I received this book for free from Sourcebooks Casablanca in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The One You Can't Forget by Roni Loren Also in this series: The Ones Who Got Away, The One You Fight For
Series: The Ones Who Got Away #2
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on June 5, 2018
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 416
Format: eARC
Source: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Most days Rebecca Lindt feels like an imposter...The world admires her as a survivor. But that impression would crumble if people knew her secret. She didn't deserve to be the one who got away. But nothing can change the past, so she's thrown herself into her work. She can't dwell if she never slows down.
Wes Garrett is trying to get back on his feet after losing his dream restaurant, his money, and half his damn mind in a vicious divorce. But when he intervenes in a mugging and saves Rebecca―the attorney who helped his ex ruin him―his simple life gets complicated.
Their attraction is inconvenient and neither wants more than a fling. But when Rebecca's secret is put at risk, both discover they could lose everything, including what they never realized they needed: each other
She laughed and kissed him. This morning she'd melted down. But somehow this man had her laughing and turned on only a few hours later. Everything inside her felt buoyed.
She felt...light.
She'd forgotten what that felt like.
The One You Can’t Forget is the second book in this latest series by Roni Loren and I didn’t know what to expect, but from the ending of The One Who got Away, I just knew that I wanted Rebecca’s story so badly. And I can’t believe I am going to say this but The One You Can’t Forget is SO much better than the first book. Not that I didn’t get a fun time with The One Who Got Away, however this book was so much more engaging for me and the pace was way more steady. I read this all in one sitting, and I just didn’t want to put it down. There was something about this story that resonated a bit more with me.
Making her laugh was like some weird sort of drug in his starved system.
Our story begins with our heroine, Rebecca, who is a divorce lawyer who works for her father’s firm. Ever since high school and that fateful day where her life was in shambles from the shooting, she lost a big part of herself, including her belief in love and marriage. Rebecca once wanted it all including the boy she loved, marriage, kids and the white picket fence…but the boy she loved was in love with someone else. But now Rebecca has become stronger and more confident. She became a lawyer, and in the beginning scene we see how badass she is when it comes to her career.
Our hero enters the story, Wes Garrett, who is a chef but then he lost his dream resturaunt when he went through a rough divorce and he pretty much lost everything he had. And now he is starting over, teaching kids how to cook and wanting to start again with a food truck business to start and the ocassional stripping session of cooking lessons for bachelorette parties.
On Rebecca’s way home from work, she is mugged and she has flashbacks to the high school shooting and she freezes up, but then a dog comes out of nowhere and attacks her attackers who shoot the dog and Rebecca is heartbroken when the dog saved her life and then Wes arrives on the scene and helps her get some medical help for the dog that helped her and including medical attention she may need. When Wes volunteers to take her home to make sure its safe from those that robbed her, she is reluctant but agrees since she has no money on her for a cab or her house key. Even though there is apowerful chemistry between Wes and Rebecca, Rebecca wants to act on what she is feeling for this man but she recognizes him as one of the ex’s of her past client and she is part of the reason he lost everyhing. And she knows that he will never forgive or forget what she did to him.
She also grabbed a large, steel pepper mill in her hand.
He smirked “Is this where you bash me to the head and drag me to the basement?”
Her smile was brief, but her eyes sparked with humor. “Yeah. You scared?”
“I could think of worse fates than being held captive by a pretty redhead. “
But when she learns what Wes is doing for his kids that he is teaching, teenagers that are struggling, she wants to help him out and these kids that need a helping hand. And at the same time she wants something more with Wes, and once the truth comes out between them, Wes may be angry at first, but he understands that Rebecca was just doing her job which she apparently is great at. And even though he doesn’t want to do the casual fling with her, he also doesn’t want to give up on what could be the start to a great relationship. He knows of Rebecca’s past and that she needs it very slow, but soon Rebecca will have to face up to her past and also the love she is feeling for Wes and decide if she is willing to fight for him as he does for her….
I know…I just hate acting like some damsel in distress. I’m usually more together than this and–”
“Hey, stop, all right? You damsel however you damn well please. No one’s grading you on How To React after Being Robbed. You have had a hell of a night. You didn’t expect to be attacked. You didn’t expect to be saving a dog. And I’m sure you didn’t expect to have some strange dud traisping through your bedroom at midnight. “
The One You Can’t Forget was such a fantastic installment and I am so glad that I was able to pick this one up. I honestly didn’t know what to expect from this one, because we suspect that Rebecca is hiding a painful secret about the shooting, which we are teased about in the first book. And yeah once you learn what this secret it, you heart just breaks for Rebecca because you can see how much she has tormented herself over the years. But being with Wes, and falling in love with him, she begins to change in certain ways, especially in her belief that some relationships can make it. It is really rough at times in their relationship as Rebecca comes to this conclusion, but Wes is just wonderful, he never gives up on Rebecca and always has faith in her.
Use your life for something good. You can have another chance. Have this be a beginning instead of an ending.
We also have a twist with one of the kids and finding out who the muggers are and Rebecca really impressed me here when we find out the identity. She is so gracious and forgiving and you see her change here. Where she decides that even though she is great at being a divorce lawyer, she wants to do more to help kids out and seeing her come to this realization is pretty epic!! I just loved seeing her growth in this book and seeing her overcome the ghosts of her past and fight for what she wants in her present and her future.
You are…a spectacular, loving, beautiful, human being. Hell, you made a guy who’d sworn off relationships forever fall head over heels for you. If that isn’t working miracles, I don’t know what is. You see, Bec, you’ve got it all wrong. You didn’t pretend to be someone else around me. You gave me the best gift. You let yourself be who you really are with me. I got to meet that girl, and I’m so damn lucky for it.
Their sexy times are pretty fantastic and Roni Loren is such a talented author when it comes to the sex scenes. I just loved into these moments I was able to become immersed in. They are very sexy and hot at times, but at the same time you easily get lost in these moments and man….the way that this hero is so focused on the heroine and her pleasure being first is my favorite thing to see and Wes is so devoted to Rebecca…especially in the bedroom.
There is such a strong focus on the development of the romance here and Roni Loren does a real great job of balancing all the great elements out just right. Seeing the depth of emotion that comes bursting out of this book is breathtaking at times and pulls the reader instantly in. I can guarantee you will fall in love with Wes and Rebecca as much as I did. These two are fantastic together and I am sad that the book is over….I will definitely be doing a re read in the future. 🙂
About Roni Loren
Roni wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. She holds a master’s degree in social work and spent years as a mental health counselor, but now she writes full time from her cozy office in Dallas, Texas where she puts her characters on the therapy couch instead. She is a two-time RITA Award winner and a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.
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