Publication date: January 2, 2018
Cover blurb:
Liv’s words cut off as Finn got closer. The man approaching was nothing like the boy she’d known. The bulky football muscles had streamlined into a harder, leaner package and the look in his deep green eyes held no trace of boyish innocence.
It’s been twelve years since tragedy struck the senior class of Long Acre High School. Only a few students survived that fateful night—a group the media dubbed The Ones Who Got Away.
Liv Arias thought she’d never return to Long Acre—until a documentary brings her and the other survivors back home. Suddenly her old flame, Finn Dorsey, is closer than ever, and their attraction is still white-hot. When a searing kiss reignites their passion, Liv realizes this rough-around-the-edges cop might be exactly what she needs…
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I have to be honest; the first thing that drew me to this book was the cover. (SO sexy!) And then of course, it is by Roni Loren and I *adore* her books. Then I read the description and the excerpt…wow. I could tell immediately that the book was going to be intense considering the subject matter, and that is would be a hard read. I don’t feel like I can continue this without giving a warning to those who may be sensitive to the fact that this story involves the survivors of a school shooting.
As the story begins, the survivors are brought back to Long Acre to be interviewed for a documentary about the shooting. Olivia ‘Liv’ Arias is recalling the nightmarish evening, when she was trapped in the janitor’s closet by one of the shooters. While she tells that part of her story, what she has never told anyone was why she had been in the closet initially…her secret relationship with Finn Dorsey. Liv was the daughter of the landscaper, and Finn was the son of wealthy parents and a popular football jock. While he hadn’t taken her to the prom, they had ended up in the closet arguing and then making out until the sound of gunshots and screams awoke them to the danger. Liv had not seen Finn since that night when he left her to save his actual prom date, Rebecca.
Since that awful night, Finn had devoted himself to investigating weapons trafficking as an undercover FBI agent and trying to find the source of the guns that the killers used. He recently emerged from a dangerous undercover investigation and is under orders from his boss to rest and mentally recuperate before his next assignment. Finn had been labeled a hero after the shooting and his family had left Long Acre to get away from the notoriety, and he had stayed away partly due to the guilt he had felt after leaving Liv that night.
They both have conflicting emotions at seeing other again, but their relationship builds from an intense sexual tension into a passionate affair that they agree is only for the summer. With a backdrop of tragedy however, their relationship is not an easy one, though there are quite a few moments of humor that helps to break up the otherwise deeply affecting story.
I feel odd at saying I really enjoyed their romance because of the subject matter involved, but of the handful of others that I’ve read with a similar theme, none made me feel the way this one did. Part of the difference was that the shooting is integral to the storyline and the lives of the characters, where the other examples I can think of were used as a plot device to bring characters together. The shared tragedy and histories of Liv, Finn and their fellow survivors are the building blocks for this series, and I thought Roni did an excellent job in portraying the difficult concepts within this first entry.
There were a variety of emotions for me while reading the book: compassion, sympathy, horror and even amusement at times. Liv and Finn both exhibit a sense of humor about trying to refrain from allowing their relationship to develop into a sexual one. I liked that these lighter parts served to break up some of the darker themes so it didn’t seem too overwhelming. And yes, there were several times I cried because I’m just a softy about these things.
This is one story where I cannot give a blanket endorsement for everyone to read it, because I know that some readers may have difficulties with the nature of the conflict. Unfortunately in the world we live in, too many people are exposed to the tragedy of gun violence and would not be comfortable with the subject. But if you are willing to give it a try, I think you will be surprised at how thoughtfully it is handled, but that is a decision each person must make for themselves.
I will definitely be reading the future books in the series, and I would like to thank Sourcebooks, BookishFirst and Netgalley for the chance to receive both an advanced excerpt and review copy of the novel.