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.
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.
