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saluda9's review against another edition
3.25
Rated higher than it probably deserves because the last 'modern retelling' of Persuasion I read was significantly worse than this one. This was definitely disappointing though. It's a very loose retelling, and I found it hard to like any of the characters. Also, why do all the characters have to be alcoholics?
ironskin's review against another edition
I’m pretty sure I already read this but I started rereading it and then DNF.
It’s pretty painful in a cringe way, there isn’t much personal growth, and the characters weren’t loveable enough for me.
I’m probably being harsh because Persuasion is a favourite novel, but I appreciate its really hard to retell! This was a miss.
It’s pretty painful in a cringe way, there isn’t much personal growth, and the characters weren’t loveable enough for me.
I’m probably being harsh because Persuasion is a favourite novel, but I appreciate its really hard to retell! This was a miss.
katchinn's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
foreveryoungadult's review against another edition
Graded By: Stephanie
Cover Story: Serviceably Cutesy
BFF Charm: Sassy Gay BFF
Swoonworthy Scale: 4
Talky Talk: Have We Met?
Bonus Factors: Rich People Travel, Katy Perry
Anti-Bonus Factor: Mystery Reasons
Relationship Status: Summer Fling
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Serviceably Cutesy
BFF Charm: Sassy Gay BFF
Swoonworthy Scale: 4
Talky Talk: Have We Met?
Bonus Factors: Rich People Travel, Katy Perry
Anti-Bonus Factor: Mystery Reasons
Relationship Status: Summer Fling
Read the full book report here.
sighbrarian's review against another edition
2.0
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I probably would have left another star if it hadn't been marketed to me as a "Modern Persuasion." As a "reconnect with the ex" romance novel, it wasn't bad, but it fell flat as an attempt to do a modern twist on Austen, in my opinion. I admit, I'm a little biased as Persuasion is probably my favorite of Austen's novels; I had really high expectations of this book going in, and it didn't quite meet them.
I probably would have left another star if it hadn't been marketed to me as a "Modern Persuasion." As a "reconnect with the ex" romance novel, it wasn't bad, but it fell flat as an attempt to do a modern twist on Austen, in my opinion. I admit, I'm a little biased as Persuasion is probably my favorite of Austen's novels; I had really high expectations of this book going in, and it didn't quite meet them.
a_lovesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Nice enough read. I found the flashbacks rather boring, to be honest, and would have preferred the story be told just in the Now time. The ending is predictable, but that's all right. It's great for a vacation or a rainy weekend.
magsnkth's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This was a waist of time.
This book is a wanna be contemporary Pride and Prejudice and I didn't like it that much.
I'm not a very patient person, so slow burn is usually a trope that's hard for me to read, but still, some slow burns get me trough it and are worth the wait. This slow burn was not. I wasn't able to get attached to the characters, which is usually something really easy for me, the love story is not very detailed so it's a bit rushed and finally Ethan and Ruby barely interact with each other in the weeding week.
I was almost more invested in Piper and Charlie's relationship then I was with the main character's relationship.
This book is a wanna be contemporary Pride and Prejudice and I didn't like it that much.
I'm not a very patient person, so slow burn is usually a trope that's hard for me to read, but still, some slow burns get me trough it and are worth the wait. This slow burn was not. I wasn't able to get attached to the characters, which is usually something really easy for me, the love story is not very detailed so it's a bit rushed and finally Ethan and Ruby barely interact with each other in the weeding week.
I was almost more invested in Piper and Charlie's relationship then I was with the main character's relationship.
amym84's review
4.0
3.5
In a world where Jane Austen's [b:Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320399351s/1885.jpg|3060926] sees a myriad of retellings, the thing that first caught my attention about The One That Got Away is the fact that it's a retelling of [b:Persuasion|2156|Persuasion|Jane Austen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1385172413s/2156.jpg|2534720]. Immediately I thought it was nice to see a different Jane Austen book receive some love. However, in the case of full disclosure, while being supremely knowledgeable about the premise of Persuasion, I have never read the book (I know! For Shame! I will rectify this as soon as humanly possible). Regardless, this fact in no way diminishes my enjoyment of The One That Got Away. What it boils down to it this:
Ruby and Ethan met one summer after Ruby graduated college when she was home, just before she was slated to start a new job in New York City. They decided to do the long-distance thing once Ruby left. Everything seemed perfect. That is, until it wasn't anymore.
Now, flash-forward ten years later and Ruby and Ethan are brought together again at the wedding of her sister, Piper, to Ethan's best friend Charlie. The first encounter proves to be a bit awkward between them, but as the week plays out leading up to the wedding, Ruby admits, to herself at least, that she still has feelings for Ethan, but does Ethan still have feelings for Ruby? If so, will they be able to work out what happened between them in the past, so they can have a future?
The One That Got Away was completely readable for me. Meaning, I didn't have to force myself to pick it back up after setting it down. And I was genuinely looking forward to seeing how everything played out in the end. There's a lot that was left unsaid between Ruby and Ethan from so many years ago, and Melissa Pimentel offers readers glimpses of the "Then" mixed in with the "Now". I enjoyed the back-and-forth, seeing how things progressed leading up to Ruby and Ethan breaking up interposed with what is happening with them now, seeing if they can get back together again.
However, most of the time, I found it difficult to actually like Ruby. She's closed off to the point where she comes across a little snippy and judgmental, and sometimes just plain mean to those around her. We see this as she deals with other people in the wedding party. There's a reason for this (all linking back, of course, to the events that lead up to the break-up), but I felt like the quirks about her personality were almost taken too far. When she does show that she is an actual nice, compassionate person, I liked her a lot more. I think we could have still understood how / why Ruby somewhat shut down without so much snark about her. But this may also be because we only get her point of view in the "Now" portions of the book. There's no one else to soften her character for us by taking the spotlight.
While Ruby was a bit of a hit-or-miss for me, I really loved Ethan throughout the whole book. This again, is probably because we only get his perspectives in the "Then" sections of the book, plus in some well-place email correspondence sections. We don't get in his headspace too much, like with Ruby, but we clearly see how much he loved Ruby back then. Part of the anticipation of waiting to see if Ethan and Ruby can be together again is the fact that Ruby (and therefore readers as well) don't know what Ethan is thinking in the present. He's kept somewhat of a mystery while we piece together all the information.
Overall, I found The One That Got Away to be a pleasantly sweet read. A good, quick read that doesn't take itself too seriously.
In a world where Jane Austen's [b:Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320399351s/1885.jpg|3060926] sees a myriad of retellings, the thing that first caught my attention about The One That Got Away is the fact that it's a retelling of [b:Persuasion|2156|Persuasion|Jane Austen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1385172413s/2156.jpg|2534720]. Immediately I thought it was nice to see a different Jane Austen book receive some love. However, in the case of full disclosure, while being supremely knowledgeable about the premise of Persuasion, I have never read the book (I know! For Shame! I will rectify this as soon as humanly possible). Regardless, this fact in no way diminishes my enjoyment of The One That Got Away. What it boils down to it this:
Ruby and Ethan met one summer after Ruby graduated college when she was home, just before she was slated to start a new job in New York City. They decided to do the long-distance thing once Ruby left. Everything seemed perfect. That is, until it wasn't anymore.
Now, flash-forward ten years later and Ruby and Ethan are brought together again at the wedding of her sister, Piper, to Ethan's best friend Charlie. The first encounter proves to be a bit awkward between them, but as the week plays out leading up to the wedding, Ruby admits, to herself at least, that she still has feelings for Ethan, but does Ethan still have feelings for Ruby? If so, will they be able to work out what happened between them in the past, so they can have a future?
The One That Got Away was completely readable for me. Meaning, I didn't have to force myself to pick it back up after setting it down. And I was genuinely looking forward to seeing how everything played out in the end. There's a lot that was left unsaid between Ruby and Ethan from so many years ago, and Melissa Pimentel offers readers glimpses of the "Then" mixed in with the "Now". I enjoyed the back-and-forth, seeing how things progressed leading up to Ruby and Ethan breaking up interposed with what is happening with them now, seeing if they can get back together again.
However, most of the time, I found it difficult to actually like Ruby. She's closed off to the point where she comes across a little snippy and judgmental, and sometimes just plain mean to those around her. We see this as she deals with other people in the wedding party. There's a reason for this (all linking back, of course, to the events that lead up to the break-up), but I felt like the quirks about her personality were almost taken too far. When she does show that she is an actual nice, compassionate person, I liked her a lot more. I think we could have still understood how / why Ruby somewhat shut down without so much snark about her. But this may also be because we only get her point of view in the "Now" portions of the book. There's no one else to soften her character for us by taking the spotlight.
While Ruby was a bit of a hit-or-miss for me, I really loved Ethan throughout the whole book. This again, is probably because we only get his perspectives in the "Then" sections of the book, plus in some well-place email correspondence sections. We don't get in his headspace too much, like with Ruby, but we clearly see how much he loved Ruby back then. Part of the anticipation of waiting to see if Ethan and Ruby can be together again is the fact that Ruby (and therefore readers as well) don't know what Ethan is thinking in the present. He's kept somewhat of a mystery while we piece together all the information.
Overall, I found The One That Got Away to be a pleasantly sweet read. A good, quick read that doesn't take itself too seriously.
argyledinosaur's review
5.0
Honestly, this book drew me in. I thought it was adorable, and frustrating, and at times emotional. I loved every minute of this book, even though some minutes were more frustrating than others. I loved the premise behind the book, the title speaks for itself, and I thought it was very well written. It was very modern, mentioning Twitter and iPhones and other things like that, which I found relateable and pretty cool.
The book is told in alternating chapters, one chapter being current, and the other chapter being 10 years in the past. I normally don't care for that kind of thing in books, but I thought it was executed very well here. I didn't see any glaring inconsistencies with the book, the plot was solid, if a little slow moving at times, and there were only a few grammatical errors that I hardly even noticed. This is a book that I am definitely planning on reading again.
My favorite thing about the book is that towards the end, literally in the first chapter or two, the main character decides to focus on herself and make herself happy, and I feel like that's something that a lot of people don't put any effort into or any emphasis on.
Overall, I thought it was a very cute story, and I love how the book ends, how it's a happy satisfying ending, but it's also left up to the reader to decide what happens next. If you like romance books, definitely pick this one up. It was fantastic.
The book is told in alternating chapters, one chapter being current, and the other chapter being 10 years in the past. I normally don't care for that kind of thing in books, but I thought it was executed very well here. I didn't see any glaring inconsistencies with the book, the plot was solid, if a little slow moving at times, and there were only a few grammatical errors that I hardly even noticed. This is a book that I am definitely planning on reading again.
My favorite thing about the book is that towards the end, literally in the first chapter or two, the main character decides to focus on herself and make herself happy, and I feel like that's something that a lot of people don't put any effort into or any emphasis on.
Overall, I thought it was a very cute story, and I love how the book ends, how it's a happy satisfying ending, but it's also left up to the reader to decide what happens next. If you like romance books, definitely pick this one up. It was fantastic.