Ellora's marriage is over, or so she thinks. Her husband, Alex, left her seven months earlier, to take a job in England, far from their Michigan home. That wouldn't be so bad if it was something they'd discussed and agreed on, but he took it without consulting her and simply left.

And the timing couldn't have been worse. Her beloved grandmother was missing, and Ellora had just suffered a tragic loss that she couldn't put into words yet. Then, Alex was gone and it didn't seem to make any sense to tell him about it.

On the brink of divorce, he calls her unexpectedly with information that might possibly lead to discovering the whereabouts of her grandmother. And she can't refuse going to him to see what she can discover, both about her grandmother and whether her marriage is really and truly over.

As Alex and Ellora follow the clues her grandmother had left for them, their lives are put in jeopardy. They aren't the only ones looking for something. And before too much longer, they may find out that "till death do us part" may come sooner than they thought!

I really enjoyed the characters in the story and found myself rooting for them both, even as they were navigating uncertain territory. Of course, as the lover of old books and mysteries, I enjoyed the treasure hunt they were taking as they tried to retrace Grandma June's steps to finding a valuable lost manuscript of historical significance.

Thank you to Mollie Rushmeyer, Harlequin and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

#BookReview : THE LOST MANUSCRIPT by Mollie Rushmeyer

Ellora's journey to England in The Lost Manuscript is a story of redemption. She travels to mend her broken marriage, find her grandmother and the lost manuscript, and ultimately find her faith in God again.

I have always been interested in history, and this book is full of historical details about the Vikings and the early Reformation era. I was satisfied with Ellora and Alex's progress, but I was also concerned about the danger they were in. They were not careful with the information they acquired, which frustrated at times.

While they uncovered clues and solved puzzles, they also confronted the secrets they had kept from each other. I appreciated how the author explored the themes of miscommunication and honesty in marriage. Alex and Ellora were flawed characters, so their true reconciliation took time, but it was ultimately worthwhile. Their hard work paid off, and they learned to trust God's plan for their lives along the way.

I enjoyed the roller coaster ride in finding the manuscript and all the inspirational messages laced throughout the book. Christian fiction and mystery fans will surely enjoy this book too. I can't wait to read more books by the author.

Rating : 4 ⭐
Pub date : 29 Aug 2023

Thank you to Love Inspired Trade and #netgalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

"Now, I'm not talking about blind-eyed optimism. I'm talking about hard-fought, hard-won, hope. Born of a peace that only comes after a long battle, forged in the darkest mire you never thought you'd have to wade through. But you mad it and you know that you never would've made it through without His help."

Mollie Rushmeyer has penned a beautifully heart-rending novel, full of brokenness and regrets yet threaded with overwhelming hope. I loved the thrill of a historical scavenger/treasure hunt for a rumored illuminated manuscript and was pleasantly surprised at the intricate and complex plot surrounding this premise. The twists and turns in their adventure to find the manuscript and Ellie's grandma added a nice layer of suspense. Faith in the midst of anger and pain was a major thread in the story and I appreciated Ellie and Alex's growth as they struggled through their past failures, unmet expectations, and grief.

Ellie and Alex were both fallible but lovable characters who demonstrated that people in love can still hurt each other and destroy the foundations of marriage. The theme of choice - choosing to forgive and choosing to love - became their banner in their relationship and it's also a good reminder for us all.

If you are a fan of women's fiction, you will love this book. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Love Inspired via NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

I really hope this book got some last-minute edits - they are much needed. "The Lost Manuscript" had an interesting premise - a journey to England, architecture and history of the old castle, plenty of mystery, and family drama.
However, the execution falls short. The writing is convoluted, making it difficult to engage with the story. The protagonist's inner struggles, while might be essential for depth, become exasperating due to her indecisiveness. How many inner monologues about the same thing do we need to read about? Just go to England with your best friend already!
Despite its potential, the book didn't deliver on its promises, and the Christian aspect wasn't my cup of tea either. It might resonate differently with other readers

The Lost Manuscript is one of those books that gives you all of the feels. I went through all of the emotions, I was laughing and crying, and at times, I was so angry and fearful.

The Lost Manuscript is a story with so much depth. Our characters are on an adventure to find a long-lost artifact. But, weaved throughout are these themes of love, loss, and forgiveness. And of a loss of hope and faith in oneself, ones partner in life, and in God.

I love history, The Lost Manuscript was set in Alnwick Castle in Alnwick, Northumberland, in the UK. The lost artifact that forms the basis of the treasure hunt in this book dates back to the time of the Vikings. Learning more about this time period was so interesting!

Our main characters, husband and wife, Ellora and Alexander Lockwood, are both history professors. Ellora specializes in medieval history, not unlike her grandmother. Ellora's grandmother has been looking for this Lost Manuscript, but has now been missing for months. Ellora has the opportunity to join her estranged husband in Alnwick and continue where her grandmother left off and hopefully figure out what happened to her grandmother, and perhaps figure out if she and Alex can mend their marriage. Can she forgive him for not being there for her when she needed him the most?

The Lost Manuscript at times is heavy with miscommunication, which is normally such an ugh to me. But, this was not trite miscommunication, as I continued to read, it was clear that it stemmed from such deeply felt loss and betrayal, that it was too difficult for Alex and Ellora to open themselves up to really listen or to even speak their own truths.

Yet, I still, surprisingly, felt myself so angry with Ellora in particular. I felt she was so unfair to Alex. But, as I read through more, I could see that she had so many losses in her life, and they continued to pile up, and her hurt and anger and betrayal got placed on Alex.

"But when the sorrows of life like sea billows rolled over her, she'd allowed herself to be swallowed beneath their waves, one after another."

I did love the character development that both Alex and Ellora showed by the end of the book, and there was just the perfect ending for the two of them.

This book is so well written with so many absolutely beautiful passages in it. I was constantly pausing to note them as I was reading, I wanted to be able to go back to them again.

I definitely recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a good treasure hunt, history, and second chance romance.

BOOK REVIEW - The Lost Manuscript - Mollie Rushmeyer - 4/5 Stars

THE STORY
Calling all mystery/treasure-hunter story lovers! Do I have a book for you! Delve into the fascinating mystery of the lost Manuscript and the missing Grandma June. Lovers of Medieval history, Viking raids, puzzle boxes and clues, and fun facts about manuscript illumination will also greatly enjoy this story. Because I've read Mollie Rushmeyer before, I was expecting there to be heavy topics covered within this story. If you're new to her stories then expect themes of loss, grief and past traumas but you can also expect new found joy, hope and healing. Married couples are not often covered in romance fiction which is a shame because I quite like reading beyond the happily ever after, especially as they say the first few years are the hardest and I like reading about people triumphing over trials.

THE ROMANCE
I'm sensing a theme in my reading lately as this is the third book about an estranged couple I've read in the last two weeks. But I don't mind, second chance romances are my happy place. I loved how equal Ellora and Alex are in this story; equally flawed, equally not talking, equally responsible for their marriage falling apart, equally hopeful of a new beginning, equally in love still.

THE TRUTHS
Being about a married couple, I loved the emphasis on 'to love for better or worse'. That it's more than just words, it's a conscious decision you have to make daily. It's something you have to choose when the worse happens. God chose us when He sent His Son to dies for us, He chose to love us knowing our worst. We likewise need to do the same.

The Lost Manuscript has Ellora looking for her lost beloved grandmother with the help of her ex husband. Being asked to teach a Summer History course by said ex, also puts the both of them in a confined environment to piece together clues to recover Grandma. This slow burn includes both of them coming to terms with buried feelings for each other and what it means to be a family. #thelostmanuscript #netgalley
3.5🌟

I loved this inspirational story of redemption and second chances. The story of the manuscript was an added bonus.
Many thanks to Harlequin and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Lost Manuscript is written by Mollie Rushmeyer. This book was a fantastic and fun read. Ellora’s grandmother has been missing for the last ten months. She was on the hunt for a lost manuscript. To couple with that situation, Ellora has also seen the loss of her marriage. Alex is in England teaching while Ellora is left behind to sell their home and divide their things.

Then an unexpected invitation to teach at the same college Alex is in England. Alex tells Ellora that a letter from her grandmother was found along with a key. Ellora desperately wants to uncover what happened and find her beloved grandma. But can she be around her soon to be ex husband?

She travels to England and tries to follow the clues left behind by her grandmother. She speaks to others in the library, tea room and The Lost Artifact Society. However then she finds herself receiving threatening messages. Are they connected to her grandma’s disappearance?

This book is well written and draws you in immediately. There’s a mystery to be solved. The descriptions of the settings made me feel like I was standing there watching the story unfold.

I received a copy of this book through the author. All thoughts are my own.

This book kinda starts out with a gothic romance feel to it.
It’s a good mystery with some unexpected twists. I liked the Christian message that’s interweaved throughout the book.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

This is a faith based, second chance romance.
The story revolves around a quest/journey to find a missing ancient manuscript.
If you enjoy reading a story about redemption, mystery with a bit of romance thrown in, you would like reading The Lost Manuscript.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Readers who enjoy romance, mystery and treasure hunting will enjoy this story. I
found it a bit slow moving, a little depressing and hard go get into. The lost manuscript and what happened to grandma will encourage readers to read to the end.

I was provided a free advanced copy of this from @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
This one was a bit of a disappointment to me. It is a mix of genres with mystery, romance, Christian fiction, and treasure search.
Ellora's grandmother goes missing while searching for the lost manuscript some don't even believe is actually real! After some trauma her husband, Alex, runs away to England! Just when she thinks their relationship is unrecoverable, he invites her to come to England and teach for the summer. She decides to takes him up on the offer, with hopes of also continuing her grandmother's search. However, someone doesn't want the manuscript to be found. Ellora must dodge threats, discover what happened to her grandmother, try to resurrect her marriage, all while teaching, dealing with her past traumas, and all within a few months of summer study abroad!
Yeah, there's a lot going on! What took away stars for me was some of the unrealistic dialogue and scenarios. Also the timeline seemed to be off for me. At the beginning we were hearing about every day's activities, then we started skipping ahead quickly, but then that almost made it too quick and the summer was almost over.
I did appreciate it wrapping up a lot of loose threads at the end, but it dragged for me and was hard to get through at times.
It is set to be published 29 August, so if you're interested in one of these genres, add it to your TBR.
#NetGalley #TheLostManuscript

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Harlequin. All opinions are my own, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Mystery, Christian Fiction, Christian Romance, Proper Romance, Books about Books
Spice Level: Sweet (kisses only)
Themes: Trust, Faith in God, Feminism (did that surprise you?), and Hope

This book surprised me on how much I loved it!

The characters are amazing! Ellora (Ellie) is full of pain from her past and wants someone to choose her, ultimately to stay. And after her husband's behavior, she doesn't know if she can trust.

Alex, her husband who fled to England, is equally hurt and doesn't know what went so terribly wrong in their marriage.

Over arching the love story is a mystery. Grandma June was searching for a lost illuminated manuscript, supposedly created by a woman in about 800 AD. And since June disappeared, the trail has gone cold.

As Ellora and Alex, along with a cast of other characters, search for clues left by Grandma June, we come to see more facets of each personality. At some moments, I felt more sorry for Alex than Ellora because he was in the dark about their problems. Both of their backstories made sense to develop their emotional wounds that have continued to fester.

I kept wondering if Alex and Ellora would iron things out. And if June was alive. Or if the manuscript was even traceable. There were so many great threads tugging me along through the story. And of course, I always love a plot where I'm trying to figure out whodunnit.

On a Christian scale of how much Christianity is shown in the novel, I'd give it a solid 8 out of 10. Some books that claim to be Christian have almost nothing, and others are shallow, with characters flopping down to pray but that's the extent of their religion. An 8 strikes the perfect balance because it doesn't overwhelm the other elements of the story, but Christianity is a deep part of the character's lives. Essentially, the Christianity feels genuine. With that said, I think non-Christians can enjoy this book too because there is so much intrigue and mystery and love within the storyline.

I highly recommend this book!

Happy reading!

Romantic suspense isn’t my go-to genre but I enjoy it occasionally. Reading this second book by Mollie Rushmeyer leaves no regrets.

The story grabbed me from the first page as I vicariously stepped into Ellora Lockwood’s shoes and felt the pain of her rejection and impending divorce from Alex. He’d suddenly moved to England from Minnesota after only four years of marriage. Besides that, she’s still grieving the mysterious disappearance of her grandmother who was on the trail of a missing medieval manuscript. When Alex persuades Ellora to join him at Alnwick Castle in England to teach for the summer term, she concedes, hoping to find out what happened to her grandmother and the manuscript.

The vivid setting of Alnwick Castle was brought to life with well-chosen sensory detail. It proved to be an effective backdrop—not only for the ensuing mystery but for the tension between Alex and Ellora. They each had valid, believable reasons for withdrawing from each other over the past year, holding tightly to their secrets. I was rooting for them to communicate honestly so they could draw closer. Their issues made them more complex. I didn’t want them to just easily forgive and dismiss the hurts without first fostering communication and empathy.

With his wit, humor, charisma, and Britishisms, Alex is charming—a two-edged sword at times. While he’s stealing the show, getting all the glory, Ellora feels like his shadow, adding to her reservations about him. Despite the ongoing dynamics, Alex and Ellora have to work together to find the manuscript, a search which might provide the closure that Ellora desperately needs regarding her grandma’s disappearance.

Thank goodness Alex calls her Ellie versus Ellora, because I never knew how to pronounce Ellora. Is the first or second syllable accented?

Searching for the manuscript becomes a race against time when it becomes apparent others are after it, too, and Ellora receives threats. Sometimes I was a bit lost in the mystery, the connections between clues, and medieval historical details, but I went along for the ride through the compelling, three-dimensional characters.

There was a faith element, though not heavy-handed. Excellent writing made the story flow, conjured the emotions, and invited empathy with the characters—despite an info dump and some unnecessary repetition in chapter one. But don’t let that stop you from reading.

My advanced copy had some distracting formatting issues that were difficult to wade through, but it was still a worthwhile read. I received an ebook review copy of this book from the author through NetGalley. The opinions are my own.

4.5 stars
What a page-turning journey! The search is on for an item of major historical significance and to find Ellora Lockwood’s missing Grandma June who went missing after searching for this manuscript. Ellora (Ellie) is struggling with what to do next in her life as her marriage seems to have fallen apart and her grandmother is missing. She lives in St. Cloud, Minnesota but has a chance to teach history during the summer session in England. This puts her on the path with her separated but charming English husband Alex. They both have long held attitudes and issues from childhood and from their marriage that they need to work through as they try to navigate clues left by Grandma June.

I got such a kick out of her charming Englishman. And her friend best friend Lanae (who always tells her the truth) and who also accepted a job near the Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, UK. After learning more about this castle this year, I was thrilled that much of the story takes place here and in this area.

The Lost Manuscript includes intrigue, heartbreak, overcoming fear, friendship, and ultimately a sense of belonging while taking the reader on a treasure hunt, second chance romance, and a faith journey. I heartily recommend this lovely story, you don't want to miss it!

Romance, history, mystery, suspense. This book had a bit of everything. I really enjoyed the romance between Ellora and Alex. They were married prior to the story beginning but have separated. There are many challenging obstacles that they must try to overcome to be reunited. Working together to solve a mystery gives them that opportunity.

I have listened to Molly Rushmeyer's The Bookshop of Secrets. This was my first time reading her book myself. I am not sure if it was her writing or perhaps the formatting that was confusing to me. I was given an advanced digital copy of the book by Harlequin and Netgalley, so there may be some adjustments to the final version. But several times I felt like I had jumped in the sorry from one paragraph to the next and I was completely lost. Perhaps in the final version there will be some sort of indicator that the time or location of the events has changed within a chapter. I honestly thought I was missing parts of the book. I don't know if this is normal for the author and I just didn't notice before because I had listened and the narrator gave me the indication or if it was the book. I must admit that was a bit distracting at times.

The male main character is British and the story takes place in England. Sometimes British sayings or words are used but somehow they don't always flow with the feel of the story. I don't know exactly how to describe it, but I was taken out of the feel of the book by these references at times. I think the author was trying to be authentic to the culture but somehow missed the mark on occasion.

Also honestly the Viking history went over my head at times. But I am not a history buff. The unfamiliar words and time period didn't hold my attention as to specifics. But... I did enjoy the mystery and was able to follow along even if it was more superficially than others might have.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, but I think I would have enjoyed it more had I listened to it.

I do feel there are some trigger/content warnings needed for the book. Miscarriage is a theme discussed and referred to throughout. A mass shooting is also referenced.

Ellora Lockwood’s grandmother has disappeared as she was searching for an ancient medieval manuscript. Ellora and her estranged husband and some friends are searching and following clues to find both. The book is complicated with several story threads, but this one of following the clues her grandmother left for her was my favorite.

This is definitely more "women's fiction" than romance - I think going into it with that mindset will enhance the experience for readers. The estranged married couple is very broken at the beginning, and it takes a lot of heartache, self-examination, and Jesus for them to reconcile. The historical mystery is fascinating and fun.

We enjoyed having Mollie on the StoryChats podcast to talk about this book. (episode airs 9/8/2023)

Absolutely stunning. The adventure was great - but the healing was phenomenal.

Things you’ll love about this story:
*a “National Treasure” feel
*broken marriage finds restoration
*Viking lore
*so. much. hope.
*true-to-life heart experiences as Alex and Ellora learn to trust God for “an expected end.”
*of course some sweet romance!

This was my first read by Mollie Rushmeyer, but not my last. I highly recommend the read and I’m so grateful I was able to get an advanced read copy. ❤️