The Ones Who Got Away by Roni Loren (Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads)Also by this author: Nice Girls Don't Ride, Call on Me
Published by Sourcebooks, Inc. on January 2nd 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Fiction, Romance
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
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.
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...
I love Roni Loren’s books so I jumped at the chance to read The Ones Who Got Away early, despite the sensitive topic it revolves around. A school shooting. It’s been 12 years since it happened and those who survived are being brought together because of a documentary detailing what occurred that day.
Liv isn’t the same girl she was in high school. She’s found success as a web designer for a company she loves. She doesn’t have time for anything, much less a relationship. When she agrees to be part of this documentary, she isn’t sure what to expect, certainly not the appearance of her secret high school boyfriend.
Finn has carried the guilt of that night all these years. The way things transpired the night of the shooting and the way he treated Liv is something he fears he’ll never get over, and this documentary is just bringing everything he’s buried over the years to the surface. When he encounters Liv their first night in town, he finds that the attraction between them hasn’t dimmed at all.
This story for me wasn’t so much about the actual shooting as it was the effects it had on those that were involved and how they moved on in their lives after such tragedy, so while it was a big part of the story, I found it to be more of an explanation as to why these people were on the paths they were now.
For me though, I’m not sure I connected with these characters as much as I normally have with Loren’s other books. I’m not sure why to be perfectly honest, they are completely likable and sympathetic, I just found that maybe some of the reasons keeping them apart in the story weren’t as complex as they were being made out to be.
That said, I still found myself engaged with the story and wondering how they were going to make things work. Definitely not my favorite read, but enjoyable none the less.
If you’re looking for a new contemporary read, definitely give this one a try. It is sweet, sexy and definitely hits all the right notes in showing the toll an event like this can have on people’s lives.
Thank you to the publisher for an early copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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