The Place We Were Made

by Lauren Jones

For 26-year-old Kit Reilly, change is less like a holiday and more like a cruise on rough seas with a questionable seafood buffet. She's a lover of spreadsheets, scopes out the menu online before dinner and if there's nowhere to park, she isn't going. Kit loves her stable life, but it's turned on its head when her parents announce they are divorcing after forty years of marriage.Kit struggles to cope with this new reality as her siblings take sides. This is only made worse when her parents put the family home up for sale and she stumbles upon the bucket list her and her twin, Bea, wrote as children. Bea has done everything; Kit has done nothing.With the help of her childhood friend, Danny, who is also facing an uncertain future, she embarks on a series of new adventures. From performing on stage to eating a croissant in Paris, Kit learns she is capable of more than she thought possible. That is until she uncovers the secret that destroyed her parent's marriage and just how much her family has kept from her.As Kit navigates the complexities of family dynamics, changing relationships and growing up, she discovers that sometimes the only way to move forward is to let go.

346 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 28, 2023

Reviews

[Lillie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much! Lauren also wrote Tell Me How It Ends, which was a favourite earlier in the year.

The Place We Were Made is set in the same world and follows the brother of one character from TMHIE. It follows Kit who's parents are going through a divorce and she is dealing with picking up the pieces while all help siblings deal with their own lives. She reconnects with her childhood friend Danny, who is an injury retired hockey player.

I really related to Kit in this and felt so seen! She was such a great character.

The slow burn in this was just incredible too! It did annoy me at times, because I was just DYING for them to get together. But it was perfect, nonetheless.

If you're looking for good wintery reads, Lauren's books are perfect!

[Kaitlyn Newell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartfelt, tender, sad and full of truth – The Place We We Were Made is an emotional  journey through the upheaval of one woman's carefully structured life and new beginnings.

Kit is a delight, she is careful and logical and when her life is turned upside down, she bravely faces the fallout. Her heart and love is evident in every movement. Every character in this just raw and authentically themselves, and never apologies for it. I loved the family dynamic, and how much they all just loved each other, even when they were mad. The Easter eggs from TMHIE made me squeal with joy, every time Fletch was on the page I had a permanent grin. At the heart of this story though was Kit and Danny's absolute devotion to each other. I love those silly idiots with my whole soul.

TPWWM is about love, change, family and showing up for each other. I cried with joy, and with sadness. You'll read TPWWM for Wes, Hallie and Fletch's cameos and you'll stay for everyone else ✨️.

[BooksWithBanter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it was fantastic to see characters crossover from Tell Me How It Ends.

This book was so real. Real life scenarios, real emotional issues, with real emotional responses.
It was so cathartic to read, I was able to relate so much to the characters and their thought process, each character was going through a different emotional process and watching them navigate and grow in their emotional states was so very thought provoking and healing.
It really enabled me to see situations from different perspectives and I was able to connect and identify with each character and their emotions to learn and grow with them.

The writing flowed effortlessly.
I loved it.

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the book title to the cover to the storyline, everything about The Place We Were Made is perfect. Lauren is back with another amazing story. I am not even surprised at how much I enjoyed this book after reading TMHIE, which was also a 5-star read for me. Some of the scenes in the book were really touching, like the story behind Danny's jersey number. I really loved reading about the bickering of siblings. So relatable. 

[Lorna Casha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌟. I started this book knowing nothing about it, assuming that it was a thriller based on the cover. I’d describe it as contemporary fiction and I really enjoyed it. We see the trials and tribulations of 4 adult children who are told that their childhood home is being sold and their parents are divorcing. We see each of them deal with this news in their own way while also managing their own relationships and careers.

[Kaylene Grewar · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve read Tell Me How It Ends by this author you are going to love this book. An engaging story of love, life, family and friendship, including some characters from her previous book. A feel good book that warms the heart.

[Rhiannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly enjoyable read! Lauren has a real skill in humanising characters and making them so incredibly relatable and real without overplaying it. The pace is perfect, the plot fabulous and the characters so relatably human. The perfect read for me.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story about family dramas, childhood friends to lovers and hope. Brilliant.