It 2018, it was a risky proposition to come out with a romance series based on a group of friends who survived a school shooting a decade earlier. But Roni Loren’s The Ones Who Got Away series gets stronger and more confident in every installment. In THE ONE YOU FIGHT FOR (Sourcebooks Casablanca; January 1), Loren takes on two kinds of survivors guilt with Taryn and Shaw.
Taryn’s sister was killed in the shooting and that loss shaped her professional life (she’s a psych professor) and kept her close to home, near parents who fear of losing another child. Shaw’s brother was one of the shooters and in the aftermath of the shooting, he sacrificed his own Olympic dreams because of the publicity. He’s been trying to keep a low profile ever since.
The One You Fight For artfully balances romance and the after effects of emotional trauma as it brings Taryn and Shaw together. Loren proves herself a master of the slow burn as their attraction to each other is complicated by their experiences of the shooting. And by what the world will say about their relationship. It’s “should we/shouldn’t we” with a side of “I can’t, but damn I want to.” Both Taryn and Shaw have put aspects of their lives on hold and it’s led to a lonely existence.
The One You Fight For is the most intense, emotionally gripping book in the series yet. It was a 5-star read for me, until an unnecessary twist late in the book took a little bit of the shine off of it. Still, The One You Fight For is brave and raw and chillingly relevant.
4.5 stars
Check out our reviews of the first two books in the series: The Ones Who Got Away and The One You Can’t Forget.
Get THE ONE YOU FIGHT FOR on the Ripped Bodice| Amazon | Apple iBooks