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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
Welp, I have a new favorite adult author. This book was perfect. I loved Sarina, I loved Eamon, I loved Sarina's ridiculous cat and her insane troupe of delightful friends. I loved the way that Sarina grew, treated her friends well, and was always her own person, no matter what was happening in her love life. This book made me cry and it made me swoon.
So, let's see if I can summarize this for you: girl meets boy; girl is attracted to and then slighted by boy; girl moves on with her life and meets another boy; first boy shows back up; emotional fallout ensues. This is a story you've probably read before, so why would you want to read this one?
First of all, the setting: Austin, Texas, is a place that is near and dear to my own heart (admitting my bias!) and the culture and environment are always interesting to me; Bethany Chase has done her homework and introduces readers to some wonderful Austin haunts. Sarina has a fascinating, albeit stressful and inconsistent, career as an up-and-coming architect that brings many interesting characters and personalities from within the Austin creative scene into her life; her roommate Danny is hilarious.
Which brings me to my next point: the characters. I felt connected to Sarina and to her search for creating an authentic life following the loss of her mother; she is a truly engaging character and I think character development, more so than the story itself, is the author's strong suit. Readers get to know Sarina's stepfather, which whom she is very close, and as I mentioned earlier, her roommate Danny is definitely entertaining yet proves to be an unwavering supporter.
In addition, even though some elements of the story may be perceived as rather predictable, I couldn't help being wrapped up in the emotional roller coaster that Chase so authentically describes. Sarina is faced with some tough decisions, as well as the consequences that will inevitably follow; her narrative is not only heartbreaking and conflicted, but also humorous and brave. It takes a lot of confidence to examine one's life and make decisions based on what one wants, rather than what one believes will make others happy; Sarina is spirited and confident enough to take on this role and make it shine.
This debut will be a perfect addition to your Spring/Summer reading list; sit outside with a cold beverage and enjoy every last page of this one.
First of all, the setting: Austin, Texas, is a place that is near and dear to my own heart (admitting my bias!) and the culture and environment are always interesting to me; Bethany Chase has done her homework and introduces readers to some wonderful Austin haunts. Sarina has a fascinating, albeit stressful and inconsistent, career as an up-and-coming architect that brings many interesting characters and personalities from within the Austin creative scene into her life; her roommate Danny is hilarious.
Which brings me to my next point: the characters. I felt connected to Sarina and to her search for creating an authentic life following the loss of her mother; she is a truly engaging character and I think character development, more so than the story itself, is the author's strong suit. Readers get to know Sarina's stepfather, which whom she is very close, and as I mentioned earlier, her roommate Danny is definitely entertaining yet proves to be an unwavering supporter.
In addition, even though some elements of the story may be perceived as rather predictable, I couldn't help being wrapped up in the emotional roller coaster that Chase so authentically describes. Sarina is faced with some tough decisions, as well as the consequences that will inevitably follow; her narrative is not only heartbreaking and conflicted, but also humorous and brave. It takes a lot of confidence to examine one's life and make decisions based on what one wants, rather than what one believes will make others happy; Sarina is spirited and confident enough to take on this role and make it shine.
This debut will be a perfect addition to your Spring/Summer reading list; sit outside with a cold beverage and enjoy every last page of this one.
Comparisons to anything remotely related to Emily Giffin are more than enough reason for me to pick up just about *any* book -- so, of course, The One That Got Away was definitely no exception. And, as if that wasn't reason enough to consider this sweet story, look at that cute little blue bird on the cover?! How can you say NO to that face?!
So, the story line here made me a little hesitant, I must admit -- a young woman is set to be engaged but is still oddly hung up on a one-night stand stud, with whom she be closely working on an architecture project. *love triangle* No! Not again... right?!
Right. But, it wasn't even necessarily the incredibly predictable love triangle that really deterred me from The One That Got Away. No, unfortunately, what really killed this story for me, I think, was the unfortunate and frustrating main character, Sarina.
I'm all for a strong female lead, don't get me wrong, but Sarina really took the cake when it came to selfishness and immaturity throughout this novel. One moment she's practically begging for her long-time boyfriend Noah to hurry up and propose -- but only pages later she whines and rambles about her inability to actually imagine herself married to this same man. And then there's, of course, the odd fixation on Eamon, who for all intents and purposes, was little more than a one night stand from eight years prior. But, even there, Sarina seems to have very little self-awareness (and very little consideration for those around her). She seems to instigate a game of passive aggressiveness with Eamon, even after finally realizing she is madly in love with him, in which she expects that he will not only read her mind but will also wait around for her endlessly, while she insists over and over that she sill never leave Noah to be with him. Whatever, girl!
I was secretly hoping for Eamon to dump Sarina at the end of the story, leading to a chapter or two of introspection, followed by a bit of character growth and maturity... but, alas. The ending is pretty much exactly what one would have expected, had one bothered to speculate about ten pages into the overall novel.
I've always connected with Emily Giffin's characters, so I think the frustration and irritation at Chase's main character was what really differentiated this title from favorites I've read by Giffin in the past. I expect that this story may appeal to a younger audience -- perhaps females around the later high school age? That's really the only crowd that I imagine could identify with the teen angst that perpetuated Sarina's character for the most part.
That said, I really can't say anything negative about the writing or the general story structure. I'd definitely consider reading another title by Bethany Chase in the future -- I just hope for a more likeable character next go around, I suppose.
So, the story line here made me a little hesitant, I must admit -- a young woman is set to be engaged but is still oddly hung up on a one-night stand stud, with whom she be closely working on an architecture project. *love triangle* No! Not again... right?!
Right. But, it wasn't even necessarily the incredibly predictable love triangle that really deterred me from The One That Got Away. No, unfortunately, what really killed this story for me, I think, was the unfortunate and frustrating main character, Sarina.
I'm all for a strong female lead, don't get me wrong, but Sarina really took the cake when it came to selfishness and immaturity throughout this novel. One moment she's practically begging for her long-time boyfriend Noah to hurry up and propose -- but only pages later she whines and rambles about her inability to actually imagine herself married to this same man. And then there's, of course, the odd fixation on Eamon, who for all intents and purposes, was little more than a one night stand from eight years prior. But, even there, Sarina seems to have very little self-awareness (and very little consideration for those around her). She seems to instigate a game of passive aggressiveness with Eamon, even after finally realizing she is madly in love with him, in which she expects that he will not only read her mind but will also wait around for her endlessly, while she insists over and over that she sill never leave Noah to be with him. Whatever, girl!
I was secretly hoping for Eamon to dump Sarina at the end of the story, leading to a chapter or two of introspection, followed by a bit of character growth and maturity... but, alas. The ending is pretty much exactly what one would have expected, had one bothered to speculate about ten pages into the overall novel.
I've always connected with Emily Giffin's characters, so I think the frustration and irritation at Chase's main character was what really differentiated this title from favorites I've read by Giffin in the past. I expect that this story may appeal to a younger audience -- perhaps females around the later high school age? That's really the only crowd that I imagine could identify with the teen angst that perpetuated Sarina's character for the most part.
That said, I really can't say anything negative about the writing or the general story structure. I'd definitely consider reading another title by Bethany Chase in the future -- I just hope for a more likeable character next go around, I suppose.
4.5 starts | I seriously loved this book. The main character had such an awesome, unique, and hilarious voice... and the love interest was just so <3333 GAH. This book was a really honest look at love, I think, and I would have read the whole thing in one sitting if possible. Not a full five stars, but damn close - some parts towards the end felt a litttttle too back and forth for me. I thought some of it was realistic, but I just kept yelling for them to get their shit together. Overall HIGHLY recommend!!
I liked it, but I hated both of the guys that Sarina lusted after. She could have done better, and if she were a real person that I knew, I'd tell her that.
This was a great, quick, fun read. And theres another one that follows characters connected to them, I cannot wait until that one comes out! Definitely recommend for anyone looking for a light, fun, "beachy" (come on sun!) read!
3.5 stars - I loved most of this book. EsPEcially the part where it mentioned Blacksburg and Virginia Tech; Sarina’s relationship with her stepfather; almost every character - just so real and vibrant, I was laughing out loud at their interactions - the kind I have with my own friend group. Anyway. Did I know I was getting into a predictable, sometimes eye roll-inducing romance novel as soon as I read the title? AbsoLUTEly. Did I enjoy it anyway? ‘Natch.
3.5, but I'm rounding up. I really enjoyed this and am bummed to find out the sequel has been shelved by the publisher. Not sure exactly what that means or why they would do that, yet still circulate the first book with a teaser for the second one included, but I hope it's released some day.
I enjoyed this more than [bc:Results May Vary|27833513|Results May Vary|Bethany Chase|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1460638324s/27833513.jpg|47815510]. I think I could relate more to the characters. Plus, I was in the mood for something light.
Weird names. The Irish names were explained, but I would have liked to hear more about Sarina. I kept reading it as Sabrina.
There are two black characters in this book. One secondary, one minor. I know this because they were described as such, which always strikes me as weird. If you don't point out every time a character is white, why is it necessary to say, "there was an African-American woman seated at the table"? Weird. And as usual, until that point, I had been reading pretty much everyone except the main characters as black, so it annoyed me.
I enjoyed this more than [bc:Results May Vary|27833513|Results May Vary|Bethany Chase|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1460638324s/27833513.jpg|47815510]. I think I could relate more to the characters. Plus, I was in the mood for something light.
Weird names. The Irish names were explained, but I would have liked to hear more about Sarina. I kept reading it as Sabrina.
There are two black characters in this book. One secondary, one minor. I know this because they were described as such, which always strikes me as weird. If you don't point out every time a character is white, why is it necessary to say, "there was an African-American woman seated at the table"? Weird. And as usual, until that point, I had been reading pretty much everyone except the main characters as black, so it annoyed me.