Another beautifully written book by Tracey Garvis Graves! The Trail of Lost Hearts tells the story of Wren and Marshall, who meet by chance while geocaching in Oregon. Both are struggling with grief and loss. My heart ached for these two characters, and I shed tears more than once. I have no doubt that this book will be one of my favorite books of the year! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance reader copy of this book.

“Grief is a bill and until you pay it, life puts a lien on everything else.”

In an attempt to move past a horrible heartbreak, Wren Waters is seeking solace. Ironically, she finds it in the activity of finding things, also known as geocaching. Her GPS driven hobby, largely misunderstood by others, sends her out in the world, literally seeking objects.

One particular quest sends her to the woods of Oregon, and unknowingly, on the path to danger. Alone and vulnerable, Wren finds herself forced to rely upon the kindness of a stranger to bail her out. The man, Marshall Hendricks, is not only a fellow geocacher, but also a fellow lost soul. So when he suggests they pair up in their search, Wren immediately objects. Eventually though, her inner compass guides her into agreeing.

As Wren and Marshall spend more time together, it’s clear their plan has them veering off their path in more ways than one. But as their relationship progresses past platonic, they suddenly start finding more than they bargained for.

The Trail of Lost Hearts is a sad story about salvation and second chances. While Wren had good reason to be weary of others, I found her self preservation often teetered on selfishness. Where she could be vague and guarded, others could not. Without giving too much away, this hypocrisy had me hoping for a bit more soul searching on Wren’s part, but it never came.

However, if you’re in search of a second chance romance, The Trail of Lost Hearts offers a unique perspective on love, both lost and found.

Have you ever heard of geocaching before?

4.5⭐️

This book is a mix of contemporary romance (first half) and women’s fiction (second half).

I absolutely loved the first half of this book! The meet cute felt realistic and it was steamy!

I wasn’t familiar with geocaching so I learned something new.

I appreciated how their grief brought Wren and Marshall together. Each of them had chosen hiking and geocaching as their way of embarking on a healing journey from traumatic events in their lives, which reminded me of the movie, Wild that was based on the memoir by Cheryl Strayed.

Teaming up for geocaching provided the perfect opportunity for forced proximity between the MCs.

🚨 SPOILER ALERT! 🚨

The third Act breakup happened at mid-point, which was certainly unique. I completely understand why it happened.

However, the second half felt more like women’s fiction than a contemporary romance because it seemed more focused on Wren’s journey towards motherhood.

Marshall felt mostly absent from the second half (until the end) as we only got insight into his emotional growth through emails. That’s why I feel this story could have benefited from a dual POV - I loved Marshall’s character and would have appreciated more insight into his POV!

However, I still enjoyed the novel overall as I like the author’s writing style and appreciate her exploring heavier themes in this book, which added depth to the story.

Tropes:
- Forced proximity
- Accidental pregnancy
- Single POV

TW: death of loved ones, attempted assault, gun violence, car accident, infidelity

First time reading this author, won’t be the last.

When it rains, it pours could be the premise for this book. Just when you think Wren can’t possibly have anything else go sideways, life says “wait there’s more!”

Wren finds out some extremely heartbreaking things about her recently deceased fiancé, which prompts her to rediscover her old self and go on new adventures. She takes up geocaching. This is where she finds Marshall. Thier slow burn friendship to more story runs in the background as Wren works through what she wants her future to look like after her late fiancé’s duplicity.

I really enjoyed this story. Any time a woman gains back her independence and is supported by an amazing man, I’m going to be there for it.

The Trail of Lost Hearts is a beautiful, emotionally captivating story about Wren and Marshall, two people in their 30s reeling from tragedy, who meet when they both go geocaching on a trail in the Pacific Northwest. They are both very likeable and relatable characters, struggling to make sense of their lives and trying to find a path forward in a world they hadn’t expected. The story touches on loss, hope, love, trust, friendship, self-discovery and, ultimately, resilience.

The author captures the emotions experienced by these characters so well that I felt that I knew, cared for and understood them. The novel unfolds from Wren’s perspective but the author effectively uses a series of email exchanges between Wren and Marshall to allow the reader to understand Marshall’s fears and motivations. The relationship between them unfolds at just the right pace and it is full of chemistry. I loved these characters both individually and as a couple. I also enjoyed the secondary characters and felt immersed in the vivid and beautiful descriptions of nature.

I highly recommend this lovely, engaging, emotionally satisfying read.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Will post to my book IG, X and Threads on March 25.

The Trail of Lost Hearts is a beautiful book about two people have lost a loved one and cannot figure out how to move on in life. They meet while geocaching (which I thoroughly enjoyed learning about) and form a team on the trails in Washington state. While they hike they also help each other deal with their losses. These conversations were so on point, I wish I had read this book when I was younger. Wren was always a strong woman and Marshall was such a gentle soul. A heart wrenching read

What can be found on the trail of lost hearts? The unexpected it seems. Halfway through reading, I sarcastically thought “great I know where this is going to go” and I was ready to be b-o-r-e-d. Well I was wrong and it was just unexpected turn after unexpected turn that had me wondering, would things work out for Wren. I got a little emotional at some points. Some of Wren’s choices were surprising. But it showed her growth and desire for openness after what Wren had been through.

This is an open door romance.

I’m also a big fan of Wren’s geocaching playlist, wish we had more of it.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy.

Everything a great book should be. Stunning, adult themes, lives at crossroads, hard decisions with harder follow through, adult love, reasons to cry happy tears, characters who will stay with you for a long time. Absolutely engaging plot that never lets up. A book that will live in my heart for some time. Thank you Tracey Garvis Graves, for writing this book.

This story was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. Wren and Marshall meet by chance while she is traveling in the Pacific Northwest. Both are working through grief and are vulnerable for different reasons. They have a strong connection, but ultimately Wren returns home where she learns some surprising news. When they reconnect, everything is different. This is a well crafted tale of love, loss and finding contentment on life’s journey.

✨ Publication date: March 26, 2024✨

A Trail of Lost Hearts is a Romance by Tracey Garvis Graves that deals with some pretty heavy topics around grief and mental wellness. Read the trigger warnings!!

Wren Waters is on a solo hiking trip to shake off her grief after the death of her fiancé and to face some of the truths she discovered after her died. Wren was hoping this trip would help reset and put her on a path of healing.

Almost immediately into her first hike, Wren is cornered by two guys who aren’t interested in hiking. Realizing she has put herself in a dangerous situation she shouts for help and catches the attention of the other lone hiker she met at the bottom of the trail, Marshal Hendricks.

After Marshal saves Wren, they decide to team up for the rest of the week to ensure their safety. As the days go by and Wren gets more comfortable, she shares her story and her recent grief journey.

Marshal is also on his own grief journey but won’t open up to Wren. They do discover they have chemistry and head towards a short term fling. As their week comes to a close and they have gotten so close, they need to decide if they are both emotionally ready for a relationship.

This is a story or grief and self discovery. There were a few twists and turns throughout the book which were okay but I felt was maybe a bit too much and not needed to draw the story out. I really enjoy this authors writing I think this is my 3rd or 4th book by her but this book is a 3.5 for me!

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #traceygarvisgreaves #atrailoflosthearts

I was really excited to read this book. Loved the book cover and wanted to know about geo-catching. I’d also really enjoyed the author’s other book, On the Island.
Unfortunately, this book wasn’t the same quality and didn’t hit home for me. Its themes of anxiety, depression, suicide were handled in a way that made the book bleak and dispiriting. The writing needed more work - bit flat & bland - and didn’t really draw me in. 2-stars
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Nope. Absolutely not - no one would be alone, get attacked, get saved, and then go in a CAR ALONE with the person that saved them. I am so disappointed in this one. The concept was a good idea, but this was an overall miss for me.

Graves is one of those few authors that is on my auto buy list. She never fails to deliver and her latest book, The Trail of Lost Hearts, further cements my opinion. This book is written with eloquent prose and well-rounded characters that I quickly became involved with. Easily one of my favorite books so far this year.
The story is about two people, Wren and Marshall, that have each lost loved ones in tragic ways. They run into each other on a hiking trail while Geocaching. Later during the hike, Marshall rescues Wren from two unsavory characters she has chanced upon. Once they are out of danger, Marshall suggests they can continue as a team for security reasons.
Hesitantly, Wren accepts his offer and the two continue their geocaching together. Slowly, they form a friendship and Wren is able to open up to Marshall about her loss and betrayal. Marshall is a psychologist, and once Wren allows herself to be vulnerable, he is able to help her work through some of her feelings. However, Marshall is still working on his own issues. To top it off, the universe has one more big surprise that will put an even bigger wrench in the works for them. Sorry no spoilers, you will just have to read for yourself and see if they can work through all their ‘STUFF’ and find true happiness in each other.
So much to love in this moving story. The grief, guilt and host of other emotions involved with the healing process was tremendous. Both of these characters needed to work through so much pain and it had me just wanting to give them both a big hug and tell them everything would be okay. I have to admit that I cried right along with them. God I love when an author gives me all feels.
If you like a romance that is more than romance, this book has your name on it. Great characters and a plot that develops so naturally it feels like someone’s true story, it is one of those books that will have you reading into the wee hours to see what happens, just like I did.
I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Tracey Garvis Graves is hit or miss for me. She's mostly a miss if I'm honest, but she wrote On the Island, one of my favorite books of all time, so I still try.

I liked the previous book "On the Island" by this author, so I was very happy to read this one.

Wren’s fiancé dies in the car accident, and at the hospital she learns about his wife and his family. To escape from her dilemma, she goes geocaching alone until she teams up with Marshall, who offers to do it together. Marshall tries to bury the sorrows of his past. Heartbroken Wren confides in him about her fiancé, but Marshal hides his own problems from her. They feel great together. Wren however can't make the same mistake to be with a guy who keeps secrets. When she returns to Ohio, another big surprise awaits her. Marshal wasn't opening up and she didn’t like it. So why is she hiding her secret from him?
 
Filled with emotional and hopeful moments, this story was a pleasure to read. I liked how the author put these two people in the geocaching area looking for caches. Wren and Marshal were likable characters, and the author perfectly captured the problems we face in life. I empathized with Wren, who lost her fiancé and at the same time learned about his second life. I was very fond of Marshal who, despite the regret and guilt he imposed on himself, remained wonderful person. All other characters, family and friends, supported them along the way to a new beginning.

The Trail of Lost Hearts follows 30-something Wren as she's putting her life back together after the death of her fiance. I expected this to be a bit like Wild by Cheryl Strayed based on the cover. Hiking does play a role, but the real story is Wren pulling her life back together off the trail. There's definitely a central romance, especially in the first half, but I wouldn't necessarily categorize this book as a romance--it covers family relationships and grief as well as self-discovery. This was a witch, enjoyable, read. Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC.

This was a good book. Wren has had an earth-shattering event happen to her & decides to go geocaching in Oregon. As a person that loves that area of the country, this was a favorite part of the book for me. While she is out there, she meets Marshall. As she gets to know him, she finds that he is also dealing with heartbreak of a different kind. Highly recommend reading this to see where this meeting might lead.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

I didn’t think I was going to enjoy this one when I first started reading, but when I got to the halfway point the story turned into a super emotional and complex story. I enjoyed Wren and Marshall’s personal journeys towards healing.

I really loved their connection and the way they were able to slowly open up to each other and form a connection with each other. The conversations surrounding grief were raw and genuine. I do feel like the pacing was so fast that sometimes I didn’t get to absorb what I wanted to sit with for a moment before the next thing happened. Despite the emotional storyline, it left me feeling hopeful in the end!

4 1/2 stars

This book was a beautiful story about two broken souls finding one another. Wren and Marshall meet up while they are both hiking and geocaching on their own. It's as if fate brought them together. They decide to join together and hit the rest of the spots on Wren's list and find they enjoy one another's company. They each know the other person has suffered a loss they are trying to process but initially neither shares what it is.

Gradually they become more comfortable with one another and Wren opens up about her complicated loss. But Marshall still keeps his to himself which frustrates Wren. She is determined to not get close to anyone going forward that keeps secrets so it makes it difficult for her to trust Marshall no matter the attraction she feels for him.

The story is basically the ups and downs - - back and forth - - of these two and how they find their way through their own individual pain to the other side so that they can then be someone to be there for another person. It was a pretty lovely story even thought it had some really heartbreaking issues tucked in.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I went back and forth between the book and the audio. The narration in the audiobook really felt spot on to me. I fell right into the story when I listened to it and was pulled into their world. Well done. 4 1/2 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook.

This book has one of my least favorite tropes. Thankfully, the rest of it was cute enough to continue. I enjoyed the revelatory growth that the two main characters had. They trauma bonded like real people. With avoidance and confusion. That bond allowed for them to discover their other needs as the book went on. Set in the backdrop of nature, this was a perfectly acceptable adult problem romance.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and author Tracey Garvis Graves for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.