*3.5 stars*

The One You Fight For was my first read by Roni Loren, and whew, what an angst-fest. But in a good way, I think.

First of all, that cover is PERFECT. So often we get a cover that doesn't reflect the characters, and I think this one nailed it. Bonus points for that.

I was a little... no, very nervous about reading a story about a school shooting as that's something that occupies my anxious-mom-brain daily. However, I was also really intrigued.

I think the author did a great job handling the way each person processed their loss and grief and made it seem realistic. It felt sensitive and considerate, and I liked that aspect of the story. Each person, even the side characters, had their own unique reaction to the tragedy, and I think the author treated those respectfully.

I also really felt for each of the MCs and what they were going through. Though the subject matter was really dark and each MC was in a lot of emotional pain, I was still able to get through the story without getting bogged down by negativity. I liked that.

What I didn't enjoy was the DRAMA. Of course there is going to be drama- I mean, how could there not be with the backstory of these two characters, but the drama in this book felt artificial. I didn't love that. I hate manufactured-feeling pain and angst. Also, while I liked the two MCs as a couple, I didn't get that insane chemistry that I want in a romance.

I think the author did a nice job with two unique, intellectual characters in some extraordinary circumstances. The pace and the plot grabbed me, and though the couple wasn't magnetic, I think the story was successful overall.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

The One You Fight For is the third book in a very interesting and unique series. The stories revolve around a group of four women – Olivia, Rebecca, Taryn and Kincaid – who are survivors of a school shooting. They come together ten years afterwards, during the filming a documentary about the tragedy. The first book, The Ones Who Got Away, was very good and the second book, The One You Can’t Forget, was even better. I was very excited to read this third installment.

The couple in this story has a giant obstacle in the way of them getting their Happily Ever After: Taryn’s little sister Nia was killed in the shooting, and Shaw’s brother Joseph was one of the shooters. Of course, when they first meet, neither of them knows who the other is. When they discover their shared history, it’s too late because an emotional connection has been made. The solution? Make it into just a temporary fling, (Sure, because that always turns out the way it’s supposed to!)

Even though this story deals with a very heavy subject, it is surprisingly sexy and often funny. It’s full of twists and turns, and has a great cast of characters. It starts off a bit slowly, because there’s quite a bit of background to get through before the action really starts. It’s worth hanging in there for, though, and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Kincaid’s story is the only one left to tell, and I have a feeling Roni Loren saved the best for last!

4.5☆
I liked it!

What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Part of a series: The Ones Who Got Away
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue

I look forward to reading more from this author and the other books in this series.

Taryn lost her sister in the Long Acre School shooting and has devoted her life to searching for warnings and triggers that could help prevent them in the future. She’s driven by grief, but also by guilt. Never did she think she’d end up dating the brother of one of the shooters, let alone fall for him.

Shaw has been in survival mode since his brother decided murdering his schoolmates was an option. Ostracized, judged and hunted by the press, Shaw changed his name and moved away, but is back in Austin against his better judgement. All he wants to do is stay under the radar, but a chance meeting with Taryn makes that very difficult.

They’re immediately attracted physically with chemistry off the charts, but emotionally they click as well. They’ve both been tragically altered by the Long Acre shooting, and who can better relate to that? But the fact that Shaw is the brother of the shooter instead of a victim makes a future together impossible, right?

Roni Loren’s The Ones That Got Away series has focused on the survivors of a school shooting moving on, healing and finding love. The One You Fight For was a little different in that it tells the story of Shaw, the older brother of one of the shooters, and Taryn, the sister of one of the victims killed by Shaw’s brother. This is the second book where I’ve read about a relation to a school shooter and since then I’ve really felt bad for not only the victims and their families, but also the families of the shooters.

My heart seriously went out to Shaw for all that he lost, and the nightmare that just kept on, and because he felt like he deserved all of it for being related to the shooter. Of course, I felt bad for Taryn, too, with a secret fueling her guilt, and having to deal with her mother! Her mother had every right to her grief, but she put her family through the ringer when she should’ve gone out and got professional help! Taryn and her father were enabling her behavior and that got a bit old.

The One You Fight For was a consuming and emotionally charged romance! I longed for a happy ending for Taryn and Shaw who went through so much and deserved an epic HEA!

Another very emotional story.

I could just about copy and paste my review for book 2, The One You Can't Forget, and it would be accurate, but I'll try not to do that.

The One You Fight For is book three in The Ones Who Got Away series but it can be read as a standalone. I highly recommend reading at least book one though, just so you have all of the back ground on the four women who became friends due to a horrible tragedy at their high school prom. Each of them will get their own story.

I can't say enough good things about this series and this book. It's not an erotic romance like Roni Loren's Loving on the Edge series but it has plenty of heat. It also has characters that seem very real to me.

All of the four women who because friends as a result of the tragic school shooting lost something that day but Taryn also lost her sister. That loss compelled her to choose a different path than the one she thought she would follow before the shootings. She has dedicated her adult life to researching the reason these horrible acts get committed and to developing a program for schools that can help identify children with problems so they can get help before they do something awful.

We already know from the book's blurb that Taryn's love interest will be Shaw, the brother of the shooter, but getting to know the man behind the infamous name puts a new spin on things and helps us to realize that the survivors and people who died on that horrible day weren't the only victims.

This story seemed so authentic and real to me. Ms. Loren must have done a boat load of research for this story for it to come out and feel this way to this reader. Taryn is such a strong character that she seems able to cope with almost anything but when she has to make a very painful choice her strength may not be enough to help her hold everything together.

Like the other books, this story ripped me up and then put me back together again. Roni Loren is a master story teller who knows how to write moving stories that engage all of your emotions. I was totally invested in the outcome for these characters and I desperately needed them to find peace (especially Shaw) and their HEA.

There is simply no way for me to do justice to this book with anything that I'd write. I can't wait for the next book to come out but I will also be sad because it will be the last one for this series.

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

4.5 stars

This series caught my attention due to the tie that binds all the characters, but it has kept me coming back because of the way in which it deals with the ramifications of a tragic event on the lives of *everyone* touched by the tragedy.

Taryn lost her sister in the Long Acre tragedy and has spent her life working to prevent similar events. She is on the brink of launching a program that her research shows will help at risk students and keep another Long Acre from happening. She is focused on her goals and has put her own needs second (or last) in favor of getting her program up and running.

Lucas Shaw has only recently returned to Austin, beginning a new business venture with a friend. He isn’t sure he can stay long term in Austin, as he is carrying secrets, but he will give the location a shot for his friend.

These two meet by chance one night, and have an instant connection. Through several more chance encounters, they develop a friendship that has them testing that spark between them. They each have pain in their pasts, and hold on to scars in different ways. As they test the waters between them, the fragile bond will be tested by the connection they couldn’t see coming.

I loved watching Taryn fight so hard for what she believed in. She has always been the one her friends lean on when they need something, and she has learned to keep her own weaknesses hidden. She faces obstacles she didn’t anticipate, and has to work to overcome more than just relationship woes during the course of this book.

Shaw is so tied down by his secrets that he has no hope of being able to stay in Austin long term. He has carried weights that weren’t his to carry but were put upon him by outside sources. I couldn’t help but love watching as he balanced wanting Taryn with wanting to protect her from himself, but I could also see that what he feared was not who he really was at heart.

This may very well be my favorite of this series. I hadn’t anticipated loving Shaw’s perspective quite as much as I did, and getting inside his head was a fascinating twist in this series’ path. I loved seeing Rebecca and Wes, and Liv and Finn again, as well as Kincaid and the rest of their friends. This group has a shared past that has forged strong bonds, and watching as they move on and learn to accept their scars and losses is a journey of heart ache and memories, warmth and love.

Every time I pick up one of the books in the series, I remember how much I love them! They can be difficult books to get through as Ms. Loren doesn’t shy away from the difficult emotions, but she treats them sensitively. It just feels very uplifting to read these stories where these survivors, broken in so many different ways, find healing (and romance). While this is the third in the series, I think it could be read as a standalone.

After losing her younger sister at the Long Acre shooting, Taryn’s dedicated her entire life to preventing school shootings. As a forensic psychologist, she’s developed a program to identify kids at risk and prevent the shootings, and now she just needs to get a school district on board with running a trial of the program. Shaw’s younger brother was one of the school shooters, and after the shooting he’s been ostracized and treated like another murderer-in-the-making. At his best friend’s request, he’s changed his name and come back to Texas to help him design and run a Ninja-Warrior-type obstacle course gym. After a chance meeting outside a bar, it seems almost like fate when Taryn and Shaw meet again during a charity run. But can two survivors from opposing sides find common ground?

“One night. Two people with guns. The violence of that one moment in time stretched out like cracks in glass—always splintering, reaching out further, touching lives in ways no one but the people affected ever thought about.”


Taryn was an easy character to empathize with. Her family’s put this enormous pressure on her to live up to her sister’s memory – anything not related to her research is viewed by her parents (and Taryn) as a betrayal of her sister’s memory. It’s her friend Kincaid that pushes her to take time for herself, to live a little. I loved seeing more of Kincaid in this book, and how over-the-top hilarious she was, and I can’t wait for her book. In fact, I loved how supported Taryn was by her friends (since her family support was seriously lacking), and it was one of my favorite parts of the book. Even though I loved Taryn, Shaw is probably my favorite character from the series. From his hatred of the endless media scrutiny to his fear that he was just as “evil” as his brother, he’s a complicated character, and it was so much fun watching Taryn draw him out. I mean, he’s so tangled up with himself that when he realizes who Taryn is and thinks he won’t have a chance at a relationship with her, he accepts it as penance for, well, being him.

“All I’m saying is that yes, our pasts are intertwined, but by no fault of our own,” she said matter-of-factly. “Why should we let what happened take away yet another thing? Thinking about that… Well, it pisses me off.” Her lips pursed. “I’ve been through hell. You’ve been through hell. If we want to kiss each other, why shouldn’t we be able to do that? We’re grown people. We’re attracted to each other. We’re both lonely.”


Their relationship was just everything I wanted to see in this book. Shaw’s seen Taryn both at her worst – practically having a panic attack after the impromptu guitar performance – and her best – campaigning for her school program – and appreciates all of her. Taryn’s easy acceptance that Shaw is as much a victim of the shooting as her is a profound revelation for Shaw, and the start of his healing. They had an absolute ton of chemistry together, as well.

As for negatives, I wish a little more had been done with Taryn’s love of songwriting, and I was ambivalent about one of my least favorite tropes showing up: (view spoiler). Overall, though, I very much enjoyed the book, and I’m looking forward to Kincaid’s book!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This series by Roni Loren has been excellent and while The One You Fight For featured two characters I loved, the plot was a bit predictable and somewhat repetitive making it my least favorite of the three I’ve read to date. That’s not to say I didn’t find this book intriguing because honestly, this is the most intriguing romance in the bunch, but several plot point felt contrived and that lessened my feelings on this book considerably.

Pairing a survivor of a high school shooting who lost her only sister in the shooting with the brother of one of the shooters was a bold choice, but in reality this book shows that there are all types of survivors when a mass shooting occurs. Taryn Landry has dedicated her life to becoming a forensic psychologist and developing a program to prevent school shootings from happening, she feels she is close to her goal of getting it implemented in schools, but between her research work and the pressure put on her by her parents and their need to have her around all the time Taryn is burnt out. Following another bad date, she steps into a bar where she sings at an open mic night living out her dream of performing which sends her into a panic attack and being saved by a handsome stranger. Shaw Miller can’t help but approach and help the beautiful woman with the voice of an angel when it is clear she is having a panic attack, but he knows it can never go anywhere and he leaves quietly only for them to meet again under different circumstances. One meeting might be coincidence, but two has fate written all over it.

I admired Taryn and her dedication to working on a program that she hopes will keep another school shooting from happening by reaching those kids before it is too late. As someone who works in the school system, I can honestly see the value in a program Taryn developed. Where I had issues with her was her inability to see that her work and her parents were literally draining the life out of her. I had a hard time with a psychologist not being able to see the co-dependent relationship she had with her parents, especially her mother and how despite her age she had problems with telling them to butt out of her life. I had so many questions regarding this part of the story and why she and her dad allowed her mother to wallow in her grief even after a decade has gone by, why they hadn’t worked harder with counseling, why did she not make them see that they weren’t honoring their dead daughter by living their best lives. To be honest, this part of the story drove me bat sh*t crazy and I wanted to shake Taryn and tell her to be brave and stand up. I get that she had quilt, that she felt she owed her sister, but she had to know this wasn’t healthy.

Quite simply I was heartbroken for Shaw and the life he was forced to abandon when his younger brother committed a heinous crime and I’ll admit that his story was so compelling. Unfortunately today with social media and 24 hour news media, people are often tried when they aren’t to blame and Shaw being related to a mass murderer not only made him abandon his Olympic dreams, but also his college education. He chose to live a solitary life away from the city and state he grew up in especially after an incident that not only garnered him public attention, but lost him something very precious. I hurt for this man who carried a heavy burden and really had done nothing wrong.

I love the way these two met, how their paths crossed again, and the sexual tension between them was combustible. There was no doubt that embarking on a relationship no matter what kind was a risk and complicated, but it was also easy to see that there was something between them that couldn’t be denied.

Taryn’s friends were around and the scenes between them as always were crazy, fun, but poignant especially when they found out that the man she was seeing was someone who was related to the boy that changed all of their lives.

The fact that Taryn while trying to pitch her program to school districts was involved with a man who was related to the shooter that killed her own sister was problematic enough especially given her parent’s overbearing involvement in her life which is why I was disappointed a situation was thrown in towards the end to add drama that wasn’t needed.

A story of understanding, forgiveness, and love I enjoyed The One You Fight For and am looking forward to the last book in what has been a stellar series.

Oh, this series. Once again, there were tears. You're killing me here, Ms. Loren!

I wasn't too sure about this one--there just seemed to be so much against Taryn and Shaw going in (especially the world's perception of him, what her family and the other women would initially think about him in her life, and his acceptance of all of it as what he "deserved"), and knowing that he was going to be lying to her about who he was for at least part of the story gave me pause. How could Ms. Loren not only make it work, but make their HEA feel believable?

Honestly, by book three of this series you'd think I'd have more faith in her. Of course she made it work.

And only made me cry a little bit while she did so. (But I was at the laundromat, for pity's sake! Sitting next to Mini-Moe #1, who doesn't need any more proof that his mother is way too invested in the lives of fictional characters...)

Lesson learned. I'll be reading the entirety of Kincaid's book sequestered in my room, with no witnesses in sight. ;)

Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book

Dr. Taryn Landry lost her sister in the Long Acre High School shooting. She is a complete workaholic who hopes her project help other schools prevent such violence from happening. Her girlfriends surround her with love and support as they all lean on each.

Shaw Miller was an Olympian hopeful and his whole dreamed shattered after what his brother did. He is hounded by the press. He has to change names and appearances to keep a low profile. After an unfortunate even with the press they labeled him a monster like his brother. The image tarnished his reputation.

After one too many unsuccessful dates, Taryn is ready to throw in the towel on romance. She steps into a bar and blows the open mic night right out of the park. She meets Shaw Miller and is instantly attracted.

I wanted to like this one a lot. Despite the series and harrowing subject matter, I am intrigued at how the author uses something so realistic and entwine it with romance. However, this book moved slowly. I struggled to keep my attention on the story.

Taryn is likable enough but her character is too bogged down with guilt about her involvement in the shooting and the lost of her sister. Her family emotionally manipulates her to keep her close. The family has not dealt with the death of her sister.

Shaw is definitely the more impressive character. I felt so bad for him. He held the burden of what his brother did. It destroyed everything around him. I loved how once Taryn discovers who he is, she basically sums it up as he was a victim as well. The event shaped so many lives. I think the author did a great job with the reveal of each of their identities. I expected it to drag out but they were able to move on in a realistic way.

The end pulled a little twist that was kind of predictable. I was okay with it as I liked how Taryn stepped up to the plate when their relationship came to the light.

Overall, I’m invested in the series. I like the realism in the plot and the characters. I anticipate Kincaid’s story.

~ Samantha

The third in the series The Ones Who Got Away, proves once again Roni Loren has a way with storytelling. Ms. Loren is able to take different perspectives of a tragedy and turn it into a beautiful story of how people who faced death and loss can find love in their lives. Each book in the series takes a different perspective of the survivors of the Long Acre school shooting in this book and included a family member of one of the shooters who has been living his own sort of hell ever since.

Although lives were forever changed that day, this series does bring hope that one can go one even though life for them has changed forever.

I read the first book in The Ones Who Got Away series ‘The Ones Who Got Away’ in the beginning of last year and it blew my mind. This is one of those series that grab your attention and just don’t let you go. It’s romantic, which I love, but most of all these books so far are so touching and memorable. They make me cry, and swoon and sigh. I just love this series. So obviously I had to get my hands on a copy of this third book. Thankfully I was lucky enough to get approved to read an ARC.

Just like with the two previous books in this series, this book grabbed my attention right from the start. Taryn Landry is a survivor of the Long Acre shooting that happened fourteen years ago. Taryn lost her little sister that day, and has been working hard to make sure something like that doesn’t happen again. As a result of that she doesn’t date often, and really just works a lot all the time. So when she meets this handsome guy and seems to meet him everywhere she isn’t really sure what to do. But the chemistry between Taryn and Shaw is so intense they just can’t deny it.

I loved this book. It wasn’t only a great read, but it also had this great message. You always need to hear a story from both sides before you make a decision about someone. Shaw Miller is the brother of one of the guys who killed so many teens at the Long Acre Shooting and he hasn’t been able to get a break since then. Everyone things he is just as horrible as his brother and he has been in hiding for years.

The relationship between Taryn and Shaw was so beautiful, intense and just amazing to read about. I just loved these two characters, and I was rooting for them from the very beginning. But there is so much baggage between them and they just seemed doomed. I couldn’t stop reading until I finished the complete book.

Another great thing about this book is how the characters from the previous books also made their appearance in this one. I love that, and it makes me love this series even more. There honestly isn’t anything I don’t like about this series.

If you haven’t read The Ones Who Got Away series yet, you definitely should start. The writing and romance is just so good, it makes you want to keep on reading until the very end. I can’t wait to read the next book!

5 AMAZING Stars
Review by Leah
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog

Wow, just wow! Talk about a book that opened my eyes. We always think we are looking at the big picture and then, it hits you. The One You Fight For by Roni Loren is a book about heartache, strength, courage, love, and loss. I have never been in that situation but reading this book is gut-wrenching thinking that this is happening.

Taryn is a forensic psychologist professor researching violent crimes and is trying to figure out how to stop them before they happen. She has a fantastic support system in her friends that everyone needs. Those ladies have her back to the point of walloping Shaw “Lucas” right upside the head. As serious as the subject is for this book, the trio of friends keep it light enough that you are not bursting out in tears every chapter. Taryn’s mother and father started to frustrate me throughout the book. But, keep reading, it will be worth it.

Shaw “Lucas” Miller has lived with a ghost in his closet he cannot release. The struggle he has because of the tragedy is so hard. I could not imagine being in his shoes. What the media does to him is a crime. Living under the pseudo-name Lucas, he lives a hidden life and that is not a way to live. He has given up on making connections, on having any strings that could tie him back to his past. Then, Taryn comes in and throws everything in the air.

I love how this author portrays Taryn. How she sees the bigger picture. How there are more victims than meet the eye of the media. The relationship between Taryn and Shaw “Lucas” is perfect. I usually do not read stories that could pop out of the news in the morning, but this one I am so glad I did.

I really enjoyed this one! This is the third book in the series that focuses on the lives of a group of individuals that survived a school shooting. This one also brings in family members of the shooter and demonstrates the impact the shooting had on them. It's incredible food for thought and I think the author handles the very difficult topic with great care. In this book we get to know Taryn. She may have survived the shooting but her sister was not as fortunate. She's devoted to whole life to understanding the underlying reasons that caused the shooting to happen and develop a program that will hopefully help prevent another occurrence in the future. When she starts to fall for the brother of the shooter (before she knew who he really was) Taryn finds she has some hard decisions to make.

This is a great story of forgiveness, hope and perseverance and definitely a book I recommend.

There are events, situations and people that serve to shape our lives -- to make us wiser, stronger or better humans. For Taryn Landry and Shaw Miller, fate delivers an opportunity for two lost, irrevocably connected souls for eternity to try to move on. Both are burdened by painful and lingering memories of the past. Though years have passed, the event of 12 years ago altered the course of their original destinies. Taryn dedicates her life to preventing future shootings to attempt to ease her guilt. Shaw struggles to overcome his anger at his brother, and the loss of his Olympic dreams. Two lost souls, destined to let go of the past. Sparks (continue) to fly! Can we say complicated?!

ARC provided by courtesy of Sourcebooks Casablanca via Netgalley.

THE ONE YOU FIGHT FOR is the third instalment in Roni Loren’s contemporary, adult THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY erotic, romance series focusing on the survivors of a mass shooting the night of their senior prom-Finn Dorsey, Olivia Arias, Rebecca Lindt, Taryn Landry and Kincaid Breslin. This is thirty-one year old psychology professor Dr. Taryn Landry, and trainer Shaw Miller’s story line. THE ONE YOU FIGHT FOR can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order, or at the very least book one, for backstory and cohesion as the details about what happened are revealed in THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Taryn and Shaw) THE ONE YOU FIGHT FOR follows the building relationship between thirty-one year old psychology professor Taryn Landry, and personal trainer Shaw Miller. Fourteen years earlier Shaw’s brother destroyed the town of Long Acre when he and a friend killed a number of students at the senior prom. Fast forward to present day wherein Shaw, now known as Lucas, returns to Long Acre to help a friend open a new gym, a return that comes with too many memories of the past. Enter Taryn Landry, a woman he doesn’t recognize but the woman that calls to his heart. What ensues is the building relationship between Taryn and Shaw, and the potential fall-out as the media take aim, and Taryn’s family is unable to forgive or forget.

Taryn Landry is a survivor. Not only did she survive the shooting at her senior prom but our heroine struggles with survivors remorse in the aftermath of what happened, and her sister’s murder on the very same day. Meeting personal trainer ‘Lucas Shaw’ gave Taryn a hope for the future, a hope that would be destroyed when the truth was revealed. Shaw Miller never wanted to return to his hometown of Long Acre, a town that would never forgive him for sins of the past. As the brother to a mass shooter, Shaw would always be connected to the destruction of so many lives.

The relationship between Taryn and Shaw is one of immediate attraction but our couple lied to one another from the start; neither one revealed their true identity, and in the ensuing aftermath Taryn and Shaw kept secret the truth from the people they loved. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

All of the series leading characters return as secondary and supporting characters including Liv and Finn (The Ones Who Got Away #1), Rebecca and Wes (the One you Cant Forget #2 ) and Kincaid Breslin. We re introduced Taryn’s parents, and Shaw’s best friend and business partner Rivers.

The world building continues to look at the impact of a mass shooting on a small town in rural America. As the rest of the country (and world) continue on with their lives, the survivors and families struggle in the wake of unbearable grief and moving forward. As our heroine pushes for changes, the bureaucracy continues to bury its’ proverbial head in the sand, while the family members of those who kill are vilified and destroyed at the hands of everyone else.

THE ONE YOU FIGHT FOR is an emotional and heart breaking story of love and hate, forgiveness and acceptance, mental illness and the ongoing struggle for those left behind to deal with the loss and grief The premise is sensitive and thought-provoking ; the characters are spirited, sassy and real; the romance is seductive and breathtaking. THE ONE YOU FIGHT FOR is a captivating and encouraging story of survival and loss.

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4.5 stars
This series is built on such a current and tragic premise and the love stories are unique and challenging. They focus on four friends who were survivors of a high school shooting that reunite twelve years later for a documentary and find their friendships and themselves again.

This is Taryn Landry's story. She is a research psychologist and professor. And she has dedicated her career to developing a program to help decrease the prevalence of school violence and trying to support those struggling. She has been so focused on that and taking care of her family that was affected by the shooting, that she has not really been enjoying life.

When she meets Lucas Shaw, there is an immediate spark. And as they keep running into each other, it seems to grow. But he has secrets...big ones. His life also imploded years ago and he has been hiding ever since. He is determined to live under the radar and not get involved. But something about Taryn keeps pulling him in. They somehow find laughter, comfort, safety, companionship, and passion. And even when he shares some of his deepest secrets, she is willing to listen.

While they are in their protected bubble, they can lie to themselves and say everything is going to be okay. But he does not live with a sense of permanence or even hope. And when all of the secrets are exposed, what will the fall out be?

This was my favorite of the series so far. I felt so strongly for both of them, but especially Shaw. The situation was near impossible. There were so many people who could be affected and so many ways that they could hurt each other. And he was so stoic and self sacrificing and it hurt my heart that he felt he needed to be that way. He had so much guilt and had been conditioned to believe he was not worthy and he did not deserve any happiness. And Taryn was always looking out for others at the expense of herself. I found myself hoping that there was a way out of the mess, to move forward from their pasts, and somehow find acceptance. I liked that they did communicate, but they had their work cut out for them due to various circumstances. This one hit me emotionally, but it also had humor, passion, and friendship.

I admired the idea of Taryn's work and hope that something like her program does start to become part of schools, because this really sheds light on how much needs to happen for kids to be supported, mentored, and hopefully to decrease the tragedies like this one. I enjoyed more with this group: Liv and Finn, Rebecca and Wes, Kincaid and his friend, Rivers. I am looking forward to Kincaid's book since she has been everyone else's cheerleader in relationships. But like the others she is bound to still be affected by their tragic history.

From the beginning of this series, when the three women were introduced, I had a premonition that one of these friends' romance was going to go there. The part of me that shies away from deep angst and tearjerker books hoped I was wrong, but another part of me was intrigued and wanted to see what the author would do with such a romance. Bet you are wondering what I'm talking about. I'll explain later, promise. Incidentally, the author turned in what I thought was the best book in the series and rivals many of her backlist triumphs.

So, The One You Fight For is book three in The Ones Who Got Away series. In a pinch it can be read out of order because it introduces new leads and situations, but there is a sense that each book builds on the ones before it leaving up to this, too.

Taryn is a research psychologist and professor who is driven to study the dark corners of the mind to find a way to prevent devastating tragedies like the one she lived through when she was in high school and to prevent deaths in those school shootings like her sister's. She meets a wonderful man who appreciates and accepts her, the chemistry between them is off the charts, and then she learns a shocking truth.

People stand behind, pity, and look solicitously upon a victim's family and a few even make noises about the 'sick' person who did the deed, but what of the shooter's family? They are villains by association. They should have known or, they share a propensity toward evil. Shaw Miller, Olympic hopeful's life was ruined the day his brother shot up the school. To even have the appearance of a normal life, he had to move away and change his name. Now, it all circles back. He's face to face with a survivor and the relative of a victim all in one and they share more than an attraction. Any chance with Taryn is destroyed, right?

So, yeah, a romance involving a survivor and someone from the victim's family was the scenario I had a hunch was coming even from the early chapters of book one. First, I was chicken to read it because of the inevitable angst, but then I worried that even this capable author would somehow miss the mark on this delicate situation. While, there were moments that didn't fully satisfy me with plot choices, for the most part, I think this was a really good book. And yes, it tore my heart out. I was emotionally exhausted after reading this one. Good thing I'd read a fluffy sweet holiday book before it and now I need more rainbows and unicorns to restore me.

I loved both Taryn and Shaw. I wish I didn't because at that pivotal point, I was aching for them. I kept grasping at the hope provided that this was a romance story because I needed this pair- most especially them to have their chance at happy. This is not the first story that reminds us to without condemnation of an innocent person as a target of grief, anger, and blame. It also reminds us of how far reaching such tragedy can be when Taryn tirelessly gives her all to find an answer.

All in all, this is a book I will not soon forget and am still feeling the aftershocks of emotion, but I'm glad I read it. Those who like their contemporary romances to include a great deal more than girl meets boy should give this series a go.

Some would say these two are an unlikely pair. But no one else can really know the pain they've all experienced, and how it affects the rest of your lives. This is Taryn's story.

I read book one and was incredibly moved and emotional throughout. I haven't read book two yet but I wasn't lost, and I can go back and read it. Taryn is living her life for her sister and her parents, full of survivor guilt and a drive to make a difference. Shaw has spent his life in a prison of his own making, and I'm not sure who is worse off. Two lonely people drawn together like magnets? When you find your person, your spot of light in the world, hold on with both hands and screw everyone else. It's not their life, it's not their heart! Once again, Roni has brought me to tears and made me feel so much. These characters deserve the happiest of ever afters.

Here we get Taryn’s story and boy is it heartbreaking what she carries around inside of her. Also everything she has done to stay true to her plan, something she promised to do after the shooting and losing her sister.
Shaw has his secret also. He’s another victim of that night. This story makes us stop and see that there quite a few victims. People we would never even think about being victims we see they also are. We see how lives are ruined and families are changed forever.
We get to see who are true friends and how they have your back no matter what.
I loved this book. I can’t wait for Kincaid’s book. I highly recommend this series. Each book can be read as a standalone but why miss one of the books. They are all great.