Author: Melissa Pimentel
Publisher: Penguin
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Hardcover, 400 Pages
Publication Date: August 22nd, 2017 (Two days!)
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Hardcover, 400 Pages
Publication Date: August 22nd, 2017 (Two days!)
Summary: 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...
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and I wasn't sure to expect at first. This book is set around Ruby, a woman who has long since graduated high school and college and is now working at a fancy marketing firm in New York City, living the constantly-rushing life that is common for New York business moguls. She thinks that she has everything she could ever want, but one thing is missing -- the love that she let go so many years ago for selfish, stupid reasons.
The reason I wasn't sure what to expect in regards to this book was the fact that Ruby was a full-fledged adult at this point in the story, so it wasn't like a typical YA book, and I never really had a good track record with adult books. I found it hard to put myself into their mindset and understand their problems, being that I am still a teenager myself. (But less than one year left!)
However, Ruby's narrative was super easy to read, and before long I got into the book easily. For the first time in a very long time, I found myself staying up and reading until my eyelids felt heavy and I had to physically stop myself because I couldn't go on any longer. I really, really missed that feeling, and I'm so glad that this book was able to give me that again. Ruby's story was really easy to follow, and I liked that the story constantly switched between present-day and the past, to give some context to Ruby and Ethan's relationship and eventual fallout, so when they met up again in England things made a lot more sense!
So, as the summary explains, Ruby and Ethan had dated a long time ago, and then they broke up (for reasons that will eventually be explained in the book, that I will not spoil for you here). And now, many years later, Ruby's sister is marrying Ethan's best friend, and they find themselves together once again at a wedding in England, doing their best to forget about and not rehash the past.
The only problem? In the years since Ethan and Ruby had broken up, Ethan went from being a small-town bartender to one of the biggest tech moguls of the century. I'm talking cool enough to be taking pictures with Steve Jobs, people. He becomes that big.
So yeah. Ruby tries very hard not to imagine what life would have been like if she had stayed with Ethan, but sometimes it was very difficult not to. So the book is pretty much narrating her trip to England for this disaster of a wedding while also trying to avoid Ethan to keep old feelings at bay while also trying to appear totally nonchalant and not bothered whenever she finds herself in his presence. So this book is definitely an emotional roller coaster filled with a lot of drama!
My favorite character in this book was definitely Ethan. He was sweet all of the time, both in the flashbacks and in the current moments, even when he didn't have to be. He always seemed to be thinking of other people and putting his best foot forward, and it was clear from the very beginning that he worked very hard for his success and totally earned it, which was sometimes the reason that Ruby resented him so much. But throughout the entire story Ethan kept doing things that were so hopelessly adorable and kind towards everyone around him, and it continuously made my heart melt.
As for Ruby, I liked her a lot, but sometimes I felt that just reading about her life was stressing me out a little bit. Especially when the book is narrating her typical morning in New York, I started to feel badly for the girl and worry about her fictional health. She was so determined to prove herself and make herself worth something, especially as Ethan continued to soar with his success, and at times she was wearing herself down so much that I really began to feel bad for her. However, it was positive to see that as the book went on Ruby began to learn what was more important than work and forced herself to take a little bit of a break -- Lord knows she needed it!
(Spoilers here so please skip to the next paragraph if you haven't read this book yet!) And oh my goodness guys, the ending of this book totally made my heart stop. It was so freaking cute. I had been shipping Ethan and Ruby since the beginning of their reunion (even when it was a little rocky), so I was so glad when everything worked out, even after Ruby admitted to the horrible thing she'd done back in New York all those years ago that led to their split in the first place, even when Ethan had no idea about it. The book leaves off in a place that gives you enough context to guess what will happen, but I still wish it went just a little bit further so I could see Ruby and Ethan's relationship (and maybe even marriage???) continue to bloom!! *heart eyes*
Overall, I really enjoyed The One That Got Away. I'm so glad that I got an opportunity to review this book because I ended up liking it a lot, and I can even think of a few friends that I'll be recommending it to soon. I flew through this book because I enjoyed it so much that I didn't want to put it down, and Ruby and Ethan's story took me on an emotional rollercoaster that I won't be forgetting anytime soon. I'd definitely be open to reading more of Melissa Pimentel's work in the future, because it's safe to say that this book certainly got me hooked!
The reason I wasn't sure what to expect in regards to this book was the fact that Ruby was a full-fledged adult at this point in the story, so it wasn't like a typical YA book, and I never really had a good track record with adult books. I found it hard to put myself into their mindset and understand their problems, being that I am still a teenager myself. (But less than one year left!)
However, Ruby's narrative was super easy to read, and before long I got into the book easily. For the first time in a very long time, I found myself staying up and reading until my eyelids felt heavy and I had to physically stop myself because I couldn't go on any longer. I really, really missed that feeling, and I'm so glad that this book was able to give me that again. Ruby's story was really easy to follow, and I liked that the story constantly switched between present-day and the past, to give some context to Ruby and Ethan's relationship and eventual fallout, so when they met up again in England things made a lot more sense!
So, as the summary explains, Ruby and Ethan had dated a long time ago, and then they broke up (for reasons that will eventually be explained in the book, that I will not spoil for you here). And now, many years later, Ruby's sister is marrying Ethan's best friend, and they find themselves together once again at a wedding in England, doing their best to forget about and not rehash the past.
The only problem? In the years since Ethan and Ruby had broken up, Ethan went from being a small-town bartender to one of the biggest tech moguls of the century. I'm talking cool enough to be taking pictures with Steve Jobs, people. He becomes that big.
So yeah. Ruby tries very hard not to imagine what life would have been like if she had stayed with Ethan, but sometimes it was very difficult not to. So the book is pretty much narrating her trip to England for this disaster of a wedding while also trying to avoid Ethan to keep old feelings at bay while also trying to appear totally nonchalant and not bothered whenever she finds herself in his presence. So this book is definitely an emotional roller coaster filled with a lot of drama!
My favorite character in this book was definitely Ethan. He was sweet all of the time, both in the flashbacks and in the current moments, even when he didn't have to be. He always seemed to be thinking of other people and putting his best foot forward, and it was clear from the very beginning that he worked very hard for his success and totally earned it, which was sometimes the reason that Ruby resented him so much. But throughout the entire story Ethan kept doing things that were so hopelessly adorable and kind towards everyone around him, and it continuously made my heart melt.
As for Ruby, I liked her a lot, but sometimes I felt that just reading about her life was stressing me out a little bit. Especially when the book is narrating her typical morning in New York, I started to feel badly for the girl and worry about her fictional health. She was so determined to prove herself and make herself worth something, especially as Ethan continued to soar with his success, and at times she was wearing herself down so much that I really began to feel bad for her. However, it was positive to see that as the book went on Ruby began to learn what was more important than work and forced herself to take a little bit of a break -- Lord knows she needed it!
(Spoilers here so please skip to the next paragraph if you haven't read this book yet!) And oh my goodness guys, the ending of this book totally made my heart stop. It was so freaking cute. I had been shipping Ethan and Ruby since the beginning of their reunion (even when it was a little rocky), so I was so glad when everything worked out, even after Ruby admitted to the horrible thing she'd done back in New York all those years ago that led to their split in the first place, even when Ethan had no idea about it. The book leaves off in a place that gives you enough context to guess what will happen, but I still wish it went just a little bit further so I could see Ruby and Ethan's relationship (and maybe even marriage???) continue to bloom!! *heart eyes*
Overall, I really enjoyed The One That Got Away. I'm so glad that I got an opportunity to review this book because I ended up liking it a lot, and I can even think of a few friends that I'll be recommending it to soon. I flew through this book because I enjoyed it so much that I didn't want to put it down, and Ruby and Ethan's story took me on an emotional rollercoaster that I won't be forgetting anytime soon. I'd definitely be open to reading more of Melissa Pimentel's work in the future, because it's safe to say that this book certainly got me hooked!
I knew when I saw this one that it would be a book I could like. I love second chance romances, and one of the big reasons is because the characters share a past. I like that the author has included flashbacks, and I look forward to reading this one.
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