Beautiful story!

I absolutely loved this book. I flew through it, wanting to see more about Kitty and Charlie, and Amy and Jack. This is a dual timelines story, 1944-46 and 2011. Amy is Kitty’s granddaughter, her grandfather died when she was 4. Amy has her own business, a tea shop, but when her village has a remembrance ceremony for American soldiers who died there during the war, Amy meets Jack, there with her father and grandfather.

I don’t rate too many books 5 star, but this is one of them. Anyone who loves historical fiction in the UK will enjoy this book.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

I was delighted to be chosen to read this book before publication. I have never read a Lorna Cook book and lots of my book club friends have recommended I do, so to be chosen to read her new novel was exciting.
I absolutely loved the dual story and timeline. I thought the story was beautifully thought out and it felt fresh, even though there are tons on WW2 fictional stories on the market, this came across as different. There was something captivating about the story, the characters came to life in every page. I enjoyed the authors note on the facts behind the story and this added to the overall 5* rating I gave on Goodreads. Lorna Cook has a new fan!

I loved this one! Such a lovely heart warming story! I did guess that Grandad was Charlie Young but it made me so happy their story went full circle! A lovely easy read that I flew through.

First of all . Dual timelines. It was a sweet story with a marvellous setting. I just did not get wowed by it. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

An easy comfortable book to read set in two time frames of grandmothers early life and grand daughter starting out in adulthood. Its one of those books which makes you want to snuggle up in a cosy chair and get involved in the characters and their story. Lorna cook always manages to create this type of atmosphere and this book sits well alongside her other works.

Being local to the location of this story made it so easy to imagine the events and all the more poignant for it. Dual timeline story worked well and characters were well written and believable. Recommended

This is a good book. It’s not heart-stopping good but good. It’s written between two generations- a grandmother that fell in love with a pilot during the war and her granddaughter who owns a tearoom and is falling for a nice young man. The storyline is good and easy to follow. The characters are relatable. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

No one does epic, sweeping romance as well as Lorna Cook! I loved everything about this book, from the chocolate-box village setting to the brilliantly realistic characters. I was wholly invested in the story in both timelines and it was hugely satisfying to see how they were cleverly knitting together to create the beautiful, emotional ending! This lovely book deserves a place on everyone’s summer reading list.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this dual timeline book.

The story begins in 1944, in Suffolk, where we meet Charlie who is an American pilot, who’s completed his second tour of bombing assignments in Europe. He meets Kitty and what he wanted to do with his life changes.

In the present, it’s 2011, Suffolk Amy who is the granddaughter of Kitty owns a tearoom and has big plans for expanding her business, with help from her sister and mother.

She meets Jack who is a photographer from America. She offers to take him around her village and also offers to put his photos up in her tearoom.

They begin to get close, and then when she talks to her grandmother, secrets that were kept from long ago are out in the open, which affect both herself and Jack.

I highly recommend this book.

The Lost Memories by Lorna Cook is a very special novel. It is delivered with a warm and loving hand. This dual timeline (set in Suffolk 1944 and 2011) truly swept me away and pulled my heart in so many directions while invoking tears, sighs, smiles and laughter. For though this story has many sad moments that are quite shattering, caused mostly by the horrors of war and the oceans and landscapes that separated these lovers, it still delivers a positive and clear message that dreams can come true and miracles can happen—even after a lengthy passage of time.

I adore dual timelines and this one works extremely well. It is not the unusual back and forth from chapter to chapter but rather the author lets us settle in to each era and spend a while getting to know the characters and their circumstances. It was very appropriate for the story and it kept me in the zone. I never once felt ripped out of a timeline and pushed into another. Rather, there is a gentle ebb and flow that carefully plays out the plot and allows us to stop for a breath before moving into the past or present. This kept me immersed in the threads at equal measure and I became emotionally invested in each of the leading women and their loves. I must say I really enjoyed both Kitty’s and Amy’s story, a grandmother and granddaughter—something I can relate to. And it is beautiful how their lives intersect and mold together to provide a fascinating ending.

There are many memorable moments in this novel— including the scenes of the carvings being made and discovered later on the old oak tree ‘where young lovers of years gone by had etched their initials.’ This spot has special meaning for Kitty and granddaughter Amy found ‘comfort under its boughs.’ But she has not visited it in a long while, until Jack, a young American photographer shows up with his father to do some sightseeing of areas used during the war.

Amy is a very likeable lady who appreciates her mom and is close to her sister. She is hardworking and has a teashop business that she wants to expand. When asked to cater the Heritage Day event, she is delighted but knows it is a task that could use an extra set of hands. So, Jack steps in and offers to help in the kitchen. They hit it off and she offers to show him around her family’s property where he is able to take some stunning photos—including one of her. She comes up with the idea to sell his artistic work in her shop and he is pleased. They feel a strong connection to each other and later we learn there is good reason for this. But it is lovely to watch their affection blossom—even though we know Jack must return home to the US shortly.

Kitty’s life is gracefully told through her journal and her own conversations with her granddaughter. The past begins to surface and the threads of this woman’s life are carefully unveiled for us to get a clear picture of where she came from and where she ended up. The heartache she endured left me in tears and Charlie—well he is adorable and who could not love him? He was a devoted man, faithful in service and in his relationship with Kitty. Then something terrible happens that tears these two apart and you can just fill the grief dripping from the pages.

There are wonderful things about this novel that readers will learn and love about it, as I have. Including lines that many of us can relate to— such as: ‘When you are young you don’t pay attention to what your elders tell you,’ and ‘wish later you had’. Somehow we don’t realise the importance of family history when we are young. It is not until much later in life. Then we have new obstacles. Family members are gone, so it is a lot harder or impossible to get the information we so desperately crave. If we are lucky, though, there may be old letters and other memorabilia remaining to help us put the pieces together. So we grasp with both hands those precious memories. And then weave them into the tapestry of our lives. Blending the threads together in one luminescent whole. To lose them would be a tragedy. Which is why preserving our stories is so important—to keep passing them down from generation to generation.

The Lost Memories provides this more positive scenario and gives us the happy ending we long to experience. Kitty is able to pass on to her granddaughter her story so that she can learn from it—and she does. This novel has a very uplifting ending that ties all the threads together in a joyous weave. I adored it immensely and highly recommend this dual timeline gem that celebrates timeless love. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Avon Books and Netgalley for my review copy.

I loved this book

It transported me to the time and the lives of the characters.

I was sorry when it ended.

Couldn’t put it down

One of the best novels I have read of the genre

This is such a beautiful story combining the story of Amy and Jack in 2011 and one of Kitty and Charlie in wartime 1944. It is wonderfully heartfelt and fantastically written. It keeps you wanting to know what comes next. This is not the first novel I have read by this author and have always thoroughly enjoyed them. I would definitely recommend it.

I was so pleased to get approved for this latest Lorna Cook book as I always enjoy her books. This was a dual time-line set in 1944 and present day. It was a lovely story together with lots of historical information which I found fascinating. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This was a slow burn for me which took a while to get going, and the twists didn’t surprise me. Still, I’m glad I stayed with it. The ending was satisfying and if you’re a die-hard romantic you’’re sure to enjoy this dual timeline with linked love stories from WWII and the present day.
My favourite aspect of the book was the interaction between the two couples. Memorable meet-cutes and lovable heroes made it easy to see why our heroines fell for them hard. The dialogue sparkled. There were also some interesting side characters, notably Kitty’s dad and sister.
The historical aspects seemed well researched, and had an added poignancy as I read this book while the series Masters of the Air brought to life the exploits and traumas of the American bomber crews stationed in the U.K. during WWII.

I absolutely loved this book. Couldn’t put it down and was constantly on edge waiting to know what happened next. I love ww2 history but Chuck some romance in as well and I am happy. Would highly recommend reading

Another dual time line gem from Cook, who has a nice way with WWII stories. Switching between 1944 and 2011, it's the story of Kitty and her granddaughter Amy, both of whom find themselves falling for Americans. As is so often the case, the 1944 part of the novel is the more compelling but Amy's a good character as well. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

#Netgalley
#TheLostMemories

Dual timeline story set in Wartime Britain and present day in Suffolk, where during WW2 this small village is also home to American serviceman flying bombers daily and two young people meet, an American serviceman Charlie from Iowa and a young woman Kitty.
Kitty lives in the local pub with her father and sister Janie, who can't wait to marry her American boyfriend. As Charlie said to Kittie as they walked together for a picnic "yesterday was a good day" because "we all came back alive", this really chilling thought brings things home to Kitty who has already decided that she wants to join the WLA (women's land army), but she has no idea where she might be billeted. Kitty and Charlie both have one sombre thing in common, Kitty lost her mum when she was small and Charlie's mum is ill with leukaemia and he intends to return home to see his mum as soon as he can.
In present day Amy is running a tea shop and during a heritage event at the old airfield her gran is very uncertain about a lot of things but she is adamant that she is not going to the heritage event. As the story progresses I found myself totally immersed in it, picking up the book at every opportunity to continue with the story of Charlie and Kitty.
I loved the community camaraderie in both time lines and the people living in the area with there own personal stories. Very atmospheric locations in the Suffolk countryside, the storyline is superb and it makes a very enjoyable read, and definitely one of those books that leaves you with a warm cosy feeling. I have read several books by Lorna Cook and this is so lovely and well worthy of being a five-star read.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this great book.

I am a massive fan of Lorna Cook so I was really excited to have the chance to read her latest historical fiction novel. It has everything you could want with intrigue, history, romance, heartache, loss, hope and relationships. I missed the real-life story links that have been present in some of Lorna's previous books but it was still an enjoyable read.

1944, Suffolk, Kitty works in her Dad's pub but longs to join the Land Army girls. She meets Charlie, an American, based at the local camp. They quickly fall in love but the war seperates them
2011 and Amy runs her own teashop in a quaint Suffolk village, she meets Jack an American who's on holiday with his dad and grandfather, but it seems the path of true love is again being tested as miles threaten their budding relationship.
I love historical fiction and when it's a dual timeline novel that's even better. This story is an evocative tale and the words just flow from the page. A lovely story of first and lost love. It's heartwarming and uplifting.

The Lost Memories
By: Lorna Cook
Review Score: 4 1/2 Stars

Boogie’s Bulletpoints
•I love the time jumps between 1944 and 2011.

•Cook does such an amazing job of balancing the historical fiction aspects of the story with romance.

•There are a few really great plot twists in this book!

•No spoilers, but I loved how the story ended.

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The Lost Memories was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and Avon Books, UK. Thank you for allowing me to enjoy this wonderful book!

Release Date: 3/28/24

The Lost Memories is such a good book. We follow two timelines, Amy in 2011, and Kitty, her Grandmother, in 1944. I loved seeing how the two stories intertwined, but also loved the stories separately as well.

Cook does such an amazing job of bringing you into this family. Both women have complicated feelings about life and love, and you really get a good sense of that in the story.

I always love Historical Fiction books that give a new perspective, and this book definitely did that for me. Add in a little bit of romance, and you have one of my favorite recent reads.

#bookstagram #books #readingnow #boogiereadsbooks #fivekeyfeels #audiobooks #audiobook #historicalfiction #arcreview #netgalley #boogiesbulletpoints #thelostmemories #lornacook #avonbooksuk