Finding Us Again

by Francois Keyser

Bryce and Nora fall in love in their last year of high school. They worry about their relationship surviving after graduation but are separated sooner when Bryce’s father is transferred and Bryce has to leave.

Bryce promises to write but not in a conventional way. He promises to leave messages behind pictures in hotels where his father works. He tells Nora if she finds his messages, they are meant to be together.
Years pass and Bryce leaves messages for Nora as promised, but wonders if it may be more of a habit than anything else.

Bryce and Nora have moved on to other partners over the years and while Bryce still leaves messages for Nora, she has mostly forgotten his promise until she finds an old photo of Bryce. She begins to search for his messages and succeeds in finding one.

This action is enough for fate to trigger a series of serendipitous events that will bring Bryce and Nora together again but at what cost and who will pay the price?

272 pages, Paperback

First published December 12, 2023

About the author

Francois is a published author. He had his first series of five children's books published by Speaking Volumes LLC in the USA. He later reverted the rights for the series.

He has also had a series of three children's books published in the Indonesian language by Indonesian publisher, PT. Kanisius. The series is called, 'Seri Hewan Unik' and the titles in the series are, 'Rahasia Bunglon', 'Rahasia Badak' and 'Rahasia Bekantan'.

Most recently, Frncois has had his Young Adult novel, 'Finding Us Again' published by Penguin Rndom House South East Asia.

Francois has also authored novels in the Romance Fiction and Young Adult Fantasy genres

Reviews

[Fildzah Amalia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disclaimer: While I typically am not drawn to the romance genre and consider myself less inclined towards matters of the heart, I must acknowledge this book's unique appeal for school/chick-lit romance genre enthusiasts.

Spoilers and Reflection:
Delving into the narrative, the choices made by Bryce and Nora struck me as somewhat perplexing. I would like to emphasize how similar I am to Lisa and Harry's character. This sentiment is particularly pronounced in the story's final third, where Lisa is given a sad plot between them. Despite a satisfactory conclusion for Lisa, my sympathy lingers, especially towards her palpable heartbreak. With his seemingly perpetual cluelessness and indecision, Bryce remains a character for whom forgiveness remains elusive (for me).

Overall Impressions:
Despite my initial divergence from the genre's usual allure, I found the novel surprisingly engaging, with a narrative thread that captivated my curiosity. The book's ability to maintain my interest throughout ultimately led me to complete the journey until its conclusion.

[ARMY · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible book. No form of elaboration or build up, just flat. It was like reading a PowerPoint slide with bullet points, plaining stating what happen with no feels whatsoever. Complete waste of time.

[Boyboy Macario · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading romance is not typically my forte, but I found myself irresistibly hooked on the idea of love finding its way back to you. If it’s meant for you, then it’s meant for you. I found the book captivatingly engaging and it captured my interest in finishing it as fast as I could to find out what all this was about, the narrative and the plot, and the book didn’t disappoint me.

The idea of leaving clues for that someone to find is like a needle in stacks of hay. But also, I think of, no matter how messy or impossible life may become, anything could be possible as well. And if you believe in fate, in the power of the universe, and that the stars would align, that sort of like mantra, I think this book is for you.

And the best thing that I learned reading this book, is how our choices affects our future, it’s like dominoes, that when one piece starts to knock-down the piece in front, then it continuously affect forward.

We don’t need to be perfect of course, but when it comes to making choices we can do better, understanding their potential impact on our lives and the lives of others. There’s love in this book, and great sacrifices, but mostly there are so much love in this book. The sacrifices made by the characters are profound, showcasing that love is not always easy, but it is always worth it.
It’s romantic but not too sweet and what’s in the beat of your heart, listen and, follow that arrow.
And also, I’m a mood reader, so the time that I read this, for me, it deeply resonated with my feeling, echoing the lingering idea of love and its enduring power.

[Puty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for this kind of love story; some hopeless romantic fools reuniting after years of being separated, finding each other again. (There's a reason I'm so attached with Jesse & Celine and was obsessed with 'Before Sunset'!)

'Finding Us Again', just like the blurb says, is about Bryce and Nora who fell in love in high school then got separated because Bryce's father was transferred to another part of the country. Bryce promised Nora that he would write messages behind pictures in hotels where his father works, and said that if Nora was meant to find fhem, she would. And he really kept on writing for her for... like... 15 years to the point he wondered, was it love or was it habit? Ha! I told you, Hopeless Romantic Fools! And I love it.

This book is sweetly written, especially the high-school flashback part because it was so detail and so sugary 💖 The last third of the book, the adults part, felt a bit rushed and less Diabetical but it was okay.

Would happily recommend it to every chicklit / lovefool fans out there! 💖

[Lilo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m no writer myself, but I am a reader.

This book is messy. The relationship is messy. Everything is very repetitive, and while reading, you can’t get in touch with every character. Everyone is the author. Everyone thinks the same way. Every other character, the bully, the sister, the friends, the ex-boyfriend, feels like taken out from just a normal stereotype. No one has a back story, even the parents.
You wanna talk about love, where everything is so romantic, and yet the main characters just falls in and out of love just like that. Even when they meet again for the last time, they both ready to just gave it up for Lisa. I got confused.
When she found the messages, it hardly felt like a climax. When they meet, it hardly felt like a climax.

I know this is your first book, and i still read them. But, maybe romance is not your thing. I’m sorry.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an ok read, but spent too long in the teenage years, with 150 pages before the main characters started dating. The blurb makes it seem like the majority of the book will be in the present day.
Some parts were really rushed through, eg when Bryce moves away in high school, there are a few paragraphs that briefly cover their attempts to stay in touch before it jumps to present day. It would have been better to skip or leave out some of the details from the school years (eg relationship with Ally) and focus more on their actions immediately after Bryce moved away.

[Tayi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written in a pure, understandable and smooth language. There aren’t any unnecessary descriptions that make the reader to give up reading. Flashback part is so enjoyable to read and makes smile on your face while you are reading. The last part sparks curiosity that’s why you couldn’t stop reading until you reach the end.
Would happily recommend it.