The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson is a sweet story that will put a smile on your face. The characters are intriguing and the story is one that has a theme of perseverance. If you enjoy books with multigenerational friendships and a heart-warming message, this is one to watch for.

Libby, the main character, is dealing with a breakup and trying to move her life forward. Although she has moved in with her sister and become a nanny to her nephew, she makes the time to help a stranger on the bus. Her character is full of spunk and kindness, and I loved watching her find the strength within herself to move on.

❀ FANTASTIC SIDE CHARACTERS

The side characters are also fantastic, and I have to say that Frank is a favourite. He is an 82 year old man riding the 88 bus in search of a woman he had a brief encounter with years ago. Frank is sweet and romantic, which makes his character that much more endearing. His punk carer, Dylan, is another side character that really gives the story depth and interest.

❀ AN UNLIKELY GROUP OF FRIENDS

What unfolds is an unlikely group of friends helping one another. I loved watching these characters get to know one another and work together to find Frank’s girl. Their determination and resourcefulness is both admirable and heartwarming.

❀ AN UPLIFTING STORY

The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson is a perfect book to read if you are in the mood for an uplifting story. The characters are wonderful and the story is lovely and upbeat. It is definitely one to add to a fall TBR.

I enjoyed the back and forth between searching for Frank's long-lost bus crush and Libby's gradual life reshaping. The friends she made along the way were welcome characters. Overall, the story really dragged in parts though, and I had to read it in stops and starts.

4 stars

LIKES:
📝 jaunty, witty, quirky writing
👥 multi-pov
🇬🇧 set in the UK!
🕵️‍♀️ a fun investigation!
💔 examines the experience of a breakup
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 + family & found family dynamics
👴🏼 + the experience of aging
🤰 + caregiving & motherhood
👩‍❤️‍👨 friends to lovers (closed door)
🌱 personal growth themes
🎨 art vibes
👨🏻‍🎤 punk energy!
📺 nostalgic
🥹 heartwarming
😊 cute as heck!
🫶 wholesome
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DISCLAIMERS:
⚠️ dm me for TW!
🏊‍♀️ idk what is is about quirky found family stories w elderly characters but I always feel like they mention heavy topics but don’t dive as deep as I want???
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VERDICT: a wholesome, heartwarming, nostalgic & cute story exploring found family through quirky characters & a nostalgic search - fun british, art & punk vibes but wanted just a BIT more depth!

Such a clever premise for a book!
It gave me vibes like I had from The Authenticity Project.
I have been recommending to patrons looking for a light read during tough times.

As publisher, I requested this book for a review that was being written for BookBrowse. Our reviewer rated it 4-stars

Review:
https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/reviews/index.cfm/ref/2a288768/the-lost-ticket#reviews
Beyond the Book:
https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/btb/index.cfm/ref/2a288768/the-lost-ticket#btb

The Lost Ticket is heartwarming and adorable contemporary that focuses on Libby’s new life phase in London and lost souls bond with each other through the search of Girl on the Bus 88. The story is about kindness, hope, dream, friendship, family, love, not giving up and standing up for yourself with the layers of abusive family, punk culture, and dementia.

there is lot going on here. It’s not a straightforward story. There are many characters in the book as it takes place on London Bus and main characters meet many people on the bus. All character has their own life’s worth of baggage adding layers to the story.

There is lot going on. It’s not a straightforward story. There are many characters in the book as it takes place on London Bus and main characters meet many people on the bus. All character has their own life’s worth of baggage adding layers to the story.

Relationships between the characters was my favorite part of the story. It was lovely how Libby, Frank, Dylan and Esme formed friendship. They were like a found family who were bound by the search of Frank’s girl.

Setting is the best part of the book. We get the tour of London on the Bus 88. I haven’t been to London before but I enjoyed reading about this Bus route. I also liked to know more about punk culture
and it was sad how people jump to assumptions about punks because of their appearance.

Overall, this is heartwarming, touching, wholesome, soulful, and hopeful contemporary about kindness with foud family vibe.

The lost ticket was an extremely delightful story. I was surprised by how well it was written and how fast I went through the book, soaking everything up. The characters were likable, and the plot itself wasn't overdramatic or far-fetched (as is sometimes my issue with contemporaries). My eyes leaked constantly during the last 20%. I absolutely adored this.

I don't read a lot of rom coms but I'm so glad I read this one. It's just a sweet, simple story. You can't help but feel good after reading this one. I loved the unlikely friendships, the dual timelines, the London setting. Finding love is what brought these people together for a fun, feel good story.

Such a great romance book! This was one of the first contemporary romances I have read in a long time and it won't be the last, I loved the storyline, plot, characters everything! I am glad that it was a breath of fresh air for me, something whimsical to get lost in. FABULOUS

This heartwarming novel will have you believing in second chances. Libby Nicholls arrives in London after an unexpected breakup. She meets Frank on the bus, and he tells her about a missed love connection with a woman he met in 1962. Libby decides to help Frank find his lost love while finding a fresh start for herself and forging new friendships.

The Lost Ticket is a beautiful story of found family, love, grief, and redemption. I truly loved this entire story and couldn't put it down. The story follows Libby as she arrives in London with two bags filled with her belongings after her boyfriend breaks up with her during dinner she thought he was going to propose. She ends up staying with her sister and helping to watch her young nephew. While on the bus, she meets Frank who tells the story about the woman he met in 1962 and their plans to meet up, but he lost the ticket with her phone number on it.

From there, Libby makes it her personal mission to find the woman and reunite Frank with her. During that time, she finds a group of friends that become her found family.

This story is incredibly moving and beautiful. It was a fun book to read and I enjoyed every minute of it.

4.5/5 stars
Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC.

I enjoyed this one at first but the over-simplistic nature of this writing style started feeling unexceptional after a few hundred pages. It's a lovely story but it needed something more to make it something special.

There are some books that you read and just fall in love with the book and the characters. This is definitely one of those books. Give me an elderly character looking for their first love and I'm hooked. Give me great characters to help them along their journey and make it a found family type situation and I'm in love. The lost ticket was so cute, heart-warming and while it may have also had me tearing up a time or two I'd definitely recommend this for a feel-good read.

Sometimes all you need is a feel-good story to remind you that you are not entirely cold-hearted. That’s me! I was unsure of what I was about to read, but I was hooked from the first chapter. The unlikely friendship between Libby and Frank is perfect. I can relate to this since one of my reading buddies in her late 70’s and we meet up for pink lemonade and book chats. So, I loved this part of the book.

For the past 60 years, Frank has been in love with the idea of finding the one that got away. During a rough time in Libby’s life, she meets Frank and helps search for the beautiful redhead girl he has been searching for. There are so many unique characters and an abundance of unlikely friendships that make this story so sweet. The book is sweet, uplifting and just what I needed.

P.S. I hated Libby’s family!

P.P.S This would be such a sweet holiday movie.

This was a lovely story. It takes place in London. A London bus line is a key part of the plot. In 1962 Frank met the woman of his dreams and it ended up being a missed connection because he lost the ticket with her phone number. Fast forward 60 years and Libby, fresh off an unexpected breakup, meets Frank on the bus. He rides it regularly in the hopes he will find his lost love.

Libby offers to help in his search. It gives her something meaningful to focus on as she's struggling to figure out what comes next in her life. And she meets a wonderful community of people invested in supporting Frank.

I loved the themes of found family, hope, connection, and getting to know the heart of a person (aka don't judge a book/person by it's cover).

Content warnings- There's also a character with dementia and some references to physical and emotional abuse.

This was a feel good novel and I know I will recommend it to many.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson was one of the most beautiful stories I have read in a long time. I cried, but it was a sweet cry if that makes sense. Libby meets Frank and he tells her a story that just sticks with her, so she offers to help him find out about the love of his life. A missed date leads to new friendships and support as Libby gets closer to Frank and his caregiver, Dylan. At a crossroads in her own life, Libby begins a journey of self discovery and self worth that is central to the story of Frank and his missed opportunity.

Delightful, sad and sweet... I hope The Lost Ticket touches your heart as it has touched mine.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing and Freya Sampson for this review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my opinions are my own and my review is voluntary.

If you are looking for a good book for the long weekend, this month, or the start of fall, here you go. The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson is a wonderful read that just made me smile.
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If you have followed me at all, you know I am a sucker for stories about sweet old men and the lives they impact. One of the main characters in this book, Frank, ranks right up there with the best of them.
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Back in the 1960’s in London, Frank met a girl on the 88 bus and they agreed to meet at the National Gallery. The girl gave him her number to call and set it up, but when he arrived home, he couldn’t find that ticket with her number anywhere. She had made such an impact on him in their brief meeting, that he has been riding that same bus off and on for the last 60 years, hoping to see her again.
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Libby meets Frank on the bus just after she is tossed out by her boyfriend and headed to her sister’s house. As he seems to do with everyone, he made an impression on her. So when they meet again, she has an idea to help him find his “girl on the 88 bus”.
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Libby has lost her job and boyfriend. She’s staying in London with her sister. One day on a bus ride on the 88, Libby meets Frank. Frank is an older gentleman who rides the 88 frequently in search of a woman he met many years ago that left a lasting impression. Libby is taken by the story and along with Frank’s carer, Dylan, the two join forces and are determined to find the woman.

This is such a heartwarming story! It’s a story about loss, love, friendship and hope. At times my heart broke for Frank, not just because he is saddened that he has never found the “woman from the bus” but also because he’s dealing with dementia. As for Libby, she was a heartbroken woman with no home and no job and by the end she was more confident and living her life for herself, not others. There was also a little slow burn romance between Libby and Dylan that was an added bonus!

A huge thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Overwhelming melancholy took away from the funnier "bits". If you want a book about the strange bedfellows made on public transport in London with queerness as a "twist" I recommend Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting. It was much better.

A heartwarming story about two strangers meeting on London’s 88 bus. Libby lost her home when her boyfriend decided he needed a break. Libby moves to London to stay with her sister, Rebecca and her family. While riding the bus, she meets Frank, an older man who tells her the story of how he has looked for a woman he met years before. Libby, along with Frank’s carer, Dylan, begin a search for the woman to help Frank, hoping they will find her before his dementia takes hold. There are funny scenes, tearful scenes and you will feel hope once you read this wonderful story. I highly recommend and thank NetGalley for the ARC.