by Roni Loren
Genres: Contemporary, Contemporary Romance
Goodreads

She got a second chance at life.
Will she take a second chance at love?

Kincaid Breslin wasn't supposed to survive that fateful night at Long Acre when so many died, including her boyfriend—but survive she did. She doesn't know why she got that chance, but now she takes life by the horns and doesn't let anybody stand in her way

Ashton Isaacs was her best friend when disaster struck all those years ago, but he chose to run as far away as he could. Now fate has brought him back to town, and Ash doesn't know how to cope with his feelings for Kincaid and his grief over their lost friendship. For Ash has been carrying secrets, and he knows that once Kincaid learns the truth, he'll lose any chance he might have had with the only woman he's ever loved.

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

The One For You is the fourth and final book in The Ones Who Got Away series. While each book is a stand alone with different characters, I recommend that readers at least read the first book since that’s really where you understand what unites these characters.

This is one of those series that I’ve recommended time and time again as a must read. It’s hard to find a book, let alone a series, that affects you so much when reading it but Roni Loren has done a phenomenal job of evoking a lot of emotions for these characters while they still try to move on from a past that haunts them all. If you don’t know the back story, twelve years ago during their High School prom night, two boys opened fire, killing dozens of students and changing the lives of everyone there.

For Kincaid Breslin one of those victims was her boyfriend and the love of her life, Graham and while twelve years have passed, she hasn’t moved on. Besides dealing with grief over the loss of Graham, she also had to deal with her best friend Ash, leaving soon after the attack, making her feel abandoned and betrayed. Fast forward to the twelve year anniversary of the event and many of their old classmates have come back, including Ash. Now a semi-successful writer, Ash has left New York and a cheating ex-fiancee behind to try and write a new book and figure out where his life goes now. But coming back means that he has to face the girl he loved and left behind. Because while Kincaid always considered Ash her best friend, Ash’ feelings ran deeper and after the massacre and events that occurred after, he realized he could no longer live in Long Acre and pretend.

“Once upon a time, there was a feisty little girl named Kincaid who met this awkward little boy when she was out walking one day. She adopted him as her friend on sight, and he knew his life would never be the same…”

Kincaid is completely oblivious to Ash’ feelings for her which is equal amounts frustrating and funny. No matter how much time has passed, Ash still feels the same way for her but hates that he has to fight a ghost that still continues to hold on to Kincaid so tightly. But there are things that Kincaid doesn’t know about the night of the massacre that threatens their new tenuous re-friendship and he’s scared that telling Kincaid may be the final nail in the coffin for any sort of future.

It is tremendously bittersweet to finish this series, especially Kincaid’s story. She’s been that pivotal character throughout all of them, getting the group of survivors together and helping the other characters. Finally getting to read her story was what it was all leading up to for me and so worth it. Kincaid is a chatterbox and sweet, regardless of what happened to her growing up and the adult Kincaid has big dreams but trying to see them to fruition has her stumbling and unsure what to do anymore. Ash was, and still is, the nerdy guy who loves to read but now has grown up and the hipster has some muscles and is now a writer. The story alternates between the present and the past leading up to prom night and it works really well. A part of their present time is Kincaid and Ash as enemies so seeing them younger and as Best friends, seeing Ash’ feelings and Kincaid being totally clueless, helps show that these two had a strong past and when they work past it, can have a future together if they can both open their eyes and heal. This series was just amazing to read and this book brings it full circle.

On this day, I, Olivia Arias…
I, Rebecca Lindt…
I, Taryn Landry…
I, Kincaid Breslin…
Promise the Class of 2005 that I will not waste the second chance that I have been given, that I will honor all the people we lost by living my life to the fullest…