Thank you Bethany House Fiction for the gifted book!

It has been way too long since a story pulled me in so quickly and didn’t let me go, but this book did exactly that. Throughout the days while reading this I was continually excited to pick this back up and I snuck in a few pages every chance I got.

Read for:
• Small town setting
• Publishing industry
• Found family
• Second chance romance
• Book for book lovers
• Balance of grief and joy

I’m a sucker for a small town setting, but this one in particular won me over. The story is primarily set in Port Townsend, WA and I adore a PNW story and I love Port Townsend!!

If you read the trigger/content warnings below, you’ll see this story deals with some heavy themes, but the author does a great job of balancing difficult topics with hope and joy. There is also a really beautiful faith element weaved naturally throughout the story, but it’s not too heavy handed for those that might not typically want that in their books.

This adult novel makes a fantastic pairing with one of my favorite YAs, Amelia Unabridged by Ashley Schumacher. I also decided that I’ll Be Waiting by Cian Ducrot is Joel’s theme-song (Oh my goodness, I loved Joel!!)

Now excuse me as I go pick my next read from Nicole Deese’s backlist!

TW/CW: Grief/death of parent/death of friend, parental abandonment, alcoholism

"Because even when the words seemed lost, and the world seemed bleak, Cece believed love would find its way back home. Just like the best stories always find their way back to where they first began."

Losing her best friend changed the course of Ingrid's life in so many ways. Trying to find her equilibrium again seemed hopeless. Would returning back to her childhood home help her to find herself again? Or would she continue to feel like she was wandering aimlessly? Will connecting with Joel help her to rejoice in the memories that she made with him and his cousin, CeCe? Can she found a way to see God even in the middle of loss.

This is another stellar book by Nicole Deese. Because the topic of this book is moving on after loss, I was worried that it might be heavy. But the storyline is infused with hope. Sadly the author lost her sister to a car crash several years ago, so she has experienced first-hand grief. This experience added a realistic edge to the storyline as it is not filled with platitudes. The grief process is not rushed or hurried, and it looks different for each character in the book.

The book is told starting from a current perspective. The two main characters look back at their young adult years through a journal written by the one who was lost. The friendship and faith elements are both so strong. This book also tackles the tough topic of alcoholism and single parenting.

Love had been lost between the two main characters, and watching them try to reconnect was another beautiful part of the story! Definitely recommended!

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for letting me read this book through @netgalley I wanted to read it and review it. All opinions are my own!

Confession. I didn't ever read the blurb for this book. It's a thing for me with authors that I know I love. I trust them to write fantastic stories and I want to be completely surprised going in so yeah, no reading the blurbs for me. This book was the best surprise for me. I'm so glad I didn't know anything about it going in.

There is a dual timeline happening in this book as Joel and Ingrid read a memoir of sorts that takes them back in time to memories of their youth. I really loved this because I had the chance to connect the people before and the people now. The shift in time was seamless.

Emotions of all kinds were swirling in this book. Sorrow and loss, pain and regret. Love and laughter, healing and peace. And plenty of misunderstanding. It was quite the journey.

I loved the setting and the characters. Second chance love stories are so satisfying to read and if I had to pick a favorite? It's Joel. Unwavering, steady, devoted and protective. His love was his walk and his talk. I'm all in for that.

The story had so much book talk- from writing to editing and then publishing. It was fun to be immersed in that side as well. I love book talk!! This is another fantastic book from this author. I enjoyed it top to bottom, beginning to end, all the way through.

Content: death, drinking (alcoholism), depression. Kissing.

- I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

“I can’t erase the darkness for you, but I can be the one to hold the light when you’re ready to come home.”

Oh, my friends. This is one of those reviews when my emotions about a book are so big that I struggle to fit them into the tiny box of words at my disposal.

The Words We Lost is an absolutely stunning story and undoubtedly one of my favorite reads of the year.

Beautiful friendships. A lost manuscript. Broken promises. A journey of hope and healing. A second chance romance.

I don’t want to say too much because I think this is one where you should go in blind, but be prepared to feel all the feels.

It took me on an emotional rollercoaster but the ride was so beautiful and heart-stirring that I never wanted to get off. ❤️🧭⚓

“I’m learning that much like love, grief is meant to be shared.”

Truly, I cannot recommend this book enough. Fans of Courtney Walsh and Becky Wade should definitely check this one out!

This was my first book by Nicole Deese but you can be sure that her ENTIRE backlist was just bumped way, way up on my tbr.

I received a complimentary copy but a positive review was not required.

I enjoyed reading The Words We Lost, the first book in Nicole Deese’s Fog Harbor Romance series that’s set in San Francisco and an island in Washington State. Ingrid is a fiction editor who’s working for a traditional publisher based in San Francisco. She’s devastated by the passing of her dear childhood friend, Cece, who was also her top selling author. Ingrid’s new boss is an awful person, and she’s threatening to fire Ingrid unless Cece’s missing manuscript, the last book under contract in Cece’s best selling fantasy series, is located.

Ingrid travels to Port Townsend to recover the missing manuscript and save her job. Joel grew up in Port Townsend, and he has history with Ingrid. He’s also Cece’s cousin, and circumstances force Joel and Ingrid to work together, and deal with the emotional baggage from their shared past, to solve the mystery of the missing manuscript.

I was intrigued by the story premise, and the reasons for why Ingrid struggled in her editorial job after she lost Cece. I loved seeing how the story mystery, combined with secret reveals, impacted the main characters. I recommend The Words We Lost to contemporary romance readers who like second chance romances with depth that explore how the past impacts the present, and include a relevant faith element in the story.

Many thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy.

I love Nicole Deese’s stories, so I have been looking forward to reading The Words We Lost for awhile now. I never read back blurbs, so I had no idea what this story was about when I started reading it. This story deals heavily with grief and how people deal with their grief in different ways.

I really liked how there was a book within this book that helped us understand the friendship between Ingrid, Joel, and CeCe. It made the story, as a whole, feel a little lighter because it felt like CeCe was alive for many parts of it. I really liked CeCe’s personality and I loved her relationship with both Joel and Ingrid. I also really liked Joel. I liked how he and Ingrid fell in love and how he was so loyal to her even when she didn’t remain as loyal to him and his family. I struggled to connect with Ingrid though. I wished she would’ve stayed in Port Townsend to deal with her grief and to help all those that were also grieving CeCe. I felt the side story about her dad was unexpected and interesting.

While this is not a story I would normally read, I want to say that The Words We Lost is a very well written book, but also very heavy throughout.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. 3 stars. The faith thread is light.

Books that have anything to do with books have a special draw for me. Ingrid and her two best friends, Cece and Joel, had a beautiful friendship until tragedy struck twice. Now Cece is calling Ingrid and Joel to do something for her from beyond the grave. Despite her reluctance, Ingrid agrees. She and Joel go on an amazing journey through their past as Cece saw it. It was poignant and painful. It had some twists and turns. It was interesting to see how each one dealt with their grief differently.

This book had great characters. Captain Hal seemed larger than life and I could well imagine the impact he'd have on Cece as a young woman. I loved Chip and Allie and hope they'll have prominent roles in the next book. I think they'd make a cute couple.

I enjoyed getting a little glimpse into the publishing world. I would enjoy seeing that carry over into the next book in the series as well.
I'd highly recommend this book. Thank you to Bethany House for providing me a free copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Having dealt with a lot of loss myself over the last decade, parts of this book were hard to read because I felt the pain of loss that the characters were feeling, and I almost put the book down as one I didn't like for that reason. But of course, Nicole Deese's writing overcame those feelings and the mystery of what had happened to Cece's book and to Ingrid's father soon drew me in and kept me reading. So while it was a sadder and a bit darker book than I often expect from CF writers like Deese, in the end I very much liked it and I feel it is a good read whether or not someone has experienced that kind of loss.

Thanks to Bethany House for the free book.
What is spring without a Nicole Deese book? I always look forward to her books because she's not afraid to have her characters dig deep into their lives and emotions. This book is a tender exploration of grief, friendship, and healing. Ingrid and Joel lost their best friend to a brain tumor while in their twenties. We meet them a year out from this tragic event. This book while so heavy at times, also had a good balance of lighter topics interspersed so I never felt hopeless. Deese has a way of creating plots with so many emotions that keeps me coming back to her books. There are times I was happy, crying, and hopeful for these friends. It was a beautiful story and one I'm likely to come back to again.

THE WORDS WE LOST ⚓️

Oh, friends. How I loved this book.

This is one of those stories that is going to stay in my heart forever and is definitely going to be a contender for my favorite book of the year.

The Words We Lost by @nicoledeeseauthor is an emotional & beautiful story that will steal your heart.

Seaside PNW setting. Second chance love. Three friends. Two broken promises. One missing manuscript.

The emotional rollercoaster I was on while reading is unreal. The grief, hope, & healing + the romance & redemption made for such a beautiful read.

Also the literal joy I had when I realized this was book one in a series. I can’t wait for more of these characters.

The Words We Lost released on April 11, 2023. I highly recommend this one to everyone!

Huge thank you to @tlcbooktours @netgalley @bethanyhousefiction for my #gifted copy of this book! 🤍

#afogharborromance #thewordswelost #tlcbooktours

⚓This was such a beautiful and powerful story. It was all-encompassing, covering a wide spectrum of emotions such as love, hate, grief, fear, excitement, etc. It dealt with hard and heavy topics of addiction, faith after loss, friendship after tradegy, ethics in the workplace and so much more.

⚓I say all that to say, don't try to put this book into a box. While it's marketed as Christian romance, it is so much more! I love when books exceed your expectations and this one did just that!

⚓This is book one in a new series and I'm so eager to continue reading about these characters that I've fallen in love with!

⚓I love how open and vulnerable @nicoledeeseauthor was in her author's note. Her heart behind this story this was so clear after reading it. ❤️

🙏Thank you so much to @bethanyhousefiction and @nicoledeeseauthor for the free book ❤️

“No heartache has ever gone unseen and no darkness has ever been too dark for light to overcome.”

The Words We Lost by Nicole Deese will take you on a journey of emotions. This is the third book by Nicole Deese I have read and she truly knows how to touch your heart in her books. It touches on grief in such a way that leaves you filled with hope. If you enjoy books that have a publishing, writing, manuscript vibe - you will love this!

This book is all about Ingrid, who is an editor in California. She is having such a hard time in her job reading manuscripts since the death of her best friend, Cece. Cece had a brain tumor and passed away before she could publish the last installment of her famous fantasy book series. Because of all the trouble Ingrid is having in her job, her boss is about to let her go when she offers her a deal to try and find the missing manuscript of the final installment of the popular series everyone wants to see finished. Throughout this process, she meets back up with Joel, from an old relationship and Cece's cousin. Joel says Cece left them a manuscript she wanted them to read together (she is matchmaking even after she is gone, my heart ya'll!). They start to read through this manuscript, rekindling old emotions, working through their grief together and learning about things of the past. The story kicks off from here.

I truly appreciated this story where we got to see the actual manuscript / story of the past of Cece on page before she passed away with her best friend and cousin. It's almost like a story inside a story - which was so interesting! We see both perspectives as they are reading the manuscript and then dealing with the grief of her no longer being there and other items in their past. I loved seeing this added in too because it gave a lighter element of friendship added in with the grief that I felt like was needed.

Thank you Bethany House/Baker Publishing for a copy to honestly read and review. The ending made me cry and the author’s note is a must read y’all. My heart.

“I’m learning that much like love, grief is meant to be shared.”

At times poignant and heart-wrenching and at other times hopeful and heart-warming, The Words We Lost had me feeling all the emotions. Extraordinarily talented author Nicole Deese has penned a riveting story of friendship, second-chance romance, grief, forgiveness, and ultimately healing and hope. She easily swept me away to Port Townsend, Washington and introduced me to the area and to unforgettable, carefully-crafted, and multi-layered characters. I was able to feel and visualize the beautiful setting and get to know the people there through her impeccable writing.

Cecelia Campbell, Ingrid “Indy” Erikson, and Joel Campbell had such a remarkable, close friendship. The story is mostly told from Indy’s point of view, but I was very intrigued by the way the author included a manuscript Cece wrote for Indy and Joel that told the story of the three of them from Cece’s point of view. It gave valuable insight into their backstory and friendship. Although Cece had passed away when the book begins, we get to know her thoughts and feelings and the backstory of the three friends through the manuscript. It added a unique perspective through her eyes.

“No heartache has ever gone unseen, and no darkness is ever too solid for light to overcome.”

“I can’t erase the darkness for you, but I can be the one to hold the light when you’re ready to come home.”

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy clean contemporary romance. It’s a perfect blend of compelling characters, a fascinating plot, and swoony romance. Just a warning, though--you may want to have a few tissues handy. This is definitely on my list of favorite books and one for the keeper shelf!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Bethany House Publishing through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Words We Lost is a special book.

"That woman had found her home only after she had been found by love"

This book let down a permanent anchor into my heart, and i'm ok with that.

If you like:
-the right amount of summer atmosphere
-a quaint coastal setting
-the mystery behind a missing manuscript
-the power of words and imagination
-rich unconditional friendship
-second chance at love
-how complex and consuming grief can truly be
-beautiful faith filled message

When a book is this good, it's hard to find the right words to persuade everyone to read it. I felt enchanted by this book. These characters jumped right off the page. I felt their sorrows alongside their happy highs. I wanted to be in this book, to know what it feels like to experience this type of unconditional sisterhood.

The romance was beautiful -- full of honesty and vulnerability. Joel has my heart and gave Ingrid space to grief and be herself.

This book was incredibly well paced, I highlighted dozens of lines and now its a new favorite. I want to read it all over again. The author's experience with grief brought me to tears and made this book come alive due to her vulnerability.

"no heartache has ever gone unseen and no darkness has ever been too dark for light to overcome."

Read this book. all the stars. THE book for your summer/spring TBR.

Thank you to Nicole and to @bethanyhousefiction for my copy! Swipe for official synopsis!

“I’m learning that much like love, grief is meant to be shared.”

This quote from The Words We Lost really struck me as I read this beautiful book. I’m grieving a loss that happened several months ago and I’m not sure I’ve ever read something so powerful and true about grief. We need each other both during our highest highs and lowest lows and I think this book expertly highlights that human need for each other.

I love Nicole’s books and the beautiful messages of hope. This might be my new favorite of hers!

Read if you love:
⚓️Nautical themes
⛰️The PNW
💕Dual timelines
❤️Second chance romance
❤️‍🩹Diving into grief and healing
💃🏻Victory over a nasty boss

CW: alcoholism, parental abandonment, abusive boss, death

If you love Kristin Hannah books, you will love Nicole Deese! This book has not left me lost for words. The story of Joel and Ingrid was so believable and Nicole Deese kept leaving crumbs of information that revealed the story at the perfect pace and completed all the plot lines for me. ‘The Words We Lost’ is the perfect example of writing that makes you feel the attraction and intimacy between two characters without spicy scenes. When Ingrid touches Joel’s arm, I swooned from the tension!

After the sudden death of her best friend, Ingrid struggles to regain her love of reading that she has had since she was a little girl. This is especially hard as a senior editor for a big city publishing company where reading is a large part of her job. The way Ingrid describes losing the ability to read was exactly how I felt until I started reading again this year. This is a beautiful story of grief, love, reconnection, and finding oneself.

TL;DR - just read this book ❤️

Thank you@NetGalley @bethanyhousefiction and @nicoledeese for the privilege of receiving this ARC.

How many times can one book rip your heart open and sew it back again? The answer is yes. All the times. And The Words We Lost is the book that will do it. I love Nicole Deese's books and the raw, heart warming emotions her stories always evoke, but I was admittedly nervous about this one. I remember seeing a heads up either in a review or social media post from an early reader basically saying not to expect a light, fluffy romance novel. Boy, is that the truth.

But you know what? I'm still encouraging you to give it a chance! Dealing with and working through grief is a big part of this story, but it goes so far beyond that. There are also themes of forgiveness, second chances, healing, and family, especially of the found variety. I honestly don't think I can put into words the depths of this book because it does go that deep. I was highlighting quotes left and right and I don't frequently do that when I read. But so much just hit me right in the heart. This probably isn't the most eloquent of reviews but The Words We Lost has led to a loss of my own words, ha!

Let's boil down the review to this: it's a deep read, not always sunshiney, but so, so worth the ride. And does end in a way that will make you smile after the journey Joel and Ingrid endure.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and I'm leaving an honest and voluntary review.

I am never disappointed when I read a novel by Nicole Deese, and The Words We Lost was no exception. This was a tender story of mending that which was broken. Broken families, severed relationships, trust, grief.

When Cecelia (Cece) passed away, she left something behind to help mend broken fences. She left her voice, her story, her perspective on a past she shared with Ingrid and Joel. I loved the way that, even in death, Cece was able to share her story with the reader. The entire book goes back and forth between Cece and Ingrid, and I thought the switch between the two was seamless. I also appreciated the tense change between the two; it aided in giving each girl her own distinctive voice.

I quickly fell in love with the characters - both main and supporting - and was fully invested in their stories. Ingrid and Cece formed a bond that could never be severed. They were both from broken families, both grateful to have found a “sister” they could rely on, and a place to finally call home. Joel was the protector of the group. He loved deeply and gave all of himself regardless of the outcome. All three characters came across as genuine in who they were and were easy to relate to.

There were a few extra characters whom I would love to get to know more, and I hope I’ll be able to get a chance to do just that. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

God. As always, I paid attention to how God was used in the story. I liked the way that each character had their own view of Him. Joel was the more God-fearing of the group, and Ingrid lacked trust in Him. The struggles they faced, the questions they had, were real. And there was always someone there to show Who God was through it all.

There was so much to this book, so much to digest, that a single read would definitely not be enough. This is a book I will happily read again and again. I highly recommend The Words We Lost to anyone looking for a story of true love, a story that’s not afraid to focus on real struggles, and one that allows God to show up in the lowest of places.

Nicole Deese never ceases to deliver poignant, emotionally rich stories with strong, well-developed characters that have a way of settling into my heart and blossoming to life in my mind. As a long-time fan of her masterpieces, I am happy to recommend The Words We Lost as a five star read!

This novel is a stirring, deeply emotional tale with a creative plot, a charming, seaside setting in the PNW, and a significant, rewarding journey of finding hope and healing, only to discover romance and redemption along the way.

I found this story to be one that spoke to my heart. The pace was melodic, gentle and stirring, allowing me to absorb and process the grief Indy is encountering as she grieves her father and her best friend, plus the loss of her hopes and dreams. I enjoyed her development and the way her story unfurled with surprising revelations.

I absolutely loved the premise of a “book within a book” through CeCe’s perspective via her manuscript and the many letters she left behind. Her character is strong and I simply adored her personality and the bond of friendship she, Indy and Joel had. Her love for scavenger hunts (and pirates!) was something that really stood out to me and is a marvelous way to describe this story - Deese, in a way, takes readers on a scavenger of her own, revealing little bits and pieces of the story, creating an intense desire to know and learn more.

I felt the tension in this story so well, a true hallmark of the masterful way Deese crafts her stories. I loved Indy and Joel together and their second chance romance. I enjoyed the secondary characters such as Alli, Chip and Wendy, among others. There are beautifully woven moments of tenderness and joy, moments of deep friendship and familial bonds, moments of brokenness and pain and moments of rewarding memories and true freedom found in faith. Overall, a well done story that readers who enjoy stories of imagination, literature and the Pacific Northwest will enjoy!

TW & CW: Alcoholism, Grief, Brain Cancer, Depression, Loss of a Parent/Loved One

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

The Words We Lost by Nicole Deese🩵
This story follows Ingrid who works as an acquisitions editor in San Francisco. Her best friend, Ceci, wrote a national best-selling fantasy series, but died from a brain tumor before the last book of the series was published. Ingrid sinks deeply into grief. She ends up being contacted by Joel, Ceci’s cousin and Ingrid’s old flame, about a manuscript that Ceci left for them.

I was immediately captured by Nicole Deese’s writing. She writes characters and emotions so realistically, which made the grief plot line very intense sometimes.

I also really enjoyed the resolution of this story. If you like books about books, publishing and manuscripts, this is for you!
If you appreciate books about grief, this is for you! If you like a story within a story, this is for you!

Clean, faith-filled, character study on responses to death and broken relationships. Definitely recommend!