The Ones Who Got Away is a good fit for those seeking an emotionally charged, slow-burning contemporary romance that explores themes of trauma, reconnecting, and second chances.

A High School shooting leaves few survivors who have had to navigate the loss, pain, and trauma. Years later when a documentary find them rehashing old memories it will force them to face their fears.

Who will be able to work through the memories, figure out what really matters and stop chasing what friends, family and survivors expect.

Can Olivia and Finn finally be honest about their feelings? How will Olivia react when she discovers what Finn's job is and the real reason he's back in town for the summer.

Sometimes it takes facing your fears, realizing that life is short, and recognizing that you have so much to offer. Don't settle. Don't push away love. Embrace it and hold onto it.

This second chance, forced proximity romance is scorchin hot and gives all the feels.

I am a huge Roni Loren fan but this book read a lot different for me than some of her others that I've read and loved. It was a good story though pretty tragic. That being said, I had a hard time feeling engaged and it read pretty slow for me. I enjoyed the overall story but don't think I'll continue with the series.

This was my first book by Roni Loren and definitely won’t be my last. I was drawn into the story immediately, riveted by the tragedy that drew all of these friends together. Seeing how they were all affected by it years later, how it stunted their freedom to live full lives, was the most heartbreaking aspect of the story.

Finn and Liv had undeniable chemistry and a second chance to make their relationship work. Their banter is flirty and fun, but once things started getting serious, that’s when the real magic happened within the story.

I also loved the side characters and they’re own struggles had me intrigued for more. I can’t wait to read their stories in the near future.

Roni Loren explores with care a pervasive & absolutely horrific national issue and imbues it with a much-needed happily-ever-after, filled with supportive female friendships & personal growth & healing.

CW: for mentions and depictions of a school shooting & its consequences & effects ten-plus years later

I unfortunately was not able to read this book. I was excited when ever I had chosen to download or pick this book up on Netgalley. However, time moves by so quickly and I never got to read it.

I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this title. Unfortunately, this book was not for me and I was not able to finish it.

I started this series actually with book 4 and love it so much that I'm going back and reading the rest of the stories.

This series tackles a tough subject. It's about 4 women who survived a school shooting in a small town in Texas. So at times, the books can be heavy. It's 12 years later and there is a documentary being shot about the survivors and the effects of the shootings on their lives.

The One Who Got Away is about Olivia and the return on her secret high school boyfriend Finn. Finn now works for the FBI going undercover to help stop gun trafficking, specifically to teens. He's returned home to decompress from an undercover sting he was in for the past 2 years. Running into Olivia and still having that connection was the last thing he expected. Seeing Finn again woke up a part of herself that she had been running from. But as the two reconnect and become friends again, they come to find that what they had could never be replaced.

A great second chance romance and I am really loving this series. Can't wait to read the other two books in the series!

Roni Loren has great attention to detail and makes everything from the setting, to the characters feel very real. It makes for a wonderfully written and very authentic novel.

Loren manages to take the reader through a barrage of other emotions besides the typical and they will find themselves submerged in the world and feeling every single things that happens to the characters. The characters were charismatic and drew the reader in.

I read this book knowing I would like it because it's a Roni Loren book. After reading this book I can genuinely say I love it! The humor and the story were so unique and thought provoking. Not often do I ask myself while reading "Am I living my best life?". This book made me think this and reminded me that it's never too late to start over and find the happy. It doesn't have to be in the life altering way these characters did - even though the changes they made were epic and perfect for this story. I can make small changes every day to be happy. It's all up to me. I have the reigns!
Favorite lines -
“I could babysit the hell out of you, Finn Dorsey.” - Liv
"The fractured pieces of her world had finally landed in just the right place, creating a picture she’d never imagined. One that took her breath away.
Broken glass still made art.
Sometimes, the most beautiful kind." Roni Loren, The Ones Who Got Away

OMG - talk about a teaser! This. Is going to be a 'must read' when it releases. In a few short chapters, I'm already invested in the main characters and am dying to know what possible twists and turns it's going to take until I see that happy ending.

I'm normally a fan of Roni Loren but--despite several attempts--I couldn't get past the first few chapters. I don't think this book gelled with me, sadly.

Roni Loren is known for writing the most erotica romance stories ever. And now, she is stepping out of the erotica world and writing the most powerful emotional romance stories now. She is going to deliver new stories that will hit the national heart.

The Ones Who Got Away starts off with survivors coming back home since each of them was feature in the new documentary of their high school shooting. These survivors survived their high school shooting years ago but old scare will resurface when they return back home. No one has no idea what they been through except for them.

Reader will get to read about some of the survivors of the high school shooting. But the main focus would be Liv and Finn. These two have a past together and it is definitely not pretty. They were in love with each other in high school but their relationship were in secret. Liv was known to be the wrong person to be associated and Finn was known to be the golden boy in town. They were not to be associated at all. But they ended up together no matter what. However, their relationship was a secret that they face some drama and angst of keeping it a secret.

That was in the past. And the past is coming back when they get reunited again. They have definitely change throughout the years. It’s unexpected. Liv is more quiet yet quirky in her life while Finn is more silent and broody in his life. They are more opposite than ever before but they still have the undeniable chemistry with each other.

Their relationship may start off slow in the beginning but it will burn the pages off along the way. They will need to face some old guilt between each other. It may be ugly and painful but definitely worth talking about it since it needs to be done. You will be rooting them as they begin their journey together.

The Ones Who Got Away will deliver a powerful story that will be on your mind no matter what. Four stars.

3 1/2 stars

Returning to Long Acre High School, the site of a shooting years before, to be interviewed for a documentary unsettles Liv. As a survivor, she still carries the emotional scars from that horrific day. While she has moved on in certain aspects, there's also a part of her that is stuck. Finn is also struggling. His guilt over how he treated Liv in high school (keeping their relationship a secret) and how he left her vulnerable during the shooting has always made him feel unworthy of the hero status he attained after the shooting. He's since tried to make things right in his own way through his undercover work for the FBI. The work has been gratifying though it's taken its toll on his mental health. The time away to come do this interview is supposed to be a break from that world before he has to go back in. This reunion between them and their friends stirs up all the questions and hurt. It's a chance to say sorry and maybe rebuild from the ruins. What has caught Liv off guard is seeing how much of her life has remained stagnant when compared to the goals she had laid out for herself back in high school. Now after seeing Finn again, she feels inspired to rectify that and also help him take the time to disengage from his job, unwind and achieve some balance. Perhaps in helping each other, they can not only rekindle what they had but start a new, happier chapter in their lives.


The Ones That Got Away deals with loss, guilt, grief and ultimately forgiveness. Everyone manages differently after a traumatic event; no one can predict how it can affect a person and for how long. In Liv's case, she thought she was doing well throwing herself into her career until she forced herself to look more closely and she saw a pattern that only feeds her insecurities and fears. As for Finn, he's forced to look at what drives his need to live up to the hero everyone believes him to be. This is also a second chance story not just about love but also about life, re-prioritizing values and goals. And it's also about making sure the right people are there surrounding you and encouraging you as the healing continues.


~ Bel

A heartwrenching read about surviving tragedy and moving forward with your life. Roni Loren is a must purchase for my library system, and this book will definitely find a crowd of readers.

I enjoyed this book! I thought the overall storyline was unique and something I had not read before.

12 years ago, a tragedy stuck Long Acre High School where only a few students survived. Now, the five of them return to the town to film a documentary about the night that changed their lives forever. "The Ones Who Got Away" follows Liv and Finn as they face each other for the first time since those life-changing weeks.

"The Ones Who Got Away" focuses on a hard-hitting topic and the aftermath of the choices made that night. While the story covers a heavy and current topic, it doesn't leave out the hot steamy romance. This book was the perfect mix of serious and sexy.

A film crew arrives in town to document the reunion of a school reunion of a class that experienced a traumatic school shooting. A timely subject, but not a subject for everyone. I can't really find fault with the writing or the romance within, however the thought of the intrusive nature of a news crew doing this put me off from the very beginning. Just me. I couldn't get past that. I'm sure Roni Loren is a good writer and I'll give her next book a try.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with the ARC in exchange for my honest review and opinions.

The one who gets away is the first book in a series where the characters have survived a school shooting. 12 years later the memories and wounds are still there, but everyone is trying to move on.

The idea of the series is good and intriguing. I will read book 2 because I want to see more of these characters and how they are going to get a happy ending. Reading this book gave me the feels and it made wonder how these people would move on from something so horrible. Liv and Finn's journey was not easy, but at least it has a happy ending. I didn't like how everything went down with Liv and Finn the night of the prom and it made me question his feelings and how much I could like him. The grown-up version is better and he got some points for that. Liv is a likable character, but I didn't feel like I could completely relate to her character. These two were a fine couple, without a lot of chemistry, just enough to make us believe that they could be a couple and I hope to see them in the upcoming books in order to get an even better idea of the kind of couple they are.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a solid 4 stars until one single scene. The scene really took away from what I thought was a really great book that was different from other romance books I've read. The added drama from the tragedy was nice and I really loved Finn and Liv together, but man that one small scene just killed some of it for me. I can see other people really enjoying it though.

If you’ve been on my blog a while you know about my Roni Loren obsession. It all started with one book I grabbed on a whim from Netgalley and I’ve been hooked ever since. I’ve never been disappointed with a story and that hasn’t changed at all with her latest book; The Ones Who Got Away.

Twelve years ago Long Acre High School fell victim to a school shooting during prom. Friends, family, love, and hope were lost that day. The surviving students were labeled as The Ones Who Got Away, the ones who survived. Now, the present day they want to do a documentary on the survivors and the tragedy that befell them.

Liv Arias was one of the survivors. She faced down death and lived. How? Finn Dorsey, her secret boyfriend or boy she made out with. Finn was popular and going places. Liv was a Hispanic girl whose family helped service Finn’s families yard. Finn and Liv fell for each other fast, but he never made the relationship public. After high school, Liv never saw or heard from Finn again. Twelve years later, Liv and Finn and thrown back together for the documentary and old sparks ignite.

I flipping loved this story. With all the school shootings that have been going on, I was a tad hesitant about this book. I shouldn’t have worried and I feel this book came at the exact right time.

Liv has always been a little wild. She was the rebel in school who followed the beat of her own drum. After the shooting, she went to college and struggled a lot. She rushed in head first with partying and drinking and boys. Now that she’s older she has a safe boring job. No time in her life for friends or photography. When she leaves for the weekend to help with the documentary she runs into her old friends and they open their time capsules only to realize they haven’t been living the lives they want. With that Liv wants to do everything she can to be the person her younger self would have been proud of, and that leads her straight to Finn.

I adored Finn. He struggles with a lot of demons and guilt over his relationship with Liv, his family, and what happened that fateful prom night. Over the past twelve years, he’s done everything in his power to stop the people who sell guns to kids that assist in high school shootings. After being undercover he’s forced to take some time off and assimilate into society. That’s what leads him to Liv.

Honestly, such a captivating and emotional story. There is romance so don’t you worry. Roni Loren does an amazing job with making the book about the building of a relationship as much as the sexy times, which as super hot. Everything about this story was fresh and amazing. Couldn’t have asked for a better story.