The Light We Lost was a book that touched me and broke me. I was left drowning in a puddle of my tears by the end of it. Once again, Santopolo left me in tears, but this time, they were happy tears.

The Love We Found picks up a decade after Gabe's death with his editor readching out to Lucy regarding the re-release of Gabe's book which forced Lucy to search the boxes. Gabe's boxes had been tucked away in Lucy's closet for years and opening them unleashed a lot of emotions for her. She also discovered something therein that sent her on a journey, a healing journey and one where Lucy learned to forgive herself.

Though this book was set ten years later, there were visits to the past as Lucy recounted her life with Gabe in an attempt to cope with her present and make decisions about her future She had endured a decade of mourning and keeping secrets which was isolating. It took its toll on Lucy, and she was ready to move forward. I have to admit, I was rooting for her. I know she made mistakes in her past, but it was time for Lucy to free herself from the pain, the grief, the guilt, and the weight of the secrets she was keeping.

This was one of those sequels that I didn't think I needed until I read it. I really did want to know what happened to Lucy, and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to take this journey with her as it was a wonderful and emotional journey that touched my heart.

3.75 🌟

Dax was the star of this book. ❤️

First off, if you haven't read The Light We Lost, make sure to pick that book up first. This book picks up 10 years after TLWL and is full of just as much emotion as the first. It was nice to see this family get closure, especially Lucy.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an ARC of this book.

This book was such an easy read. I loved that it is basically a story that Lucy is retelling to Gabe—almost like she’s catching him up on what he’s missed over the years. I picture her sitting at his grave at the beginning and talking to him throughout the entirety of the book to let him know that him and his work are still touching so many people.

Gabe will always hold a special place in my heart.

My only critique is that I didn’t understand Lucy’s feelings for the MMC and how *insta* love they were. It felt like their relationship was mostly just trauma bonding and fell a little flat for me. However, this could be because this book really is more of a love story about the love that Lucy has for her family than her own intimate relationships.

I did love seeing Lucy’s family grown up and the personalities of each of her children. I’m so happy that Samuel is who he is. Overall, this book just felt like a warm, familiar hug.

The Love We Found
3.5 ⭐️

I love the cover of this book and wanted to continue to see where Lucy’s story led after The Light We Lost.

Set ten years after the first book, Lucy is co-raising her kids while still grieving from Gabe’s loss ten years ago. She slowly learns to let go and grow, while sharing her truth with her kids.

The first half of this book felt a lot like the last one, but I enjoyed the second half a bit more. I wished that Lucy had done more of the therapy and growing she did in the last 10% throughout the book too.

Thanks to @netgalley for this ARC!

-Follow up to The Light We Lost

This sequel picks up 10 years after the ending of book one. I felt that it was a very honest depiction of a woman overcoming grief and the consequences of her past decisions. I really, really liked it and am thankful to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

4.5/5

In “The Light We Lost”, Lucy is faced with a life-altering decision.

But, before she can make that decision, she will reexamine her love story with Gabe-one she feels is Epic.

Lucy and Gabe met as seniors at Columbia University on 9/11. And, on that day, they decided that they wanted their lives to mean something, no matter what…

EVEN AT THE EXPENSE OF BEING TOGETHER

Now, it’s ten years later, and we get to find out what has happened in Lucy’s life since the DECISION.. (No spoilers here!)

Has it turned out as you may have imagined when that book ended? On March 18th, you will get the chance to find out.

Have you ever read a sequel and felt like the main character didn’t feel like the same person? I have, but thankfully that is NOT the case here! Jill Santopolo has written Lucy with the SAME Voice as before-and has written what I feel would be a very AUTHENTIC life trajectory for her. I was immediately drawn back into her World from page one!

Life is MESSY, and people are IMPERFECT, and this sequel will give you much to discuss. I never expected we would get to see what happened next-but, I am glad we did!

If you enjoyed the first-you won’t be disappointed! If you haven’t, you will want to start there!
Review for “The Light We Lost”: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1988832902

Thank You to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts!

3.5 stars

Thank you to netgalley & the publisher for the opportunity to read “The love we found” in exchange for an honest review.

This story will pull at your heart strings. A story about love, loss, secrets, righting the wrongs and embracing life in the moment and about finding love after loss.

Set primary in New York, a mother of 3 is grappling with a secret that could completely rock her family. A choice that did affect her family in a divorce. They have chosen to not alert the children (or anyone for that matter) that Sammy is Gabriel’s child. Darren is aware as him and Lucy divorced after their marriage was rocked by infidelity, but they chose to keep it a secret from the everyone until later in life.
This is a family that has reasserted themselves to do the best by their children becoming a blended family.

This book revolves around Gabriel’s story and how he impacted lives while he was on earth and the lingering impacts he continues to have even after his death.

This is the story of Lucy finding love that she doesn’t feel that she deserves with Dax and her children having to see how they can support that.

The love we found is a beautiful book, but imo it lacked a bit of the intensity & vigor as the first installment.

i fell so deeply in love with the first book, i was so excited to read the second. it didn’t disappoint but i do think i loved the first more. this one shows grief and healing nearly a decade after and i really love that for lucy!! thank you so much net galley for the ARC!

Jill Santopolo has done it again with The Love We Found, a breathtakingly emotional story that weaves together love, loss, and second chances in a way that feels deeply personal yet universally relatable. From the very first page, I was hooked by the raw, heartfelt storytelling and the beautifully developed characters who felt as real as old friends.


What I loved most about this book was its exploration of how love can be both fragile and resilient—how it can break us and heal us in equal measure. The depth of the relationships, the moments of aching longing, and the hope that lingers even in the darkest moments made this a story I couldn’t put down. The author masterfully balances romance with real-life struggles, making the story feel authentic rather than overly idealized.

By the time I reached the final chapter, I was both heartbroken and uplifted, a testament to Santopolo’s ability to craft a novel that truly stays with you. If you’re a fan of beautifully written, emotionally charged love stories, The Love We Found is an absolute must-read.

The best way to describe my experience with THE LOVE WE FOUND : it was the right book at the right time.

**In order for this book to have an impact, you MUST read THE LIGHT WE LOST first!

"Survival is inherently a bit selfish. You take what you need to make it through. To live."

It's been 10 years since Gabe died. His former editor reaches out to Lucy because he wants to publish a book with his old photos to commemorate the anniversary of his death. While going through his belongings, Lucy finds an address in Italy and doesn't understand why Gabe would have kept it. Impulsively, Lucy decides to fly to Italy to do a little research of her own…

The writing is just so beautiful and breathtaking. Lucy's journey through grief, hope and healing was very specific to my current experience so I resonated with her character on a deeper level. The themes are so realistic. I was so impressed with the communication among the characters in all their relationships...the strength and vulnerability was pure GOLD. I really admired how this book was written as a love letter to Gabe. I teared up several times as she pulled at my heartstrings. I love when a story can evoke such emotion. Sequels can be tricky when the first book is so praised but this one gives us satisfying closure. The narrator gives an exceptional performance and I enjoyed every minute of the audiobook. Short chapters are ALWAYS praised . I cannot wait to get a trophy copy to accompany The Light We Lost.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my review. I really enjoyed this read as a continuation of “The Light we Lost”. It definitely should be read in sequence as I don’t think it would be been a stand out novel as a standalone. Overall, it’s not really an earth shattering story but it was nice to see where the lives of the characters take them 10 years down the road. If you loved the original story you’re going to want to read this. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I loved The Light We Lost. It made me cry it was beautiful and tragic and I think about it often. The Love We Found was an unnecessary sequel. The story was perfect and didn't need more. There was nothing particularly wrong with this book, the story just wasn't enough to make me feel the sequel needed to happen.
But all that aside it was a cute read.

I was so excited to get an ARC of this book, the sequel to The Light We Lost which was a five star read for me, and it did not disappoint. Like its predecessor, this was a propelling read full of deep emotion throughout as Lucy navigates love after loss, the growing pains of children getting older and co-parenting through divorce. I really enjoy how Jill Santopolo writes, so much that I didn’t want to put this one down and it got finished in one sitting! Absolutely necessary to read these books in order, so if you haven’t read the first you’ve got time before this one comes out on 3/18/25. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Oh this book 🥹

This is a beautiful story about healing, finding love and closure. So well written and I couldn’t put it down. It was emotional and heartwarming all at the same time. I loved following up with Lucy 10 years later. She is so strong but still struggling about Gabe. She has to make some hard decisions and tries to do the best for her family. I really enjoyed following her journey.

Rounding up to 4.25⭐️
One of my most anticipated books of 2025!
You need to read the first book right before you read this one to get the full effect, I did that and it was “chefs kiss!”
This book is so well done-so many emotions that had me crying. The way this author writes-I felt like I was this character. That her struggles were mine. That her heart was mine,
It’s ten years later and it’s full of grief, loss, single parenting, kids growing up, divorce, moving on, forgiving yourself, and learning that it’s okay to move on. That even though we move on it doesn’t mean we forget.

The Love We Found is a beautiful and emotional sequel to The Light We Lost. I had so many unanswered questions after the first book and felt disappointed that there wasn’t enough closure with the way it ended. The Love We Found answered all my questions and then some!

“Even if they don’t seem to be a big deal while you’re keeping them, secrets are insidious. They work their way into relationships like moths chewing holes in fabric, until you realize that your favorite coat has been destroyed.”Taking place ten years later, Lucy is still very much grieving but also wanting to find ways to move on. She’s tired of the big secret she’s been keeping and ready to come clean and start moving forward.

Sequels often fall short for me, but this one delivered a consistent and touching story that kept me truly invested in the characters. If you enjoyed The Light We Lost and want more of Lucy’s story, then this sequel is a definite must read!

Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC. Check this book will be out March 18,2025.

Thank you to Netgalley and G.P Putnam's Sons for allowing me to read a copy of The Love we Found by Jill Santopolo. This book is a sequel to the The Light we Lost which was written 10 years earlier. I think it is necessary to read the first book because Lucy continues to grow and grow in this book. This book was an emotional journey and well worth the read, hoping there will be a third.

Fans of The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo will be elated to read more about Lucy’s story in the sequel, The Love We Found.

“It’s been ten years. In case you’re out there somewhere. In case you’re listening, I’m here. And I have so much to tell you.”

With the same narration style as The Light We Lost, this story felt familiar in the best ways and I cried happy and sad tears for Lucy throughout its pages.

When Lucy finds an address in Rome on a piece of paper in a box with Gabe’s old photographs, she spontaneously decides to buy a last-minute plane ticket to unravel the mystery. Once again her choices in following her heart will change her life.

While The Light We Found broke my heart into pieces, The Love We Found helped to heal it. This story allowed me to spend time with characters I fell in love with years ago, meet new ones, and feel hope and happiness for Lucy and her family.

There’s something about The Light We Found that deeply resonated with me and I think of it often. I recommend it to fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid. And when you finish it, pre-order The Love We Found, which publishes on March 18!

Thank you to @netgalley for the advance copy of this book. I read this in September and when I finished, I immediately messaged the author on IG to tell her how much I loved it. 💛

4 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and Jill Santopolofor providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

This book continues the story of “The Light We Lost”, Jill Santopolo’s book that was released in 2017, but it is set 10 years later. It explores the secrets of the main characters and it teaches its readers the impact that can happen if we are to keep secrets from those we love the most. I would not categorize this book as an easy read; it has its sweet moments, yes, but it has a much deeper meaning and lessons written in its pages.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

This is a sequel to The Light We Lost and can be enjoyed without having read the first. I did read the first - 6 years ago! - I barely remember it, and gave it 3 stars. The Love We Found is my fourth book by this author and by far my favorite. It takes place 10 years after the first book. I liked all the characters, especially Dax, Sam. and Bashir. OK, almost all - I couldn't stand Darren right from the beginning. The ending was a bit abrupt. There were a few parts that made me tear up a little, and to me, that's the sign of a good writer. If they can make you feel those emotions, they're doing something right. It's a quick read with very short chapters that I read in one sitting.