Proof

Lost and Found #4

by Fern Michaels

For fans of Nora Roberts and Danielle Steel, beloved storyteller Fern Michaels blends mystery, drama, and a touch of romance for the fourth in her #1 bestselling Lost & Found series, as a shoebox of mementoes found in a childhood dresser becomes the catalyst for a search into Luna’s own past…

Even though Luna and her brother Cullen seem like complete opposites, they’re identical in two ways: they’ll never let injustice stand and they always have each other’s back...

Sometimes, two very different pieces of furniture just pair perfectly together. Brother and sister Cullen and Luna Bodman work much the same way. While practical-minded Cullen Bodman focuses on their family’s antiques restoration business, his sister Luna’s next-door Namaste Café brings in new clientele. As a thank you to his sister, Cullen retrieves Luna’s childhood dresser from storage and refinishes it. A delighted Luna rummages through the drawers and discovers a shoebox full of mementos of her friend Brendan, reviving memories of love and a broken heart. But a flurry of emails and texts leads to a very brief death notice: Born. Died. Nothing else.

Beyond Luna’s sadness is her uncanny intuition that something about the announcement is off, a feeling that intensifies when she later glimpses a person who seems to be Brendan’s doppelganger. His laugh, his walk—Luna remembers both so well. Is her old friend really alive? And if so, who faked his death, and why? It’s not the first time an item of furniture has spurred Luna to solve a fascinating puzzle. But this time, the mystery is much more personal, and the stakes infinitely higher . . .

Genres: Mystery, Romance, Fiction, Audiobook

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published August 20, 2024

About the author

Fern Michaels isn’t a person. I’m not sure she’s an entity either since an entity is something with separate existence. Fern Michaels® is what I DO. Me, Mary Ruth Kuczkir. Growing up in Hastings, Pennsylvania, I was called Ruth. I became Mary when I entered the business world where first names were the order of the day. To this day, family and friends call me Dink, a name my father gave me when I was born because according to him I was ‘a dinky little thing’ weighing in at four and a half pounds. However, I answer to Fern since people are more comfortable with a name they can pronounce.

As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.

Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.

Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.

READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I loved the mystery part to it. I'm glad that Luna was able to find out where her friend was. I thought the ending was good and romantic. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

[Thomas George Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were far too many characters in this book who had little if anything to do with the plot. Consequently, it was difficult to understand Ms. Michaels' reasonings for this. It was further difficult to weave through the many cast of characters to determine who they were.

[Mark Wirbel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a bland story based on the relationships of some thirty somethings that lacked the mystery and suspense I expected from the extract. It's an easily forgettable quick read.

[Laura A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luna is excited to restore a piece of furniture from her childhood. Sge finds items in the furniture that takes her back many years i liked this book and am looking forward to reading her next one.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like this book at all. That being said, I did finish it, but I had serious thoughts multiple times to put it down. First of all, this is straight up romance. But, really corny romance. If there was any suspense/mystery, it was less than 5% of the book and totally predictable. I used to really like this author, I don't know what has happened. These characters are seriously unlikeable. Really, how many people are really that perfect. I suppose there is a nitch for this type of book, but I was not impressed.

Thank you to Net Galley and Kensington Publishing for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Jilly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not good.
It felt like a short story idea that got padded with random details until it finally meandered to Luna finding her old friend.
The author kept adding colloquial origins and endlessly "schooled" the reader on social issues. It was eye-roll worthy. Ugh.
This is a part of a series that I will give a pass. 👎

[Clara Weinberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the part of Sedona and it made want to visit it. I am glad out come of 4 main characters.

[Reesa · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a good light read.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good mystery/romance. Very enjoyable.

[Marti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Proof by Fern Michaels is the fourth book in the Lost and Found series. The series focuses on a brother and sister team (Cullen and Luna). They are quite different in how they think and work, but they always have each other's back. Cullen resources old furniture and makes them into new masterpieces that people will love. Luna is able to feel/read the pieces and discovers their secrets. Often it leads to a problem to be solved, a mystery or even puzzle. Luna takes it from there.

I found the book quite interesting. I loved the romance of Chris and Luna as well as the romance of Cullen and Chi-Chi. The story however really didn’t have a major storyline as much as a group of stories that all seemed to meld together. I think I would like to read the novels before this one to see if there is more to the series. To me, it was certainly not the usual Fern Michaels read. Proof by Fern Michaels was an interesting read that is more character driven.

[Linda Smatzny · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is set around personal questions for the main characters. It was an easy read.

[PottWab Regional Library]

E

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for the ARC NetGalley and Kensington publishing

I have read Fern Michaels before. Once I requested this book, I thought why not go and read the 3 books before this one.
In doing so, I learned all about Luna, Cullen, Ellie, Chi-Chi and Chris. Don't get me wrong, you get really good character background in each book. I just wanted to see who they developed through the series. So really you can read this as a standalone.
Luna, she was in a funk and didn't know why. She felt like her circle was acting all weird. They thought she was off as well. Cullen being the best big brother. He had her old childhood dresser delivered. He was going to give it a make over for her. She saw that dresser and you thought she was a kid in a candy shop. She was so excited and loved going through all her cherished memories that she stored in the dresser. Well not all of them were happy, some were sad as well. Then it hit her, that she hasn't heard from a college friend. She shoots him an email and she receives no reply. That is unlike him. So she decides to dig a little deeper. She calls another friend and he starts to look and he too hasn't had any contact with him. Luna, gets some disturbing news though. Her friend and his wife have passed away, and there were no other details. You know by now if you have read the other books, Luna gets feelings from objects and people. She sat herself down, and focused in on her friend. She didn't get what she was looking for.
So what does Luna do? She goes and gets a make-over. So much so that she doesn't look like her normal boho self. Which is a good thing, but then again it isn't.
She takes a little business trip and recharges her energy. Out of the blue she thinks she see's her college friend who is supposed to be dead. Me while reading "oh Luna don't get into serious trouble now"
What happens? Luna, being Luna couldn't leave well alone. She does what she does best and snoops. That snooping almost got someone killed. This story was crazy, and the outcome came out great for all parties. I mean Cullen and Chi-Chi are doing great. Ellie is dating again, Chris and Luna are in a great place after that little fiasco.
I laughed hard a few times because of Chi-Chi's brother and his shenanigan's!!

[Camille · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my first Fern Michaels book and most likely will be the last. There were a lot of pleasant descriptions of the Stillwell Center, the businesses and artists in residence there. I did enjoy the interaction of Luna, Ellie and Chi Chi, and their dedication to making the center an entertaining venue to visit. There was plenty of background information describing Luna’s past relationship with Brendan. How convenient that Brendan is in a witness protection program and Luna’s boyfriend Chris just happens to be newly employed by governments witness protection program.

The descriptions of Sedona were very interesting however, I realized most of the book was devoted to describing Sedona, Luna’s makeover, and Chi Chi’s relationship with Cullen (acting like teenagers!) As a result, everything was tied up in the last few pages explaining Brendan’s situation and how they relocated him 123. The build up to finding him was long while their actual meeting was given 2 lines. Really?

[Sarah Chasser · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could give this book less than one star, I probably would. There are few books that I’ve read and truly felt like my time was wasted… maybe I didn’t align with the characters or the plot wasn’t for me. But this book? It had no plot. The characters were flat. MANY of them served no purpose at all. And it left me wondering “what was the point?!” They don’t restore the old dresser. She finds her missing friend over literally half of a page and he says “go away” and that’s that. She’s content with that despite being “completely distraught”. No explanations. No sleuthing. No underlying deep romances. And the attempt at a subplot of a custody battle? Gives me the ICK just thinking about how hard they manipulated that kid. It was all just so pointless. Just a flat, why am I even reading this kind of book.

[Bookdragon_Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me much longer to get through this book than is normal for me. It was a slow read. It wasn't until 85% through, that it even began to pick up and become interesting. Then, just as quickly as it became interesting, it felt like it also became rushed and the ending crammed into one final page. It took too long to get to the point and heart of the story and then was so rushed, it just fell short. Unfortunately, this is not one I would be quick to recommend to friends. The writing was good, just too much, unnecessary details to get to the meat of the story.

[Becky Engelhardt · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good but getting a little tired of the series! I don’t like Luna & others in the stories reference “the Universe” rather than God causing things to happen. It is in all of the series. I’m sure if she does write another sequel, I’ll read it. Another thing, it seems to be written for young adults, very youthful writing.

[Jennifer Theobald · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like I just listened to a book about nothing. I had no idea that this was part of a series, so maybe it would have made more sense. Still, the author goes into painful levels of detail over very banal tangents. I will credit her for having solid writing quality, grammar, syntax, etc. I think she’s a talented author but the story lacked depth for me.

[Cissy Krupski · Rating 1 out of 5]

OMG. A lot of words about nothing. Flat characters. Boring

[Betty Ann Baer · Rating 1 out of 5]

It drags on and on

[Laura Jackson-Bixler · Rating 1 out of 5]

Drags on and not much point to the story.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Proof by F. Michaels is the fourth book in her Lost and Found Series. There’s also a bit of mystery, with Luna in the middle of it, as usual. I’m loving the characters, the Stillwell Art Center, and in this book, a visit to Sedona, Arizona. The series focuses on a brother and sister team (Cullen and Luna). They are quite different in how they think and work, but they always have each other's back. Cullen resources old furniture and makes them into new masterpieces that people will love. Luna is able to feel/read the pieces and discovers their secrets. Often it leads to a problem to be solved, a mystery or even puzzle. Luna takes it from there. I found the book quite interesting. I loved the romance of Chris and Luna as well as the romance of Cullen and Chi-Chi. The story however really didn’t have a major storyline as much as a group of stories that all seemed to meld together. I think I would like to read the novels before this one to see if there is more to the series. To me, it was certainly not the usual Fern Michaels read. Proof by Fern Michaels was an interesting read that is more character driven.

[Jquick99 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Over an hour into the audiobook and besides seeming like a bad YA book/soap opera, have NO idea where this is going. And actually don’t care. DNF.

Already heard 3 “makes sense”/continuity mistakes (Chris said yes to Lucinda, when he should have said no, and Lucinda “heard” no and commented. Cullen and Chris agreed to go eat then car show and mere moments later Chris tells Luna car show then eat. Cullen asked Chris what he was going to wear on Saturday, but mere moments later Chris told Luna he asked what he was wearing right now.) Since these all involve Chris, maybe later in the book we find out the US Marshal is a bad guy/incompetent.

But, in searching for this book, this site states that the author has written over 424 books! So, I guess she has a deal with her publisher that she (her team) spits out first drafts, NO one edits, and they just go to press. And based on the ratings here, sadly, people (well, from photos and names of reviewers, all women) just friggin gobble up this drivel.

[Arabella · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a mystery, I'd rate it at 2 stars. For romance, I'd rate it at 4 stars. Literally two-thirds of the book is just a romantic backstory that eventually aligns with the proposed mystery from the beginning. The author does character development well and has a unique way of integrating the stories. However, as a "mystery" book it falls as flat as a pancake. You have chapters upon chapters of rising action and background story, and then a few pages of "boom!" You find out what happened. I barley got a chance to guess and was left a bit underwhelmed. I like being "lead on" in a book and always guessing on the edge of my seat. This book did none of that for me. It's still a good book and I enjoyed it, but if you're looking for a good mystery this isn't it.

[Laura R · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a little difficult rating a story when there are certain expectations based on the blurb but then the story turns out differently. This story was primarily about the relationship between Luna and Chris. Then throw in the sudden decision of his ex's plans to move to another city and there are the complications of a custody battle over their son.

There are plenty of interesting characters and sprinkled throughout the story. And the challenges that Chris faces are certainly realistic. However, I was expecting more the plot to involve Luna's college friend Brendan than just her reminiscing about how things were between then in college.

[Denice Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book #4 in The Lost and Found series. Fern Michaels is a prolific writer with a huge fan club. Her readers love the consistenet entertainment her books are known for. In this series, the main characters are a brother and sister who own complimentary businesses in an arts and crafts mall. The community and characters that support the mysteries "found" add a touch of spice and fun to the series. I've read all 4 and loved them. While you could easily read each as a stand alone, the character development from the first book forward adds to the overall enjoyment. I recommend these to anyone who loves cozy mysteries.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun read and a great continuation of the Lost and Found series. I’ve been a fan from book one, and this fourth book in the series moves the story line along nicely. There’s also a bit of mystery, with Luna in the middle of it, as usual. I’m loving the characters, the Stillwell Art Center, and in this book, a visit to Sedona, Arizona. I highly recommend this whole series - while they wouldn’t have to be read in order, it certainly makes a better overall adventure and seeing the character development is delightful.

[Charlotte Pawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of the Lost and Found series following characters of Luna and Cullen Bodman.
Looking for old mementos Luna finds her old friend Brendan from college. This find will lead to mystery and drama for Luna, friends and family.
This was my first book in the series and much of the story was taken up with the characters and interactions in everyday life.
I believe you have to follow the series in order for you to get the best experience.
Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Susan Abbey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars as I really loved the descriptions of the characters, their quirks and mannerism - the virtual views of Sedona was fascinating - as to plot - not a lot going on, a few major flaws - like wouldn't Luna have at least told Chris she was travelling to Sedona - she seems to have told everyone else and dah - wouldn't a Marshall consider the mystery death notices and alleged boat accident and at least consider - even a tiny bit that this could /maybe involve witness protection, overall a friendship - love mystery.

[Janet Balliet]

Ellie sends Luna to Sedona to visit artists to display their crafts at Stillweel. Luna is upset before she leaves that a college friend is out of contact & then his obituary is found with no details! She visits her friend Gail & swears she hears her friend's laugh. When she sees the same man, she finds out where he works & goes there. He sends her away. She has stumbled into Marshal"s new cases! The both have to pretend not to know each other! They return home to find Cullen & ChiChi engaged & plan a wedding. At the reception, Marshal asks Luna to marry him!