An emotional book about second chances and freedom from abusive relationships. Jane fled her hometown a decade before to get far away from her abusive father. Now, she came back after his death and tried to get freedom from her abusive partner of last ten years. Jane and Nik are meant to be together this time. Heartbreaking story of finding oneself repeatedly in abusive relationships. Characters are defined thoroughly and their feelings deeply. Story switches from past and present with Nik and Jane's perspectives. The pace is okay, and the plot is good. Climax is understandable due to circumstances. Recommended. Thanks a lot to Netgalley and Bookouture for the eARC..

Jane flees her volatile relationship with her 9 year old daughter in tow back to her home town following the death of her abusive father.
On her return she bumps in to Nick, her best friend and first love and he is eager for some answers about her sudden departure a decade earlier.
Brilliantly written though I did find the twist a but rushed.
Thanks to netgalley and bookouture for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of Melissa Wiesner’s writing, and when she reached out with a new book I jumped at the chance to read an early copy. Thanks to Melissa, Bookouture, and NetGalley for early access in exchange for my honest opinion. While different from the other book I read by the author, I remain a fan of her writing and will continue to anticipate her new releases.
This is a book you can read in a single sitting - the storyline draws the reader in right away, and the transitions between present and past timelines engage the reader in that “just one more chapter” mentality until it’s far too late to not finish the book (or maybe that’s just me talking from personal experience!). At times some parts can seem overdramatic, but that’s how life can be!
Love and Other Lost Things is well-written, realistic, and raw. The plot heavily involves domestic violence, which readers should know before beginning. This serious topic is handled sensitively, compassionately showing generational trauma and effects of growing up in an abusive environment. Some parts were especially uncomfortable to read, but the author takes care in demonstrating the barriers involved in getting help and how inaccessible, both physically and mentally, the concept of leaving can be. I thought the foreshadowing in this book was perfectly executed, and I was not surprised by the ending. But be aware this is definitely a SAD romance - and take care of yourself first if this sounds too emotional or intense for you right now.

If this doesn’t speak romcom perfection I don’t know what does!… I was so delighted with the warm fuzzy feeling this book left me with. Reach for the tissues🥲

Jane and Nik have a complicated past, and between high school and now, so when the past comes calling, will Jane and Nik find the strength to fight for each other and move forward? Or was Jane dangerously wrong to think she could outrun her past?

This book is heavily themed in DV and be warned if this is a trigger for you — as it is quite difficult to read. I did feel that the author repeated specific statistics a few too many times, otherwise, the characters and their connections were easy to be invested in — the children, friends, family and DV situation felt realistic and felt like you were there with them through everything. I don’t want to say too much more about the storyline but I thought the author did a good job with a narrative on generational trauma and cycles, domestic abuse, and single parenting. The topic is heavy and can be an emotional read. The ending was crazy. I am hooked on this author for her fabulous writing style. I enjoyed the main character Jane and her daughter, and the mother-daughter relationships between herself, Scarlett and her own mother.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC. This is my honest review.

TRIGGER WARNING - DOMESTIC ABUSE
A very well written, heart wrenching story that sheds light on the generational effects of families in which the women/girls suffer from the abuse of the husband/father. Ms. Weisner handled the subject with sensitivity and compassion while not sugarcoating the realities of the toll abuse takes on the victims. This is the story of Jane who at the age of 18 runs away after years of witnessing abuse in her home. In addition to her parents, she leaves behind her two best girlfriends and boyfriend Nik, the boy who was her best friend since the age of three. It takes ten years for Jane to return home to face her past, reconcile her present and face the relationships she left behind.

While this is a topic that is uncomfortable to read about, it is unfortunately the reality that many women, children and men live with. Thankfully, there are a multitude of resources to help victims of abuse work through their trauma in the hopes of healing and breaking the familial cycle.

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and Ms. Weisner for the opportunity to read a digital copy of this emotional story in exchange for my honest opinion.

Love and Other Lost Things is the 2nd book I have read by Melissa Wiesner and I liked this one just as much as I did the first (It All Comes Back To You). I enjoyed this 2nd chance romance novel and the way it transitioned back and forth between the main characters past and present circumstances. The details between the past and present help tie together the heart breaking life events of the main character and help the reader to understand why she made certain decisions. The unforeseen twist wraps up the novel nicely and left me feeling satisfied as the book came to an end.

Melissa Wiesner is one of my favorite authors. She creates characters who worms their ways into my heart and her pacing, storylines, and twists keep me reading long after I planned on stopping.

Love and Other Lost Things is not exception. Wiesner weaves a contemporary romance full of angst, second chances, and new beginnings. But the road to a happy ending is not easy. Wiesner's realistic handling of domestic violence can be difficult to read at times but she doesn't shy away from the physical and emotional toll it takes on a person, a child, a family, even a community.

The romance is full of longing and angst and I was here for it. I was also here for the love interest, Nik. Your childhood best friend who was your first love and then grew up to be a doctor and never got over you? Yes, please.

And that one thing that I can't talk about... yeah, that thing was kind of perfect.

This is not one of Wiesner's romcom or women's fiction novel. This novel is an angsty, heart wrenching, but ultimately hopeful. Great for readers of Paige Toon and Colleen Hoover.

Please check content warnings. This does contain language and I would say a 2/4 on the spice scale.

I loved this book. I thought the trauma and pain was written well, and the main characters were really great and easy to root for. I can't wait to read more from this author!

Trigger warning: domestic violence.
Jane has a endured a lot in her first 18 years of life and deserved to build a new one, but the unfortunately the world is not so kind and Jane found herself repeating the cycle of her mother. She finally breaks free 10 years later but nothing is ever as easy as it seems. This story was a sad one, but kept hope and perseverance at the forefront. In the end, Jane realizes the human spirit is not as black and white as she once thought, and it can endure the unthinkable.

The author did a nice job with this delicate topic.

This book was a pull-at-your-heartstrings kind of read. With themes of domestic violence, this may not be an easy read for some.
Jane, the main character, escapes her home, after her father physically hurts her one night. After years of experiencing her mother being hit, he finally hits her in a fit of rage. It didn't really stop there, however, as he also used mental abuse tactics to hurt her.
So she leaves at 18. She leaves her home, her friends, and Nic--her kind of boyfriend, but definite best friend.

Fast-forward ten years later and Jane's dad has died and Jane finds herself in the same exact predicament--in a relationship with an abuser. Only she's going to do what her mother was never able to do and leave him. So she gets him to let her go home to see her mom after her dad's passing and plans her escape.

This was oftentimes a really difficult book to read because Jane was just so sad and stuck in her life. Also seeing her mom and how broken she was after years of abuse was tough.
The only light was Jane's daughter... and her getting reacquainted with Nic.

Even though this was difficult to read sometimes, the relationship between Jane and Nic definitely helped ease some of that. It was nice getting to see them reconnect since all of their previous love story is told in the past tense--and not much of it.

The writing in this one was superb. I felt Jane's heartache and desperation as she sought an out the only way she knew how.

Definitely worth the read--just be prepared for some difficult scenes.

Rounded up from 4.5
When Jane ran away from home at 18 to get away from her abusive father, she ran right into Matteo in LA. Matteo was nice. At first. And then she found herself trapped in the same situation her mother was in, and she now understands her better. A decade later, Jane wants to break the cycle and run from Matteo. So she comes back home to her mother after her father's passing, planning to disappear with her daughter. But then she runs into Nik, her then boyfriend, and she sees how happy her daughter is with her new friends, she realizes running away might not be the solution.
Fans of Colleen Hoover and Paige Toon, of heartwrenching, frustrating and moving stories, this one is just for you! Know that you should look the content warnings before going into it, because it is based on physical and mental abuse, and we have a lot of it on page. Was it predictable? Yes. Did I still eat it up? Also yes. Did I cry? No. But you just might!
I receivec an advance review copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I couldn't put this down for a minute, it's definitely a page turner and addicting. I love reading about strong women on run and who make it to happy ending.
This is a story about Jane who had a abusive childhood and she runs away at 18, her only regret was leaving behind her best friend Nik whom she loved. Now 10 years later she is back in town but her situation has not changed she is now running from an abusive relationship. And Nik is still here ready for some questions but he is also still protective of her and still loves her.
This book will make you ugly cry with emotions, will break your heart but will also patch it back and you will smile through out the end. Also I loved the twist in the end, it was something I did not see coming. Its definitely a must read book.

Wow. What an incredible book. It focusses on such sensitive and deep topics but the way Melissa writes this is beautifully written.

This book is about hope. It’s about dreaming for more but realising there is only one way out. The story follows Jane who runs away from her abusive dad into the hands of an abusive partner. She then ends up heading back home to help her Mum and WOW. I was not expecting some of the things to happen that happened, I was so shocked but in all the best ways.

Jane always believed her mum was weak and did nothing to protect her but as the story unravels we realise that in fact her mum did everything she could and then some. It shows that we see the strength in others in varying forms and what looks to be weakness to some is actually strength.

This story is hard hitting, gut wrenching, sad but beautiful and heartwarming. It broke me and put me back together again. Nik is a beautifully written man (because men written by women always are) and it’s heartwarming to see what women can achieve when they decide they want a better life.

Melissa did a fabulous job of weaving domestic violence into the story in a sensitive and powerful way. No one should ever be allowed so much control over another and no woman should ever have to live in fear because of a man. An incredible story and one that rings true for many women, including myself. This is an absolute must read for every one.

This is not an easy book to read, but it’s inspirational and eye-opening for both those who have experienced domestic violence and those who can’t understand a victim’s perceived lack of action.

I read it in small chunks and was rooting for Jane McCaffrey, a single mom, as she journeyed from surviving to striving with the help of family and friends. Leaving her husband and returning home took fortitude and foresight. I applauded her road to recovery. Nik stole the show for me.

The author warns readers of her focus and offers help for those who need it.

I was gifted this copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Wow Jane. I am not sure how to feel about you or about you. Domestic abuse is nasty and Jane went through it twice with her father and her husband. Her resilience, strength and courage come through every decision she makes. Nik is such a doll, supportive in his unabtrusive way. Deeply in love with Jane. Although the reveal in the end was a low blow to Nik.

Overall a highly emotionally volatile book but with a happy ending.

Love and Other Lost Things had me on an emotional rollercoaster! ! I had to force myself to put the book down so I didn’t read it so quickly. Melissa definitely created a love story that would capture and break your heart. This story does contain domestic violence and captures such an accurate depiction of the experiences and the emotions that accompany domestic abuse. This story is about Jane, who is an 18 year old girl who ran from her abusive father. She leaves everything from her childhood to later on find her self in a similar situation as her parents. It tells how Jane goes through her life and tries to create a new life and tries to escape the domestic violence. Definitely a 5 star for me! If you’re a fan a Colleen Hoover books this one would more then likely spark your interest. Definitely looking forward to reading more of Melissa Wiesbers books!

I really enjoyed this story. Jane grew up with struggles and tried escaping them only to face them again. I really liked the speed of this book and that it was a page turner. I enjoyed the flashing back and coming to present today. It all flowed nicely. It was a good story with a good ending.

Jane returns home after years away, but why did she leave in the first place?
Nik Jane’s best friend remained in town and now wonders why she left in the first place. What is the secret Jane is hiding.

It took me a little while to get into this book but once I got into it I was hooked.
The writing style is easy to follow and the story took a twist that I didn’t expect.
Be warned though this story is about domestic violence and does depict some scenes of violence.

Most of the characters were loveable and It made me happy that Jane got her happy ending after all!

Thankyou NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Love and Other Lost Things was an emotional, beautiful book about 18 year old Jane, who flees her abusive home. She finds herself returning after her father dies to help her mother, who she is at times resentful towards due to her childhood. Jane’s childhood friends and first love react to her return and over her time home she realizes how many people truly care for her. I felt like Jane was an extremely well written character. She was mature and strong, someone you could very easily empathize with and root for. This book tackles domestic abuse, the cycles it can follow and the way abusers can manipulate and gaslight you into staying with them. It highlights the lack of resources for victims and really opens your eyes to how a person can easily find themselves trapped in an abusive relationship. The author created a beautiful love story with moments that will break your heart. I very much enjoyed it. My only complaint was I felt like the ending was a little rushed . I would have enjoyed a bit more time with the characters but I definitely give this book 4 stars.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookoutoure, and Melissa Weisner for the opportunity to read this book. All thoughts above are my own.