James Gould-Bourn’s "Lost & Found" is a heartwarming and poignant novel that blends humor and emotion with skillful storytelling. The story follows a grieving widower who, after the death of his wife, sets out on a journey of self-discovery and healing. Gould-Bourn’s writing is both touching and witty, capturing the complexities of grief and the transformative power of love and connection. The characters are richly developed, and the plot is infused with both laugh-out-loud moments and deep emotional insights. "Lost & Found" is a beautifully crafted tale that resonates with authenticity and offers a moving exploration of recovery and new beginnings.

A touching and honestly raw story woven with humour and light. A lonely character adopts a dog and I believe the dog saved him just as much as he saved the dog. A brilliant hilarious novel!

Ronnie is in his early 40s and stuck in a dead end job in the nowhere town he's always lived. His mum left the family when he was young and his father passed away last year. He doesn't realise how lonely he is working in the lost property at a bus station until he goes to drop off lost dog toys at the local shelter. The woman working there persuades him to take a dog 'just for a few days' and he gets paired with a slightly odd looking old dog named Hamlet. The dog leads to increase in activity and socialising. This is a very sweet and lovely read and I enjoyed it!

Despite the fact that many of the issues that this book touches upon - health fears, loneliness, abandonment - are quite sad, ultimately this story was quite sweet and had a number of uplifting notes.

As a young child, Ronnie's mother abandoned him, running away with the next-door neighbour's husband. Brought up by his well-meaning but mistaken father, Ronnie was taught to believe that nobody should be trusted.

As a result, at the age of 42 and having lost his father, with whom he had a very loving relationship, Ronnie is stuck with a dead-end job at the Lost and Found office in the bus shelter, and is suffering from an extreme form of loneliness that actually leads him to believe that even his own shadow has abandoned him!

The lost shadow is used as an interesting metaphor throughout the story, and is about the only ailment - imaginary or otherwise - that Ronnie does not take to his long-suffering doctor, who has long ago pigeonholed him as a hypochondriac.

Things begin to change when Ronnie unexpectedly finds himself taking care of a dog. Hamlet, who has been named not after the Shakespeare play but a nearby town, is is both suspicious and unattractive, yet slowly he and Ronnie begin to build a new life - and a different version of themselves - together...

This book will have huge appeal for doglovers, who will not be in the least surprised at how having a dog can revolutionize Ronnie's life. But its appeal goes wider than that. It's a lovely story and a hopeful one despite the challenges Ronnie faces.

An absolutely beautiful book. I went from laughing to feeling emotional over and over. This is one of those beautiful books that will stay with me and will definitely be on my read and read again shelf.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.