The One That Got Away by Karina Halle

The One That Got Away

by Karina Halle

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.

Reviewed by Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading on

4 of 5 stars

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I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The One That Got Away by Karina Halle was an impulse read. I never read the author before, but the story of a romance between a soccer (football) player and a sports journalist held a certain appeal that had me picking this one up. Yeah! I am a sucker for sports romance. In The One That Got Away Karina Halle delivered gripping angsty and emotional romance.

True love stands the test of time, and The One That Got Away epitomized this statement perfectly. This is one of those stories where one needs to be in the right frame of mind for. Ruby and Luciano, the couple featured here, encountered many obstacles, some which manifested by their own hands, to attain their happily ever after. It took them eleven years to be together.

It took me sometime to warm-up to Ruby. Her questionable actions throughout the story can be offputting, but as Halle peeled away her layers piece by piece, the reader gained insight into her psyche. A free spirt who spent most of the story running away from her past, hoping to find herself. Only to realise that what she was seeking laid in the very past she tried to escape.

Luciano played for Sporting, one of the top football teams in Lisbon. He dreams of playing for Real Madrid one day. Soccer is his life, and it serves as his escape from the past of his traumatic childhood. A childhood with a father who abandoned him, an abusive stepfather and a mother who ignored him. Poor guy could not catch a break. Even as an adult, his stepfather found a myriad of ways to make his life miserable.

Luciano and Ruby’s romance developed with many complexities. Based on the events, this could be see has a love triangle, because of Ruby’s back and forth between Luciano and his step-brother Marco. However, it went much deeper than that. From the start, Ruby and Luciano shared an intense connection, but as stated earlier, Ruby made questionable choices. The manner in which the Halle wove the threads of this romantic entanglement made it easy to accept.

The One That Got Away is a story of healing, loss, passion, second chances, and a love that survived it all. An emotional story with a delightful and heartwarming conclusion.

The narration was done by the duo of Samantha Cook and Jeremy York. They complimented each other. I’ve listened to Samantha previously and liked her delivery. She delivered as expected. Jeremy York is new to me. I enjoyed his narration, especially his voice for Luciano.

   This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 5 April, 2022: Finished reading
  • 5 April, 2022: Reviewed