Book Review — The Ones Who Got Away by Roni Loren

“I know you don’t need a protector. But if you’re with me, you’re getting one,” he said, his voice coming out rough. “I’m never going to be that guy who left you vulnerable again. I can’t offer much these days, but I can promise you that. I’ve got your back, Livvy. I can keep you safe.”

• Buy THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY (Kindle)
• Buy THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY (Paperback)
• Buy THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY (Audiobook)
• Buy THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY (iBooks)

Just a few days into 2018 and I’ve already found a new favorite! I remember being intrigued by the storyline of this book from the first time I read its blurb and I’m so glad I decided to read it because Roni Loren was a new-to-me author and I loved her writing style and already can’t wait to read her next book!

This book checked off a lot of my boxes. The hero and heroine had once been high school sweethearts who’d kept their relationship a secret. His family was wealthy and judgmental and she was the daughter of their gardener, and while neither of them cared in the least bit about what kind of families they came from, they were scared of what would happen if his father found out that his son was falling in love with a girl from the wrong side of the tracks.

But any plans they would have made to bring their relationship into the open were brutally cut short when their lives were torn apart by tragic school shooting on their prom night.

More than a decade after this horrific event, they were reunited and suddenly forced to face everything they’d left behind, including the intensity of the feelings they still had for each other — feelings that had never truly faded. And with this reunion came a second chance at the life and love that had been stolen from them so many years ago.

He’d wanted to reach for her. He’d wanted to fix things. Apologize. Do something to take that haunted look out of her eyes. Do something to show her how goddamned sorry he was.

This story was equal parts sexy, swoony, emotional, and healing! I genuinely cared for these characters, I believed the romance and loved how strongly I could feel that this couple truly belonged together.

“Everything that we were before that night got erased.” She snapped her fingers in front of his face. “Gone. Just like that.”
“Not everything, Liv,” he said softly, lifting his hand like he was going to reach for her but then lowering it to his side again. “They can’t take everything.”

As with any story that deals with a school shooting, this story had a very strong emotional undercurrent. Both the event and the memories had left deep scars on the survivors and you could really feel that heaviness right from the beginning of the book. However, what really made me just ‘know’ that this book was a winner was that moment when the hero and heroine first saw each other after all the years of separation. There was this heightened sense of pain, longing, desire all mixed in together in a way that made my heart race. When a book gives me those kind of spine tingles from the start, it almost always turns out to be a favorite.

Her words cut off, her voice dying a quick death, as Finn got closer and some of the studio lights caught him in their glare. The man approaching was nothing like the boy she’d known. The bulky football muscles had streamlined into a harder, leaner package. The month face was now dusted with scruff, and the look in his deep-green eyes help no trace of boyish innocence. A thousand things were in those eyes.

After the shooting, they’d each coped in similar ways — throwing themselves wholeheartedly into their careers. Liv had become something of a workaholic while Finn had left his high school football days behind and gone into professional protector mode by becoming a cop. However, his latest mission was an undercover operation that had immersed him in a brutal world he was still attempting to shake from his life when he was reunited with Liv.

“I’m back in the town that thinks I’m a hero when I wasn’t, talking to some reporter about stuff I wish I could forget, and standing here with the girl I almost got killed — and I still don’t know what to say to her.”

To balance out the heaviness of their past, there was a lot of fun, flirty banter that often made me smile for pages on end. And for those of you who love a little spice and steam in your romance, I think you’ll be very pleased with this book. While I strongly appreciated the initial slow burn of this romance, I also loved that the heat was dialed all the way up at all the right times to really convey a well-written sexy romance with a lighter side as well.

She choke-laughed and pressed her hand over her mouth.
“I mean, really? I slip up and say something I shouldn’t, and you go with ‘erect’ in the next sentence?” he teased. “Way to make it weird.”
“Hey, ‘erect’ is a perfectly proper word. I can’t help it if your mind was in the gutter.”
“I’ve been celibate for two years. Assume it’s always there. I’ve set up shop and built a little gutter town. We’re about to elect a mayor.”

The story is told from both Liv and Finn’s POVs but in third person. The story takes place in present day and I found the timeline very easy to follow. Also, the story is not only about the hero and heroine, but also about a close group of the heroine’s friends who had bonded after the shooting and kept touch over the years.

This book is the first standalone in a series of standalones. The next one is available for preorder and it’s about another of the friends and I’m guessing there’ll be more coming about the rest of the friends as well. I like all the characters and am definitely looking forward to seeing them all get the happily ever afters they deserve.

Overall, I’d definitely say that I loved this book and really enjoyed the read. There were a few parts here and there that felt a little flat or were longer than necessary. But most of the book was beautiful, sexy, and full of feels.

“You protected me.”
He shrugged, still keeping hold of her other hand. “That’s my job.”
She pinned him with a look. “No, it’s not. You’re not on duty right now. I wouldn’t expect or want you to take a bullet for me.”
… “I know you don’t need a protector. But if you’re with me, you’re getting one,” he said, his voice coming out rough. “I’m never going to be that guy who left you vulnerable again. I can’t offer much these days, but I can promise you that. I’ve got your back, Livvy. I can keep you safe.”

I’m so glad that I read this book! It was a well-written, well-balanced romance and Roni Loren is new favorite author for me! If you’re looking for something new to read, I’d definitely recommend checking out this book!

Rating: 4-4.5 stars. Contemporary Adult Romance. Can standalone.

• Buy THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY (Kindle)
• Buy THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY (Paperback)
• Buy THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY (Audiobook)
• Buy THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY (iBooks)

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Series of standalones.