Review: The One For You by Roni Loren

THE ONE FOR YOU
Roni Loren
Publication date: December 31, 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Series: The Ones Who Got Away #4
Format: eARC
Source: Sourcebooks Casablanca and Edelweiss
4.25 Stars

GOODREADS  *  AMAZON

S Y N O P S I S

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. 

M Y   T H O U G H T S

Kincaid was a survivor. One who walked away from a high school mass shooting. Her boyfriend was one of the victims and she spent the last fifteen years avoiding serious relationships, convinced that her one chance at true love ended in tragedy. Instead, she focused on creating a good life for herself, refusing to allow the perpetrators to take any more from her.

Ashton was Kincaid’s best friend but he fled their small town after the shooting and cut all ties there. Now back temporarily and forced to face his past, Ash is happy to have Kincaid back in his life. But some things haven’t changed: he’s still in love with her, and she still sees him as her friend.

I was excited to finally get Kincaid’s story and it was even better than I’d hoped. Kincaid has been the glue that held her close-knit group of friends together. The cheerleader that was always lending support and championing those closest to her. With Ash back in town and several big shake-ups in her life, Kincaid is the one in need of support. I loved this ride-or-die friend group. These were women of strength who had tragedy in their past but fought to keep it from defining them. The rekindled friendship between Ash and Kincaid and the easy way they communicated warmed my heart. Even with the humor – and with Kincaid there was plenty of it – there was also plenty of emotion between the laughs. Neither Kincaid nor Ash had stable or loving homes as kids which had me sympathetic for them both. And Ash’s memories of the shooting left me absolutely heartsick. Both characters had a long way to go in coming to terms with the past and allowing themselves to feel worthy of a second chance at happiness. I truly loved Ash and Kincaid’s journey – both separately and together.

In The One For You, Roni Loren wrapped up a quartet of companion novels that pushed the boundaries of contemporary romance. This was not just a love story but also tackled school shootings, PTSD, survivor’s guilt, and domestic violence/abuse. But before you think all that sounds too heavy, there was also humor and strong female friendships and support, and plenty of swoony romance. Loren managed to balance all these elements seamlessly and created something truly special.

Disclosure: I received a a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. This does not impact my opinion of the book or the content of this review. I received no compensation and my review is voluntary.