Monday 1 July 2013

Review: Lost & Found by Nicole Williams

Lost and Found (Lost and Found, #1)Lost and Found

Author: Nicole Williams
Series: Lost & Found
Pages: 358
Publisher: Self
Genre: New Adult

Synopsis (Goodreads)

There’s complicated. And there’s Rowen Sterling.

After numbing pain for the past five years with boys, alcohol, and all-around apathy, she finds herself on a Greyhound bus to nowhere Montana the summer after she graduates high school. Her mom agreed to front the bill to Rowen’s dream art school only if Rowen proves she can work hard and stay out of trouble at Willow Springs Ranch. Cooking breakfast at the crack of dawn for a couple dozen ranch hands and mucking out horse stalls are the last things in the world Rowen wants to spend her summer doing.

Until Jesse Walker saunters into her life wearing a pair of painted-on jeans, a cowboy hat, and a grin that makes something in her chest she’d thought was frozen go boom-boom. Jesse’s like no one else, and certainly nothing like her. He’s the bright and shiny to her dark and jaded.

Rowen knows there’s no happily-ever-after for the golden boy and the rebel girl—happily-right-now is a stretch—so she tries to forget and ignore the boy who makes her feel things she’s not sure she’s ready to feel. But the more she pushes him away, the closer he seems to get. The more she convinces herself she doesn’t care, the harder she falls.

When her dark secrets refuse to stay locked behind the walls she’s kept up for years, Rowen realizes it’s not just everyone else she needs to be honest with. It’s herself.

Review: 4 ½ out of 5 stars

I haven’t had a lot of luck with the New Adult genre lately, the storylines have all been repetitive and there has been nothing fresh or unique and despite Lost & Found having some of the same qualities as others in the genre, I found myself really enjoying this book and the wonderful characters Nicole Williams has created, the overall feel was a breath of fresh air.

Our main character, Rowen Sterling has been sent to Willow Spring Ranch to work to prove herself worthy of payment at Art School, an ultimatum given by her mother; having spent the past five years of her life on a downward spiral it was a chance for her to start afresh.

Rowen has never had the kind of relationship with her mother that was needed, she was treated more as an obligation rather than a daughter so when she is picked up from the bus station by a smexy cowboy with a permanent happy face, she knows she is in for trouble! Especially when she meets his amazing family who share their positive affirmations constantly it proved she could be a better person and edge away from her self-destructive behaviour.

Quote: “You think you deserve this. You think you deserve to be alone and suffer. You’ve convinced yourself you’re so worthless that you’ve gone to the extreme to punish yourself. You think you deserve a life of misery.”

Jesse {sigh} Walker! Oh. My. Gosh!! I don’t think I have swooned, sighed or gushed over such a character in a long while; what a sweetheart. We don’t have a bad boy here at all, he is pure perfection; thoughtful and caring and such a gentleman who treated Rowen with the kindness and support she needed in order to respect herself. The banter between them was wonderful as was the chemistry.

Quote: “…when I looked into those eyes of his that saw everything, those eyes that saw me, I knew the fight would be worth it. The struggle to let him in when I wanted to barricade the windows and lower the gates would be a battle I’d never regret fighting.” - Rowen

I loved seeing the layers of Rowen slowly revealed and to watch her accept herself for who she was instead of hiding behind what she obviously wasn’t. Her outward appearances pushed people away – her purpose, but when she was shown how worthy she was she became a much better person and it was the Walker’s and their kindness who taught her that. I really enjoyed that in this book we get a bad girl and good guy; and it was done extremely well with a wonderfully detailed underlying message.

Each of the secondary characters were beautifully developed, Jesse’s parents, his mother Rose especially and sisters were amazing; their kindness and compassion left me with a permanent happy face, Josie was a sweetheart but boy did I cringe with Garth, this guy gave me the eeks and Rowen’s mother left me gaping, it was such a sad situation.

Quote: “Every morning we get a chance to be different. A chance to change. A chance to be better. Your past is your past. Leave it there. Get on with the future part, honey.” – Rose Walker

Nicole Williams writing was crisp, witty and entertaining and I adored the overall message of the story. I was mesmerised from the very first page and didn’t want Jesse and Rowen’s story to end so I am pleased to see there will be a sequel, Near & Far to be released on the 30th July.

Overall, a wonderful, touching and true to life story with amazing characters who are entertaining and believable.



Nicole  WilliamsAbout the author (from Goodreads): I'm a wife, a mom, a writer. I started writing because I loved it and I'm still writing because I love it. I write young adult because I still believe in true love, kindred spirits, and happy endings. Here's to staying young at heart *raises champagne glass* . . . care to join me?

Nicole loves hearing from her readers. You can contact her at nwilliamsbooks@gmail.com.

16 comments:

  1. This sounds good and I love the scenario! Jess sounds dreamy! Great review and so glad you enjoyed this!

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    1. Thanks Kimba! It was great & Jesse was amazing <3

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  2. Yay! You have no idea how happy I am that you enjoyed this one, Sharon! I fell in love with Jesse as soon as he and his tight pants were introduced! :P
    I love bad boys in books too, but pfft, there's just something about charming boys like Jesse that make them ten times more attractive than bad boys.
    Weren't the secondary characters the most wonderful characters ever? :)
    Lovely review, Sharon!
    I'm really excited for the next book even though I didn't think this one needed a sequel. But who cares, if there's more Jesse, I'm going to be a happy girl! :D

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    1. Jesse was still a bit cheeky which I liked & I agree, the secondary characters are amazing! I loved Rose; what an awesome mother.

      I'm keen to read the second book but I have my fingers crossed there is little drama! I am curious about how Garth will redeem himself in book 3.

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  3. Great review. I can't wait to get time to read this. I have been hearing some really good things about it. I know what you mean about some of the NA books being repetitive. I have been reading so many of them lately, unless they have something really unique about them, it is easy to get the story lines mixed up and I have to sit there and try to remember what was what. I am really glad you enjoyed this one.

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    1. So true Ellen! they all seem to have the same story-lines but this was a little different and not as much drama and angst thank goodness. I hope you get a chance to read it :)

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  4. I am so happy that you loved Lost & Found, too! I loved Rowen and JESSE! I liked how this story didn't seem repetitive, as well. Great review, and bring on Near & Far!

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    1. I was a bit miffed about the ending so I'm glad we get a sequel (although I think an epilogue would have been enough ;)

      I adored Rowen and loved Jesse; what a sweetheart!

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  5. Hello. I just wanted to say thank you for the two RAK books that you sent me today. It really made my day. We are having really bad fires in Arizona, and 19 of our Hot Shot Fire Crew died yesterday, which has been hard on our entire town (In addition to about 700 people losing their homes). It made my day a little easier after all the sadness that has transpired here.

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    1. Hi Jennifer! I am so sorry to hear about the fires there :( it's heart-breaking to hear about what so many people are going through & the lives that have been lost, it's devastating.

      I'm pleased you received the R.A.K's, I hope they bought a small smile to your face during such a difficult time xx

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  6. Walker sounds great, and I think I would like this one, great review

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    1. I hope you get to read it Brandi, it was really enjoyable! the Walkers were amazing :)

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  7. I see Nick up there liked the tight pants. :D I'm up for something new in New Adult, so I'm glad you liked this, I'll be giving it a try! I'm a little bummed that there's going to be a second book (when it sounds like there doesn't need to be), but if this is sweet and romantic, I won't mind as much as the ones that make me want to pull my hair out. Terrific review, Sharon!!

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    1. A second book definitely wasn't needed, an epilogue would have been perfect :) I hope you get a chance to read this one Barbara, Jesse's smexy pants were very appealing ;)

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  8. I know we already talked about this book on Twitter but I gotta add that I LOVED Garth! Don’t get me wrong, he was an ass and he deserved a few kicks in the nuts but I also got him. He has a shitty life and he retaliates to make other people feel as shitty as he does. I’m always rooting for the messed up characters and I can’t wait for his book! Call me crazy but I kind of hope Nicole Williams can make it work between him and Jesse’s ex (forgot her name). I mean, there had to have been something there for them to go there in the first place. I think she can pull it off.
    And yeah, I really hope book 2 doesn’t have unnecessary drama (jealousy, cheating, etc). I’m excited for book 2 but also nervous. *bites nails*

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    1. Haha! he was so mean but he did sort of redeem himself towards the end, I hope he makes some drastic changes in the next book; I am curious about his family life, it does sound shitty - I don't think I'm too keen on him being with Josie :/

      I'm excited for the next book but with them being apart I'm sure there will be unnecessary drama.

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