The One That Got Away by Bethany Chase

The One That Got Away by Bethany Chase
Ballantine Books
Women's Fiction
March 31, 2015

About THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY:

Perfect for fans of Emily Giffin and Jennifer Weiner, this bright, funny debut from a fresh voice in fiction offers a delicious take on love, family, and what it means to build a home of one’s own.

Sarina Mahler thinks she has her life all nailed down: a growing architecture practice in Austin, Texas, and an any-day-now proposal from her loving boyfriend, Noah. She’s well on her way to having the family she’s hoped for since her mother’s death ten years ago. But with Noah on a temporary assignment abroad and retired Olympic swimmer—and former flame—Eamon Roy back in town asking her to renovate his new fixer-upper, Sarina’s life takes an unexpected turn. Eamon proves to be Sarina’s dream client, someone who instinctively trusts every one of her choices—and Sarina is reminded of all the reasons she was first drawn to him back in the day. Suddenly her carefully planned future with Noah seems a little less than perfect. And when tragedy strikes, Sarina is left reeling. With her world completely upended, she is forced to question what she truly wants in life—and in love.

Full of both humor and heartbreak, The One That Got Away is the story of one woman’s discovery that, sometimes, life is what happens when you leave the blueprints behind.


Advance Praise for THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY:

Refinery 29 includes Bethany Chase in their “21 New Authors You Need to Know” Feature, calling THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY “A novel that could be worthy of a big-screen adaption!”

"[A] sparkling debut [that] packs serious emotional punches . . . This utterly enjoyable romance will have readers swooning, sobbing, and eagerly anticipating Chase's next book."—Kirkus Reviews

“A warm, witty, and wise novel, The One That Got Away announces the arrival of a great new voice in fiction.”—Emily Giffin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The One and Only

“Love can be complicated, and in The One That Got Away, Bethany Chase captures every nuanced beat of a conflicted heart. An authentic and warm voice infuses this story of humor, heartbreak, and home. While Sarina finds her way, we as readers might also find a way back to our own unique lives.”—Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of And Then I Found You

“This perfectly paced story is full of fresh, engaging characters, but Chase’s greatest accomplishment is Sarina Mahler. Sarina is so human, her inner world such a compelling mix of guarded and open-hearted, confident and faltering, that—through every loss, every funny moment, every blazing triumph—I felt completely with her and grateful to be there.”—Marisa de los Santos, New York Times bestselling author of Falling Together

“Bethany Chase is utterly charming and writes about loss with wisdom and heart.”—Allie Larkin, author of Why Can’t I Be You

“Don’t let this one get away: Chase’s debut is fun, romantic, steamy, and populated with heartfelt characters—not-to-miss delicious escapism!”—L. Alison Heller, author of The Never Never Sisters

“We fell in love with The One That Got Away from the very first page. In her charming debut novel, Bethany Chase reminds us about the one that got away, and makes us wonder what would have happened if he hadn’t.”—Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, co-authors of Your Perfect Life

“The One That Got Away is juicy, steamy, witty, and real. Bethany Chase kept me laughing out loud as I quickly turned the pages. With a love story perfectly balanced between sexy and sweet, and settings so vivid and hip they feel like a literary Pinterest board, Chase will have you swooning.”—Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of After I Do


Buy The One That Got Away: Amazon | B&N | !ndigo

About The Author:
A native of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Bethany Chase headed to Williams College for an English degree and somehow came out the other side an interior designer. When she’s not writing or designing, you can usually find her in a karaoke bar. She lives with her lovely husband and occasionally psychotic cat in Brooklyn, three flights up. This is her first novel.

Connect With Bethany Chase: Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook


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REVIEW: Dog Gone, Back Soon by Nick Trout

Title: Dog Gone, Back Soon (Cyrus Mills #2)
Author: Nick Trout
Publisher: Hachette Books
Publication Date: April, 2014
Genre: General Fiction

Description: When Dr. Cyrus Mills returned home after inheriting his estranged father's veterinary practice, The Bedside Manor for Sick Animals, the last thing he wanted was to stay in Eden Falls, Vermont, a moment longer than absolutely necessary. However, the previously reclusive veterinarian pathologist quickly found that he actually enjoyed treating animals and getting to know the eccentric residents of the tiny provincial town-especially an alluring waitress named Amy.

So Cyrus is now determined to make Bedside Manor thrive. Not an easy goal, given that Healthy Paws, the national veterinary chain across town, will stop at nothing to crush its mom-and-pop competitor. And the rival vet practice isn't Cyrus's only competition; a handsome stranger shows up out of nowhere who clearly has a mysterious past with Amy. To top it off, Cyrus finds himself both the guardian of a very unique orphaned dog and smack in the middle of serious small town drama.

My Thoughts: Dog Gone, Back Soon is the charming sequel to The Patron Saint Of Lost Dogs, where the reader is first introduced to Dr. Cyrus Mills and the two legged and four legged residents of Eden Falls, Vermont. I enjoyed the first book so much that I was looking forward to this book to see what Cyrus was up to next. Dog Gone picks up very shortly after Patron Saint ends, so it is imperative you read Patron Saint first to fully understand and appreciate the background.

In Dog Gone, the reader is treated to the arrival of more adorable pets as well as a villain, of sorts. He runs the Healthy Paws veterinary clinic in a nearby town and has made it his mission to see Bedside Manor fail, especially when a few of their patients come to Cyrus for help.

Cyrus and Amy finally go on an official date that does not end well and the reader is taken on a journey of Cyrus battling the green-eyed monster and trying to come to terms with his feelings for Amy, while trying to do the right thing when he is mistaken for someone else.

I especially enjoy how the author uses his own remarkable veterinary skills to illuminate how Cyrus uncovers what is ailing each of his furry patients. As with the first book in the series, this story also tugs on the heartstrings. I really love how the animals bring Cyrus out of his introverted shell. He is not the same man he was when he first arrived and I love seeing the interactions between him and the animals.

My Final Verdict: I really hope to see another book in this series. I highly recommend this series if you enjoy a heartwarming story that elicits strong emotional responses filled with characters that are easy to connect and relate to.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Dog Gone, Back Soon from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Body In The Woods by April Henry

Title: The Body In The Woods (Point Last Seen #1)
Author: April Henry
Publisher: Henry Holt And Company
Publication Date: June, 2014
Genre: Teen / Young Adult / Mystery

Description: In this new series told from multiple perspectives, teen members of a search and rescue team discover a dead body in the woods.

Alexis, Nick, and Ruby have very different backgrounds: Alexis has spent her life covering for her mom’s mental illness, Nick’s bravado hides his fear of not being good enough and Ruby just wants to pursue her eccentric interests in a world that doesn’t understand her. When the three teens join Portland County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, they are teamed up to search for an autistic man lost in the woods. What they find instead is a dead body. In a friendship that will be forged in danger, fear, and courage, the three team up to find the girl’s killer—before he can strike one of their own.

This first book in April Henry’s Point Last Seen YA mystery series is full of riveting suspense, putting readers in the middle of harrowing rescues and crime scene investigations.

My Thoughts: The Body In The Woods by new to me author April Henry is the first book in a series about three teens who are members of a search and rescue team. While on a search for a missing man, they discover the body of a young girl. The trio soon realize a serial killer is on the loose and decide to work together to solve the mystery before one of them becomes his next target.

Though this story did not pack a high level of intensity, it’s a good start to the series and holds a lot of promise as we learn more about Alexis, Nick and Ruby. I enjoyed meeting these characters and getting to know them. They are an awkward group that do not know each other very well but a friendship begins to bloom and becomes stronger as they work together to solve the crime. I thought each character was unique and interesting as more is learned about them and the reader gets to see firsthand into the lives of each one. The author does a good job of capturing the voice of each character’s personality and bringing them to life on the page.

The story moved at a good pace and the author does not mire down the reader in unnecessary details. I was able to guess the identity of the killer fairly quickly but I enjoyed seeing it all play out and wondering how the teens would get the police to help.

My Final Verdict: Good start to a series that will appeal to fans of young adult themes and mysteries. What the book lacks in suspense and intensity delivers with interesting characters that will draw the reader in to find out what happens next.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of The Body In The Woods from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Pretty Reckless by Jodi Linton

Title: Pretty Reckless (Deputy Laney Briggs #1)
Author: Jodi Linton
Publisher: Entangled: Ignite
Publication Date: March, 2014
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Description: Welcome to Pistol Rock, Texas where everyone knows secrets last about as long as the sporadic west Texas rain showers.

Laney Briggs has long been considered reckless by the denizens of her hometown, but she’s finally turned it all around—she’s happily engaged to the local veterinarian and she’s become a Pistol Rock deputy sheriff. Everything’s fine and dandy—until a dead body turns up and her ex, Texas Ranger Gunner Wilson, decides to stick his boots into the town’s first murder case. Of course, the troublesome cowboy’s rugged good looks and T-shirt-straining muscles are already leaving Laney knee-deep in hot water, but she’ll be damned if she lets Gunner trample all over her turf. She’s decided that, instead of conflict, she wants a contented, steady life with her vet—a life in which Gunner Wilson and his seemingly endless ability to undermine her resolve and her libido plays no part. Still, it’s hard to keep her head as forbidden sparks ignite and suspicions arise between old rivals and old flames. And when the bodies start to pile up, Laney has to ask the lethal bad boy for a hand—and a truce in exchange for his help. But after uncovering the pack of lies surrounding not only her job but her heart… Having an ex-boyfriend as an ally might not be the best idea, but it’s certainly the most reckless, and Laney has always been pretty reckless…


My Thoughts: With Pretty Reckless, new to me author Jodi Linton introduces the reader to a feisty spitfire named Laney Briggs, a former school teacher turned Sheriff's Deputy in the small town of Pistol Rock, Texas. Murder isn't something that happens in this tiny little town so when Laney finds herself investigating her first murder case, she crosses paths with old flame, Gunner Wilson, a Texas Ranger whose relationship with Laney ended with a shotgun loaded with rock salt. Laney is now engaged to the local veterinarian and though she insists long and loud that she loves her fiancé, Gunner is determined to kick up a little dust over her shiny red cowboy boots.

This book was a lot of fun to read. I really liked Laney and Gunner together. Their chemistry and feelings were very evident though Laney trys very hard to fight it. Gunner is a pure rascal to the bone but you have to admire his tenacity. He's not a perfect hero and he is no innocent bystander. Some would even say that receiving an ass full of rock salt was the least he deserved. Once he arrives in Pistol Rock, he is like the proverbial moth to Laney's bright flame. He can't stay away and doesn't seem to care if he will get burned.

What initially appears as a run of the mill murder investigation quickly turns sinister when Laney starts receiving threats from an unknown source and more dead bodies start showing up.

The story moves at a very good pace and the author does an excellent job of describing the scenes with such clarity and detail, the reader is able to feel what Laney feels, all the way down to the dry dusty Texas landscape. I was able to guess early on who the true villains in the story are but what I was not expecting was the final show-down which had some intense nail-biting moments.

My Final Verdict: This is a very good start to a series that packs a punch. If you like your heroes to wear Stetsons and boots with a "Howdy Ya'll" drawl that will make your toes tingle, then Pretty Reckless will fit the bill. Turn up the A/C, pour yourself an iced glass of sweet tea, turn off the phone and get ready to be thoroughly entertained.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Pretty Reckless from the author in exchange for an honest review.

New Additions To The TBR Pile In February

I am currently up to my eyeballs in review books and more arrived in February. I used to think having time off of work would be ideal, but if that time were on a deserted island with no distractions, I might actually make a dent (smile). Lots of intriguing choices to choose from and I cannot make up my mind! Would love to hear any thoughts on these if you have read them.

Title: Ever After by Anya Wylde
Description: “With a shout from the queen, a hoot from the major, a joyous giggle from the good king … the long awaited princess finally arrived ...” In an unpredictable world where birds deliver babies, wise turtles live deep in the earth and grasshoppers advise the queen, the new-born and highly indignant princess finds herself trapped in a luxurious tower by the over protective king.

Soon after her seventeenth birthday, growing bored of trinkets, baubles and sparkling diamonds, she decides to rebel and win back her freedom. Her father relents and allows her to venture outside the tower, but only if she is accompanied by the royal entourage comprising of guards, doctors, nurses, maids, a cook, an elephant, as well as a military tank complete with a powerful cannon.

Just when she thinks she is beginning to understand the world outside the tower, she sees him moving amongst the crowd, and her entire world tilts on its axis and the tale takes an unexpected turn....

Title: If We Lived Here by Lindsey Palmer
Description: Razor-sharp and thought-provoking, Lindsey J. Palmer's incisive new novel both celebrates and skewers modern relationships and their milestones, offering a witty and wise look at what it takes to commit--to love, to a home, and to the life that's right for you.

After three years of dating and trading nights at their respective New York City apartments, Emma Feit and Nick O'Hare are moving in together. Or they will be, as soon as they find the right place. For two happily-in-love professionals--Nick's a teacher, Emma tutors college-bound teens--with good credit and stellar references, how hard can it be? As it turns out, very--in ways that are completely unexpected.

Suddenly Emma is filled with questions about cohabiting, about giving up her freedom--not to mention about who's going to clean the toilet. And while her best friend plans a dream wedding to her wealthy fiancé, and her older brother settles into suburban bliss, Emma must figure out what home means to her--and how on earth to get there.

Title: Love By The Book by Melissa Pimentel
Description: A hilarious and refreshingly honest foray into modern dating, Age, Sex, Location is Bridget Jones's Diary for HBO's Girls generation.

An American living in London, Lauren is intelligent, beautiful and loves to party. So why can't she convince a man she isn't after something more serious than scrambled eggs and goodbye in the morning?

Determined to snare some regular male affection, she embarks on a project: each month she will follow the rules of a different dating guide - from refusing to pay the bill to chatting up every man in her path - and will switch seamlessly to the next book at the end of each month.

Lauren's love life is about to get scientific . .

Title: The One That Got Away by Bethany Chase
Description: Perfect for fans of Emily Giffin and Jennifer Weiner, this bright, funny debut from a fresh voice in fiction offers a delicious take on love, family, and what it means to build a home of one’s own.

Sarina Mahler thinks she has her life all nailed down: a growing architecture practice in Austin, Texas, and an any-day-now proposal from her loving boyfriend, Noah. She’s well on her way to having the family she’s hoped for since her mother’s death ten years ago. But with Noah on a temporary assignment abroad and retired Olympic swimmer — and former flame — Eamon Roy back in town asking her to renovate his new fixer-upper, Sarina’s life takes an unexpected turn.

Eamon proves to be Sarina’s dream client, someone who instinctively trusts every one of her choices — and Sarina is reminded of all the reasons she was first drawn to him back in the day. Suddenly her carefully planned future with Noah seems a little less than perfect. And when tragedy strikes, Sarina is left reeling. With her world completely upended, she is forced to question what she truly wants in life — and in love.

Full of both humor and heartbreak, The One That Got Away is the story of one woman’s discovery that, sometimes, life is what happens when you leave the blueprints behind.

Title: The Royal We by Heather Cocks
Description: "I might be Cinderella today, but I dread who they'll think I am tomorrow. I guess it depends on what I do next."

American Rebecca Porter was never one for fairy tales. Her twin sister, Lacey, has always been the romantic who fantasized about glamour and royalty, fame and fortune. Yet it's Bex who seeks adventure at Oxford and finds herself living down the hall from Prince Nicholas, Great Britain's future king. And when Bex can't resist falling for Nick, the person behind the prince, it propels her into a world she did not expect to inhabit, under a spotlight she is not prepared to face.

Dating Nick immerses Bex in ritzy society, dazzling ski trips, and dinners at Kensington Palace with him and his charming, troublesome brother, Freddie. But the relationship also comes with unimaginable baggage: hysterical tabloids, Nick's sparkling and far more suitable ex-girlfriends, and a royal family whose private life is much thornier and more tragic than anyone on the outside knows. The pressures are almost too much to bear, as Bex struggles to reconcile the man she loves with the monarch he's fated to become.

Which is how she gets into trouble.

Now, on the eve of the wedding of the century, Bex is faced with whether everything she's sacrificed for love-her career, her home, her family, maybe even herself-will have been for nothing.

Title: What Happens In Tuscany by T.A. Williams
Description: From rainy England…

Katie never imagined her life was perfect. But when she finds herself on a rainy street, soaked to the bone and with only a cheating boyfriend and a dead-end job keeping her in town, she knows something has to change. Which is what leads her to Iddlescombe Manor, to be companion to Lady Victoria Chalker-Pyne – the only 25 year old Katie’s ever met who hasn’t heard of Twitter, thinks camisoles are de rigueur, and desperately needs an education in the 21st century!

…to the Tuscan sun!

But it wouldn’t be an education without a summer holiday – and where better than Tuscany? Decamping to Victoria’s family villa, it’s soon clear that the valley really does have it all: sun, sea…and some seriously gorgeous neighbours. The only question is: when the weather’s this hot, the wine is this smooth and the local men are this irresistible…will Katie ever want to make the journey home?

Don’t miss deliciously funny romance What Happens in Tuscany… the perfect escape for fans of Fern Britton and Veronica Henry.