I absolutely loved this book! I loved this historical setting and to romance and the mystery and just all of the intrigue! The writing was great and had a very satisfying ending in my opinion. This is also the kind of cover that makes me excited to step into a story and read! :) <3

I absolutely loved this book! It was such a captivating read! I couldn’t stop reading! I loved the characters and the story! Highly recommend!

This was an enjoyable dual timeline novel about forbidden love and family and the things we would do to protect the ones we love most.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher. This is my honest and personal review.

When I requested this ARC, I was so excited to read about a lost treasure and how the storylines from WWII to present would be intertwined. It wasn't groundbreaking by any means, but it was a great mystery and a great little love story as well.

Interesting take on how abandonment and lies impact many lives. Harry just lost his mother, although they have a complicated past. The book has a dual timeline, the story of Harry’s mother in 1981 on a trip to France to visit her Aunt, and the current day story of Harry and his former girlfriend Tabitha as they search for the truth of Harry’s background. There are some twists and turns as Frances, Harry’s mother begins a relationship with an older man, Benoit, and how that relationship will impact her family. I liked the book, and thought it was original and well written. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review. I requested this book because I liked the title and the cover and the way they went together :) Sometimes I am disappointed in my choice but this one really worked out for me...it was a mix between a love story (twice) and a mystery with a little bit of family drama thrown in. I say twice because it was a love story for the mother and also a love story for her son in the future...but all wrapped around a certain priceless jewelry box that ultimately brings even more people together that had no idea each other existed...it really did keep me going and interested the entire way through. I really liked this one :)

*I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.*

One of my 2022 reading resolutions is to read more ARCs. I have been a lifelong reader, but I focused much more on personal development books in the last few years and I’ve been trying to play catch-up since the pandemic started. I feel I’ve missed so many great works of fiction.

Hidden Treasures by Michelle Adams was one of my last reads of 2021. It’s the story of Harry who, after the death of his mother, is left to deal with her house. His mother, Frances, was suffering from depression and was a hoarder. One day Harry opens the door of his late mother’s home and comes face to face with Tabitha, his lost love. She holds a letter sent by his mother begging the pair to search for a priceless jewelry box, hidden somewhere in the house. And so they embark on the adventure of finding the precious box and in the process, uncover so much more.

My thoughts: this book gave me the same vibe as Kristin Harmel. Very sweet, where the protagonists going on some sort of quest. It’s also about lost and recovered love. I did feel myself frustrated with the characters at times for letting their fears get the best of them, mostly because I have been in situations where my fear ran the show. The book is told in dual time between, Frances’ teenage years and Harry and Tabitha’s quest. If you’re looking for something fun and light, this is the book for you!

Dear Fellow Reader,

The new year is around the corner waiting to bring us surprises. What will you be reading? One of the things that I find very helpful is that I set a reading goal at www.Goodreads.com. Not only do I see how many books I’ve read during the year but also, if I can’t remember if I read a book, I can check there. That happened just last week. I was reading the new book by Anne Patchett (These Precious Days) and I could not remember if I had read The Dutch House. I was sure that I had but I just checked with Goodreads, and I had read it. Goodreads also tells you the longest book you have read for the year (Fresh Water for Flowers) and the shortest (The Beautiful Struggle). I find it interesting to see my stats for the year.

I was given a copy of this week’s book in exchange for my honest review. (Yet another free book in exchange for a review.)


Hidden Treasures is about Francis (although we never meet her in current time), Harry, and Tabitha. Francis is Harry’s mother. She had left him on a park bench when he was 4 years old. This desertion by his mother has affected Harry throughout his life. When he sees her house one day, he knows it is the house he grew up in and goes to the door. And there she is. He moves in with her and walks away from Tabitha, who he loved. He wants his mother to tell him two things. Why did she leave him and who is his father?

As the story opens, ten years have passed since he moved into his mother’s house and she has just died. Harry must clean out the house and move. There is no money for him to be able to stay in the house. He is lost as to how to start to clean out the house. His mother was a hoarder and the house is full to the brim with things. As he is sitting contemplating what to do, there is a knock on the door. When he opens the door, there is Tabitha. She has received a letter from his mother asking her to come and help Harry find an antique jewelry box that is hidden in the house. She is intrigued by finding the lost jewelry box and comes to tell Harry about the letter. After looking around in awe of the job ahead of them, she announces that she will help Harry find the box.

The story moves back and forth between Harry and Tabitha and Francis. How did Francis end up in this house with all this stuff? Why did Francis leave Harry behind and who is his father? Will Harry and Tabitha find the love they had previously? They both have secrets that will be revealed that might break apart any re-kindling of their romance.

And then another knock on the door brings in a surprise character that will lead to most of Harry’s questions being answered.

Communication was apparently not a big deal in these relationships. Does Harry ask Tabitha what she has been doing for the last 10 years? Does Tabitha ask Harry about how he “found” his mother and why he didn’t know about her before? Of course, the lack of communication causes problems between the characters.

I like the premise of the book. I found it to be a little slow from time to time and the characters’ lack of communication was frustrating. How does Harry not ask Tabitha what she has been doing for the last 10 years? How does Tabitha not know anything about Harry’s life – like that he was in foster care? And poor Francis. If only she had known that she was being protected and not hunted, what a difference it would have made in her life.

This is yet another book with chapters that switch back and forth in time. Are there books that don’t do that anymore? It is easy to follow whose story is being told.

So, do they find the box? I’ll let you find out for yourself.

Thanks for reading.

Historical fiction with a touch of danger and romance. I needed a little more thrill though. Some of the storyline was heartbreaking. I would recommend for people who enjoy slow burn historical fiction and a lot of story telling.

I could not read this book because of the slow start and a lot of discussion about death in the beginning.

I was super excited for this book because the premise sound really good but for me the pace was just a bit too slow. The back story about Frances and Benoit was definitely more interesting than Harry and Tabitha.

If the pace was a bit fast and, I think I would have enjoyed it more.

Think "The Woman in Gold," but if a priceless item stolen by the Nazis was in a hoarder's house and not an Austrian museum. Harry is tasked with finding a Klinkosch box that his mother had hidden for decades in her home. He reunites with his former girlfriend, an art historian, to find the box before the house gets repossessed.

The story alternates between two timelines--Frances (Harry's mother) and how she fell in love and came into possession of the Klinkosch, and Harry and Tabitha as they race against time.

I found this story to be a nice, quick read that had a few twists and good chapter cliffhangers that kept me reading. The story at time felt a little formulaic and predictable, but I always appreciate a good little art history mystery. I enjoyed the relationships between all of the characters in their two timelines, especially once they came together in the present. That, I believe is the strength of this book--how to create and maintain relationships between friends and family, and how to love one another.

A reunited couple searches for a valuable treasure, a precious jewelry box, stolen from the Nazis and hidden away since World War II, in this powerfully emotional and romantic novel of rekindled love—perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Josie Silver, and Jill Santopolo.
Hidden Treasures
by Michelle Adams
Pub Date: December 7, 2021
William Morrow
This is a complicated story and there is more including the past story line which will tell us about the love affair Frances had with an older man named Benoit during her summers in France and how she came to be in possession of the box. When you have read the book and all is revealed, you might just find that there is something more valuable than the box.
Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for a great book!
4 Star

Hidden Treasures had a premise that intrigued me. Harry is left to clean out his mom's house, and he finds that his ex was sent by his mother to help him find a treasure from her past. Through this he mends his relationships with both his ex and his mom.

I wanted to love this. It flashed back and forth between Harry's life, and his mom's, so that we are told the story through both of their eyes-- which I usually love. And this wasn't bad, it just didn't hit me like I thought it would. I was expecting it to be something that would stay with me forever, but it was more like a summer beach read.

When Harry's mother dies she tasks him to find a special box buried somewhere within her home. Looking for the box leads Harry on a journey of discovery. It brings back old flames, leads him to family he never knew existed, and gives him closure and insight that his mother never could. When the past and the present collide past secrets become exposed.

Hidden Treasures is a tale of two people. Both lost within their time, struggling to find love, and not knowing where to look for it. I love how the two stories are parallel. It makes the growth of Harry's discoveries so much more meaningful to see how his mothers story played out. I in generally love books that give both sides to the story. This is just such a lovely book and one I am happy to recommend through reader advisory.

Thank you William Morrow and Custom House and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

This is an amazing delightful read!!!!!! I loved adorable Henry and Tabitha and the unexpected love story that brought them back together. I highly recommend this book

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This book wasn't the greatest read for me. It felt a bit unrealistic at times which made it hard to get into the story. That said, I loved the dual timelines! They were both well written and it was easy for me to keep them separate in my head.

I requested this book because I was entranced by the storyline, but it just fell flat for me. I love a dual story line but honestly it could have really just been based in the present time.
The characters themselves never had enough time to grow and mature and ended up being a little dull. The story itself if fun but predictable. But the dynamic of the odd boy and book smart girl is something a lot of people love to see.

well things are not always what they seem! we each see differently, and feel things different ! a story as old as time but; still happens! loved the outcome!

Beautiful Cover. Sweet book but rather predictable. Characters could have used a bit more fleshing out. Just disappointing