Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Find Me In California by Kerry Lonsdale!

I normally like stories involving dual timelines, but tis one just didn't work for me.
Matt & Julia are an odd couple, and I didn't know if I was supposed to be rooting for them to be together He is kind of a jerk, and she's flighty and uptight.
I enjoyed the story of their grandmothers (Liza & Mama Rose) who live in the same nursing home and have a mysterious past. But the supernatural element really threw me for a loop. I did not know if Matt was hallucinating, or if he was actually lusting over someone's grandmother. The scenes between him and the apparition were more weird than sexy, and pulled me out of the story.

The book takes you on quite the journey! Told through multiple POVs and with a wide range of emotion, I found this book to be an intriguing story that kept me wondering what would be revealed next. The twists kept the story interesting and unique.
Kerry Lonsdale is a must read author for me, I look forward to her new releases each year and this one was a bit different than her previous books and yet still brought the same domestic drama with a little supernatural mixed in. The storyline moves back and forth from the present to the past seemlessly and the voices of each character are unique and perfectly written.
I highly recommend this entertaining book! I am extremely grateful to Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read a digital copy through Netgalley. All of the opinions in this review are my own.

This book was ok. I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into, and to be honest I still don’t.
It had very mysterious/love story/bizarre vibes.
I really don’t know how to describe it or even give you the synopsis. It truly was one of the most interesting reads. I still am not sure if I liked it, or hated it but I will think about it and come back and let y’all know. Haha

Having read 4 of Kerry Lonsdale's books (and having enjoyed them all) I was happy to see that she had a new one coming out. And I'm glad to say that I enjoyed this one as well. There's a lot going on here - it centers on two women living in an assisted living facility, nearing the end of their lives. One has a beloved granddaughter who lives nearby and is doing all she can to keep a promise she'd made to let her grandmother live out her days in the facility. The other is trying to contact the estranged grandson whom she hasn't seen in years. What follows is a story of love and betrayal and heartbreak and grief and hope and second chances, and the importance of family, both blood and chosen. Yep, lots of the feels here. There are also a couple of interesting "WTF did I just read??" scenes - excellent incentive to just say no to drugs. Lonsdale tells the story with heart and touches of humor. It's a good reminder that I need to move those books she's written that I haven't yet read up on my TBR list.
Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing a digital copy for an unbiased review.

This book was such a beautiful, magical and emotional story. I truly loved everything about it. I felt every emotion while reading and this book will hold a special spot on my bookshelf.

We meet Matt Gaitlin when he pulls into his driveway only to discover 15 boxes of his grandmother’s belongings piled up. Confused since he has a very troubled and distant relationship with his grandmother, so why are her things sent to his home?
Over 1,000 miles away we meet Julia Hope at the Rosemont Assisted Living and Memory Care Facility where she’s a massage therapist, she has taken a job here to supplement her grandmother’s, Mama Rose, monthly fee. She’s has just been informed that the new owners won’t recognize the agreement she’d made with the current owners and Mama Rose will have to move out.
We soon discover that Julia and Matt both have aging grandmothers in the same assisted living home and they are not aware that both grandmothers knew each other. When Julia finds an old diary that begins to shed light on many situations that hold secrets that connect her and Matt. Told in multiple POV which includes the diary we are taken on an emotional rollercoaster , which hold many important life lessons, which include forgiveness. I highly recommend!

I had a hard time to get into this one and it felt confusing in the beginning. But I loved the California setting and the story picked up and had some beautiful moments and a great message.

A pretty good read… flipping through the past and present of the friendship of two women and their descendants at a time when the two are in assisted living . Some twists in relationships, some weird drug included hallucinations, and a fairly nice ending.

I forgot to take notes about this one. So let's all hope for the best.

Thank you to Netgalley for proving an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Please excuse any typos I'm bad at catching them until after I publish my reviews.

I was interested in this one because of the premise. The promise of a 'heartbreaking' love story and a mystery from the past. And set in Calfornia. Sounds like a great book to me.

It was indeed not a great book. The main characters are both insufferable. Julia refuses to think that anyone can have a bad relationship with anyone else. She's rude and impulsive and annoying - I wish I would have taken notes becaues I read this awhile ago and forgot a lot of the details. Matt is just insufferable and not an interesting character at all. His POV was incredibly difficult to read because it was so off-putting.

Julia and Matt and brought together because of a nursing home and a phone call. Matt has to travel across the country to help take care of his grandmother's belongings at said nursing home. Matt doesn't want to do this as he has a terrible relationship with her and Julia essentially tells him that it can't be that bad.

Instead of flying to California, taking a day to resolve this and going home, Matt decides to drive. On the way he runs into a hitchhiker who seems to always be disapearing, and they have questionable relations with each other.

In the middle of all of this Matt and Julia are talking on the phone with each other and falling in love? BIG question mark here. I never understood why either of them liked each other after a few phone calls.

I can't talk a lot about various plot points as it will likely ruin the book. Part of me doesn't care but I guess I'm not supposed to do that? I don't understand why I can't share my actual opinion but NetGalley has weird rules.

That being said this book does rely on the 'and it was all a dream' trope way too hard. I hated the big reveal at the end and the couple declaring their love when they see each other in real life for the first time.

It was all so terrible. I will say the chapters set in the past were intriguing and probably the best part of the book. But all the present day nonsense with Matt was stupid.

I can't recommend this and would actively tell people NOT to read it. It was that bad. I did read it in one day. So I was either bored, or desperate for something to read. Take your pick.

I cannot and will not stop screaming from the rooftops about how much I love Kerry Lonsdales writing style.
Find Me In California had me reeling. I laughed, I cried, I sobbed, I was happy, sad, excited, depressed all at one time.
The way this story was woven together is a masterpiece.
Dealing with heavy subjects is not an easy task, but this was beautifully done.

An easy read, with some (fairy predictable) twists and turns. I would read more by this author. The characters were complicated and not always likeable but interesting insights into how childhood can affect people alter in life and the connections people make.

Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy.

This beautiful story is Kerry Lonsdale best! Broken and tangled family drama, drug use and Alzheimer, death and life mixed in love and forgiveness and you all all the emotions of a beautiful romance novel!

Another amazing book from Kerry Lonsdale! I felt this book was a little different than some of her past books but the one thing she is always amazing at is writing characters that seem so real. The story follows two both Julie and Matt on their different journeys and intersecting them in some really neat ways. Kerry always shows the human side to her characters...their flaws, their heartache and their growth; which is what I love about all her books. This book has mystery, drama, and a little romance, it's a little messy-as it is in real life. I loved the book and the characters, Thanks for another great read Kerry!

I feel like this book had a little bit of everything. I really enjoyed the multiple point of views throughout the book. When Matt and Julia finally come together, the mystery starts unraveling. I enjoyed the family drama, secrets, mystery and the romance. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy those genres.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Family secrets abound as estranged family members must come together to deal with their grandmothers estate. Matt makes his way to California and must work with Julia to honor his grandmothers wishes.

The characters were very endearing and I honestly loved that I hated Matt at the beginning. It really allowed for his growth to be more powerful and more poignant!

I still reiterate that this book was a little slow for me and it just wasn't for me!

Please enjoy the read though and thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity in reading this book!

A story told in dual timelines involving two grandchildren (Matt & Julia) that were raised by their grandmothers (Liza & Mama Rose) who live in the same nursing home. The two older women have a history together with secrets, from many years ago, resulting in an animosity between them.
This allows for Matt and Julia's fates to intersect resulting in an undeniable connection.
It took me awhile to connect to this story as I found it confusing at times.
While not my favourite book by Kerry Lonsdale overall it's an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

A tale about love, life, and loss.

The idea of the book is what drew me in, but this book was a McConoughey read for me (alright, alright, alright).

I personally really liked Julia significantly more than Matt. I felt that Matt's character was a bit all over the place, which I guess is meant to be that way, but just felt odd to me.

I think if the story didn't have as much focus on Matt and his hotel/motel room it would have been a better read for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my DRC!

Sadly this was a no for me. Magic realism is fairly new to me but this didn't work. It also felt choppy and I kept going back to reread chapters.

This is a definite read for the beach this summer!!! It's the first book by Lonsdale I've read and I'll be adding her name to my list of favorite authors. This book has a cast of characters you won't forget and a story this is like a a twisted trail - you won't believe where this story ends!!! Kudos Lonsdale and thanks for the advanced copy!