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Finding Jess
Sam Hayes thought she’d moved on. It’s been eight years since Jess crashed into her life before slipping away, and four years since they tore each other apart for good. Now Sam’s within reach of her ultimate selling her software company and proving herself in the tech industry. All she needs to do is integrate her software with a new financial firm, lock in the deal, and walk away with everything she’s worked for.
But on day one, everything unravels. The person overseeing the project is her childhood best friend—someone she hasn’t seen since her mother’s death. A living reminder of the life she barely managed to escape. And to twist the knife even deeper—that best friend just happens to be Jess' current girlfriend.
Determined to stick it out, Sam forces herself to focus—until she’s dragged back into Jess’ orbit when they’re both caught up in the whirlwind of their mutual friend, Scarlett’s, wedding. Between dress fittings, late-night parties, and quiet moments that linger too long, Sam and Jess find themselves colliding once again, forced to confront the broken pieces of their past.
Now, with everything she's worked toward at risk, Sam must face what she’s truly willing to sacrifice—and whether a future with Jess is something she can hold onto, or something she’s bound to lose all over again.
This time, for good.
But on day one, everything unravels. The person overseeing the project is her childhood best friend—someone she hasn’t seen since her mother’s death. A living reminder of the life she barely managed to escape. And to twist the knife even deeper—that best friend just happens to be Jess' current girlfriend.
Determined to stick it out, Sam forces herself to focus—until she’s dragged back into Jess’ orbit when they’re both caught up in the whirlwind of their mutual friend, Scarlett’s, wedding. Between dress fittings, late-night parties, and quiet moments that linger too long, Sam and Jess find themselves colliding once again, forced to confront the broken pieces of their past.
Now, with everything she's worked toward at risk, Sam must face what she’s truly willing to sacrifice—and whether a future with Jess is something she can hold onto, or something she’s bound to lose all over again.
This time, for good.
329 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 20, 2024
115 people are currently reading
668 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
March 26, 2025
Captivating read!
I love and enjoyed this 2nd book in 'Losing Sam' charming chronicle. A love story -- so well written including some very realistic dialogue --- this unbreakable bond, undeniable chemistry/want, relationship evolution/growth with heartbreak & even raw expressions of their emotions which eventually leads to their journey of everlasting love/commitment. Has some very good secondary & supporting characters. The entire series is pretty good and i don't think that readers will be disappointed.
A highly recommended book & series!
I love and enjoyed this 2nd book in 'Losing Sam' charming chronicle. A love story -- so well written including some very realistic dialogue --- this unbreakable bond, undeniable chemistry/want, relationship evolution/growth with heartbreak & even raw expressions of their emotions which eventually leads to their journey of everlasting love/commitment. Has some very good secondary & supporting characters. The entire series is pretty good and i don't think that readers will be disappointed.
A highly recommended book & series!
September 18, 2025
3.5 Stars
Finding Jess sequel to Losing Sam by Nicole Maser.
Strong start for book 2 for the first part. The tension was thick, the awkwardness was excruciating and Sam’s stress was quite evident through the pages in contrast with Book 1 where Jess was the one under a lot of pressure.
The second part was flat out indulgence for the fans of book 1. The author did not fail to capitalise on brewing thick and bitter jealousy. However, Sam’s naïveté was a bit much. I understand that it could have been explained by lack of healthy socialising when she was younger, etc, but for me, it was just too much. Her oblivion could be compared to her being a chair. Like she was inanimate. No one could be THAT oblivious. Anyway…
The third part, especially the last bit was just painful…in a bad way unfortunately. The story played to the tune of most of the generic romance stories with the third act break up. To top it off, it took three of Sam’s closest people to push her to recognise her blind spot. THREE people. That’s a lot of the same thing said differently.
That being said, I still really loved and enjoyed reading these two characters’ story from their angsty high school days to professional grown women. The author succeeded in endearing the characters to me and since Hearing Red plus this duology makes three out of three of the author’s works I have read, I know for a fact that I’ll be following the author’s publishing journey.
Finding Jess sequel to Losing Sam by Nicole Maser.
Strong start for book 2 for the first part. The tension was thick, the awkwardness was excruciating and Sam’s stress was quite evident through the pages in contrast with Book 1 where Jess was the one under a lot of pressure.
The second part was flat out indulgence for the fans of book 1. The author did not fail to capitalise on brewing thick and bitter jealousy. However, Sam’s naïveté was a bit much. I understand that it could have been explained by lack of healthy socialising when she was younger, etc, but for me, it was just too much. Her oblivion could be compared to her being a chair. Like she was inanimate. No one could be THAT oblivious. Anyway…
The third part, especially the last bit was just painful…in a bad way unfortunately. The story played to the tune of most of the generic romance stories with the third act break up. To top it off, it took three of Sam’s closest people to push her to recognise her blind spot. THREE people. That’s a lot of the same thing said differently.
That being said, I still really loved and enjoyed reading these two characters’ story from their angsty high school days to professional grown women. The author succeeded in endearing the characters to me and since Hearing Red plus this duology makes three out of three of the author’s works I have read, I know for a fact that I’ll be following the author’s publishing journey.
January 12, 2025
Beautiful story. Really well written and definitely gives you the feels. I think I can relate to the way the author sees life, that's why I enjoy her storytelling so much. Hope to read more. Someone here mentioned the title and how it doesn't make sense. It took losing Sam for Jess to find herself. It took finding Jess for Sam to stop losing herself. It makes perfect sense to me.
January 10, 2025
lol, wtf. so quietly dropped the book. I love you for this book.
Scroll to the end first to make sure it's a HEA.
***************SPOILER AFTER READING********
…......................................................................
Sad I didn't like it. It was underwhelming for me.
In Losing Sam, we already know the Sam character to be a bit quiet and reserved.
Finding Jess is in her POV. It was her quiet and reserved mind which was... underwhelming. Through out the book I was like, dude, hold her hand, say something nice to her...express your feelings. She instigated kissing just once.
It is weird cause, Sam is such a nice person and experienced, you would expect her to be romantic but she was not. She was consistently doubting herself and the situation.
What surprised me was that this book is the same as Losing Sam. This time it was just Sam who was the lost-confused-indecisive-unwilling-to-take-a-chance- character. I felt, eight years later there should be some changes in communication...or Sam really going after Jess to get her; or Jess going after Sam. But no, it was the same old story.
Also, the basis of the plot/problem was not clear. Jess was not happy about Sam leaving their state of residence but the author spun it like Sam was always leaving Jess. And Sam maybe did not still trust Jess cause of how she was hot/cold 8 years ago. I was like...come on. Jess' problem was that she was in the closet but she was not anymore by the end of the book. Also, Sam was a big-time IT guru who needed to travel for work. If my girl is about to become a millionaire best believe I am following her or making the sacrifices. Every time Same moved was cause she had to grow her business. It shocked me how Jess complained.
I mean, there were some cute/nice moments. I liked how they were often at the same place.
I really need a romantic story from the author.
Scroll to the end first to make sure it's a HEA.
***************SPOILER AFTER READING********
…......................................................................
Sad I didn't like it. It was underwhelming for me.
In Losing Sam, we already know the Sam character to be a bit quiet and reserved.
Finding Jess is in her POV. It was her quiet and reserved mind which was... underwhelming. Through out the book I was like, dude, hold her hand, say something nice to her...express your feelings. She instigated kissing just once.
It is weird cause, Sam is such a nice person and experienced, you would expect her to be romantic but she was not. She was consistently doubting herself and the situation.
What surprised me was that this book is the same as Losing Sam. This time it was just Sam who was the lost-confused-indecisive-unwilling-to-take-a-chance- character. I felt, eight years later there should be some changes in communication...or Sam really going after Jess to get her; or Jess going after Sam. But no, it was the same old story.
Also, the basis of the plot/problem was not clear. Jess was not happy about Sam leaving their state of residence but the author spun it like Sam was always leaving Jess. And Sam maybe did not still trust Jess cause of how she was hot/cold 8 years ago. I was like...come on. Jess' problem was that she was in the closet but she was not anymore by the end of the book. Also, Sam was a big-time IT guru who needed to travel for work. If my girl is about to become a millionaire best believe I am following her or making the sacrifices. Every time Same moved was cause she had to grow her business. It shocked me how Jess complained.
I mean, there were some cute/nice moments. I liked how they were often at the same place.
I really need a romantic story from the author.
December 30, 2024
“We both know that for all those years, I would’ve done anything to be together,” she said with a calm that reminded Sam of the ocean after a bad storm had finally passed. “Ten miles, or ten thousand miles, I would’ve been yours.” Jess swallowed, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “It was you who walked away. It was you every single time.”
God I wanted to give this book a 5 so bad because I love Maser’s writing, and Jess and Sam are literally soulmates that hold a special place in my heart. Like I adore them together and was rooting for them the entire time, through all the angst and unsaid words.
However, while I did enjoy this book, Sam just frustrated me far too much at times. Like I hate it when a character has to be told multiple times from different friends to go after the girl, and yet she STILL didn’t. Like what other wake up call do you need?? How can you be so in love with this person but still willing to leave or watch them get back with an ex because you’re too afraid of failing? I don’t know, it really annoyed me and I wanted to crawl into the book just to shake her to clarity. Also wish we got to see her open up a little more to Jess instead of just changing the subject each time.
Anyways overall I did enjoy this - I cried, smiled, laughed, all of it. Plus there was a spice scene that was top notch and we got a HEA at the end. Recommend :)
God I wanted to give this book a 5 so bad because I love Maser’s writing, and Jess and Sam are literally soulmates that hold a special place in my heart. Like I adore them together and was rooting for them the entire time, through all the angst and unsaid words.
However, while I did enjoy this book, Sam just frustrated me far too much at times. Like I hate it when a character has to be told multiple times from different friends to go after the girl, and yet she STILL didn’t. Like what other wake up call do you need?? How can you be so in love with this person but still willing to leave or watch them get back with an ex because you’re too afraid of failing? I don’t know, it really annoyed me and I wanted to crawl into the book just to shake her to clarity. Also wish we got to see her open up a little more to Jess instead of just changing the subject each time.
Anyways overall I did enjoy this - I cried, smiled, laughed, all of it. Plus there was a spice scene that was top notch and we got a HEA at the end. Recommend :)
December 26, 2024
While i was almost done with my re read of Hearing Red I saw that Nicole had unexpectedly just dropped a sequel for Losing Sam so i decided that should immediately be my next read.
The first time i read HR I loved it so so much that i wanted to check out the author’s other work, and that’s how i got to Losing Sam. I liked it, but not nearly as much, maybe cause i had just finished what might be one of my fav books… and now that i read Finding Jess just as i finished HR I feel the same way about this book. It was an ok read, but after HR it just doesn’t come close and maybe that’s why it was just an ok read for me. (Which might be a bit unfair to hold them to the same standards as HR :/ )
I honestly had a hard time remembering what had happened in the first book, so i struggled with some parts of it while i tried to remember what the hell had happened before. I also got tired of the back and forth between jess and sam, practically running in circles for most of the book and up until the last few chapters.
I also wish it had a dual POV, kinda missed the jess element to it.
This is a 3.5
The first time i read HR I loved it so so much that i wanted to check out the author’s other work, and that’s how i got to Losing Sam. I liked it, but not nearly as much, maybe cause i had just finished what might be one of my fav books… and now that i read Finding Jess just as i finished HR I feel the same way about this book. It was an ok read, but after HR it just doesn’t come close and maybe that’s why it was just an ok read for me. (Which might be a bit unfair to hold them to the same standards as HR :/ )
I honestly had a hard time remembering what had happened in the first book, so i struggled with some parts of it while i tried to remember what the hell had happened before. I also got tired of the back and forth between jess and sam, practically running in circles for most of the book and up until the last few chapters.
I also wish it had a dual POV, kinda missed the jess element to it.
This is a 3.5
February 23, 2025
A really good read, though at times can be quite frustrating…when it comes to dear Sam! But she got there…eventually!
March 16, 2025
slowest slow burn the world has ever seen and i loved every single second of it
July 29, 2025
Very very very dull. I struggled to get through it and was skimming parts at the end which is very unlike me! The whole premise of the book made no sense and I couldn’t understand the decisions the characters made at all. There were also lots of inconsistencies and at times I honestly didn’t want them to be together at all!
January 20, 2025
Stunning, finished it in one sitting. These two women hold a special place in my heart right now
December 28, 2024
Losing Sam: Book 2
This is a solid 3.5-star read for me. As someone who loves this author and will read anything she writes, I appreciated her continued talent for creating flawed, relatable characters. Jess and Sam are adults now, navigating their undeniable connection while repeatedly sabotaging themselves. Their dynamic is frustrating but realistic, and I couldn’t help but root for them. Sam, in particular, resonates deeply with me in ways that feel both personal and bittersweet. While I enjoyed revisiting these characters, the story felt a bit stagnant at times, with some moments dragging.
This is a solid 3.5-star read for me. As someone who loves this author and will read anything she writes, I appreciated her continued talent for creating flawed, relatable characters. Jess and Sam are adults now, navigating their undeniable connection while repeatedly sabotaging themselves. Their dynamic is frustrating but realistic, and I couldn’t help but root for them. Sam, in particular, resonates deeply with me in ways that feel both personal and bittersweet. While I enjoyed revisiting these characters, the story felt a bit stagnant at times, with some moments dragging.
March 6, 2025
sam is so damn dumb in this book like🙄 jess is better than me.. cute ending tho i guess
April 25, 2025
Suprising
I didn't know there was going to be a Book 2. I was so excited because the first one is one of my favorite romance book. I'm so happy to see Sam and Jess again and follow their story. Being in Sam head for this book was different but love to have both point of view.
I love seeing them reconnect and Scarlet being the best friend you could ever want. Each book Jess/Sam are soooo overwork, its add intensity to their every thought. Their relationship is still so soft like you can feel love in their eyes, smile, thought and actions, not in a big way but all the little things, is what I love the most about them. Also adore the poem at the end, I take it like author does dedication, it's a nice touch.
But not gonna lied, toward the end, it was really frustating, especially Sam. I mean come on Scarlet, Caleb and Tiana have to explain how she's being a big old idiot for her to actually do something. Still a very good book and totally recommend to see more of Jess and Sam
PS: Sorry if some sentence are weird, English is not my native language.
I didn't know there was going to be a Book 2. I was so excited because the first one is one of my favorite romance book. I'm so happy to see Sam and Jess again and follow their story. Being in Sam head for this book was different but love to have both point of view.
I love seeing them reconnect and Scarlet being the best friend you could ever want. Each book Jess/Sam are soooo overwork, its add intensity to their every thought. Their relationship is still so soft like you can feel love in their eyes, smile, thought and actions, not in a big way but all the little things, is what I love the most about them. Also adore the poem at the end, I take it like author does dedication, it's a nice touch.
But not gonna lied, toward the end, it was really frustating, especially Sam. I mean come on Scarlet, Caleb and Tiana have to explain how she's being a big old idiot for her to actually do something. Still a very good book and totally recommend to see more of Jess and Sam
PS: Sorry if some sentence are weird, English is not my native language.
October 12, 2025
Can Nicole do no wrong!? Man, this book was everything. I absolutely love her writing. I really enjoyed Losing Sam, so it was so good to get this book from Sam’s POV. Highly recommend any of Nicole Masers books!
Written in third person with a single POV. Narrated by Lori Prince. Book two in the duet. Second chance romance. 2x Spicy Scenes.
Written in third person with a single POV. Narrated by Lori Prince. Book two in the duet. Second chance romance. 2x Spicy Scenes.
Read
February 13, 20252 weddings = i cried twice (annoying). this was a solid 3 stars for me. sequels petrify me because you never know if they'll hit the same as the first book but i'll say this was a really nice extension and wrap up for sam and jess' story. this is also the only second chance romance i will ever enjoy reading. there's a lot of fucked up communication (or lack of it), conflict, and childish moments, many of which i think were necessary because so many feelings were unspoken from the past. this especially relates to sam's feelings about jess being hot and cold back when they first met, jess feeling left behind, and the trauma from sam's accident in the first book. they both frustrated me in this sequel, but nicole writes the most lovable, flawed characters. i also really enjoyed getting more of sam's perspective in this book and diving a little deeper into her past trauma. side note, i FINALLY got a book with a damn strap scene, thank the heavens. sam and jess, while you both very well give me a headache, i love you deeply.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2024
Anazing
Nicole… I could read this masterpiece over and over. I absolutely love Sam, Jess and Scar. You’ve intertwine these characters amazingly. I own every single one of your book. I love how you make the reader go into an emotional rollercoaster. The way you pen the pain, the sorrow, the love, the embrace, the laughter. I love it. Continue to produce more amazing art thru your gift of writing. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS SERIE !! ♥️♥️
Nicole… I could read this masterpiece over and over. I absolutely love Sam, Jess and Scar. You’ve intertwine these characters amazingly. I own every single one of your book. I love how you make the reader go into an emotional rollercoaster. The way you pen the pain, the sorrow, the love, the embrace, the laughter. I love it. Continue to produce more amazing art thru your gift of writing. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS SERIE !! ♥️♥️
February 9, 2025
The story was so underwhelming and generally boring. It is shame because the first book ‘Losing Sam’ is a favourite and still held up when I reread it again this month. And for a book over 300 pages, nothing much happened.
February 28, 2025
i genuinely have no words. i think i need a week to process and recover.
10 fucking stars
10 fucking stars
February 6, 2025
💙💙💙💙💙
This is the second book in the series. Book one being Losing Sam. I loved the first book so I was so excited to find out there was a second book. Jess and Sam’s story continues a couple years after Losing Sam. Sam is trying to sell her software company and she needs to integrate her software with a new financial firm. The person overseeing the project is her childhood best friend Liz and also Jess’s current girlfriend. Once I started this book, I couldn’t put it down. It’s just as good as the first one, if not better. I also enjoyed getting more of Sam’s backstory as well as her internal thoughts as this book is from Sam’s POV. Beautiful conclusion to their story. Lots of emotions so be prepared! 😁
This is the second book in the series. Book one being Losing Sam. I loved the first book so I was so excited to find out there was a second book. Jess and Sam’s story continues a couple years after Losing Sam. Sam is trying to sell her software company and she needs to integrate her software with a new financial firm. The person overseeing the project is her childhood best friend Liz and also Jess’s current girlfriend. Once I started this book, I couldn’t put it down. It’s just as good as the first one, if not better. I also enjoyed getting more of Sam’s backstory as well as her internal thoughts as this book is from Sam’s POV. Beautiful conclusion to their story. Lots of emotions so be prepared! 😁
March 17, 2025
Overall really enjoyed this read. As soon as I saw that the sequel to Losing Sam was released, I immediately started reading. I’d been anticipating this for a while and, for the most part, it was a good follow-up to the first installment of this series.
Nicole is a very talented writer and I’m always impressed by the smooth flow of her stories, along with the realistic and entertaining dialogue, three-dimensional characters, and well-developed settings. Another major strength—which I think was the highlight of this book—is her ability to build-up tension and chemistry. I also can’t leave out that the few spicy scenes that were in this book were written extremely well. Kudos for that. Lastly, before I go into my critiques of this story, I have to say that I absolutely adored Jess in this book. I loved her in the first book too, but she really grew into herself and showed a lot of character development in this sequel and I was living for it.
The main things that prevented this from being a 5-star read for me were 1) Sam being super infuriating for pretty much the entirety of this novel and 2) The inclusion of a third-act breakup.
To the first point: This book was written solely from Sam’s perspective and I’ve never wanted to slap a character more in my life. Despite eight years having passed from the events of the first book, Sam had seemingly not developed or matured and seemed literally incapable of doing anything that would show Jess that she loved/wanted to be with her. How many friends had to tell her to stop being dumb and do something instead of running away, just for Sam to ignore them? And how hard could it be for her to initiate a kiss, genuine words of endearment, a romantic gesture, or literally anything to make it so Jess wasn’t the only one putting herself out there? She needed to prove that she would choose Jess instead of running away and she repeatedly did the wrong thing at pretty much every opportunity she had to prove herself and, if I’m being honest, I don’t even feel very satisfied that she improved much by the very end of the story. Her grand gesture felt lackluster to me and a twinge too-little-too-late. Jess is better than me for forgiving her and trusting her again so easily.
As for the third-act breakup, I felt it was unnecessary. This was a slow-burn. We, as readers, endured two book-lengths of back-and-forth so we could see a HEA. That, in-of-itself, provides enough tension and conflict to keep readers interested without having to break up the characters at the very tail-end of the book. Frankly, at the placement that this fallout took place in the story, I actually feel it would have been the perfect place to have had Sam display character development and finally choose Jess over her habit of running away out of fear. Instead, the choice to have her repeat her previous actions again dragged things out, lost momentum, shattered trust we spent the entire book trying to build, and gave insufficient time at the end of the story to do damage control, wrap things up satisfyingly, and give readers time with Sam and Jess to see them as an official, happy, and healthy couple.
Sam and Jess had so much chemistry and we were robbed of being able to experience what that looked like. I want a domestic happy couple as my payoff dammit! Even the epilogue-of-sorts had the two women barely interacting with each other so we really didn’t get to see their dynamic when they aren’t failing to communicate and experiencing angst every two seconds. Such lost potential there.
With all of that said, I would still recommend this series. As I stated pre-rant, I enjoyed this story and its characters a lot. I blew through this second installment in less than a day and don’t regret reading it at all. I think there were elements that could have done better, but they’re weren’t enough to completely ruin things for me. I’m glad for the HEA, loved seeing another well-written sapphic love story, and look forward to future reads from this author <3
Nicole is a very talented writer and I’m always impressed by the smooth flow of her stories, along with the realistic and entertaining dialogue, three-dimensional characters, and well-developed settings. Another major strength—which I think was the highlight of this book—is her ability to build-up tension and chemistry. I also can’t leave out that the few spicy scenes that were in this book were written extremely well. Kudos for that. Lastly, before I go into my critiques of this story, I have to say that I absolutely adored Jess in this book. I loved her in the first book too, but she really grew into herself and showed a lot of character development in this sequel and I was living for it.
The main things that prevented this from being a 5-star read for me were 1) Sam being super infuriating for pretty much the entirety of this novel and 2) The inclusion of a third-act breakup.
To the first point: This book was written solely from Sam’s perspective and I’ve never wanted to slap a character more in my life. Despite eight years having passed from the events of the first book, Sam had seemingly not developed or matured and seemed literally incapable of doing anything that would show Jess that she loved/wanted to be with her. How many friends had to tell her to stop being dumb and do something instead of running away, just for Sam to ignore them? And how hard could it be for her to initiate a kiss, genuine words of endearment, a romantic gesture, or literally anything to make it so Jess wasn’t the only one putting herself out there? She needed to prove that she would choose Jess instead of running away and she repeatedly did the wrong thing at pretty much every opportunity she had to prove herself and, if I’m being honest, I don’t even feel very satisfied that she improved much by the very end of the story. Her grand gesture felt lackluster to me and a twinge too-little-too-late. Jess is better than me for forgiving her and trusting her again so easily.
As for the third-act breakup, I felt it was unnecessary. This was a slow-burn. We, as readers, endured two book-lengths of back-and-forth so we could see a HEA. That, in-of-itself, provides enough tension and conflict to keep readers interested without having to break up the characters at the very tail-end of the book. Frankly, at the placement that this fallout took place in the story, I actually feel it would have been the perfect place to have had Sam display character development and finally choose Jess over her habit of running away out of fear. Instead, the choice to have her repeat her previous actions again dragged things out, lost momentum, shattered trust we spent the entire book trying to build, and gave insufficient time at the end of the story to do damage control, wrap things up satisfyingly, and give readers time with Sam and Jess to see them as an official, happy, and healthy couple.
Sam and Jess had so much chemistry and we were robbed of being able to experience what that looked like. I want a domestic happy couple as my payoff dammit! Even the epilogue-of-sorts had the two women barely interacting with each other so we really didn’t get to see their dynamic when they aren’t failing to communicate and experiencing angst every two seconds. Such lost potential there.
With all of that said, I would still recommend this series. As I stated pre-rant, I enjoyed this story and its characters a lot. I blew through this second installment in less than a day and don’t regret reading it at all. I think there were elements that could have done better, but they’re weren’t enough to completely ruin things for me. I’m glad for the HEA, loved seeing another well-written sapphic love story, and look forward to future reads from this author <3
January 9, 2025
* 4,5
This series has me suffering! I love it 😅
Again, only took off half a star because it feels like this book could use better editing. Some words are very repetitive and it gets tired to read it.
But overall, Maser's storytelling is superb. Highly recommend if you're very, very into angst!
This series has me suffering! I love it 😅
Again, only took off half a star because it feels like this book could use better editing. Some words are very repetitive and it gets tired to read it.
But overall, Maser's storytelling is superb. Highly recommend if you're very, very into angst!
December 24, 2024
I’m crying
Such a beautiful conclusion to their story, I read losing Sam a few months back and was absolutely dying to know the ending!!! Didn’t expect to get one! Nicole maser is such a beautiful writer.
Such a beautiful conclusion to their story, I read losing Sam a few months back and was absolutely dying to know the ending!!! Didn’t expect to get one! Nicole maser is such a beautiful writer.
January 3, 2025
It was going to be 4⭐️ but then at the end Sam was just pissing me off with her whole “it’s too late, it won’t work “ BS
June 9, 2025
These girls continued to pmo
July 28, 2025
4.25/5
Ugh... I really wanted to love this book but I didn't. Still I'm glad I read it because there's a HEA and I so wanted to see Jess and Sam actually be together after finishing Losing Sam.
Before starting Finding Jess, I read a review saying this was like Losing Sam but in reverse where Sam was the one hesitating to have a relationship and the person didn't like the book. I was afraid that's what this book was and I decided to find out for myself. I didn't find it to be entirely true but I could see why that person thought that way. I'm just gonna put everything in the spoiler brackets due to very minor spoilers in case anyone wanna avoid those. And yeah I found some inconsistencies but I ignored those. There were significant enough for me to forgo my love for Jess and Sam haha! But I do wish the plot was tighter.
Ugh... I really wanted to love this book but I didn't. Still I'm glad I read it because there's a HEA and I so wanted to see Jess and Sam actually be together after finishing Losing Sam.
Before starting Finding Jess, I read a review saying this was like Losing Sam but in reverse where Sam was the one hesitating to have a relationship and the person didn't like the book. I was afraid that's what this book was and I decided to find out for myself. I didn't find it to be entirely true but I could see why that person thought that way. I'm just gonna put everything in the spoiler brackets due to very minor spoilers in case anyone wanna avoid those. And yeah I found some inconsistencies but I ignored those. There were significant enough for me to forgo my love for Jess and Sam haha! But I do wish the plot was tighter.
December 28, 2024
This was a really sweet second-chance story. Jess and Sam are so clearly in love, and meant to be together, they just take their sweet time figuring it out! Scarlett has it nailed: “You know, you guys are both the smartest people I know. And somehow you’re also stupid as shit when it comes to each other.” It’s a pleasure to follow along as Sam and Jess fall back together, bounce off a few times, and eventually figure it all out — with a little help from Tiana and Scarlett, perhaps. This was just really well done, easily a five-star read.
(Maybe you should stop reading this here? Might be for the best.)
Because… I mean I hate to say it, but… there is a but. And that “but” is Nicole Maser’s prior two books, Hearing Red and the predecessor to this one, Losing Sam. This was a sweet second chance story, and I enjoyed every minute of it, but I didn’t finish already wondering how long I could hold out before reading it again, like those other two. Each of those were among my very favorites I read in their respective years, six stars if you will, and this was great but wasn’t quite that strong for me. I wonder if it’s that it basically finishes where I thought the last one finished. In order for there to be a story, it had to manufacture some unforeseen drama, and then resolve it? Not that it wasn’t an enjoyable standalone, but as a sequel it felt like it started with a giant reset?
Anyway, I’m just rambling here. It’s because I feel bad that I can’t be quite as enthusiastic as for those other two, and it’s not because this was in any way bad… just because it didn’t absolutely blow me away. And that seems like kind of an unfair bar to set, but it’s just what Nicole Maser has done with her first two.
So should you read this? Yeah, you should, though definitely start with Losing Sam to get the first half of the story. And let me just leave it at that.
(Maybe you should stop reading this here? Might be for the best.)
Because… I mean I hate to say it, but… there is a but. And that “but” is Nicole Maser’s prior two books, Hearing Red and the predecessor to this one, Losing Sam. This was a sweet second chance story, and I enjoyed every minute of it, but I didn’t finish already wondering how long I could hold out before reading it again, like those other two. Each of those were among my very favorites I read in their respective years, six stars if you will, and this was great but wasn’t quite that strong for me. I wonder if it’s that it basically finishes where I thought the last one finished. In order for there to be a story, it had to manufacture some unforeseen drama, and then resolve it? Not that it wasn’t an enjoyable standalone, but as a sequel it felt like it started with a giant reset?
Anyway, I’m just rambling here. It’s because I feel bad that I can’t be quite as enthusiastic as for those other two, and it’s not because this was in any way bad… just because it didn’t absolutely blow me away. And that seems like kind of an unfair bar to set, but it’s just what Nicole Maser has done with her first two.
So should you read this? Yeah, you should, though definitely start with Losing Sam to get the first half of the story. And let me just leave it at that.
January 12, 2025
Argh I loved this. I hate how much I loved this, because now I'm just feeling this emptiness that always follows a great book you didn't want to end.
I actually hadn't loved Losing Sam. But the reason was that as a standalone novel (and I never expected a sequel!), it left me unsatisfied. Of course it did - I never got a real happy ending. And I couldn't even really figure out what the story was really about. Grief? Addiction? Coming out? The story just didn't make sense to me (as you'll see from my 3 star review of that book).
Until Finding Jess. And suddenly, everything made sense. Think about Losing Sam and Finding Jess as one, beautiful, painful, long journey -yes, navigating topics like addiction, coming out, and grief - of two soulmates finding their way to each other.
And god, Nicole Maser is a master of feelings. I swear to god, from the first to the last word my heart was fluttering. The tension and angst are simply delicious. The love scenes beautifully erotic. The deeply romantic undertone of the entire story... sigh. Just perfect. I loved every second of it, and I urge you to read both books one after the other as the romance in Finding Jess is so much meaningful when you understand all the references to Losing Sam.
Between Hearing Red and Finding Jess, now both sitting on my favourites shelf, I'm officially a big big fan of Nicole Maser. I would pick up any book of hers without hesitation.
I actually hadn't loved Losing Sam. But the reason was that as a standalone novel (and I never expected a sequel!), it left me unsatisfied. Of course it did - I never got a real happy ending. And I couldn't even really figure out what the story was really about. Grief? Addiction? Coming out? The story just didn't make sense to me (as you'll see from my 3 star review of that book).
Until Finding Jess. And suddenly, everything made sense. Think about Losing Sam and Finding Jess as one, beautiful, painful, long journey -yes, navigating topics like addiction, coming out, and grief - of two soulmates finding their way to each other.
And god, Nicole Maser is a master of feelings. I swear to god, from the first to the last word my heart was fluttering. The tension and angst are simply delicious. The love scenes beautifully erotic. The deeply romantic undertone of the entire story... sigh. Just perfect. I loved every second of it, and I urge you to read both books one after the other as the romance in Finding Jess is so much meaningful when you understand all the references to Losing Sam.
Between Hearing Red and Finding Jess, now both sitting on my favourites shelf, I'm officially a big big fan of Nicole Maser. I would pick up any book of hers without hesitation.
February 28, 2025
3.75/5
This sequel to Losing Sam follows Sam and Jess eight years after high school, each having gone their separate ways in life. The premise revolves around their past relationship, which lasted four years—mostly long-distance and never quite feeling like a “real” relationship. The story picks up four years after their last encounter, with Jess now dating Sam’s childhood friend.
I found this book much more relatable than the first, as I connected better with the characters in their adult years compared to their teenage struggles. In Losing Sam, Jess was the more indecisive one, often hurting Sam as she struggled to come to terms with her sexuality. However, in this book, Jess has grown significantly as a character, while Sam, surprisingly, came across as the more toxic one, seemingly pulling Jess back and forth emotionally. Their chemistry was still strong, which kept the story engaging, but I often found myself confused about what exactly happened during the four years they were together. The characters frequently referenced their past relationship, yet there was never a clear explanation or scene that fully explored their breakup, which left a frustrating gap in the narrative.
Despite enjoying the book overall, I felt like too many details were left out, making parts of the story feel incomplete. By the end, I wasn’t entirely convinced that Sam and Jess should have ended up together—it seemed like they had hurt each other too much along the way.
This sequel to Losing Sam follows Sam and Jess eight years after high school, each having gone their separate ways in life. The premise revolves around their past relationship, which lasted four years—mostly long-distance and never quite feeling like a “real” relationship. The story picks up four years after their last encounter, with Jess now dating Sam’s childhood friend.
I found this book much more relatable than the first, as I connected better with the characters in their adult years compared to their teenage struggles. In Losing Sam, Jess was the more indecisive one, often hurting Sam as she struggled to come to terms with her sexuality. However, in this book, Jess has grown significantly as a character, while Sam, surprisingly, came across as the more toxic one, seemingly pulling Jess back and forth emotionally. Their chemistry was still strong, which kept the story engaging, but I often found myself confused about what exactly happened during the four years they were together. The characters frequently referenced their past relationship, yet there was never a clear explanation or scene that fully explored their breakup, which left a frustrating gap in the narrative.
Despite enjoying the book overall, I felt like too many details were left out, making parts of the story feel incomplete. By the end, I wasn’t entirely convinced that Sam and Jess should have ended up together—it seemed like they had hurt each other too much along the way.
October 6, 2025
STARS 3.5 stars - I like to round up
SPICE (medium) - 2-3 graphic scenes
CHEMISTRY Good
ANGST medium
SLOW BURN yes
CLIFFHANGER No
CHARACTERS Sam and Jess
FAVORITE QUOTE/QUOTES
"I cried myself to sleep because it felt like I'd lost you all over again. For the millionth time in my life" - Jess
A LITTLE ABOUT THE BOOK/HOW DID IT MAKE ME FEEL
I absolutely adore Nicole Maser. She has such a gift for creating emotional, tender stories.. Finding Jess had moments that reminded me why I fell in love with Losing Sam, but overall, this one didn’t quite pull me in the same way. I found myself struggling a bit to stay connected to the story, even though there were parts I truly enjoyed and appreciated.
WHAT I LOVED ABOUT THE CHARACTERS
I still loved Sam and Jess. It felt like there was a bit of a role reversal this time. Sam seemed more lost and unsure, while Jess was more sure of her emotions. Although, Jess clearly struggled too.. I appreciated the shift..
MY FAVORITE PART- THIS IS GOING TO BE COVERED UNDER SPOILER
SPICE (medium) - 2-3 graphic scenes
CHEMISTRY Good
ANGST medium
SLOW BURN yes
CLIFFHANGER No
CHARACTERS Sam and Jess
FAVORITE QUOTE/QUOTES
"I cried myself to sleep because it felt like I'd lost you all over again. For the millionth time in my life" - Jess
A LITTLE ABOUT THE BOOK/HOW DID IT MAKE ME FEEL
I absolutely adore Nicole Maser. She has such a gift for creating emotional, tender stories.. Finding Jess had moments that reminded me why I fell in love with Losing Sam, but overall, this one didn’t quite pull me in the same way. I found myself struggling a bit to stay connected to the story, even though there were parts I truly enjoyed and appreciated.
WHAT I LOVED ABOUT THE CHARACTERS
I still loved Sam and Jess. It felt like there was a bit of a role reversal this time. Sam seemed more lost and unsure, while Jess was more sure of her emotions. Although, Jess clearly struggled too.. I appreciated the shift..
MY FAVORITE PART- THIS IS GOING TO BE COVERED UNDER SPOILER
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