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The Ones Who Got Away #4
The One for You
The 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 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.
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 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.
450 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 31, 2019
About the author
Roni Loren
44 books3,274 followersRoni wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. She holds a master’s degree in social work and spent years as a mental health counselor, but now she writes full time from her cozy office in North Texas where she puts her characters on the therapy couch instead. She is a two-time RITA Award winner and a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 335 reviews
November 19, 2019
The One for You is my favorite Roni Loren to date. Fans of this emotional series will be thrilled with this one.
Reading this series is always a bit rough for me. School shooting are too real, too serious, and what does it say about our country that every time one of these books comes out, another school shooting has just happened. But Roni Loren manages to take something horrible and make a beautiful story out of it.
I'm not always a huge fan of books that rely heavily on flashbacks, but it worked here. I still preferred the parts taking place in present times, but I didn't mind the flashbacks, and I thought they provided some useful insight into the characters.
The story was a good mix of friends-to-lovers and enemies-to-lovers as these two have a LOT of shared, sordid history between them. There was a tension, a dynamic there that I really liked, and the chemistry between the two MCs was so thick it jumped off the page.
The story was long but really well plotted. I stayed up really late (2:00 am!) to finish. I just wanted to read one more page, but then I needed to see how things would turn out. I liked how both characters had their flaws, but the story didn't rely on silly misunderstandings or easy plot points to propel it forward.
A powerful story that doesn't delve too deep into sadness, I think The One for You is Roni Loren's best romance yet.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
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Reading this series is always a bit rough for me. School shooting are too real, too serious, and what does it say about our country that every time one of these books comes out, another school shooting has just happened. But Roni Loren manages to take something horrible and make a beautiful story out of it.
I'm not always a huge fan of books that rely heavily on flashbacks, but it worked here. I still preferred the parts taking place in present times, but I didn't mind the flashbacks, and I thought they provided some useful insight into the characters.
The story was a good mix of friends-to-lovers and enemies-to-lovers as these two have a LOT of shared, sordid history between them. There was a tension, a dynamic there that I really liked, and the chemistry between the two MCs was so thick it jumped off the page.
The story was long but really well plotted. I stayed up really late (2:00 am!) to finish. I just wanted to read one more page, but then I needed to see how things would turn out. I liked how both characters had their flaws, but the story didn't rely on silly misunderstandings or easy plot points to propel it forward.
A powerful story that doesn't delve too deep into sadness, I think The One for You is Roni Loren's best romance yet.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
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December 30, 2019
TITLE: THE ONE FOR YOU
AUTHOR: Roni Loren
SERIES: The Ones Who Got Away #4
RELEASE DATE: December 31, 2019
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
THEMES & TROPES: Friends to Lovers
RATING: 3.5 Stars
CLIFFHANGER: No
READ MY REVIEW ON THE BLOG
Mass killings are so incredibly heartbreaking because the people who are injured and killed are innocent and many times don't even know why they are being attacked. This year, the number of these killings has reached a new high, with the first one having been only 19 days into 2019. There were 33 mass shootings and 44 mass killings as of December 24, 2019. So much for the hard facts I've tried to bring to awareness with my review in this series.
Kincaid always seemed to be the most bubbly one out of the four girlfriends but getting to know her in her story made me realize that she, too, had some demons to battle. She doesn't remember the shooting, she only knows that she lost her high school sweetheart and the young man she wanted to spend her life with. Then there was her best friend, the guy who left town after the shooting and never looked back. Both events she never got over.
I found Kincaid in her own book a little harder to love than in the previous ones. Her random hookups, her lack of impulse control and her being self absorbed and not being careful with Ash's heart had me looking at her not fondly at times.
He would not do this again. He’d spent way too much time feeling that burn in his gut while he’d watched Kincaid fall for Graham.
Unrequited love, a horrible family history and the shooting drove Ash away from his hometown. Now a well known author with writer's block, Ash decides to go back after the breakup of the engagement with his cheating girlfriend. When he runs into Kincaid again they have a lot of animosity between them to overcome. And as they do, we learn a little bit about their friendship, which I thought was the best part of their relationship. It broke my heart a little to see how much Ash loved Kincaid and she never saw more than a friend in him. Which is also why I couldn't buy into Kincaid's sudden realization that Ashton was her soulmate, after believing years and years that her high school sweetheart was the only one she would ever love. I also felt a lack of chemistry between these two because of that and their focus on their friendship.
While Kincaid was a bit of a mixed bag for me, Ash had my heart from beginning to end. He was a bit nerdy, totally my kind of guy, but also loyal, protective and adorable. I wish Kincaid would have appreciated more. I didn't care for her attitude when the truth tore them apart but eventually she made it up to this reader and the ending was really lovely.
He was a part of her, of who she was, of who she became. This was Ash.
We have come to the end of this series and it's been quite an emotional ride. The thing that stood out most over the course of all four books is the friendship between the four heroines and it was never stronger and filled with more love, support and understanding as in THE ONE FOR YOU. I adore the bond these women have and the last scene before Roni Loren sent them all into their HEA was the most touching and will stick with me for a while. I'm a little sad that this series is over and having to say goodbye to all of these characters but I'm sure the next books by Ms Loren will be just as touching and emotional and I'm here for it!
She had a home. She had her friends. And now, she had her soul mate. Love. It all came back to love.
November 19, 2019
Well, we’ve come to the final book in this story. This series was one I had such huge expectations for, and I’m not quite sure why. There have definitely been emotional moments, multiple in each book, because the topic of grief and guilt surrounding surviving a school shooting is just so real. This is a tough subject and, really, so much of it, in each book, has been done so well. Not every couple, or romance, always worked for me, and the same applies to this final book, but overall I like that Loren took the risk to tackle something like this.
Will it be a series I recommend or reread? The latter, no, the former, maybe? I think it’s worth exploring for readers and, I mean, if you want feels and angst, there’s plenty. Also it offers up HEAs for survivors who have taken back their lives after going through something horrific. No matter the details, that’s worth respecting.
Full review to come on release!
** I received an ARC from Edelweiss and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
Will it be a series I recommend or reread? The latter, no, the former, maybe? I think it’s worth exploring for readers and, I mean, if you want feels and angst, there’s plenty. Also it offers up HEAs for survivors who have taken back their lives after going through something horrific. No matter the details, that’s worth respecting.
Full review to come on release!
** I received an ARC from Edelweiss and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
December 7, 2019
I am at once bereft and joyful having read the final book for for The Ones Who Got Away series. So many emotions and I'm misty eyed that this group of friends have reached their final HEA. For a series based on a friend group brought together for the anniversary of the school shooting they all survived, Loren does an amazing job of keeping things emotional yet never too heavy that you cannot see the light coming. Bravo.
I've been eagerly awaiting Kincaid's story the most, as she is the crux of the group, the one who seems the most okay but kind of really isn't, the one who needs to feel her feelings and find her peace. I adore a childhood friends to lovers to enemies to second chance romance, and this one hits all my sweet spots. Plus the bonus of "my childhood friend is now super hot." Plus the PINING. OMG the pining. Ashton is a sexy, secretly jacked, book nerd who's loved Kincaid for forever, but kept his feelings for her secret as she needed a friend, not a lover, and then his best friend caught her eye first. I loved seeing how Loren played with the complexity of this relationship, never truly vilifying Kincaid's first boyfriend, but showing how our dead one's can be put on a pedestal they don't truly belong on.
On a lighter note, there's a delicious scene involving a bookstore and Ashton's naughty mouth. Oof dah.
CW school shooting, violence, domestic violence, drug use, parental neglect and abuse, gas lighting (none of this between the main couple).
Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy!
I've been eagerly awaiting Kincaid's story the most, as she is the crux of the group, the one who seems the most okay but kind of really isn't, the one who needs to feel her feelings and find her peace. I adore a childhood friends to lovers to enemies to second chance romance, and this one hits all my sweet spots. Plus the bonus of "my childhood friend is now super hot." Plus the PINING. OMG the pining. Ashton is a sexy, secretly jacked, book nerd who's loved Kincaid for forever, but kept his feelings for her secret as she needed a friend, not a lover, and then his best friend caught her eye first. I loved seeing how Loren played with the complexity of this relationship, never truly vilifying Kincaid's first boyfriend, but showing how our dead one's can be put on a pedestal they don't truly belong on.
On a lighter note, there's a delicious scene involving a bookstore and Ashton's naughty mouth. Oof dah.
CW school shooting, violence, domestic violence, drug use, parental neglect and abuse, gas lighting (none of this between the main couple).
Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy!
September 11, 2019
A review copy of this novel was provided for free in exchange for an honest review. This review was copied from my romance novel review blog: romanticallyinclinedreviews.com
Wow. I'm going to be singing the praises of the fourth book in this series until the cows come home. No joke. Every book in The Ones Who Got Away series has stolen my breath, but leave it to the best friends to lovers trope to really twist that knife (hell, best friends to lovers is like... my least favorite trope!)
But how often do bookish nerds get a chance to be the hero? No often enough, I say. Ash is everything. He's kind, and thoughtful, and romantic. Just an all around good guy, except for that deep dark secret he's hiding about their past. And Kincaid is so clueless about Ash's obvious feelings for her that's it's almost frustrating, but still stays just the right side of adorably oblivious. She's just a delightfully positive presence in the novel. And the chemistry between them is, of course, amazing. Their internal dialogues about each other, assuming the other person doesn't feel the same way, had me rolling on the floor laughing at the misunderstandings.
The best part about all the characters in this series, but especially in The One For You, is how dynamic they are. They're not perfect and they've made some pretty terrible mistakes, especially surrounding the school shooting from their past, but it makes them honest and real. You truly feel as though you're reading about someone's life, not just characters in a book.
All these books are must-reads. I just reread them all again and loved them just as much as the first time, if not even more now that I know each character's story and where they're coming from as I read. They're touching and emotional and heart-wrenching, but still find time for the heat and the humor. A perfect balance.
Wow. I'm going to be singing the praises of the fourth book in this series until the cows come home. No joke. Every book in The Ones Who Got Away series has stolen my breath, but leave it to the best friends to lovers trope to really twist that knife (hell, best friends to lovers is like... my least favorite trope!)
But how often do bookish nerds get a chance to be the hero? No often enough, I say. Ash is everything. He's kind, and thoughtful, and romantic. Just an all around good guy, except for that deep dark secret he's hiding about their past. And Kincaid is so clueless about Ash's obvious feelings for her that's it's almost frustrating, but still stays just the right side of adorably oblivious. She's just a delightfully positive presence in the novel. And the chemistry between them is, of course, amazing. Their internal dialogues about each other, assuming the other person doesn't feel the same way, had me rolling on the floor laughing at the misunderstandings.
The best part about all the characters in this series, but especially in The One For You, is how dynamic they are. They're not perfect and they've made some pretty terrible mistakes, especially surrounding the school shooting from their past, but it makes them honest and real. You truly feel as though you're reading about someone's life, not just characters in a book.
All these books are must-reads. I just reread them all again and loved them just as much as the first time, if not even more now that I know each character's story and where they're coming from as I read. They're touching and emotional and heart-wrenching, but still find time for the heat and the humor. A perfect balance.
November 22, 2019
Rating: 4.5 Stars
I have throughly enjoyed this entire series, but I always felt the heart of this group of survivors was Kincaid. She was the one, who brought the group back together after so many years, and she was the one, who pushed them to fulfill those promises they made to themselves after the attack. I really needed Kincaid's story to reflect her and her role in this series, and I am happy to find that Loren injected lots warmth and joy into this tale.
Kincaid and Ash had been best friends since they were in grade school, but grew apart after a falling-out following the prom night massacre. When a broken engagement brought Ash back to Long Acre, he and Kincaid were once again thrust into each other's lives. This was their second chance at friendship, and maybe, their opportunity to view their past in a different way.
Friends-to-lovers and second chances are two of my favorite things, and they are done so well in this story. It was very lovely seeing these two slip back into old patterns so easily, while finally acknowledging emotions they had been harboring from their past. There were many heart-to-hearts in the present, but I thought incorporating some flashbacks added to my understanding and emotions regarding Kincaid and Ash's friendship. These peeks into the past not only revealed a lot about their dynamic, but they also gave me insight into who both these people were, and why they made the decisions they made.
Though there was a flashback to the night of the shooting, the over-all feel of the book had more levity than the prior installments. I felt this was fitting, as Kincaid's appearance on page was usually accompanied by a lot of humor and joy. There were still many parts, which brought to me tears, but those parts also reinforced my view of Kincaid as a survivor.
This was very much Kincaid's story, but the crux of this series, was the relationship between the four women. It was the friendship between Kincaid, Liv, Rebecca, and Taryn that drove each story. This group of four strong women, who had lost so much, but found the strength to push forward in one another. The epilogue was such a lovely tribute to their friendship, and a beautiful way to close out this series.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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I have throughly enjoyed this entire series, but I always felt the heart of this group of survivors was Kincaid. She was the one, who brought the group back together after so many years, and she was the one, who pushed them to fulfill those promises they made to themselves after the attack. I really needed Kincaid's story to reflect her and her role in this series, and I am happy to find that Loren injected lots warmth and joy into this tale.
Kincaid and Ash had been best friends since they were in grade school, but grew apart after a falling-out following the prom night massacre. When a broken engagement brought Ash back to Long Acre, he and Kincaid were once again thrust into each other's lives. This was their second chance at friendship, and maybe, their opportunity to view their past in a different way.
Friends-to-lovers and second chances are two of my favorite things, and they are done so well in this story. It was very lovely seeing these two slip back into old patterns so easily, while finally acknowledging emotions they had been harboring from their past. There were many heart-to-hearts in the present, but I thought incorporating some flashbacks added to my understanding and emotions regarding Kincaid and Ash's friendship. These peeks into the past not only revealed a lot about their dynamic, but they also gave me insight into who both these people were, and why they made the decisions they made.
Though there was a flashback to the night of the shooting, the over-all feel of the book had more levity than the prior installments. I felt this was fitting, as Kincaid's appearance on page was usually accompanied by a lot of humor and joy. There were still many parts, which brought to me tears, but those parts also reinforced my view of Kincaid as a survivor.
This was very much Kincaid's story, but the crux of this series, was the relationship between the four women. It was the friendship between Kincaid, Liv, Rebecca, and Taryn that drove each story. This group of four strong women, who had lost so much, but found the strength to push forward in one another. The epilogue was such a lovely tribute to their friendship, and a beautiful way to close out this series.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
October 28, 2019
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.
July 5, 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.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
December 19, 2019
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.”
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.”
January 13, 2020
this is the best book in the series and im so happy it concludes this way. wow. i loved everything about this. from childhood crushes and best friends becoming more to sexy nerdy authors, this is everything i love about romance. this has all of the different positives of the other books, finally present in the same story. really happy with this!
↠ 4.5 stars
↠ 4.5 stars
November 27, 2019
You can also read my review here: http://elenasbookblog.com/new-review-...
This series by Roni Loren is certainly for us, romance lovers! Her books are heartwarming and unforgettable! I cannot believe that this series is coming to an end and I am so excited I gave a chance to an author I did not know, because I have loved these books. The One For You is a friends to lovers story that is emotional and sweet.
Kincaid is the last girl who is given a second chance at love and life. Kincaid has survived the shooting in her school but she has never gotten over the death of her then boyfriend.She craves for love and a family that is there for her but she is scared to move on.
Ash has promised himself never to return to the place where so many people died, but life has other plans. Now he is back and he does not know how to face the girl of his dreams. Kincaid still sees him as her friend but Ash cannot let the love of his life go for the second time.
Ash and Kincaid do not start with an easy relationship after their reunion. Kincaid is hurt and angry at him because he left her and Ash has some secrets that can destroy her. Slowly, they patch up things and they agree to become friends with benefits. It is not though as easy it seems as their feelings get deeper and their love grows.
Kincaid always seemed as the funny girl of their group but her reality is different. She is lonely, closed off and reserved. She does not trust to love again and her sunny personality is a front. I liked her smart attitude and her humor. Ash is a man in love. His feelings are so romantic but I have to admit that you feel a little sorry for him. Kincaid has put at pedestal her first boyfriend and sometimes you feel that Ash gets second place. Nonetheless, they are good to each other and I love that their friendship tranformed into a nice relationship.
You cannot go wrong with this series! It’s always amazing seeing women supporting each other and each and every one of these friends have a great love story that you have to read!
This series by Roni Loren is certainly for us, romance lovers! Her books are heartwarming and unforgettable! I cannot believe that this series is coming to an end and I am so excited I gave a chance to an author I did not know, because I have loved these books. The One For You is a friends to lovers story that is emotional and sweet.
Kincaid is the last girl who is given a second chance at love and life. Kincaid has survived the shooting in her school but she has never gotten over the death of her then boyfriend.She craves for love and a family that is there for her but she is scared to move on.
Ash has promised himself never to return to the place where so many people died, but life has other plans. Now he is back and he does not know how to face the girl of his dreams. Kincaid still sees him as her friend but Ash cannot let the love of his life go for the second time.
Ash and Kincaid do not start with an easy relationship after their reunion. Kincaid is hurt and angry at him because he left her and Ash has some secrets that can destroy her. Slowly, they patch up things and they agree to become friends with benefits. It is not though as easy it seems as their feelings get deeper and their love grows.
Kincaid always seemed as the funny girl of their group but her reality is different. She is lonely, closed off and reserved. She does not trust to love again and her sunny personality is a front. I liked her smart attitude and her humor. Ash is a man in love. His feelings are so romantic but I have to admit that you feel a little sorry for him. Kincaid has put at pedestal her first boyfriend and sometimes you feel that Ash gets second place. Nonetheless, they are good to each other and I love that their friendship tranformed into a nice relationship.
You cannot go wrong with this series! It’s always amazing seeing women supporting each other and each and every one of these friends have a great love story that you have to read!
December 18, 2019
Who knew that a romance series based on a dark event like a high school shooting, the survivors, and the wide array of those left in the aftermath would take me by the heart and leave me anticipating the stories? Honestly, I wouldn't have thought I would, but the author made a believer of me from the first book and now we come down to Kincaid's story. This gal was the cheerleader who encouraged the other gals and the glue that brought them back together and held them close.
The One for You is the fourth and final book in the series and, while one could probably read it standalone, I got so much more out of it, knowing the heroine from the previous stories.
The night of the shooting Kincaid survived, but her boyfriend didn't and neither did her friendship with Ash. He left and didn't look back. Since then, Kincaid has been faking it and pretending to be the life of the party and the one who beat the odds with a smile on her face. Instead, she's secretly barely holding it together and keeps a steal grip on her heart from being hurt any more than it was. She put her deceased high school first love on a pedestal with no one else measuring up or allowed to. Into this life of hers returns Ash Isaacs, her one time best friend and she is so angry at what she sees as his abandonment. But, they are forced together on a project and she's forced to realize the nerd is gone and a sexy, attractive man she struggles to resist is before her with no plans to stick around.
Ash Isaacs always loved Kincaid, but his bestfriend Graham was who she loved so he kept quiet and stayed in the friend spot for both of them. He left with secrets from that night and never planned to return. Now, he's faced again with the mature version of Kincaid who he finds that he still loves and learns she won't do love or relationships because her heart died with Graham. Not, that he stands a long-term chance anyway as soon as he tells her the truth of that long ago night.
I was thoroughly engaged with this one. I've already weathered a few emotionally shattering secrets in the course of this series and felt that Ash's couldn't possibly be worse. Although, that said, there I was again stressing about the ticking clock when this restored pair of friends ended up blown apart when he revealed all.
I was startled to see just how broken Kincaid really was. She seemed the most put together throughout the series though I knew she couldn't be untouched by what happened and I wondered about her bubbly nature when the others were not. But, yes, this sense that she was hiding and had plastered Band-aids on things was what kept me from disliking her because of her behavior with Ash.
In spite of his secrets, he was a treasure and I was so frustrated that he had to compete with Graham a second time because she held so tightly to the idea that her one and only was gone.
Not that this stopped them from some hot, sexy times.
I enjoyed seeing her finally start to realize that Ash wasn't a nerdy best friend now and nor was he a consolation prize (not that she hadn't been acting like he was for most of the book while getting her act together). It was beautiful to see him stand true and put her first even when he knew what he'd lose by doing the right thing.
And, so we come to the end, at least I think it is. This one was rough at times and that was above and beyond the tragedy tearing such a huge hole into the community and the people in this series in particular. I think hope and healing were well-balanced with the darker aftershocks. It's a series that is both highly emotional and nicely sexy. I would definitely recommend it for those who want some complexities in their characters and romance.
My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing the e-ARC to be read in exchange for an honest review.
The One for You is the fourth and final book in the series and, while one could probably read it standalone, I got so much more out of it, knowing the heroine from the previous stories.
The night of the shooting Kincaid survived, but her boyfriend didn't and neither did her friendship with Ash. He left and didn't look back. Since then, Kincaid has been faking it and pretending to be the life of the party and the one who beat the odds with a smile on her face. Instead, she's secretly barely holding it together and keeps a steal grip on her heart from being hurt any more than it was. She put her deceased high school first love on a pedestal with no one else measuring up or allowed to. Into this life of hers returns Ash Isaacs, her one time best friend and she is so angry at what she sees as his abandonment. But, they are forced together on a project and she's forced to realize the nerd is gone and a sexy, attractive man she struggles to resist is before her with no plans to stick around.
Ash Isaacs always loved Kincaid, but his bestfriend Graham was who she loved so he kept quiet and stayed in the friend spot for both of them. He left with secrets from that night and never planned to return. Now, he's faced again with the mature version of Kincaid who he finds that he still loves and learns she won't do love or relationships because her heart died with Graham. Not, that he stands a long-term chance anyway as soon as he tells her the truth of that long ago night.
I was thoroughly engaged with this one. I've already weathered a few emotionally shattering secrets in the course of this series and felt that Ash's couldn't possibly be worse. Although, that said, there I was again stressing about the ticking clock when this restored pair of friends ended up blown apart when he revealed all.
I was startled to see just how broken Kincaid really was. She seemed the most put together throughout the series though I knew she couldn't be untouched by what happened and I wondered about her bubbly nature when the others were not. But, yes, this sense that she was hiding and had plastered Band-aids on things was what kept me from disliking her because of her behavior with Ash.
In spite of his secrets, he was a treasure and I was so frustrated that he had to compete with Graham a second time because she held so tightly to the idea that her one and only was gone.
Not that this stopped them from some hot, sexy times.
I enjoyed seeing her finally start to realize that Ash wasn't a nerdy best friend now and nor was he a consolation prize (not that she hadn't been acting like he was for most of the book while getting her act together). It was beautiful to see him stand true and put her first even when he knew what he'd lose by doing the right thing.
And, so we come to the end, at least I think it is. This one was rough at times and that was above and beyond the tragedy tearing such a huge hole into the community and the people in this series in particular. I think hope and healing were well-balanced with the darker aftershocks. It's a series that is both highly emotional and nicely sexy. I would definitely recommend it for those who want some complexities in their characters and romance.
My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing the e-ARC to be read in exchange for an honest review.
January 1, 2020
THE ONE FOR YOU was a strong finale to this series that I have enjoyed overall. For me, this final book was as enjoyable as the first book, my other favourite in the series. It has been good to see completion of all the characters from Long Acre and catch up on those from previous books.
This story took some getting into for me. I liked the storyline immediately, both the characters of Kincaid (who I’ve liked from the other books) and Ash were engaging but I found the pacing off initially. It picked up some speed of execution around the 30% mark and then I didn’t look back.
Kincaid have both a second chance and friends to more thing going on. Both these elements were complicated, their friendship however was lovely and that was their safe place. I enjoyed the slow build of chemistry and how these two came together. However, all elements of their relationship remained complex.
Ash was a bit of a contradiction in characteristics at times which was fun. On the one hand, supporter, passive and on the other, ready to punch someone in defence of Kincaid and dominant in other ways. He felt unpredictable and I liked that. The story of these two had a predictable feel but it didn’t stop my enjoyment. However, we did get some twists from the past that I didn’t see coming and found pretty jaw dropping. There were some lose ends to parts of this story that I wanted a bit more of like Ash’s parents.
The full circle of this story and the four books was like finishing a long journey. I was pleased to get to the destination but I enjoyed the scenary along the way. I’ve enjoyed the topic of a high school shooting affecting people in the long term as a back drop to this series, it’s felt pretty unique in the genre.
Thank you to Sourcebooks for the early review copy.
This review can be found on A Take From Two Cities.
This story took some getting into for me. I liked the storyline immediately, both the characters of Kincaid (who I’ve liked from the other books) and Ash were engaging but I found the pacing off initially. It picked up some speed of execution around the 30% mark and then I didn’t look back.
Kincaid have both a second chance and friends to more thing going on. Both these elements were complicated, their friendship however was lovely and that was their safe place. I enjoyed the slow build of chemistry and how these two came together. However, all elements of their relationship remained complex.
Ash was a bit of a contradiction in characteristics at times which was fun. On the one hand, supporter, passive and on the other, ready to punch someone in defence of Kincaid and dominant in other ways. He felt unpredictable and I liked that. The story of these two had a predictable feel but it didn’t stop my enjoyment. However, we did get some twists from the past that I didn’t see coming and found pretty jaw dropping. There were some lose ends to parts of this story that I wanted a bit more of like Ash’s parents.
The full circle of this story and the four books was like finishing a long journey. I was pleased to get to the destination but I enjoyed the scenary along the way. I’ve enjoyed the topic of a high school shooting affecting people in the long term as a back drop to this series, it’s felt pretty unique in the genre.
Thank you to Sourcebooks for the early review copy.
This review can be found on A Take From Two Cities.
January 30, 2020
4.5/5
What a bittersweet experience reading The One For You was. This series holds such a special place in my heart and as excited as I was about reading Kincaid's story, I was also filled with sadness because this would be it for me and the characters. It's been a very fulfilling series and Roni Loren ends it with another successful book.
If you're not aware of the premise of this series, it tells the story of four friends who survived a high school shooting when they were younger. Each book explores the impact of the event of their lives as well as their journey to finding peace. Kincaid is the character that held this group of women together. I had a feeling that perhaps her sass, humor, and wit were a front in the previous books. Underneath all that fire was a woman hiding a lot of pain. I loved being inside Kincaid's head and getting to know every inch of her character. Roni's talent for writing amazing character growth really shines through Kincaid's character.
Throughout it all, I could not wait for Kincaid to also find her happily ever after. It came in the form of Ashton, a man that she has a lot of history with. This book does the friends-to-lovers and second-chance romance tropes really well as Kincaid and Ashton go on this romantic journey. It's not without a lot of emotional baggage, but it is a satisfying and heartfelt experience. I think Ashton was the perfect guy for Kincaid. The peeks into his kindness and immense support for her made it very easy to fall in love with him alongside Kincaid. The flashbacks of their younger selves especially highlighted what a good person he was.
I'm not going to lie, I cried when I read the epilogue, but they were tears of joy and I could not have been happier with the way Roni Loren decided to wrap up this series.
What a bittersweet experience reading The One For You was. This series holds such a special place in my heart and as excited as I was about reading Kincaid's story, I was also filled with sadness because this would be it for me and the characters. It's been a very fulfilling series and Roni Loren ends it with another successful book.
If you're not aware of the premise of this series, it tells the story of four friends who survived a high school shooting when they were younger. Each book explores the impact of the event of their lives as well as their journey to finding peace. Kincaid is the character that held this group of women together. I had a feeling that perhaps her sass, humor, and wit were a front in the previous books. Underneath all that fire was a woman hiding a lot of pain. I loved being inside Kincaid's head and getting to know every inch of her character. Roni's talent for writing amazing character growth really shines through Kincaid's character.
Throughout it all, I could not wait for Kincaid to also find her happily ever after. It came in the form of Ashton, a man that she has a lot of history with. This book does the friends-to-lovers and second-chance romance tropes really well as Kincaid and Ashton go on this romantic journey. It's not without a lot of emotional baggage, but it is a satisfying and heartfelt experience. I think Ashton was the perfect guy for Kincaid. The peeks into his kindness and immense support for her made it very easy to fall in love with him alongside Kincaid. The flashbacks of their younger selves especially highlighted what a good person he was.
I'm not going to lie, I cried when I read the epilogue, but they were tears of joy and I could not have been happier with the way Roni Loren decided to wrap up this series.
January 13, 2020
❤️Review❤️
First I’d like to say thank you to @sourcebooks for allowing me to review the 4th and final book in The Ones Who Got Away series by Roni Loren.
This was a series that I loved and wanted to devour, but at the same time I didn’t want it to end! This series follows 4 friends who come together years after a school shooting took place at their senior prom. Each girl is affected in their own way and we are following their journey to love and ultimately recovering from this tragedy years later.
In The One For You we are finally getting Kincaid’s story. Her boyfriend died protecting her during the shooting. Unfortunately during the shooting not only did she lose her boyfriend Graham, but her friendship with Ash crumbles not long after. This is now their friends to lovers/ kind of a 2nd chance romance. Ash always loved her in high school even though she was his best friend and she didn’t know how he felt.
Just like the previous books in this series Roni Loren tackles hard hitting issues. As much as it’s a fun contemporary it’s not without its bumps. This one talks about domestic violence, gambling issues, feeling abandoned by family, grief and what family/home really can be! It was a great way to wrap up this amazing series! Between Kincaid’s impulsivity and Ash’s need to escape this was a beautiful story!
I know I’ve been talking about this series a lot, but I just feel so strongly that this book series is not a series to be missed! I can’t wait to see what else @roniloren comes out with next.
If you like romance with some serious topics, this series is for you!
5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #roniloren #theoneswhogotaway #romancebooks #makeyouthink #bookstagram #bookswithheart
First I’d like to say thank you to @sourcebooks for allowing me to review the 4th and final book in The Ones Who Got Away series by Roni Loren.
This was a series that I loved and wanted to devour, but at the same time I didn’t want it to end! This series follows 4 friends who come together years after a school shooting took place at their senior prom. Each girl is affected in their own way and we are following their journey to love and ultimately recovering from this tragedy years later.
In The One For You we are finally getting Kincaid’s story. Her boyfriend died protecting her during the shooting. Unfortunately during the shooting not only did she lose her boyfriend Graham, but her friendship with Ash crumbles not long after. This is now their friends to lovers/ kind of a 2nd chance romance. Ash always loved her in high school even though she was his best friend and she didn’t know how he felt.
Just like the previous books in this series Roni Loren tackles hard hitting issues. As much as it’s a fun contemporary it’s not without its bumps. This one talks about domestic violence, gambling issues, feeling abandoned by family, grief and what family/home really can be! It was a great way to wrap up this amazing series! Between Kincaid’s impulsivity and Ash’s need to escape this was a beautiful story!
I know I’ve been talking about this series a lot, but I just feel so strongly that this book series is not a series to be missed! I can’t wait to see what else @roniloren comes out with next.
If you like romance with some serious topics, this series is for you!
5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #roniloren #theoneswhogotaway #romancebooks #makeyouthink #bookstagram #bookswithheart
January 22, 2020
As I write this review I'm sad. Sad that I finished the series because I love these characters so so much. Roni Loren has a way with words that can melt your heart.
Kincaid has been the cheerleader for her friends but when it comes to her she has no faith in herself. There was times I wanted to scream or smack her. How could she not see Ashton her bestfriend was in love with her while they were in high school? You can't read this book with feeling bad for Ashton. My Lord he waited for the girl of his dreams for years.
There were parts I found myself laughing out loud, almost crying or my heart racing. I'm sad to see these characters go but can't wait to read what Roni has next coming. Thanks to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this series in exchange for my honest opinion. This is a must read series.
Kincaid has been the cheerleader for her friends but when it comes to her she has no faith in herself. There was times I wanted to scream or smack her. How could she not see Ashton her bestfriend was in love with her while they were in high school? You can't read this book with feeling bad for Ashton. My Lord he waited for the girl of his dreams for years.
There were parts I found myself laughing out loud, almost crying or my heart racing. I'm sad to see these characters go but can't wait to read what Roni has next coming. Thanks to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this series in exchange for my honest opinion. This is a must read series.
January 3, 2020
5 stars.
Amazing end to an amazing series. I don't know how to review this so I feel just saying you have to read this series about surviving and moving on, and coming home.
Sad it is over but it was wonderfully done.
Amazing end to an amazing series. I don't know how to review this so I feel just saying you have to read this series about surviving and moving on, and coming home.
Sad it is over but it was wonderfully done.
December 3, 2019
The One For You like the previous books was an emotional one. I've been waiting for Kincaid's book and so happy that it was well worth the wait. Hers was a story of secrets and lies but most importantly love and the many forms in which it takes. I loved Kincaid and Ash, they were the perfect complement to each other. I loved their journey, it wasn't easy, it was far from pretty but it was beautiful. I truly enjoyed this book and series and highly recommend to all.
Copy provided by publisher through Net Galley
Copy provided by publisher through Net Galley
December 24, 2019
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.
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.
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.
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.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
October 21, 2020
Aaah de boeken in deze serie werden met elk deel beter. Echt genoten van Hij die vasthoudt.
October 1, 2019
Following the characters of a fictional town that still bears the scars of a school shooting over a decade ago has put Roni Loren on my radar. 4 books into the series, Loren still tells powerful stories of what it means to grieve, to nurture memories that are both good and bad, and even to tell oneself certain reconstructed tales laced with rum so that life gets easier to deal with as the years go by.
‘The One For You’ seems like Roni Loren’s final book of a difficult and poignant series, closing with Kincaid Breslin’s book and honestly, this was a harder, angstier one to take in than the rest. A series of events brings old school best-friends back together again, forcing them to face some unfinished business between them as they wade through the unpleasant memories that time and space can’t erase. The rest is predictable—Ash and Kincaid rediscover their own friendship, only with a dose of attraction and lust, with a big reveal towards the end of what really went down all those years ago that would again, make or break this fragile thread linking them once more.
Impulsive, flighty and so self-absorbed, I found Kincaid a different kettle of fish to even warm up to, let alone with her thoughtless hookups and actions that made others pay for the consequences. Constantly moving, surrounding herself with people, it felt as though she couldn’t even, for one moment centre herself and figure out what she really needed, having already sold herself the delusion of losing her one and only soulmate to the school shooting, then later back-pedalling when she realised it was supposedly her best friend for her after all. Not fighting for Ash, pettily looking at faults she could find with him even after all he'd done for her, so hell-bent on independence that she shaped up as someone who put herself first only.
Instead, I felt for Ash’s pining and his prolonged pain, especially as he kept on being second-best but never the first choice. That was rough, the way he’d held out for Kincaid and watched out for her time and again with her flaunting her dates in his face, and then later being so thick (and possibly in constant denial) in the way she kept seeing through him. In essence, he deserved better.
It did feel like a cop-out after all, at the end of the book when the love declarations came flowing in fast and furious, where Loren tried to sell the idea of Kincaid and Ash as the OTP. And that ironically, was hard to buy into since the whole book was already spent detailing how Kincaid didn’t quite seem to have a heart for Ash at all the way he did for her.
It isn’t to say that this isn’t a decent book considering the overarching narrative - my own issue with characterisation aside. Loren handles the aftermath of violence, the process of rebuilding and the coming to terms with stuff with a lot of grace and class, with a watertight HEA for all. The fairy-tale ending is given to her bunch of characters who vowed to live their lives to the fullest after the tragedy, and it’s with that upbeat note that the series anyway—with the message that there is hope and a happiness that even tragedy can’t take away.
*ARC by the publisher via Netgalley
‘The One For You’ seems like Roni Loren’s final book of a difficult and poignant series, closing with Kincaid Breslin’s book and honestly, this was a harder, angstier one to take in than the rest. A series of events brings old school best-friends back together again, forcing them to face some unfinished business between them as they wade through the unpleasant memories that time and space can’t erase. The rest is predictable—Ash and Kincaid rediscover their own friendship, only with a dose of attraction and lust, with a big reveal towards the end of what really went down all those years ago that would again, make or break this fragile thread linking them once more.
Impulsive, flighty and so self-absorbed, I found Kincaid a different kettle of fish to even warm up to, let alone with her thoughtless hookups and actions that made others pay for the consequences. Constantly moving, surrounding herself with people, it felt as though she couldn’t even, for one moment centre herself and figure out what she really needed, having already sold herself the delusion of losing her one and only soulmate to the school shooting, then later back-pedalling when she realised it was supposedly her best friend for her after all. Not fighting for Ash, pettily looking at faults she could find with him even after all he'd done for her, so hell-bent on independence that she shaped up as someone who put herself first only.
Instead, I felt for Ash’s pining and his prolonged pain, especially as he kept on being second-best but never the first choice. That was rough, the way he’d held out for Kincaid and watched out for her time and again with her flaunting her dates in his face, and then later being so thick (and possibly in constant denial) in the way she kept seeing through him. In essence, he deserved better.
It did feel like a cop-out after all, at the end of the book when the love declarations came flowing in fast and furious, where Loren tried to sell the idea of Kincaid and Ash as the OTP. And that ironically, was hard to buy into since the whole book was already spent detailing how Kincaid didn’t quite seem to have a heart for Ash at all the way he did for her.
It isn’t to say that this isn’t a decent book considering the overarching narrative - my own issue with characterisation aside. Loren handles the aftermath of violence, the process of rebuilding and the coming to terms with stuff with a lot of grace and class, with a watertight HEA for all. The fairy-tale ending is given to her bunch of characters who vowed to live their lives to the fullest after the tragedy, and it’s with that upbeat note that the series anyway—with the message that there is hope and a happiness that even tragedy can’t take away.
*ARC by the publisher via Netgalley
October 2, 2019
A special thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for allowing me a sneak peek at the fourth book in Roni Loren’s The Ones Who Got away series. I’ve been a huge fan of this series since book one and this one, THE ONE FOR YOU, is my favorite to date.
When their school promo was destroyed by two classmates with guns, the students of Long Acre high school who survived were lucky to be alive. But the scars of that horrible night have lived within them all these years.
For best friends Kincaid Breslin and Ash Issacs, their lifelong friendship was shattered after the shooting. Kincaid’s boyfriend and Ash’s friend Graham was killed. Kincaid lost what she thought was her soulmate that night. Ash, not able to stay in the town any longer, leaves and doesn’t come back for years, which breaks Kincaid’s. He’s harboring a secret, though. Well, two to be exact and one of them involves the fact that he’s always been in love with Kincaid but she could never see him because Graham was standing in front of her.
Older now, both are still wary of one another, but when Ash comes back to town and they are forced to work on a project together, their old familiar friend rhythm comes back and Kincaid is thrilled to have her bestie back. Only, he doesn’t look like the lean, gangly teen boy she loved like a brother anymore. Nor does he feel like one. No, now Ash looks very much like a sexy, grown man who’s filled out in all the right places.
One thing leads to another and soon they aren’t acting like friends anymore, but friends with very adult benefits.
Kincaid wishes he’d stayed for ever. But Ash time in town has an expiration stamp. And when he reveals the second secret he’s been holding since the night of prom, that expiration date comes sooner than either of them expect.
This entire series was wonderful, but this book about friends to lovers, mixed with a little bit of a Cyrano plot, was in my opinion the best one!
5 stars for a fabulous book. I’m not sure if this is the last book planned for the series, but if it is, MS Loren has gone out on a superb high note.
Highly recommend all four books.
When their school promo was destroyed by two classmates with guns, the students of Long Acre high school who survived were lucky to be alive. But the scars of that horrible night have lived within them all these years.
For best friends Kincaid Breslin and Ash Issacs, their lifelong friendship was shattered after the shooting. Kincaid’s boyfriend and Ash’s friend Graham was killed. Kincaid lost what she thought was her soulmate that night. Ash, not able to stay in the town any longer, leaves and doesn’t come back for years, which breaks Kincaid’s. He’s harboring a secret, though. Well, two to be exact and one of them involves the fact that he’s always been in love with Kincaid but she could never see him because Graham was standing in front of her.
Older now, both are still wary of one another, but when Ash comes back to town and they are forced to work on a project together, their old familiar friend rhythm comes back and Kincaid is thrilled to have her bestie back. Only, he doesn’t look like the lean, gangly teen boy she loved like a brother anymore. Nor does he feel like one. No, now Ash looks very much like a sexy, grown man who’s filled out in all the right places.
One thing leads to another and soon they aren’t acting like friends anymore, but friends with very adult benefits.
Kincaid wishes he’d stayed for ever. But Ash time in town has an expiration stamp. And when he reveals the second secret he’s been holding since the night of prom, that expiration date comes sooner than either of them expect.
This entire series was wonderful, but this book about friends to lovers, mixed with a little bit of a Cyrano plot, was in my opinion the best one!
5 stars for a fabulous book. I’m not sure if this is the last book planned for the series, but if it is, MS Loren has gone out on a superb high note.
Highly recommend all four books.
December 19, 2019
I'm so sad to be at the end of this series. Kincaid's story is probably my favorite, which surprised me as Kincaid was my least favorite in the Long Acre group. Like everyone else, I only saw the shiny, cheery face Kincaid presented to the world and not the deeper, tender layers underneath. Luckily for Kincaid, Ash saw and knew the real her all along.
Note: Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC to read and review.
But right now, she felt no motivation to be coy or play games. This was Ash. He’d see right through all that silly playacting. She’d lost the script for how to do this with someone who knew her as well as Ash did. And one sensation overwhelmed her more than any other. Vulnerability.Bravo to Roni Loren for crafting a tender, respectful romance series with four amazing, strong women that showed love and healing could go hand in hand even after the unthinkable happens. I give the author so much credit because, despite the fact that I was a fan of her earlier books, I wasn't sure if I could handle romances tied to a school shooting. I'm sure that in the hands of a lesser author, this might have been disastrous.
They’d all needed healing. They’d all needed hope. But none of them had realized what they needed most of all—each other. Kincaid had spent the last year enjoying every moment in the newest part of her fairy tale, loving and being loved by Ash. But that wasn’t the only love story in her life. Without these women, she never would’ve been able to break out of the cycle she’d been in.Thank you, Ms. Loren, for providing a theme of healing while not glossing over the painful road ahead for survivors.
Note: Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC to read and review.
March 8, 2022
ספר רביעי ואחרון בסידרת רומן-רומנטי על ארבע ניצולות טבח בי"ס בלונג אקר (מתי כבר יסדרו את העימוד של טקסטים משולבים בעברית ואנגלית באתר הזה???). ממש אהבתי את הסידרה הזאת. היא מצליחה לשלב בצורה נהדרת בין עלילה רומנטית דביקה ומתוקה לבין התמודדות עם פוסט טראומה ורגשות אשם של ניצולים מאירוע ירי קשה. הקריאה בסידרה הזאת הייתה כמו לנסוע על רכבת הרים של רגשות: אהבה, חמלה, תשוקה, כעס, חרטה, אבל וצער עמוק - כולם בעירבוביה אחת גדולה ומושלמת.
הספר האחרון מספר על קנקייד, שבהיותה אחת הבנות הפופולריות בביה"ס הייתה לגמרי אמורה למות בטבח בביה"ס, אבל היא ניצלה בזמן שאהוב ליבה נרצח. מאז היא מאמינה שהוא היה האחד ושלא יהיה אחר אחריו. אשטון היה החבר הכי טוב שלה לאורך כל התיכון, אבל הוא עזב מיד אחרי הטבח והשאיר אותה להתמודד עם האבל והכאב לבד. עכשיו הוא חוזר לעיירה כדי לנסות לכתוב ספר. המפגש ביניהם מעיר את הידידות הישנה שלהם, אבל גם את האהבה החד צדדית שאשטון תמיד הרגיש כלפי קנקייד. ביחד הם מתמודדים עם השדים שלהם ועם סודות שהוסתרו כל השנים.
אהבתי את הדמויות של אשטון ושל קנקייד. אני חושבת שאהבתי אותם יותר מכל השאר. אהבתי גם את סיפור האהבה שלהם. ספר נהדר שהצליח לרגש ולהצחיק.
הספר האחרון מספר על קנקייד, שבהיותה אחת הבנות הפופולריות בביה"ס הייתה לגמרי אמורה למות בטבח בביה"ס, אבל היא ניצלה בזמן שאהוב ליבה נרצח. מאז היא מאמינה שהוא היה האחד ושלא יהיה אחר אחריו. אשטון היה החבר הכי טוב שלה לאורך כל התיכון, אבל הוא עזב מיד אחרי הטבח והשאיר אותה להתמודד עם האבל והכאב לבד. עכשיו הוא חוזר לעיירה כדי לנסות לכתוב ספר. המפגש ביניהם מעיר את הידידות הישנה שלהם, אבל גם את האהבה החד צדדית שאשטון תמיד הרגיש כלפי קנקייד. ביחד הם מתמודדים עם השדים שלהם ועם סודות שהוסתרו כל השנים.
אהבתי את הדמויות של אשטון ושל קנקייד. אני חושבת שאהבתי אותם יותר מכל השאר. אהבתי גם את סיפור האהבה שלהם. ספר נהדר שהצליח לרגש ולהצחיק.
December 10, 2019
The greatest endorsement I can give The One For You is this: I stayed up ridiculously long past my bedtime to finish it in one sitting, and when I skimmed it again in preparation for writing my review, I felt all the feelings again. I must be a masochist, because my gauge of how much I love an angst-ridden book is how much physical pain I feel while reading this. And Roni Loren makes me feel it in my bones. The pining! Oh, the pining.
Kincaid has been a bit of a mystery through the previous books. I really enjoyed finally getting to know her on a deeper level. She’s sassy, quick-witted, and creative. I like that she’s unapologetic about who she is. It’s no wonder that Ash has been stupid in love with her for eons. I invested in Ash so hard. I loved seeing an introverted, bookish nerd who’s so far in his own head get constantly yanked back to the real world by the force of nature that is Kincaid. Their friendship gives them such a good foundation to develop a new kind of relationship on even with all the baggage we learn about. Plus—hot guy reading with glasses and tattoos. I mean, come on. It’s just not even fair.
I think this book could be read as a stand-alone, but readers will get a lot more out of it by reading the full series in order. It’s important to understand the context of the characters’ shared trauma. It’s also the best way to experience how deftly Loren writes about healing and moving forward from tragedy—namely, that there’s no one way and certainly no right way to do it. The right way is the one that lets you survive. More than in the previous books, Ash and Kincaid think they have that figured out. They think that by putting it behind them they have conquered it. Ash ignores it. Kincaid gives it the finger. It’s worked well enough, but this is a romance. The reward of reading it is seeing them realize they’re not doing as well as they thought and that they do immensely better together.
The One For You is an excellent conclusion to one of my favorite series. It’s one I can see myself coming back to time and time again.
CW: gun violence, violent death, domestic violence, gender discrimination in the workplace, child neglect
Kincaid has been a bit of a mystery through the previous books. I really enjoyed finally getting to know her on a deeper level. She’s sassy, quick-witted, and creative. I like that she’s unapologetic about who she is. It’s no wonder that Ash has been stupid in love with her for eons. I invested in Ash so hard. I loved seeing an introverted, bookish nerd who’s so far in his own head get constantly yanked back to the real world by the force of nature that is Kincaid. Their friendship gives them such a good foundation to develop a new kind of relationship on even with all the baggage we learn about. Plus—hot guy reading with glasses and tattoos. I mean, come on. It’s just not even fair.
I think this book could be read as a stand-alone, but readers will get a lot more out of it by reading the full series in order. It’s important to understand the context of the characters’ shared trauma. It’s also the best way to experience how deftly Loren writes about healing and moving forward from tragedy—namely, that there’s no one way and certainly no right way to do it. The right way is the one that lets you survive. More than in the previous books, Ash and Kincaid think they have that figured out. They think that by putting it behind them they have conquered it. Ash ignores it. Kincaid gives it the finger. It’s worked well enough, but this is a romance. The reward of reading it is seeing them realize they’re not doing as well as they thought and that they do immensely better together.
The One For You is an excellent conclusion to one of my favorite series. It’s one I can see myself coming back to time and time again.
CW: gun violence, violent death, domestic violence, gender discrimination in the workplace, child neglect
January 4, 2020
This entire series has been a journey and is one I am really glad I went on. Kincaid is so good and I loved the reconnection with Ash and the real/true nature of memory and the past, and yeah. This was excellent. Very sad the series is over, can't wait to see what the author does next.
Read
January 5, 2020"The One For You" was very emotional, a little angsty, with some humor, some sexy scenes, a sweet and sexy romance,and a good end to the series. I did wish that Ash and Kincaid did a better job of talking to each other and working out their concerns. I'm not a fan of Big Misunderstandings. I did really like that Loren acknowledged and respected friendship and the love friends have for each other as well as focusing on romantic love.
June 23, 2021
*I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦
❧ I know I am—𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙠𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙧—two hundred years late with my review, but yo girl finally found the courage to pick up the final book in The Ones Who Got Away series.
❧ I had been yelling for Kincaid's story since finishing the first book in this series, but I couldn't bring myself to pick up her book because I wasn't ready to say goodbye to this series yet.
❧ The One for You is a mix between friends-to-lovers and second-chance with a dash of unrequited love and it had me DYING. Things first started off slow as Kincaid and Ash had a boat load off issues to work through but the wait was so worth it.
❧ I adored Kincaid just like I knew I would. My girl went from a broken home to finding her forever family.
❧ I totally was not expecting Ash to be such a romantic! Like Kincaid said, it's always the quiet ones that end up surprising you.
❧ I really liked how Kincaid and Ash's personalities complemented one another; Ash was the anchor that helped to steady Kincaid when she needed it most.
❧ Also, getting to see the previous characters again had me in feels! I loved seeing them start families of their own and being all happy. *CRIES*
❧ The Ones Who Got Away series has left a mark on this bookworm's heart and I definitely recommend picking up this series if you're looking for a series with a lot of heart because you won't be disappointed!
CW: School shooting, Mentions of domestic violence
𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦
❧ I know I am—𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙠𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙧—two hundred years late with my review, but yo girl finally found the courage to pick up the final book in The Ones Who Got Away series.
❧ I had been yelling for Kincaid's story since finishing the first book in this series, but I couldn't bring myself to pick up her book because I wasn't ready to say goodbye to this series yet.
❧ The One for You is a mix between friends-to-lovers and second-chance with a dash of unrequited love and it had me DYING. Things first started off slow as Kincaid and Ash had a boat load off issues to work through but the wait was so worth it.
❧ I adored Kincaid just like I knew I would. My girl went from a broken home to finding her forever family.
❧ I totally was not expecting Ash to be such a romantic! Like Kincaid said, it's always the quiet ones that end up surprising you.
❧ I really liked how Kincaid and Ash's personalities complemented one another; Ash was the anchor that helped to steady Kincaid when she needed it most.
❧ Also, getting to see the previous characters again had me in feels! I loved seeing them start families of their own and being all happy. *CRIES*
❧ The Ones Who Got Away series has left a mark on this bookworm's heart and I definitely recommend picking up this series if you're looking for a series with a lot of heart because you won't be disappointed!
CW: School shooting, Mentions of domestic violence
October 13, 2021
I'll be completely honest, I'm really conflicted over THE ONE FOR YOU and I went back and forth on my rating. I love Roni Loren's writing, her witty and funny dialogue, the easy flow of events, and I also really liked Kincaid and Ash. But the plot for this one really didn't work for me personally and that was the source of my conflict.
So let me start with what I did love, namely Ash who is definitely on my book boyfriend list because I loved him so much and I could so strongly relate to him. He's been best friends with Kincaid practically his whole life but in high school those feelings shifted to an unrequited crush and a brutal love. As a bookish, shy, and slightly awkward boy he thought he had no chance with Kincaid. Ash has tried to move on from Kincaid but being back in Long Acre is bringing back a lot of feelings but Ash doesn't want to get his heart broken, again, so he's trying to just keep things casual. While Ash was my favorite, I did also really enjoy Kincaid who is bubbly, optimistic, and a lot of fun. She's struggled to distance herself from her mother's poor reputation and make something of herself as a successful and independent woman. I liked Kincaid's spirit and the friendship between these two was so evident even though they haven't really spoken in years. I do think they make a great couple, I just wish their past history was different.
What I struggled with was the idea that Ash was constantly getting his heart broken and coming in second place when it comes to Kincaid's love life. On top of that he's been hurt so many times by Kincaid and up until the very end, she has no idea that she was being such a crappy friend to Ash. Now Kincaid doesn't deserve all the blame, because Ash never revealed his feelings either but I just felt so strongly for Ash (we're a lot alike in personality) that it broke my heart to see him hurting so much (which we do see because there are flashbacks). On top of that, there are some other things revealed in flashbacks that made things so complicated. For a large part of the book Kincaid believes she lost her soulmate when Graham was killed and she feels like she'll never have a love like that again.
I did enjoy seeing all our previous couples and I like how strong the female friendship between Kincaid, Liv, Taryn, and Rebecca is. This series has always been just as much about friendships as it has been relationships and I've liked that from the beginning.
ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review
Content Warning: Discussion of and flashbacks to a school shooting
So let me start with what I did love, namely Ash who is definitely on my book boyfriend list because I loved him so much and I could so strongly relate to him. He's been best friends with Kincaid practically his whole life but in high school those feelings shifted to an unrequited crush and a brutal love. As a bookish, shy, and slightly awkward boy he thought he had no chance with Kincaid. Ash has tried to move on from Kincaid but being back in Long Acre is bringing back a lot of feelings but Ash doesn't want to get his heart broken, again, so he's trying to just keep things casual. While Ash was my favorite, I did also really enjoy Kincaid who is bubbly, optimistic, and a lot of fun. She's struggled to distance herself from her mother's poor reputation and make something of herself as a successful and independent woman. I liked Kincaid's spirit and the friendship between these two was so evident even though they haven't really spoken in years. I do think they make a great couple, I just wish their past history was different.
What I struggled with was the idea that Ash was constantly getting his heart broken and coming in second place when it comes to Kincaid's love life. On top of that he's been hurt so many times by Kincaid and up until the very end, she has no idea that she was being such a crappy friend to Ash. Now Kincaid doesn't deserve all the blame, because Ash never revealed his feelings either but I just felt so strongly for Ash (we're a lot alike in personality) that it broke my heart to see him hurting so much (which we do see because there are flashbacks). On top of that, there are some other things revealed in flashbacks that made things so complicated. For a large part of the book Kincaid believes she lost her soulmate when Graham was killed and she feels like she'll never have a love like that again.
I did enjoy seeing all our previous couples and I like how strong the female friendship between Kincaid, Liv, Taryn, and Rebecca is. This series has always been just as much about friendships as it has been relationships and I've liked that from the beginning.
ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review
Content Warning: Discussion of and flashbacks to a school shooting
January 21, 2020
This series has been an emotional roller coaster full of rough rides, hard times, and ending in joyous delight. Every book touched my heart in its own special way, but I think Kincaid and Ashton's story touched my heart just a little bit more.
Before I start this review I do want to warn you, there are a few extreme trigger warnings. Those warnings will be posted in the last paragraph of this review.
When I first started this series I was intrigued the most by Kincaid's character. I loved her bubbly personality and her ability to bring joy to anyone in need. She's always been eager to help others out. But what I was most interested in seeing was Kincaid's ability to move on after tragedy. I was cheering on this girl's happily ever after from the get go!!! Kincaid and Ashton are a match made in heaven! I loved 'most of' their high school moments and the chemistry that came across flawlessly. These two had my heart from the very beginning.
Kincaid is the popular girl, but if you look beneath the surgace you’ll find underneath her shiny perfect exterior, is a typical girl who wants to be loved. One who craves that infamous happily ever after. I loved Kincaid and her bubbly personality.
Ashton is the best friend of Kincaid, he’s also the boy who knows her inside and out. He knows her greatest fears and her dreams and wishes. If only Kincaid would see him for who he is, the boy that loves her truly, madly, and deeply. But bookish nerds don’t get the popular girl, even if they are best friends. Ashton stole my heart from the beginning! I loved the fact that roles reversed in this novel. In romance novels you typically have the hero as the popular one and the female as the bookish wallflower who pines for the popular man. But in The One For You, Ashton is the man who’d rather read and/or write over associating with people. He has his small group of friends and that’s all he needs. I loved the fact that he was the wallflower in this novel. It was the perfect change that I needed in my reading.
As with the other three books in the series, The One For You jumps from past to present. There are a few reflection periods that take us back in time to the moments leading up to that one tragic night. I’m not going to dive into details but I’ll just say the more I read those chapters/moments, the more my love for Ashton grew. He was the true hero of this story.
I knew going into this book, that this one was going to be a tear jerker and I wasn't wrong. There were moments that were hard for me to read, those moments completely shattered my heart into a million tiny pieces. I felt the realism in those terror filled moments. I can’t believe I am saying this but those last terror filled moments is the main reason why I dropped a star. The detail was a little too much for me to handle. I liked the fact that the shooter was in the shadows, I didn’t need him and his actions to be in my head for the remainder of the story. For the rest of the story my mind kept wandering to one question and one small word.
Why? I had moments of pure rage and wanting to know why this man and his friend would walk into a school where people are celebrating and completely turn everyone’s world upside down…. If this were a real life situation these thoughts would make sense and my feelings would make sense, but this isn’t real life. This is fiction and fiction is something to be enjoyed.
Don’t get me wrong, I do understand that this moment was necessary to tell in Ashton and Kincaid’s story, this was a moment of truth where Ashton bared his soul and told Kincaid everything that he’s been holding in for ten years. The guilt finally needed to be let go in order for, not only Ashton, but also Kincaid to heal. The last puzzle piece of the story needed to be set in place. But Trevor’s spotlight was too bright in that one single moment. And this one single moment put everything else, in my mind, on the backburner. It was too real.
Overall, The One For You isn’t a novel for everyone. I highly recommend you go into this one with your eyes wide open, expecting the worst possible outcome you can possibly think of to take place in a situation such as this one, and then times it by ten. Aside from that moment, I really loved this story. I loved the best friends to lovers vibe. I loved the chemistry between all of the characters and the premise of what this series is about; Finding a way and a place in the world after a tragedy. Roni Loren wrote one hell of a series! A series I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
Ashton and Kincaid’s story brought so many tears to my eyes. Tears of joy, tears from laughing, tears of sadness, and tears of anger. My heart hasn’t been put through this much in a long time. Thank you Roni Loren for writing such a beautiful series and showing us that there is life after tragedy and it is possible for a heart to mend after such a great loss. Ashton and Kincaid will go down in history as being one of my favorite bookish couples.
CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNING BELOW!
If you find content such as school shootings, spousal abuse, and/or neglect extremely triggering I would tell you to skip on this book and skip on this series. I usually don't like to sway people away from reading a book, especially a book that I deeply loved, however, I feel my responsibility as a reviewer is to protect the one who is reading this review's mental health. As a person who has never been involved in a horrific act of violence such as a school shooting, I myself found the last 'high school' chapter to be triggering, so I can’t even imagine what reading this book would be like for those that have been through material such as that written in this book.
Just be careful If you plan on reading this. If you are extremely sensitive to the material I listed above, please be cautious when reading that last 'high school' prom chapter! My heart feels so damn heavy just thinking about that moment.
________________
Find me here:
The Staircase Reader
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Before I start this review I do want to warn you, there are a few extreme trigger warnings. Those warnings will be posted in the last paragraph of this review.
When I first started this series I was intrigued the most by Kincaid's character. I loved her bubbly personality and her ability to bring joy to anyone in need. She's always been eager to help others out. But what I was most interested in seeing was Kincaid's ability to move on after tragedy. I was cheering on this girl's happily ever after from the get go!!! Kincaid and Ashton are a match made in heaven! I loved 'most of' their high school moments and the chemistry that came across flawlessly. These two had my heart from the very beginning.
Kincaid is the popular girl, but if you look beneath the surgace you’ll find underneath her shiny perfect exterior, is a typical girl who wants to be loved. One who craves that infamous happily ever after. I loved Kincaid and her bubbly personality.
Ashton is the best friend of Kincaid, he’s also the boy who knows her inside and out. He knows her greatest fears and her dreams and wishes. If only Kincaid would see him for who he is, the boy that loves her truly, madly, and deeply. But bookish nerds don’t get the popular girl, even if they are best friends. Ashton stole my heart from the beginning! I loved the fact that roles reversed in this novel. In romance novels you typically have the hero as the popular one and the female as the bookish wallflower who pines for the popular man. But in The One For You, Ashton is the man who’d rather read and/or write over associating with people. He has his small group of friends and that’s all he needs. I loved the fact that he was the wallflower in this novel. It was the perfect change that I needed in my reading.
As with the other three books in the series, The One For You jumps from past to present. There are a few reflection periods that take us back in time to the moments leading up to that one tragic night. I’m not going to dive into details but I’ll just say the more I read those chapters/moments, the more my love for Ashton grew. He was the true hero of this story.
I knew going into this book, that this one was going to be a tear jerker and I wasn't wrong. There were moments that were hard for me to read, those moments completely shattered my heart into a million tiny pieces. I felt the realism in those terror filled moments. I can’t believe I am saying this but those last terror filled moments is the main reason why I dropped a star. The detail was a little too much for me to handle. I liked the fact that the shooter was in the shadows, I didn’t need him and his actions to be in my head for the remainder of the story. For the rest of the story my mind kept wandering to one question and one small word.
Why? I had moments of pure rage and wanting to know why this man and his friend would walk into a school where people are celebrating and completely turn everyone’s world upside down…. If this were a real life situation these thoughts would make sense and my feelings would make sense, but this isn’t real life. This is fiction and fiction is something to be enjoyed.
Don’t get me wrong, I do understand that this moment was necessary to tell in Ashton and Kincaid’s story, this was a moment of truth where Ashton bared his soul and told Kincaid everything that he’s been holding in for ten years. The guilt finally needed to be let go in order for, not only Ashton, but also Kincaid to heal. The last puzzle piece of the story needed to be set in place. But Trevor’s spotlight was too bright in that one single moment. And this one single moment put everything else, in my mind, on the backburner. It was too real.
Overall, The One For You isn’t a novel for everyone. I highly recommend you go into this one with your eyes wide open, expecting the worst possible outcome you can possibly think of to take place in a situation such as this one, and then times it by ten. Aside from that moment, I really loved this story. I loved the best friends to lovers vibe. I loved the chemistry between all of the characters and the premise of what this series is about; Finding a way and a place in the world after a tragedy. Roni Loren wrote one hell of a series! A series I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
Ashton and Kincaid’s story brought so many tears to my eyes. Tears of joy, tears from laughing, tears of sadness, and tears of anger. My heart hasn’t been put through this much in a long time. Thank you Roni Loren for writing such a beautiful series and showing us that there is life after tragedy and it is possible for a heart to mend after such a great loss. Ashton and Kincaid will go down in history as being one of my favorite bookish couples.
CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNING BELOW!
If you find content such as school shootings, spousal abuse, and/or neglect extremely triggering I would tell you to skip on this book and skip on this series. I usually don't like to sway people away from reading a book, especially a book that I deeply loved, however, I feel my responsibility as a reviewer is to protect the one who is reading this review's mental health. As a person who has never been involved in a horrific act of violence such as a school shooting, I myself found the last 'high school' chapter to be triggering, so I can’t even imagine what reading this book would be like for those that have been through material such as that written in this book.
Just be careful If you plan on reading this. If you are extremely sensitive to the material I listed above, please be cautious when reading that last 'high school' prom chapter! My heart feels so damn heavy just thinking about that moment.
________________
Find me here:
The Staircase Reader
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