Review: The Ones Who Got Away (The Ones Who Got Away #1) by Roni Loren

"I don't know what to say because nothing will undo it. I know nothing can fix it. But how about I start here? I'm sorry, Liv. I'm so. Fucking. Sorry. There hasn't been a goddamned day that I haven't thought about what I did to you." - Finn Dorsey

The Ones Who Got Away
Series: The Ones Who Got Away #1
Author: Roni Loren
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Published: January 02, 2018
Source: Publisher

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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.

I can count on two hands the number of new-to-me authors that left me speechless. I've seen Roni Loren's books before, but I hadn't picked one up until now. And I have to say, I'm kind of glad because this was one hell of a book to start off with. The Ones Who Got Away took me on the emotional ride of a lifetime. Roni's writing is beautiful and haunting. I loved the mixture of sorrow and happiness. Watching Liv and Finn learn to love and trust again warmed my heart. Watching them flirt, laugh, and fall in love made me smile so hard. I think I had equal amounts of tears and giggles while reading this book.

Underneath her shell, Liv Arias is an incredibly strong woman. On the outside, she's stuck in a rut that she uses to keep her safe. When she reconnects with Finn and her friends, Liv takes the brave first step to reclaim her life. 

The guilt from his actions on prom night have stayed with Finn Dorsey for the last 12 years. Painted as the hero, only he and Liv know the truth. Because of this, he's stayed away from his loved ones while going undercover in some of the most dangerous cases to find the biggest lowlifes on the planet. It's not until he reconnects with Liv that he realizes that he's not living. 

The characters were amazing. I can't say how much I wanted to know them personally. All of them, not just Finn and Liv, but their circle of friends as well. I hope that as we get to know Kincaid, Taryn, and Rebecca in future books, we also get more glimpses into what happened prom night. And I hope we find out what they were doing and if there are other survivors.

I'm actually surprised this book didn't send me into a book hangover. It was that good.

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. She holds a master’s degree in social work and spent years as a mental health counselor, but now she writes full time from her cozy office in Dallas, Texas where she puts her characters on the therapy couch instead. She is a two-time RITA Award winner and a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.

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June 2018