The Trail of Lost Hearts by Tracey Garvis Graves is a story of two broken hearts who find the unexpected chance to love again. Thirty-four-year old Wren Waters believes the universe will send you what you need, you only need to pay attention. Her world is shattered when the death of her fiancé reveals secrets she wasn’t expecting. Falling into a deep depression, the only thing that seems to get her out of bed is geocaching, the outdoor activity using GPS to find hidden objects. Wren decides to take a weeklong trip to Oregon for a solo geocaching search. While on the first leg of her trip, she meets Marshall Hendricks, a psychologist on his own much needed trip. After a close call, Marshall suggests teaming up for the rest of the cache searches. Wren is hesitant at first, but decides to trust the universe one more time. As the road trip begins platonic enough, it soon blooms into something deeper and the more she spends time with Marshall, the more she wants to know about him.
The Trail of Lost Hearts is my first book by Tracey Garvis Graves and it definitely won’t be my last. The story starts with a woman in a dark place, trying to take each day at a time, when a trip to clear her head changes her time. My heart broke for Wren who thought her life was on track when the sudden death of her fiancé made her question everything she thought she knew. My heart also broke for Marshall, who is also hurting from his own tragedy. Both characters felt real as they deal with grief, guilt and questioning decisions they cannot take back. I loved that their relationship truly starts platonically so much so that when the romance develops it was a pleasant surprise. Overall, I was hooked from the opening chapter and could not put it down. There were twists and turns to this story that is a wild ride of heartbreak, emotional breakthroughs and an ending that I thought wasn’t in the cards. I highly recommend The Trail of Lost Hearts.

The Trail of Lost Hearts is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook.

After her life with her fiancé falls apart, thirty-four-year-old Wren Waters embarks on a solo geocaching quest in Oregon. However, after a traumatic experience on the trail, she teams up with fellow geocacher and psychologist Marshall Hendricks. The two work together to find the caches and find themselves as they both work to heal from the grief in their lives.

The first half of this book reminded me a bit of Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center {which I also enjoyed!}, with a “hiking and healing” outdoorsy vibe. While I personally have no interest in geocaching, the book didn’t solely focus on that aspect of the story so I was interested in the characters, their past traumas, and their relationship. I liked the twist part way through, and how the second half of the book is post-geocaching and focused on the return to real life. Overall, the story is an emotional journey and heartfelt read I’d definitely recommend!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Tracey Garvis Graves for my gifted e-ARC!

This is very much a book that once you pick up, you simply cannot put down. There is so much emotion, grief, personal growth, the works - this is so much more than a romance. Neither of these main characters are perfect, but they are both incredibly likable, relatable characters in different ways. I enjoyed seeing how they navigated their difficulties together, and tried to figure out where to go next in their relationship. There are definitely several heartbreaking moments, that felt very very real and raw. I also think the moody atmosphere also added to the overall tone of the book. As a geocacher myself, I enjoyed this thread in the story and it was a fun way to do a road-trip type of trope. I felt myself rooting for Wren and Marshall throughout and really had a good time reading this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

If you're looking for a book that gives you positive vibes, despite the heartache and loss, stays pretty much drama free throughout the story then look no further. Tracey Garvis Graves gives you a story about two outdoorsy people who aren't ready to step into a new relationship after their previous ones ended. But she also gives you all the reasons why they should be together anyway. I experienced Wren as strong female character who grew while working through her trauma and while we don't get to spend as much time with Marshall there's definitely also a lot of growth. Ultimately, they made sense. As mentioned there's lots of emotions, some pack quite a punch but the story stays away from all the drama that could have been included and I really appreciated it.

This book captured my attention from page 1! I looked forward to each chance to pick it up. Wren Waters and Marshall Hendricks are two thirty-something broken people. Each has lost a love that has left deep scars in its wake. This book is their journey back to health.

Wren was engaged to Ben when he was tragically killed in a car accident. Marshall lost a kid brother that he was deeply attached to in a random shooting at a gas station convenience store. Both of them were closed into themselves, cut off from their family and closest friends. Neither felt as though they had the kind of trusted person with whom they could share the pain they felt.

That’s when Wren decided to dip into her bucket list and fly to a place she had always wanted to visit and go geocaching—hiking in the wilderness, using a geo tracker to find a hidden “treasure cache.” At her first stop, Wren is accosted by two thugs looking for trouble. Marshall, whom Wren had met along the trail, arrives to her rescue in the nick of time.

Thus begins a deep and lasting companionship. A companionship that began simply to provide safety in numbers developed into a friendship and then into something much deeper. Still there was so much of their inner pain that neither was willing to share. Marshall guarded the memory of the events surrounding his brother’s death. Wren refused to share Ben’s awful hidden secret that came to the surface upon his death.

Then just when the reader begins to believe that the threads of this relationship have finally become unwoven, new and bigger problems emerge that threaten to tear the budding romance apart.

This is the story of two individuals finding the courage to move forward with their lives when everything inside them wants to give up and succumb to the pain. The characters are well drawn and easy to identify with. Their pains are unique, but the dilemmas they face as they move forward from the killing shots that life throws at us are universal.

I loved this book and am glad that I had the chance to read it. I highly recommend this book!

The Trail of Lost Hearts by Tracey Garvis Graves is an exploration of grief, healing, and finding solace in nature. It’s a look at how you put yourself back together when your loss isn’t recognized, when you’re grieving something that wasn’t really there. Can you give yourself to another when you’re in the midst of chaos, or will you both suffer.

After life deals Wren a one-two knockout punch she’s “in dire need of experiences that will put [her] rage and sadness behind [her]”. She heads to Oregon to hike and geocache where she meets Marshall, a fellow traveler seeking his own renewal. As Wren and Marshall travel together, Wren opens up while Marshall becomes more closed off.

This is a beautiful story that is ultimately uplifting, but know yourself as a reader going in…where you are personally. I’m a lover of nature, feel most at home surrounded by my tree friends, so thought I’d love this story. I did, but it was a more difficult read for me right now as I strongly identified with Wren’s grief. That made it a much more melancholy read for me than it would have otherwise been. This speaks very much how accessible and vulnerable Graves has written Wren’s character.

I think it’s an excellent book for lovers of Katherine Center’s Happiness for Beginners, and readers who want romance with wanderlust, and a little Eat, Pray, Love.

I received an early copy from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, via Netgalley.

This book is SPECIAL! I adore how author Tracey Garvis Graves writes- her descriptions are magnificent, her dialog feels so real, and each book she writes is so unique. Wren's story is both heart-breaking and heart-warming- I got tears in my eyes during the difficult parts and smiled with joy so much as she healed. I appreciated that our male main character, Marshall, was also going through his own difficult journey, and loved seeing Wren and Marshall help each other heal. I hated for the book to end to be honest- I would absolutely love more time with these characters. I just cannot recommend this enough- it's fantastic!

This is my fourth Tracey Garvis Graves novel and, while I'm not sure anything she writes will be able to top The Girl He Used to Know (one of my all-time faves!), this is a VERY close second. Her novels always leave me feeling hopeful and like I've just received a big hug (or want to go find one!) and fill my heart with a reminder of the importance of unconditional love.

Without getting too spoiler-y, I'll share that this novel includes some of my favorite themes/topics of self-exploration, grief, adapting to change, forgiveness, friendship, found/created family, and travel. In addition, I learned enough about geocaching from the two main characters (and subsequent online searching) that I've now convinced my husband that we should try it during our next outdoor adventure! I'm so thankful for the opportunity to read an early copy of this novel (thank you to St. Martin's Press) and what a delight - highly recommend!

Thank you St Martin's Press for the advance copy.

I love Tracey Garvis Graves. On The Island and The Girl He Used To Know are some of my all time favorites. However, The Trail of Lost Hearts is not working for me. It's a bit too dramatic. I feel as if I am reading a movie I can watch on Lifetime and honestly, that is not my cup of tea. Therefore, as much as it pains me, I am choosing to not finish this book.

I truly hope her next novel will be absolutely amazing as I have every intention to read it.

Another winning story from TGG! I very much enjoyed how Wren discovered geocaching and how she used it to help get herself out of the house and the goals she set to find purpose in her life again. She was dealt two very heavy blows in one fell swoop and that would be enough to knock anyone off their feet for quite a while.

After running into Marshall on a trail in which it’s obvious they’re both searching for the same geocaching location, he ends up coming to her rescue in a big way. Thus starts the beginning to a tenuous association, geocaching together, which becomes friendship, and finally more. It took a lot for Wren to move forward given what she had already been through.

I really felt for Marshall’s character as well. He’s a psychologist but that doesn’t mean he has his life perfectly mapped out, and his own experience with tragedy has put him directly in Wren’s path. I loved how these two helped each other to heal and experience a lot of emotional growth. They ended up being perfect for each other.

I really enjoyed the slow burn romance between Wren and Marshall, how it evolved over the course of the story and how it just happened organically. Those are my favorite kinds. This was a very enjoyable read, and though it had some heavy moments, it was also uplifting and I finished feeling very happy for Wren and Marshall.

Such a heart wrenching and emotional book but with the hope that everything always works out in the end.

Wren has suffered a blow in life that has knocked her down. She decides that escaping her hometown to go geocaching through the Oregon trails will help her through her loss. Marshall has also suffered a blow and has taken a sudden leave of absence from his psychiatry office. She ends up crossing paths with Marshal under an unfortunate event but Wren is a big believer that the world will send exactly what you need. Is Marshall exactly what she needs and vice versa?

Raw & heart breaking is what comes to my mind after reading the book. There’s a level of maturity with the characters that I so appreciated so much. The hardships that both have endured felt very realistic. You can’t help to hope the best for them individually and their growing relationship. I enjoyed them both! I enjoyed watching them grow and come to terms with their loss. I’ve never been to Oregon but the descriptions made it sound absolutely beautiful!

Highly recommend for those that love a mix of romance with characters who are grieving and looking to move forward and a bit of open door spice.

The Trail of Lost Hearts is Tracey Garvis Graves' latest novel and it is my favorite book that she has written. It's a story of love and grief and what I most enjoyed was that Marshall and Wren are both adults who understand that life is hard and there are adult choices to be made. I found myself reading a chapter saying I need to get to my work and then I would dive into another chapter. I would love to see another book about the continuation of this relationship as these two adults live real life.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of The Trail of Lost Hearts in exchange for an honest review. This book is available now.

I've been a fan of Tracey Garvis Graves since I read On the Island over 10 years ago. I love her novels for their character building, messages, and slow burn romances. Well, The Trail of Lost Hearts didn't disappoint! Wren and Marshall are two broken people whom the universe unites at a pivotal moment in both their lives. In a matter of a few pages, I was immersed in their story, and I couldn't put it down. As individuals and as a couple, I was rooting for these lovable and relatable characters to find peace and happiness. Wren and Marshall more than deserved the second chance at love that the universe handed them.

In addition to addressing grief, trust, and healing, The Trail of Lost Hearts is a moving story of triumph after hardship. There is no doubt that this will be one of my top 10 books of the year!

I’ve read a few books from this author before so I was ecstatic to read this and I just adored it! It was a beautiful, heartfelt novel of loss and grief. I always enjoy reading about how brave and resilient people can be in the face of heartbreak, trauma or darkness. Highly recommend if you enjoy emotional books!

4.5 Stars!
This was a joy to read. Wren and Marshall were wonderful characters who both have experienced recent tragedies. Yet, the story isn’t maudlin or overly angsty. I enjoyed the succinct pacing, story flow, as well as its perfectly plotted romance. My only negative is entirely subjective since first-person narratives aren’t my favorite and the author broke the fourth wall a few times. I prefer being separate from the story while also being completely immersed. Other than that, I got past the narrative style.

While calling a book sweet typically sounds insincere to me, it’s how this book made me feel in the best way possible. It made me happy.

When the heroine is from Dayton, OH how can I be anything but intrigued?! (I’m from Dayton!)

Gosh, this was such an unexpected narrative with so many surprises. I loved that just when I thought I knew what to expect, I got the unexpected.

Wren is really just trying to find herself as she geocaches in the PNW, but she find a kindred soul in Marshall. They are both holding on to a considerable amount of grief. Their time together and in the great outdoors seems healing for them, but it’s not enough mend all their wounds. I loved that Wren was not a damsel in distress as she was dealt another surprise and didn’t need Marshall to take care of her; she was very self sufficient.

As always with TG-G, this is a very thoughtful book and really makes you consider how you would react in some very unusual circumstances. Really enjoyed this one!

As a long time fan of Tracey Garvis Graves, I was thrilled with the opportunity to read an advance copy via Net Galley. Graves has a wonderful way of adding substance and depth to a romantic story. I loved the geocaching adventures and the vivid descriptions of the Pacific Northwest. Ren was a likeable and relatable narrator. Overall great read and would recommend.

The Trail of Lost Hearts is the story of two people who have both suffered immeasurable loss and heartbreak that find each other while geocaching in the Pacific Northwest. That description alone was enough to get me excited to read the new book by Tracey Garvis Graves, and I was not disappointed by the experience of this novel. The setting made me want to put my hiking boots on and go looking for a cache, especially around Cascade Lake or the other beautiful locations described, even though I am only vaguely familiar with geocaching as a hobby.

My heart broke for both Wren Waters and Marshall Hendricks as the truth of their devastating experiences was revealed, and as their friendship developed, it became clear that they were helping each other heal, I hoped that the relationship would develop into something more...they were just perfect for each other. I liked seeing the growth in Wren's confidence over the course of the novel, and the emotional growth that Marshall showed, as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC of The Trail of Lost Tears by Tracey Garvis Graves. The opinions in this review are my own.

It feels like forever since I have read a book by our author and I really have enjoyed prior books. As a matter of fact, one of my first goodreads additions was by this author.

This book was so much more than I was expecting plot wise, but in a good way. I really enjoyed it. The first half for sure progressed a little slower than the second half but then once it got rolling it really had my attention. Unfortunately most of the comments I have would include spoilers. I am presently contemplating posting a second review noted as having them as there is so much to discuss in terms of the plot that involve spoilers. This would make a good discussion book. I would recommend researching triggers if there are some you avoid.

Some of the things that stood out to me the most while reading were the representations of making the best of life when it throws a curve ball. How to move forward when circumstances are awful and you’re experiencing pain and doubt. How to stay positive and keep your head held high. Another thing that stood out was resilience of more than one character, along with a well represented, fiercely independent main character that is so easy to like. In addition to our main character we have some great supporting characters, especially the mom of our protagonist. I felt like overall this was a really good, well rounded book. I also enjoyed the characters hobby of Geocaching, as when my kids were younger they used to love doing that when we would go camping.

Thank you to our author, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advanced eGalley copy of the book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This will be available March 26th 2024, I hope if you choose to read it you enjoy it as much as I did.

Wren and Marshall meet on a trail in the Pacific Northwest, while they are both geocaching as a way to deal with grief in each of their lives. They form a quick friendship that leads to something deeper. The result is an emotional story that deals with some tough issues but still manages to be a (mostly) feel good read.

I will be honest and say that when I first saw this was about geocaching, I almost didn't read it. It's silly of me, but that just didn't sound like an interesting premise for a story. I was wrong, and I was fully interested in this story right from the start. Both Wren and Marshall were likeable characters, and the story was complex enough to keep my attention and keep me turning the pages!