REVIEW: The One That Got Away by Karina Halle

 

OUR REVIEW:
Are you ready for a ramble? If not, scroll down and you'll probably find a more succinct synopsis of my thoughts on The One That Got Away. 

So it's currently the beginning of May 2021 and as I'm looking at the blog social media and reviews I realize that it's been over a month since I've really posted anything--that should tell you how busy my life as a teacher of senior English students has been. IT HAS BEEN INSANE. Completely crazy in a way that I don't remember in the millions of years that I've been teaching. So when I could finally catch my breath and just devote time to my reading life, I decided to finally read The One That Got Away. It had been on my TBR pile since it came out and I knew with Karina Halle as the writer, that I would be immersed in the narrative within pages...I was right. 

Not only was I interested in the story of Ruby and Luciano because of the hint of their story in The Forbidden Man but I was ready to fall in love with whichever geographical location she put me in (and fall in love I did). 

So, Ruby. Ruby was someone I empathized with--she had this charming personality that tried to hide her insecurities and doubts. She was at a loss as to how to climb out of the hole she seemed to find herself in (no real job, no real home, no real connections to loved ones), even though she had a plan and skills to help her move up and out. She got sidetracked, lost, and in her frustration, she'd make these really impulsive or rebellious decisions that made her life more challenging. Gah. She was maddening at times; though, even when I found her choices irritating or confounding, I really liked her. I respected that she often made poor decisions for the right reasons, even when those decisions were devastating.

Likewise, I really enjoyed Luciano. He was a really kind and decent guy who, despite terrible circumstances in his childhood, he excelled and tried hard to do the right thing, even when it hurt him. If Ruby frustrated me because of her sometimes crazy decisions, he frustrated me with his loyalty; I wanted him to just look out for his best interests every once in a while and it was maddening that he let some people treat him the way that they did. 

Ultimately, these two and their whirlwind romance, that spanned over a decade, had my full attention and their story was so good and angsty and maddening and hot and wonderful that I hated that it ever had to end. I also have added Lisbon to my bucket list of places to visit and fall in love with and I can't wait until the day comes that I can visit. 

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SYNOPSIS:
An epic standalone sports romance

Ruby Turner was never meant to be mine.

When I first met her she was a fresh, young American sports journalist trying to find her footing in a new life abroad. She was the one interviewing me for an article, yet I wanted to know more about her. She captivated me.

But she went home with Marco that night.
My agent.
My brother.

And I did what I could to pretend I was fine with it. After all, I’m Luciano Ribeiro. As the captain of Real Madrid, and Portugal’s National Team, it’s my job to be cool, calm, and collected, not easily rattled.

Only what I felt for Ruby over time, shook me to my very core. It made me do things I never imagined I would do.
It started with a stolen kiss in the middle of the night.
It led to a passionate tryst.
It created a burden of guilt that I had to carry, as Ruby came in and out of my life until she left for good, leaving her mark on me.

Now, seven years later, she’s back.
She was the one that got away.
I don’t think I’ll let her go this time.
But I might not have a choice.
Because my heart still belongs to her.
And her heart might belong to my brother.