I find myself working out issues within myself, of love and life. There is a wholeness to the stories, basic human stories along with serious matters that are affecting the world at large.

“Lost girls. I’d found them everywhere, all over the world, all longing for hope, for love, for an answer to their hungers in a world that did not honor them.”

A family drama with a little bit of everything - romance, mystery, growth - told through the multiple points of view of these women. Four generations of narration was an interesting perspective for this historical fiction, that kept the story moving along. I enjoyed the charming setting, and there was so much to be captured by in this story.

This was a very enjoyable read filled with family drama and a little bit of mystery. The writing is very atmospheric and describes the English countryside beautifully.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Good story but seemed to lack something. The setting itself was a character that drew me in. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

Things I loved in this books:
Characters
Setting
Relationships
Secrets that slowly crept out
Resolutions
Mystery

I really enjoyed this book! I love the setting and the characters. This bok had the perfect amount of mystery and suspense as well as love.
I would definitely recommend this book to others.

I recommend this well written book featuring four generations of women from one family. When Zoe finds out her best friend, Diana, is missing, she leaves Santa Fe for her grandmother’s home in England. Zoe brings her daughter, Isabel, who has also experienced a trauma, and is unable to tell her mother what happened. Zoe’s grandmother is a famous mystery writer, who raised her when Poppy, Zoe’s mom, abandoned her at 7 years old and left her to be raised by her grandmother. There are many twists and turns, not only in their relationships, but the growing mystery around Diana. I couldn’t put it down, and you won’t either. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Very heart warming. Barbara O'Neal always writes a wonderful story. This book covers it all...romance, mystery, thriller, family issues ..I loved it!! The details keep you thoroughly engaged in the story, I loved the well written characters.
Book gets 5 stars!
Lets read!!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher and author for an ARC of this book.The opinions expressed are my own .

This heartwarming, contemporary novel was exactly what I hoped for after reading the description. Both the narration and the character development were done well, with each individual story holding my interest. The English countryside was described beautifully and really helped set the tone. Definitely a well written read!

Great read! The author draws you in with detail that makes you want to read on. I love when books making you feel like you are part of the story.

At the age of seven Zoe was left with her grandmother in Devon by her mother, who went off for years to travel the world, & their relationship was never the same after. Resentment led to estrangement from her mother & adult Zoe now lives in New Mexico with her fifteen year old daughter. When Zoe's grandmother informs her that her carer & Zoe's very good friend is missing, Zoe & her daughter fly over to England to learn more. When they arrive, the grandmother is in the early stages of dementia, Zoe's mother owns a shop in town & stops by to visit her mother frequently & Zoe's old boyfriend is still very attractive & single again. And on top of all of this, Zoe's friend has apparently vanished without a trace.

These women manage to make their way through some very difficult circumstances in the course of this book, which, in addition to very interesting & likeable characters, was filled with wonderful descriptions of flowers, woods, ocean and moor. Reading this book was like entering another world & it was a very welcome escape. A well written & heartwarming story of forgiveness & family & life. I strongly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author Barbara O'Neal & the publisher Lake Union Publishing, for granting my request for a free e-book in return for my honest review.

It’s always such a treat when a Barbara O’Neal book comes out. I can be guaranteed a trip to a beautiful place I’ve never been, and in the days of Covid that’s a treat indeed.

I adored every moment spent in this book, walking in the English countryside, amidst the fields of bluebells, and walking along the coastline - I could almost smell the ocean. What a treat for the mind and the senses right now when I can’t travel, I was truly transported away from my life and all of the drama of our world today and into a beautiful setting peopled by lovely people who I came away caring for.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of family drama with themes of forgiveness and relationship, this was such a lovely read and I enjoyed every moment in its pages.

When Zoe's best friend disappears in her hometown of Devon, she returns to the home of her grandmother who raised her with her fifteen year old daughter Isabel to help with the search. But when another woman disappears, they realize there's something more dangerous going on in this small tourist town.
The author's descriptions of the area and the seacoast town are beautiful. I like how the chapters alternate between the different women. They all have their own emotional issuesthey have to work through to finally become closer in the end.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I loved Barbara O'Neal's "When We Believed in Mermaids,' so I was thrilled to get an advance copy of 'The Lost Girls of Devon.' O"Neal once again didn't disappoint. Less a mystery and more a work of contemporary fiction, my only complaint is that I feel the mystery that the story is named for would have received more of the focus. Regardless, O'Neal's ability to draw engaging and realistic characters is sure to draw any reader in. She adeptly shifts focus between the main voices of the story and honestly portrays each of the four generations of women in a fully realized way.

Four generations of women come together when a woman linked to them goes missing. Lillian, the ailing matriarch of the family, knows this may be the last chance for her to see forgiveness in her family. For Zoe it is a return to the place she calls home; to her grandmother, to the unhealed feelings of abandonment, to the past she left behind. Isabel, Zoe's daughter, is hopeful this is her chance to heal and find the courage to face what she's been too ashamed to tell her mom. Finally, there's Poppy, she's returned home and made peace with her mother, but she desperately wants to know her daughter and granddaughter too. As the four grapple with the idea that their friend could be gone forever, old hurts, secrets, and betrayals float to the surface.

The Lost Girls of Devon is a beautiful work of contemporary fiction, I so loved reading the story from the women's' perspectives. Barbara O'Neal gave them distinct voices and experiences, at times their individual stories overlapped allowing the reader to understand it from every side. Lillian is a force of a woman, her chapters were difficult to read, her illness is very apparent and I truly felt like I was watching her memory slip away. Poppy's chapters are just as descriptive as you would expect of a local witch, filled with pretty words and emotions. While she was ultimately my least favorite character, I highlighted more from her pages than any other. Zoe's story is one of forgiveness, self-discovery, and love. Her perspective holds a significant amount of internal angst as she works through returning to the place that holds all her best and worst memories. I enjoyed the romance O'Neal gave her, I felt like she needed something good. Isabel's perspective is just heartbreaking, she's so young and has been tormented in a way no one should experience. Coming to the village for an extended stay feels like a fresh start for her and I loved watching her work through her experience and her emotions. She's such an independent, young character and I found I liked her quite a bit.

I really enjoyed this multi-generational novel, it had just the right amount of mixed plots to keep me intrigued and the four narratives gave it depth. Romance, mystery, angst, suspense, and just a bit of humor made The Lost Girls of Devon a fantastic read for me.

The Lost Girls of Devon
By Barbara O'Neil

A story about family betrayals and long buried secrets that is beautifully written by none other than Barbara O'Neal who wrote the best-seller, When We Believed in Mermaids.

In THE LOST GIRLS OF DEVON, O'Neal writes about four generations of the Fairchild clan who are reunited back again in not so happy circumstances. Their reunion reopens old wounds, and the ladies are faced to deal with a new issue as their childhood friend has gone missing. The story is centered on Zoe Fairchild who has been living in the States, and who now has to travel back to England to her childhood home in Devon.

I enjoyed reading about the different POVs that really showcased each of the women's perspectives, and makes for a page turner too. The setting of the story is amazing, as the English countryside and its beauty is highlighted. The mix of family drama with some mystery element made this a poignant read for me that I enjoyed a lot.

I enjoyed this book and found it to be a very captivating read. I struggled a bit at first with remembering the storylines for each character and who's/who since each chapter covered a different POV. I also got a bit confused with the Cooper/Sage name change throughout the book. But the storylines, setting, and mystery element all made for an entertaining read. I would have liked more focus on Diana's disappearance but I was glad for the loose ends that were tied up by the end of the book. I would definitely read more by this author.

In Barbara O’Neal’s latest, THE LOST GIRLS OF DEVON, focuses on four generations of women and their relationships to each other. When the mystery of her missing friend brings Zoe home to Devon with her daughter in tow. Being back is bittersweet, as her estranged Mother had moved back as well.
Told from the alternating viewpoints of each of the four women, the novel examines the family drama rife with anger, betrayal, regrets of choices made, and, most of all, love against the backdrop of the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the woman who has been a friend to three of the women.
The characters are true-to-life, written with depth and an understanding of complicated dynamics between mothers and daughters. The setting is beautifully described and the story flows together with a hint of magic to keep you engaged from beginning to end. I enjoyed the story and recommend it to anyone who appreciates a well-written novel with characters who are believable and relatable.
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
#TheLostGirlsofDevon #BarbaraONeal #LakeUnionPublishing

Much like When We Believed in Mermaids, O'Neal managed to write a book on the importance of family, overcoming tragedy, and love. There are multiple POVs and each character has a story interwoven with another. The Lost Girls of Devon explores what happens when you return home, after a long time away, as well as the disappearance of a loved one, and how time doesn't always heal all wounds, but does make them hurt less.

The Lost Girls of Devon revolved around the complicated relationships of Zoe, her mother who abandoned her when she was a child, the grandmother who raised her and is now showing signs of dementia, and her daughter who has been battling her own demons after a traumatic event. Then there is also the mystery of what happened to Zoe's dear friend Diana who has disappeared. The title of the book is so fitting as there are so many forms of loss woven throughout the story. I am grateful to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

Zoe’s oldest friend Diana is missing. Unfortunately, it wasn’t even on Zoe’s radar. With a cheating ex-husband, a moody teenage daughter who won’t let her in, and a stack of abandonment issues from the mother who left when she was only 7 years old, she has a lot on her plate. It isn’t until her grandmother rings her from England telling her Diana has disappeared that she notices Diana’s absence. Next thing she knows, she’s on a plane with her daughter, Isabel, to help uncover the truth.
Barbara O’Neal’s, “The Lost Girls of Devon,” is a mystery that will have you at the edge of your seat – but trust me, you’ll also need an entire box of tissues.
Zoe’s plane ride to England lands her face first in front of her mother and her ex-boyfriend, both of whom she hasn’t spoken to in decades. Unfortunately for Zoe, there is no avoiding the past when they are thrust together to look for their dear friend Diana. And is the past really put behind them?
Told from the perspective of four different women from different generations, O’Neal opens a door to a heartwarming tale of forgiveness and love through one family. Perfect for every generation, you’ll yearn to reach out and hug these women. Lillian, who is struggling to adapt to old age; Poppy, a mother who just wants her daughter back; Zoe, who holds on to her hatred of her mother and love of her daughter like it’s her life; and Isabel, who has a heartbreaking secret of her own. All four have one thing in common, they want to know what happened to Diana. And trust me, one chapter in, and you’ll be itching to know too.

Reviewed by Rebecca Santangelo for Suspense Magazine