Category Archives: The Ones Who Got Away Series

Review: The One You Fight For by Roni Loren

Title: The One You Fight For by Roni Loren
The Ones Who Got Away Series Book Three
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 416 pages
Book Rating: C

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

How hard would you fight for the one you love?
Taryn Landry was there that awful night fourteen years ago when Long Acre changed from the name of a town to the title of a national tragedy. Everyone knows she lost her younger sister. No one knows it was her fault. Since then, psychology professor Taryn has dedicated her life’s work to preventing something like that from ever happening again. Falling in love was never part of the plan…

Shaw Miller has spent more than a decade dealing with the fallout of his brother’s horrific actions. After losing everything—his chance at Olympic gold, his family, almost his sanity—he’s changed his name, his look, and he’s finally starting a new life. As long as he keeps a low profile and his identity secret, everything will be okay, right?

When the world and everyone you know defines you by one catastrophic tragedy…
How do you find your happy ending?

Review:

The One You Fight For by Roni Loren is a poignant and realistic romance. Although this newest release is the third installment in The Ones Who Got Away series, it can be read as a standalone.

Taryn Landry is a survivor of the Long Acre school shooting but tragically, her younger sister lost her life. The tragedy was a defining moment in Taryn’s life and fourteen years later, she is still feeling its impact. Guilt-ridden, she willingly changed her plans to remain close to her parents. Now a psychology professor, Taryn is working on a project that she hopes schools will implement in order to prevent future school shootings. She is a workaholic who has little time, energy or desire for a relationship.  However, after a health scare,  Taryn agrees to a no strings fling  with Lucas Shaw (aka Shaw Miller).

Shaw Miller has good reason to change his name when he and his best friend go into business close to Long Acre.  Shaw’s brother, Joseph, was one of the school shooters and Shaw has no desire to open himself up to public scrutiny again. He has lived under the radar following a very public display of anger years earlier and he also avoids relationships.  Shaw is also living with crushing guilt that he is partly guilty for his brothers actions.  Just like Taryn, Shaw is not looking for love, but he is surprisingly open to a casual relationship.

Taryn and Shaw are both well-developed and likable characters. Of the two, Shaw is the most sympathetic and it is easy to understand why he lives such a low key life. Taryn is so wracked with guilt about the night of the shooting that it is incredibly easy for her parents to emotionally blackmail her into remaining close by.  Given the circumstances surrounding their relationship, the issues that arise between Taryn and Shaw are quite predictable as are her parents’ reactions. Luckily for Taryn, her close friends rally around her and offer their support but is there any chance for a happily ever after for her and Shaw?

The One You Fight For is an enjoyable romance but it is a little slow-placed and predictable. While it is easy to understand why Taryn wants to be close to her parents, she should not have to live her life for them.  Shaw’s situation offers a insightful and educational glimpse into how a family member’s crimes affect their lives in the aftermath. Shaw and Taryn share some very steamy scenes but a real relationship is impossible due to their need keep Shaw’s identity secret.  Roni Loren deftly deals with the aftermath of the shooting and its effects on those touched by the tragedy with sensitivity. The The Ones Who Got Away series packs an emotional punch and while the subject matter is heavy, it is quite gratifying watching the various characters find a measure of peace as they fall in love.

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Filed under Contemporary, Review, Romance, Roni Loren, Sourcebooks Casablanca, The One You Fight For, The Ones Who Got Away Series

Review: The Ones Who Got Away by Roni Loren

Title: The Ones Who Got Away by Roni Loren
The Ones Who Got Away Series Book One
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

It’s been twelve years since tragedy struck the senior class of Long Acre High School. Only a few students survived that fateful night—a group the media dubbed The Ones Who Got Away.

Liv Arias thought she’d never return to Long Acre—until a documentary brings her and the other survivors back home. Suddenly her old flame, Finn Dorsey, is closer than ever, and their attraction is still white-hot. When a searing kiss reignites their passion, Liv realizes this rough-around-the-edges cop might be exactly what she needs…

Liv’s words cut off as Finn got closer. The man approaching was nothing like the boy she’d known. The bulky football muscles had streamlined into a harder, leaner package and the look in his deep green eyes held no trace of boyish innocence.

The Ones Who Got Away series:
The Ones Who Got Away (Book 1)
The One You Can’t Forget (Book 2)
The One You Fight For (Book 3)

Review:

The Ones Who Got Away by Roni Loren is a sweet yet steamy second chance at love romance that is both poignant and uplifting. This first installment in The Ones Who Got Away series features four friends twelve years after they survived a fictitious high school shooting that occurred during prom.

In high school, Olivia “Liv” Arias was a bit of a rebel with a quirky fashion sense. The daughter of a landscaper, her family expected her to follow a traditional path of attending college and earning a sensible degree. After surviving the horrific shooting at her high school, Liv went a bit off the rails afterwards, but since graduating college, she is focused on her career as a web designer. Returning to her hometown for an interview about the shooting, she reunites with the three friends who supported each other after the massacre and surprisingly, her secret high school boyfriend, Finn Dorsey. Meeting face to face for the first time since that ill-fated night that forever changed their lives, Liv and Finn discover their attraction still burns brighter than ever, but with their lives taking very different paths, is there any chance for a future together?

After opening the time capsule Liv, Rebecca Lindt, Kincaid Breslin and Taryn Landry buried after the mass shooting, all of the women realize how far their lives have diverged from their high school dreams. Liv gave up her dreams of becoming a photographer and while satisfied with her web design career, she quickly realizes how empty and sterile her life has become.  She has no close friendships and while she has enjoyed many casual flings, she has never had a serious relationship with any of the men she has dated.  These realizations lead to her to reassess her life and while initially uncertain about making any major changes, Liv finally decides it is time to step out of her comfort zone just a bit. Deciding to begin her photography hobby again, Liv accepts Finn’s (platonic) offer to spend weekends at the lake house he is renting for the summer.

Just like Liv and the other survivors, Finn also struggled to overcome the adverse effects of the shooting.  He chose to face his fears head on and he eventually entered into a career in law enforcement. After the end of a very long and difficult case, Finn has no choice but to take time off from work.  Spending time with Liv is no hardship but he does have to work hard to keep their interactions strictly platonic.  While he greatly enjoys Liv’s company, Finn unexpectedly has to wrestle with his burning desire for his former flame while also experiencing residual guilt from their teenage romance and the night of the shooting.

There are absolutely no expectations from either Liv or Finn about their renewed acquaintance.  They genuinely enjoy each other’s company and despite their mutual attraction, both agree friendship is the wisest course for them. However, they finally decide they can handle a no strings fling that will end when Finn departs at summer’s end. But with such a complicated history between them, will Liv and Finn be able to keep their hearts out of their fun, flirty and sizzling hot summer romance?

The Ones Who Got Away is a heartfelt and engaging romance.  Liv and Finn are endearing characters who have managed to thrive despite their traumatic past.  Roni Loren handles the details of the mass shooting and the aftereffects in the survivors in a forthright and sensitive manner. The obstacles that Liv and Finn must overcome on their way to happily ever after are realistic and the resolution of the conflict that threatens their future together is unexpectedly romantic. The novel’s conclusion is emotional but at the same time, immensely gratifying.  Rebecca’s cryptic comments regarding the shooting will leave readers impatiently awaiting the next installment in The Ones Who Got Away series.

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Filed under Contemporary, Rated B+, Review, Romance, Roni Loren, Sourcebooks Casablanca, The Ones Who Got Away, The Ones Who Got Away Series