About the Book:
As a senior acquisitions editor for Fog Harbor Books in San Francisco, Ingrid Erikson has rejected many a manuscript for lack of defined conflict and dramatic irony--two elements her current life possesses in spades. In the months following the death of her childhood best friend and international bestselling author Cecelia Campbell, Ingrid has not only lost her ability to escape into fiction due to a rare trauma response, but she's also desperate to find the closure she's convinced will come with Cecelia's missing final manuscript.
After Ingrid jeopardizes her career, she fears her future will remain irrevocably broken. But then Joel Campbell--the man who shattered her belief in happily-ever-afters--offers her a sealed envelope from his late cousin, Cecelia, asking Joel and to put their differences aside and retrieve a mysterious package in their coastal Washington hometown.
Honoring Cecelia's last request will challenge their convictions and test their loyalties, but through it all, will Ingrid and Joel be brave enough to uncover a twice-in-a-lifetime love?
Read an excerpt from The Words We Lost on the publisher's website.
My Thoughts:
I loved everything about The Words We Lost by Nicole Deese. The second-chance romance trope in this novel delivered plenty of depth, a heartbreaking backstory, steady attraction between Ingrid and Joel, plus a side helping of enemies-to-lovers tension. I was hooked from the beginning. It was a delight to watch Joel and Ingrid tiptoe around each other as they searched for Cecelia Campbell’s lost manuscript and honored her final request. The questions surrounding their past and the missing manuscript kept me flipping pages, but the swoony moments and delectable romance made me want to read slowly and savor the interactions between Joel and Ingrid. I am ready to read it again.
I marked many quotes as I read through The Words We Lost. More than a great romance, this was a story of grief over lost loved ones, a father and a best friend in Ingrid’s case. Readers dealing with grief may recognize the stages and truths presented. The book was deep, but not hard to read because of all the hope it set forth. The author seamlessly integrated spiritual themes that were honest, not overly convenient or awkwardly preachy. The author’s note tells of her own journey with unexpected grief which undergirded the profound authenticity found in the story.
The Words We Lost by Nicole Deese starts the
Fog Harbor Romance series, and I am eager for book two. Doubtless, this novel
will make my list of favorite reads in 2023. Five stars.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of
this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
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