Charlotte Rixon is the author of The One That Got Away.
Her second novel, After The Fire, will be published in the UK & US in summer 2024.
The One That Got Away
This is not a love story. It is the story of first love.
“This is not your typical romance novel – it will break your heart and then put it back together”
“Hard-hitting, gripping and emotional”
“Heart-wrenching romance, anyone? Fans of Jojo Moyes and Jill Santopolo will be all over this first love story”
“A poignant and gripping second chance romance...this evocative portrait of first love reunited tugs at the heartstrings”
“A suspenseful, explosive story of intense first love gone wrong, and twenty years spent wondering “what if things had been different?””
Two years together.
Twenty years apart.
One day to change their story.
2000. Benjamin’s world is turned upside down the night he meets Clara. Instinctively, he knows that they are meant for each other, but a devastating mistake on their last night at university will take their lives in very different directions.
20 years later, Clara has a high-profile job and a handsome husband. But despite the trappings of success, she isn't happy, and she knows that a piece of her heart still belongs to Benjamin, the boy she fell in love with years earlier. The boy whose life she fears she ruined.
When a bombing is reported in the city where they first met, Clara is pulled back to a place she tries not to remember and the first love she could never forget. Searching for Benjamin, Clara is forced to confront the events that tore them apart. But is it too late to put right what went wrong?
Across the miles and spanning decades, Charlotte Rixon's The One That Got Away is a sweeping, romantic story about growing up, growing apart, the people who first steal our hearts, and the surprising, winding roads that love can take us on.
“Cleverly written and thought-provoking... a touching and evocative portrayal of first love, but more than that, a real and raw examination of lost opportunities and harsh realities”
“Poignant... a modern tale of love and loss”
“Colleen Hoover’s books were the star of the show in 2022 - however Charlotte Rixon has released a rival novel! This book will be sure to break your heart, then piece it back together”
“Charlotte Rixon’s The One That Got Away is the kind of book I’m always searching for. It’s a stunning love story that had my heart racing from the first chapter and tears streaming down my face by the end. An instant favorite”
“A poignant story filled with powerful life lessons, The One That Got Away is a testament to the staying power of first love. This is one heartwarming read”
“In The One That Got Away, Charlotte Rixon captures masterfully the magic and devastation of first love, as well as the all-consuming aftermath of heartbreak...a powerful exploration of the relationships that shape us, this is a nostalgic, fierce and utterly spellbinding read”
“Absorbing, touching and wise. I raced through it”
“The One That Got Away will resonate with anyone who remembers the rush of first love and the heartbreak that follows”
“Utterly mesmerizing. This achingly real and beautiful story of first love is absolutely riveting”
“Do not let this one get away. It will steal your heart”
After The Fire
Coming 1 August 2024
This is the story of girl meets boy.
And then everything goes wrong . . .
Ever since they first met at university, Beth and Nick have circled in and out of one another's lives: supporting each other through grief, marriage, divorce, career crises and family dramas.
Fourteen years ago, when they were on the cusp of adulthood, they both survived a devastating fire that sent their lives in different directions. And they've been running ever since: from the pain, from the memories, and most devastatingly of all, from the guilt.
But no matter how hard they try, there's something else they can't run from. The inescapable, terrifying truth: they're in love with each other.
But how can they move forward, when neither of them can stop looking back?