On the day her life is tuned upside down, Libby meets Frank on the 88 bus riding through London.
From here, she learns of the girl he lost contact with 60 years ago. She is so moved , she’s determined to help hi, find her.

Along the way, she gains a new family of the heart in Dylan, Esme, and Frank,

His story is filled with love and loss, friendship gained and lost then found again.

I truly enjoyed this novel.

Libby thinks her boyfriend Simon is going to propose. Instead, he asks her to move out. Shattered, Libby arrives in London to stay with her sister, Rebecca. On the 88 bus, Libby meets Frank, an elderly man who says that with her wild, red hair, she reminds him of a woman he met on the bus in 1962. She was independent, determined, and so beautiful. They made plans to meet at the National Gallery, but he lost the bus ticket on which she wrote her number. Since then, he’s been riding the 88 hoping for another glimpse of his lost love.

Captivated by Frank’s story, Libby decides to initiate a search for his lost girl, complete with flyers, an ad in a missed connections paper, and Internet searches. Helping her is the least likely candidate—Dylan, a mohawked man she angered on the bus on her first day in London, as well as an army of well-wishers whose lives were touched by Frank’s kindness over the years. Libby’s search, though, takes unexpected urgency when Frank’s dementia progresses.

As Libby works with her new friends to make Frank’s dream come true, she realizes that she’s lost sight of her own dreams. She’s made choices based on what’s expected or what’s easy, not necessarily on what she wants, but her new life in London, full of surprises, teaches her she deserves better.

THE LOST TICKET is near perfect, a book about found family that provokes tears and inspires hope. It challenges stereotypes and dares you to ask for more. It’s about the pain of aging and letting go. Some scenes made me want to pump my fist in the air, such as when Dylan and Frank defended Libby against a drunken, rude Simon who crashed her birthday party. Others were funny, such as when Dylan’s friend, Esme a young woman with Down’s Syndrome, made sure Libby passed muster. I did wish that Libby’s family has a little more growth. The only part of the book that I didn’t like—and I will admit that this is triggering content for me—is Rebecca’s infertility journey. When it is included in a book, I think it needs to be done with great care and sensitivity, and here I think it was a little too brief and unrealistic.

Sampson’s last book, THE LAST CHANCE LIBRARY, had moments that have stayed with me since I read it when it first came out, and I expect that THE LOST TICKET will be even more long-lasting. If you want a book that gives you hope and happiness, look no further.

Frank has been riding the number 88 bus for over six decades. While a young man, he made a connection with a lovely woman/ Sje aspired to be an artist and even sketched him while riding on the bus. She mentioned how much she loved art and art museums so the two were to meet up at the local gallery. She wrote her number on a bus ticket, but sadly Frank lost the ticket, thus began his sixty-year search.

One day while riding the number 88 bus, Frank meets Libby. As the two talk they become fast friends. Libby is currently at a crossroads in her life. Her boyfriend of eight years has broken up with her, claiming that he "needs a break". Also, Libby worked for him, and that ended too. So, for the time being, Libby is staying with her sister and her family. When Libby hears Frank's story, she finds it utterly fascinating and decides to do whatever she can to find the woman of his past.

Frank is not the only man that Libby meets. She meets his carer, Dylan, and the two have a connection. However, Libby soon finds that her personal circumstances are far more complicated than she could have imagined, so her desire is to focus on Frank and the missing woman in his life.

What a lovely story by Freya Samspon! Each of our primary protagonists were well developed. The story of finding Frank's lost girl was utterly engaging, and the slow burn of romance between Libby and Dylan was handled quite well. I also enjoyed the drama that was plaguing Libby and how this drama affected her relationship with her family. Very well done! Captivating, impossible to put down, and heartwarming.

Many thanks to Berkley and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/12Ac56wgf6o

This was a really cute story that really leans towards a women’s fiction story, but it has some great romance moments as well!

Libby and Frank meet on a bus. Libby finds out that Frank has been riding the bus since the 60’s looking for his lost love…💔…right?? So Libby begins a search for Frank’s lost love, and she teams up with another person, Dylan, who is also connected to Frank.

I really enjoyed this story, and I loved the heartwarming actions and the lovely characters! Libby’s drive to help Frank out of the goodness of her heart was so beautiful, and it really drove this story. While this is about Libby helping to find Frank’s lost love, there’s also a great character journey for her. I enjoyed it all!

The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson was a comforting read, but not something I would pick up to recommend for a patron.

THE LOST TICKET has a whimsical cover, and much of the story was portrayed that way. Libby and Dylan work together to find the girl Frank had a chance meeting with on Bus 88 sixty years before. She’s his lost love. This is a heartwarming tale of love lost and found, and the friendships made on simple bus rides over the years.

The story is set mainly in London. The friendships portrayed in this story are heartwarming. Dylan is Frank’s caregiver since Frank has dementia and is fighting his daughter about being evaluated and going into a home. Libby encounters the pair on Bus 88. We get to know Libby’s family since she’s currently living with her sister (after Libby’s boyfriend of many years broke up with her and she had nowhere else to go.) She’s lucky to be rid of Simon, but of course he has his own agenda and is seemingly trying to destroy her life even though they are no longer together. Her relationship with her sister is sometimes fraught, and she can do nothing right in her mother’s eyes, though her nephew is a cutie and wise beyond his years.

There are many storylines being woven together as the search is on for Frank’s lost love, and Frank doesn’t even know her name! Frank has touched many lives through his rides on the bus. He rode it every day for the sixty years he’s been looking for her. He gets to meet some new people through his search, and some of the stories being told are touching. The story has wonderful closure and really satisfies.

Ms. Sampson takes us on trips around London, pointing out many sights along the way. The characters have a realism to them and seem to come alive. I love the way their lives intertwine, their unlikely friendships delightful. And I was surprised by the ending. Next up for me will be Ms. Sampson’s first book, THE LAST CHANCE LIBRARY.

Thank you #NetGalley @BerkleyPub #BerkleyWritesStrongWomen #BerkleyBuddyReads for a complimentary e ARC of #TheLostTicket upon my request. All opinions are my own.

When twenty-nine-year-old Lily boards bus 88, she is heartbroken after breaking up with her fiance and losing her job. An elderly man (Frank) strikes up a conversation because Lily reminds him of a girl with red hair he once met on bus 88 sixty years ago. Frank lost the ticket that she wrote her number on and he’s ridden the same bus for the intervening years in hopes of finding her. Libby is inspired to help him and an unlikely person joins in the effort. There is a race against time as Frank suffers from dementia. How will this chance meeting and friendship affect Lily’s and Frank’s lives?

First, I love a heartwarming, multigenerational friendship, and I cheered Lily and Frank on as they made plans to find Frank’s “girl.” As Lily opens up to Frank, she appreciates his kind and gentle words of encouragement regarding her recent breakup and starting over. Frank’s part-time caregiver, Dylan, is an interesting young man who is devoted to Frank and wants to help find Frank’s “girl.” Dylan and Lily form a tentative friendship that could lead to more. I loved the author’s nod to attentive and compassionate caregivers such as Dylan and her sensitivity to dementia patients in the stage of needing more care.

I love a multilayered plot that is not completely predictable and has a few surprises. The Lost Ticket doesn’t disappoint. We are engaged in Lily’s heartbreak and attempt to start a new life, her relationship with her sister, her project to help Frank, her growing friendship with Dylan, and her dramatic confrontation with her old boyfriend. Two big questions: (1) Will Lily and Dylan find Frank’s girl before Frank’s dementia increases? (2) Can Lily and Dylan navigate all these complications and build a relationship of their own?

Lovely themes include found family, friendship, aging, sisters’ relationship, kindness, community spirit, first impressions, hope, last wishes, and second chances.

Overall, The Lost Ticket is an endearing and delightful story with tender themes that might bring a tear or two to your eyes. Recommended for fans of women’s fiction (closed-door romance), for readers who love heartfelt stories and multigenerational friendship, and for book clubs.

Content Consideration: dementia, an unexpected pregnancy, an emotionally abusive relationship

Related: I also loved The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson.

The Lost Ticket captured my heart as I learned the story of Frank, an elderly man who met a redhead on the 88 bus 60 years ago. They agreed to a date at the National Gallery, but he lost the bus ticket with her phone number written on it. He's taken the 88 each day since trying to find her. So poignant!

Libby comes to London with her life in disarray hoping to find respite with her sister. She ends up helping Frank, whom she meets on the 88, and his carer Dylan (all mohawk, tats and bristly demeanor), with a project to find Frank's lost love.

A must-read for lovers of RomComs and second chances, and one of the most heartwarming books I've ever read.

Thanks to the author, Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

I loved this book just as much as The Last Chance Library.
This book will pull at your heart strings so much that I suggest you have tissue nearby as Libby , Frank and Dylan join forces to find the red haired girl that Frank met on the number 88 bus back in 1962. I loved how these characters came together and I loved seeing this friendship progress. Heartwarming and tender.
Just the right mix of laughter, charm and quirky. It certainly lived up to my expectations.

The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson is the most heartwarming, feel good book I’ve read all year. The story follows what happens when strangers on a bus come together to try to help an elderly man find the love of his life. Reading it felt like I was being given a warm hug and I just loved every page of it.

Libby Nichols moves to London after being dumped by her boyfriend. Her heart is broken and her life is a mess, and she could really use a distraction from her misery. While riding the number 88 bus one day, she meets a friendly elderly gentleman named Frank. Frank tells Libby that back in 1962, he met a young red haired woman on the same bus. He and this young woman really connected during the journey and made plans to go out together. The woman wrote her number on a bus ticket and gave it to Frank, but by the time he got home, Frank realized he had lost the ticket. Frank confides to Libby that he is still riding the number 88 all these years later in hopes of finding her. Libby is so moved by Frank’s story that she feels compelled to help him try to find the mystery woman.

I absolutely adored Frank. He’s such a sweet old man, and as soon as you hear his story, you can’t help but cheer him on and hope that he finds this woman. It’s especially poignant because Frank is in the early stages of dementia and is well aware that he could very easily forget all about her before he has ever had a chance to see her again. I also loved that even though this quest starts out as a distraction for Libby, she quickly becomes very invested in Frank and thinks of him as practically family. It was really sweet to watch the two of them bond.

Libby is just as likable as Frank is. I felt so much sympathy for her after her break up. Her ex made her feel so bad about herself, and then her own family doesn’t do much to make her feel any better. Instead, they just pile on and make her feel worse. I loved that she found Frank because he was just such a breath of fresh air and exactly what Libby needed to start feeling better about herself and her life.

While the friendship between Libby and Frank is a highlight, it becomes even more special when their connection expands to include Dylan, who is Frank’s caregiver, and Esme, who is Dylan’s friend. Dylan and Esme, as well as another passenger from the bus, all join in the efforts to find Frank’s mystery woman. There are some bumps in the road between Libby and Dylan, who are clearly attracted to one another, but they all end up very close, the found family that Libby needs since her own family isn’t being overly supportive. I just love the idea that a chance meeting has the potential to be such a life-changing experience for so many people.

I don’t feel like I’m doing The Lost Ticket justice with anything I’m writing because it just has this special quality that is hard to explain and it was the ultimate comfort read for me. If you’re in the mood for an uplifting and poignant read, this is the book you’re looking for.

"The Lost Ticket" by Freya Sampson is a story about unexpected friendships!

Have you ever met someone, by chance, which ends up having a substantial impact on your life?

That's what happens to Libby Nicholls when she meets eighty-two-year-old Frank Weiss on the number 88 Bus in London. Frank tells her about a girl with beautiful red hair, just like Libby's, he met, by chance, sixty years ago...

April 1962:
From inside the bus, Frank sees her standing at the bus stop uniquely dressed in wide-legged pants, an oversized tweed blazer and a black beret. With a quick glance at her green eyes, he feels an instant attraction. He can't stop himself from staring at her when she sits across the aisle from him and estimates her age to be eighteen, or nineteen years old.

They strike up a conversation. She tells him how she realized her dream of becoming an artist and he shares his dream of becoming an actor. She draws his picture and he gives her a Jack Kerouac book he's reading about the 'Beat Generation'.

Before the bus arrives at her stop, they set a date to meet at the National Gallery, a place Frank has never been and one she loves and visits often. Before exiting the bus, she writes her phone number on her ticket and hands it to Frank. He assures her he will call her that night.

At home, when Frank dips his hand into his jacket pocket for the ticket, it's not there. He lost the ticket with her phone number and he doesn't even know her name!

Libby is inspired by Frank's resilience and his touching story of lost love. She aims to do everything she possibly can to help him find his 'girl on the 88 Bus'!

Give me a story about an octogenarian with complex characters, relevant social topics, in a great setting, and it puts me in my happy place. I picked this up every spare moment and I loved how it played out.

This is thoughtful storytelling using important topics that impact us emotionally, at different stages in our lives, in unpredictable ways. How one copes with these challenges and who is there to offer help, hope, and support are the pieces and parts that makes it so special. The author writes in layers, creating texture to the story and its characters, which you begin to care about and root for all the way!

I highly recommend this book to all who enjoy reading about the joys of unexpected friendships! 4.25 stars!

Thank you to Elisha at Berkley for a widget of this ARC through NetGalley. It has been my pleasure to give my honest and voluntary review.

This is such a sweet story about a missed connection and those who come together to help grant an elderly man's last wish.

The Lost Ticket is filled with heartwarming characters that the reader can connect with. Libby has just been dumped by her longtime boyfriend and loses her job working at his business in the process. She moves in with her sister, a lawyer with a young son Hector, and her brother-in-law. While riding on the Number 88 bus, Libby meets 88-year-old Frank, who met a woman on that same bus in 1962, and lost her number soon after. He regularly rides the same route, looking to see the mystery woman again. Libby meets Frank's caregiver Dylan and realizes that Frank has dementia. The two join forces to put up flyers trying to find the woman from the missed connection before it's too late.

I liked this book more than Sampson's previous book The Last Chance Library. I loved Hector and his funny statements, and I overall loved all of the characters that added their own special spark to the novel. This is a story that made my heart happy and I ended the book with a smile on my face. The quest to find the woman didn't end in the way I was expecting, but it ended in exactly the right way. I was content and satisfied with the conclusion to this sweet book.

If you're looking for something to provide a bit of lightness and joy, then The Lost Ticket is the perfect choice.

A heartwarming and heartfelt story about strangers finding connection and second chances perfect for fans of Iona Iverson's rules for commuting or All the lonely people. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!! I didn't love this one quite as much as the author's first book but it was still solidly entertaining and enjoyable!

It’s hard to find books that can break through to my cold black heart but oh my stars this one got to me! It was an inspiring story with loveable characters that satisfied my soul. All about the simple impressions we make on the everyday people we meet that impact them forever and we may not even know it.
Frank meets the most charming woman on the number 88 bus in 1962 completely by accident. She inspires him to step out from his everyday life and try what he’s always longed to do, which is acting, even though his parents don’t support it. She doesn’t just talk the talks she walks the walk-she dropped out of school to become an artist. That conversation with her changed Frank’s life forever. She gave him her number so they could meet up again, but Frank lost it, and therefore had no way to contact her or find her other than to look for her on the bus. So for over 60 years, as he went on with his life, Frank went back to ride the bus on a regular basis in the hopes of finding her and thanking her for the impact she had on his life. As Alzheimer’s is slipping in to steal away his memories, he happens to meet Libby on the bus one day, who is riding to her sisters house after having her heart broken by her long time boyfriend. She reminds Frank of the woman of many years ago (they both have red hair) and he starts to tell her his story) and together they set our to try to find his mystery women. Soon the story gets around & people try to help, including the bus driver, and Frank’s caretaker, who soon catches Libby’s eye.

Everyone will enjoy this heartwarming story of love, life, loss and happiness.
Thanks to Berkley Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson is the uplifting read WE ALL NEED right now. Are you sad? Read this book. Are you happy? Well then what are you waiting for? Go and read this book.

The Lost Ticket is a heartfelt book about a women called Libby who decides to help Frank find his long lost love, whose phone number he lost (it was written on a bus ticket, hence the title) 60 YEARS BACK. (I am sure you just said Awww at how sweet it sounds)

I started reading The Lost Ticket a few days back ~ and just wow. This book made me see the kindness of strangers in a completely different light. After Libby's life takes an unseen turn, she unexpectedly makes new friends on the 88 Bus and finds solace in them. ❤️ I loved seeing Libby grow throughout the story. The themes of friendship and love were so beautifully portrayed in this book! The story was an absolute page-turner ~ I finished reading it in a day because I just had to know if Franks succeeds in finding his one true love! . It is not one of those extra cheesy books though - it's realistic and sweet, and will really pull at your heartstrings all throughout the way. 💕 I got really invested in the characters' lives, and you know what? I really miss my 88 Bus fam right now. I want more 😭

Oh my god, I knew this book was going to be good! I was so thrilled to be given this book. Honestly, I found myself relating to Libby in this book quite a bit. It was so good and it had my heart a little pounding. I definitely almost cried a few times and it was interesting! I was so in love with the Frank storyline and honestly, it reminded me of my grandfather it was just such a fun plot device that felt so deeply engrained into my soul. I really love Dylan though, I was glad the romance wasn't the sole focal point, but it was still really good seeing Libby find herself and the relationship she deserves. Seriously everyone should read this book it's so heartfelt and beautiful I absolutely loved it.

3.5 stars — Tender and bittersweet, The Lost Ticket is a tribute to the chance encounters that change our lives. Sampson's writing is sharp and incredibly readable, making for a breezy read, even in the darker moments. The second half was a little less enjoyable because there's a lot of the heroine's asshole ex, when I really just wanted to spend more time with her budding romance and found family, but it all worked out in the end, and I was sorry to say goodbye.

My thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

How sweet is this...Frank met a girl on Bus 88 60 years ago, and he is still looking for her.

They met and chatted, and Frank promised to call her, but he lost the ticket she wrote her phone number on.

He never forgot her and rides Bus 88 every day in hopes of finding his long, lost, red-haired love.

We then meet Libby who is coming to live with her sister.

Libby meets 80ish Frank, and he tells her his story. Libby is determined to help Frank find his lost love.

Libby also meets Dylan who is the grumpiest person she ever met, but he turns out to be Frank's caregiver.

How does that turn out?

Dylan and Libby become friends and embark on a journey to see if they can find Frank's lost love. Does this help them find love?

Dylan was a tough one, but you will fall in love with him and all the characters. Most are very sweet and endearing.

THE LOST TICKET is a very heartwarming and at times heart wrenching book that will have you in tears, but not sad tears.

You won't want to stop reading because you want to find out if they find Frank's lost love and if anything happens with Libby and tough Dylan.

LOVED this book.

If you need a sweet, uplifting read, this is it. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher for an honest review.

Libby Nichols arrives in London brokenhearted and unexpectedly unemployed. The first person she meets is Frank, an elderly gentleman on the number 88 bus, who tells her about another bus ride in 1962 when he met an unforgettable young woman with gorgeous red hair just like Libby’s. They made plans for a date, but Frank lost the bus ticket where the woman wrote down her phone number. He’s been riding the number 88 daily, hoping to find her ever since. With lots of free time on her hands, Libby decides to take action and help Frank find his mystery woman. With the help of those she meets along the bus route, can they find her before Frank’s dementia takes hold of him?

Oh my heart. This was the most precious story I’ve read recently. I absolutely adored the relationships between Libby, Frank, and Dylan. These three characters were all missing something in their lives and their hearts, and together they became whole.

I devoured this book in a day. I just needed to know! Does Frank find his lady? Does Libby find her happiness? Is Dylan’s heart as hard as he portrays it to be? This story unfolded slowly and beautifully, like unwrapping a special gift. It is one of those special stories that you read quickly so you can know what happens while you’re simultaneously slowing it down because you just don’t want it to end. I will miss these characters. ❤️

Thank you to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another heartwarming story from the author of The Last Chance Library.

Frank was a young man in 1962 when he took the number 88 bus in London and met a young lady. They chatted and he was so into her. They discussed visiting an art gallery together…and then he lost the bus ticket that she scribbled her phone number on.

60 years later, Libby is a young woman who has just broken up with her boyfriend and got booted from his house. Heartbroken, she takes the number 88 bus one day and happens to meet Frank. He eventually shares his story of lost love with her, and confides that he has ridden the bus almost every day for the last 60 years…hoping to find the lady whose phone number he lost. Awww…

Libby is absolutely touched, and decides to help Frank try and find his love. As Frank and Libby grow closer, Libby also opens herself up to new friendships and life experiences. She and her new friends are just hoping they can find the mysterious woman before time runs out, given Frank has Dementia.

I really enjoyed all the charm and wonderful characters that Freya Sampson wrote about in her debut novel last year. I am thrilled to say that this one includes the same positives. This is such a sweet story that will have you rooting for everyone, falling in love with the characters, and wishing for the best possible outcome. It’s a truly touching book, and I’m already looking forward to the author’s next novel!

Thank you to Elisha at Berkley for providing me with a widget in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 8/30/22.