Olivia and Finn are the lucky few -- only a small group of prom-goers made it out alive when two of their classmates began shooting assault rifles, destroying what should have been a beautiful night to remember. Instead of happy memories of that night, Olivia and Finn, as well as the other ones who got away, are left with PTSD and a defense mechanism of avoiding the past, and each other, at all costs. When called back home twelve years later to be interviewed for a documentary raising funds for the victims' families, Olivia and Finn can't deny what they left behind all those years ago -- a passionate relationship cut short and a past never resolved. They quickly discover that the affection they felt for one another is still there along with what might be an unhealthy dose of attraction, neither of which they can ignore. Each has their regrets from that fateful night, but they will have to learn how to resolve their own pasts before they can imagine their future together.
I know what you must be thinking: A contemporary romance about a school shooting?!?! I was skeptical, too. However, this was by far the most original contemporary romance setting I have ever come across. Loren takes care in voicing the thoughts and feelings of survivors by giving readers a glimpse into what it must be like as a victim: to have complete strangers know who you are and be so interested in what you went through and how your life has progressed since. She does not exploit the setting, instead letting the readers know (not so subtly, either) the trials and tribulations survivors must go through years after the horrific events that have changed their lives forever. The relationship between Olivia and Finn is so compelling, as well. Each has their own aftermath to deal with beyond the relationship they gave up on the night of the shooting. After high school, Olivia became reckless as she failed to cope with all she had been through, only to turn her life around and throw herself into her career as a web designer while Finn threw himself into law enforcement and became an undercover FBI agent in order to shut down those responsible for putting weapons in the hands of children. Both have their own aftermath to deal with, and discovering their passion for each other reminds them of what the happiness the shooters took away from them. While this novel deals with very sensitive issues, at its core is a beautiful relationship between two flawed people who need to find themselves before they can find each other.
I know what you must be thinking: A contemporary romance about a school shooting?!?! I was skeptical, too. However, this was by far the most original contemporary romance setting I have ever come across. Loren takes care in voicing the thoughts and feelings of survivors by giving readers a glimpse into what it must be like as a victim: to have complete strangers know who you are and be so interested in what you went through and how your life has progressed since. She does not exploit the setting, instead letting the readers know (not so subtly, either) the trials and tribulations survivors must go through years after the horrific events that have changed their lives forever. The relationship between Olivia and Finn is so compelling, as well. Each has their own aftermath to deal with beyond the relationship they gave up on the night of the shooting. After high school, Olivia became reckless as she failed to cope with all she had been through, only to turn her life around and throw herself into her career as a web designer while Finn threw himself into law enforcement and became an undercover FBI agent in order to shut down those responsible for putting weapons in the hands of children. Both have their own aftermath to deal with, and discovering their passion for each other reminds them of what the happiness the shooters took away from them. While this novel deals with very sensitive issues, at its core is a beautiful relationship between two flawed people who need to find themselves before they can find each other.