I have always enjoyed reading all of Tracey Garvis Graves books, she has such amazing characters. 'The Trail of Lost Hearts' was a beautiful story of two lost souls trying to find a way to survive. Wren and Marshall's story is full of sorrows but they both are trying to find a way to survive. Their story from friendship to romantic was amazingly done and didn't feel forced at all. I absolutely loved this story; the characters, the plot and the landscape really made this novel a wonderful read. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC, I will defiantly recommend this one!

This is a really lovely rumination on grief and healing and how non-linear all of it is. I have never read the author before, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I found this story felt like a warm hug. Watching two people process two different kinds of grief and find each other in the middle of it was really impactful. It is a romance, in ways, but it is also a story about two broken people healing themselves first.

My gripes may be personal gripes - I thought the pacing was uneven, and I did not like the e-mails that Marshall and Wren sent to each other. Something about the wording of the e-mails felt so formal and unnatural, when much of the dialogue throughout felt very real.

3.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the ARC.

Wow! This book! I put off reading it at first even though the story synopsis was right up my alley. I was just a little hesitant going in about the geo cache theme. I’ve had friends that have found joy in this hobby so I knew a little about it going in. It was just something I thought was a fad that had run its course. However it was definitely a great way for the characters to meet and have this as their way of coming to terms with their pasts.I’m so glad that I decided it was time to read this. I haven’t read something so articulately written in quite some time. This book was written with such passion about the catharsis of these two individuals finding reprieve with having the same journey in common. I was reeled in and inspired by how the words provoked so many feelings in me. This book will definitely stay with me always. I am so happy to have had the advanced copy to enjoy. What a notable author that I will definitely be reading her past and present works.

This is a beautiful, touching story that says: "If it's meant to be,it will all come in time".
But ....how long does it take?

Wren has it all. She is engaged, has a good job and things are pretty perfect.
But.. then tragedy happens,and life takes a spin that begins at the hospital bed of her fiance who has been in a tragic, fatal accident.
Trying to figure out her world after, Wren decides to head to Oregon on a hike to locate some hidden items while geocashing. She is hoping to find some clarity and peace as she physically enjoys the outdoors.

What Wren finds is more than she thinks, but will she trust herself and those she meets? Will Wren be able to move forward with her life?
Open this book.
You will love this wonderful novel as did I.!

Thank you to @NetGalley and to @St Martin's Press for this ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review. Loved it!

Loved this story. Came across as authentic. Dialogue was realistic. Moments in the car were relatable. The book had a few predictable yet “suspend your disbelief” scenes but they didn’t detract from the really really good story. I didn’t have high hopes for the geocaching thread but it was fun! As a reader I felt like I was right there in the adventure.

this book was just quite frankly not for me. maybe I’m not the target audience or this is not the kind of story for me but I didn’t like this. the twist in the second half really irritated me considering the guy she almost married was such dog shit. I felt the dialogue was bland and it was a bit too fast paced. I also didn’t like that the fmc was forcing him to tell his whole life story right away just because she did. it just wasn’t for me. thank you to netgalley for this arc.

Travey strikes again! Her writing and storytelling never disappoints me. My heart broke for our FMC Wren. Then it soared for her. Then it broke again. Then happiness. I had whiplash but in the best way possible! And Marshall...swoon. He was perfect!!

Everything about this book was amazing! The setting of the Pacific NW was awesome! I felt like I was on the trails with Wren and Marshall, geocaching with them. I'm not ashamed to admit I totally Googled it because now I want to find some near me.

Cannot wait till March 2024 so that I can get my hands on a copy! Thank you to the author and St. Martin's press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book will give you all the feels.
It looks at healing through searching for something.
I liked the information about geocaching and how it brought our characters together.


Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read that I couldn’t put down! It is full of all the feels, plus a romance where two people come together, then have a lot of work to do on their own before they can finally be together for real. And in between—-a whole lot of loss and heartbreak, friendships and even a baby!

I found the parts about geocaching very interesting as this is something I wasn’t familiar with. I liked the metaphor of finding things that are hidden… just as the two main characters had to struggle to find things that were hidden in themselves… and each other. Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Tracy Garvis-Graves can do no wrong! I have loved all of her books and this one is no different. It was a quick read with heavy subject matter. Wren and Marshall meet each other when they need it the most, having both experienced a tremendous loss. It’s a book of discovery and healing with romance interspersed. I also learned more about the world of geocaching!

For years the story from Tracey Garvis Graves "On the Island" has stuck with me, so I was excited to begin this book. The story drew me in immediately. Initially though, the protagonist, Wren, seemed a bit stilted in conversations and interactions with others, but it was not until later that I learned that that was intentional for character development based on her experiences. I do wish there had been some more character development for Wren in her relationships with women as I felt this would have made her more relatable for me. Maybe I just felt a bit disconnected to her because I am not an outdoorsy person. The first half of the book went very quickly until the point where Wren returned home. The third quarter of the book was slow until the final quarter picked up quite a bit (and I couldn't put it down). Overall, this book was worth a read for me!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for my ARC.

I really enjoyed this novel about two people, both healing from grief, coming together through something they love (geocaching). Such a great love story!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

The Trail of Lost Hearts
by Tracey Garvis Graves
The book started out pretty well. Just seemed to be slower than what I expected. The ending just did not satisfy the build-up. It was a good book, not great, as other reviewers declared.

Sunday afternoon of a three day weekend and I couldn't put this book down! I laughed! I cried! My heart broke and then it burst with joy!

This is my third Tracey Graves Graves book and she is now solidly on my Favorite Authors' List. She writes with depth and emotion. Her characters are realistic... human and flawed. Both Miller and Wren have survived tragedy and are trying to put their lives back together. They find each other at exactly the right time. But working through their baggage is a lot for them to overcome. That is where the heartbreak comes into play. But there are moments of triumph and exhilarations as both Wren and Miller discover that they might be stronger than they think.

Don't miss this novel when it comes out in March 2024. Put it on your TBR list immediately!

#TheTrailofLostHearts
#TraceyGarvisGraves
#ARC
#NetGalley
#romance
#contemporaryromance
#womensfiction
#whatareyoureading
#books

I absolutely loved this story! Two broken people after the death of loved ones, come together over a love of geocaching. Honestly, I wasn't that familiar with geocaching before, but it was very interesting to learn about and how it ultimately brought two people together, allowing them to heal. A very unique premise!

When we meet Wren, she is on a geocache quest, having traveled across the country to deal with her grief over the loss of her fiancé. Who, she discovers later, was married with children in another state. On the trail, she is threatened by two men, but saved by a third. Marshall, who she discovers is grieving the death of his younger brother, suggests they travel together. They spend a week growing closer, and love is in the air. But when she gets home, she discovers a new surprise, one that will alter her life forever.

This was a wonderful story about two deep, thoughtful people navigating grief and finding love again. It was realistic and heartfelt. I cried all the way through the ending. Will be looking for other books by this author, who is new to me.

How do you react when the universe hands you a major life blow and you feel like your world is falling apart? This is exactly what the main characters of this novel have to deal with. Gwen is reeling from the death of her boyfriend and the secret that he has kept from her. Marshall is dealing with the untimely and tragic death of his beloved brother. These two characters meet on a hiking trail and attempt to recover from their past hurts and losses. This novel inspires the reader and gives hope to the hopeless. It is well worth reading. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, author Tracey Garvin Graves and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Loved being on this journey of heartbreak and self discovery with the wilderness backdrop! Always a fan of everything this author writes, so I knew I would enjoy this one and I wasn’t wrong.

I have always enjoyed Tracey’s books & was given a digital copy for an honest review. The book follows Marshall & Wren, two wounded souls that decide to embark on an unconventional geocaching trip together after randomly meeting on a trail. It’s a light, sweet read & any fan of Tracey’s work will like this one.

“The Trail of Lost Hearts” is Tracey Garvis Graves’s latest effort and a great story for fans of stories about real people trying to simply get through life’s heartbreak.

I admit I did not even know what geocaching was before reading this book, but the book’s protagonist embarks on a geocaching journey after suffering a few traumatic blows. She meets Marshall who is experiencing his own losses and the two embark on this exploration together.

Though you have some idea where this story could head, you’re not going to mind the trip getting there because of how quickly you find yourself carrying about Wren and what happens to her. I did not find myself carrying as much about Marshall, which made the ending of the book less than satisfying. I wish the story stopped at the end of their adventure, but other readers may appreciate the “after” part of this story.

Three and a half out of five stars.

Thank you the Tracey Garvis Graves, NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel.