The Ones Who Got Away

March 26, 2018
Loren’s tender romance about former high school sweethearts who survived a mass shooting at their senior prom is regrettably timely. It’s been 12 years since Olivia “Liv” Arias laid eyes on Finn Dorsey, who’s now an FBI agent, and she’s hoping her luck will hold long enough to avoid him now. He jilted her to take another girl to the prom, and then took a bullet for his date. But she’s agreed to be interviewed for a documentary recalling the tragedy, and so has Finn. As soon as they see each other, memories of their adolescent love affair come flooding back. During an extended stay in their small Texas hometown, where the documentary is being filmed, an adult love affair grows and helps them both heal old emotional wounds. A small cast of credible supporting characters, all dealing with their own grief, lends gravity without becoming maudlin. Loren writes movingly about the long-term effects of violent trauma on survivors in this warmhearted romance. Agent: Sara Megibow, KT Literary.

A complex subject is addressed with sensitivity and forthrightness by both author and narrator in this contemporary romance. The main characters, all survivors of a school shooting, reunite 12 years after the incident to participate in a documentary about it. The love story between two of the survivors, Finn and Liv, is satisfying and believable. While narrator Jeanine Bartel does an excellent job conveying the host of emotions throughout the story, her male character portrayals are less credible than her female ones. However, she really shines during scenes with Liv and her high school girlfriends, giving each a unique voice and personality. This character-driven story would have benefited from dual narrators but is still worth a listen. L.C.L. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine