"The Ones Who Got Away" is a powerful second chance romance set 12 years after a school shooting. Olivia and Finn had been secretly dating their senior year of high school, secret largely because Olivia's father was Finn's parents' landscaper and they would not approve. More publicly, he was semi-dating another wealthy girl, Rebecca. When the teens began shooting at prom, Finn and Olivia were in a closet making out. When he heard Rebecca yelling, he left the closet, leaving Olivia to fend for herself, and became a hero by taking a bullet for Rebecca. The two didn't see each other until the unexpected reunion 12 years later (a film crew was making a documentary to benefit charity and they returned for this).
In the time since the shooting, both have been facing their demons and PTSD. Olivia is working in web design but leads a lonely life, and Finn works for the FBI, where he had been undercover for a few years- also very lonely. Seeing each other again quickly rekindles the feelings they had for each other in high school. As they are reminded of who they were and the promises they had made to themselves in the aftermath of the shooting, both take steps to live up to their passions and self-promises. Thus, they embark on a journey together, to spend the weekends of the summer together while Liv pursues her photography and Finn recuperates before returning to the FBI. Although it begins as platonic, their magnetic pull is hard to resist.
This was a really beautiful story about second chances and healing, perhaps more powerful because we hear not only about the immediate aftermath but also the long road to recovery (as it is set 12 years later). The romance and passion between the two was perfect- we get to see them build a new relationship plus hear about their history. There is a lot of unresolved sexual tension and several deliciously steamy scenes. Overall, it's a really powerful romance and I highly recommend it. As a warning, this does have some hard-to-read scenes and it is not always pretty (in terms of the school shooting and recovery) for people who might be sensitive. However, I absolutely think it is worth reading.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.
In the time since the shooting, both have been facing their demons and PTSD. Olivia is working in web design but leads a lonely life, and Finn works for the FBI, where he had been undercover for a few years- also very lonely. Seeing each other again quickly rekindles the feelings they had for each other in high school. As they are reminded of who they were and the promises they had made to themselves in the aftermath of the shooting, both take steps to live up to their passions and self-promises. Thus, they embark on a journey together, to spend the weekends of the summer together while Liv pursues her photography and Finn recuperates before returning to the FBI. Although it begins as platonic, their magnetic pull is hard to resist.
This was a really beautiful story about second chances and healing, perhaps more powerful because we hear not only about the immediate aftermath but also the long road to recovery (as it is set 12 years later). The romance and passion between the two was perfect- we get to see them build a new relationship plus hear about their history. There is a lot of unresolved sexual tension and several deliciously steamy scenes. Overall, it's a really powerful romance and I highly recommend it. As a warning, this does have some hard-to-read scenes and it is not always pretty (in terms of the school shooting and recovery) for people who might be sensitive. However, I absolutely think it is worth reading.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.