What a great find! This was a book for book lovers, I enjoy a good feeling book like this. I do not know this author, but for me, this was one of best reads I have had in a long time. The story was interesting, and I enjoyed the story and the way it was written with all the twists and turns. I also liked these characters' surprising connection to one lost manuscript. This was so good.

While this was well written and the characters were fleshed out and complete, I really struggled with the slow pace of this book.

Immersive and engaging. This is a recommended purchase for collections where epistolary romance is popular.

Really enjoyed this book. I loved this style and it was so fun getting to follow along with the thread that the lost manuscript created between all the characters.

This book was written in the form of letters. When I finally got around to reading it however, I listened to it and I did not prefer the audiobook. If I would've read this book physically I think it would've been a lot better because I felt the story was rushed and it was a bit hard to follow. Overall though I did enjoy the storyline that I was able to understand.

Thanks so much to the author, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. { partner } All opinions are entirely my own. All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on my blog at tacklingtbr.home.blog

Okay, full disclosure I'm writing this review a good chunk of time after reading the book. So take that into consideration here.

This was a book that I remember enjoying as I was reading it, but I definitely didn't devour it in a sitting, or feel like I simply couldn't put it down, or stayed up late reading because I needed to know how it would end. It was a sweet book, with fun characters, but I didn't end up having any really strong feelings about it one way or another.

And for some reason, this book more so than most, I somehow forgot every detail about this book as soon as I put it down. Normally I have a fairly good memory for at least the larger brush strokes of a plot for books that I've enjoyed, if not the smaller details, but for some reason I just could not retain any information about this book when I wasn't actively reading it. It almost felt like it just went in one ear and entirely out the other.

All in all I would still recommend this book to friends and readers, but maybe not to the point of pushing anybody to read it. If someone were to ask me about it, yes, absolutely read it! But I might not bring it up on my own, you know? I didn't dislike this book, I was just entirely neutral about it. And for me, with how many books I have and how much I read, that just wasn't enough for me.

The power of books is captured in this epistolary novel. The same book, in different readers' hands, has a different impact on their lives.

Anne-Lise finds a lost manuscript in a hotel and she decides to find the author of this manuscript. Along the way we, the readers, along with Anne-Lise, get to know all the people who have read the manuscript, besides Anne-Lise. The novel is written solely in letters which tell the story of how Anne-Lise "met" all these strangers and the author of the manuscript. I liked how all these seemingly unconnected readers became friends thanks to a book that hadn't been published.

I didn't like Anne-Lise as a character, nor her personality. She's too pushy and determined to do things her way, ignoring other characters' opinions. There are a lot of other characters, all connected to the manuscript. I liked how we got to learn more about them through the letters. A character's background story is always the best part for me.

There are lucky/ happy coincidences that made the whole events of this novel possible, but not very likely to take place in real life. I liked the idea of the novel and I have a soft spot for epistolary novels. However, this is not a particularly memorable novel. I read a few months ago as an advanced copy, and I've already forgotten the ending! It was an enjoyable read at the time, but it didn't make a lasting impression, unfortunately.

I love epistolary novels more than almost any other style of books, I love the feeling of reading private correspondence that isn’t meant for me, I’m nosy. This one was pretty and lovely and enjoyable.

Well done, well written, with strong characters and a substantial entertaining plot. Interesting and intriguing .

I love novels written in epistolary format! This was set up with a very interesting premise and I really enjoyed the journey the book took. I didn't find the 'shocking twist' to be all that shocking and I felt like the second half of the book moved a bit too slow for me.

If you're looking forward to a mystery romance with charming characters, amazing layering with all consuming mystery, then you've found your book.
I mean, who doesn't want to know not only who wrote the first half of the amazingly, mysterious manuscript the main character finds in her hotel room, but who completed it?
I do! I do!
What a gem of a story. It's a sit down and read start to finish book so get your favorite blanket and snuggle in.

*I appreciate an advanced reader copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very interesting story told in an epistolary format and I've always been a fan of those! I loved the characters and their experiences along with the writing!

A cute and unique story that is heartwarming and delightful. It was a.sweet escape from the real world.

This was a great book to read, It was different than what I usually read, and I'm glad that I gave this book a chance. The characters were interesting and the storyline flowed. I surely did not see the twist at the end.

I had such high hopes for this book, but unfortunately I didn’t connect with it. Maybe it was the writing style or the plot, but I couldn’t get into this one. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review it.

The Lost Manuscript is an epistolic novel about a woman's search to track all those people who interacted with a manuscript that she finds in a hotel room drawer. Through her letters with each person, she realizes this book has touched many people over the past 30 years it has been "missing".

The Lost Manuscripts is an epistolic novel, which is one of my favorite styles of writing. I like that letters allow the author to "show not tell" what people are thinking since we get many narrative voices through the different letter authors. This was a very charming book with a twist that was not predictable. I enjoyed it, and I was excited to learn it was translated from the original French for the 2021 publication.

I enjoyed this book immensely, which is unusual for a book consisting of letters and emails. However, they were detailed enough to read like chapters. I had a wonderful time on the journey of this manuscript and the many unlikely people that were associated with it. My online complaint was that I, the reader, wanted to read this famous manuscript that affected so many lives and it wasn’t part of the book.

From the publisher: When Anne-Lise Briard books a room at the Beau Rivage Hotel for her vacation on the Brittany coast, she has no idea this trip will start her on the path to unearthing a mystery. In search of something to read, she opens up her bedside table drawer in her hotel room, and inside she finds an abandoned manuscript. Halfway through the pages, an address is written. She sends pages to the address, in hopes of potentially hearing a response from the unknown author. But not before she reads the story and falls in love with it. The response, which she receives a few days later, astonishes her...
Not only does the author write back, but he confesses that he lost the manuscript 30 years prior on a flight to Montreal. And then he reveals something even more shocking--that he was not the author of the second half of the book.

Anne-Lise can't rest until she discovers who this second mystery author is, and in doing so tracks down every person who has held this manuscript in their hands. Through the letters exchanged by the people whose lives the manuscript has touched, she discovers long-lost love stories and intimate secrets. Romances blossom and new friends are made. Everyone's lives are made better by this book--and isn't that the point of reading? And finally, with a plot twist you don't see coming, she uncovers the astonishing identity of the author who finished the story.

I highly recommend this book, 4 stars. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

While quite a few characters in the book, the author helps by making each one a different personality. I appreciated the premise of the “lost” manuscript that impacts the lives of the characters. The letter format of the story was unique and a different read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Imagine what it would be like if you found a manuscript in your hotel room while on vacation. What would you do? In The Lost Manuscript that releases today, Anne-Lise Braird finds a lost manuscript tucked away in the bedside table drawer in her hotel room. What began as an ordinary vacation in Brittany turns into a search for the author of the manuscript. Through a series of letters, the story unfolds and we meet everyone whose lives have been touched by the lost manuscript.

I had the amazing opportunity to interview Cathy and share it on my lifestyle blog, The Avid Pen. One of my readers who is part of a multi-generational book club, reached out to me and thanked me for the recommendation. The interview served as a conversation starter for the book club after they'd all read the book.

The Lost Manuscript by Cathy Bonidan
Rating 3.5/5 Stars
Published by St. Martin’s Press
Published On 12 January 2021

Thank you to Netgalley, St Martin’s, and of course, Cathy Bonidan for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Rom-Com centralized around books! Yes! In France, Anne-Lise books a room on the Brittany coast, but while looking for something to read in the room - she stumbles on an abandoned manuscript. Curious about its contents, she begins to read, and halfway through she finds an address. It’s not long before she writes to the unknown address stating she was in possession of the manuscript. The author writes back, claiming he lost the manuscript in...CANADA...NOT FRANCE. He also reveals he only wrote the first half of the manuscript - the second being written by someone else. Anne-Lise sets off to find the second author, but in the midst of this -she meets new friends, forms intimate relationships, and discovers long-lost secrets.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I found it to be incredibly intriguing and I loved how it followed the setup of a novel itself - a plot twist etc. I read it in 2 days and highly recommend it.