This book. This book y’all. It started me down an absolute Catherine Cowles pipeline. Say hello to my new favorite author. Just do check tw/cw!

My coworkers and book club can attest to the fact that I wouldn’t shut up about this book. Shoutout to R and K who have actually read it now and I apologize for emotionally scarring you lol.

I have now read every book in the Lost & Found series, and I must say that this one is my absolute favorite. The way it’s written just kept me so engaged and hooked onto every single page. I read this in one day, as I couldn’t bear to put it down. It took up every thought I had.

The characters in this book. Lawson and Hallie, plus Lawson’s amazing children. First off, I absolutely adore Luke, the eldest child. He has my whole heart, and yes I did cry for him.  Lawson is such a complex character as he tries to focus on his family and his work, but he is being pulled into so many different directions because of his sense of duty. The backstory between him and his ex just destroyed me. It made me understand his character to a whole new level. And Hallie, our fmc. The poor girl has been through so much, and is in desperate need of friends and a family. And Cedar Ridge and the Hartley family provide that. She cares so wholeheartedly for the Hartley children, it was so sweet. I also loved seeing her overcome her fears and anxieties, the way she handled them felt realistic to me, done in a way I could painfully relate to.

Of course there is the plot. Oh my goodness I was not ready. I won’t get too much into it, as I refuse to spoil it. But just wow. Holy shit was I unprepared. And as my friend K pointed out to me, the details that you can find in the previous book that relate to this one?? So genius. I sorta want to go back and re-read Shadows of You, and then Ashes of You AGAIN to make the connections. Don’t get me wrong, they can be read as standalones, but I would recommend reading the series in order for the best experience. (Plus you get so much more Lawson content that way.)

I cannot stress this enough, this is one of my favorite books I have read. Period.