THE LOST AND FOUND NECKLACE follows Jess. After a life altering accident, Jess has decided that it’s time to slow down and settle down with her perfectly sensible and dependable boyfriend, Tim. That was the plan, anyway, until Jess was given the task of tracking down the families lost heirloom for her grandmother. She meets Guy at an auction where he wins her families precious necklace, and he agrees to lend it to her as long as Jess goes on a date with him.
-
I don’t know how I feel about this story. I started off really enjoying it, but the longer I read the more weary I got. I loved the writing, but I felt like I couldn’t root for any of the characters. I didn’t really love any of them. I liked Jess, but I didn’t like what she was doing to Tim, so I couldn’t get fully invested into her or her romance. No one stood out to me except for maybe Steph, Jess’ niece— I liked their relationship. Learning about the necklaces history was cool. I liked that part of the story, but I didn’t like the main romance, and that’s a little disappointing considering I went into this expecting a good romance, but I’m not sorry I read this.
-
3/5 stars, THE LOST AND FOUND NECKLACE by Louisa Leaman is available July 13, 2021.
-
Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for sending me an eARC to review!

Awww another quirky romance. People may think I have a black heart, because of all the thrillers I read, but I love cartoony covers and a touch of romance. This book is a little heavier than most romances as it deals with some mighty big issues. Jess is recovering from an accident, she is trying to find her (dying) grandmother's necklace and she has to decide if she wants to be with Tim...or is Guy her happily ever after? Well you'll have to read the book to find out!

These characters were very relatable on every level. Complex and interesting and fully alive. I loved that the author included their personal struggles...it felt entirely natural and authentic. Everything about this rom-com felt as natural as breathing, effortlessly executed, and I enjoyed it so much I stayed up half the night to finish reading it.

The family heirloom necklace that connects the women in Jess’s family to their true loves has been missing for years. She is on a mission to get the necklace back before her grandma passes away. The necklace slips through her grasp when a handsome and charming stranger (Guy) out bids her at an auction. Jess sets out to get the necklace back but did the necklace allow her to find true love and learn her family’s history along the way?

I really enjoyed this story. I love when there are multi-generational ties and family history. One thing I thought was lacking was how they tied up Guy’s backstory. I feel like I needed more information on him. Overall a fun read. Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

England - Present Day

Jess Taylor and her older sister, Aggie, are at an important jewelry auction. For years, Jess has been searching auction catalogs for her grandmother, trying to find a family heirloom necklace. An art nouveau piece with a butterfly pendant and a moonstone, it was designed and made by Jess and Aggi's great-great-grandmother, Minnie, in the early nineteen hundreds. Nancy, their grandmother, is in a nursing home, and during her lucid times, she begs for the necklace. Finally, Jess finds it, and it all falls on her to buy it back for Nancy. But as soon as the bidding begins, Jess is stunned to have the man she'd bumped into earlier, working hard to outbid her. At the bitter end, he is successful, and Jess is distraught.

Jess has had a difficult year after being badly injured in a sky diving incident in Mexico where she'd traveled with her latest boyfriend. In chronic pain, and walking with a cane, she has had to move in with her sister and her family because her own flat is up too many flights of stairs. She has a small mail-order business obtaining and selling antique jewelry, and she has a boyfriend that Aggie approves of, reliable Tim. For someone who has spent most of her adult life running off to exciting places with men Aggie considers wild, Jess has learned that with her injuries, it may be time to slow down and get serious about life. Still, after the auction, she confronts the man who bought the necklace, offering to buy it from him. Amused, the man, Guy, lets her go on and on about it, but in the end, refuses her request. He does offer to take her to dinner some time, but she assures him that she is almost engaged.

It is difficult to visit Nancy and explain to her that she couldn't get the necklace back. Jess manages, however, to get Nancy to reveal more about her past. Curious after learning that the necklace has brought together soul mates throughout its existence, Jess sets off to find more of her family's mysterious history. From Minnie, who made the necklace, to her daughter, Anna, who fled an unhappy marriage, then Nancy, wild and carefree, and her daughter, Jess's mother, Carmen, who died of a stroke in her early thirties, the necklace has been passed on, and each woman met the love of her life. Jess yearns to verify if any of this is true. Her searches take her to Nancy's rustic cabin in Wales, to Hollywood, and back to London. With Nancy declining rapidly, Jess scrambles to somehow get the vintage necklace into her grandmother's hands. But obstacles, and Guy, may keep that from happening.

THE LOST AND FOUND NECKLACE is a coming of age tale as Jess not only learns of her family history, but learns about her wants and needs too. All the time, she is torn between the need for peace and security with Tim, or the cheeky, unpredictable Guy, who tantalizes her with his access to the necklace.

A great summer read, THE LOST AND FOUND NECKLACE will entertain readers from the first page.

A magical and dramatic story of a lost necklace and those that do all in their power to return it to the rightful owners. There was a lot of hidden tension combined with a dollop of romance.

This was a neat blend of a couple of genres, a contemporary romance but also a story of family and soul searching. Jess has an especially close relationship with her 82-year-old grandmother. After Jess's life changed dramatically in an accident in which she was severely injured, Jess feels she has matured. And her sister cheers that growth on. But her grandmother is sad to think Jess has lost her spirit.

The story uses a love triangle trope, in which Jess's choice of love is a metaphor for her choice of life goal and identity. But more than the romance, this is a story of art nouveau jewelry, of history, and of treasure hunting. My favorite part was reading the tales of previous times across many countries, and I really enjoyed learning about old costume jewelry. I also liked the author interview at the end.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

TW: accident, prescription pain pills, dementia, end of life

Free-spirited Jess is a jewelry designer who adores her grandmother, Nancy, a bohemian icon whose dying wish is for Jess to find her most treasured missing possession: a necklace designed and fashioned by her own grandmother, which she calls her "truelove necklace." Jess tracks down the necklace but loses it in an auction to Guy, a charming poseur who buys it on behalf of a rich socialite. The story of how Jess pursues not only the necklace but her mysterious matriarchal heritage in which it plays a crucial role makes for an enchanting tale of mothers, daughters, and sisters in pursuit of their life purpose and their soulmates through four generations. The conflict between Jess and her sister Aggie, who thinks Jess should settle down with her sensible boyfriend Tim and stop chasing rainbows, is believably developed, as is Jess's on and off almost-romance with the mercurial Guy, who isn't what he seems. The writing flows well at a gentle pace and the eras of the various generations of women are evoked in authentic detail. The hint of magic attached to the mysterious butterfly necklace is done with a light touch. This is an entertaining, feel-good novel with a lot of heart.

This was my first title by Louisa Leaman and I fell in love with the story and her writing style. My favorite kinds of books are the ones that make us hope and believe and I was not disappointed. I've already got a list of people to recommend this title to and cannot wait for it to be released!

I received an advance copy of, The Lost and Found Necklace, by Louise Leaman. This is a great book, with great characters, I loved Jess. Secrets, families, love, and promises.

The Lost and Found Necklace sets up an interesting premise: a lost heirloom necklace that is meant to lead its wearer to true love goes missing for years until main character, Jess, finds it at auction. There, she meets the intriguing Guy who is so wrong for the person Jess is trying to become.

This is certainly a light and fun read, perfect for a summer afternoon as the book layers past and present allowing the reader to learn more about the generations of women in the family who once wore the necklace themselves. I would have like to have more character development so I could feel more connected to the characters and understand their choices a bit more.

The history of the necklace was interesting, but the characters and story were weak. Much of the story was redundant and the “sparks” between Jess and Guy were forced and unconvincing.
Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

This book intrigued me from the start. Having a penchant for history and adventure, I took to this story whole-heartedly.

I truly enjoyed the journey of Jess as she tried to navigate who she is, who she was, and who she truly wants to be. Each portion of her leads her on different paths of her heart and to different forms of happiness. Ones guided by her family, adventure, chemistry, and practicality. Some could even argue a little bit of magic.

There were aspects of this story that felt like a cautionary tale. At times, I wasn't really sure where this story was headed and what path Jess would ultimately choose. Or rather, if she really even had a choice. She had the gift of seeing both sides of the coin to her life, and truly experiencing them.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this story. There were a few sections I was worried for our heroine and prayed for her family.

It's a beautiful tale of family, love, fate...and a little bit of faith.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

This is my second book by Louisa Leaman (The Perfect Dress) and I’m a big fan now. Sweet, charming, with an antique piece at its heart called the True Love Necklace that reveals one’s soul mate when worn. I was truly invested in the characters: Jess, recovering from a sky diving accident who has bad luck with men; her dying grandmother Nancy; Jess’ dull beau Tim, and Guy, a livelier possibility.

The well-written narrative drew me in — I just HAD to know which man is Jess’ soul mate — and the family relationship history was genuinely intriguing. A great romantic escape!

Pub Date 13 Jul 2021
#TheLostAndFoundNecklace #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

I enjoyed this novel very much. A delightful romantic comedy that is simply enchanting, fast-moving, interesting romance that revolves around a vintage butterfly necklace.
I was fascinated by the premise of this book, vintage jewellery, family secrets and strong women really grabbed my attention.
A beautiful story that I enjoyed way too much!