The Light We Lost

Lost and Found in Wallowpine #2

by Marae Good

One loss. One love. One more chance?

Indy Tyler has run out of excuses. Stuck in career limbo and haunted by a pressing need to right her wrongs, the past has finally caught up with her — Wallowpine, Arizona is calling her name. Once, this was home. Now it’s a reminder of every mistake Indy ever made, starting with stealing the golden boy’s dreams.

From college baseball star to drunken failure, Nolan Graham’s career trajectory cost him more than his reputation. Nine years later, he’s starting to feel like the world has left him behind. Until fiery, reckless, troublemaker Indy walks back into Wallowpine and lays a bomb at Nolan’s feet: their divorce papers were never filed.

Bound by small-town scandal, money, and the remnants of a love that once burned bright, Indy and Nolan agree to spend one month patching up their wounds. After that, they’ll part ways, forever.

But as Indy and Nolan’s lives entangle once more, they find themselves running out of reasons to walk away — even as the past threatens to repeat itself one last time.

Genres: Romance, Sports, Contemporary, Sports Romance, Second Chance Romance

Kindle Edition

First published September 17, 2024

About the author

Marae Good was born and raised in Arizona, where she currently lives with her
husband, two daughters and their sassy Yorkshire Terrier, Butter. After an episode of
crippling depression forced Marae to reevaluate her priorities, she found herself
returning to an old habit: reading. Mesmerized by the worlds she could escape to,
Marae started creating her own. When she’s
not writing, Marae loves to dance with her littles, run and hike in the mountains, or
stay up far too late bingeing TV shows (most likely Vampire Diaries or Gilmore Girls).

Reviews

[Jobeth Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I want to thank the Queen herself, Marae Good, for selecting me to read an ARC of this book. I stumbled across the first book in this series, The Burns We Carry, on BookTok, and immediately fell in love with the Graham brothers, the small town of Wallowpine, AZ, and Marae’s way of telling stories.

The Light We Lost is a beautifully written, dual POV, second-chance romance that takes readers on an emotional journey (I can’t be the only one that sobbed more than once). It masterfully tells the story of Nolan Graham, a character we met in the first book, and his “ex” wife, Indy. The dual POV allows readers to see both perspectives as Nolan and Indy navigate the painful realities of depression, substance abuse, and the weight of unresolved grief.

I love Marae’s ability to delve into the deeper, often unspoken challenges that come with life’s most difficult moments. Through her nuanced portrayal of the characters’ struggles, the book becomes a powerful exploration of how trauma and mental health can shape not only relationships but also individual identities.

As the story unfolds, the reader is drawn into a heart-wrenching yet hopeful tale that underscores the importance of forgiveness, healing, and love.

The Light We Lost is a compelling read that will resonate with anyone who has faced the challenges of mental health, addiction, or the loss of a loved one. It’s a story that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page, and I can’t wait to read more about the Graham brothers!

[Kimberly Starrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am super grateful to be given an E-arc of this amazing book. I loved the first book and couldn't wait to return to Wallowpine. Not only to see what Shay and Brooks were up to, but the whole town is so much a part of the story. Also, I'm a sucker for a romance series that follows a specific family, and the Graham Brothers are complicated and a little rough country boys. In other words, perfect. But this book is specifically about the middle Graham brother, Nolan, who was a great friend to Shay in the last book, but had clearly gone through some things he wasn't dealing with well. Enter Indy Tyler, the woman he can't forget, but thinks he doesn't deserve because of their past. They were childhood sweethearts that got married before college so they could live in the couples housing while Nolan played college baseball and hoped to hit it big in a few years. Clearly, it didn't go as planned or how they expected, and this story is them finding away through their past to either find each other as friends or more once they find out they weren't as divorced as they thought when they parted years ago. Anything else would be a spoiler, so I can't wait to read Levi's story or anything else Marae writes about in Wallowpine.

[Brooke (iambookish_brooke) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to head back to Wallopine. After seeing Nolan in book one, I couldn’t wait to read his story. But this was so much lovelier than I could have anticipated. The emotional chokehold this book had on me!!

Second chance, small town, dual POV, dual timeline. It’s heartfelt, heartbreaking, angsty, joyful, swoony. Finishing this book had me a puddle on the floor in the best way. It broke my heart and put it back together. All the feels. All the stars.

Indy and Nolan are everything. I love the then/now timelines filling in the past throughout the story. The pacing was impeccable. The friends/ family side characters added even more depth to an already emotionally rich story.

There are definitely some heavy themes, but they’re handled beautifully and carefully by Marae. Make sure to check TW my friends. Feel free to message me if you want to chat about any trigger specifics.

Thank you Marae for the chance to enjoy an ARC. I can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on it!

[Holly LeBeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written! I was getting Sweet Home Alabama vibes the whole time, it was so so cute! I loved it so much. I also love how the author has such a natural way of writing about hard topics and making it feel natural between the character and the story, without it being forced in your face. That being said, the mental health rep was very well done!
~~
"Babies are way cooler and talk less."

" “I don’t know what’s going through that mind of yours, but I can see you’re panicking and wanting to run away.” He stroked his thumb over my cheek. “But all I’m thinking is . . . you’ve never looked more like yourself than you do right now. And nothing in me wants to run from you.” "

" “Everyone’s going to think what they want regardless. I might as well be happy.” "
~~
small town romance, second chance romance, he falls first, friends to lovers, childhood friends to lovers, mental health rep, he falls first

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this small town second chance romance! Marae has a beautiful writing style and I loved seeing glimpses of the secondary characters that I fell in love with in The Burns We Carry. She writes tension and emotion in a palpable way and I loved those moments!

This is a closed door romance with some vague descriptions leading up to fade to black. If this is confusing DM me and I’ll explain 😂 I thought it was tasteful and showed their physical connection without being explicit which I appreciate.

Things I loved:
-it’s always been you moments
-the kiss cam scene and all the “he gets jealous”moments🫠
-Nolan is flirty and put together on the outside but beneath is a lot of depth and pain
-Indy struggles with difficult parental relationships and feels like she is always trying to earn love and needs to prove herself worthy
-mental health struggles are represented in such a beautiful way, I love how she describes the symptoms of depression

I look forward to reading more in this series! I can’t wait to read the youngest brother’s book!

Thank you so much for this eARC! All thoughts are my own.

Romance: fade to black

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just want to note, it took me so long to read this because I’ve been struggling to read ANYTHING this month, not because of the book itself. This book was fantastic.

I love Nolan & Indy so much. It was a strange experience because in the first book, I related to the fmc, Shay, on a very personal level. So the journey and the healing all felt like I was experiencing it too. In this book, I didn’t relate to Indy or her story at all. I still loved getting to go along for the ride, though. Nolan & Indy are a unique couple. Wild & rowdy & passionate. This felt like watching a movie. Imagine if Footloose & Sweet Home Alabama had a baby = this would be it 😂👏🏼

Side note: this is a closed door romance with mild cussing. Lots of tension, but no spice!

Thank you so much for letting me receive an ARC of this book, Marae! I cannot wait for hot tattooed Levi’s book next!!! Haha

[Aubree · Rating 5 out of 5]

No words I’m speechless🤭

[Jen Altman · Rating 5 out of 5]

When we first met Nolan Graham in The Burns We Carry, I couldn’t help but swoon at this southern gentleman with a heart of pure gold. Every time he called Shay ‘darlin’ I absolutely melted. To say I was excited for his story is a vast understatement, but I don’t think I was prepared for the emotional journey this book would take me on.

Writing this review has been difficult, and I put it off longer than I should have – simply because I didn’t feel I could give this story the justice it deserves with my words. I related to these characters in such a deeply personal way. The way that Marae Good handled mental health topics was so incredibly accurate and graceful. If you’ve ever felt like you needed to numb the pain in any way possible, this book just may break you and put you back together again like it did me. It’s not easy to talk about, but it’s real and raw and so unbelievably beautiful.

Nolan Graham was once Willowpine’s golden boy, but the pressure to succeed, depression, and addiction soon began to engulf him in a darkness he couldn’t escape. Indy did everything she could to rescue him, but she had convinced herself that she’d been the cause of the spiral that resulted in irreparable harm to them both. Can these high school sweethearts find their way back to each other after so much pain?

The characters in the Willowpine series are unlike any other. It’s incredible to see how even the side characters can add so much depth to an already emotionally rich story. The Graham brothers are the epitome of book boyfriends. Authors, take note. This is the gold standard that all MMC’s should live up to!

Told in dual POV’s/alternating timelines, this heartfelt and angsty story is a MUST READ for ALL contemporary romance readers! 💙🩵

[Abigail Winters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author was so kind to send me and ARC and I have no words for how much I loved this book. I felt all the emotions of these characters. Marae Good describes the struggles of marriage, grief, and mental health so beautifully. I love love loved watching Indy and Nolan grow and heal from their past. This book made me giggle and blush as much as it made me cry.

Read this if you love:
🍑 second chance romance
🍑 ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ vibes
🍑 real talk about mental health
🍑 imperfect characters just trying their best

[Lena Beiler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly, thank you so much Marae for giving me an opportunity to read an ARC of this book!

I was so excited to be coming back to Wallowpine Arizona! This book is about high school sweethearts that lose their way and each other, but get a second chance to reconcile and make things right. Nolan Graham was Wallowpine’s golden boy until addiction and grief threatened to swallow him up in darkness that he couldn’t crawl out of. Indy tried her best to save him from that darkness, but she felt responsible for hurting both of them beyond repair. Marae does not shy away from writing about tough topics and handles the subjects so beautifully in this story. I related to both main characters with their struggles on a deeply personal level, so much so that the words brought me to tears quite a few times and I’m not usually a crier! 😆
But despite the tough topics there was plenty of love and happiness and laughter! It was fun to catch up with Brooks and Shay and little Tater ☺️ and the rest of the lovely residents of Wallowpine. I had so much fun reading about Nolan and Indy and can’t wait to read Levi’s book 😊

[Morgan (lostinthepages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another captivating, heart wrenching, soulful book by Marae Good. I absolutely loved it! There was symbolism in Nolan’s woodworking, past pain, healing, redemption and second chances.

Everything about it pulled me in and it was hard to put it down. If you haven’t read anything by Marae, you HAVE to! They’re so good!

Content: fade to black scenes, slightly more descriptive intimacy outside of the bedroom, pg13 language

Trigger warnings: depression, parental abandonment, miscarriage

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

PERFECTION just perfection. 😭🫶🏼😭

[Jacqueline Silverwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please give me a moment while I put my heart back together and try to control these tears of joy. First and foremost: Thank You Marae. Thank you for trusting me with this ARC copy, thank you for this couple, thank you specially for Indy Tyler, but mostly, thank you for writing this story.

The first time I went to Wallowpine, I fell in love with a single mom and a cranky forest ranger. I fell in love with a small town and all of it’s charming characters. So we can all understand how excited I was to go back, to get Nolan’s story, and of course to get lost in Wallowpine again. :)

The Light We Lost is a dual POV/dual timeline with layered unique characters, that tells the story of Indy Tyler, Wallowpine’s wild child, and Nolan Graham, Wallowpine’s golden boy.

“I’d only ever be a need to Nolan.”

We start the story with Indy, who right off the bat, is thrown off her path. Which, as it turns out, not a new experience for her. She’s lost and trying desperately not to sink below the surface of her life. Then she gets the news she’s still married to her high school sweetheart she immediately goes back home to address the situation.

Enter Nolan Graham, the town’s golden boy, who has always been lost and filled with loneliness, until Indy comes barreling back into his life, fiery and chaotic.

“You don’t play fair.”
“Never said I would, Indy. I’m playing to win.”

The Light We Lost is not just a second chance romance, but a soul shattering love story. One filled with heartache, loss, and confusion, but also triumph and growth. Marae delves into grief, loss (of multiple different kinds), mental illness, and how perception can twist people into villains, with honesty that will make you cry (at least four or five times before you’re even half way done with the book, if you’re like me) but she also repairs your heart with a gentleness that everyone deserves in life; understanding.

Marae handles difficult topics with grace and raw emotion. She shows that people handle pain so differently. How sometimes love will force us to shield and defend instead of accept and share. How being strong can sometimes look like indifference. And how two people can lose each other while still being right next to one another.

I especially love Indy in this. She feels so real to me. I can feel her running bare foot, I can feel the peach juice on my tongue, and the wild nature of her space, her joy and even the loss of that joy. (Which hurt more than I thought it would) Indy is so relatable. She’s only ever been sure about one thing and that’s Nolan, a blind faith in him that stabilizes her, while her chaos brings life to him. Pulling each other from their darkness. The balance between the two and then the shared misery is hauntingly beautiful. I loved experiencing their love, their loss, their story, with them. You’re never just told information and asked to accept it. You live these moments, this love and loss, with this couple.

“…you don’t need anyone’s permission to take up space. Take up the whole damn world, it’s yours.”

I can easily say that I no longer want to get lost in Wallowpine, but I will forever wish to be found in Wallowpine.

Read this story, you will not regret a single second of it.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that just feels special. As the reader I could feel Marae's heart and soul on the page. It was easy to tell how much she loved these characters and I am to thankful for the care she put into telling their story.

One of my favorite things about the way Marae writes romance is how she manages a heavier tone without it feeling too heavy or like shes adding trauma for the sake of trauma/ to manipulate emotions. She creates depth of character and a range of emotions that feel true to life.

This is a second chance romance with a fair share of pain and heartbreak but the way everything is sewn back together is beautiful and the journey is absolutely worth it.

Thank you to the author for the chance to read an eARC!

Rating: Loved it
Romantic content: vague open door/fade to black
Other content: mild language, mental illness, alcohol abuse, miscarriage

[Paige Maddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. Easy.

This book made me self reflect a lot. I have so many similar qualities with both Indy and Nolan. I have reacted to certain situations similarly. I felt the humanness of this story. And it made me ache to be better at knowing myself and those I love. But also I felt so much hope and saw so much grace.

[Jacqlin Guernsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d give this 6 stars if I could. Perfection in every way. Marae has outdone herself.

[Katie Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marae does such a good job at stomping on your heart and then (mostly) mending it 😂🫶 I was so excited to be back in Wallowpine and I DEVOURED this book!

Indy and Nolan are round, nuanced characters that will worm their way into your heart QUICKLY and you cannot help but love them and root for them. I LOVED the dual timeline and thought it was very well done. It was exactly how this story needed to be told.

Although it’s not required, I would absolutely recommend reading The Burns We Carry first if you can! There were so many great Easter eggs that she wove into this book, and so many little moments were more impactful because of my base knowledge of the characters.

This was another 5/5 star read and I already can’t wait for Marae’s next book!!!

[Laura Twaroski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt all the feelings and could not put this book down!
Nolan and Indy’s story gave some solid Sweet Home Alabama vibes, and my heart ate it all up. It was the perfect about of heartbreak, second chance, self-acceptance, forgiveness and romance. I can’t wait to read it again!

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Marae Good for the ARC!

This was the second book I’ve read by Marae and it was so good! I really liked the first one in this series but LOVED this one.

For someone who only wants to consume audiobooks right now I found myself drawn to reading this one every day!

It was a beautiful story that showcased grief, second chance romance, growth, depression, and fighting for what you want. I have a soft spot for Indy and Nolan 🫶🏼.

It was low on the spice scale but still have me butterflies, anything on the page was not descriptive BUT STILL 🥵.

[Savannah Fredericksen · Rating 5 out of 5]

With Nolan being my favorite Graham brother since book one, I was so stoked to be able to be an ARC reader for this book and read his love story! I absolutely adored this book and read it so fast! Marae tackled real and tough topics beautifully and capably. I highly recommend this book. There’s great humor and great growth wrapped up in this book. I am so excited for the next book.
Indy and Nolan felt very well written and real to me. And Bethany, imma hold your fictional hand when I say this, you suck and I hope you get what’s coming.
If you loved Sweet Home Alabama with Reece Witherspoon, you’ll love this book.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You don't need anyone's permission to take up space. Take up the whole damn world. It's yours." How can I even begin to express my gratitude for the gift that is this book? This story! These characters! Marae writes not only so beautifully, but so deeply and poignantly with laughter generously sprinkled in. Indy and Nolan’s flaws and antics only made me more endeared to them. I was FERAL for this second chance friends-to-lovers romance from the moment you announced it and it DELIVERED. I am now forever obsessed with Indy and Nolan. The banter. The tension. The kissing. TIS ONE OF MY TOP READS OF THE YEAR!!! I appreciated the depression representation as I too struggle with it, and also the portrayal of addiction, as my life has been personally impacted by someone I love who battled with an addiction. You handled so many sensitive topics with such care. So much resonated with me—especially the portions about miscarriage. Oh my dear Marae, thank you for writing that with such tenderness and empathy. The story itself paired with your author’s note is a love letter to all those who do not have children by circumstance or choice or both. The Light We Lost was a love letter to me 🌲💍⚾️🍺🍑🐈‍⬛👵🏻👴🏼🐐🧘🏻‍♀️🪵🪓💐💔❤️‍🩹🌌

[Nicole | bookishhygienist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marae Good does it again! This was small town, second chance romance PERFECTION🥹

Indy is a fiery, sassy and free spirited woman who struggles to find her place in the world…the town she grew up in and left knows her to be reckless and a troublemaker but she proves to them and herself that her heart has always been in the right place and that she is enough.

Nolan has always been the towns baseball star/golden boy until he lost that career and came back to his hometown alone and lost. The dual timeline was seamless and the way this story needed to be told. The writing around addiction, depression and recovery was so carefully handled. The author shows us through these characters and this story that with love, none of us is a burden to the right people in our lives. I related to too much in this, lots of tears, gut wrenching moments and laughs. Just so so good!!🥹🥹

[Alyxandria Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I want to say thank you for selecting me as an ARC reader. This book is amazing in so many ways. I love the insight we get into Nolan after falling in love with him in The Burns We Carry. Indy and her fiery spirit as she tries to find herself in this crazy world; I think so many of us can relate to her.
This book is a must-read!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

STOP EVERYTHING AND READ THIS BOOK.
Well, if you haven't read The Burns We Carry, read that first, because, you know, spoilers. It's on KU. Shoo. Go.

Everybody else:


Ok now that the new people are all happily in Wallopine, I can spill my guts about this book no holds barred.

First I want to thank Marae for the opportunity to read TLWL as an ARC, I am so very honored to be able to read it in advance! I loved being an ARC reader for her first book and was so happy to have that same opportunity again.

First let me say, I usually am not a fan of second chance romance and especially not when they jump back and forth in the time line. SCR usually means miscommunication trope of some kind, like they broke up because of some stupid argument but the one called the other to apologize but their phone was on silent so they had no idea and then they thought that the other just ignored their call and they're mad at each other forever now. And I don't like the back and forth time line because it gives me whiplash I don't know who to be mad at and want to apologize and who to sympathize with, like I don't know whose side to be on until the reason for the breakup is revealed at the end of the book. These were the reasons Happy Place wasn't my favorite.

TLWL has these two tropes and can I just say that I'm absolutely OBSESSED with how Marae did it!? I'm shocked (well, not really, because Marae is amazing per usual) that she took two of my least favorite tropes and make me absolutely LOVE THEM! The reason they broke up was so real and a perfectly good reason, like I didn't feel mad at either one of them I just cried because my poor babies went through so much and they lost each other. And the timeline jumping was done perfectly like whaaaat!? She inserted a flashback at the exact moment when I WANTED to jump back and know what happened, so no whiplash at all. And she slowly let us realize how they were falling apart, instead of an abrupt reason at the end, so we understood the cause for breakup rather then just being told "well this is what happened".

Now the CHEMISTRY between these two, WOW. Nolan and Indy are just so perfect I can't even. I loved Brooks and Shay so much that I was worried I would have a hard time loving this new couple as much and would constantly compare them to Brooks and Shay, but NOPE! I freaking love them. The amount of backstory and personality that they're given really bring them to life and don't make them seem flat. I was obsessed with Nolan from when I met him TBWC and could not wait to read more about him. In a way, I felt like his protective sister who had to approve of this girl Indy who was going to be his love interest in this book lol, I was heavily evaluating her to see if she was good for my Nolan. But because Marae is QUEEN of writing, of course Indy was absolutely perfect for him in every way.

Okay, and Winnie/Wren is just like adorable?! Don't even get me started on her. I kind of pictured her as Boo from Monsters Inc.
she was just adorable and I loved seeing Shay and Brooks with their new family. And Nolan is just the BEST uncle. Kudos to him for eating a soggy toddler cookie to hide the evidence from Shay, I would not do that if you paid me. And I'm the oldest of 5 so I have had experience with kids and STILL I would not do that. So. Props to him lol.

Another thing I want to mention is how well Marae writes real life issues which I know is difficult to capture all the proper emotions related to them especially one in particular which I won't mention because spoilers lol, and Marae really makes the reader feel all the raw emotion that the characters are feeling. You go through the same pain they are. And then, she writes the most beautiful recovery from it, you can feel the characters healing. And she does all this without making the book too heavy, you don't feel stressed out or burdened reading it.

Please go pick up this series if you haven't yet, reading it feels like a big, warm hug! I love Wallopine Arizona so much and already am anticipating going back!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars.

⚾️ The vibes:
- dual timeline
- Book 2; can be standalone
- still married
- Second Chance

🐈‍⬛ My thoughts:
Indy and Nolan fall into an all consuming highschool romance and run away to get married the first moment they can. When both of their dreams go up in flames in one swoop, neither will come out of the relationship unscathed. Nine years later, they are notified that the divorce papers were never finalized. As Indy and Nolan try to find a final closure, they continue to see all the reasons they fell in love the first time. But with the ghosts of their pasts never far behind- will they ever be able to move forward ?

🐈‍⬛ Overall, this was such a good read. Nolan struggles with addiction- and seeing his journey through this series has been refreshing for me. I love to see addiction rep in books because I think it’s so common and is very real for many people. I enjoy seeing flawed characters that find peace, and I think Marae did so good at interweaving these elements into Nolan’s character.

🐈‍⬛ Seeing the past unfold for Nolan and Indy really pulled on my heart strings. There’s some heavy plot lines here that play a large role throughout so check CW if you have concerns. The way that both Indy and Nolan had to grow for eachother but more so for themselves was my favorite thing about this book.

🐈‍⬛ I did have moments where I had a hard time understanding the reason they were trying to make it work just to say goodbye. So many times I was like. If it’s working- we do we need to still have the plan to say goodbye. It’s explained but I still had a hard time grasping it.

🐈‍⬛ Lastly, some things I loved- Indy’s cat!!!! I LOVE to see a cat and a man who loves a cat. And this little cutie cat was a whole entire character in this book which I loved. I also loved the tattoo. Obviously. And I loved seeing the brothers again.

🫠 Something I did not love- Indy’s mom infuriated me. Goals of what NOT to be. 🙈

🖤 Overall- I’m really enjoying this series. I love the brothers, and I cannot wait for Levi’s story. A bad boy (who is super sweet) with tattoos. Can’t waitttttt!

Note- fade to black/ language
Check CW if you have concerns

Release date: September 17, 2024.

Thank you so much to Marae Good for the gifted copy.

[Kmae.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. First and foremost I just want to say how lucky I feel to receive ARCs from Marae. Every time I finish one of her books, I’m immediately begging her for more. These stories always have so much feeling in them. You know that Marae is putting her entire soul into these, you can feel it from the very first page. If you haven’t picked them up yet, I highly encourage you to do so, starting with The Burns We Carry so you get an intro to all of our Graham brothers. 😮‍💨

Nolan and Indy… 🫶 Both very lovable characters. I don’t know what it is about FMC’s written by Marae, but I immediately feel extremely protective over them. I want to shoulder their burdens and encourage them to chase their dreams. They always seem like they would be the best friend a girl could ask for. And NOLAN my guyyy. 😩 the words that come out of this man’s mouth, I’m weak in the knees just thinking back to all of my highlights! And he turned out to be so much more than just the flirty ladies man—seeing him fight through the darkness was so painful. There were times I’d just want to shake him and show him that it’s clear as day that he is so worth everything and more. 🩵

While there are some heavier topics, handled so beautifully, there is SO much humor woven through this story. I was literally laughing out loud through many scenes. Indy is… a bit of a prankster to say the very least. 🤭 So I encourage you to check out the trigger warnings if you have any concerns, but please know that the hard parts all wrap up in this beautiful story of love, loss, hope, family, and acceptance. 🩵

[Amanda - Mood Readers Anonymous · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute PERFECTION! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Marae has a way of writing that makes you connect with and understand the characters so well even if you have no personal life experiences like theirs. As you’re reading you’re feeling their emotions right along with them like it’s happening right in front of you. I loved Indy and Nolan so much. 🥰 Their banter, passion and absolute dedication to one another from childhood into adulthood, and through so many trials and heartbreaks, was so beautiful to see. I laughed out loud, and I cried so many times.

The mental health representation was so well written, and I loved that it addressed it with a man dealing with depression. We see so many female characters written dealing with anxiety, but society tells us men need to be strong and hold it all together. I loved that it showed it’s okay to be vulnerable and to admit you need help. And that even when you do get help, you’re not broken if it’s something you continually have to work through. It’s something that needs said more often.

Seeing the continuation of Nolan’s story after reading The Burns We Carry was so, so good. We got to see the sweetest side of him in Burns and if you haven’t read it you need to RUN and start it IMMEDIATELY. I loved it so much. ❤️

Any book by Marae is an auto-buy for me from now on. Her writing is just so beautiful. She weaves humor, heartbreak, and real-life experiences into her characters so well and I’m just so excited for others to find out what an amazing storyteller she is. 🥰

[Gnomereader · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I could find you with my eyes closed, even with miles and mountains between us. I will never lose sight of you.”

The Light We Lost is the second book in the Wallow Pines series and I loved it just as much as the first one (The Burns We Carry), maybe even a little more. It was incredibly good and so heart achingly beautiful.

Indy and Nolan were high school sweethearts that got married at 18 before chasing Nolan’s dreams of making it big with baseball. Life didn’t turn out the way they hoped and one divorce and 9 years later, Indy gets a shock when she finds out that their divorce is not as final as they both thought.

This is a second chance, slow burn romance with mental health rep, and dual POV, as well as dual timelines. Don’t let that scare you because it was so easy to follow and really helped to set the stage for the story to unfold. I felt so many emotions while reading and I cried several times- Marae just does an amazing job hitting you right in the heart with these storylines.

Character development is so strong for both books in this series. I get so invested and can’t help but root for them. The books in this series are just so good! If you like Abby Jimenez, I think you will really enjoy these, they have the same fantastic ability of pulling you in deep and making you care, all while making you laugh and cry along the way.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know those soul cleansing cry sessions that leave you feeling raw and empty but also fresh and renewed? That is me after reading The Light We Lost by @maraegood.writes

This book was so cathartic and masterfully written. I felt all of their pain so deeply and my chest would just burst with their joy. Marae has such a unique way of drawing out your empathy and emotions for her characters that you don’t even realize you are just as head over heels for them as they are each other!

You cannot miss reading this beautiful second chance, small town , masterpiece. And just so you know… when Nolan says “MY WIFE” you will melt into a heart-shaped puddle before the end of the sentence! and make SURE you read the acknowledgments after the story… it’s remarkable!

Marae- thank you so much for telling this story and allowing me to read it and share the journey with you. I will never be the same ♥️

This book deals with some painful life experiences so if you would like to talk about those before reading I am available!

[Bekah Klemke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore Marae's books. I was selected to be an ARC reader for TBWC, and was so honored to recieve an ARC for TLWL as well. Marae is able to craft such tender and raw romances that will make you swoon. She also allows her characters to grow independently, not just as a couple. This gives the characters a very real feel, and I found myself extremely attached to each of them while reading.

The side characters in this book also felt real while reading. They didn't feel like NPCs, and I could tell that Marae put so much thought and emotion into every aspect of her books.

And then we have the mental health representation. I was so happy with how that was all handled. Nolan found peace and happiness in himself before trying to mend things with Indy, and I loved that Marae didn't rely on Indy to fix all of Nolans problems. It was so empowering and uplifting.

Long story short, read this book!