This book was so emotional for me. I loved everything about it. Melissa is such a great author who is bound to make it big. I absolutely would read more by her and recommend this book to others.

Love and Other Lost Things is absolutely AMAZING! From the very first page, I was hooked. Melissa Wiesner has crafted a beautiful, emotional journey that explores love, loss, and healing in such a heartfelt way. The characters are so real and relatable, and their growth throughout the story is deeply moving. The romance is tender and realistic, with moments that will make your heart ache in the best possible way. The writing is gorgeous, and the story stayed with me long after I finished. This book is a must-read for anyone who loves a moving, well-written story that tugs at your heartstrings!

A beautifully written book about finding home, healing and breaking a pattern of abuse.

Jane McCaffrey flees home suddenly at the age of 18, leaving behind an abusive father, a mother that wont leave him and the only boy she has ever loved, she hopes to start a new life and break the patterns of abuse she has been subjected to, but is this as safe as she thought?
Years later she must return to her hometown to help her mother with the death of her father, she vows not to stay long, but life feels different now and the boy she left behind, he's now a man and he wants answers, why did she leave? what caused the bruise on her face? and who is the little girl that Jane has bought back to town?

This book is heavy in sensitive topics and revolves around domestic violence and child abuse, while the writing is done very well I would go into this book being aware of its contents.
I think the author did a wonderful job when it came to this book, she delved deep into the stories of the women in this story and depicting the feelings and challenges of being in an abusive relationship, she managed to write it all very sensitively and provide differing perspectives of how a survivor would cope and the journey of leaving.

While there was romance in this book and the MMC Nik was one walking, talking green flag - which made the contrast to the abusive characters even greater, my favourite thing about this book was the developing relationship between the three generations of girls in the McCaffrey family. I loved that the bond got stronger throughout and actions that may have been considered weak actually showed the varying signs of strength for the characters, and that they began to understand each other on a deeper level.

There were also a few twists and turns throughout this story that I did not see coming at all, but loved all the same.
I am looking forward to reading more from this author in the future and delving into more or there work.

The story starts with her fleeing an abusive situation talking about her pain of leaving home and the man she loves . A decade later she is lead her back home when a tragic event occurs reuniting her with her mother and her first love, Nik. Despite this, Jane intends to leave again, but this time, she is not planning to escape by herself.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! Love and Other Lost Things by Melissa Wiesner is a story about fear, survival and love. When Jane meets her worst fears on the best night of her life. Nothing could prepare her for the life she will choose. Hitching a ride out to California, she finds her future looking bright. But a few weeks later, she realizes that she has never felt as tired and scared even with all she has suffered at home with her father. Then the unimaginable happens and she feels trapped. A decade later, she makes a choice that will ultimately change the course of her life, her daughter's life and her mother's. Returning to the sleepy New York town was something she never had any intention of doing but once she's back, she just can't quite understand why she left and why she didn't just put her trust in the people who loved her the most. Though the ending was a bit far fetched, I really enjoyed the storyline. Abuse still has such a stigma and many don't believe the victims. Overall a good, solid read that I would recommend to others.

This was definitely an emotional ride! I didn’t know whether to laugh and cry, or scream and rant - so naturally I did them all.
Jane made you feel so much, even while she continued to try not to feel at all. It was both heart-wrenching and heart-warming to watch her navigate her life and make it the best she possibly could, while protecting those around her. I just wanted to wrap her in a warm hug and hide her away from everything for a little while.
While the events were difficult (emotional and physical abuse) to read, Weisner somehow created a positive and hopeful space. The fact that Jane and Scarlett are survivors was threaded throughout so one never stopped hoping.
Although it was definitely inferred, I would like to know more of Mom’s story

Melissa Wiesner was a new-to-me author when I read The Second Chance Year a few months ago (which I loved ❣️), so I was thrilled to read her newish book, Love and Other Lost Things. It also warms my heart when I see my 🇨🇦 hometown represented in books, so I was very invested in this storyline.
This heart-wrenching read tells the story of a long-lost couple who are suddenly reunited 10 years later, after Jane comes back to her hometown following her father’s death. Jane has been carrying many secrets over the years, including the reason she left town and her love, Nik behind a decade ago.
This was an emotional, but important read about abuse and I hope you pick this one up for your next 📖.

Synopsis:

High school seniors Jane and Nik are inseparable—and one day, have their first stolen kiss. But that day soon becomes the best and worst of Jane’s life…Jane has a devastating family secret. To protect Nik, Jane leaves town… 10 yrs later, after news reaches Jane of her father’s death, she comes home, where bittersweet memories of Nik wait on every quiet street. She runs into him and when he breathes her name and caresses the fresh bruise on her cheek—her heart speeds up just like the first time they kissed. Nik still doesn’t know the real reason she left town. Or who put that bruise on her cheek…

Review:

Melissa writes heartwrenching and beautiful stories with this publisher and this is another win! It addresses some serious topics (I recommend checking out the trigger warnings if you need to) so it's so much more than a love story. It's about growth and rising up and making your own choices. There were some shocking moments as well. The romance is a slow burn second chance romance (a fav of mine!) set in a small town. Highly recommend if you're looking for something deeper.

Thank you to to Bookouture for my digital copy.

A brilliantly written book
Had me from the first page
A book about domestic violence but very well told
And the ending just WOW
Thanks NetGalley

Nik and Jane's love story began when they were children. They had big plans after graduation, but one night Jane leaves town, never to be seen again. Now, ten years later, her father has passed away and her mother needs her. She runs into Nik, and he has grown into a man, but she still has the same feelings when she looks into his eyes. Nik can't believe Jane is standing in front of him, but who put the bruise on her cheek, and why did she run away ten years ago? As they start talking again, Nik begins to figure out why she left and the secret that she has been hiding.

This was a great story, with many ups and downs and it brings all the feels. Highly recommend!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

One reason why my review is under 4 stars is because I struggled to gel with the main characters. I just found them a bit unrealistic and unbelievable at times.

Jane has always wondered why her mother stayed with her abusive father. Jane upped and left her Mother and Father when she was younger and now she is back after his death and she wants answers. Yet, I don’t think she was ever wanting the truth. It’s very intense at times and very emotional. But for me, Jane just didn’t cut it. She done and said things that I found myself rolling my eyes because I don’t think that is was realistic.

Jane has been in an abusive relationship herself. I think Jane was a strong character and it takes courage to pick yourself up and try and escape these relationships.

I loved Nick. I wanted so much more from him and I know that he was rooting for Jane, wanting and needing to be there for her.

The book is written well I just wanted a bit more from the characters, more of the feels and emotion. I felt at times it was a bit draggy.

Thank you to netgalley, Melissa and the publisher for allowing me this ARC.

A classic story of women who always choose a mate just like their fathers. Deciding to break the circle of abuse Jane used the excuse to return home after her father’s passing to escape with her daughter. She plans on using her hometown as a stop before moving on and disappearing for good. Reconnecting with her friends and mom make her second guess everything. They give her the strength to stand up and fight. There were a couple of twists I did not see coming. It was great to see Jane realize what she wanted and taking it. Thank you to NetGalley for this free advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily

Ten years ago, Jane ran away from everything she held dear because her abusive father turned on her. Now she's back and attempting to help her mother over the holidays with plans of never returning, not back to the life she built in California and certainly not back to her childhood town full of people who worshipped her father. But running into old friends and watching her daughter interact with her grandmother has Jane questioning what she wants their future to look like.
It's just so painfully good? I don't want to put another author down to lift Melissa up BUT I will say this is the book I desperately want whenever it deals with a difficult topic; in this case, domestic violence. I need to feel the emotions, the highs, the lows, and most importantly, the victories. I knew Melissa was talented before I read this. And now I find that her range is so incredible that she's an auto-read author for any book I see with her name.
Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

Domestic violence is the theme which runs throughout this contemporary story which follows Jane McCaffrey who ran away from her childhood home as a young teenager only go back to Linden Falls some ten years later when her father died. Jane’s return to her childhood home sparks difficult memories especially when she meets again those of her best friends who thought that she had, quite simply, abandoned them. As this complex story unfolds there is a sense of lives coming full circle and with old secrets being revealed now is the time for Jane tell her story to those who were once her closest friends.

This was an intricate look at life in a small American town, a place where everyone knew each other’s business and yet when things were uncomfortable folks tended to look the other way. The author explores this claustrophobic small town atmosphere really well, and brings the place and the people alive in the imagination. I enjoyed getting to know, Jane and meeting her friends, particularly Nik who is a really special person. Whilst the author does a great job of building up a stark picture of everything in Jane’s life, it is in the promise of the future where the heart of the story lies.

Beautifully written and heart breaking in places, Love and Other Lost Things is a compelling read with a dramatic ending I really didn’t see coming.

Prepare for an emotional journey as this book will have you feeling everything, and you'll be rooting for Jane and Nic to find their happy ending together. This story will not be easy for everyone to read as it does involve domestic/emotional abuse and childhood trauma of growing up with an abusive parent. But the storyline is so powerful and beautifully written that you will be drawn in from the very first page and does a good job at showing how getting out of an abusive situation isn't as easy as it seems but you can, there is hope and you can heal from your past. This was my first Melissa Wiesner book, and it will definitely not be my last one.

What you get when you read this emotional rollercoaster:
Second Chances
Single Mom/ Sweet Kid
Small Town
Secrets/Unexpected Twist
Childhood Friends to Lovers

This book - I loved it. The emotions it had me crying , laughing and smiling. I couldnt put it down. Im a huge fan of second chance romance and this book will stay with me for a very long time.

Thank you for the #gifted copy @bookedwiththeemilys @melissawiesnerauthor @bookouture
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I am not a book crier, but this one definitely made me emotional. It’s a tough but worthwhile read. We are along for the ride as Jane works to break her family’s generational trauma of abuse. She is strong, but we see her at times vulnerable. Nik, her childhood friend and high school boyfriend, comes back into her life. He’s everything she needs and deserves, but can she break free and let him in? Highly recommend this one!

As soon as I picked this book up, I couldn’t put it down! The writing was exactly what I look for in a fictional book. At times, the scenes were tough because it does touch upon the hurt that Jane, the main character, had to endure. But also, the progression of her life seems very realistic - kids tend to mimic what they observed from their parents at some capacity, and Jane’s story is no different. And while I wish Jane didn’t have walls up, I loved seeing how deep the walls she built up, I feel like it’s always difficult to create that in fictional books.

So why 4 out of 5 stars? I didn’t love the conclusion of the book - I understand the thought and need behind it, but I morally have issues behind it and thought it was a bit of an “easy” way to end the book.

Very Bingeable! But heavy read from start to finish.
I loved the strong connection Nick and Jane shared.
I love that Jane’s story is about breaking the cycle. It also highlights the healing power and friendship. This is an entirely captivating read. I will recommend this to my romance reader friends.

Melissa Wiesner has rocked me again with a beautifully-written, yet heartbreaking novel. Jane is a gift of a character that grabbed me, with her painful & powerful story…and unforgettable romance with Nik. This is one of my favorites of 2024. The first I read by Wiesner, #ItAllComesBacktoYou, was one of my 2023 favorites. If this is what I get to expect from her in every book, I’ll be reading every one she writes and hope she continues for a long time.
Thank you, Melissa Wiesner, Bookouture, & netgalley for my copy! All opinions are my own.