Thursday, December 13, 2018

Isn't It Romantic?: The Roni Loren Edition


The One You Can't Forget
Roni Loren
Series: The Ones Who Got Away, #2
Age/Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
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.
I have read other Roni Loren books, but I must say, she has won my heart with this series. I am in love with this premise. The focus on these four survivors and how each were impacted by the shooting was enough to earn my attention, but then she gave them each a complicated, but beautiful romance, which just sweetened the pot.

Rebecca was a high-powered, driven divorce attorney. She poured herself into her work as a form of escape, from her past and the guilt she carried because of it. When a Good Samaritan came to her rescue, it brought her face-to-face with someone she had destroyed in divorce court. She tried to fight the attraction, but gave in after learning she didn't really have all the facts about this man and his tumultuous marriage.

I am a fan of enemies-to-lovers romances, but this was so much more complicated than that. Rebecca sort of got past what she thought was true about Wes quickly, but then she was left with her guilt of hiding her past. It was a wall, which kept her from moving forward. Her emotions and pain were written so well. I ached for her, but at the same time, I wanted her snap out of it! In my heart, I knew Wes was exactly who she needed in order to find some peace and move forward with her life. I will say, she made some BOLD choices at one point, which might have made me fist-pump or let out a "get it girl", and left me all sorts of happy.

Wes❤️! That man earned a spot on my favorite heroes list. He was far from perfect. In fact, there were some things from his past that made me wince. But you know what? He picked himself up, dusted himself off, and made plans to rebuild his life. He may not have been overjoyed about his circumstances, but he was making the best of them, and he wasn't going to let past failures keep him from achieving his dreams. I found him all sorts of wonderful, and his hope was contagious. He was also super sexy and swoony and sweet with a HUGE heart, which are all good things.

Loren wove in some interesting storylines as well, that were quite lovely. I adored visiting Wes' job and working with his kids. I thought Knight was topnotch, and I have a special place in my heart for shelter pets. So, all sort of heart tugging going on there. But, what I loved about the inclusion of these things was how they were about second chances. This whole book is chockfull of second chances, and I have an affinity for those stories, because they leave me hopeful. I like to think we can make mistakes, pay for our mistakes, and then be able to find our happy. This book had a lot of that going on, so I was miles of smiles.

The epilogue was good and steamy, as this couple had fantastic chemistry, but what cracked my face in half was a little reveal that slipped out. I loved it, and it was perfect for these two.

Overall: A fantastic addition to a series I am adoring. It was fun, emotional, sexy, sweet, and filled with heartwarming, heartbreaking, and heart-racing moments.

The One You Fight For
Roni Loren
Series: The Ones Who Got Away
Age/Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
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?
When I read the synopsis for this book, I gasped. I knew I was getting myself into something emotional, and Loren gave me that, but she also gave me a story, which explored the effects of violence on the families of victims, as well as the families of the perpetrators.

All of the books in this series stem from a horrific event, but I keep reading them, because Loren takes the pain and channels it into something wonderful and uplifting. Each book is a love story, but they are also stories of healing and coming to terms with that residual pain.

Who?
  • Taryn - a forensic psychologists, who lost her sister at Long Acre, and had dedicated her life to developing a program to prevent school shootings. 
  • Shaw - the brother of one of the Long Acre shooters, who had been living under the radar since he lost his hopes, his dreams, and his future. 
What?

A chance meeting after an open mic brought Taryn and Shaw together. Neither were aware of their connection, and by the time Shaw realized the link, they had already formed a connection. The big question was: would Taryn punish Shaw for the crimes of his brother?

Why?


My heart went out to Taryn. She lost her sister, and felt so much pressure to fill the void left in her family, but by doing that, she was missing out on living her own life. I loved the little nudges Kincaid gave her and the way Shaw helped her see that she deserved to live a little. I applauded everything she did for herself, and was glad to see her going after her own happy. 

Yes, my heart went out to Taryn, but my heart ached and broke for Shaw. I think the way he was treated by the public at large was realistic, but that didn't make it right. He did not commit the crime, but he was left paying for it. He had to abandon his Olympic dreams and college education. He had to accept his solitary life, because he was branded a social pariah. Not only was society hard on him, he was hard on himself. His feelings of guilt and loneliness were palpable. I know I was hoping he would forgive himself, and I kept my fingers crossed that he and Taryn would work out, because they were really fantastic together. 

They were able to speak straight from their hearts, and say things to each other, that they did not feel they could share with others. They gave each other the affection they needed so much, but also encouraged each other to reach for more than they thought they deserved. And, over and over again in this story,  Loren showed us the power of love, friendship, and forgiveness. 

There were many heartfelt and meaningful scenes between Taryn and Shaw, but there were many others, which incorporated the other Long Acre survivors. The heart of this series is the friendship shared between the four women, and Loren utilizes it so well. I pretty much adore all four survivors, though I will admit, Kindcaid has a special place in my heart, and I am chomping at the bit to get her book. Every scene the survivors shared together evoked some sort of emotion from me, and I looked forward to seeing them on page together. 

These characters and their stories have captured my heart, and I look forward to more. Another fantastic addition to a stellar series. 

**ARCs received in exchange for honest reviews.

Are you a fan of second chances?
Let us know in the comments!

20 comments:

  1. This is one of those authors I keep seeing around on blogs and think I really need to try. Glad you enjoyed these!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The premise of this series is so great. Four women bound as survivors, and I love that she comes at the characters connection to the massacre from different sides. And, well, romance.

      Delete
  2. I love this concept of survivors and the relationships or bonds the tragedy created between them! Sophie @bewareofthereader

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like how all the pairings fill different roles. One is an injured survivor, one was there and her sister was slain, one was the brother of the shooter. Everyone had some connection to the event, but their experiences were different, and I that plus a great romance won me over.

      Delete
  3. I read the first book in this series last year because everyone was gushing over it so much. I liked it but wasn’t in love with like everyone else. I should try this series again and see if goes better for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it gets better with every book, but I have been a fan of every pairing and have enjoyed the romance.

      Delete
  4. I'd love to try these. I'm gig on character driven books and stories that make me feel:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. But it's the balance Loren brings to these stories, while still be able to explore so many deep topics. I'm a fan.

      Delete
  5. It's interesting that all the stories in the series stem from a terrible event, but it's nice to read about the characters getting second chances and finding happiness!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wasn't sure about the concept at first, but after reading the first book, I realized Loren was using it in a great way.

      Delete
  6. Interesting idea for a series. Glad you like them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Loren used the idea just enough, that it was interesting without overwhelming the romance.

      Delete
  7. I've heard so many great things about this author - especially that she writes VERY emotional books - and I have a few of them on my Kindle but haven't gotten to them yet.

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The premise is emotional, but she uses it so wisely, in my opinion, that I never tire of the concept.

      Delete
  8. I have the first book from this series waiting for some attention on my Kindle. I think that the whole series sounds wonderful and I cannot wait to dive in.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you get a chance to read it, because I think it gets better and better with each book

      Delete
  9. Whew, The One You Fight For really grabbed my heart with its premise. I like the focus on the ones left behind in such a powerful way.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This whole series has been emotionally satisfying, and I love all the different ways Loren approached the situation.

      Delete
  10. I think my heart would break for Shaw in the second book as well. I also really love the enemies to lovers trope that you see when in the first book and one of my favourite things is when the author takes an unoriginal trope but then adds in elements or complicates the situation to make it more unique. It certainly sounds like that happens in this one ^.^

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My heart totally went out to Shaw, and I think it's something default in our human nature to lay blame on the family. The set up for The One You Can't Forget was interesting. The way she was the divorce lawyer for his ex, who ruined his career, but it was also about moving past what seemed to be true. Wes was one of my favorite heroes so far in the series too.

      Delete