Bea always wanted to be a mom, but she never expected she’d have to lose her best friend to get there. Armed with her late best friend Meritt’s embryos and a bucket list to complete, Bea’s world is in freefall. When longtime friend and firefighter Silas, who’s been living in the wake of his own accident, steps in to give her a place to stay, neither of them expects what happens next. Two former friends slowly knit themselves together in a love that’s been quietly unfulfilled for over a decade, finding a new beginning out of the ashes of the past.
I really enjoyed this one. The chemistry between Bea and Silas is so good and their history together makes the romance feel earned and deep. I loved the way their friendship turned into something more and watching them finally get their shot was so satisfying. The audiobook narrators were wonderful and I’d definitely recommend going that route. Silas is truly the star of this story. Getting to know him so well was one of the highlights and he’s the kind of character you just root for completely.
There is so much I liked about this book. The only reason it’s not a five star read for me is the main storyline, and I know that sounds contradictory but hear me out. There’s an author’s note at the beginning about fertility and IVF, and this book is very much tied to that. The storyline works well, it really does. But as the story continued I grew really frustrated with Bea and her relationship with Meritt and her grief.
Without getting too spoilery, I feel complete outrage at Meritt for gifting Bea her embryos without having a real discussion about it. To me, Meritt was not the amazing best friend this story wanted her to be. She loved Bea, sure, but to deny your best friend happiness with someone who clearly loved her because she had a crush on him too? That was frustrating and honestly the worst. And then gifting embryos without discussing it with her own family, her sister, her mother, felt wrong to me. I personally don’t think Bea was ready for this baby, and she goes into it with the wrong headspace. I was really hoping it wouldn’t take or she’d change her mind. This is such a heavy, life-altering decision and I just, I have so many thoughts. By the end, the way this all played out really colored the way I saw the story. I normally hate the unplanned pregnancy trope, but I actually think it would have worked so much better here. That’s just my personal feelings though, and I do have very strong opinions on bodily autonomy and maternity care so I know that’s influencing my reading.
What I did love is the way Ren describes motherhood to Bea. It was entirely spot on and one of the most real portrayals of what it actually feels like that I’ve read in a romance. Both Bea and Silas are terrible at not self-sabotaging and I so wish Meritt hadn’t been the reason they missed out on a decade plus of being together. That’s a lot of lost time because of someone else’s selfishness and it hurt to think about.
Overall, still a really good story. I love this series and I’m so glad I got to spend more time in Spunes. I listened on audio and the narrators were great, definitely recommend. I cannot wait for a Micah storyline because I already know that one is going to wreck me. Four stars and if the main storyline had gone a slightly different direction this easily could have been a five.
Tarah Dewitt Reviews
AMAZON | GOODREADS | BOOKSHOP | ★★★★
Lost & Found is out now. Huge thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and Macmillian Audio for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books.
