“Extraordinary.”—Kirkus STARRED Review for The One You Can’t ForgetThe highly-anticipated fourth book in Roni Loren’s unforgettable The Ones Who Got Away series.She got a second chance at life.Will she take a second chance at love?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 … 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.
The Ones Who Got Away series:
The Ones Who Got Away (Book 1)
The One You Can’t Forget (Book 2)
The One You Fight For (Book 3)
The One For You (Book 4)
Readers love The Ones Who Got Away series!
“A crackling, heartfelt love story.”—Entertainment Weekly for The Ones Who Got Away
“Absolutely unputdownable! Roni Loren is a new favorite.”—COLLEEN HOOVER, #1 New York Times bestseller, for The One You Can’t Forget
“Stunning… Truly exceptional.”—Booklist STARRED Review for The One You Fight For
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I loved this series!
What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Part of a series: The Ones Who Got Away
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue
I look forward to reading more from this author.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC from NetGalley.
Wow-what an emotionally charged book! This was the first book in this series I have read (with it being the last book in the series) but I will definitely be going back to read the stories of Liv, Rebecca, and Taryn.
KC and Ash were the best of friends from the time they were kids through high school. Kincaid had a hard life at home but Ash and her boyfriend Graham were her rocks. Always the social butterfly, the center of attention she lived her life the way she thought it should be and with her best friend and soul mate by her side, she was going to be able to accomplish anything. Then Prom happened. Her soul mate was taken from her in a school shooting and her best friend fled after a night between the two of them that should have never happened.
Now 14 years later Ash is back in town and although he’s seen KC over the years he’s never been as close as he was before. Because he’s holding a secret or two and if KC finds out, she’ll never want to see him again. The two are amicable but when they are thrown together on a project together, he knows that he needs to confess to KC his secrets at some point.
This book was heavy at times. KC was a ray of sunshine, smiling at her antics and also feeling so hard for her and the past she can’t seem to get away from. Ash was a nerdy book worm as a teen and as an adult, he hasn’t ventured much from that stereotype being an author. But these two together are magnetic. And the sexual tension between them is through the roof.
I really loved this novel and can’t wait to go back and read the other three books in the series. What a great way to kick off 2020.
This is the 4th book in the Ones Who Got Away series and I loved it. Loved Kincaid and Ash. Their story will tug at your heart strings just like the other couples in the other books. It is sad that this was the final book but it was a nice ending to series. Every girl was able to get the HEA that they deserved and I can’t wait to read more from this author.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
While this series was a difficult one to read because of the world we live in, Roni Loren weaves a truly beautiful love story throughout each book in the series. This one is no different. Friends when the inconceivable happened, they each carry their own guilt as shields in order to never truly let anyone else in. Why love if you will just lose it? Throw in a boy who had feelings for an unattainable best friend, secrets, spotty memory, friends with benefits, torn pasts (over and above the school shooting) and you have a recipe for a mesmerizing story of forgiveness…of others and themselves.
A wonderful conclusion to this series.
It’s been a year since the previous book in this series came out but the final book, The One for You, was more than worth the wait. While you could probably read each of the books in this series as standalone stories, you would be doing yourself an injustice if you don’t read them in order. Book one is especially important as it sets up the series as well as telling the story of the first couple.
An entire series based on something as dreadful as the tragedy of a school shooting seems almost unimaginable for a romance, but Roni Loren totally makes it work. Each book in The Ones Who Got Away series has been gut-wrenching in its own way, but each has ultimately been uplifting with a wonderful HEA.
Second chance stories and friends-to-lovers are my romance kryptonite and The One for You rolls both tropes into a perfect story. Kincaid and Ash were best friends in high school and they both survived the tragedy; unfortunately, their friendship didn’t. Circumstances have let them to reconnect and they have agreed to a fresh start. But Kincaid doesn’t know that Ash has been withholding information and when she finds out what it is her reaction is a bit different than what I expected.
I could go into all kinds of detail about this book but no review I write could ever do it justice. (That’s why I’m a reader and not a writer. ) I will just say that the story turned me inside out and made me use up more tissues reading it than any other book I’ve read recently. And it was worth every single tear and tissue used.
Roni Loren is a fantastic storyteller and one of only a handful of M/F romance writers that I still read. I don’t know what she has coming next but I will be waiting in line to read it.
A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.
The One for You has made my list of MUST READS for 2019! I know it releases at the end of the year, so it will slide into my 2020 list as well! This series has been an emotional ride. Hats off to Roni Loren who wrote about a sensitive subject that we sadly see happening all the time in our schools. Behind the tragedy, Roni Loren shows you the after story. How four wonderful ladies learn how to live again. They find the confidence and glory in a thing we call life.
The One for You is Kincaid’s and Ashton’s story. It has so much heart and brings a few tears to the readers eye. A small town trying to rebuild. A secret love that is hidden for years to come. The friendship that is as solid as gold. The growth you see between Kincaid and Ash is something magical. They stopped living in the past and ready to move forward. And last, my heart strings were pulled with Ash’s words. His beautiful words that had Kincaid fall in love all those years back.
This story seems like its a bit complicated, but it really is not. You feel the pain and sadness, but then you also feel the hope and love. I truly loved this story!
This was the fourth in the series. However, you can most definitely read this as a standalone. Roni Loren just got better with each book in this series. I absolutely loved everything about this book. The characters and the developing relationship between the two main characters are top notch. My favorite trope is friends to more and Roni Loren delivered on that front. The amount of chemistry in the book is like rocket science. The amount of background, banter, wittiness, and sexiness thrown in this relationship is perfect. Roni Loren wrote this friendship perfectly. The connection is real. The story feels so real. I just couldn’t get enough of this connection.
Roni Loren sucked me into this story within the first couple paragraphs. The way Roni writes really makes you feel things. The background of this story is a school shooting which is something we have to hear about / go through way too often in this day and age. I appreciate the topic and the way these characters helped to make that event not define their lives. This whole series and book are definitely something you should put on your reading list!
Kincaid and Ashton were bff’s all through school and went their separate ways after the tragedy that rocked their town. And now they’re thrown back together for a bit. I love a good childhood friends to adult lovers. This of course has the added layer of grief all these characters in the series have had to deal with in their own way. You can’t help but cheer extra hard and hope for them to find their happy life after everything.
Kincaid is everyone’s cheerleader and happy happy happy. She’s pulled herself up from nothing, but all she sees is the impulsive mistakes she’s made and the love she lost as a teen. Ashton- he’s like the greatest. I love him so hard. SO HARD. He’s so easy to fall for in every way.
This series has been so amazing, and the end of this book made me cry. You could read this on your own, or altogether to get the full picture. I think this is the final book and I’m gonna miss these guys. The undercurrent throughout the stories, and maybe the more important thing to take away, is the strong friendships built and how they pulled each other up through it all and find their best lives after going through so much.
4.5 stars!
The fourth and final book in the The Ones Who Got Away series, this friends-to-lovers romance is fun, sweet and sexy with lots of emotion, and I absolutely loved it!
This series tells the story of survivors of a high school shooting. Years after the event, four women reunited and became as close as sisters, helping each other to deal with their grief, move forward and find their happiness. We have watched three of them do just that, and finally it’s Kincaid’s turn.
Each of the girls in the series lost friends and loved ones in the Long Acre shooting. Kincaid did as well, but not only was her first love and soul mate killed by one of the gunmen, but her best friend from childhood survived only to leave town shortly after, leaving her feeling abandoned and alone. She has since developed a ‘smile and move on’ mentality, and she’s forging her way forward through life, working hard to achieve her dreams while hiding her vulnerability and pain.
Ashton Isaacs escaped Long Acre, but he did it leaving his best friend behind. He has travelled the world and become the writer he always wanted to be, but he’s done it by shutting the door on his past with only very infrequent visits back to Long Acre. When circumstances force him to return, all of his feelings from the past come roaring back as he is brought face to face with Kincaid once again and he realises that he is still desperately in love with his childhood best friend.
OMGOMGOMG, it’s such a fantastic set up! Kincaid and Ashton are brought together to help old friends, forcing them to finally face each other and deal with all of the crap between them. They do exactly that, and find themselves easily and naturally falling into their old friendship. It’s sweet and funny, and I just loved seeing them together. We get to see moments from their past through flashback, showing just how connected these two were, and the depth and intensity of Ashton’s feelings for his bestie, and watching them enjoy that reconnection is so beautiful.
And then there is the blazing attraction between them. It’s something that Ashton has always felt, but he tried to ignore it as he was forced to watch Kincaid fall for his high school friend only to tragically lose him. For Kincaid it’s new, and the feelings and chemistry in this book are just fantastic! I could feel everything between them, and I was buzzing with anticipation just waiting for something to happen. And when it does… holy hot damn! It’s sexy and exciting, and it’s underpinned by their close friendship, making it so much better, and their dynamic is hot and so much fun.
“When he pulled back, he brushed his thumb over her mouth. “This was a brilliant idea. We are geniuses.”
She smiled, and he lowered her to the bed, kissing her again and stretching out over her. She ran her hands through his hair, taking in the sight of him above her. “We are exceptionally smart people.”
He grabbed her behind the knee, opening her body to him. “I’m going to last about six point two seconds, but I promise the next time, I’ll make you proud.”
She lifted a brow. “Already planning the next time, huh?”
He eased himself inside her, stretching her and making her gasp with pleasure. “You’re not leaving this bed until the sun comes up, Breslin. I hope you brought snacks.”
I loved seeing them together, and it all seems so easy, but Ashton is only in town for a short time. And more importantly, he has secrets from the past that he fears could derail everything that he and Kincaid have been able to find together. It’s a difficult situation, and it’s not a smooth journey for either of them, but I loved watching them work through it all, and the emotion is beautifully written.
“All this time I thought you were the one who left. You were the friend who broke my heart.” She shook her head. “But that’s not true, is it? I was the one who broke yours.”
Kincaid has been a larger-than-life personality throughout the series, and I admit I was worried going into this one that she would be a bit much in her own book. But Loren has taken those traits and written them into the story in a way that creates a wonderful character journey for Kincaid, and I just adored her!
And I fell head over heels for Ashton. The nerdy hipster with a wicked sense of humour (and a seriously sexy side), he loves deeply and cares so much for Kincaid. The blend of friendship, love, attraction and humour is just fantastic, and I loved every moment of these two together.
“She had found her soul mate.
He’d been there all along.”
The couples from previous books in the series are all a part of the story, and I loved catching up with them. The bond between the girls is gorgeous, and there is a beautiful sense of closure in this book for each of them.
This was such a gorgeous read. It recaptured the feels I experienced while reading their first book in the series (which remains my fave), and I loved it.
4.5 stars.
Received ARC from NetGalley for Honest Review.
I Give this Book a 3-3.5/5 Star Rating, Listing as 3.
HEA(?): Yes.
Romance: 3/5
Heat: 3/5
Suspense: 3.5/5
Drama: 4/5
This is the final book of the series and I have to say it was a decent book overall but in the end it just wasn’t up to par.
If you’ve read any of Roni Loren’s Books apart from this series, you’ll know she is a wonderful writer. But this book and this series, sadly doesn’t show the quality she is able to write.
The characters Kincaid & Ash, their actions and words seemed overly, and weirdly repetitive in this book. I almost felt like they should not have had a book together at some points, it felt like it was separating them rather than bring them together.
The book is drawn out a bit farther than it should have been, mainly due to some fillers.
My feel of this book and series…it’s as if the author was contracted to make a melodramatic series, back story plot is not a typical one so it would be a perfect choice to write, since it is in a way a current problem in today’s society so this book would be more of use as an ‘awareness’ type.
The series partially focused an a tragic and dark subject, so it feels as if the author wanted to separate from the series itself, yet tell the reader(s) off at the same time.
Therefore it did affect the writing and created a disjointed feel throughout the series and relationships between characters cause in a way everything felt ‘distant’. So it almost felt like it wasn’t written by her, herself.
No matter what I am a fan of This Authors Book and will continue to read more in the future.
I hope this Authors future books will have the lively feel her previous writings, like she’s enjoying writing again.
A great continuation from a great series. An highly original storyline that had me reading non stop.
Ash and Kincaid were best friends before the night from hell. Now years later they get to reconnect and fall in love. It’s a best friend to lover kind of story.
It’s a captivating story. Since this is the 4th book in this stories, I already know some of the circumstances so it was a constant recap.
Told in the third person with an HEA. I recommend this story.
What an incredibly satisfying ending to such an amazing series. I think this is the book that made me cry the hardest the entire year. Balanced with the laughter it also elicited, The One For You is definitely one of my Top 19 in 2019 (out of 190 books). Almost certainly in the upper half of that list.
After a series of 3-star reads, I decided to pick this up because after having loved the first three books in this series, I trust in Roni Loren to break the lackluster streak and she delivered spectacularly. Ash and Kincaid’s second chance/best friends-to-lovers romance made me smile, laugh, cry, and sigh. I found myself highlighting several passages and bookmarking pages – signs of how thoroughly impressed I am with Roni’s writing.
I loved the entire book but these are highlights for me:
– Ash and Kincaid’s teasing banter
– them working together to renovate a bookstore
– Ash’s letters
– their defense of the other against exes and Ash’s parents
I also love love love how Roni seamlessly included the three previous couples without recapping their stories. Lastly, I absolutely adore the final scene which echoed the first scene in the series beginner The Ones Who Got Away, with the four friends Liv, Rebecca, Taryn, and Kincaid all together celebrating the fulfillment of the promises they made after their traumatic experience.
“… Promise the Class of 2005 that I will not waste the second chance that I have been given, that I will honor all the people we lost by living my life to the fullest… That we will not give in. That we will not give up. That we will love.”
Ash is definitely my favourite hero from this series. What can I say, he had all the right words and the type of personality I liked best: the one who made sacrifices, the anti-hero. Kincaid didn’t let me down either, don’t mistake her sweet personality, she was no pushover.
There is some predictability in the plot line after the halfway mark but Roni Loren kept it interesting.
This group of incredibly courageous women has come full circle. I will miss them.
**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
When I began this series, Roni Loren was a new to me author and I am so happy that I gave her a chance because this has been such a great series! I’m sad to see it coming to an end, but I’m grateful we got to spend time with such an amazing group of characters.
Kincaid Breslin is the final one of the four friends who gets her second chance at love. Just as with the others, Kincaid’s life was changed that night at senior prom when the gunman opened fire. Kincaid lost her then boyfriend that night and she’s never gotten over him. He is still the person that she compares other men to and she’s not ready to risk her heart in that way again as she doesn’t want to be left brokenhearted yet again.
Ashton Isaacs was Kincaid’s best friend back in high school and with the events that transpired at the prom, he left town and has always been determined not to return. When he left, he not only left his home town, but he left his best friend and the person who meant the most to him. When life throws a curve ball at him, Ash is forced to return to Long Acre regardless of the fact that it is going to be one of the hardest things he’s ever done.
When Kincaid and Ash are reunited, things are not all sunshine and roses. They are both hurt by things from the past and the way their friendship ended before has left them both with a lot of hurt feelings. When they are forced to work together for the good of their friends, they begin to patch things up, however will the secrets that Ash harbors end things again before they really begin? Also, will these two notice that the friendship they have is beginning to burn into something much stronger than that?
I enjoyed this book so much. Kincaid comes off as happy-go-lucky and the light one of the group, but the reality is actually much different. She’s lonely and struggling. Ash on the other hand is totally in love with his friend and he knows she has never seen him that way, which made my heart break for him throughout the book. Knowing that he’s always been second best in Kincaid’s eyes was so tough to take. The way this relationship evolved from friends to lovers was organic and right.
If you haven’t read this series, I highly recommend it. It was enjoyable and entertaining and this group of friends is totally awesome!
I have been reading this series from book 1 and I love each book with their unique story.
Continuing with the story of the survivors, we have Kincaid and Ash, both lost someone special for them. Back then, Ash was Kincaid’s best friend, but he was in love with her, something that she didn’t knkw because she had a crush on another boy.
“She loved him. Just not the way he hoped. That love was for someone else”.
After the shooting, they both lose more than a friend and they continue their lives separately until its time for Ash to go back home.
“She had found her soul mate. He’d been there all along. And she ‘d let him go”.
This is a friends-to-lovers story, and just like the others, it will encourage you to live your life at fullest. Take a risk and fight for what you have or who you have wanted.
Kincaid Breslin lost both her boyfriend and best friend due to the Long Acre shooting but in different ways. One was gone forever and one left town.
Ashton Isaacs always planned on leaving Long Acre, but after the tragic events and another incident, he took off and did not look back. He always loved Kincaid but was always just the sidekick. He followed his dreams of traveling and being a writer, but now his life is in transition so he is home in the interim.
Kincaid stayed and is a real estate agent. She has friends but has lost hope for a real relationship and is tired of being hurt. She measures every relationship by impossible standards and is used to being left behind. She tends to be a bit flighty and impulsive and just made one decision that could really affect her future. And now she is face to face with her old best friend that broke her heart with his departure.
Now they are asked to work on a joint project that keeps putting them back in close proximity. They are trying to work on rekindling their lost friendship. But this new Ashton is surprisingly more attractive to her and she is reluctantly taking notice. And poor Ash is still getting over a recent heartbreak and has always loved Kincaid, so he is trying to resist. But do they really want to? And if they don’t, can they stay friends when he leaves again?
Ash has some secrets and guilt that have stayed with him all this time. And Kincaid has always been plagued by “What ifs?” And she does not even know the full truth of their shared past. Their lives were tied together before as the closest of friends and then bound together by tragedy and damaged by distance. They both struggle with self-worth issues, fears, and insecurities. But now they have a chance to come clean and hopefully move forward one way or another.
This is a beautiful, angsty, and emotional best-friends-to-lovers story that took years to come to fruition due to tragedy, secrets, ommissions, and hidden feelings. It is also the conclusion of this series about four friends who survived and had to find their purpose and love in the aftermath. Their reconnection was a catalyst for change in all of their lives and helped them to let go of grief, guilt, and pain in order to embrace hope, move on, and find love and happiness. I loved how the author wrapped up this story for all of the characters as well as just Ash and Kincaid.
As heartbreaking as this series has been, it’s truly one that you will remember for a very long time.
Though a stand alone, I highly recommend you read the previous stories all centering around the lives of the survivors of a school shooting .
Ten years later, those that survived still are suffering from survivor’s guilt. Some staying to build new lives and others, leaving . That is the case of Ashton Isaacs.
His best friend before the shooting was Kincaid Breslin. She took a different road. She felt that having survived , she needed to live her life .
Ashton/Ash’s return brings back the memories and also the possibility of more than their friendship. But will the secrets get in the way, even though Ash loves Kincaid?
Be sure to have your hankies ready.
Another well written story by this talented author. I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
This is a heavy book, it’s devastating and hopeful all at the same time. My heart was so broken for all that these characters survived, particularly since mass shootings are a real and extremely tragic event. Kincaid was so relatable in her way of dealing with her feelings, just shove it down and keep moving forward so you’re not sucked under by grief, especially her dedication to Graham after his death. Ash and his unrequited love for Kincaid was crushing, made more so by the guilt that he was carrying with him over the events of prom night. Despite the heavy nature, there were definitely funny moments that made me laugh, and a sense of hopefulness that even though there are unspeakable tragedies in this life, it’s possible to heal from those and move on and be able to still have a great life. This is a good read, but a difficult one due to some of the subject matter.
Ash got most of my sympathies here. I felt his pain in my bones. I had a little trouble warming up to Kincaid. But as I kept reading, I started to understand her a bit more. She desperately did not want to be like her mother, wanted to have that “picture perfect” family. I will admit to being mad at her when she couldn’t see what was right in front of her face the whole time. But she couldn’t see beyond what she thought she wanted. This was a heart wrenching conclusion the a fantastic series.