Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. And thank you to @macmillan.audio for a free download of the audiobook.

A Heartwarming Tale of Love and Loss

The Trail of Lost Hearts is a captivating and heartwarming novel by Tracey Garvis Graves. The story follows Wren and Marshall as they embark on a unique journey of love and healing.

Graves's evocative writing style creates a cozy and atmospheric setting, perfect for a fall read. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and their chemistry is undeniable. Wren's vulnerability and Marshall's quiet strength make for a compelling pairing.

The geocaching element adds an interesting twist to the story, making it a unique and engaging read. The author's ability to blend romance, mystery, and personal growth creates a truly satisfying narrative.

The audiobook narration for The Trail of Lost Hearts is exceptional. Eric Meyers and Kate Handford bring the characters to life with their captivating performances. Their voices perfectly complement the story, enhancing the listening experience and making it a truly immersive journey.

Overall, The Trail of Lost Hearts is a must-read for fans of contemporary romance. It's a heartwarming and uplifting story that will stay with you long after you've turned the final page.

5 stars

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This was my first book by Graves, and I enjoyed it. It isn’t my typical go-to genre but I can see why she is such a popular Author. I thought this was a great story of self-discovery as well as good slow burn romance. The story was full of heartbreak but also hope and it was a nice change of pace from my typical reading.

In an attempt to grieve and recover from two back-to-back life-shattering blows, 34 year old Wren embarks on a solo week-long geocaching journey. At the start of her trek she runs into Marshall, a man dealing with his own personal grief, who ends up literally saving Wren from a dangerous situation. Instead of continuing on their journey’s solo, the two decide to team up and geocache together. Of course, what starts out as a platonic friendship, turns into something much more over the week long road trip,
and Wren can’t help but hope that the universe has finally delivered something good and right to her life.

Things I really loved about this book: the setting of geocaching in Oregon, the fact that Wren and Marshall were a bit older (in their 30s), the genuineness of their grief and flaws.

But there’s a twist that occurs closer to the end of the book (that I really didn’t see coming) and it’s one of my least favourite tropes in books and I had a really hard time accepting it and not being overly annoyed with how it all played out.

Overall, I did really enjoy this book though (and much more than her last one which was a bit of a flop for me). I’m a huge fan of Tracey Garvis Graves and can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for providing me this Digital Advanced Readers Copy of the book!

This story brings two people who are at tough stages of there life together through geocatching. It is a great story. You want to feel bad for both of them but you also want them to pull ahead in life. I really enjoyed this story. It had everything needed to keep me interested.

I fell in love with the writing of author Tracey Garvis after reading The Girl He Used to Know, and was so excited to read this.

I paired the book with the audiobook, and loved to do a fully immersive style of read. Narrated by Eric Meyers and Kate Handford, I thought they did a great performance!

*many thanks to St Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review.

I have absolutely loved Graves previous books and was so excited to read this!!

Oh my goodness this book was really sweet!! I felt so sad for Wren and Marshall with all the heartache they've been through. Wren decides to go to Oregon for some hiking adventures. While on the trail, she meets Marshall and they continue on together. I loved the nature aspects in this one!! Loved Wren and Marshall's healing journey together!!

4/5 stars!!!

Can't wait for her next book!!

Tracey Garvis Graves' The Trail of Lost Hearts is a poignant exploration of grief and healing. Wren, struggling with loss, finds solace in a solo geocaching trip. As she navigates the Oregon wilderness, she connects with Marshall, a fellow hiker dealing with his own pain. Together, they find comfort and support in each other's company. This heartwarming story celebrates the healing power of nature and human connection.

I loved The Girl He Used to Know so I was excited when the opportunity arrived to read Tracey Garvis Graves’s newest book. This one tackles themes of grief and finding new and unexpected love. Marshall and Wren meet on an Oregon trail (not that one) while geocaching. Marshall becomes a literal hero, saving Wren from some sketchy dudes…commence love story. I love these characters and I love them together, but I am not sure if I would be so trusting of Marshall immediately. My cynicism would make me think, “Is he in kahoots with the bad guys?” But he wasn’t, so good for Wren. This love story is messy but realistic, which I appreciated. Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves romance novels and self-discovery.

graves does it again. her first book had me from the beginning and this one was no exception I couldn't put it down. she makes you feel like you are right there with her characters experiencing everything with them. I can't get enough!

The Trail of Lost Hearts is the recent release from Tracey Garvis Graves and if you've not read a book by her yet, you are missing out. I know that when I pick up a book from Garvis Graves I am going to get a good story and well-developed characters and sure enough, this book gave me both.

This story kicks off with our main character Wren going on a hike and Garvis Graves pulled me in with the questions I had about her and what she was doing on her own as well as the situation she was finding herself in. When Wren discovered geocaching, it quickly became the thing that motivated her to get out of bed after taking some pretty big hits and now as a way to take back control of her life she decided to take a solo trip to Oregon but finding herself in a dangerous situation on a trail, she wonders what she's going to do.

Enter Marshall Hendricks, a psychologist searching for distraction as he struggles with a life-altering blow of his own. Though Wren initially rebuffs Marshall’s attempt at hiker small talk, she’s beyond grateful when he rescues her from a horrifying encounter farther down the trail. In the interest of safety, Marshall suggests partnering up to look for additional caches. Wren’s no longer quite so trusting of the universe―or men in general―but her inner circle might argue that a smart, charismatic psychologist isn’t the worst thing the universe could place in her path.

As Wren and Marshall slowly become more than just friends to each other, they learn how to trust again and I loved how Garvis Graves built this relationship. It felt real and at times, complicated and hard but I could also feel how much these characters wanted to figure it out. It is an emotional read but in all the good ways.

If you're looking for a new contemporary, adult romance consider picking this one up. This author is an auto-buy author for me because I can always count on her books to give me a great story with real characters and if you haven't read her backlist yet, you should go and grab them too.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved Wren, and Marshall, and their growth throughout the novel. I laughed, cried, and cheered along with Wren as she learned truths and made changes in her life. I would love to have more of Wren and Marshall’s story at least mentioned in another novel. They felt like my family by the time I finished the novel.

This book!!! All the feels! Oh my gosh I love it so much! My firsr book from this author and it will not be the last. I was so invested in Wren from page one. The heartbreak amd trauma and just wanting to get away from it all. I loved pacing and the little bit of space. I loved that it all took a little bit of time. I loved the surprises and twists. It all felt like a such a realistic storyline. Marshall was so perfect and you couldn't help but fall in love with him - this is exactly what I needed to read now!

I miss the old style of Tracey Garvis Graves's writing, "The Girl He Used to Know, On the Island" The mysticism, the aha moment, the unrealizable moment all that kind of stuff, The trail of Lost Hearst was a good book but I feel like the magic was missing.

Wren Waters is determined to GPS or geo catching (finding hidden objects with GPS) but in this situations, she encounters many things, as a single woman traveling alone, things can get a little ugly or scary and some of those moments Wren goes to them until she meets Marshall someone who will change her life but also save it.

it is a novel full of ups and downs but nothing very dramatic or explosive, it is the love story of Wren and Marshall they weren't looking for something but I guess something finds them.

Waiting for the next book by Tracey for sure.

Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of The Trail of Lost Hearts in exchange for my honest review.

I went into this one, honestly, for the Geocaching. I through Wren would really explore Geocaching and it would be the heart of the story.

SO don't be like me! It's not that. This story is really about Wren finding herself and re-defining who she is after a tragedy and a heartbreak. I liked the sweet parts of the story (and was surprised by the spicy parts!)

The addition of Geocaching, to this one, was a nice touch but if you know anything about the hobby, it was frustrating to read. Everyone comes to Oregon, if they are a Geocacher, and wants to go to The Original cache - because the very first one was placed here. And the very few homeless I have encountered, while Geocaching, have always offered to help me - they have never ever ever harmed me (and I've been a female caching alone and with friends for a very very long time).

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

3.5 ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! This book was full of nature, national parks, broken healing hearts and adventure. It digs deeper than a typical romance and touched me in ways I wasn’t expecting. If you’re looking for a book that might just break your heart but heal it back together, this is the one.

If you like you love stories with a healthy dose of real world problems, you will really enjoy this one. If you don’t have any reading red flags then I would almost recommend going in blind, because there are some really great plot twists. But please know these could be triggering for some readers. When we meet Wren, she is hiking in the Pacific Northwest, feeling the travel bug and needing a break from the reality life has dealt her. While geocaching she meets Marshall—their meet cute is more of a meet tragedy, but the way they instantly become connected is riveting to say the least. Marshall and Wren instantly bond over their experience which allows them to connect and share with each other in a more meaningful way than if they had met while dating.

I loved the frankness with which Garvis Graves writes her characters. They are absolutely flawed, but there’s no BS, they act like the adults that they are, and even when they mess up, they are mature about it. I think this key ingredient is missing in so many books and it’s so refreshing to read about adults who act like adults. So even when life throws yet another curveball at Wren, the way she handles it is with grace and strength. Although this is an open door romance, the changes and experiences of Wren and Marshall are what take center stage more than the love story itself. It’s how they communicate with each other THROUGH their circumstances that help them fall in love. The Trail of Lost Hearts is an emotionally intimate story that will have readers believing in happiness after heartache and that the universe will bring you love when you least expect it. I received an early copy from St. Martin’s Press. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5
Steam: 🪭
Emotional growth: 📈📈📈

I wanted to love this book, I really did. The beginning was amazing and had me hooked from the first chapter, but I found myself losing interest as the story went on. A large part of the story felt forced and unrealistic to me. It was still an enjoyable read, if you suspended belief about how a normal person would react in the situation Wren finds herself in. Wren and Marshall are cute and their continued run-ins initially kept me reading to the end, but it's not a book I would choose to reread.

After a life-altering tragedy, Wren discovers geocaching. In an effort to escape and rediscover herself, she books a geocaching trip to the Pacific Northwest. On her first trail she meets Marshall, a psychologist escaping his own problems. When he rescues her from some men on the trail looking for trouble, he suggests that they team up while hunting for the rest of her planned caches.

I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Tracey Garvis Graves and this was no exception. The Trail of Lost Hearts is a well written story of grief and healing. Wren and Marshall both have a lot of baggage, but are able to restore some of their faith in humanity through each other.