Book Info
Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages
Expected publication: January 2nd 2018 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
Original Title The Ones Who Got Away
ISBN 1492651400 (ISBN13: 9781492651406)
Edition Language English
Series The Ones Who Got Away #1
Other Editions (1)
Source:Netgalley EARC

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BOOK BLURB


A fresh new contemporary romance from New York Times and USA Today bestseller Roni Loren that will rock your world.

Twelve years ago, tragedy struck the senior class of Long Acre High School. Only a small number of students survived, a group the media dubbed as The Ones Who Got Away.

Now, web designer Liv Arias, along with the rest of the survivors, have returned to the small Texas town to tell their stories for a documentary. Which means Liv seeing former star-athlete and old flame Finn Dorsey. A lot happened between them that night and Liv is ready to end their decade-long riff and move on. But when her attempt at closure turns into a steamy kiss, moving on proves much more difficult than either of them thought...

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. The smooth face was now dusted with scruff, and the look in his deep green eyes held no trace of boyish innocence. A thousand things were in those eyes. A thousand things welled up in Liv.

My Thoughts


When the tragic Long Acre High School Senior Prom scenario took place the survivors only thought they had gotten away. Little did anyone realize twelve years later their lives would still be so deeply impacted by the events of that night.

Having them return to the small Texas town to tell their stories for a filmed documentary was never something the surviving group of now grown men and women had most likely ever planned on.

Like the rest of the group Liv Arias had built her life suppressing those memories so returning to Long Acre opened up old wounds but also opened her eyes to possibilities she had long given up on.

This is a story of healing, a story of taking back ones inner self, of following dreams that had died along with classmates and at its heart a second chance at a love that never died.

Finn Dorsey and Liv Arias share mental demons from their past trauma which not only is explored in a way that breaks the readers heart on their account but also shows that the human spirit can find a way to overcome even its darkest hour with the right motivation to do so.

I almost did not take the opportunity to read this book by an author unknown to me because of it’s possible negative emotional impact. How glad I am now that chance came my way via Netgalley and publisher Sourcebooks Casablanca. I thank them both and thank the author for sharing what is not only a well written book about a very real ongoing problem but a wonderful love story also. The love story is not just focused on Finn and Liv however but on them reconnecting with family and former friends too.


[EArc from Netgalley]


On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

Liv and Finn's story will stay with me for a long time. Theirs had so much pain, dept, longing, and chemistry. By the end, I knew that while shared tragedy would forever bind Liv and Finn, it would be their passion that would keep them together forever.

To be honest, I had a hard time starting this book. The description of Liv returning to her high school, the scene of a violent school shooting, and her struggle to maintain control in the face of those memories was visceral and jarring. I was hurting for Liv before she and Finn even began to reconnect after years apart.

The jagged pain and incomplete healing facing the survivors was beautifully and honestly done. Liv and Finn know they may never be whole again, and yet they are so strong and determined. I respect the author for not making the shooting a tacky plot gimmick but instead made their healing and honest acceptance of their history the real focus.

Kudos to the author for making sex a fantastic part of Liv and Finn's story but not some magic healing balm. I loved that Liv was sexually confident and honestly owned her past. And even before the incredible sexual tension, there were already unshakeable feelings between Liv and Finn. Sex came first but the love and caring was always there.

I would have liked more certainty or closure with Finn and Liv's HEA, but perhaps that's to come in Rebecca's book.

4.25 stars

From the intriguing blurb to the breathtaking cover, I was so excited to read this book.

The Ones Who Got Away is an incredible story about strength and healing after tragedy.

Liv and Finn are back in their hometown interviewing for a documentary about one of the worst day of their lives - the school shooting on prom night that took so many lives.

The beginning of the book started out very strong with a captivating and moving retelling of the events.
I wanted to know more about the history between Liv and Finn.
Secret high-school sweethearts...was it just the shooting that pulled them apart?
As soon as these two are in the same space, you just know the feelings are still there and the passion is white-hot.

My hat goes off to the author for the way she handled such a sensitive subject; it was emotional but it was also very hopeful and in the end - uplifting.

Finn and Liv both had a lot of issues they had to work through individually and together.
So here comes my hang up with this novel and why I couldn't give the full 5 stars.
This book is a romance and it started out as such, but slowly turned into contemporary fiction with a sprinkling of romance. This is just my opinion (duh) but I'll tell you why I was lead to feel that way.
I'm a big believer in show-don't tell. And when I'm reading a second chance romance, I either need flashbacks of the couple the first time they were in a relationship or a very detailed rebuild of this second chance. This is essential for me to connect.
But what ended up happening is that the issues they had and the internal back and forth overshadowed the rebuild. And the times they were together before the final conflict were glazed over or simply mentioned as "weeks went by" or "over the summer" and that just irked me.

Though it might seem like I didn't enjoy this book, that's absolutely not the case. I believe it was beautifully written novel with great character development and enough humor to balance the angsty bits.

THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY has the makings of an excellent series. Book one, of the same name, builds some of the background but focuses in on Liv and Finn. The characters, both main and side are survivors of a high school trauma and remain affected into their 30s.

The book started off with an intense bang and slowly but surely lost a bit of traction, leaving a lull. I have still rated it four stars because by 40% it had grabbed by attention fully. The story built and built to an emotional and impactful ending.

Finn and Liv have a second chance story to tell and it was believable. I found their feelings for one another powerful and feverish which fit with their traumatic past. Both characters were well developed and I liked them. Finn, in particular, made for some serious hero swoon. That cover, well let’s just say that’s brought to life. The side characters of Rebecca, Kincaid and Taryn have me intrigued from their stories.

So, I guess I wanted this to blow me away following the beginning but I did really like it. I think some of the background to build the series might have impeded the flow but I’ll be reading the next in the series and generally checking out Roni Loren’s other books.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through netgalley in return for a honest review.

Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.

The Ones Who Got Away by Roni Loren, my first book by this author. good news, I loved this book.
I liked this story a lot, it was very sexy, quite an emotional read. I cried, swooned and my heart was in my throat at times! Definitely makes you look around and be grateful and thankful for just being. Its a great second chance at romance, a second chance at life, a do over you could say. A beautiful cover, and a wide range of quirky character. Its coming out very soon and I think everyone will love this one.

Wow, this book. I have to say that the subject matter of this book scared me a little bit. I have seen too many shootings in the news and cried at the loss of innocent lives. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it in a book. But there are survivors and their stories deserved to be told. How does their life go on? What path did they go down as a result of that day?

This book was well written and so heartfelt. My heart broke for those involved in the tragedy and the paths that it led people down. Liv and Finn were different people in high school and one tragic night changed everything for them. This story is about surviving the unthinkable and making something of your life. Living your life to the fullest to honor those that can't. Finn and Liv's story touched me on such a deep level. I can't wait to read the rest of this series. I know each story will gut me in a different way. Great read!

This book started off pretty sad. The beginning of the book starts with Liv coming back to her high school after years of surviving a school shooting for a memorial. It was a tough moment in her life and it also puts her face to face with Finn a guy she loved after so many years. These characters go through the motions of dealing with anxiety, regrets, and loss of that day.

This book was good just not something I would normally read. The back and forth between Liv and Fin was killing me slowly. They kept denying their feeling for so long, that I really didn’t care what happened to them. I’m all for the angst and feelings but this was a little bit more than I wanted to deal with. I wish I could have enjoyed it more.

This book starts off extremely sad. A group of people who are the small amount of students who survived an attack on their school during prom 12 years ago. Liv and Finn are the main characters in this story. They both have their own struggles, but do eventually find love with each other. I truly tried to enjoy this book, it just wasn’t happening for me. I’m not sure why. I didn’t make is past chapter 3.
This is the first story I have read by this author. It is a standalone.

Review will appear at Romance Reviews Today in Jan.

THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY – Roni Loren
Ones Who Got Away, Book 1
Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: 978-149265140
January 2018
Contemporary Romance

Long Acre, Texas – Present Day

Twelve years ago, tragedy struck the senior class of Long Acre High School when some armed students entered the room where the prom dance was being held and killed several fellow students. Olivia “Liv” Arias was one of the survivors that were nicknamed “the ones who got away.” But the scars run deep and walking into the school years later to be interviewed for a documentary brings back those painful memories. As she walks away after the interview, Liv learns that her ex-boyfriend, Finn Dorsey, is also there. She hasn’t seen him since the tragedy; it’s like he fell off the face of the earth. Talking to him, Liv realizes Finn is different now. He’s harder, darker and quieter. The next morning, they run into each other and chat, during which Finn nearly kills the hotel manager because the man was taking pictures of them. Liv realizes Finn isn’t the boy she once knew.

The shooting changed Finn, and now he is part of the FBI’s special forces. His goal all these years has been to find the outfit that supplied the guns to the students that led to the rampage. Finn has just gotten off a big assignment where he was undercover for two years and he barely escaped with his life. Meanwhile, as he mentally recovers, he must not have his picture circulating out there in case the bad guys see them and come after him. Meeting Liv after all these years, he realizes how much he’s still attracted to her, and invites her to spend weekends at the lake front house he’s rented for the summer. Both know where it’s going to lead, but will it just turn out to be a temporary fling?

The school tragedy affected many lives and it hangs over Liv and Finn. That night, they were in a closet kissing when the shooting started. Finn heard his date (yes, he came with another girl) scream and he ran to help her. One of the shooters found Liv in the closet and pointed his gun at her, but didn’t shoot her because they were only going to shoot the “happy ones.” As a bit of a freak at school, Liv didn’t fit that profile. As with a lot of tragedies, the ones not killed are left with “survivor’s guilt.”

There’s still an attraction simmering between Liv and Finn, and they finally get a chance to rekindle their love in THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY. Looking back at their hopes and dreams, Liv and three female schoolmates realize they haven’t yet achieved their goals. With Finn’s encouragement, Liv gets a chance to work at one of hers, which is photography. As they spend time together, the easy camaraderie they had twelve years ago soon returns and leads to sex. But Finn will be gone by the end of the summer. Will he leave Liv’s heart broken once more?

Readers will be pulled into the story about the tragedy and the aftereffects it has on the former students in THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY. But from darkness comes light as Liv and Finn fall in love. They know there’s a lot of baggage between them, some of it shared, but they are determined to heal and move on with their lives. But will it include each other? THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY is the first book in Roni Loren’s Ones Who Got Away series. It’s not clear who will get the next tale as there are three more girlfriends in the little circle of friends.

An emotional tale that brings Finn and Liv happiness after a tragedy, be sure to look for THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY and be prepared to not want to put it down.

Patti Fischer

I’d be hard-pressed to say that the second-chance romance trope is one that’s always believable or easy to swallow. Roni Loren however, presents one of the most unusual and unique premises for reconciliation and reunion that this particular trope gains firm standing in circumstances wrought by extreme trauma that you can’t help but accept and understand why people can and do go their separate ways.

PTSD isn’t a cut and dried issue according to Loren and not typically confined to just the military heroes that seem to walk around bearing this tag in romantic fiction. It’s complicated and not just something that’s shrugged away. Reactions to trauma differ and for this reason, Liv and Finn struggle in their own ways (she through the self-destructive habits of drunkenness and promiscuity and Finn by channelling his efforts into law enforcement) to cope. Yet both are realistically flawed and behave in a way that shows a type of maturity that goes beyond just growing up.

I liked Finn more than I liked Liv and clearly my own preference is rearing its head here—I generally find it hard to sympathise with characters who are self-destructive in the way that they use people sexually to self-medicate while lacking the self-respect and dignity to get therapy until they hit rock bottom. Liv’s reckless, loose-cannon-type personality that was a front for running away (Loren reminds us of this quite a few times about the many men she went through), in contrast to Finn’s driving need to right this particular aspect of society’s wrongs, felt more self-indulgent than beneficial (in the way Finn had centred his own career around it) even though those demons driving the both of them were essentially the same.

If the first quarter of the story was stellar however, I thought the pacing lagged a little in the middle as Finn and Liv danced around the same issues of wanting more but not wanting to step out to make the out-of-the-comfort-zone decision. After Finn/Liv agreeing to spend the weekends together, I thought the plot didn’t seem to move forward very much, up until the point at the end where they finally decided to give a real relationship a go. 

Loren’s evocative writing nonetheless, brings to light the complexity of these struggles and the impossibility of outrunning these traumatic memories. It’s a series I’m definitely going to keep an eye out for and I can’t wait to see what tropes Loren will write into her next few books.

What a great story! Liv and Finn survived a trauma in high school along with the whole class of 2005. Their lives are never the same after the active shooter incident. Now 12 years later they meet again and sparks fly just like they did in high school. Can they overcome the past and their current lives to be together? Loved it!

I have never read or heard of this author before. What drove me to want to read this story was the captivating blurb. This 4.5 star story was everything I though it would be and so much more.

Liv and Finn are reunited after more than a decade apart. On the night that should have been an happy one 12 years ago, tragedy struck. One of the worst nightmares, in my opinion happened. The sad part is it does happen all too often. Now all grown up, they realize that old feelings never really went away, they are stronger.

I loved this storyline very much minus the tragedy. I felt so much for these characters that had to live through it. It was an intense raw emotional story that sucked me right in. Bottomline is that this is a must read. I can’t wait to see what’s next for this author.

The minute I read the blurb to The Ones Who Got Away I was really intrigued. I have read Roni Loren in the past and completely fell in love with her sexy romances high on the steam level with addicting storylines. This was a newer direction I felt as it was also highly emotionally charged while delivering heartfelt emotional connections dealing with the aftermath of a school shooting and its survivors years later.

I felt this book had a fantastic beginning but at midpoint, I felt like the story lost me a little bit. It seemed overly wordy and long winded and we were constantly waiting on their reconnection that impatience set in. As a result, while I did enjoy this book, it was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed Finn and Liv's story and will continue on with the series and Rebecca's book.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Sourcebook Casablanca for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review. Bravo! 4 stars! ~Ratula

Love, love, love this book!

5 stars!

From the moment I read the synopsis of this book, I knew I needed to read it, and it was just as amazing as I was hoping it would be. Beautifully heartfelt and emotional with a chemistry-filled, sexy, romantic and functional second-chance-love story. I freaking loved it!

The book begins 12 years after Prom night at Long Acre High School turned into one of the worst mass school shootings in history. Now the survivors from the deadly attack are returning to the scene of the nightmare to be interviewed for a documentary, reliving the night that changed their whole lives.

“The ones who got away never really get away. Those sick bastards changed us – have their fingerprints all over our lives.”


Olivia Arias hasn’t returned to her home town since she graduated. She escaped that night without injury, but was left with emotional scars and panic attacks that continue to plague her. She tried to drown her bad memories with partying and meaningless hook-ups, but now she does little more than work, having lost the passion that she once felt for her life.

Teen Liv had been racked with anxiety and nightmares, but still, she’d craved adventure. Art.
Passion.
She’d believed she could still have it.
What did grown-up Liv believe? Want?
Did she even know?


Being back in town puts her on edge, but it does allow her to catch up with the group of girls that formed a support group after the attack and who had each other’s backs through the tumultuous months that followed. And then there is Finn Dorsey, her high school boyfriend who is now all grown up and just as gorgeous as he always was.

Liv and Finn haven’t seen each other since they both left town, but their reconnection resparks their strong attraction – though neither of them are in a place where they feel able to act on it. Liv hasn’t opened her heart to anybody since Finn was a part of her life, and Finn is struggling with his own demons. In additional to dealing with similar issues to the others who walked away from that night, he battles with the additional guilt in knowing that he walked away from the girl he loved that night to save the ‘date’ he was pressured into taking. Liv was from the ‘poor’ side of town, and a relationship between them was forbidden by his father, so everything they did together happened in private. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t everything to him.

After being declared a hero for saving his date during the attack (something which still causes him endless guilt), Finn went on to become an FBI agent, determined to take out the worst of the worst, and losing himself in undercover work for months and even years at a time. He’s just come out from deep cover and is trying to recover himself, when Liv unexpectedly walks back into his life.

She’d been pretty in high school. Quirky cool But now she was just flat-out beautiful. And successful. And hella smart. And off-fucking-limits.


OMG, the chemistry between Liv and Finn absolutely sizzles! And while Finn is all for reconnecting for real, Liv is terrified of getting attached. But when she is reminded of the promises she made to herself at the end of her senior year – to bravely live the life that so many others brutally lost, it encourages her to break free of the chains she has put on her life and embrace everything that she has been missing out on. So when Finn offers her the perfect opportunity to do so, it sets the scene for their reunion to get even cosier.

It’s a tentative beginning, but Liv and Finn very quickly slip back into the easy friendship they always shared – just with a whole heap of sexual tension to keep things really interesting. It’s smart and funny, and the banter is absolutely sensational, and I laughed so many times while reading. Their playfulness is balanced by the strong emotional connection between the two of them, and as they navigate their reunion, they are completely honest with each other about what they want and what they are able to offer each other, and from start to finish the chemistry is intense, the sexual tension is perfect and it’s all so functional!

“I’m feeling kind of terrified … But at least I’m feeling something. You make me feel something.”


There’s no stupid, no game playing and I could feel everything that was developing between them and I loved every freaking moment of it! It’s not easy, and they certainly have challenges they need to deal with, but it develops naturally and realistically without falling into the all-too common ‘drama just for the sake of drama’ pit, and I loved watching it all unfold. Smart, sweet, fun, emotional and passionately intense, I could feel everything between Liv and Finn, and I was so invested watching them battle their demons and figure it all out.

“This – us - is never going to be platonic … We may be able to keep from going to bed together because we’re trying to be smart about this, but don’t fool yourself into thinking that the thing we have between us is going to go away. The attraction is always there. Knowing we can’t have it makes it worse.”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said softly. “But I can’t seem to stop myself from wanting you.”


While primarily a love story, I was drawn into the dramatic elements of the story as the book provides us with a realistic and fascinating look at how survivors move on from a tragic and brutally violent attack. I could feel the horror that they went through, how it impacted them when it happened, and how it continue to be such a huge part of their lives. It’s tragic and terrifying, and I thought that the emotional parts of the book were really well written.

“Those sick assholes stole not just my friends’ lives but the could be’s from us. We never got to find out who we would’ve been otherwise. Before we were aftermath.”


But the drama doesn’t overshadow the story, it simply forms the background to the wonderful love story, and the story of friends reconnecting and figuring out who they are, what they want, and finding the courage to reach for it.

I loved the involvement of Liv’s friends, and was thrilled to learn while reading this book that this is actually a series, and that they will also have their stories told. They are a fantastic bunch of characters (Kincaid rocked my world, Rebecca fascinated and impressed me, and I want to know more about Taryn), each very unique and with their own challenges to deal with, and I cannot wait to get my hands on their books.

I loved this book. Not only is it an absolutely gorgeous romance, but the drama adds a unique and interesting dynamic that works into the story perfectly, and I finished this book with a huge grin on my face and hugging my kindle.

Broken glass still made art.
Sometimes the most beautiful kind.


5 fantastic stars.

<i>Even after twelve years, she couldn't bear to look at a list of names that should've been in a graduation program instead of etched onto a memorial.</i>

When I read the sneak peek for THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY, I was immediately hooked. Though the story centers around a highschool shooting this isn't about the event itself. It's about what comes after for those who managed to walk away.

<i>.. they'd already settled. They'd been given this second chance when others hadn't, they'd settled for <b>good enough</b>, for getting by, for not making waves.</i>

Loren's writing was intense, moving, powerful. The issues of loss, PTSD, anxiety, coping mechanisms.. everything was touched on but the message behind the story itself was a beautiful one : live your life to the fullest. Embrace what scares you. Be passionate. Do things that make you happy. Open yourselves to love. And in the case of our lead characters, reconnect and see what would have been possible if not for the moment that briefly interrupted their lives and sent them on a very different course.

"<i>Maybe you could use an old friend who knows the original colour of the paint beneath all those layers life has slapped on you. Maybe I could, too.</i>"

I enjoyed so much of this story. I though the beginning half of the book was very strong as both Liv and Finn navigate not only who they are twelve years after tragedy, but who they want to be. What they want from life. And whether there's a chance for something between them. That said while I could absolutely respect the whys of Finn's choice of career and the motivations behind it, I felt the drama of it kind of took away from the story. And in addition gave the story a slightly overblown element <b>of</b> drama, too. It's kind of hard to describe.

"<i>It's all just sitting there, waiting to remind me how we can never really escape it. How the ones who got away never really got away. Those sick bastards <b>changed</b> us -- have their fingerprints all over our lives -- and it pisses me the hell off.</i>"

I had really high hopes for this book (which I now understand is going to be series, and also, yes!) and felt the first half definitely lived upto it. I just wish it hadn't lost some of the traction along the way. But it's still a great premise and I look forward to where the rest of these characters go in their journeys to moving on from such a horrific and life-changing event.

"<i>We're dating.</i>"
"<b>We're dating?</b>"
"<i>Yes. If that works or you. I have no desire to share you this summer. I'm morally loose but very traditional.</i>"

There was a good amount of chemistry mixed up with playful flirty banter and of course Loren is no stranger to sexy times. Add to that all the emotional layers and I think this'll be a big hit for a lot of people. I just thought I'd feel a little more after reading a few of Loren's novellas and from my own expectations of how I thought this particular story would play out. Despite the lower-than-I-thought-it-would-be rating, however, I would still recommend and I will definitely be reading on.

3.5 "I've been in an exclusive relationship with myself for a few years. I'm amazing in bed" stars

This is is so much more than a love story ... it's a story about loss and life after the loss!


In high school Finn was the good looking jock who came from money and could have any girl he wanted. Liv came from the other side of the tracks ... her father was Finn's family gardener. Liv lost her mother when she was just a teenager and rebelled with coloring her hair purple and pink, doing and saying whatever she wanted. Finn and Liv were opposites ... but remember that old saying "opposites attract"? Finn was scared to go against his parents, so they kept their relationship a secret. And then at prom, the unthinkable happened ... 2 students got their revenge and shot all the students that were "happy". It was one of the worst school shootings. And what did Finn do? He left Liv in a closet to defend herself while he saved the girl that was his prom date. After the shooting, his family ended up moving to get away from all the media attention.


I really liked at the story line about the 4 unlikely girls who became friends through their counselling after the shooting. A year after the shooting they each put a letter in a time capsule that stated their dreams and wishes for their futures. 12 years later, all the survivors are being interviewed for a documentary on the shooting. This is the first time the women have been together since then so they decide to open the time capsule and see which dreams came true.



At the interviews, when Finn and Liv lock eyes, all those old feelings come rushing back. But after all this time is it love or lust? Liv got most of her anger out in college by drinking too much and sleeping around, but she still has nightmares. Now all she does is work on website designs ... not the photography she wanted to do back in high school. While Finn joined the FBI and wanted to put those responsible for the students getting the guns behind bars and he's spent the last 2 years deep undercover trying to do just that. They each have deep scars that may never heal.


This book is so full of emotions ... you will laugh with them, you will swoon at the love story and you will cry with them. This is a heart wrenching love story that I could just not put down ... I ended up reading till the wee hours of the morning to finish the book. And then I couldn't sleep because I was thinking about it. That is the sign of a GREAT book ... when it sticks with you! I HIGHLY recommend this book! I can't wait for the next book - Rebecca's book. But the one I hope is after that is Kincaid's book ... she just cracked me up.


I received an ARC copy courtesy of Sourcebooks Casablanca through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

This is a very emotional read....I highly recommend having a box of tissues next to you.

It's unfortunate in our society that all of us have heard about a school shooting on the news at least once in our lifetime. This book looks at what happens after a mass shooting. What happens to those who survive, but were effected by the shooting? What happens to the survivors? How does that event shape the rest of their lives.

While this story is primarily focused on Finn and Liv, it touches upon the lives of a few of the other students. A group of people who were not necessarily friends before the shooting but who became friends because of their bond.

An incredibly well written, heart felt story.

The Ones Who Got Away made me cry, then made me laugh-like clutch my stomach, roll on the floor laugh, then made me cry some more and finally left me off with a goofy grin on my face.

I don't think I just read this book, I felt it. I felt it with my heart, every dialogue and every chapter.

"Leotards aren't meant to wrangle all that boy business so things...escaped. The rest of the guys called him Glitter Balls for about a year afterwards."

I loved the characters, especially Olivia for her badass attitude.

This review is going to be short because all I have to say about this book are praises. And I don't have a vocabulary good enough to describe just how much I love this book.

"I'll be waiting for you when you get home.
However long it takes.
You're worth the wait."

The Ones Who Got Away is definitely going to be one of the books that I'll re-read again and again.

A beautifully written story of strength. I was hanging on to every word from the start of the book!! Thanks for this wonderful story

Doesn’t this blurb sound like a super angsty story? Yeah? Wanna know if it was? Read on!

I’ll tell you right away, this is my first Roni Loren book, another one of those authors I have been meaning to read but never gotten around until The Ones Who Got Away. It was the blurb that I found so intriguing that I wanted to jump in and give this author a chance. Not regretting it. Nope. So let me tell you a little bit about it.

Olivia is one of the survivors of a vicious attack against high school kids on their prom. Not all of the teenagers, who lived to tell the story, processed what happened completely and moved on. Both Liv and Finn live with hangups from that night that cripples their quality of life in some way, both of them fear something.



***It’s like it’s all just sitting there, waiting to remind me how we can never really escape it. How the ones who got away never really get away.***



Finn left a deep scar when his actions endangered Olivia, his then-girlfriend and dirty secret. When they meet again twelve years after the tragedy that changed all of their lives there is a little bit of resentment on Liv’s behalf left.They work pretty fast through that which I appreciated.

Liv is a woman who forgot, who she used to be. With the help of her friends and Finn she ventures on a journey of re-discovering her own self under the armor she built around herself. She does so with courage and resilience, is genuine, funny and gives it to you straight. When she faced her fears, moved past them I felt pride for her. After all she’d been through she still had spunk left in her and it came out exactly at the right time. In the end Liv honored the victims of the tragedy and it was respectful, sweet and touching.

Finn…ah…what a wonderful man. He is sweet, sensual, through and through decent and so, so guilt ridden. He left his hometown as a hero, having saved one of his friends during the shooting but he never felt like one. Now he is on a mission to rid the world of everything that’s evil and of course he does at the expense of his own happiness and that of Liv. I thought he was a little bit I think he got a little too stuck in his guilt and towards the end I was a leeeettle peeved at him. Good thing he made it up to Olivia.



***For the first time, it hit her that Finn was going through this, too.***



The rekindling of their relationship is beautiful. They both think they don’t have the capacity for more than a casual relationship but their connection is strong, intense and undeniable, the feelings they have for one another so obvious. A connection like that doesn’t just break, no matter how much time passes, and Finn and Olivia never got over each other.



***She’d been pretty in high school. Quirky cool. But now she was just flat-out beautiful. And successful. And hella smart. And off-fucking-limits.***



Both of them have a playful side and lots of humor which contributed to this story being a lot less angsty than I thought it would be. As heart-breaking some parts are it’s generally an uplifting story about friendship and healing.

Liv’s friends, a group of women who formed a bond after the tragedy, are phenomenal. Especially Kincaid is best-friend-material. I hope Roni Loren writes a book about her. I was so on the fence about Rebecca in the beginning, I expected drama and ugly scenes but she turned out to be amazing, a wonderful friend to both Finn and Liv.

I see at least three more books in the future of this series. The Ones Who Got Away was a well-written, captivating introduction to this series and for me to Roni Loren’s stories. I enjoyed it immensely, it had passion, romance, an intriguing story line and characters you cheer on and want to be friends with. I realized that Rebecca’s story will be next and guess who’s going to read that one? Yeah. That would be me!



***Broken glass still made art. Sometimes, the most beautiful kind.***