful and satisfying — excellent”
“Poignant and real, this is a story you’ll carry with you for long after you finish! The One That Got Away will resonate with anyone who remembers the rush of first love and the heartbreak that follows. I couldn’t put it down. Packed full of depth, character and realism”
“Utterly mesmerizing. This achingly real and beautiful story of first love is absolutely riveting”
“The One That Got Away is so evocative and beautifully written. Poignant and moving, I defy anyone who has experienced the heartbreak of first love not to cry when they read it”
“A beautifully crafted dark love story that tears at the heart but then gently patches it back together. Thought provoking and the perfect book club read. I loved it!”
“A brave, emotional and authentic love story, thrumming with suspense. I could barely breathe by the end!”
“So poignant. I really enjoyed immersing myself in Clara and Benjamin’s story of love and loss. Wonderfully written. A definite five star read”
“Moving and gripping”
“Do not let this one get away. It will steal your heart”
“Absorbing, touching and wise - I raced through it”
“I absolutely adored this. I loved the characters and couldn’t help but root for them. A total joy to read”
“Charlotte writes poignantly - and so searingly - about the visceral intensity of first love. Clara and Benjamin come alive on the page, all their faults and follies palpably believable. You root for them. You want to shake them. You can’t tear your eyes away from them. Wow. What a wonderful book”
“At once gripping and beautifully thought-provoking. A book about first big romances, first big mistakes, broken hearts and consequences”
“A story of two worlds colliding, the love that blossoms, and the tragedy that follows. I absolutely loved it”
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