The One That Got Away By Annabel Kantaria

[amazon_link id=”1848455127″ target=”_blank” ][/amazon_link]’The One That Got Away’ is the latest book by Annabel Kantaria.

Everyone has one. An ex you still think about. The one who makes you ask ‘what if’? Fifteen years have passed since Stella and George last saw each other. But something makes Stella click ‘yes’ to the invite to her school reunion. There’s still a spark between them, and although their relationship ended badly, they begin an affair. But once someone gets you back, sometimes they’re never going to let you go again…

This is the first book that I’ve read by Annabel and it was a great introduction to the author.

The story is about first love and first heartbreak as Stella never got over George Worsley when he left her at 18. Unknown to her, he always thought of her even though he married and in her eyes moved on. So when the invite arrives for the high school reunion, they both jump at the chance to see each other and immediately there’s an instant attraction and as much as Stella doesn’t want to, she falls for George and they begin a passionate affair which later becomes a marriage. The pair then decide to leave London and start a new life in the countryside with the intention of starting s family, but things don’t go to plan as George begins to suffer from memory loss as well as troubles with his work.

Cleverly, this story is written from both perspectives and gives us a great insight to the different personalities and their approaches to life. George is a cocky character, he’s used to women falling for him and being the centre of attention, but with Stella, he has to clamber for her attention as she plays aloof with him and doesn’t want to be too keen.

Unbeknown to George, Stella is delighted with George’s return and can finally move on with her life plan. But, she keeps it cool with him, not wanting to appear too keen and also aware that she’s having an affair with a married man.

I loved the dual narratives in the story, they gave great insights into the relationship.

But, as well as that, as George becomes unwell and with his memory loss, we see a once confident man become unsure and vulnerable whilst Stella seems to bloom in their new life. As the story progresses, we begin to see a darker side, as George begins to doubt his own sanity and begins to wonder if his new wife, is the person that he was led to believe.

With short and engaging chapters that really keeps the reader on their toes, ‘The One That Got Away’ is an intriguing tale of love and deceit, that shows that the first love is not always the right love.

You can pre-order [amazon_link id=”1848455127″ target=”_blank” ]The One That Got Away from Amazon [/amazon_link] and will be available to buy from good bookshops from 21st September 2017.