The One That Got Away by A.J. Pine – a Review

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Description:
How far will one man go for the woman he’s loved since high school?

Jamie Kingston has been Brynn Chandler’s best friend since middle school. Only once was their friendship tested—when Brynn gave Jamie a single kiss. Since then, they’ve had an unspoken agreement never to cross that line again, and she’s ready to let go of the past and move on.

But Jamie has loved Brynn for as long as he can remember, and now that he’s ready to tell her, she has her sights set on someone else. Knowing this is his last chance, he asks Brynn to go on a two-week road trip. But their time alone brings old hurts to the surface, and Brynn has to decide if the one that got away lies at the end of the journey or if he’s been by her side all along.

Review:

The One That Got Away is book one in the Kingston Ale House series by A. J. Pine.  As high schoolers Brynn Chandler and Jamie Kingston were best friends.  Brynn has her sights set on kissing senior star athlete Spencer Matthews.  Her chance is going to come at a graduation party the following night.  But things didn’t work out as she had planned.  Brynn came down with a case of mono and all her high school dreams are crushed.  But coming to her rescue is her best friend, Jamie Kingston.  He stays with her that night while her parents are out of town and nurses her back to health.   In her time of recovery— she realizes that Jamie has always been there for her, and she risks it all to kiss him.  But Jamie who has long loved her completely and totally isn’t in a good place.  His parents are divorcing and he is sure that any relationship he pursues with Brynn will end in disaster and ruin their friendship.

Flash forward ten years and Brynn and Jamie are still best friends.  Jamie still secretly loves her, and Brynn feels the same about him.  But Brynn is currently single and Jamie is in a stable relationship even though it isn’t with the one he wants.  Their high school reunion is coming around and Brynn is bound and determined to not let this reunion go by without trying to kiss her high school crush Spencer.  It’s the night of the reunion and Brynn is seeking out Spencer.  Jamie realizes that Brynn is the one he wants and goes and breaks up with his girlfriend.  Brynn sees  Spencer and even gets some alone time with him—even almost kisses him.  But Jamie rushed in—all prepared to tell her he is in love with her and catches them together.  No kiss yet again!  Spencer is now an author and invites Brynn to California for his book launch.  Jamie knows that in order to have her he must let her try with Spencer.  Jamie now owns Kingston’s Ale House and has an opportunity to drive to California for a beer thing so he invites Brynn along with the hopes of convincing her that its he she loves and not Spencer.  Even going so far as delivering Brynn into the arms of Spencer.

What ensues is a cross country road trip that is filled with ups and downs and loads of adventures.  Jamie has ended his relationship in the hopes of winning Brynn over—but he hasn’t quite told her that part yet.  And even though they were never allowed to discuss it Brynn has been crazy in love with Jamie since the night they kissed.  But his rejection of her still hits her in the feels.  She wants to tell him how she feels about him but is in no way ready for another rejection.

This is one of the best road trip books I have ever read.  I loved the relationship of Brynn and Jamie and wanted nothing more than for the two of them to find each other and figure out how the other feels.

Hilarious adventures happen and wonderful memories are made.  But will they be enough to convince Brynn to follow her heart and tell Jamie how she feels.  Will it be enough for her to see Spencer, even kiss him maybe and make the right choice.

Brynn was a wonderful character with a stubborn mind of her own.  She is tripping over her own self.  She loves Jamie but is so afraid of rejection—because Jamie is in a relationship now.  Rejection isn’t anything she is prepared to deal with.  She is funny and good natured—most of the time.  Her relationship with her sister is funny from the moment you open the book.

Jamie is an amazing best friend who everyone in the world can see loves Brynn but her.   The friendship is amazing and their rhetoric with each other is wonderful and hilarious.  The story unwinds as the road trip continues, and from memories of high school slowly evolves into an amazing love story.  If you ever had a best friend that you had a crush on—this is the book for you.

Wonderfully romantic and hilariously funny.

Reviewed by Erin

Copy provided by Publisher