Tracey Garvis Graves

Wren needs to get away, life has handed her a big lemon, and geocaching in Oregon seems perfect. Enter Marshall helping her out of a sticky situation, and dealing with his own lemons. Can these two put the past behind them make lemonade?

Enjoyable, fun, fast read. It was perfect for me after finishing a slower moving book. Situations were ‘picked from the headlines’, not necessarily relatable but realistic by todays standards. I’ve never done geocaching, but I admit it does sound fun. I loved the descriptive scenery, Oregon is a place I’d love to visit. I can’t say I loved Wren, I found her naive. She demanded transparency and honesty, but didn’t fully follow her own rules. I could appreciate Marshall, helping others but putting his issues second. First book by this author and I look forward to reading her again.

Thanks to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.… (mehr)

The Trail of Lost Hearts by Tracey Garvis Graves is an exploration of grief, healing, and finding solace in nature. It’s a look at how you put yourself back together when your loss isn’t recognized, when you’re grieving something that wasn’t really there. Can you give yourself to another when you’re in the midst of chaos, or will you both suffer.

After life deals Wren a one-two knockout punch she’s “in dire need of experiences that will put [her] rage and sadness behind [her]”. She heads to Oregon to hike and geocache where she meets Marshall, a fellow traveler seeking his own renewal. As Wren and Marshall travel together, Wren opens up while Marshall becomes more closed off.

This is a beautiful story that is ultimately uplifting, but know yourself as a reader going in…where you are personally. I’m a lover of nature, feel most at home surrounded by my tree friends, so thought I’d love this story. I did, but it was a more difficult read for me right now as I strongly identified with Wren’s grief. That made it a much more melancholy read for me than it would have otherwise been. This speaks very much how accessible and vulnerable Graves has written Wren’s character.

I think it’s an excellent book for lovers of Katherine Center’s Happiness for Beginners, and readers who want romance with wanderlust, and a little Eat, Pray, Love.

I received an early copy from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, via Netgalley.… (mehr)