The One You Fight For by Roni Loren

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?

Book 3
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆
The One You Fight For is the third installment in The Ones Who Got Away series and I suggest reading in series order. While there would be little to no confusion reading as a standalone, the necessary backstory would add value to the character growth and emotional punch.

Taryn is the studious friend, the reserved one, who places her research above living life, as she's trying to honor her lost sister. Survivors of a school shooting, the series revolves around a decade later, how the survivors are dealing in the aftermath. Taryn took a different approach than the two previous heroines by trying to create a system to help those who are at risk of becoming future shooters.

This is the first glimpse we get of the shooter's family. Shaw is the older brother, hiding out by changing his name and keeping a low profile. While he may not have been in the school that night, he's had a time of it, his life ruined as the public saw him as evil as well. The rage over what happened bubbled over, adding to the 'evil' persona the press gave him.

A chance meeting draws Taryn and Shaw together, neither knowing how they connected to one another. What I appreciated the most, when Shaw figured it out, he told Taryn straight away. No miscommunication or evasion, all mature adult.

Banterific, filled with flirty, slow-burn interactions, with an intense connection easily felt by the reader. The romance is organic, flowing fluidly during everyday interactions as the couple comes together, while working through their wounds and finding the life they've suppressed due to survivor's guilt. The angst of it all was how Taryn lost her sister at the hand of Shaw's brother, while Shaw is willing to do anything to stay in hiding. Taryn is a bit clinical and cerebral, dampening the emotions, while Shaw is a stew of insecurities and self-loathing. But they do balance each other out, bringing long-ignored qualities to the surface.

They both hurt, so there is a hurt-comfort vibe as they come together.

While I loved the novel, found the pacing quick and easily to digest, there were a few instances where it dragged with redundant inner monologue. Another issue for me, while I love how the women have come together to support and empower each other, it was slightly difficult for me when all four of the women were in the same scene together. This was even worse when other characters were on-scene and creating dialogue. It felt chaotic, along with the intelligence level/mentality lowering to that of teenage girls, instead of professional, grown women.

In past novels, I enjoyed their banter, but this felt a bit thick and forced, with a slightly juvenile bent, in juxtaposition to Taryn's cerebral narration it was jarring.

I highly recommend to fans of contemporary romance and the author. I look forward to the next installment, beyond curious to see the direction the series will take.

Also Available in The Ones Who Got Away Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

For reviews & more info, check out our The Ones Who Got Away post.

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

For reviews & more info, check out our The One You Can't Forget post.

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.

Connect with Roni

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Google+  ~  Instagram

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The One You Fight For (The Ones Who Got Away #3) by Roni Loren to read and review.

The One You Can't Forget by Roni Loren

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.

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆
As someone who doesn't read much mainstream contemporary romance, I was hooked by the blurb for The Ones Who Got Away. This series features the survivors of a school shooting, more than a decade later, learning to deal with survivor's guilt and move forward in their lives. While I suggest reading the first installment in the series, The One You Can't Forget could easily be read as a standalone.

First and foremost, I need point out how this is not fluffy but it's also not nail-biting emotional stress, either. While Rebecca is suffering from PTSD, survivor's guilt, and shame for her behavior back in high school. The emotional gut-punch rides just beneath the surface. Not too light. Not too heavy. Perfect for a wide array of romance readers who need a realistic portrayal.

Rebecca is a divorce layer, more than jaded and pessimistic after growing up from being a believe-in-fairy-tales teenage girl. She was the good girl. The girl next door. The girl who had an unrequited crush on her best friend. The girl everyone assumed had it all. But that is not Rebecca at all.

The novel starts out during another traumatic time, one that freezes Rebecca. To the rescue comes a stray dog and a down-on-his-luck chef. Wes brings that delicious angst that romance readers eat by the spoonful. Brooding, wounded, yet a man driven to make his dream reality... and Rebecca is the lawyer who single-handedly took his dream away.

Wes and Rebecca shine the most bantering during the getting-to-know-you stage of their friendship. They're drawn together, even with this being their second chance after a not-so great first impressions. Another layer of angst is Rebecca's perfectionist, controlling, smothering politically minded father.

Wes teaches underprivileged kids how to cook, and this draws a dark and gritty reality at how many youths who are forced into crime to survive.

With many layers, what reads as a mainstream contemporary romance is much deeper than the surface. The romance is warm and sweet, yet intimately realistic as the pair moves from friendship to more. But there is heavier subject matter that gives just enough to develop a well-rounded, realistic, and enjoyable novel.

Why 4 instead of 5 stars? When I compare the first book to the second, my feverish need to click the pages wasn't there. I wasn't as emotionally invested in Rebecca and Wes. The first felt inspired, and this felt as if it was Rebecca's turn for a book but there was something missing – a flatness, fill-in-the-blanks feel. The specific characters, the angst, and newness of the first installment hooked me more, resonated with me. I did have a difficult time connecting to Rebecca or Wes. While realistic, I didn't think Rebecca self-sabotaging or spineless, so the conflict that arises didn't fit the character. I was satisfied and happy at the 60% mark of the story, and felt it meandered and created manufactured conflict to rush toward an ending.

Since this book was more focused on the narrators, there was little to no scene-time featuring the fellow Long Acre survivors, which took away from that need to know what happens next sensation I absolutely adore.

Highly recommend, I'm more than eager to read the next installment.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the second book in the series, and I would highly recommend that you read them in order. I have a feeling that if you read this as a standalone, you would still think it a really good story, but miss quite a bit of the context.

Both Wes and Rebecca have tumultuous pasts, and in fact, whilst the shooting had a huge impact on Rebecca, it is not the only difficulty that she faced as a teenager. Her mother left for another man, and her father piled on the pressure of expectation. She has, however, been harbouring a secret about the shooting that never really leaves her and has affected her life and relationships ever since. She is now back in contact with a group of survivors, thanks to the documentary, which features in book one. We learned a little there of the guilt that she still felt.

Wes also has a checkered past but is finally coming out the other side. He has lost the trust of his family and is determined not to make any more mistakes. As we get to know him better, it is easy to fall for him, as life has not been kind.

Somehow these two very different people provide a friendship to each other which is even more important than the chemistry, although they can't deny that for long either. There is no doubt that the romance builds in a bit of a whirlwind, and one cannot help but worry about their state of mind or heart. However, Roni Loren has plotted this book with great skill, and ensured that we feel the passage of time to fit their emotions, rather than the other way around. It is always believable and very desirable.

By the time you have thrown in an injured stray dog, an abused teen who needs support, and a bright yellow bus, this is a very enjoyable and uplifting book to read.

Also Available in The Ones Who Got Away Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

For reviews & more info, check out our The Ones Who Got Away post.

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.

Connect with Roni

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Google+  ~  Instagram

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The One You Can't Forget (The Ones Who Got Away #2) by Roni Loren to read and review.

The Ones Who Got Away by Roni Loren

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.

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars
M/F Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Finn and Liv were high school sweethearts back in the day; however, nobody was able to know about them. Finn was conscious of his parents' choices for him and he knew they would never approve of the landscaper's daughter. That didn't stop the teenage hormones or the hurt feelings from coming through.

Years later, Liv is working as a web designer and is asked to come back for a tribute to the shooting. She reconnects with a few of the girls who were in her support group after the shooting. They have seen each other at their worst and know that no matter what, they would be there for each other. When they open and read their high school capsule letters from after the shooting, Liv realizes that she isn't truly living up to what her high school self wanted for her life.

Finn is another story altogether. He had a legacy to live up to – his parents wanted him to date the right woman and go to the right schools, after all, he was a reflection of them. When he comes back for the tribute after the shooting, he also knows that he'll have to leave again after he has his leave time. He has been trying to save others since the day of the shooting. When he sees Liv again, he knows that he has to try to apologize for all of those years ago.

Finn and Liv's relationship is friendly with a hint of lust, at first. I liked how they were able to talk through their own lives – show each other who they had become without dominating the story with history. I thought that they each contributed to their future and can't wait see who gets the next book.


Erica – ☆☆☆☆☆
Contemporary Romance isn't my usual genre. This admission will be an odd one – what had me hooked into reading this wasn't the sexy cover or the blurb, and Roni Loren is a new-to-me author. It was the fact that the title was The Ones *WHO* Got Away, rather than *that*. Mad props. I had to read it because of that, and I'm so happy I did.

This novel trapped me from the first paragraph – I read half the book in one sitting, then I read the other half in another sitting, devouring it in a few hours time today. My emotions ran the gamut, sometimes even managing to have me teary-eyed with a smile on my face.

Twelve years ago, tragedy struck Long Acre High School, and this novel is voiced by two of its survivors. Liv and Finn. I won't go too in-depth with the details, because I enjoyed the fact that I didn't know what was coming when I started the book, and I want other readers to experience as it was meant to be read. I'll give my opinion on the dynamic and character building instead.

Liv and Finn have history, predating the tragedy, with the tragedy the final death knell to their relationship. Their dynamic was unbalanced in high school, and it wasn't the right time for them to come together. I could easily empathize with both of their positions, especially with them being seventeen-year-old children.

The novel takes place when they are thirty-year-old, grown adults. Being interviewed for a documentary is the means, to not only draw Liv and Finn back into each other's orbits, but several other survivors as well. In this installment, the reader gets to know three of the females who were directly impacted too.

As the novel traverses the life changes Liv and Finn are going through, as they make strides to live instead of merely survive, their relationship strengthens at the same time.

The tragedy is written with compassion yet realistic enough that the darkness could have become too much for some readers – triggering, if you will. But the levity Liv and Finn, and their fellow classmates, bring into the novel, lightens the feel with humor and support.

The scorching tension between Liv and Finn was addictive, alongside their witty repartee. Push-pull romance, with tension-filled buildup, delivering a satisfying and well-earned conclusion.

There were no frustrating miscommunications, no acting out of character, no knee-jerk reactions without communicating, or doing stupid things to get unnecessary attention. The plot drove the story forward, the romance developing organically, without any bells and whistles to fill plot holes that didn't exist. A solid romance with true emotion, narrated by mature adults who acted their age, especially emotionally. Those are the main reasons contemporary romance and Erica don't necessarily get along very often – the author returned my faith in the genre, with mature characters who didn't act like children. Thank you for that, Roni Loren.

There were the moments I wore a grin while reading, even when the darker, more difficult emotions were causing me to sniffle. It was the perfect balance, tugging my heartstrings and tickling my funny bone simultaneously.

The side cast was an enjoyable addition, one I'm sure will be explored in future books. (fingers crossed) What I appreciated the most was the sense of unity when it came to the women. It could have been written another way, with less maturity, where the girls were in competition over a man. Instead, they came together, lending support and a sympathetic ear, and empowered each other to carve out a better life. They didn't tear each other apart, especially over a guy, as if he were some prize who didn't get a voice in who he ultimately wanted to be with. I give mad props to the author for writing empowered women who have each other's backs.

As I said, this is the first book I've read by this new-to-me author, and I look forward to reading more in the future. I highly recommend to fans of the author and the genre, and I can't wait to get my hands on book two in this series.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆☆
Wow, what a really brilliant book to start off my 2018. This is such a strong, and deeply moving story with a wonderful romance growing from the tragedy. I highly recommend it to you – and cannot wait for the next installment about this very engaging group of survivors.

Ms. Loren has written one of the most carefully and sensitively crafted books I have read in a long time – it was moving, but not sentimental, it was detailed, but not graphic. I had to stop reading a few times just to take a breath, but mostly I just had to keep reading until I got the ending that I desired. From the initial interview, to the reading of the letters, to the very last page, I was completely engrossed in how these people could and would move forward.

Finn and Liv have such a complicated relationship to work out. We watch them learn more about themselves, and each other, and come to terms with what their future could look like. Beautifully told, passionate, and steamy, love-filled romance.

Thank you, Ms. Loren, and I await the next book with great interest.

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.

Connect with Roni

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Google+  ~  Instagram

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Ones Who Got Away (The Ones Who Got Away #1) by Roni Loren to read and review.