Jennifer Lynn Barnes

While "The Lovely and the Lost" isn't my favourite Jennifer Lynn Barnes novel, it was still an engaging and enjoyable read, particularly thanks to the rescue dogs who played such an important role throughout the story. Their loyalty, intelligence, and fierce protectiveness added heart to the story. I especially loved the young husky, Saskia, and the aging German shepherd, Silver - two standouts whose bond with their human partners was both touching and powerful.

As always, Barnes excels at show more creating layered, emotionally rich characters. Kira is a compelling protagonist with a complex and heartbreaking backstory. Her survival as a child alone in the wilderness was both impressive and tragic, and it made me admire her strength all the more. Her stepbrother Jude and best friend Free were incredibly supportive, always sensing what Kira needed and offering her quiet, steady encouragement when memories of her childhood trauma resurfaced. Jude, in particular, completely stole my heart - he was just precious.

The central mystery, the disappearance of young Bella, unfolds with steady tension and suspense. The search is intense and emotionally driven. Like Kira and the others, I was hoping for a happy ending, and I never guessed the truth behind Bella's abduction. The twist caught me completely off guard.

With its blend of family dynamics, psychological tension, and canine companions, "The Lovely and the Lost" is an entertaining and heartfelt read. It’s a thoughtful exploration of trauma, trust, and healing, with just the right amount of mystery and emotional depth to keep you turning the pages. show less

“You feel stupid. Doesn't mean you are.”

-5 stars-

Tropes:
-Murder Mystery
-Cold case
-Love Triangle
-Grumpy/sunshine
-Found family

Spice:
1/5

Okay, I'm going to be completely honest! I didn't LOVE The Inheritance Games series, but this book has actually kind of made me like Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Because I'm being totally honest, I'm just going to come out and say it, Dean and Micheal were very hard not to find cute. I love that both of them are so complicated (emotionally and physically) and show more everything about each of them was cute!
When it comes to the girl characters in this book (Sloan and Lia) I found them very sweet too! I think what I appreciate about this book, is that all of the characters are so uniquely them, and I really appreciate that they have flaws, they have problems they have to deal with, they have emotions. I think those things aren't shows very often in books (especially in murder mystery books).
The book itself was excellently written! The plot was super easy to get sucked into, and I loved the writing! It's pretty complex for a YA novel!
I'm actually going to continue the series, because the mystery lives on (and if you know me, I've got to find out what ends up happening).
Overall, highly suggest reading if you liked the Inheritance Games series, but want some more emotionally complex characters. This book is also great if you want to hear about the inner workings of the mind!

“No expectations, no disappointments.” show less

Seventeen-year-old Tess Kendrick lives in Montana on her grandfather's ranch. She has been taking care of him while he is developing Alzheimer's, but the school alerts her older sister Ivy Kendrick when Tess's behaviors change.

Ivy sweeps Tess away to Washington, D.C., where she works and transfers her grandfather to a facility in Boston for possible treatment. Tess resents being swept away by the older sister she thinks abandoned her years earlier. She doesn't even know what Ivy does.

Tess show more is enrolled in the Hardwicke school where she meets the children of Washington's movers and shakers. Many of them know more about Ivy than Tess does. She learns that Ivy is a fixer who manages to take care of a multitude of problems in Washington.

Many of her classmates look at Tess as their own fixer which isn't far from the truth. When she comes upon a freshman crying in the bathroom, she's the one who confronts the older boys who have taken pictures of her and confiscates the phone. She later learns that the girl is the Vice President's daughter and the picture taking slime is the son of the Whip.

When she arrives, things are already in turmoil. Her fellow student Henry's grandfather is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He dies under what the grandson believes are suspicious circumstances and her new friend Vivvy's father is the man who operated on him. Vivvy overhears enough to believe that he killed him.

Tess and her new friends are busy investigating. So is Ivy but their investigations, while on parallel tracks, are secret from each other.

This was an engaging and suspenseful thriller filled with secrets. I loved getting to know Tess and empathized with both the disruption in her life and the uncertainty in it. Tess has lots of problems to solve not least of which is the relationship with her sister. Luckily, she has the brains and ability to do so.

The cliffhanger ending is sending me running to The Long Game which continues the story. show less

Seventeen-year-old Tess Kendrick lives in Montana on her grandfather's ranch. She has been taking care of him while he is developing Alzheimer's, but the school alerts her older sister Ivy Kendrick when Tess's behaviors change.

Ivy sweeps Tess away to Washington, D.C., where she works and transfers her grandfather to a facility in Boston for possible treatment. Tess resents being swept away by the older sister she thinks abandoned her years earlier. She doesn't even know what Ivy does.

Tess show more is enrolled in the Hardwicke school where she meets the children of Washington's movers and shakers. Many of them know more about Ivy than Tess does. She learns that Ivy is a fixer who manages to take care of a multitude of problems in Washington.

Many of her classmates look at Tess as their own fixer which isn't far from the truth. When she comes upon a freshman crying in the bathroom, she's the one who confronts the older boys who have taken pictures of her and confiscates the phone. She later learns that the girl is the Vice President's daughter and the picture taking slime is the son of the Whip.

When she arrives, things are already in turmoil. Her fellow student Henry's grandfather is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He dies under what the grandson believes are suspicious circumstances and her new friend Vivvy's father is the man who operated on him. Vivvy overhears enough to believe that he killed him.

Tess and her new friends are busy investigating. So is Ivy but their investigations, while on parallel tracks, are secret from each other.

This was an engaging and suspenseful thriller filled with secrets. I loved getting to know Tess and empathized with both the disruption in her life and the uncertainty in it. Tess has lots of problems to solve not least of which is the relationship with her sister. Luckily, she has the brains and ability to do so.

The cliffhanger ending is sending me running to The Long Game which continues the story. show less