"We can't change the time we've spent, just how we choose to spend the time we have left."

Wow. I've been a fan of Nicole Deese's writing for some time now, but every time I read a new book from this fabulous author, I'm astounded all over again how beautifully she weaves raw, aching human emotions into a masterpiece. The magic she wields with her written words is beyond descriptors and I loved the contrast between Ingrid's first-person, present tense narrative and Cece's third-person, past tense journey of their friendship. The author stitches overwhelming grief, guilt, regret, anger, hopelessness, and despair alongside loyalty, undying friendship, faith, love, hope, and second chance to create an unforgettable quilt of forgiveness and redemption. It's a must-read for all women's fiction and contemporary romance fans everywhere.

Ingrid was an easy heroine to love, even in her utterly broken state. Her past was difficult but the reader doesn't know the depth of her pain and shame until halfway through the book. I loved how the author drew me in and pieced together Ingrid's story one event at a time, wrapping each hurt with love and care from Cece and Joel. And Joel.....he's a completely sigh-worthy hero. Though he doesn't have a voice in the storyline, his loyal, steadfast, compassionate heart shone clearly through his actions. And Cece is a mighty force in both of their lives, even if we don't actually get to meet her.

This book definitely goes in my Top 20 reads of 2023 list. I received the book from Bethany House via Interviews and Reviews and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

Been in a book slump. It just ended. This one is so so so very good! Excellent storyline… plot… characters… and boy am I expecting spin-offs of other books discussed in the making of this one! A girl can hope right?! Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to experience (bec it’s so much more than a read) the beautiful writing of @nicoledeeseauthor

I won’t elaborate with a summary but it’s about #grief #relationships #faith with a little #mystery It’s clean (no spice) and safe for all audiences young adult and up!

This was my first time reading a book by Nicole Deese. She is a talented writer. Her characters jump off the page, and her prose is exquisite in its delivery. With grace and care, she has tackled the subject of grief wrapped in an engaging story.

The author is very descriptive in her writing, and it made me feel like I was right there, smelling the sea air and visiting the shops of Fog Harbor. I loved the way the author introduces us to Cece and how she tells a story about her two favourite people - Ingrid and Joel. As they read this new manuscript together, Ingrid learns to let her guard down and how to love and trust again.

After reading several other reviews, I expected to need a box of tissues while reading. Sadly, the book brought up no emotions within me, even though I have lost my mother and at least a dozen other people dear to me in my lifetime. Death is always lurking around the corners of my life, so I had a hard time understanding the kind of grief Ingrid was experiencing.

That said, the story will grip you, as will the characters and the mystery of the missing manuscript! With themes of faith, grief, and learning to trust again, you will probably enjoy The Words We Lost if you like contemporary romance.

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Bethany House through NetGalley for my honest review.

I loved this book. The characters were well written, the grief was soul changing and the hope uplifting. Maybe I connected because my father passed away just before I read this, but I couldn't put it down. Kudos! Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Such a fantastic story that explores grief and loss and heartbreak in the context of hope and friendship and love.

A discussion with the author will air on the StoryChats podcast in April.

I loved every inch of this book. It's a hard topic - dealing with debilitating grief - but it's handled beautifully. It's also about the cost of keeping secrets and how seemingly small moments of love and kindness can have a life-changing effect. The characters are wonderfully drawn, and I connected with them instantly. The main character, Ingrid, is suffering from an inability to retain what she reads as a result of trauma, which is devastating for a book editor (and for this reader). There is a bit of a mystery to solve that is cleverly done. It appears this is the first book in a series, and I can't wait for the next one.

Such a great book. Recommended to everyone. Family friendly, but some of the themes will be too much for young readers.

I loved this book. The friendships, the family, the faith, the second chance romance, all of it. Joel is rock solid, loyal, and dependable. Anybody would be fortunate to have him on their side. Ingrid is crippled by her grief. She’s lost so much. And Cece is gone but her imprint remains. I loved how she tried to help her friends heal even after she was gone. I liked seeing the goodness in people and their willingness to help when it was needed. There’s a lot of sadness in this book, but I found it ultimately hopeful. I couldn’t put it down. The cover’s pretty too.

Now I need to read more of Nicole Deese’s books! Thank you Netgalley for privilege of reading this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Words We Lost
Kudos for Nicole Deese! She knocked another book out of the park!

What a great modern christian fiction. This book has it all. There's romance, forgiveness, and overcoming heart break. It's funny how life turns out sometimes. You think you have overcome a death of a best friend and father, and break up with someone important to you, but you realize you haven't. You need to heal yourself.

I received this complimentary copy for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone.

I interviewed Nicole but I really liked this book. It was more a book about friendship than romance but I liked all 3 of the friends and how the book dealt with grief

I loved this book. Loved it.
The writing is fantastic. The characters are so well developed. The plot moves smoothly between the present and the past.
Everything comes together for a beautiful, memorable read. I highly recommend this book for readers who enjoy romance novels but also those who want something a little more than just a romance. This book balances between the romance and general fiction genres really well.

I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.

As an editor in a publishing house, this book's premise immediately grabbed my attention, but I had no idea where this story would go. I should have known I'd be treated to a good story considering Nicole Deese is a Christy-award-winner and has a noticeable skill with her descriptions; I kept pausing to highlight lovely ways she described something that I'd not read before. The story effortlessly gave us the backstory of the protagonist, Ingrid, who is an editor carrying on a parallel search for her best friend's last book manuscript, which disappeared after her death. Nicole did such a nice job weaving the two timelines together with just the right details to keep my interest building as each layer uncovered keys to solving the mystery--and hopefully giving this sweet, fumbling, grieving editor a second chance with her first love. I'm hoping there's a sequel coming our way, because I want more in this world of Fog Harbor.

A delightful reading. Very surprising as three different perspectives woven together into a beautiful tapestry of a novel. Loved all the characters. Not one was two dimensional. A thorough backstory that didn't fall back on stereotypes but created interesting stand alone people. I immediately reread this book as it was so finely crafted. A great ride.

#TheWordsWeLost #NetGalley

There is something that can take away your outlook on life, and that is grief.This book is told from the present and through memiors from the past. Ingrid Erikson is an editor who has lost her focus on the written word, which has affected her ability to work. The grief she feels is nearly debilitating. With the appearance of Joel Campbell, someone she once considered a boyfriend shows up unexpectedly, Ingrid is forced to visit Port Townsend and go back to all that she's been trying to forget. This story is tender, both the present and the past. I loved the tender relationship with Wendy, who treats Ingrid as family. Three friends, secrets, and forgiveness. It's a story that touched me so much.
This book is told from the present and through memiors from the past.

Sometimes a book comes along that makes the 5-star rating system seem so small and inadequate. The Words We Lost is a book I would give 10 stars if I could.

A grieving editor. A missing manuscript. And the editor's memories of growing up with her two best friends—one who's dead and one whom she no longer desires to talk to.

In a Magpie Murders like move, there's a book within a book—except the chapters are interspersed for a split-time feel.

Prepare to laugh and cry and not be able to put this book down until you reach the very last page.

If you liked Meet Me in the Margins or Stories That Bind Us, you'll love The Words We Lost.

Oh...this book! I absolutely loved it. I loved the inserts of Cece's memoir into the present-day story. I enjoyed watching Joel and Ingrid's relationship in thr past and present. Ingrid's relationship with Wendy may be the sweetest thing. I cried tears of joy for the last few chapters.

If I were grieving a loss, this book would be perfect. I love the talk of God peppered in throughout.

It is not only friendship that ties the characters of Ingrid, Cece, and Joel together. It is an undying love of words-written, spoken, and unspoken. The relationship of Joel and Ingrid is torn apart and left to wither away. The loss of Cece furthers the divide until a lost letter and a manuscript bring them back face to face. It is a long, arduous journey for both of them filled with grief, sorrow, regrets.
This is a novel I will cherish and reread several times. It touches the heart and soul of a reader with the beauty of its words.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I've loved all Nicole Deese's books, and this one was no exception. Such a beautiful story about friendship, grief, and
second chances.

Ingrid Erikson is an award-winning editor who has lost her ability to process words. Grieving the loss of her best friend Cece and struggling to keep her place at work, she is called back to her hometown at the written request of her friend's will. Once there, she is forced to reconcile with her first love, find a missing manuscript, and discover the truth about her father.

It took me a little while to like Ingrid's character, but you understand her so much better after hearing her story through Cece's memoir. The second chance love story was wonderful. This story is light on the romance and more focused on the healing that needed to happen between Ingrid and Joel.

All in all, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for quality Christian fiction.

Ingrid, a successful acquisitions editor for a publishing house, is spiraling downward in grief after the untimely death of her best friend, Cecily was was an esteemed author for the house, thanks to Ingrid. Now, Ingrid’s editor has threatened to fire her unless she locates Cece’s last unfinished manuscript, As a result, Ingrid is forced to return to Port Townsend where Cece's family, including her first love, Joel, live. There, she tries to resist a second chance at love, and comes to terms with the death of her seafaring father. A poignant portrayal of grief and the possibility of redemption through love.

I would give a 10 star if it were possible!

Nicole Deese never ceases to amaze me. I was spellbound while reading this book. Her way with words… the way she captures human emotions is uncanny and I am in awe!

I am still finding my way through grief and everything in me resonated with this book. Everything!!! My heart went out to the characters. I was floored by their friendship and bond. Their common grief tethered them together leading to their healing.

The plot twists were just mind blowing. The plot itself is the kind of stuff that makes a book a classic. The settings kept me yearning for my childhood home.

I would read this book again.

Totally and completely recommended.

I received a copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.

The Words We Lost tells a story of friendship, love, and grief and how the three twined together. Ingrid had stepped away from the life she knew after grief and sorrow pushed her into a fog of confusion and despair. When she finally returns to the only place she knew as home, a whole plethora of emotions throw her into a search for a missing manuscript, along with a search into her heart. Joel’s love for Ingrid is steadfast but shadowed by the past. As the two look for their friend’s final piece to a wildly popular series, they discover something far more important than Cece’s last fiction manuscript. This is a thought-provoking story with a strong faith thread. I especially loved Ingrid’s unique back story and the setting at a beautiful hotel on Washington’s coast. And don’t miss the heart-rending story of Wendy, Cece’s mother. This is a book to be savored. If you enjoy excellent story with strong characters I recommend you read this book. I received a free copy with no expectations. Opinions are my own.