Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me this book! I loved the plot of this book, it reminded me of Love Island in a way (which I have never watched🫣) but I was so engaged. I loved how the MC’s were from England as not many books are set in the UK. This book has given me new songs to add to my own playlist which I always love! I highly recommend this book to everyone as it was a concept I have never read about.

Tropes:
- Enemies to Lovers
- Second Chance

Oh wow, this was such a disappointment. The One That Got Away had all the elements of a story I thought I’d enjoy, but unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations at all. The plot felt lackluster, and I struggled to connect with the characters or their journey. The setting, which could have added depth, felt flat, and the writing just didn’t draw me in as I’d hoped. It’s always a shame when a book doesn’t resonate, and despite giving it a fair shot, this one left me feeling underwhelmed

Would you trust someone else to find your love match?
This love service does exactly that, but it’s more than that. You sign up not knowing if you’ll ever get called and, if you do, you have to drop everything to go on a 2 week trip to a villa to meet the one that they’ve paired you with.

This book was great. I loved the banter, the swoon worthy moments, the spice, the times I wanted to just yell at the characters for being dumb, all of it.

This was a second chance romance.
This would probably be a good holiday read. It was okay but not one of my favourites.
I got through it pretty quickly.
Thanks publisher and Netgalley.

I think Olivia's books just keep getting better and better. I was sucked in right from the start of this story and found it hard to put down.

Both Stella and Max were great characters and their instant attraction and chemistry against their own intentions was brilliant. I wish I could read this book again for the first time... it was just the perfect escape.

I loved Stella's relationship with her mother. It was both fun and new, very modern but also perfect for this story.

The One That Got Away hooks you from the first page and doesn’t let go until the end. It’s a fast-paced, steamy read that I really loved.

The premise is a little eye-rolly – a luxury matchmaking service set in a Spanish hotel where your perfect match is guaranteed – but I found that the prose drew me in and I forgot the improbability of it all. After all, who wouldn’t want to find the perfect partner in a gorgeous hotel in the warm Spanish sunshine? Heck, where do I sign up?

The thing that I loved most about The One That Got Away is there is a clear reason that the relationship didn’t work the first time and – even more importantly – Stella and Max discuss it like adults. Although there is a delightful amount of steam, the new relationship grew realistically. Both pushed the other’s comfort zone but without any discomfort. Nudging is a better word than pushed, actually.

Both Stella and Max were very likeable characters. As a romance, I knew there would be a happy ending but I still rooted for them. (Kind of like Apollo 13 where you know the ending but are still engrossed? Awful analogy, but it’s the best I’ve got.)

My only quibble with this book is the epilogue. I know that Spring was setting up book 2 here, and that hook works, but it feels a bit tagged on. Maybe a teaser of Jasmine’s story would have worked better? But I know not everyone reads teaser chapters. All that said, it didn’t take away from the main plot and I am looking forward to the next one.

Interesting concept, funny moments, but I found it hard to get through. The first scene was off-putting. Almost out the book down there tbh

This was my first book by this author and i really enjoyed it! I'm starting to really love second chance romances so much. I loved max and Stella so much they were hotttt. Also who doesn't love the one room trope at a hotel?!

A bit like "Bachelor in Paradise" without the juvenile shenanigans. I've never considered spending two entire weeks at a luxury resort but I found myself getting rather envious.

I enjoyed this read immensely ... BUT ...

It was a rather cruel cliffhanger leaving me so concerned about Jasmine.

When is the follow-up book due🥺?

Spicy, male female, dual point of view, second chance, contemporary romance. Perfect length sweet book in a gorgeous setting. Good pacing with humor and chemistry. This was my first book by this author and I'll be checking out her back catalog asap.

I have read a few books lately where the initial cue meet for the two characters were enemies-to-lovers and some have felt forced. But these two, Max and Stella, everything worked. Miscommunication and silence led them to where they are now. On a love island, not like the TV show *shudder* but a paradise. From the second they meet up, you can feel the sexual tension, the sizzle despite their dislike for each other. But this book had a different feel to it, one I adored. Both are down-to-earth, flawed and just so loveable. They are people you know, love and respect. They could even be you, with their behaviour. None of this book felt forced, faked or unbelievable.

But one thing I have to comment on is that phone call at the end!!! Please tell me there will be more! I mean it seems crazy to include it. I kept looking at the timer on the audiobook, and it had 2 minutes left, there was no time for a resolution and now it's floating in the ether - WHAT CAN THIS MEAN!?!

I blitzed this audiobook in one day, yes that's right one day! I forgot that I was listening sometimes, more like I was watching, or a part of it....well maybe not for all the scenes - damn that sizzle! I have never read anything by Olivia before but Blimey, she knows just what you want without you even knowing you want or need it - I LOVED IT!! give me more!!!!

One of my favourite romance books this year!

Such a unique twist on second chance romance! Love Stella & Max’s dynamic in this blind date / trust the algorithm setting. This is a heartwarming story navigating the complexities of relationships, then vs. now.

From the very start, I was completely invested in seeing what would unfold between Stella and Max. The vivid descriptions of the Spanish setting made me feel like I was right there, soaking in the beautiful sights and atmosphere.

There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments throughout the book. Stella and Max were both endearing, well-developed characters, and their witty banter was spot-on. I adored their chemistry, and even the side characters, like Stella’s mom, added charm to the story.

Of course by the end I wanted to know more about the budding storyline between Jasmine and Alejandro. The cliffhanger left me feeling some kind of way.

I loved this book! I actually read it sitting on the beach, and it was a great beach read! I love a good second chance romance, and this one did not disappoint! Max and Stella were fun characters, and this book had a lot of sweet and spicy moments that kept me reading! Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

First, I want to thank Olivia Spring, Boldwood Books, and Rachels’s Random Resources for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

WOWZERS!!! Olivia Spring spices things up in The One That Got Away!! Ohh those naughty scenes she wrote were extremely juicy!! This is a whole new side of Olivia we had not seen before-and I loved it. She has a true gift writing like this and I hope she writes more like this.

I loved the cover design designed by Rachel Lawson the graphics were fun and represented the book well.

If you are looking for a fast paced, addictive, fun, sexy, easy read then you need to put this on your tbr list.

Ohh Olivia you naughty girl you! I was not expecting the book to start out the way it did!! I had an evil smile on my face and a little chuckle as I was reading it! I should mention I was reading this while taking my Dad to a medical appt. So…It was a little awkward.

The relationship that Stella had with her Mom I felt was so incredibly special. You don’t see many Mother Daughter bonds like this written in books.

This has a little bit of everything from rom com, second chance romance, hott steamy sex, and a lot of twists and turns nobody saw coming!

Back in the day I used to love making mix tapes. In this book Stella and Max were asked to make mix tapes for eachother with songs of how they were feeling for eachother during that day. I am a huge fan of 80’s and 90’s and they picked some amazing songs including one of my favorite bands NSYNC!

3.5⭐️

This light summer read gives off Love Island, First Dates vibes. Set in gorgeous Spain, the descriptions of the hotel, villa and the tourist attractions will make you yearn for the Iberian Peninsula.

This follows the story of exes, Stella and Max, who found themselves ‘matchmaked’ at the love hotel.

I love the idea of the hotel and the matchmaking. It brings a refreshing side to the online dating experience.

The chemistry between these two, even after a decade apart, was off the chart. The spice was good and I enjoyed it.

I enjoyed the dual POV and the back story of the characters and the funny names for the hotel staff was brilliant.

If you enjoy second chance romance, forced proximity then you will enjoy this.

Dual POV, second chance romance (it's been yearsssss so is it really a second chance when they both still had to grow up?)

Love Island meets Love is Blind and you have this book.

Wasn't fully invested, but this was a cute idea.

If you like reality dating TV shows this is a book for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books Publishing for my DRC.

3.75 ⭐
1.5 🌶️
Tropes: second chance, matchmaker


Nestled in the heart of Spain is the Love Hotel where men and women can book a two week stay where luxury matchmakers will help them find ✨the one✨
Max, former footballer turned CFO of a beauty products company signs up at the insistence of his best friend, Colton. Unbeknownst to him, Stella, who Max dated 12 years ago is gifted a trip by her mom who wants her to break out of her funk and get laid, and they are matched together. Will they work through the past and fall in love again?


The One That Got Away is a really cute book with a unique storyline that I enjoyed! I wish it was still summer because this would’ve been a great read for lounging on the beach. The chemistry between the two MCs was perfect. Definitely recommend.

What a fantastic spicy second chance romance. The first paragraph pulled me immediately in, funny and steamy for sure.
Dual POV this follows Stella who's fed up with disastrous dates, her mum signs her up for The Love Hotel, a luxury matchmaking service where a perfect love match is guaranteed. Stella isn't interested but rather than upset her mum she takes the opportunity for a couple of weeks in the sun.
When she arrives she discovers her match is non other than her childhood sweetheart Max who dumped her, she's still very attracted to him but he's her nemesis so nothing will happen.
I absolutely loved this second chance romance with a good amount of laughs and alot of spice mixed in.
I'm hoping we can return to the Love Hotel as their was reference to Jasmine towards the end which was left on a cliff-hanger.
Thank you NetGalley, Olivia Spring and Boldwood for this ARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own

A spicy little imagery vacation. Perfect tor the cooler days so one can transport themselves to Spain with our protagonists.

My only complaint is that this service does not exist and if it does I'm apparently too poor to know about it