“Absolutely unputdownable! Roni Loren is a new favorite.” —COLLEEN HOOVER, #1 New York Times bestseller for The One You Can’t ForgetHow 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. … 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?
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)
Readers are Raving About about The Ones Who Got Away series:
“This is a romance readers are unlikely to forget.”—Booklist STARRED Review
“Phenomenal. Gets my highest recommendation!”—LORELEI JAMES, New York Times bestselling author
“Richly layered and full of emotion… Unforgettable.”—KRISTEN CALLIHAN, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
“A crackling, heartfelt love story.”—Entertainment Weekly
more
Absolutely unputdownable! Roni Loren is a new favorite.
I read The One You Fight For way back in January — it was my first book of the year, in fact — but never got around to reviewing it. I’m not even going to try to make excuses. It was a fantastic book that provided a great ending to this series that won my heart over the last year or so.
I knew I was in for an emotional journey with this book. I mean, pairing the sister of a Long Acre shooting victim with the brother of the shooter? No way I was getting out of that one without shedding some tears. It might sound like an odd pairing, but it wasn’t. Taryn and Shaw were actually pretty perfect for each other. I loved how they opened up to each other and found a way to move on from the ugliness of the tragedy that affected both of them. I also loved how Taryn channeled her pain into research and trying to find a way to prevent tragedies like this in the future. Combine that with Shaw’s feeling that the ugliness that lived in his brother also lived in him — and that he was, in a way, responsible for his brother’s actions — and I couldn’t put this one down.
The One You Fight For delivered a sweet, sexy and emotional romance between two people who truly deserved it. But, it also gave me a whole lot to think about. Each of the books in this series have, to be honest. While reading, I found myself putting myself in both Taryn’s and Shaw’s shoes at different times. I’m not sure I would have been as forgiving and gracious as Taryn and I probably would’ve felt as guilty as Shaw. There’s a myriad of layers to this story and the series as a whole. I like when books make me think. (As long as there’s still some kissing.)
I thought The One You Fight For was the last book in the series, but I’m thrilled to find out there’s another one coming. Even if it’s not until the end of December. I can take the wait if it means getting more from this series.
Favorite Quotes:
Songs from her childhood were like that—old friends who never quite left her, even when she’d forgotten they existed. The words came back as though they’d just been waiting in line to be sung.
Shaw had accepted that something was broken inside him, but he didn’t want to live life feeling like a hollow shell.
“You can say you’re sorry for lying to me. You can say you’re sorry for kissing me back tonight. You can say you’re sorry for my loss. But don’t take blame for things that aren’t yours to own.”
“You are not ugliness. You are Shaw Miller, the guy I love. You are worth the trouble.”
The One You Fight For is the third book in Roni Loren’s series about survivors of a high school shooting. In this book, we finally get to find out Taryn’s story and she gets a romance with the most complicated person to get involve with, Shaw MIller. Who also happens to be the brother of one of the shooters in Long Acre. So right of the bat, this story has all sorts of potential obstacles but the way Taryn and Shaw’s developing relationship was well done, from the first meeting, the deepening attraction and from full on lover status. It also tackles the fall out of school shootings especially from family members affected. This is probably my favorite of the three but they are all great so definitely worth reading.
The One You Fight For by Roni Loren is the third book in The Ones Who Got Away series. In this story, we get Taryn Landry’s story as she is determined to find the reason behind school shootings and prevent them from ever happening again. Not only was she there that night at the Long Acre prom when two teenage boys came in and started shooting, Everyone knows she also lost her younger sister that night, but no one knows that it was her fault. Shaw Miller has spent the years since the shooting dealing with the fallout of his younger brother’s tragic actions. After losing everything, his chance at the Olympics, his family and almost his sanity, he changed his name, his look and started a new life where he lives by one rule: Never look back. Shaw and Taryn weren’t meant to meet. They weren’t meant to be attracted to each other, But as they give in to their undeniable attraction, they are both wondering, hoping that even when the world defines you by a tragedy, can you have a happy ending?
The One You Fight For takes another facet of a tragedy and presents it in a real, heart wrenching way. It follows the same hard hitting, in your face reality of those who live with regrets, pain and the fight to move forward. Taryn and Shaw both have guilt, a part to play in the tragedy and feel undue responsibility for that part as they try to live life in the aftermath. It is a story of love, loss, lies, redemption and the search for a happily ever after. Mixed in with the sorrow and pain, there is laughter, teasing and other lighter moments. I enjoyed Taryn’s drive to find the answers and to develop a program to make sure it doesn’t happen again. I also enjoyed Shaw’s vulnerability as he takes on the bad family label and tries to disappear into the shadows. I loved that Ms. Loren takes on the task to show that the reasons behind such tragedies aren’t so cut and dry. I loved this book and it is a great addition to the series. I highly recommend The One You Fight For.
The One You Fight For is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook.
The Ones Who Got Away series
Book 1 The Ones Who Got Away
Book 2 The One You Can’t Forget
Book 3 The One You Fight For
I’ve absolutely adored each book in this series, and The One You Fight For is no exception. It has vivid characters who have been through a trauma and are finding their way to happiness. There’s so much against Taryn and Shaw, but the way they connected was so sweet and I loved their romance. Eagerly awaiting Kincaid’s story.
OMG, My heart broke for Taryn and Shaw/Lucas. With Taryn’s sister being killed during the shooting and with Shaw’s brother being one of the shooters, Roni shows how their lives and families suffered and was completely altered by this tragedy. Taryn was such an amazing heroine by standing up for Shaw to show he wasn’t his brother or like his brother and shouldnt be punished for something he didn’t do ….not only to her family and the world but also in helping Shaw to believe it as well. Loved the HEA ending to their story!! Can’t wait for the final book in the series!!!
I really love this series. This was a hard book to read this week given current events, but I seriously sobbed during the big romantic gesture toward the end and felt much better about the world afterward.
This book has a lot going on. There’s tragedy, friendship, gulit, redemption, and romance. Steamy romance. But at the core of the story is two people who long to live a life of their own choosing, instead of the one forced upon them through no fault of their own. They find in each other the unconditional acceptance all of us long for, the courage love can give you to make the chances you want for yourself, and the strength to stand for what you believe. Taryn and Shaw find themselves blindsided by passion for the one person they shouldn’t want but do, practically throwing lighter fuel on an already explosive situation. And learn that sometimes love is not be enough, but love and courage may just be the key.
A lot of great storytelling, just the right amount of steam and a great happily-ever-after that all of us book junkies need.
Just like with the two previous books in this series, this book grabbed my attention right from the start. Taryn Landry is a survivor of the Long Acre shooting that happened fourteen years ago. Taryn lost her little sister that day, and has been working hard to make sure something like that doesn’t happen again. As a result of that she doesn’t date often, and really just works a lot all the time. So when she meets this handsome guy and seems to meet him everywhere she isn’t really sure what to do. But the chemistry between Taryn and Shaw is so intense they just can’t deny it.
I loved this book. It wasn’t only a great read, but it also had this great message. You always need to hear a story from both sides before you make a decision about someone. Shaw Miller is the brother of one of the guys who killed so many teens at the Long Acre Shooting and he hasn’t been able to get a break since then. Everyone things he is just as horrible as his brother and he has been in hiding for years.
The relationship between Taryn and Shaw was so beautiful, intense and just amazing to read about. I just loved these two characters, and I was rooting for them from the very beginning. But there is so much baggage between them and they just seemed doomed. I couldn’t stop reading until I finished the complete book.
Another great thing about this book is how the characters from the previous books also made their appearance in this one. I love that, and it makes me love this series even more. There honestly isn’t anything I don’t like about this series.
If you haven’t read The Ones Who Got Away series yet, you definitely should start. The writing and romance is just so good, it makes you want to keep on reading until the very end. I can’t wait to read the next book!
The One You Fight For is the third book in a very interesting and unique series. The stories revolve around a group of four women – Olivia, Rebecca, Taryn and Kincaid – who are survivors of a school shooting. They come together ten years afterwards, during the filming a documentary about the tragedy. The first book, The Ones Who Got Away, was very good and the second book, The One You Can’t Forget, was even better. I was very excited to read this third installment.
The couple in this story has a giant obstacle in the way of them getting their Happily Ever After: Taryn’s little sister Nia was killed in the shooting, and Shaw’s brother Joseph was one of the shooters. Of course, when they first meet, neither of them knows who the other is. When they discover their shared history, it’s too late because an emotional connection has been made. The solution? Make it into just a temporary fling, (Sure, because that always turns out the way it’s supposed to!)
Even though this story deals with a very heavy subject, it is surprisingly sexy and often funny. It’s full of twists and turns, and has a great cast of characters. It starts off a bit slowly, because there’s quite a bit of background to get through before the action really starts. It’s worth hanging in there for, though, and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Kincaid’s story is the only one left to tell, and I have a feeling Roni Loren saved the best for last!
Thanks to #netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.
An emotional roller coaster in the best way possible. I’ve enjoyed all three books in the series!
I really enjoy this series a lot. The subject matter is very tough to deal with but the author does it in such a way that it is understandable to anyone. School violence is at the forefront of a lot of our minds lately and that is why this series is so important. I was really looking forward to Shaw’s story. Often we don’t see the other side of things, what it does to not only the victims and their families, but the family of the shooter. I always like t see things from the other side, and Shaw was a victim as well. His life was ruined because of what his brother did and he blamed himself. I’m so happy he could find his HEA with someone who accepted him for who he was now and didn’t judge him based on others actions
Wow! My first read by this author and all I can say is Wow! This book tore me up and put me back together again. This is a wonderful book about 2 survivors of a crime that happened within their families. Taryn and Lucas share a past unbeknownst to them at first, of deep betrayal and extreme sadness. I was moved by the imagery in my mind about what they were going through. I loved that it was honest, heartfelt, emotional, sad, at times funny, but most of all, that true love really can conquer all. Bravo on a job well done Ms. Loren. It was spectacular!!! 4.5 stars!!!!
****I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book*****
Roni Loren is one of my best new finds in 2018 with the beginning of this series The Ones Who Got Away impressing me so tremendously, I made huge inroads into her backlist.
The premise of having the main characters be survivors of a school shooting will always lend angst to the storylines. In the hands of a lesser author, these books would have gone extremely political and maudlin instead of the hopeful, love-filled, evocative, five-star reads that they are.
From the time I found out who Taryn’s partner is going to be, with her sister being one of the victims and Shaw the brother of one of the shooters, I knew this would be the toughest pairing yet. But, Roni Loren already earned my trust and I believed from the start that she would deliver a compelling story between these two. She absolutely surpassed my expectation.
Taryn and Shaw, though from opposite ends of the spectrum in the eyes of the world–she’s a survivor working to ensure such tragedies are prevented; he’s a villain, sharing the same bad blood as a mass murderer–gravitated towards one another and eventually fell in love with the full knowledge of each other’s identity. The heavy burden of their guilt, intrusion of the media, and disapproval of Taryn’s parents all conspired to tear them apart. Break they did, but only for a short while. This is romance, after all. Without that guarantee, let me tell you that I wouldn’t go on this rollercoaster ride because, oh boy, did Roni make Taryn and Shaw work for their happily-ever-after.
As is probably now evident, I am a huge fan of this book and this series. I love the fact that this is an interracial romance, but that is not heralded. The pairing of Taryn and Shaw is so natural, their ethnicity didn’t even matter. I absolutely adore the female friendship. Those four ladies are sisters, they’re chosen family. I love this aspect of this series as much as the romance. I love the music, the diversity and inclusion, the balance of emotional triggers with lighthearted, uplifting moments, and the steamy sexytimes.
I cried, I laughed, I loved. Five shining stars.
A story of redemption with a twist. It’s been years since the Long Acre high school shooting. And where some have found ways to heal, two people live their lives seemingly stuck in the past. Taryn, having lost her sister, decided to dedicate her life to preventing another shooting happen. Her belief is that if they can help students who could become violent, they can prevent future tragedies. Opposite Taryn’s hopeful future is Shaw Miller, or as Long Acre knows him the brother of the shooter. Subject to his brother’s violent crime. Shaw changes his identity to escape the press and the watchful eyes of those who would judge him based on his brother’s actions. A hero and heroine both stuck with the future lives revolving around a tragedy that changed them forever.
Fate is fickle when it brings Taryn and Shaw together. A night of realization of her stagnant state, Taryn takes a chance and sings her heart out in a dive bar. Shaw is instantly attracted and drawn to her. As their friendship grows and sparks, Shaw fears his lies (living as someone else) will come between them. But there’s another twist when its revealed shes a Long Acre survivor and it changes everything. Not only does he fear he’s taken advantage of her, he knows there’s no hope of a future between the two of them. But as Taryn begins to see Shaw’s true nature, she know she’s a good man and the he’s nothing like his brother.
This romance is all about perceptions. Both Taryn and Shaw each fear they had something to do with the shooting (wonder if they could’ve prevented it). Both also feel a sense of responsibility in righting what was wronged. Not only that but Shaw sees himself as just as low as his brother when Taryn sees his true nature as a kind and giving man. Every boundary is pushed personally for our hero and heroine; and when their secret romance is out, its truly tested. Can their friends and family accept the truth? Can they overcome all the odds and show their hometown how they can recover from a tragedy to find love and happiness? A powerful romance and message about acceptance!
What an amazing 5 star story this was. A story about courage and perseverance. 2 people who struggle the same bad faith.
Taryn is a survivor or a school shooting. Now years later she’s trying to make a difference. In the middle of all that, she never thought she’s meet the perfect someone for her. But this person is not who she thought he was. Lucas is struggling from his own demons. Can they heal each other?
I devoured this amazing story that really was beautifully told. The storyline was not what I thought it would be, it was so much better. I was addicted from the very first page read to the last one.
Told in the third person. This is the third book in this series. It does have an HEA. I strongly recommend this story.
I really cannot say enough about this series!! With each new book, we learn new pieces of the puzzle from that fateful day over twelve years ago at Long Acre High School.
This time around we get to experience of that awful day through Taryn’s point of view. I didn’t recall a lot about Taryn and didn’t really have any expectations for her story because I didn’t know what I was in for but I knew that Roni Loren wouldn’t let me down. She did not.
Taryn lost her sister in the school shooting. She’s spent the 14 years researching the backgrounds of school shooters and looking for the signs that people might have missed and is dedicated to implementing a program in schools to help prevent more tragedies from happening in the future. She also so busy helping her mother and father try to get through her sister’s death that she hasn’t really lived for anything other than honoring her sister’s memory. When her friend Kincaid convinces her that she needs to make some time for herself, she stumbles upon a bar and sexy stranger with a man-bun who helps her see things from a whole new angle. What follows this fateful meeting was a wild and emotional ride that had me reeling but unable to stop reading!!
That’s the thing about this series, it makes me think about the situation from the many different sides of those who were affected in a way that I never really let myself. It really hits home just how many people are affected by these tragedies that those who haven’t been affected don’t even think about. It also explores the what-if’s that seem to plague the victims for years and years and continues to affect their lives forever. This whole series is very emotional but also tells the stories that need to be told and Roni Loren does it in a way that seems honest but also respectful to the very sad and awful reality of school shootings.
The next book is Kincaid’s story and, if I’m being honest, I haven’t really connected to her in a way that has me excited for her story but I expect that I will fall in love with her just as much as I did Liv, Rebecca, and Taryn because Roni Loren is just that good.
*Although this book could be read as a standalone, I think that it would absolutely benefit readers to read the other as well. The first book goes into more detail of what happened to each of the four friends in high-school and each story so far has revealed a secret that each character has held onto for the past 12 years so it probably makes for a better read to know all the secrets as they are revealed.
*I received an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary review
I’m a longtime Roni Loren fan (I’m pretty sure I mention that each review) and I have been particularly impressed by her newest series, The Ones Who Got Away. The whole series deals with the survivors of a school shooting. That is a topic, sadly, US Readers seems to not be able to get away with as it happens with a depressing amount of regularity these days. It is not an easy topic to write about and yet Roni Loren manages to create these emotional romances that give the subject matter the respect it deserves while still giving us hope.
In the newest addition to the series, Taryn, a psychology professor, still blames herself for losing her younger sister all those years ago. She has dedicated her life to trying to prevent another tragedy like that one and throws her whole being into her work. Shawn is also trying to move past the guilt from that tragedy, his brother being one of the gunmen. He lost everything that day and has spent the years since reinventing himself so he can have a chance at some semblance of a normal life. He keeps a low profile and hides the truth from the world around him. When Shawn and Taryn meet they should be destined for only heartbreak, but somehow they manage to begin to mend each others’ pain and guilt. Can they find a way together to move past one tragic event that has defined the rest of their lives or are they doomed to live in the shadow of their past forever?
4.5
I liked it!
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 and the other books in this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC from NetGalley.
5 AMAZING Stars
Review by Leah
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
Wow, just wow! Talk about a book that opened my eyes. We always think we are looking at the big picture and then, it hits you. The One You Fight For by Roni Loren is a book about heartache, strength, courage, love, and loss. I have never been in that situation but reading this book is gut-wrenching thinking that this is happening.
Taryn is a forensic psychologist professor researching violent crimes and is trying to figure out how to stop them before they happen. She has a fantastic support system in her friends that everyone needs. Those ladies have her back to the point of walloping Shaw “Lucas” right upside the head. As serious as the subject is for this book, the trio of friends keep it light enough that you are not bursting out in tears every chapter. Taryn’s mother and father started to frustrate me throughout the book. But, keep reading, it will be worth it.
Shaw “Lucas” Miller has lived with a ghost in his closet he cannot release. The struggle he has because of the tragedy is so hard. I could not imagine being in his shoes. What the media does to him is a crime. Living under the pseudo-name Lucas, he lives a hidden life and that is not a way to live. He has given up on making connections, on having any strings that could tie him back to his past. Then, Taryn comes in and throws everything in the air.
I love how this author portrays Taryn. How she sees the bigger picture. How there are more victims than meet the eye of the media. The relationship between Taryn and Shaw “Lucas” is perfect. I usually do not read stories that could pop out of the news in the morning, but this one I am so glad I did.