The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes Review

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Adorable dogs

➮ Found family

➮ Thriller

Synopsis

Kira is a teenager who trains dogs for search and rescue missions. One day a mission ends up getting her whole found family involved. It didn't help that the case hit rather close to home. Kira has to prove herself as a trainer and that her dog Saskia can handle the role. Kira and her family then embark on a dark and twisted adventure full of adorable dogs and confounding discoveries. 

Best Quote From the Book

“'Now would be a good time for you to say something,... propose a theory, and I will do my Sherlockian duty and tell you why you are wrong.'"

My Thoughts

Jennifer Lynn Barnes just proved again why she is my favorite author. Her timing for dropping hints and truth bombs keeps me on the edge of my seat desperate to turn to the next page the entire time. Perhaps I am especially tempted by fast-paced books because they avoid dragging on too much. Her carefully crafted level of detail combined with her fantastic plot created a story that defines what it means to be a page-turner. 

The Lovely and The Lost excels at portraying familial bonds. I will never fail to be a sucker for a well-written found family. While Kira's found family is mostly a result of a foster relationship, it felt like Kira, her foster brother Jude, and their boundaryless neighbor Free felt like an inevitable trio. Watching their bond strengthen and their trust in one another keep them alive, literally, brought a fuzzy feeling. 

For those who have read this book, I think we would all be honored to have Cady as a mother figure. She was the strong-willed yet understanding counter to Kira's rougher persona. Watching them interact demonstrated how familial love trumps all. I hope to see more role models like Cady in literature. 

If you thought I was going to get through this review without a paragraph dedicated to doggy cuteness, you are sorely mistaken. The dog-centered moments of the story pulled at the heartstrings and showed how a dog and human bond isn't something to scoff at. One of my favorite doggy moments was when Free's dog Duchess was continually referred to as Her Ladyship. This kept me laughing for a while. The dog team is also another excellent example of how much search-and-rescue efforts rely on unwavering trust. Seeing the different personalities and approaches of the dog and trainer duos shed light on an often under-appreciated element of rescue missions. 

I was honestly surprised to see that this book was written relatively recently in Barnes's career because it has a much different feel regarding the found family aspect than her other series. Perhaps that is because the found family is well-established so nothing has to be said outright like in her other series. The love and unconditional trust is already there. Despite being thrown into the middle of their lives, it feels as if as a reader you've known the Bennett family's dynamic for years. 

Overall I really enjoyed this book with its unique balance of wholesome, dark, and funny moments. The found family aspect is probably my favorite part of the book that doesn't involve massive spoilers. I wish I could've talked about my thoughts about the case but I want to keep that experience a secret for anyone who may want to read it. I recommend this book for dog lovers and those looking for a book to pull at their heartstrings while we all shelter inside from the chilly weather. 

October 2023 Reads

  October 2023 Reads 

This month I read 7 books 

These books were 86% fiction

The most popular genres were romance, contemporary, and young adult

My average rating was 3.68 stars

The Books

➽ The Guncle by Steven Rowley

➽ The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

➽ It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

➽ Guts by Raina Telgemeier

➽ Much Ado About You by Samantha Young

➽ The Secret Summer Promise by Keah Brown

➽ I Didn't Do It by Jaime Lynn Hendricks

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid Review

* This review is spoiler-free *

5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ LGBTQ+ Rep

➮ Flowing narrative

➮ Forbidden soulmates

➮ Immoral MC

Synopsis

This story dives into the wild tale of Evelyn Hugo. A woman who will get what she wants, no matter what it takes. In doing so, she accumulated a surprising number of husbands, all of which she outlived. The one to be able to tell her story? Monique Grant, an unknown magazine reporter. This opportunity is the chance of a lifetime for Monique to get her career off the ground, but why her?

Best Quote From the Book

“It's always been fascinating to me how things can be simultaneously true and false, how people can be good and bad all in one, how someone can love you in a way that is beautifully selfless while serving themselves ruthlessly."

LGBTQ+ Representation

4/5 🌈

In an attempt to avoid too many major spoilers, this part of my review will not be all that in-depth. A number of the main characters in the story are LGBTQ+ and must live with the fact that the world is not yet ready for public queer relationships. The sacrifices made in the story are akin to many stories of people who had to keep their true feelings and desires hidden from the world in order to create a difference in it. 

My Thoughts

This story became a five-star for me not long after I read it because I am confident that I will not be forgetting it any time soon. Evelyn and Monique's story gives a glimpse into how money cannot buy happiness but it can certainly change what are considered problems in your life. Even in the lives of the rich and famous, it can be truly challenging to balance what is important for you versus what is important for your place in the world. Reid does an excellent job of making Monique and Evelyn's relationship as stilted but comforting as it should be. I found myself thinking throughout the story "Ah yes that is so perfectly Evelyn" based on the various things she did. Reid is one of the best I have read so far in terms of creating a fleshed-out character with flaws that are easy to predict in a comfortable way. As if you've witnessed these characters for much longer than a single book. 

The entire time it felt like I was sitting down for a nice chat with Evelyn, letting her ramble on about notable moments in her life. Instead of feeling like an omnipotent person observing what happens to the characters, it feels like Evelyn and Monique are in the room with me. I'm sure this effect was strengthed because I was listening to the audiobook. The narrators did an excellent job keeping the entire book feeling conversational. 

Can I take a moment to say, the plot twist at the end had me reeling. It truly tied all of the loose ends together in a neat little bow and brought everything into focus. I will keep my thoughts at that as to avoid spoilers but this is honestly just me highly recommending this book. 

My favorite part of this book other than the conversational aspect is the lesson it teaches readers at the end. As I'm sure you can tell by the title, Evelyn is not the most blessed in the successful love story department. Despite this, she learned the value of unconventional loves. Whether this is platonic, a non-traditional relationship, a familial bond, or a soulmate that is simply your best friend. It is okay to want to spend your life with someone (or multiple people) that you are not romantically attracted to. What works for your life and fulfills you is more than enough. It doesn't have to be considered settling just because it doesn't fit in the traditional box. Even if this desire changes throughout your life, that is okay too. Accept your life will have phases and what is the best for you in one phase may not be the best for you in the next. 

In sum, read this book. Even if you do not love it, I can promise it is an entertaining read that provides many valuable life lessons in a genuine way. You should especially heed my recommendation because I am not usually the biggest fan of historical novels. I am sold on Evelyn's story and it is one I will be thinking about a while longer.