This was an interesting story about the fated encounter between artist Tillie and Meditation guru Liam. Tillie suffered from bouts of amnesia, seemingly brought on by the grief of losing her mother. Liam quickly becomes a grounding person for her, and as she finds pieces of her mysterious past, their lives become more entangled than either would’ve ever expected.

It was an easy and enjoyable read, but I struggled to connect with the people-as-animals imagery in the art, which was a major piece of the overall story. I did not see the twist ending coming, though the major red herring in the story needed some kind of wrap up.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great read. This had all the things you'd expect in a Barbara O'Neal story. The slow build of a mystery that you're not sure where it will take you, but not at all far fetched or unbelievable. I LOVE books with a secret that take unraveling and gets you so emotionally invested that you're telling your family that you'll get off the couch only after you've finished the book - this one qualified. I felt like I was drunk with the characters after I was done.
The chocolate descriptions made me want to take a chocolate making class, lol.
The characters were the perfect combination of fleshed out, but not too much and you really cared about them and their feelings. I was so invested and really felt the relationship issues between Liam and Kirsch. I found myself thinking about how validated Liam was for firing him.
All in all a great, slow build, good secret with a not too neat an ending that was believable and "unputtdownable"

What a great story! An engaging tale of love and fate weaved together with a bit of magic and mystery. O'Neal sure does know how to paint a work of art with her words. Her stories are always written so beautifully and capture my attention from the very first page. I absolutely loved being drawn into what felt like a real-life fairy tale! Just another great read to add to this author's collection. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and definitely recommend! 

Thank you to the author, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for granting me digital access in exchange for my honest review!

This book has a slow start and has some confusing parts - but one of the main characters does, so it connects you to her as you read.

Part way through the book I knew what would happen, but it was written so well that it didn’t matter & was still enjoyable.

The characters are not necessarily relatable, but you are able to connect & feel with them. It’s beautifully written and seems to be quite well researched - as far as the careers and locations ago.

Was a different book for me & I didn’t love all of it, but it was an enjoyable read. I would recommend this book!

Thank you, Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this advanced reader's copy. This was a very sweet book about a young artist named Tillie who after her mother dies, sees a painting of cat in a gallery that stirs deep feelings in her and she just can't get out of her mind. This painting sends Tillie on a journey with a handsome stranger who helps her discover more about herself. Tillie becomes closer to knowing more about her past as she becomes closer to this man. This book was a fast read and kept me entertained and engaged to find out what Tillie's past was going to reveal. The book was interesting tale in what we remember from our childhood compared to how things really were. This was my first Barbara O'Neal book, but now I think I need to check out some of her other books.

barbara o'neal does it yet again!!!!!!! absolutely excellent writing (per usual.) so hard to put this book down!!!!! 5/5 stars

I can’t imagine the sense of loss felt after losing your one and only parent. Tillie isn’t the only lady out there who has lost a parent, but her story is definitely unique. After the death of her mother, she discovers several secrets that her mother has been hiding. Does that have anything to do with her bizarre dreams and images that flash in her head? Does it impact her work as an artist?

Barbara O’Neal weaves a story that is a mystery with a magical feel. In the first third of the book, I thought I was reading a work of magical realism, not sure where the book was heading. Then all of the pieces started to come together, and you realized that you were deep into an unsolved mystery and along for the ride. I enjoyed the whimsy that came with Tillie’s work as an artist and appreciated how, in the long run, it contributed to the overall story. I’m not sure all of the characters really added something to the story, but I do know that I wish some of the characters were more developed. At the heart of it, these select characters have more to tell.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. It truly is a joy to read an author’s work! All opinions are my own.

I have really enjoyed all of Barbara O'Neal's books. She is such a wonderful writer! Memories of the Lost continued that streak for me. This was such a great mix of a romance , fairy tale, and mystery. I really enjoyed the dual perspectives of Liam and Tillie. Their meeting and story was magical. This was not what I was expecting but it turned out wonderful.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This one comes out July 30th, 2024!

“Memories of the Lost” by Barbara O’Neal is my first book by this author and it will not be the last! The story is about Tillie an artist who recently lost her beloved mother. She sees a painting at her best friend’s art show that triggers memories of a place she’s never been that sets her life spinning. At the same time, while packing up her mother’s belongings she discovers a birth certificate of a child with her name who was killed in a fire. She is suddenly drawn into the web of secrets her mother kept hidden. Ms. O’Neal’s writing is absolutely magical and mysterious at the same time. The beautiful prose kept me emotionally connected to the characters, the chocolate and the reality of both joy and pain. This book is a fairytale mystery for adults that was a delight to read. I highly recommend this book to everyone and look forward to reading many more of Ms. O’Neals books.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

In Memories of the Lost by Barbara O’Neal, Tillie is seeking to find footing after the death of her mother a few months earlier. While at a friend’s art showing, a painting entrances her and with the painting came the ethereal Liam. While Liam has had his own challenges of the heart to overcome which led him to becoming a well known meditation guide, there is a cosmic connection he shares with Tillie. As Tillie finalizes the sake of her mother’s property, the last box she removes from her mother’s house is a glimpse into the past that unveils secrets that leave Tillie in a free fall.

Rituals, secrets, discovering your true identity flow throughout the story. This book is like nothing I’ve ever read before. Even with all the upheaval that Tillie was experiencing, it was like the calm of Liam flowed through the reader so there was minimal anxiety at her search for answers. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book will be published on July 29, 2024.

#netgalley #arc #bookstagram #BarbaraONeal #MemoriesoftheLost #LakeUnionPublishing

3.5 stars. Another strong woman-centered novel from reliable and prolific author Barbara O'Neal. This one features a touch of New Age woo-woo, repressed childhood memories, insta-love, the power of art, a pile of recently unearthed bones and the awesomeness of cats. As with her 2018 book, "The Art of Inheriting Secrets," O'Neal devotes a lot of real estate to the love story, to the detriment of the rest of the crowded plot. And I can't say I was a big fan of the MMC, who travels around the world teaching people how to meditate (he makes bank but feels guilty about it). But I've been following O'Neal for more than 30 years (and three pseudonyms), so I'll continue to greet her future releases with pleasure.

ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for objective review.

Thank you to net galley for an early copy off the is novel in exchange for an honest review.
Barbara O’’Neal is one of my very favorites.
Her books are layered with beauty, nature, food, family, tragedy, love, and challenges.
I read every book of hers and re-read it immediately to make sure I capture all the nuances and return to the world she creates .
Memories of the lost is one of her best as she continues to be a force in women’s fiction.
Tillie is a complex character, an artist suffering from grief, trauma, and memory lapses. When she meets Liam she is instantly drawn to him in ways she cannot understand.
Their intense connection and journey to the root of Tillie’s past is layered beautifully with art and spirituality, and the demands of practical life.
I loved being immersed in the culture of the art world and then in the rural seaside of England where Tillie finds more than she ever realized or could have hoped for.
A great read, beautiful love story, and testament to what the unconscious knows and protects us from.

O'Neal's books get better and better! I have loved all of her previous books, but this one is truly the topper. I didn't want it to end but yet I couldn't put it down. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity.

Tillie’s mother has just passed and she finds mysterious documents while cleaning out her house. It seems her mother had a lot to hide. Tillie goes to England to help unravel the mystery. Memories of the Lost is just the right mix of family drama, mystery and romance.

At first, I thought this was going to be a fairytale but as I kept reading a whole different story emerged. Call it faith, serendipity or coincident, but I loved the way the truth of the story evolved. I prefer faith. I love how Tillie and Liam meet and how they are connected but don't even know yet. I love how instantly they like each other and that there isn't any hidden agendas between them. I love the mystical and the mystery of the story and I love all the animals in this story, especially George. I like how all of the characters are creative and that creation help them in life. I almost wish I could find a painting that is described in the story, it sounds enriching. I love the spiritually that Liam is a part of, by being in the moment and find your center and helping Tillie when she needed it.
I just love the surprise of this story and the comfort that Tillie finds when the mystery is solved. This is just a wonderful enchanting story that will make you intrigued and happy at the same time.

I want to Thank Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy of this enchanting and mysterious story.

This is the first book of Barbara O'Neal's that didn't just absolutely fling me into nirvana from page one. I'm sorry to say that I didn't connect with the characters, and the mysticism was a little much. But other loved it, so I'll maybe take another run at it in a few months and reconsider my rating.

Wow. Barbara O’Neal is one of my favorite writers. And her new book did not disappoint. Tillie is an artist, getting ready for her next show, her art is different like something out of the hobbit. When she sees people on the street she also sees them as an animal , and she incorporates both into her painting. On her way to her best friend’s art show in the rain she help’s a lady who in return gives her a stone. Tillie goes to the exhibit where she sees a small painting that triggers a migraine and maybe some memories. She gets sick from the migraine and a very nice and handsome man comes to her rescue and helps her home. I don’t want to give anything away, I will just say from here she starts on a very magical journey. Wonderful book. Memories Of The Lost-Five stars. Thank you NetGalley for sharing a copy with me. All opinions expressed are my own.

Memories of the Lost was such a calm and soothing book that at times I felt like I was participating in the meditation Liam was so famous for leading. The writing was poetic and easy to read, and the story was so perfectly paced that I didn’t feel bored or rushed for a second. As Tillie began to piece together the truth of her past and fate wove her and Liam together, there was a sense of coming home.

There were a lot of broken characters who had struggled with addiction, depression, and loss, and I appreciated the care the author took in representing them. While all had been through a lot, they found enough hope to pull them through their darknesses.

I also loved the way this book came full circle. Whether you believe in fate or love at first sight or not, you can’t deny how well both were crafted and intricately woven into this story. By the time I reached the end of the book my heart felt so full and I wanted to experience it all again!

If you’re looking for a calming book with broken pasts, emotional journeys, and mended hearts, I highly recommend you read this one when it’s released on July 30th!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Tillie hasn't been the same the last few months. When she sees a painting, she feels drawn to it. This was a good book.

Memories of the Lost is a fairy tale, a love story and a mystery all rolled into one. It's a very clever tale of loss and memories and how sometimes, those memories are just waiting in a box for you to let them out.
Tillie, an artist in New York, has recently lost her mother and is feeling adrift in the world. Attending an art show for a friend of hers, she sees a painting that sends her spinning - it's of a place she's never been and yet she knows it in her bones. At the same time, she meets Liam, a visiting meditation teacher, and they feel a connection that seems fated.

Tillie finds herself more and more confused by dreams she's having, triggered by the painting, and then discovers conflicting paperwork while cleaning out her mother's house. She is drawn to finding out what secrets her mother hid from her and, at the same time, figure out her connection to Liam.

I've never read any of Barbara O'Neal's work before and it's quite magical. I loved the fairy tale aspects and how the prologue tied the story up so well. It's beautifully written and I will definitely seek out more of her work.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this free digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.