Kerry Lonsdale will take you on many journey's with her books. With this book you will feel many emotions, disgust (at so much drug use by one person), a grandmother who ignores her grandson for the mistakes made with/by his parents. It was an emotional roller coaster and I did not want to get off. Her books make you look at life different, they will make you laugh, cry and put down for a few days then you will want to dive right back in. There are very few authors that make me feel this way about the books I read. So pick up this book, read this book, and enjoy it. It will be a bumpy ride but it will be great!!

Find Me in California does a good job of setting the reader up with a great story, but then it falls short. I was very confused by the flashbacks with Matthew - what the purpose was and how it related to the overall story. When we did find out what happened I audibly sighed in disappointment. I wasn't expecting a level of magical realism through weed and alcohol, especially without any warning. I wasn't sure how the "dream" would incorporated with the overall story. I find that without this, I would have liked the story a lot more.

Matt and Julia have similar stories and I enjoyed their conversations, but I feel that Julia was cheated on what her relationship with Matt actually meant. I appreciated that both extended families were very welcoming and what it means how the positive development of Matt and Julia.

An okay ready, but I was a little disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

4* Forgiveness Stars

I look forward to reading the latest release from Kerry Lonsdale as her books promise some mystery, suspense and family drama and Find Me in California had all these elements.

This story centers around four main characters, Ruby Rose and Liza who are the grandmothers to Julia and Matt. The story alternates between the past and the present where we get the back story of Ruby Rose and Liza, how their friendship was formed and their great falling out and the present where Julia and Matt meet because of circumstances involving their grandmothers.

This story was teeming with buried secrets from the past and for Matt and Julia to move forward they must confront these secrets and learn to forgive the cards that were dealt to them and give life a second chance.

I listened to the audio version which was brilliantly narrated by Amanda Leigh Cobb. She did a wonderful job voicing each character. I highly recommend the audiobook.

It would have been a 5* Star read for me had it not been for Matts Road trip which I did not particularly enjoy and to me had no relevance to the story, it could have done without it.

I thought the premise was pretty good and unique and had many good parts, I just didn't find the usual Lonsdale amazing storytelling & drama.
Overall it was 3-4 stars.

This was a great book. I connected with the characters. I felt engrossed with the plot. I would read another book by this author.

I’ve just finished listening to the audio version of this book and am feeling all sorts of emotions right now. It was very well written, great descriptions of events and the narrator has done a fantastic job of telling all sides of this story.

Kerry is a brilliant writer, who really gets to the heart of her characters. Highly recommend. I am looking forward to finishing the written version too

I am blown away by the depth of these characters, how these two souls not only needed, but found each other.
How they were connected before they were connected.
Julia and Matt were destined to meet, two people needed each other, were perfect for each other, and their lives were intercepted long before they were born.
The story of Magnolia and Elizabeth was such a powerful story of the strength of friendship, forgiveness, long, buried, secrets, and love.

This book was an amazing read, and I will not forget Julia or Matt anytime soon.
This author wrote this book with her entire soul.

i've never read something so trashy and selfish and disgusting in my entire life as a reader. the characters were not developed at all and selfish and dumb beyond human imagination. had i been their grandma i'd have killed myself on my own.

I decided I liked this book after all. I wasn't going to finish it but I'm glad I did.
As with all books there were some places that I liked and some I didn't
The diary that held the secrets was my favorite part. I also liked the family dynamics that were portrayed.
Whom I didn't care for at first was Matt.
Matt was a brat. Point blank.
His grandmother I sort of felt sorry for
just a little bit mind you.
She was why I decided to go ahead and finish the book so I could see what happened. I wasn't disappointed.
The scenery made me feel like I was there right along with Matt and his grandmother. Sometimes I just wanted to reach through the pages to help them see what was right in front of them! Wow!
I skipped the sex scenes. I didn't care much for them.
All in all 5 stars for a heartfelt story that I finally finished.
My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Author, Kerry Lonsdale is back with another beautifully written standalone. Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this fabulous arc. This review is my own opinion.

Elizabeth (Liza), a famous Hollywood wife once admired, is now a cold, bitter old woman living in Rosemont, an assisted care facility with no one in her life.

Matt, a famous photographer andthe grandson of Lisa. He was raised by Liza after his mother died and has no interest in seeing his grandmother again ever.

Ruby Rose, also living in Rosemont, is suffering from dementia and doesn’t remember the granddaughter she raised. Some days are crystal clear, but others are nothing more than cloudy memories.

Julia, the granddaughter of Ruby Rose is devastated that her grandmother no longer remembers her. She works two jobs to keep her grandmother in Rosemont.

As these four characters lives are intertwined by the author, the stark reality of regret is evident. Secrets are revealed and these secrets are life changing. But friendship, forgiveness and a second chance are evident too in this poignant, emotional story. With tissues in hand, a book not to be missed.

Find me in California was my favourite book from Kerry Lonsdale since she wrote All The Breaking Waves several years ago. It was an exceptional story that brought me to tears at several points and I could not put down. I read it in one marathon sitting.

Matt and Julia are both such dynamic characters, I almost expected them to be real. At times I wanted to shake them for the very human mistakes each made, and how each protected themselves from vulnerability at the detriment to their long-term growth (Matt in particular)! But these are the aspects that make a character so real to readers and the very reason why neither fell flat on the page. As I was reading, it felt like two good friends telling me their story, good, bad and heart-breaking.

Personally, I have a strong interesting in family history / genealogy which brought a deeper level of enjoyment to me as I read. There are few novels written from this direction, which sets it apart from the plethora of fictional tales set around the themes of belonging and discovery where one comes from.

I would definitely re-read Find Me In California again one day, and definitely recommend it to other readers.

Find Me in California tells the story of Matt and Julia, their family histories, and how they are more connected than they realize - complete with Lonsdale’s typical mystery, twists, and hints of romance. I found pieces of the story to be bizarre and some of the characters to be unlikeable which made it difficult to become fully invested in the book. Overall this was an entertaining read and I appreciated the closure at the end. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This one seemed to have a lot of potential and truthfully, I could not get into it. The relationship between rude grandson and the poor assisted living employee felt obvious. I learned I have an aversion to stories where elders are not treated well - either by the system or by those close to them.

Unfortunately had to DNF this one at 10%.

Right from the beginning, I didn't feel connected to the characters or intrigued by the plot. I was intrigued by the synopsis, and by the promise of an emotional novel. However, the set-up felt lackluster, and the writing lacked emotion.

Julia has been volunteering as a massage therapist at the nursing home where her beloved grandmother lives but because of money and new ownership must leave.
There is where Matt's grandmother lives also and it's facing eviction and while Julia had all the love from hers, his was cold towards him though she raised him after his parents died.

Matt is a very complicated character and for much of the book, I was kind of indifferent to him. (TW- lots of drug/booze use from him). Though he didn't deserve the hate/silence from his Grandmother. But I feel he was redeemed at the end and I came to care for him.

In phone conversations, a journal, and the spotty memories of the two grandmas.. The past is slowly coming together. These two women have a history but because of their mental ailments it's hard to piece together.

True to Kerry's books, this is full of drama, secrets, lies, love, and astonishing conclusions. Matt's journey takes some interesting turns as he tries to make it to California.

WOW!!! WOW!!! WOW!!!! Oh my goodness what an amazing book! Kerry Lonsdale is an auto read author for me. I have read every book she has ever written and I definitely will read every book she writes. I am going to miss these characters so much. I deliberately read this book slowly to savor it. This book is emotional and draws you right in and I didn't see the twists coming! Told in past and present, the parts of the story are beautifully told. My only regret is I have finished the book. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are mine.

📚 Find Me In California
✍ Kerry Lonsdale
📖 Drama, Mystery, Fiction
4.3★⚊
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😱😱😱
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An interesting premise..
Felt like it was a mix of suspense, eerie, mystery psychological drama and just a splash of romance..
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Matt received some moving boxes from his grandmother who's at an elderly care facility.. he doesn't know why ..and most surely what he has to do to it.. he has no family left but his grandmother, but he hasn't seen her or talked to her for a long time ..
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There are some things better to leave them the way they are..
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Entertaining, with some plot twists, dual time line, drama, secrets, betrayals , you'll be guessing what is going on ..

All the feels:
🌸 drama
🌸 mystery
🌸 family bonds
🌸 buried secrets
🌸 magic realism
🌸 journey of healing
🌸 Alzheimer rep

Thanks to the Author, Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for this arc

WOW!! Kerry Lonsdale has done it again!! Meet Me in California was an emotional rollercoaster in the best way!! The story intertwines love, loss, family secrets, and unexpected connections. I found myself completely invested in the characters, each with their own baggage but ultimately finding healing and family in surprising places. Kerry Lonsdale’s beautiful writing had me laughing, crying (especially with the grandmother’s diary entries), and completely engrossed in the journey. Despite some complexity, it was a heartwarming story that left me feeling good.

This book was giving me all the feels and man I was sad to see it end. All of Kerry Lonsdale's books I have loved & this one definitely did the same.
The characters, the relationship, the development of the relationships - all packaged up into this phenomenal novel.

I stayed up late reading this and could not put it down.
Run to the store and get this one!!

I received a copy of this from the author in exchange for honest review.

This was the first title I read from author Kerry Lonsdale. After reading this book, which I received in advance thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Lake Union Publishing, I’ll certainly seek out other books from Kerry Lonsdale.

Find Me in California is an easy read, perfect for consuming over summer or vacations. The writing is engaging and the pacing is even throughout.

I typically enjoy mysteries, but I found myself drawn to this novel. Many things in the story line (like the boxes) piqued my interest and kept me involved in the story. I really enjoyed this novel, and I recommend giving it a read.