The One For You (The Ones Who Got Away 4) by Roni Loren-a review

The One For You (The Ones Who Got Away 4) by Roni Loren-a review

 

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 31, 2019

She got a second chance at life.
Will she take a second chance at love?

Kincaid Breslin wasn’t supposed to survive that fateful night at Long Acre when so many died, including her boyfriend—but survive she did. She doesn’t know why she got that chance, but now she takes life by the horns and doesn’t let anybody stand in her way

Ashton Isaacs was her best friend when disaster struck all those years ago, but he chose to run as far away as he could. Now fate has brought him back to town, and Ash doesn’t know how to cope with his feelings for Kincaid and his grief over their lost friendship. For Ash has been carrying secrets, and he knows that once Kincaid learns the truth, he’ll lose any chance he might have had with the only woman he’s ever loved.

••••••••

REVIEW:THE ONE FOR YOU is the fourth instalment in Roni Loren’s contemporary, adult THE ONES WHO GOT WAY erotic, romance series focusing on the survivors of a mass shooting the night of their senior prom-Finn Dorsey, Olivia Arias, Rebecca Lindt, Taryn Landry, Ashton Isaacs and Kincaid Breslin. This is real estate agent Kincaid Breslin, and writer Ashton Isaacs’ story line. THE ONE FOR YOU can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order, or at the very least book one, for backstory and cohesion as the details about what happened are revealed in THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY.

Told from present day and memories of the past, using several third person perspectives including Ash and Kincaid THE ONE FOR YOU follows the former friends to lover relationship between real estate agent Kincaid Breslin, and writer Ashton Isaacs.

Fourteen years earlier, following the mass shooting at their high school prom, Kincaid would lose her boyfriend Graham Lowell, and Ashton would lose his best friend, and the woman he loved. Grief, guilt and unrequited love played a major role in Ashton Isaacs decision to leave Long Acre to pursue his dream of becoming a writer in New York but Ashton never forgot about the woman who called to his heart. Fast forward to present day, wherein Ashton would return to Long Acre in an effort to rediscover his muse in the wake of finding his fiancé with another man but a return to Long Acre came with too many memories of the past including the woman he still loved. Enter Kincaid Breslin, real estate agent. What ensues is the rebuilding friendship and relationship between Ash and Kincaid, and the potential fall-out when Ashton reveals the truth, as he knows it, about the day everything went to h*ll.

Kincaid Breslin believes she lost her soul mate the night of the Long Acre prom fourteen years earlier but the return of Ashton Isaacs brought back feelings Kincaid struggled to recall. Having both suffered at the hands of emotionally and physically abusive parents, Kincaid and Ashton became one another’s sole support in an effort to survive, one day at a time.

The relationship between Kincaid and Ash is one of former friends to lovers whose lives were torn apart by betrayal and hatred, and one man’s struggle to move on from his past. Kincaid believes Ash is too quick to run but Ash knew to remain in Long Acre, meant the possibility of losing everyone, all over again. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

All of the previous couples plays secondary and supporting roles including Liv and Finn (The Ones Who Got Away #1), Rebecca and Wes (the One you Cant Forget #2 ), Taryn Landry and Shaw Miller (The One You Fight For #3), as well as Graham’s parents Charlie and Grace Lowell.

The world building continues to focus on the struggle to move forward after the devastating mass shooting at the Long Acre High School. Kincaid battles between head and heart fearing the destruction of the memory of the boy she once loved; and Ash knows that the secrets he hides may destroy the woman he loves.

THE ONE FOR YOU is a story of second chances; of forgiveness and love; of friendship, family and moving forward. The premise is heart breaking, engaging and captivating; the romance is seductive and passionate; the characters are colorful, broken, energetic but strong.

Reading order and Previous Reviews
The Ones Who Got Away
The One You Can’t Forget
The One Your Fight For

Copy supplied for by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Roni wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. If she’s not working on her latest sexy story, you can find her cooking, watching reality television, or picking up another hobby she doesn’t need–in other words, procrastinating like a boss. She is a RITA Award winner and a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.

Places to find Roni Loren:
Site: www.roniloren.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoniLoren
Twitter: https://twitter.com/roniloren
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4877863.Roni_Loren

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The One You Fight For (The Ones Who Got Away #3) by Roni Loren-Review & Excerpt Tour

THE ONE YOU FIGHT FOR (The Ones Who Got Away #3) by Roni Loren-Review & Excerpt Tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 1, 2019

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 is the third instalment in Roni Loren’s contemporary, adult THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY erotic, romance series focusing on the survivors of a mass shooting the night of their senior prom-Finn Dorsey, Olivia Arias, Rebecca Lindt, Taryn Landry and Kincaid Breslin. This is thirty-one year old psychology professor Dr. Taryn Landry, and trainer Shaw Miller’s story line. THE ONE YOU FIGHT FOR can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order, or at the very least book one, for backstory and cohesion as the details about what happened are revealed in THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Taryn and Shaw) THE ONE YOU FIGHT FOR follows the building relationship between thirty-one year old psychology professor Taryn Landry, and personal trainer Shaw Miller. Fourteen years earlier Shaw’s brother destroyed the town of Long Acre when he and a friend killed a number of students at the senior prom. Fast forward to present day wherein Shaw, now known as Lucas, returns to Long Acre to help a friend open a new gym, a return that comes with too many memories of the past. Enter Taryn Landry, a woman he doesn’t recognize but the woman that calls to his heart. What ensues is the building relationship between Taryn and Shaw, and the potential fall-out as the media take aim, and Taryn’s family is unable to forgive or forget.

Taryn Landry is a survivor. Not only did she survive the shooting at her senior prom but our heroine struggles with survivors remorse in the aftermath of what happened, and her sister’s murder on the very same day. Meeting personal trainer ‘Lucas Shaw’ gave Taryn a hope for the future, a hope that would be destroyed when the truth was revealed. Shaw Miller never wanted to return to his hometown of Long Acre, a town that would never forgive him for sins of the past. As the brother to a mass shooter, Shaw would always be connected to the destruction of so many lives.

The relationship between Taryn and Shaw is one of immediate attraction but our couple lied to one another from the start; neither one revealed their true identity, and in the ensuing aftermath Taryn and Shaw kept secret the truth from the people they loved. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

All of the series leading characters return as secondary and supporting characters including Liv and Finn (The Ones Who Got Away #1), Rebecca and Wes (the One you Cant Forget #2 ) and Kincaid Breslin. We re introduced Taryn’s parents, and Shaw’s best friend and business partner Rivers.

The world building continues to look at the impact of a mass shooting on a small town in rural America. As the rest of the country (and world) continue on with their lives, the survivors and families struggle in the wake of unbearable grief and moving forward. As our heroine pushes for changes, the bureaucracy continues to bury its’ proverbial head in the sand, while the family members of those who kill are vilified and destroyed at the hands of everyone else.

THE ONE YOU FIGHT FOR is an emotional and heart breaking story of love and hate, forgiveness and acceptance, mental illness and the ongoing struggle for those left behind to deal with the loss and grief The premise is sensitive and thought-provoking ; the characters are spirited, sassy and real; the romance is seductive and breathtaking. THE ONE YOU FIGHT FOR is a captivating and encouraging story of survival and loss.

Reading order and Previous Reviews
The Ones Who Got Away
The One You Can’t Forget
The You Fight For

Copy supplied for by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Lucas was waiting for her when she stepped inside the main part of the gym. The skylights flashed with the lightning outside, and the rain battered the roof, making it sound like they were inside a huge barrel. Lucas had changed into different clothes—a snug, black T-shirt and a pair of gray track pants. She worked hard not to stare.
Definitely failed.
Lucas smiled, clipboard in hand. “All ready to go?”
She shrugged. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
He didn’t seem deterred by her lack of enthusiasm as he looked down at the clipboard. “All right. Let’s walk or jog a few laps around the track to get warmed up and then we’ll try The Wall.”
He said the last two words as if they were capitalized and should be followed by of Doom.
“Wait, hold up.” Taryn lifted a finger and pointed to the giant curved wall off to the left behind Lucas. “Surely you don’t mean that wall over there.”
He glanced over his shoulder. “The very one.”
“You’ve got jokes, Lucas.”
He gave her an amused glance. “No jokes. You’re trying that wall tonight.”
Yeah, and ice-skating in hell would follow that event. “You’re nuts.”
“Maybe.” He grinned and set aside his clipboard. “I said you’re safe with me. I never said I’d be easy on you.” He clapped his hands. “Now get moving, songbird.”
“Songbird?”
“Yep.” He started running in place. “A talented singer. But also a lady who’s doing a lot of crowing right now.”
She lifted a brow, affronted. “Did you just call me a crow? Don’t make me throw my shoe at you again.”
He jogged away. “You’ll have to catch me first.”
Well, that did it. She hadn’t been a runner in a long time, but that old competitive spirit from track fired up at the challenge. She jogged after him toward the narrow indoor track and poked him in the arm when she caught up. “I’m out of practice, but not slow.”
“Getting cocky already, songbird,” he said, keeping pace with her.
She picked up her speed a little to pass him and put her arms out to flap them like wings. “Caw-caw.”
His deep laugh was a balm to the nerves she’d felt coming in here tonight. This wasn’t so bad. Lucas was easy to be around, and it actually felt good to be moving. She jogged ahead but didn’t push it too hard, still wary of what had happened at the race, and soon Lucas caught up and kept a steady pace with her.
“I want you to stay at the level of effort where you can talk but it’s a bit of a challenge to hold a conversation,” he said, his feet pounding the track next to her. “And never be afraid to ask for a break. I’ll push you because that’s what you’re coming here for, but I need to be able to trust you to tell me when it’s too much.”
“I’ll tell you,” she promised. “I’m not known for keeping my mouth shut.”
“Good. Now let’s sweat.”
Half an hour later, Taryn was warm from the inside out and dripping with sweat. Lucas looked like he was barely glistening. She hated him a little in that moment.
He handed her a bottle of water and a towel and then took a towel for himself. He wrapped it around his neck and nodded at her. “That was good work. Feeling okay?”
“I’m feeling out of shape.” She took a long sip of the water. “But okay.”
“Out of practice. That’s all,” he said, his tone reassuring. “But that’s why you’re here. Today will be the worst day. The only place to go from this point is up.”
“Right.”
“And by up, I mean up that wall.” He cocked his head toward the ridiculous obstacle.
She dried her face with the towel and groaned. “Still with the wall?”
“I keep promises,” he said, a wicked gleam in his eye. “You and I have a date with that wall.”
“I thought you didn’t date,” she teased.
“I make an exception for Wally. We’re in a steady relationship. And we’re about to invite you in.”
“That sounds dirty.” She tossed the towel aside and set her water bottle on the floor next to it. “And is it a requirement for all trainers to be sadists? Do they screen for that? Because I feel like you’re enjoying this a little too much.”
A dimple appeared in his left cheek. “Yes, it’s the third class in trainer school…How to Make Your Clients Hate You Before They Love You.”
“Uh-huh. Gotta be honest. Not loving you so much right now.”
“You’re not supposed to.” He turned. “Let’s get started.”
She frowned, his tone sounding different from the playful one he’d been using, but she followed him to the obstacle course area anyway.
Taryn put her hands on her hips and stared at the giant curved wall in front of her. The thing had to be twelve feet tall, and the rope she was supposed to capture near the top seemed to be miles away. It might as well have been hanging off the side of a ten-story building. “Shouldn’t I have, like, a skateboard or something to get up this thing? A rocket booster?”
Lucas picked up his clipboard from where he’d set it down before their run and then dug around in a gym bag near his feet. He handed her a set of kneepads. “Nope. But don’t freak out. Day one, I just need to see where you are so I can track your progress. It’s a benchmark. I expect you to suck at this one.”
“Well gee, thanks, Coach,” she said as she strapped on the knee pads. “Good speech. Very motivating. You should do a TED talk.”
He smirked, blue eyes crinkling. “Would you rather I lie to you?”
She groaned and bounced on her toes, trying to rev herself up like she used to do before a race. “No, but a little positivity wouldn’t hurt.”
“Okay.” He swung his arm out. “The mat at the bottom is soft, and you’re wearing knee pads so it probably won’t hurt that much when you fall.”
She gave him a droll look. “Are you supposed to want to hit your trainer?”
He set the clipboard aside and crossed his arms over that broad chest, looking like a Greek god with a mean streak. “You should take off the sweatshirt. The bulk is going to make it even harder to build momentum.”
“Right.” She wet her lips and, after a moment of panicked hesitation, nervously tugged off the shirt. When she dropped it to the side, leaving her in what amounted to a skintight tank top and leggings, she felt more than a little exposed and the cold air was probably making things even more visible, but she tried to keep her expression neutral. This was a gym. These were gym clothes. Lucas’s gaze darted down her body and then quickly shifted to a spot over her shoulder.
He cleared his throat. “I’m ready when you are.”

Roni wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. If she’s not working on her latest sexy story, you can find her cooking, watching reality television, or picking up another hobby she doesn’t need–in other words, procrastinating like a boss. She is a RITA Award winner and a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.

Places to find Roni Loren:
Site: www.roniloren.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoniLoren
Twitter: https://twitter.com/roniloren
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4877863.Roni_Loren

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The One You Can’t Forget (The Ones Who Got Away #2) by Roni Loren-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway Tour

THE ONE YOU CAN’T FORGET (The Ones Who Got Away #2) by Roni Loren- Review, Excerpt & Giveaway Tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / Chapters Indigo / Google Play / iBooks / Indiebound

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 5, 2018

Most days Rebecca Lindt feels like an imposter…

The world admires her as a survivor. But that impression would crumble if people knew her secret. She didn’t deserve to be the one who got away. But nothing can change the past, so she’s thrown herself into her work. She can’t dwell if she never slows down.

Wes Garrett is trying to get back on his feet after losing his dream restaurant, his money, and half his damn mind in a vicious divorce. But when he intervenes in a mugging and saves Rebecca―the attorney who helped his ex ruin him―his simple life gets complicated.

Their attraction is inconvenient and neither wants more than a fling. But when Rebecca’s secret is put at risk, both discover they could lose everything, including what they never realized they needed: each other

She laughed and kissed him. This morning she’d melted down. But somehow this man had her laughing and turned on only a few hours later. Everything inside her felt buoyed.

She felt…light.

She’d forgotten what that felt like.

••••••••••••

REVIEW: THE ONE YOU CAN’T FORGET is the second instalment in Roni Loren’s contemporary, adult THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY erotic, romance series focusing on the survivors of a mass shooting the night of their senior prom-Finn Dorsey, Olivia Arias, Rebecca Lindt, Taryn Landry and Kincaid Breslin. This is thirty-one year old divorce attorney Rebecca Lindt, and chef Wes Garrett’s story line. THE ONE YOU CAN’T FORGET can be read as a stand-alone but I recommend reading the series in order, or at the very least book one, for backstory and cohesion as the details about what happened are revealed in THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Rebecca and Wes) THE ONE YOU CAN’T FORGET follows the building relationship between thirty-one year old divorce attorney Rebecca Lindt, and chef Wes Garrett. Rebecca is a survivor, albeit a survivor with physical and emotional scars, and it is these scars that control so much of her life. When Rebecca is mugged on the way home from work, her would-be rescuer is the man she destroyed in court a few years before. Enter chef Wes Garrett, and the man with whom Rebecca would fall in love. What ensues is the building relationship between Wes and Rebecca, and the potential fall-out as Rebecca believes she is not worthy of a happily ever after.

Rebecca struggles with the guilt and shame of surviving a shooting she blames on herself. From the outside, Rebecca is a successful attorney but looks can be deceiving as our heroine is unable to let go of the past. Rebecca battles her attraction to a man whose own demons may be a threat to their growing relationship, a threat perceived by someone in charge. Wes Garrett lost everything to divorce, a few years earlier, including the restaurant business he no longer owned. Working with at risk-youth, teaching them survival skills in the kitchen, Wes is hoping to one-day open his own curb-side business. Meeting Rebecca Lindt brought with it the painful memories of a time he wished he could forget.

The relationship between Rebecca and Wes begins when Wes becomes our heroine’s knight in shining armor. Their attraction to one another is immediate but Rebecca recognizes our hero as the man she all but destroyed a few years earlier. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

THE ONE YOU CAN’T FORGET is a story of one woman’s inability to let go of her guilt, and one man’s struggle to move on from the past. The premise is edgy, engaging and entertaining; the romance is seductive and provocative; the characters are broken, surviving, colorful and lost.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one-THE ONE’S WHO GOT AWAY

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Fifteen minutes. That was how long it took for Marco and Kincaid to abandon Rebecca and Wes in the kitchen under the auspices of Let me show you the view from Marco and Does this building have original details? from Kincaid.
Kincaid had motioned at Rebecca as she slipped out of the kitchen, some invented sign language that probably meant Talk it out with the hot chef but looked more like a drunken game of naughty charades.
Rebecca had promptly flipped her off.
But now here she was. Alone with Wes again.
Wes stood behind the large island, black bandanna keeping his hair back, gray T-shirt putting all that colorful arm ink on display, and forearms flexing as he sliced and diced an onion with practiced precision. If not for the simmering annoyance, it would’ve been a nice show to watch from her spot sitting on a stool on the other side of the counter. But he hadn’t said a word to her since they’d gotten into the condo. Just chop, chop, chop and irritated grunts.
“Do you need any help?” she asked for lack of anything else to say.
“Can you help me murder my brother?”
“I was thinking we could get rid of them both in one go. How far is the drop from the balcony?” Rebecca tapped her chin. “We could make it look like an accident. I know someone who could defend us.”
Wes smirked.
The little break in the wall helped her relax some. “Why’d you give in anyway? I was about to get us out of it. I had a whole argument prepared. There were bullet points. Closing statements. We could’ve saved ourselves this lovely moment.”
He frowned and dumped the onions into one of the prep bowls. “Yeah, but you didn’t see the look on my brother’s face.” He pushed a basket of strawberries and a paring knife toward her. “Can lawyers hull strawberries?”
“Sure.” She took the berries and stole one of his empty prep bowls. “So what kind of look was that?”
“The Don’t ruin this for me look. The Remember all the times I’ve helped you out look. That look.”
“That’s a lot for a look to say.”
“Yeah, well, it wasn’t hard to get the point. He’s always working and doesn’t get to go out and meet women. He likes your friend, and she seems to like him for whatever reason”—he shrugged and grabbed a bell pepper from the stack of vegetables—“so I’m hanging out with my ex-wife’s lawyer and taking one for the team.”
She wrinkled her nose.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing. I’m just having a high school flashback.” Thankfully not the kind she’d had Friday night, but one that was unpleasant enough in its own right.
“How’s that?”
She concentrated on cutting the stem off a strawberry. “I had a friend whose parents would only let her go on group dates. So I always got dragged out with her and had to be the date of her boyfriend’s best friend, who pretty much reminded me every ten minutes that he was there as a favor and was taking one for the team by hanging out with me. It was super awesome for my fifteen-year-old ego.”
“Ouch. What an idiot.”
“Yeah, I should’ve just told her to leave me out of it and sneak out like everyone else.”
“No, I meant him. What a douche.”
“Oh. Yeah. He was.” But even as she said it, she felt a pang of guilt in her gut. Craig hadn’t made it through prom night. So douche or not, she felt guilty talking bad about the dead. “We were just in a doomed-to-fail setup. Popular jock and high-strung goody-goody were not a wise combination. Two different planets and all that. He probably thought I was an insufferable Miss Priss.”
His lip curled. “Were you?”
She lifted her hand and held her index finger and thumb an inch apart. “Maybe a little. I wasn’t…not. When they brought weed to date night, I couldn’t just say no and let them do their thing. I gave everyone a lecture about how long it stays in your system and how having something on your record could ruin your college chances.”
He cringed. “Ahh, you were that girl. We had one of those at my school, too.”
“Yeah?”
He nodded. “Laney Becker. And she thought I was a douche.”
“Were you?”
He lifted his fingers, repeating her motion back to her but widening the gap further.
“Nice.”
“I probably would’ve done better if I’d been friends with someone like her. I could’ve used a girl telling me not to blow off class and get high. Or doing a lot of other things I shouldn’t have been doing back then.” He tossed more chopped veggies into a bowl. “And I’m sorry about the ‘taking one for the team’ comment. I didn’t mean it that way. This is just…a screwed-up situation. I’m willing to call a temporary let’s-forget-we-have-history truce for today.”
“I’m on board with that.”
“Good.” He frowned down at her chopped berries. “Hold up. That’s not how to hull.”
She looked down at the berry in her hand. She’d cut off the top. The stem was gone. She didn’t see any problem. “What’s wrong?”
He set down his knife and stepped around the island. “You’re wasting a big part of the berry that way. Here.” He held out his hand for the paring knife, and she handed it over. He shifted until he was right next to her and held the fruit in front of her. “The woody part is just under the leaves. That’s what you’re after.”
He poked the tip of the knife right beneath the leaves and then made a circle around the stem. He popped out the stem and only a little piece of the berry, leaving much more of the fruit intact.
“See.” He held the strawberry in his palm, the sweet scent of the ripe fruit wafting up to her. “Lots more berry, and you also don’t lose the shape of the fruit that way.”
“Oh.” She tried to focus on what he was showing her and not on the fact that he was so close and she could feel his body heat against her arm. Her hormones apparently had no qualms about this man. They remembered what his lips tasted like and were ready to ignore everything she knew about him. Stupid, misguided hormones.

Roni wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. If she’s not working on her latest sexy story, you can find her cooking, watching reality television, or picking up another hobby she doesn’t need–in other words, procrastinating like a boss. She is a RITA Award winner and a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.

Places to find Roni Loren:
Site: www.roniloren.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoniLoren
Twitter: https://twitter.com/roniloren
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4877863.Roni_Loren

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The Ones Who Got Away (The Ones Who Got Away #1) by Roni Loren-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY (The Ones Who Got Away #1) by Roni Loren-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

The Ones Who Got Away Banner

THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY
The Ones Who Got Away #1
by Roni Lore
Release Date: January 2, 2018
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance

The Ones Who Got Away

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 2, 2018

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.

••••••••••••••

REVIEW: THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY is the first instalment in Roni Loren’s contemporary, adult THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY erotic, romance series focusing on the survivors of a mass shooting the night of their senior prom-Finn, Olivia, Rebecca Lindt, Taryn Landry and Kincaid Breslin. This is thirty-year olds FBI agent Finn Dorsey, and photographer Olivia ‘Liv’ Arias’s story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Liv and Finn) THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY follows the rebuilding relationship between photographer Liv Arias, and FBI agent Finn Dorsey. Twelve years earlier two gunmen (and fellow students) shot up the Long Acre High senior prom leaving only a few to survive including Liv Arias, a woman who struggles with memories of that night, and the loss of her friendship with the boy she would always love. Enter FBI agent Finn Dorsey, the young man, who despite his actions, probably saved our heroine’s life but a man who battles demons of his own. A filmmaker will bring together the remaining survivors as they recount the events of that fateful day.

Finn Dorsey’s return to civilization comes with the knowledge that life as he knows it has inevitably changed. Undercover for the past two years Finn’s recuperation and down time finds our hero facing a past he has never forgotten, a past he is unable to forgive himself for almost killing the woman with whom he would fall in love. Liv Arias has struggled since the fateful day twelve years earlier but her life as a photographer and website designer is busy enough to keep the demons at bay.

The relationship between Liv and Finn is one of second chances; a rekindling romance between two people caught between life and death when a gunman target the people who ‘did him harm’. Finn Dorsey knows that his time on leave is temporary as he awaits his next assignment-an assignment that will pull our hero from Olivia’s life. The $ex scenes are intimate and seductive without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. The banter between Finn and Olivia is fun, sassy and not without some great sexual innuendo.

THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY is a story of second chances; romance and love; rekindling friendships, and letting go of the past. The premise is engaging and emotional; the romance is passionate and intimate; the characters are colorful and bold. THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY is an encouraging and inspiring look at loss and survival.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

excerpt

Finn rubbed a hand over the spot where his scar was in what looked like an absentminded gesture. “I signed up for a gun-safety course as soon as I healed so I could deal with the fear.”
Liv rubbed the chill bumps from her arms. “That must’ve been ridiculously hard.”
He gave a humorless laugh. “The first few weeks, all I could do was sit there and watch other people do target practice. Listen to the sounds. Let the panic come and force myself not to run. It sucked. But then I met this cop who offered to help me. She pushed me, and I started to get used to handling the gun and began to train.” He focused on a spot somewhere over her shoulder like he was seeing the memory play out on a screen. “She taught me how to switch off the emotion of it. It’s going to sound ridiculous, but it became like football used to be for me. One mission. No emotion attached to it. Get the ball into the end zone. But this time it was hit the target. It was the only thing that helped.”
“Jumping into the fire.”
“Yeah. But it was the best thing I could’ve done. Learning from Eileen, the officer I met, seeing how confident and dedicated she was, made me want to do the same thing. When I eventually went into the academy, I was ready. I had to go through simulations where people would attack me or come at me with a weapon over and over again, in a hundred different ways. It diluted the power of my fears because now I had the skills to protect myself and the people around me.”
She leaned back against the headboard, impressed and a little awed. “So no one is going to catch you off your game again.”
His lips kicked up at the corners, some of that old arrogance breaking through. “Let’s just say it’s probably not going to go well for them if they try.”
She laughed, his playful smirk helping some of her jittery feelings dissipate. “Now I see it. I couldn’t picture you with a badge, but there it is. Cocky Finn does law enforcement.”
“What? Afraid I couldn’t pull it off?” He lifted an eyebrow, his face stern. “Ma’am, can you please step out of the vehicle? Hands where I can see them.”
She bit her lip. Of course with his authoritative tone, her mind put him in a uniform and some aviators. She’d never had a particular fetish for men in uniform, especially after her own run-in with the police. But the thought of Finn wearing a uniform and manhandling her a bit had her reconsidering. She would definitely get out of the vehicle. Maybe even let him cuff her. And as inappropriate as the thought was, considering the circumstances, it was a welcome respite from her nightmare. She cleared her throat. “I think you pull it off just fine.”
His dimple appeared beneath the stubble. “You’re blushing, Arias.”
“I am not.” She tipped up her chin. “I’m just…still flushed from all the adrenaline.”
“Uh-huh. Or you’ve got a secret cop fetish.”
“Stop flirting.” She pointed a finger at him.
“Am I flirting?” he asked innocently.
“Yes. And that’s not allowed. You yourself said that kiss was a mistake. So don’t come prancing around here half dressed with your Batman abs and talking about where to put my hands. No one likes a tease, Dorsey.”
His grin turned roguish. “I said that kiss was a mistake, not a regret.”
“Finn.”
“And Batman abs?” He grabbed the lapels of the robe like he was going to open it and check. “These old things?”
She stretched out her leg and kicked his thigh. “Stop it. You’re terrible.”
He lifted his palms in surrender and laughed. “At least you’re smiling now.”
“Yeah, well, there’s that.”
Even after all the years that had passed, Finn still seemed able to get her mind off things. When her mom was going through chemo and everything was doom and gloom at home, Finn could somehow figure out ways not just to make her laugh, but to do so in a way that didn’t make her feel guilty for feeling a moment of happiness.
She leaned forward, bracing herself on one hand, and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
She looked up, meeting his gaze, and realized how close she still was. Close enough to see the flecks of gray in his green eyes, close enough to kiss him. She wet her lips. “Being you. I’ve missed that guy.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed, his attention flicking to her mouth before sliding upward again. Her heart picked up speed, and his hand closed around her upper arm. “Liv…”
“I…” Whatever she was going to say died on her lips, because the way he was looking at her made her forget her words. There was want in those green depths—lust—but there was something else. Something that made her breath stall. Need mixed with something more dangerous. A wildness.
A curl of heat went up her spine, twining with unease. So much of her wanted to give in to it, to see what exactly was simmering between them. Just grab him and say to hell with it all and make the sheets even sweatier than they already were. But as much as he was drawing her in with that look, he was also warning her off. She didn’t know how she got that sense, but it was there, loud and clear. Push me away. Run. He wanted her to stop this.
He’d told her outside what he had to offer—nothing but a one-night stand. And though right now that sounded all kinds of enticing, she wasn’t going to go there. He didn’t want this. Plus, even sober, it would be too close to how she’d handled her anxiety in college. She didn’t need to chase away her nightmare with a hookup she’d regret in the morning. She wasn’t that girl anymore.
“Finn.” The word was strained.
“Yes?”
She swallowed past the dryness in her throat. “We should get my stuff moved. It’s late.”
He stared at her for a moment, and then his grip on her arm softened. His breath tickled her hair. “Right. Of course.”

about the author

Roni LorenRoni wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. If she’s not working on her latest sexy story, you can find her cooking, watching reality television, or picking up another hobby she doesn’t need–in other words, procrastinating like a boss. She is a RITA Award winner and a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.

Places to find Roni Loren:
Site: www.roniloren.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoniLoren
Twitter: https://twitter.com/roniloren
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4877863.Roni_Loren

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