Book Review: The One That Got Away by Melissa Pimentel

Pages: 352

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: September 22, 2017

Publisher: St. Martin's

Source: Publisher for review

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "Ruby and Ethan were perfect for each other. Until the day they suddenly weren't.  Now, ten years later, Ruby is 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 what it will be like to see Ethan again, who just so happens to be the best man.  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 is nothing like a wedding for stirring up the past."

Ruby Atlas works in New York City at an advertising firm. She does well for herself and is focusing on her career.  Her sister, Piper, is getting married, but instead of marrying in their hometown, Piper has an elaborate wedding at an English castle.  Yes, a castle. Ruby is excited for her sister, but there's a wedding guest attending that she dreads seeing. It's her ex-boyfriend, Ethan, who she never really got over. To complicate matters further, Ethan is best friends with the groom, so there is definitely no avoiding him.  Plus, he isn't the unsuccessful guy that he once was when Ruby dated him. He is now super successful...like on the cover of magazines successful.  This really sets Ruby off as she doesn't know how to act around him and before long she has to come to terms with how she feels about him. Will there still be sparks between the two? Melissa Pimentel's The One That Got Away is a delightful retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion.

Ruby is a character I could sympathize with in The One That Got Away. While I didn't always agree with her decisions, I could understand where she was coming from. Her trepidation towards seeing her ex at her sister's wedding is totally valid.  He's pretty much everywhere she turns since he is so close with the groom and she ends up talking to him quite a bit. As readers try and figure out where she currently stands with Ethan, every other chapter is a flashback to when they first started dating.

I enjoyed the flashbacks to Ruby and Ethan's relationship when they first got together many years ago as it really sheds light on things as well as their characters.  Some parts of the flashbacks were heartbreaking and other parts really tugged on my heartstrings. I could see that Ruby and Ethan had something special, but the timing wasn't right in The One That Got Away.  Ruby was about to head to New York City for her first job and a long distance relationship wasn't ideal.

My main issue with The One That Got Away was the ending. I think it needed to be developed a bit more and fleshed out as it was definitely rushed. All of a sudden Ruby drops all this really important information, but we never really process it. It's sort of brushed aside.

Even if you aren't familiar with Austen's Persuasion, that's ok. Readers don't need to be hardcore Austen fans to enjoy The One That Got Away. Most readers can easily predict where the story is going, but it's the ride to the final page that is enjoyable overall.