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The Ones #1
The Ones We Fight For
Walker Hartrick was the epitome of a free bird with a devil-may-care attitude until tragedy struck his family and he was thrown into guardianship over his nieces and nephews. To make matters worse, the daughter of the man who destroyed everything he ever cared about moved back to Archwood, Oregon. She’s a reminder of what he lost and the ever-growing list of his failures.
The one person he should never pursue.
Talia Cohen, one half of a failed engagement and new grocery store owner, upended her entire life to move back to her childhood town with its fair share of dark memories. A change of pace was what she wanted—a new life away from the one she’d built in New York City that had come crumbling to the ground. Answering for the sins of her father and continually running into the one person who was adamant about wanting nothing to do with her wasn’t high on her list.
Falling for him was never the plan.
The one person he should never pursue.
Talia Cohen, one half of a failed engagement and new grocery store owner, upended her entire life to move back to her childhood town with its fair share of dark memories. A change of pace was what she wanted—a new life away from the one she’d built in New York City that had come crumbling to the ground. Answering for the sins of her father and continually running into the one person who was adamant about wanting nothing to do with her wasn’t high on her list.
Falling for him was never the plan.
356 pages, Paperback
Published April 18, 2023
162 people are currently reading
3600 people want to read
About the author
Katie Golightly
6 books179 followersKatie grew up in Southern Oregon surrounded by never-ending trees, trails, and water sources. In addition to getting serotonin from the outdoors and well-organized spreadsheets, she has always been drawn to the art of storytelling. Her family knows her as someone who can successfully make people cry with a well-written birthday card. Reading captivated and sucked her in from a young age and eventually, the endless stories she fabricated in her head became too much of a hyper fixation to not write down on paper. Although her romance novels are often sexy and comedic, they also focus heavily on mental health and self-worth. Ultimately, her goal is to use the human condition to connect to the heart of readers and she makes no exception with her debut novel, The Ones We Fight For.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 262 reviews
April 25, 2023
I wrote this. My friends and therapist said I'm not allowed to rate it 3 stars 😂
May 25, 2023
This was a cute debut romance with the found family trope! I enjoyed the writing and the characters but it was way too long imo.
April 18, 2023
This was a heartfelt, emotional, slow burn, dual POV, friends to lovers romance that sees enemies turned friends Walker and Talia bonding as they work together to help care for five siblings left reeling after the accidental death of their parents.
Walker is trying to hold it together after being thrust into a guardian role for his nieces and nephews and it doesn't help when he almost rear-ends Talia - the daughter of the man who killed his brother and sister-in-law.
Despite not wanting anything to do with Talia, the two end up becoming friends as Talia quickly turns into a person the Hartricks come to rely on for all kinds of help and advice. This book is full of amazing found family, a strong cast of secondary characters, great mental health rep and a delicious sloooooow burn that really pays off by the 90% mark.
Recommended for fans of Chloe Liese and books like Next of kin by Hannah Bonam-Young or The godparent trap by Rachel Van Dyken. Many thanks to the author for sharing an early e-ARC copy with me in exchange for my honest review.
I fell in love with all the characters in this book and was sad to see it end! Plus the amazing therapy and disability rep in this story was unparalleled! It was really hard to believe this was a debut and I can't wait to read whatever Katie writes next!
🔥Steam level: open door
⚠️CW: anxiety, panic attacks, infertility, alcoholic parents, grief over the sudden death of loved ones
Walker is trying to hold it together after being thrust into a guardian role for his nieces and nephews and it doesn't help when he almost rear-ends Talia - the daughter of the man who killed his brother and sister-in-law.
Despite not wanting anything to do with Talia, the two end up becoming friends as Talia quickly turns into a person the Hartricks come to rely on for all kinds of help and advice. This book is full of amazing found family, a strong cast of secondary characters, great mental health rep and a delicious sloooooow burn that really pays off by the 90% mark.
Recommended for fans of Chloe Liese and books like Next of kin by Hannah Bonam-Young or The godparent trap by Rachel Van Dyken. Many thanks to the author for sharing an early e-ARC copy with me in exchange for my honest review.
I fell in love with all the characters in this book and was sad to see it end! Plus the amazing therapy and disability rep in this story was unparalleled! It was really hard to believe this was a debut and I can't wait to read whatever Katie writes next!
🔥Steam level: open door
⚠️CW: anxiety, panic attacks, infertility, alcoholic parents, grief over the sudden death of loved ones
October 8, 2024
3.5 ⭐
💟Enemies to lovers – Friends to lovers
💟Slow burn
💟Comedia romántica
Hermosa historia. Donde conocerán a Walker y a toda su tribu. Y a Talia, el angel que vino a salvar un poco a Walker.
Encontrarán temas como la ansiedad, el dolor por la perdida de un ser amado, las inseguridades, pero también mucho amor, escenas de comedia y como buen Slow burn, tensión, mucha tensión y casi al final veremos por fin esas escenas candentes.
Amarán a los personajes principales, su crecimiento, lo bien que se compenetraron, y como se ayudaron mutuamente. Y a los sobrinos los amarán, con sus diversas personalidades y ocurrencias.
💟Enemies to lovers – Friends to lovers
💟Slow burn
💟Comedia romántica
Hermosa historia. Donde conocerán a Walker y a toda su tribu. Y a Talia, el angel que vino a salvar un poco a Walker.
Encontrarán temas como la ansiedad, el dolor por la perdida de un ser amado, las inseguridades, pero también mucho amor, escenas de comedia y como buen Slow burn, tensión, mucha tensión y casi al final veremos por fin esas escenas candentes.
Amarán a los personajes principales, su crecimiento, lo bien que se compenetraron, y como se ayudaron mutuamente. Y a los sobrinos los amarán, con sus diversas personalidades y ocurrencias.
June 16, 2023
I am rating this a 3 and that's very generous of me, to be honest.
This started off really good. You were automatically captivated by Walker and his situation. Having to take over the responsibility of being the guardian of five kids and how he was dealing with the loss of his brother and sister-in-law was so heartbreaking to read. Then we find out that Talia is the daughter of the man who killed Walker's brother and SIL. She's back in town to take over her father's store and obviously meets Walker in the process. They don't hit it off at first and I was all about it. All so heartbreaking and the story kept me hooked. I was loving the pop culture references. I was enjoying all of the characters and the storyline.
THEN, things went south. I don't know what happened but man, this lost my interest quickly. We went from Walker and Talia barely being able to stand each other to Talia helping with taking care of all the kids like five pages later. We go from random stranger Talia to Walker's bestie who texts the kids and listens to all their problems. We got from hate to love in what felt like five seconds. At one point, I had to stop and go back to see if I missed something because it felt so fast forwarded and I was just confused. I felt like we never grew with the characters and we never got to see the development of any of the relationships. It just happened in the blink of an eye. The word 'love' was thrown around real quick in their minds. There was no emotional attachment to Walker and Talia, for me. It just felt rushed. Which is funny because this was so unnecessarily long.
I totally understand where the storyline was going and what the themes of this was. I appreciate how mental health and grief was addressed. That was a beautifully written part. The rest was fairly mediocre and I just felt like it didn't start off that way. Somewhere, around 25%-40% in, is where the story just lacked. I was getting bored. Things started to feel repetitive. I couldn't stand how many times Talia and Walker would ask someone "oh do you think they like me?" and then the two of them would talk to each other about how attracted they were to each other and then two pages later, "do you think they like me?". They started sounding like desperate teenagers. They would admit their feelings and then insult the other and stay away from each other for days. Then something else would happen between them and they'd repeat the same actions. I don't know if they were in denial or just stupid. And it annoyed me. It's not that I didn't like them together, I just didn't quite feel the chemistry. Maybe that's why it bothered me so much; it didn't feel real.
I did like the dynamic between Walker and his nieces and nephews. Their relationships were all adorable and it made me like Walker a lot more. I thought it was really cute when they tried to bid Talia off to Walker. I liked how open and honest they were with each other (even if they had to make the mistakes first). I liked that they wanted their uncle happy and they wanted to help him help them. It was genuinely cute.
I think if this was shorter and less repetitive we could have had a better story. I don't want to say this was written poorly but there were definitely parts that lost me. I actually enjoyed knowing that Walker was a ghost rider and I feel like sooo much more could have been done with that. I feel like it got lost. Instead of maybe talking about their feelings every other page, we could have explored something else, like his job. Their inner thoughts were sooo long as well. And all of their inner thoughts was the same things over and over and over again. It was the same three thoughts written a million times and then dialogue that repeated itself. When I find myself skimming pages, that's a major red flag for me in my ratings. Like I said before, I was very generous with this rating.
Overall, this had a good message and acknowledgment of things people struggle with on a daily basis. There were times I felt the heavy emotions and then times were there was such a lack of emotion. The characters were written well but I couldn't take how cheesy it was. It didn't feel appropriate to make these characters as cheesy as they were; it didn't fit the vibe. I was expecting a lot of humor and was disappointed that there just wasn't a lot of it. I wanted good banter and one liners but it was just corny lines that felt weird. The family dynamics were good and the deep conversations were nice to read. Something was missing and I think I just had higher expectations.
This started off really good. You were automatically captivated by Walker and his situation. Having to take over the responsibility of being the guardian of five kids and how he was dealing with the loss of his brother and sister-in-law was so heartbreaking to read. Then we find out that Talia is the daughter of the man who killed Walker's brother and SIL. She's back in town to take over her father's store and obviously meets Walker in the process. They don't hit it off at first and I was all about it. All so heartbreaking and the story kept me hooked. I was loving the pop culture references. I was enjoying all of the characters and the storyline.
THEN, things went south. I don't know what happened but man, this lost my interest quickly. We went from Walker and Talia barely being able to stand each other to Talia helping with taking care of all the kids like five pages later. We go from random stranger Talia to Walker's bestie who texts the kids and listens to all their problems. We got from hate to love in what felt like five seconds. At one point, I had to stop and go back to see if I missed something because it felt so fast forwarded and I was just confused. I felt like we never grew with the characters and we never got to see the development of any of the relationships. It just happened in the blink of an eye. The word 'love' was thrown around real quick in their minds. There was no emotional attachment to Walker and Talia, for me. It just felt rushed. Which is funny because this was so unnecessarily long.
I totally understand where the storyline was going and what the themes of this was. I appreciate how mental health and grief was addressed. That was a beautifully written part. The rest was fairly mediocre and I just felt like it didn't start off that way. Somewhere, around 25%-40% in, is where the story just lacked. I was getting bored. Things started to feel repetitive. I couldn't stand how many times Talia and Walker would ask someone "oh do you think they like me?" and then the two of them would talk to each other about how attracted they were to each other and then two pages later, "do you think they like me?". They started sounding like desperate teenagers. They would admit their feelings and then insult the other and stay away from each other for days. Then something else would happen between them and they'd repeat the same actions. I don't know if they were in denial or just stupid. And it annoyed me. It's not that I didn't like them together, I just didn't quite feel the chemistry. Maybe that's why it bothered me so much; it didn't feel real.
I did like the dynamic between Walker and his nieces and nephews. Their relationships were all adorable and it made me like Walker a lot more. I thought it was really cute when they tried to bid Talia off to Walker. I liked how open and honest they were with each other (even if they had to make the mistakes first). I liked that they wanted their uncle happy and they wanted to help him help them. It was genuinely cute.
I think if this was shorter and less repetitive we could have had a better story. I don't want to say this was written poorly but there were definitely parts that lost me. I actually enjoyed knowing that Walker was a ghost rider and I feel like sooo much more could have been done with that. I feel like it got lost. Instead of maybe talking about their feelings every other page, we could have explored something else, like his job. Their inner thoughts were sooo long as well. And all of their inner thoughts was the same things over and over and over again. It was the same three thoughts written a million times and then dialogue that repeated itself. When I find myself skimming pages, that's a major red flag for me in my ratings. Like I said before, I was very generous with this rating.
Overall, this had a good message and acknowledgment of things people struggle with on a daily basis. There were times I felt the heavy emotions and then times were there was such a lack of emotion. The characters were written well but I couldn't take how cheesy it was. It didn't feel appropriate to make these characters as cheesy as they were; it didn't fit the vibe. I was expecting a lot of humor and was disappointed that there just wasn't a lot of it. I wanted good banter and one liners but it was just corny lines that felt weird. The family dynamics were good and the deep conversations were nice to read. Something was missing and I think I just had higher expectations.
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May 1, 2023How far did I get? Around 160 pages in, which is about halfway through.
Why did I stop? I was really looking forward to this indie debut, because not only is the cover GORGEOUS, but the blurb sounds fantastic. Unfortunately, I’m not the biggest fan of 3rd person POV – I didn’t realize it was going in; 90-95% of the books I encounter are not. It’s not a dealbreaker, but the book has to immediately hook me for it to work. This super slow burn is so quiet and emotional that it didn’t have the kind of immersive quality I’d need to enjoy that POV. I also found the pacing a little frustrating, as there’s a lot of setup relating to the large cast of characters, and then our couple goes from instant enemies-ish to mutual crushes very quickly. It was all wholesome and sweet, but I also started to feel the page count. I only got halfway through, and it’s not liked I wanted to DNF, but I don’t want to push through when something is clearly just not a good fit for me. So, not a quality issue, just a preference. I do have a little side note though – I also did not like the way spicy/smutty romance books are discussed in the story, at least in the portion I read. I assume it will be a larger (more positive?) discussion later in the book, since the hero ghostwrites super spicy romance/erotica, and he’s embarrassed about the quality of them. The heroine has read some of the books he writes, and thinks to herself “she was a human trash can feeding herself garbage on occasion, and she was fine with that.” Do I think of myself as a “human trash can” if I read bingeable romance that’s focused on the spice? Absolutely not. I don’t think it was ill-intended, but it certainly didn’t sit right with me either.
Was I enjoying it initially? Yeah, I was. This is a debut by an author who seems to have similar reading tastes to me, so I was looking forward to this in a big way – especially after seeing that stunning cover. I love the themes that are explored, and I liked both main characters. So certainly nothing terrible about the book, and the writing quality is there. Simply not a good fit for this reader.
Would I finish this? I would. I’ve been so busy with work that rom coms have been my jam recently, but if this becomes a breakout hit (I would not be shocked), then I’d certainly pick it back up once enough time has passed for me to be in a different kind of reading mood. I still don’t think it’s a great fit for me stylistically, but sometimes I love books that I set aside the first time. Who knows!
Who would I recommend this to? Slow burn lovers! This is clearly going to be a super slow burn, I can tell that from what I’ve read. It’s also pretty emotional, and deals with some heavy topics. Perfect for anyone who loves found family, and that will be a major component of the series as a whole (the kids are mostly teens, and they’ll be getting their own books). So there’s a ton of potential here, especially if you’re a fan of 3rd person POV.
Why did I stop? I was really looking forward to this indie debut, because not only is the cover GORGEOUS, but the blurb sounds fantastic. Unfortunately, I’m not the biggest fan of 3rd person POV – I didn’t realize it was going in; 90-95% of the books I encounter are not. It’s not a dealbreaker, but the book has to immediately hook me for it to work. This super slow burn is so quiet and emotional that it didn’t have the kind of immersive quality I’d need to enjoy that POV. I also found the pacing a little frustrating, as there’s a lot of setup relating to the large cast of characters, and then our couple goes from instant enemies-ish to mutual crushes very quickly. It was all wholesome and sweet, but I also started to feel the page count. I only got halfway through, and it’s not liked I wanted to DNF, but I don’t want to push through when something is clearly just not a good fit for me. So, not a quality issue, just a preference. I do have a little side note though – I also did not like the way spicy/smutty romance books are discussed in the story, at least in the portion I read. I assume it will be a larger (more positive?) discussion later in the book, since the hero ghostwrites super spicy romance/erotica, and he’s embarrassed about the quality of them. The heroine has read some of the books he writes, and thinks to herself “she was a human trash can feeding herself garbage on occasion, and she was fine with that.” Do I think of myself as a “human trash can” if I read bingeable romance that’s focused on the spice? Absolutely not. I don’t think it was ill-intended, but it certainly didn’t sit right with me either.
Was I enjoying it initially? Yeah, I was. This is a debut by an author who seems to have similar reading tastes to me, so I was looking forward to this in a big way – especially after seeing that stunning cover. I love the themes that are explored, and I liked both main characters. So certainly nothing terrible about the book, and the writing quality is there. Simply not a good fit for this reader.
Would I finish this? I would. I’ve been so busy with work that rom coms have been my jam recently, but if this becomes a breakout hit (I would not be shocked), then I’d certainly pick it back up once enough time has passed for me to be in a different kind of reading mood. I still don’t think it’s a great fit for me stylistically, but sometimes I love books that I set aside the first time. Who knows!
Who would I recommend this to? Slow burn lovers! This is clearly going to be a super slow burn, I can tell that from what I’ve read. It’s also pretty emotional, and deals with some heavy topics. Perfect for anyone who loves found family, and that will be a major component of the series as a whole (the kids are mostly teens, and they’ll be getting their own books). So there’s a ton of potential here, especially if you’re a fan of 3rd person POV.
April 3, 2024
(4.75 ⭐️) Una OBRA MAESTRA TOTALMENTE INFRAVALORADA. Llevaba mucho tiempo sin leer un romance de calidad, y es que esto no es solo una historia de amor si no de crecimiento personal y hasta de familia. LO TIENE TODO. No puedo quejarme, es perfecto. El final me hizo llorar de lo PRECIOSO que fue. Sin palabras.
April 6, 2023
I am so impressed by this DEBUT (seriously, how?) novel by Katie Golightly. The way she weaves together grief with humour and banter and a slow burn I was sure would kill me was nothing short of masterful.
I appreciate the time Katie put into forming a real friendship between Talia and Walker. I loved how Talia stepped up to help the entire Hartrick family - if you enjoy stories about found family, this will be your jam! I also completely adored all of the kids, as well as Amala, Roscoe, and Jayla. The whole silent auction moment was a highlight. 😆
And that slow burn? I am typically not a fan, but trust me, the payoff was WELL worth it. These two are sexy as hell. Just so incredibly horny for one another. And the epilogue?? Chefs kiss. So, so, SO good.
Thank you so much to the author for trusting me with an advanced copy. The Ones We Fight For, and it’s beautiful cover, will be released April 18th.
I appreciate the time Katie put into forming a real friendship between Talia and Walker. I loved how Talia stepped up to help the entire Hartrick family - if you enjoy stories about found family, this will be your jam! I also completely adored all of the kids, as well as Amala, Roscoe, and Jayla. The whole silent auction moment was a highlight. 😆
And that slow burn? I am typically not a fan, but trust me, the payoff was WELL worth it. These two are sexy as hell. Just so incredibly horny for one another. And the epilogue?? Chefs kiss. So, so, SO good.
Thank you so much to the author for trusting me with an advanced copy. The Ones We Fight For, and it’s beautiful cover, will be released April 18th.
January 9, 2024
4.75 stars.
This book... 😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️
I cannot tell you how many times I sobbed while reading it. Multiple times in public places where I just wanted to tell people, "please ignore me while I ugly cry over these fictional and wonderful people".
But I also laughed so much. The banter, the family interactions, the ridiculous flirting... golden.
Walker just lost his brother and sister-in-law to a drunk driver who just so happened to be Talia's dad. They meet and fireworks ensue. From the first moment, I loved both of them. Talia is reeling from losing her mom, inheriting a grocery store from her dad, breaking up with her ex because of things, and moving to a new place where she doesn't know anyone.
Walker is a darling. He loves his family fiercely and wants to do anything and everything from his brother's five kids. Ugh. He was THE BEST!!! It's heartbreaking how much he feels like he's failing the kids and unworthy. Ugh. It got me so hard.
Talia stumbles into helping his family and they quickly grow into this beautiful friendship/found family situation where they are enormously attracted to each other.
Where I took a 1/4 star off is how long it takes for Walker to get his head out of this a$$ and have a true conversation with Talia. Plus, some of the mentions of his manwhore past and looking to slake his lust with someone grossed me out.
Thankfully, he ends up going to therapy (pretty much they all do) and he works on his issues that kept him from being with Talia. I love how he checks in with his nieces and nephews to make sure they'd be okay with him pursuing Talia and they're all "get on with it already. We tried to get you together and you've been stupid". It's great.
This was magical and so good. If you like hurt/comfort and found family and deep relationship building and great sibling dynamics and and and, check this out.
Safety deets
- Walker was a manwhore in his past. By the time he meets Talia, he's out of that lifestyle; however, there are frequent mentions of how promiscuous he was and I hated that. Plus, he contemplates getting with some other woman to get his horniness for Talia dealt with and I also hated that. Thankfully, it doesn't go beyond thoughts but I irritated me.
- There is some small other man drama with Talia's ex-fiancé but it doesn't go anywhere. Just causes some jealousy. And I don't get how Talia was so open to the ex.
- Sexy times don't really happen until the very end.
- Death of parents and siblings (off page) really color this book. The dead family members are very present and relevant to the story. Also... 😭😭😭
- They get their HEA at the end and it's so satisfying. I would have loved to see them years down the road tho.
- They are both 26 but have too much career success for their age to be quite believable. I actually think they would read more realistically around 30-32.
- Money is so not an issue in this book. I get the impression that both are fairly wealthy cause even tho they both grew up poor, there are NO worries about paying for some pretty expensive stuff, including therapy for the kids and him, a whole extra apartment he's not living in, etc.
This book... 😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️
I cannot tell you how many times I sobbed while reading it. Multiple times in public places where I just wanted to tell people, "please ignore me while I ugly cry over these fictional and wonderful people".
But I also laughed so much. The banter, the family interactions, the ridiculous flirting... golden.
Walker just lost his brother and sister-in-law to a drunk driver who just so happened to be Talia's dad. They meet and fireworks ensue. From the first moment, I loved both of them. Talia is reeling from losing her mom, inheriting a grocery store from her dad, breaking up with her ex because of things, and moving to a new place where she doesn't know anyone.
Walker is a darling. He loves his family fiercely and wants to do anything and everything from his brother's five kids. Ugh. He was THE BEST!!! It's heartbreaking how much he feels like he's failing the kids and unworthy. Ugh. It got me so hard.
Talia stumbles into helping his family and they quickly grow into this beautiful friendship/found family situation where they are enormously attracted to each other.
Where I took a 1/4 star off is how long it takes for Walker to get his head out of this a$$ and have a true conversation with Talia. Plus, some of the mentions of his manwhore past and looking to slake his lust with someone grossed me out.
Thankfully, he ends up going to therapy (pretty much they all do) and he works on his issues that kept him from being with Talia. I love how he checks in with his nieces and nephews to make sure they'd be okay with him pursuing Talia and they're all "get on with it already. We tried to get you together and you've been stupid". It's great.
This was magical and so good. If you like hurt/comfort and found family and deep relationship building and great sibling dynamics and and and, check this out.
Safety deets
- Walker was a manwhore in his past. By the time he meets Talia, he's out of that lifestyle; however, there are frequent mentions of how promiscuous he was and I hated that. Plus, he contemplates getting with some other woman to get his horniness for Talia dealt with and I also hated that. Thankfully, it doesn't go beyond thoughts but I irritated me.
- There is some small other man drama with Talia's ex-fiancé but it doesn't go anywhere. Just causes some jealousy. And I don't get how Talia was so open to the ex.
- Sexy times don't really happen until the very end.
- Death of parents and siblings (off page) really color this book. The dead family members are very present and relevant to the story. Also... 😭😭😭
- They get their HEA at the end and it's so satisfying. I would have loved to see them years down the road tho.
- They are both 26 but have too much career success for their age to be quite believable. I actually think they would read more realistically around 30-32.
- Money is so not an issue in this book. I get the impression that both are fairly wealthy cause even tho they both grew up poor, there are NO worries about paying for some pretty expensive stuff, including therapy for the kids and him, a whole extra apartment he's not living in, etc.
January 15, 2025
Lectura amena y entretenida. Los personajes están bien desarrollados y hay una exploración de temas como el duelo y la ansiedad.
March 27, 2023
I was so honored to be a beta reader on this. The Ones We Fight For is full of heart, warmth, and safety. Even through the hard parts, the emotional parts, it felt like someone enveloping me in a warm hug and telling me it was gonna be okay (spoiler alert: it *is* gonna be okay; the only way out is through, insert another cliche here). It took me a full 20 minutes after I finished reading to finish wiping the tears away because my heart was so full and warm and I was so happy to see them happy (not just Walker and Talia, but the whole Hartrick clan and the Winstons, too). Katie addresses real, nuanced issues without making them feel hamfisted or trite. The care I felt for every character, both side and main, is truly a testament to how well-written and thought-out they all were. I will be thinking about the Hartrick family and Archwood for a long, long time.
September 11, 2023
For covering so many heavy topics, this book was such a delight. The love story between Walker and Talia felt incredibly authentic as it moved from animosity into friendship into more. And I loved how well you get to know Walker's nieces and nephews as you read. When I started, I worried I'd have trouble keeping track of who was who, especially with the names all beginning with a C or P, but I quickly felt like I learned who each kid was and what made them different.
Another thing I deeply loved was the representation of both infertility and anxiety. I've read so many books where someone who struggles with infertility is able to end up conceiving, which is obviously the goal for anyone who wants kids and is struggling, but unfortunately is not the lived experience of most people. The way The Ones We Fight For delved into the concept of found family, and being able to build the family you want however you can, was SO moving and heartwarming. Family isn't just blood - it comes back to choice, too.
Walker's anxiety felt very true to my own experience with anxiety, especially his frequent worries that he needed to stay strong for those around him and couldn't allow himself to be "weak". The way Talia didn't want to "fix" him, but instead wanted to support him and help him to better cope with his trauma, is something that I've always been looking for in a partner as someone who suffers from chronic anxiety and panic attacks!
In summary - Talia and Walker are perfect, the kids are perfect, the representation is perfect, and I am very much looking forward to reading everything Katie writes in the future!
You can expect: ghostwriter MMC, business owner FMC, enemies to lovers, meet-accident, MMC as guardian of nieces and nephews, found family, anxiety rep, infertility rep, no third act breakup.
TW: death due to drunk driving (past), abusive parent (past, off page).
Another thing I deeply loved was the representation of both infertility and anxiety. I've read so many books where someone who struggles with infertility is able to end up conceiving, which is obviously the goal for anyone who wants kids and is struggling, but unfortunately is not the lived experience of most people. The way The Ones We Fight For delved into the concept of found family, and being able to build the family you want however you can, was SO moving and heartwarming. Family isn't just blood - it comes back to choice, too.
Walker's anxiety felt very true to my own experience with anxiety, especially his frequent worries that he needed to stay strong for those around him and couldn't allow himself to be "weak". The way Talia didn't want to "fix" him, but instead wanted to support him and help him to better cope with his trauma, is something that I've always been looking for in a partner as someone who suffers from chronic anxiety and panic attacks!
In summary - Talia and Walker are perfect, the kids are perfect, the representation is perfect, and I am very much looking forward to reading everything Katie writes in the future!
You can expect: ghostwriter MMC, business owner FMC, enemies to lovers, meet-accident, MMC as guardian of nieces and nephews, found family, anxiety rep, infertility rep, no third act breakup.
TW: death due to drunk driving (past), abusive parent (past, off page).
May 27, 2023
2.5 stars. This wasn’t a bad book at all, so I feel bad rating it so low. But three stars for me is like my average rating. It was cute story but gd i was so bored. I picked it up and would fall asleep within 15 minutes of reading it. It took me daaaaaays to read because I was so bored. It also seemed way too long and really redundant. Nothing really happens. I do like how it talks about grief and mental illness and the hard parts of life. Really appreciated that aspect. But overall, I didn’t really enjoy reading this book.
October 19, 2023
I adored the characters! i had really enjoyed this book but third person POV took me a while to get into and used to
April 6, 2023
I had the privilege and honour of being a beta reader for Katie's debut novel. From the first chapter, I was gripped by the story and amazed by Katie's ability to write with incredible compassion, sensitivity, and humour, especially when addressing really heavy issues like grief, infertility, anxiety, and more. FYI, Katie does provide content/trigger warnings at the beginning so people can make an informed choice about reading this book. She also writes a beautiful, honest author's note that in and of itself is worth a read. Katie may also have the best promotion game on bookstagram: her reels, family tree, the quotation posts - everything.
Some of the MANY things I love about this book:
- the emphasis on how families can be formed in so many ways
- the slow-burn romance with a fantastic pay off at the end (Katie makes us WAIT for the steam!)
- how well-timed the humour is throughout the book
- the grocery cart racing scene!
- the cake fight scene!
- how much love these characters have for each other
I am so excited (and relieved!) that this book is the first in a series. I can't wait to visit with the Hartrick's and their extended found family again!!
Katie, we only connected a few months ago and I am so happy we met and I'm so freakin' proud of you. I can't wait to buy a physical copy of the book and have it on my shelves!!!
If it's not obvious by now, I was provided with an early copy of the book in exchange for feedback. However, this review is entirely my own opinion.
Some of the MANY things I love about this book:
- the emphasis on how families can be formed in so many ways
- the slow-burn romance with a fantastic pay off at the end (Katie makes us WAIT for the steam!)
- how well-timed the humour is throughout the book
- the grocery cart racing scene!
- the cake fight scene!
- how much love these characters have for each other
I am so excited (and relieved!) that this book is the first in a series. I can't wait to visit with the Hartrick's and their extended found family again!!
Katie, we only connected a few months ago and I am so happy we met and I'm so freakin' proud of you. I can't wait to buy a physical copy of the book and have it on my shelves!!!
If it's not obvious by now, I was provided with an early copy of the book in exchange for feedback. However, this review is entirely my own opinion.
April 6, 2023
This was an absolutely wonderful debut. Katie has written a beautiful story with a great balance of those heavier moments around grief, infertility, depression and then those sweeter moments with Talia and Walker falling in love, and Talia finding family. I loved all of the side characters and was truly wishing for the best for all of them. I love the way therapy is used by the family as a tool to help them with their grief but that they learn different things through it, especially the realisation that a person doesn’t have to be perfectly healthy to be deserving of love. I found so many of those doubts that the characters face very relatable and loved the character development we get from them all. I’m so excited for the future books in this series and everything Katie goes on to write.
March 29, 2023
A book reminiscent of The Fosters and Amelia Unabridged? Yessssssss. For those of you wanting a lot of steam, be patient. It ain't gonna hit until 90% or so, but is worth it when it does. Mr Hartrick, yes please. I loved the premise of the book, especially their spectacular meet cute. Family really is everything and this book emphasizes that you can CHOOSE your real family. Between the precious moments with the Hartrick clan and the whipsmart banter, it's a dang good debut. My only note would be that it felt a little long? But it does have a lot of setup to do for future books, so I can understand why.
*Thank you to Katie for the gifted ARC in exchange for my honest review*
*Thank you to Katie for the gifted ARC in exchange for my honest review*
April 24, 2023
no third act breakup & great banter?? 😍
It blows my mind this is a debut book. The writing is so easy to read even tho it’s in 3rd person I forgot most of the time because Katie’s writing delivers. It was so engaging and the plot? So unique I loved every minute.
This is a slowwwww burn but it’s soooo worth the wait!! Walker and Talia both have such traumatic and heavy pasts but they meet each other exactly where they need. Also the 5 kids Walker has custody of…. they were ADORABLE!!!
I really loved this.
My only qualm about this is I needed Walker to figure his shit out faster because I hated Talia feeling a bit rejected BUT i understand why it needed to happen.
Anyway, go read this book you won’t regret it!!!
It blows my mind this is a debut book. The writing is so easy to read even tho it’s in 3rd person I forgot most of the time because Katie’s writing delivers. It was so engaging and the plot? So unique I loved every minute.
This is a slowwwww burn but it’s soooo worth the wait!! Walker and Talia both have such traumatic and heavy pasts but they meet each other exactly where they need. Also the 5 kids Walker has custody of…. they were ADORABLE!!!
I really loved this.
My only qualm about this is I needed Walker to figure his shit out faster because I hated Talia feeling a bit rejected BUT i understand why it needed to happen.
Anyway, go read this book you won’t regret it!!!
December 1, 2023
A complicated yet comforting debut about allowing in love after grief, The Ones We Fight For strikes the perfect balance between heaviness and levity. With a sizzling slow-burn romance and found family at the center, each character in this vibrant cast brings their own distinct voice, anxieties, and quirks. Talia and Walker will have you on the edge of your seat.
May 8, 2023
“This love was permanent. It would be there long after they were both ghosts. In music that blasted from speakers. In the whirlpool of coffee, swishing around in a mug. In laughter and in sorrow.”
•
•
Wow. I am floored by this book. It is Katie Golightly’s debut and it was flawless. This packed a serious punch when it came to the emotional journey it takes you on with Talia and Walker and the Hartrick children. It was joyful, sorrowful, hopeful, beautiful and honest.
The Ones We Fight For follows 26 year old Walker Hartrick after he becomes the guardian for his 5 nieces and nephews after his brother Cole and sister in law Paisley tragically pass away in an accident. The 5 Hartrick siblings are AMAZING and all have such different personalities and traits that I could read entire books just about them as they grow up. Walker is barely hanging on. He’s always struggled with anxiety but after losing his brother and sister in law, he feels like he can hardly breathe.
Talia Cohen has returned home to take over her estranged fathers grocery store after he left it to her when he died. Talia is dealing with her own demons - the loss of her mother, a failed engagement and knowing her estranged father is the one who took Cole and Paisley’s lives the night he drove drunk.
Walker and Talia have a bit of a rollercoaster relationship to start. Starting as enemies, but after many random encounters, they realize that they were meant to find each other and become friends. And with every great friends to lovers, they fall in love. These two are the epitome of two halves of one whole.
Before Walker and Talia can fully be together, they both have healing that needs to happen. Walker with anxiety and guilt, and Talia with self love and acceptance. By the time these two find their happy ever after, it is satisfying beyond measure.
Check the TWs before reading as this book definitely deals with heavier topics and can be emotionally and mentally draining.
•
•
Wow. I am floored by this book. It is Katie Golightly’s debut and it was flawless. This packed a serious punch when it came to the emotional journey it takes you on with Talia and Walker and the Hartrick children. It was joyful, sorrowful, hopeful, beautiful and honest.
The Ones We Fight For follows 26 year old Walker Hartrick after he becomes the guardian for his 5 nieces and nephews after his brother Cole and sister in law Paisley tragically pass away in an accident. The 5 Hartrick siblings are AMAZING and all have such different personalities and traits that I could read entire books just about them as they grow up. Walker is barely hanging on. He’s always struggled with anxiety but after losing his brother and sister in law, he feels like he can hardly breathe.
Talia Cohen has returned home to take over her estranged fathers grocery store after he left it to her when he died. Talia is dealing with her own demons - the loss of her mother, a failed engagement and knowing her estranged father is the one who took Cole and Paisley’s lives the night he drove drunk.
Walker and Talia have a bit of a rollercoaster relationship to start. Starting as enemies, but after many random encounters, they realize that they were meant to find each other and become friends. And with every great friends to lovers, they fall in love. These two are the epitome of two halves of one whole.
Before Walker and Talia can fully be together, they both have healing that needs to happen. Walker with anxiety and guilt, and Talia with self love and acceptance. By the time these two find their happy ever after, it is satisfying beyond measure.
Check the TWs before reading as this book definitely deals with heavier topics and can be emotionally and mentally draining.
April 6, 2023
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was such an honest picture of dealing with grief, emotions, depression, and trauma. While the underlying themes are heavy, the book approached these topics in an atmosphere of healing and therapy. I laughed at the banter, cried over the struggles and hardships, and smiled during the sweet, honest moments.
Walker has become guardian over his nieces and nephews after the death of their parents. We see the struggles he is going through to be who the kids need him to be, while trying to keep things under control in his own life. He is struggling and doesn’t have it all together. My heart broke for them.
Walker meets Talia and their situation is really complicated, but I love how easily she fell into place with their world. I loved Talia so much and how incredible she was as a person to be there to help Walker with the kids.
The slow burn was perfect, real, and honest for the situation they were in and I loved how Talia and Walker interacted together, forming a friendship and becoming a team! I loved the siblings and all the side characters. It was nice to have side characters that you loved just as much as the main characters!
R E A D I F Y O U L I K E :
•found family
•banter
•sarcastic MMC
•enemies to friends to lovers
•slow burn with mutual pining
•mental health / infertility rep
•healing from trauma
Thank you so much Katie, for an eARC of your book!
Walker has become guardian over his nieces and nephews after the death of their parents. We see the struggles he is going through to be who the kids need him to be, while trying to keep things under control in his own life. He is struggling and doesn’t have it all together. My heart broke for them.
Walker meets Talia and their situation is really complicated, but I love how easily she fell into place with their world. I loved Talia so much and how incredible she was as a person to be there to help Walker with the kids.
The slow burn was perfect, real, and honest for the situation they were in and I loved how Talia and Walker interacted together, forming a friendship and becoming a team! I loved the siblings and all the side characters. It was nice to have side characters that you loved just as much as the main characters!
R E A D I F Y O U L I K E :
•found family
•banter
•sarcastic MMC
•enemies to friends to lovers
•slow burn with mutual pining
•mental health / infertility rep
•healing from trauma
Thank you so much Katie, for an eARC of your book!
March 26, 2023
5 ++++++ stars!!
Thank you to the author for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Incredible. show stopping. most impressive thing ive ever read. There is magic in these pages no joke i think this is the most impressive debut i’ve ever read by a damn long shot, i will be incredibly shocked if this book doesn’t blow up - my fav book of the year by a looooong long long shot. So so good.
This was perfection and i literally could not critique a single thing, it was just all so beautifully perfectly imperfect - the way it portrayed grief and love & them two intertwining my godddd my heart 🥹💕💕💕💕
Walker & Talia OWN my heart, defo my new fav book couple, the way they loved and cared about each other from the literal get go. I just love them so much. Talia had the biggest heart and would’ve done literally anything for Walker and the kids 🫠🫠🫠 Team Talwal 4eva!!!
The fact i don’t have a favourite character because i love them all so much, every side character was so fleshed out and had their own personality and story - no one was there just for the sake of it & I LOVED IT ALL, every single minute.
This book made me fall in love with reading all over again and i need to get a physical copy so i can annotate every single sentence asap 🫶🏻
If you listen to any of my recommendations let it be this one!!! read this book when it comes out!!!
Thank you to the author for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Incredible. show stopping. most impressive thing ive ever read. There is magic in these pages no joke i think this is the most impressive debut i’ve ever read by a damn long shot, i will be incredibly shocked if this book doesn’t blow up - my fav book of the year by a looooong long long shot. So so good.
This was perfection and i literally could not critique a single thing, it was just all so beautifully perfectly imperfect - the way it portrayed grief and love & them two intertwining my godddd my heart 🥹💕💕💕💕
Walker & Talia OWN my heart, defo my new fav book couple, the way they loved and cared about each other from the literal get go. I just love them so much. Talia had the biggest heart and would’ve done literally anything for Walker and the kids 🫠🫠🫠 Team Talwal 4eva!!!
The fact i don’t have a favourite character because i love them all so much, every side character was so fleshed out and had their own personality and story - no one was there just for the sake of it & I LOVED IT ALL, every single minute.
This book made me fall in love with reading all over again and i need to get a physical copy so i can annotate every single sentence asap 🫶🏻
If you listen to any of my recommendations let it be this one!!! read this book when it comes out!!!
February 20, 2024
What to expect: enemies to friends to lovers, found family, mutual pining, slow burn, hint of forbidden romance, single guardian, tattooed MMC -- make sure you read the author's note in the beginning and check the content notes!
I loved this one! I thought all the rep from mental health to infertility was handled with care. I loved the dynamic between the main characters, and the side characters. The slow burn was slowwwww but worth it, and that epilogue was funnnn
I also loved all the hints for future books in this one!
Spice: 2.5/4
I loved this one! I thought all the rep from mental health to infertility was handled with care. I loved the dynamic between the main characters, and the side characters. The slow burn was slowwwww but worth it, and that epilogue was funnnn
I also loved all the hints for future books in this one!
Spice: 2.5/4
October 27, 2023
This book…. THIS BOOK. It’s everything & I will forever be in awe that it’s a debut!
Even though this is the slowest of slow burns, and it was torturous to watch Talia & Walker continue to be just friends, I loved it. The family dynamic and the honesty between the Hartrick family was so refreshing. I love that it immediately wasn’t even going to be a secret about who Talia was and her connection to her father. It was addressed and put out in the open rather than being buried.
The representation in this book was so well done between the anxiety, the trauma, & the therapy rep. I’m so glad it had these aspects of real life represented.
I cannot wait for the next books in the series.
Even though this is the slowest of slow burns, and it was torturous to watch Talia & Walker continue to be just friends, I loved it. The family dynamic and the honesty between the Hartrick family was so refreshing. I love that it immediately wasn’t even going to be a secret about who Talia was and her connection to her father. It was addressed and put out in the open rather than being buried.
The representation in this book was so well done between the anxiety, the trauma, & the therapy rep. I’m so glad it had these aspects of real life represented.
I cannot wait for the next books in the series.
July 3, 2024
i'm in the dedication so i might be biased but i'd rate it 6 stars if they let me
March 22, 2023
I was lucky enough to read this as Katie was writing it last summer and after finishing my ARC, all I have to say is *smashes kudos button a million times* which translates to a billion star rating (I don’t make the rules 🤷♀️)
This debut novel is honest and heartbreaking, I spent a lot of time crying, but it’s also filled with humor, hope, and SO. MUCH. LOVE. Talia and the Hartrick clan own such a special part of my heart, along with the Winstons. Not only was I rooting for Walker and Talia, but for every character to be okay and feel happiness without guilt. Can’t wait to force this book on everyone I know 🫶
What to expect: forbidden romance, dual pov, open door spice, mental health rep, infertility rep, enemies to friends to lovers, So many pop culture references ✋, slow burn, found family, foster/guardian, part one of a series
This debut novel is honest and heartbreaking, I spent a lot of time crying, but it’s also filled with humor, hope, and SO. MUCH. LOVE. Talia and the Hartrick clan own such a special part of my heart, along with the Winstons. Not only was I rooting for Walker and Talia, but for every character to be okay and feel happiness without guilt. Can’t wait to force this book on everyone I know 🫶
What to expect: forbidden romance, dual pov, open door spice, mental health rep, infertility rep, enemies to friends to lovers, So many pop culture references ✋, slow burn, found family, foster/guardian, part one of a series
July 28, 2023
2.5⭐️s
I wanted to like this book - it started off so well and was different from a lot of romance books (although I do not think the synopsis really matched the actual story… I expected something quite different - a little darker than the actual story about Thalia’s father). But then it just sort of dragged on and on and felt so repetitive. A third way in and I was ready to throw in a towel. But I persisted…
There is so much to like and the author did a great job of writing a book about grief and love (and about alcoholism and choosing not to drink, which I especially appreciated) but it needs some serious editing and cutting.
Both Walker and Thalia have many redeeming qualities but they also spend far too much time in their heads instead of communicating with one another - I’m all for slow burn, but this was ridiculous. The kids and friends characters were great.
Also, I kind of hated the epilogue - I would have preferred something with them 5 years later (what was it like really to have Walker and Thalia co-parent?), instead, we get . I did like her recommended book list at the end. There’s a lot more I can say but I’ll just direct you to some other reviews instead.
It feels very much like a debut novel.
I wanted to like this book - it started off so well and was different from a lot of romance books (although I do not think the synopsis really matched the actual story… I expected something quite different - a little darker than the actual story about Thalia’s father). But then it just sort of dragged on and on and felt so repetitive. A third way in and I was ready to throw in a towel. But I persisted…
There is so much to like and the author did a great job of writing a book about grief and love (and about alcoholism and choosing not to drink, which I especially appreciated) but it needs some serious editing and cutting.
Both Walker and Thalia have many redeeming qualities but they also spend far too much time in their heads instead of communicating with one another - I’m all for slow burn, but this was ridiculous. The kids and friends characters were great.
Also, I kind of hated the epilogue - I would have preferred something with them 5 years later (what was it like really to have Walker and Thalia co-parent?), instead, we get . I did like her recommended book list at the end. There’s a lot more I can say but I’ll just direct you to some other reviews instead.
It feels very much like a debut novel.
July 10, 2023
4.5, i love walker and talia!! this book made me so sad but also so happy at the same time. it also had some of the best side characters i've read in a while. parts of this story did dragggg on for me, which is what kept it from being a 5 star read for me.
April 1, 2023
i'm so appreciative that katie allowed me to read this as it was still being written. and this ARC being my 3rd read through, i still found myself excited to read the next page while still captivated by the page i was on. it's raw and honest and beautiful, capturing both the hardships and the silver linings to grief, anxiety, and companionship. it's rare for me that i end up liking every single character that is meant to be liked, and liking is the bare minimum of what i feel for all of these characters. and the tropes and themes covered so many of my prefered bases, from enemies to lovers, found family, slow burn, mental health rep.
katie, i'm very proud of you, and congratulations on such a phenomenal debut <3
katie, i'm very proud of you, and congratulations on such a phenomenal debut <3
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