Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC of "The Trail of Lost Hearts" by Tracey Garvis Graves. I went into this story without reading the blurbs and I am so glad I did. I felt like the story unfolded in front of me in a (mostly) believable way. The story had characters with messy unresolved lives and yet they perservered. They worked on themselves until they were ready to work together. The twists were unexpected and hard. I was cheering loudly for both characters and the ending was sweet and rewarding. This was a pleasurable book to listen too. The male narrator coming in later in the story was surprising but a value add.

🥾🌲Advanced Audio Review🥾🌲
🎧Pub Date March 26🎧

Wren has decided that, after two soul crushing events, to heal her wounded heart, and in the spirit of Wild and Eat Pray Love, she will hike, well, geocache (hiking with the goal of looking for hidden objects). And, the universe sent her exactly what she needed, a cute psychologist named Marshall, also geocaching alone and trying to heal. After a terrifying encounter, they determine that they are better together (and safer) and begin a platonic geocaching road trip which, eventually leads to much more. However, both have very traumatic histories to heal from and it will take more than a hiking romance to move on from their pasts.

I really loved the two main character’s dynamics. From the second chapter I had “Happiness for Beginners” vibes and I couldn’t wait to see where their stories were going to take them (not necessarily together because their backstories were so instrumental in their journeys and this wasn’t fully a romance novel). So while I was in the background rooting for the romance throughout, I was also fully invested in their solo stories and character development. I listened entirely to this one and I loved it when all of a sudden Marshall’s voice popped in about three quarters in and there were two voices instead of just Wren’s - this was a great audio and an enjoyable one to pick up whether in either book or audio form.

4.25 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the ARC to review

This one surprised me....in a good way. We start off with Wren. Wren is reeling from the loss of her fiancé and a heartbreak that she never saw coming. To help cope, she begins geocaching and ends up traveling to the Pacific Northwest to do some exploring in that area of the country. During one particular hike gone terribly wrong, she meets Marshall. Marshall ends up coming to Wren's aid and the two wind up connecting and getting to know one another. They decide to geocache together during Wren's trip.

Marshall has a tragic past of his own. Wren feels a connection with Marshall but after her serious heartbreak, she's not sure whether she can trust herself or him. I enjoyed this book a lot. These characters were able to have conversations and used that to move their friendship along. I did question Wren's decision-making quite often; however, once I worked past that and suspended my disbelief a bit, I was able to get lost in the story of healing and hope. I do appreciate the way that Graves handled Wren and Marshall's emotional challenges. It felt honest and real. I would say that this is a great book for anyone looking for part romance and part women's fiction.. The setting in the PNW can't be beat and the hiking aspect is something you don't often see in books like this. This is another solid addition to the Graves library that I'm glad I was able to pick up.

The audio was good with two different narrators taking on the roles of Wren and Marshall. They sounded real to the story; almost as if this was a true story. I'm glad I read this in audio format and would recommend going that route if you are an audio reader.

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.

The audiobook is narrated by Kate Handford and Eric Meyers. Both easily understood at faster speeds and were able to give personality to their characters that kept me focused.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and author Tracey Garvis Graves for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the new book by Tracey Garvis Graves, perfectly narrated by Eric Meyers; Kate Handford - 4.5 stars!

Wren believes that if you pay attention, the universe will send you exactly what you need. But she's struggling with that now when her world comes crashing down. Suddenly, she's feeling bereft and shameful. When she discovers geocaching, it helps give her motivation to get out of bed and be outside. She decides to take a weeklong solo geocaching trip in Oregon. She soon meets Marshall on the trail and he saves her from a scary encounter. Marshall is dealing with his own issues, but they soon decide to team up. Is the universe finally sending her what she needs?

Just like in her previous book, Heard it in a Love Song, this one features likable and relatable characters that you will be rooting for to find their way. They are both dealing with grief and need time and understanding to process and move on. I'm a big fan of this author's writing style, featuring mature characters dealing with real life. Extra points for this one because of the locations - Wren is from Dayton OH, where I grew up, and Marshall from Portland, where my husband and I honeymooned. Not sure I've read a book that mentioned Skyline Chili before! Narration was great - mostly from Wren's POV with Marshall's voice filling in his story. Great read and audiobook!

I can not get over or past the fact that she was almost assaulted and killed in the woods and they never call the police? They just leave the bad guys alone to find their next victim? This is such a major plot hole and weird choice to make with zero explanation. Unfortunately this impacted my entire experience with the book.

I love nature, hiking, and exploring, so reading the latest from Tracey Garvis Graves, The Trail of Lost Hearts was a no-brainer for me. The title and cover immediately grabbed my attention, so I didn’t even bother reading the synopsis. Plus, I adored the author’s last couple of novels, so I knew that I was in for a treat. As per usual, TGG came through and delivered another solid love story. I’d best describe this one as two wounded and wandering souls crossing paths (quite literally) and embarking on a journey of finding love again.

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:

- Hiking, nature, and geocaching
- Scenic PNW setting
- Reflections on loss, grief, and healing
- Emotional reads
- Strangers to lovers trope
- Mature and complex characters
- Epic love stories
- Great banter and chemistry
- Self-discovery and personal growth
- Second chances and moving forward

This novel will most certainly pull on your heartstrings. Both characters are grieving, processing, and dealing with some heavy issues from their pasts. My heart truly ached for them both. I especially loved how well the two characters communicated with one another. They were open and honest right from the very beginning, and I can’t even tell you how refreshing that was! I wish more authors would take this approach in the contemporary romance genre. I definitely recommend this one! The Trail of Lost Hearts releases on March 26th, and it gets 4/5 stars from me!

This one is not to be missed…IMO…

What a truly SPECIAL book!
Not only that, but it seemed that every time you turned a page, it became even more special! How is that even possible??

Additionally, your heart gets to the point where it is almost TOO FULL…to the point of bursting…or breaking…or both.
Full of love, happiness, kindness, warmth…but also, sadness, despair, heartbreak…and loss.

This is told via two different POV’s: Wren and Marshall.

They have both been broken before.
They are NOT looking for love or even a relationship.
They are just trying to escape their own harsh realities of life…

And yet, they meet.
And it is NOT AT ALL what you would expect.
There’s no love. There’s no falling. There’s no flirty first meeting. And yet, their meeting is just a beginning…as nothing you’ve ever seen before!

Absolutely Beautiful. Breathtaking. Heartbreaking. Fun. Sad. But…wonderful!

There are some triggers, as both main characters are dealing with the significant loss of a loved one. Both tragic. Both way before their time.

But the beauty happens in the little things.
In the healing.
In time.
In love…from a partner, as well as family and friends…
In the pieces of your heart that are sewn together, after being collected again…off the floor, scattered everywhere, to make a beautiful quilt…

This one definitely made me feel ALL THE FEELS…and so, my 5 + ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫 rating!

I’m sure that I read the reviews when I asked for it, but this one TOTALLY blew me away! 🤯

If it’s something that may appeal to you, keep your eyes open as it drops soon!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook due out on 3/26/24.

#TheTrailOfLostHearts by #TraceyGarvisGraves and narrated so beautifully by #EricMeyers and #KateHandford.

Feel free to like, follow and friend me on: Goodreads,
IG @ #BookReviews_with_emsr or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine.

Thanks so much for reading!📚⭐️

#AudiobookReview

Narration: Perfectly pleasant, nothing of note that stood out to me other than that it was enjoyable to listen to.

After a tragic loss that uncovered a shocking secret, Wren is numb to life. When her best friend drags her out on a hike it's the first time she feels any semblance of anything again, so she decides to take a solo hiking trip. More specifically, she's taken up the hobby of geocaching―using GPS to look for hidden objects in the wild, log them and then return them to their place for others to find.

When friendly hiker Marshall tries to make small talk, and turns out to be geocaching as well, Wren swiftly puts out the "not interested vibe" and nips it in the bud. But then she finds herself in a dangerous situation and is beyond grateful that Marshall put himself in harms way to help her. Marshall suggests they team up and hike together, but an untrusting Wren is not so sure. In the end, she decides it's a good idea to be accompanied and they set off on a cathartic adventure that just might turn her life upside down all over again...

Have u ever experienced a read that was just such a breathe of fresh air? That's exactly how I would describe this one (and that's not just because u literally feel like taking a breathe from all the crisp descriptions of being in nature ;). The steady pace of Wren's healing process was just the right amount of slow but progressive. It was great to see her take 2 steps forward, no turning back for the most part, as she sorted out all that she'd endured. I loved the positivity surrounding Wren's journey as well as towards the idea of therapy in general. Her truthfulness to herself and others was as refreshing as her honest candor throughout. Marshall was such a wonderful counterpart to Wren and I appreciated how they helped each other move forward. This was one of those feel good novels, a satisfying read from start to finish

Thank you @macmillan.audio for this gifted audiobook through @netgalley 🤍

34 year-old Wren Waters embarks on a geo-caching adventure in the Pacific Northwest to help her surmount 2 back-to-back life-altering blows. "The universe" throws Marshall Hendricks in her path, a psychologist trying to get over a heartbreak of his own. Though initially, Wren rebuffs Marshall, she is overcome with gratitude when he comes to her aid in a harrowing situation. They decide to team up on their geo-caching excursion for safety and their connection only grows stronger from there. However, as Wren opens up to Marshall, she expects the same reciprocity but Marshall seems incapable. Could "the universe" be wrong or is there a way they can heal each other's hearts?

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio e-arc.*

Tracey Garvis Graves is turning out to be a hit or miss author for me and sadly this one was a miss.

There’s only so many traumatic life events that one person can endure and this one had a ton of them. Death of a partner, second family, depression, almost being raped, unplanned pregnancy, solo parenting and then another character was dealing with the death of a brother that was traumatic in itself.

It was just too much.

"Trail of Lost Hearts" is a poignant tale of love, loss, and self-discovery. For those familiar with Garvis’ style, she has an ability to delve deep into the complexities of human emotions. Garvis delivers another powerful story that resonates with readers who enjoy stories about love and heartache.

The story follows the journey of a protagonist who is grappling with the aftermath of a devastating loss. Through the unique and intriguing concept of geocaching, the protagonist finds herself embarking on a journey of both physical and emotional exploration. Along the way, she meets someone who becomes instrumental in helping her navigate the intricate paths of grief and healing.

Garvis skillfully crafts a narrative that is as much about the internal struggles of the protagonist as it is about the external journey she undertakes. The author's writing is evocative and immersive, drawing readers into the protagonist's world and inviting them to experience her joys and sorrows firsthand. One of the strengths of "Trail of Lost Hearts" lies in its exploration of themes such as resilience, forgiveness, and the transformative power of human connection. .

"Trail of Lost Hearts" is a compelling read that will resonate with fans of romance and literary fiction alike. I enjoyed the way the author demonstrates her mastery of storytelling once again, delivering a heartfelt and unforgettable tale of love, loss, and the enduring power of hope.

DNF…I can’t stand the female main character. I’m not a fan with how it’s starting out as. This isn’t for me and I won’t be leaving a review on GoodReads as I don’t want it to lower the rating for the book.

The Trail of Lost Hearts
Wren is a 30-something woman from Ohio who has just suffered the sudden loss of her fiance as well as finding out about a secret he was keeping from her. The only thing that has pulled her from her sadness is geocaching. After exploring many sites in her home state, she decides to head to Oregon and look for caches there. She thinks it's just what she needs to help her begin to move on with her changed life.

On her first day of exploring Oregon, she encounters a couple of horrible men with dangerous intentions. Enter Marshall, a fellow geocacher who happens by and rescues Wren from peril. The two decide to team up since Marshall knows the area and has proven to be a decent and safe man. Still, Wren isn't interested in starting a new relationship, especially a long-distance one, so she keeps some space between them, at least emotionally. She soon learns that Marshall is also recovering from serious losses in his life. Through a few days of exploring together, a romantic relationship starts to form, but can it withstand the distance when Wren returns home to Ohio?

There were a couple of unlikely scenarios in this book but overall I enjoyed it. I think it will appeal to fellow hopeless romantics who like happy endings. Note: There are only a couple of sex-scenes, but they're very open-door. If that's not for you, you can easily breeze by them as they are very short.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a review copy of this audiobook.

(rounded down from 3.5 stars)

I loved Heard It In A Love Song, so I was really looking forward to Tracey Garvis Graves’ new book, The Trail of Lost Hearts. And I did love it - for the first half of the book.

Wren discovers geocaching as an activity after a double tragedy collapses her world. After exploring a lot of the geocaching options in her area (Dayton, Ohio), she decides she’s ready for a solo adventure and heads to Oregon for some geocaching in a new location. On her first day doing this, she meets Marshall, who is also geocaching. He winds up saving Wren from a very threatening situation and they decide to team up. It turns out that he’s trying to recover from his own tragedy, but isn’t ready to share the whole story. Wren opened up to Marshall about her history but Marshall wasn’t so forthcoming.

I loved their blossoming relationship: friends to lovers. Wren isn’t ready to commit to someone who won’t be fully honest with her, though, based on past experience. Once Wren returns home, she faces an extremely unlikely situation and that kind of spoiled the rest of the book for me. Once Marshall told his story, it was a red flag for me, because it involved pumping your own gas in Oregon, which wasn’t even legal until August 2023. (I know, because we have visited there often over the years to see family.) So unless this book is supposed to take place in the near future, the background incident doesn’t hold water. Wren also withheld important information from Marshall, once she returned to Ohio, and that didn’t fit with her insistence on open communication.

Still, I enjoyed the book more than not. I loved their explorations of various places in Oregon, some of which I am familiar with, such as Crater Lake.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient, and allowed me to continue with the story even when I could not sit down and read. The audiobook was mostly narrated by Kate Handford, with some of the male sections narrated by Eric Meyers. When I saw two narrators listed, I hoped for a true duet narration but that is not the case here.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Wow, this book blew me away in the best way possible. I had read a couple other books by Tracey Garvis Graves, but this one was BY FAR my favorite. It felt so raw and authentic, covering heavy topics, without feeling like an overall heavy book. I absolutely adored how it started off a bit lighter, and the content involving hiking the west coast (particularly Crater Lake) was awesome and I was transported back there. It was very accurate to trails etc, which I really appreciated since I had just done many of these hikes less than 6 months ago. As the book progressed it became more serious, less romantic, and more "real life" which I actually enjoyed just as much as the lighthearted beginning. Overall a 5 star read for me, and one that I will pick up in print.

The audio was impeccable and so soothing. I loved listening, and honesty finished in under 24 hours.

The Trail of Lost Hearts by Tracey Garvis Graves was told with Graves signature ease and intriguing plot points. This is my 3rd book by this author and I have loved every book I've read so far. Graves' writing has an ease to it that relays difficult subject-matter in a way that is non-intrusive while showcasing experiences that have different perspectives than the everyday journey. I appreciate the characters, their development and the humor of her books. They are true gems of the genre. The audiobook narrator was perfect for the characters of this book and the audio itself was clean and crisp.

This is for sure going to be a top read for 2024 for me. This broke my heart and put it back together again. Pacing was great (my usual romance gripe) and while I don’t always love a pregnancy surprise, this was pulled off well and tastefully while also still feeling real.
Fully I cannot stand the cover, but once you look past that, this checks ever let box for me

<b>Crinkles & Sprinkles</b>

After her life is upended, Wren goes on a journey - both literal and figurative. She's grieving and angry and escapes to the Pacific Northwest to go hiking and geocaching. There she meets up with Marshall, another geocacher, and after escaping a scary situation with his help, they end up deciding to continue their trip together. As friends and co-geocachers.

This is a quiet book... almost calm in nature, and basically divided into two sections. The first section is the hiking/geocaching and the second, Wren's life once she returns home. Even though there's a pretty strong romance, I'd definitely put it the Women's Fiction genre because the most important element is Wren's process of healing and growing as an adult able to cope with challenging situations. And better understanding her own needs and wishes.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of the audiobook. My opinions are my own.