i've never read something so trashy and selfish and disgusting in my entire life as a reader. the characters were not developed at all and selfish and dumb beyond human imagination. had i been their grandma i'd have killed myself on my own.

I decided I liked this book after all. I wasn't going to finish it but I'm glad I did.
As with all books there were some places that I liked and some I didn't
The diary that held the secrets was my favorite part. I also liked the family dynamics that were portrayed.
Whom I didn't care for at first was Matt.
Matt was a brat. Point blank.
His grandmother I sort of felt sorry for
just a little bit mind you.
She was why I decided to go ahead and finish the book so I could see what happened. I wasn't disappointed.
The scenery made me feel like I was there right along with Matt and his grandmother. Sometimes I just wanted to reach through the pages to help them see what was right in front of them! Wow!
I skipped the sex scenes. I didn't care much for them.
All in all 5 stars for a heartfelt story that I finally finished.
My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Author, Kerry Lonsdale is back with another beautifully written standalone. Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this fabulous arc. This review is my own opinion.

Elizabeth (Liza), a famous Hollywood wife once admired, is now a cold, bitter old woman living in Rosemont, an assisted care facility with no one in her life.

Matt, a famous photographer andthe grandson of Lisa. He was raised by Liza after his mother died and has no interest in seeing his grandmother again ever.

Ruby Rose, also living in Rosemont, is suffering from dementia and doesn’t remember the granddaughter she raised. Some days are crystal clear, but others are nothing more than cloudy memories.

Julia, the granddaughter of Ruby Rose is devastated that her grandmother no longer remembers her. She works two jobs to keep her grandmother in Rosemont.

As these four characters lives are intertwined by the author, the stark reality of regret is evident. Secrets are revealed and these secrets are life changing. But friendship, forgiveness and a second chance are evident too in this poignant, emotional story. With tissues in hand, a book not to be missed.

Find me in California was my favourite book from Kerry Lonsdale since she wrote All The Breaking Waves several years ago. It was an exceptional story that brought me to tears at several points and I could not put down. I read it in one marathon sitting.

Matt and Julia are both such dynamic characters, I almost expected them to be real. At times I wanted to shake them for the very human mistakes each made, and how each protected themselves from vulnerability at the detriment to their long-term growth (Matt in particular)! But these are the aspects that make a character so real to readers and the very reason why neither fell flat on the page. As I was reading, it felt like two good friends telling me their story, good, bad and heart-breaking.

Personally, I have a strong interesting in family history / genealogy which brought a deeper level of enjoyment to me as I read. There are few novels written from this direction, which sets it apart from the plethora of fictional tales set around the themes of belonging and discovery where one comes from.

I would definitely re-read Find Me In California again one day, and definitely recommend it to other readers.

Find Me in California tells the story of Matt and Julia, their family histories, and how they are more connected than they realize - complete with Lonsdale’s typical mystery, twists, and hints of romance. I found pieces of the story to be bizarre and some of the characters to be unlikeable which made it difficult to become fully invested in the book. Overall this was an entertaining read and I appreciated the closure at the end. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This one seemed to have a lot of potential and truthfully, I could not get into it. The relationship between rude grandson and the poor assisted living employee felt obvious. I learned I have an aversion to stories where elders are not treated well - either by the system or by those close to them.

Unfortunately had to DNF this one at 10%.

Right from the beginning, I didn't feel connected to the characters or intrigued by the plot. I was intrigued by the synopsis, and by the promise of an emotional novel. However, the set-up felt lackluster, and the writing lacked emotion.

Julia has been volunteering as a massage therapist at the nursing home where her beloved grandmother lives but because of money and new ownership must leave.
There is where Matt's grandmother lives also and it's facing eviction and while Julia had all the love from hers, his was cold towards him though she raised him after his parents died.

Matt is a very complicated character and for much of the book, I was kind of indifferent to him. (TW- lots of drug/booze use from him). Though he didn't deserve the hate/silence from his Grandmother. But I feel he was redeemed at the end and I came to care for him.

In phone conversations, a journal, and the spotty memories of the two grandmas.. The past is slowly coming together. These two women have a history but because of their mental ailments it's hard to piece together.

True to Kerry's books, this is full of drama, secrets, lies, love, and astonishing conclusions. Matt's journey takes some interesting turns as he tries to make it to California.

WOW!!! WOW!!! WOW!!!! Oh my goodness what an amazing book! Kerry Lonsdale is an auto read author for me. I have read every book she has ever written and I definitely will read every book she writes. I am going to miss these characters so much. I deliberately read this book slowly to savor it. This book is emotional and draws you right in and I didn't see the twists coming! Told in past and present, the parts of the story are beautifully told. My only regret is I have finished the book. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are mine.

📚 Find Me In California
✍ Kerry Lonsdale
📖 Drama, Mystery, Fiction
4.3★⚊
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😱😱😱
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An interesting premise..
Felt like it was a mix of suspense, eerie, mystery psychological drama and just a splash of romance..
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Matt received some moving boxes from his grandmother who's at an elderly care facility.. he doesn't know why ..and most surely what he has to do to it.. he has no family left but his grandmother, but he hasn't seen her or talked to her for a long time ..
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There are some things better to leave them the way they are..
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Entertaining, with some plot twists, dual time line, drama, secrets, betrayals , you'll be guessing what is going on ..

All the feels:
🌸 drama
🌸 mystery
🌸 family bonds
🌸 buried secrets
🌸 magic realism
🌸 journey of healing
🌸 Alzheimer rep

Thanks to the Author, Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for this arc

WOW!! Kerry Lonsdale has done it again!! Meet Me in California was an emotional rollercoaster in the best way!! The story intertwines love, loss, family secrets, and unexpected connections. I found myself completely invested in the characters, each with their own baggage but ultimately finding healing and family in surprising places. Kerry Lonsdale’s beautiful writing had me laughing, crying (especially with the grandmother’s diary entries), and completely engrossed in the journey. Despite some complexity, it was a heartwarming story that left me feeling good.

This book was giving me all the feels and man I was sad to see it end. All of Kerry Lonsdale's books I have loved & this one definitely did the same.
The characters, the relationship, the development of the relationships - all packaged up into this phenomenal novel.

I stayed up late reading this and could not put it down.
Run to the store and get this one!!

I received a copy of this from the author in exchange for honest review.

This was the first title I read from author Kerry Lonsdale. After reading this book, which I received in advance thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Lake Union Publishing, I’ll certainly seek out other books from Kerry Lonsdale.

Find Me in California is an easy read, perfect for consuming over summer or vacations. The writing is engaging and the pacing is even throughout.

I typically enjoy mysteries, but I found myself drawn to this novel. Many things in the story line (like the boxes) piqued my interest and kept me involved in the story. I really enjoyed this novel, and I recommend giving it a read.

I loved this book so freaking much. The Dual POV and Dual Timelines worked perfect to weave together a story of family secrets, a bit of magical realism, a mystery and an old diary full of quite a life and story. I loved Julia and Matt. How each of them learned of their grandmother's and learned more about love, life, emotions.
I'm a Kerry Londsdale fan, and have read all her books. This one had me in its clutches and I could not put it down. I highly recommend this one to Women's Fiction lovers with a twist!

Find Me in California is a captivating novel that will take readers on a roller coaster of emotions. This is a tangled tale of family, betrayal, long-buried secrets, and love. There are really four main characters in this book, with their stories bobbing and weaving together through flashbacks, photos, letters, diaries, and a mysterious encounter. I was spellbound as it all came together! I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher.

A tale of love and loss woven together with a sprinkle of mystery in this new release makes for an entertaining read. I enjoyed the writing style including the mixture of current scenes and flashbacks guiding the reader throughout the book as the story unfolds. While the character relationships throughout the book were well developed, I felt that the individual characters occasionally felt hard to connect with in certain scenes. I also felt that there were a couple of areas where the transitions in the story arrived abruptly especially when the writing was so well done throughout the book to the point it felt like I was transported into the scene.

Every time I read a book by Kerry Lonsdale I say, "this is her best book yet". Find Me in California is no exception. This book was brilliantly written, going back and forth between stories of love, loss, friendship, family secrets, and forgiveness. A true emotional rollercoaster of emotions throughout that will leave you longing for more. Once you pick the book up, you won't be able to put it down! By far my top read of the year!

I don’t know what the author was thinking with this one, it took everything I had to finish it and it took me an entire week to do so. I thought I was getting a magical family mystery and what I got was an utter mess. This is my first read by the author and I was so disappointed because this has such a high rating (4.28) after eighty-seven reviews.

The first thing I want to mention is the stupid idea to name two characters Matt and have another character with two different names. There are also two timelines and the two-name character shows up in both. Also, we get to read a diary from one character and letters from another.

The two lead characters fall googly eyes in love and spill their saccharine guts to each other before even meeting. The guy has some substance issues but the girl just loves him sooooo much he can stay with her and even be in her house alone cause she trusts him. I mean what the actual fuck!? Anyone with any sense would steer clear of someone with addiction issues romanticly. I have no judgement of people with substance abuse problems (I love relatives who are addicts) but I do have issues with anyone getting into a romantic relationship with them when they need to be focusing on getting clean and sober.

There were some hallucinogens being used and lots of drinking and smoking weed over a weekend and the guy had visions…or are they? It was so stupid and not needed for the plot at all. The story was very repetitive with the same things happening over and over again. Matt gets drunk/high and puts off seeing his grandmother and finding a new care home for her to reside, for three days straight. Ruby works/volunteers and visits her grandmother while putting off looking for a new, more affordable care home for her. Good thing both grannies die because these asshole grandchildren couldn’t be bothered to get off their asses to find a new place for their grandmother to live.

Everyone is sleeping with everyone in this book. Now I am no prude…sexy time is okay with me in books…but not only is everyone sexy-timing with everybody they’re also getting pregnant but not by the person they’re married to or in a relationship with. It’s a good thing there is no such thing as sexually transmitted diseases, am I right? And oh ya, they don’t tell the baby daddy he’s the father. They lie about it and tell their partner he’s the father.

This was just terrible for many reasons and I really wish I could get the time back that I spent reading it. Dear whoever wrote the blurb for this book: An achingly romantic novel this is not.

Thank you Kerry Lonsdale, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read my 10th Kerry book.

Find Me in California by Kerry Lonsdale delivers another heartwarming story. Julia and Matt both grapple with deep losses and lingering family wounds, their paths intertwine in a way that feels both fated and deeply relatable. They have to figure out how to get past their hurt and rejections from their past to move forward. Mama Rose's diary adds a touch of mystery, unraveling secrets that shed new light on the choices made that led the four main characters to the place we meet them in this journey. If you're searching for a story about the enduring power of love and overcoming past hurts, this book is like a warm hug for your soul.

Matt and Julia's lives are forever connected as both of their grandmothers face the end of their lives.

This was an interesting one for me. There were some things that I relayed liked and a few that were just off. I enjoyed the backstory using Julia's grandmother's journal. The past chapters were actually some of my favorite. I loved seeing these two women come together and form this beautiful friendship. I also liked the mystery of this. I wanted to keep reading and find out more about both generations of characters. I really felt for Julia and wanted her to find a happy ending.
The parts with Matt in the motel and even his whole road trip were not it for me. I couldn't understand why they were happening and the whole time it felt very off. BUT, beyond that, I did like the love story and watching both Matt and Julia find family.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy!