Island of Lost Things: A friends-to-lovers romance of messy pasts and second chances

by London Clarke

Some songs are unforgettable.

For Lainey Bounds, the island was once a refuge from her life in Savannah, a place where solitude reigned, drinks flowed, and time seemed to stand still. Now it feels more like a trap. The auto shop she inherited is on the verge of collapse, her nights behind the bar grow lonelier, and every relationship seems destined to fail.

Then news rock star Ridge Buchanan is back on tour. For twenty years, Ridge has been the one constant in Lainey’s life, their friendship laced with everything they never dared admit. But their bond carries wounds, and time has not erased the regrets.

As debts mount, trust is shattered, and secrets darken around her, Lainey faces a storm of emotional reckoning that threatens to consume everything she has built, and everything she still longs for.

To survive, she must confront the past she tried to bury, the man she has never truly let go of, and the haunting truth that some second chances come at a devastating cost.

Island of Lost Things is the first book in the Songs for the Lost series, perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid, Jodi Picoult, and Carley Fortune. Expect friends-to-lovers, small-town secrets, emotional second chances, and the high price of love and redemption.

Genres: Friends To Lovers

436 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 29, 2025

Reviews

[Hailee Vandale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It’s full of love, loss, and second chances, set against the beautiful Carolina coast. The bond between Lainey and Ridge is emotional, complicated, and completely addictive—I couldn’t stop reading.

London Clarke captures their story so perfectly. The emotion, the history, the push and pull—it all feels so real. The cover fits the story too: moody, romantic, and full of secrets.

If you’re into slow burns, messy love stories, and characters that stick with you, this one’s a must-read.

Thank you London for the ARC!

[T Tramel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deeply moving story of abuse, addiction, pain, healing, love lost and found. Beautiful settings and locations. Highly recommend.

[Penelope Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic! I usually love her other books and this one was very different but it was still captivating. Part of the setting was somewhere I had gone this year so that was pretty neat! Just shows authors can be versatile in their writing!

[Doreen Fernandes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lainey Bounds is content staying with her Uncle Craig and her aunts, Elizabeth and Beth. Then she meets Ridge and things look promising until Ridge becomes a famous rock star. Lainey's life becomes turbulent after discovering that the man of her dreams is unattainable. She joins a program to help her cope with her turmoil only to discover that she has allowed herself to be controlled by manipulative people. Will she ever get her life back on track? Ridge also has his own demons to battle and Lainey is always happy to be with him but he keeps breaking her heart.This well crafted plot highlights the heartbreak and turmoil of the protagonist who frequently encounters disappointment but has the tenacity to bounce back.

[Brenda Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a twisted friendship of always coming together and never actually being together, this story keeps you on the edge of what this friendship endures throughout the years. She is struggling to keep her head above water after her uncle died and he is the typical musician who had a rough upbringing that can’t get through the fame, booze and partying to make the best decisions. The island is the one place that they run back to over and over.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lainey Bounds went to the island as it was once a refuge from her life in Savannah. it was a place where solitude reigned, drinks flowed, and time seemed to stand still. The auto repair garage she inherited is on the verge of collapse and her nights behind the bar grow lonelier. Then news breaks: rock star Ridge Buchanan is back on tour. For twenty years, Ridge has been the one constant in Lainey’s life, their friendship laced with everything they never dared admit. But their bond carries wounds and time has not erased the regrets. Lainey has the chance to go to a local concert of his but doesn’t know if she wants to. Her friend talks her into it. She wants the chance to meet someone in the band. Lainey doesn’t know of she wants to see Ridge after all the years of no contact. Will they meet?

“Island of Lost Things” is the first book in the Songs for the Lost series. This book is about lost first time but then comes second chances. The author has written small-town secrets, friends to lovers, emotional second chances, and the high price of love and redemption. It’s a heartfelt story that I enjoyed reading. There is so much that I felt like writing but don’t want to ruin reading the book for. It’s a definite keeper for me. I will need to get a “hard copy” to keep as I enjoyed reading the novel so much.

Disclaimer: I received an arc from the author from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

[Luvsbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t wait to read London Clarke’s newest novel, specifically because it was a departure from her earlier works. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. Full of gorgeous Carolina settings, quirky characters, a bar, a rock star, and an auto mechanic. This is a story of longing, looking for the place you belong, decisions that come back to haunt you, and redemption. Lainey and Ridge brought back nostalgia of teen angst, being a young adult attending concerts and partying, to moving on to mature people making mistakes, learning to cope with those decisions, and forever hopeful that they will find their place in this world. Is that future better together or apart? You’ll have to read to find out. I couldn’t take the suspense and read this in 2 days. London is always a masterful storyteller - whether it’s gothic horror, demons, or sinister neighbors. This new novel is emotionally captivating and heartfelt and ** BONUS** there’s an amazing video to go with it, created by Stephen Lee. Follow LondonClarkeAuthor on Facebook to view. I am really looking forward to the next installment, Captives!

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book with every promise to rate it honestly. The opinions expressed here are solely my own.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this because I absolutely adore the author and her paranormal books, but this… this just stirred something in me that I didn’t like. I wanted to see how it ended but I didn’t WANT to read it. It was too real. Frankly, it was depressing. Real life just sucks which is why I live in fantasy. I’ve lost someone to addiction. I’ve been the lead singer’s girlfriend. I’ve had the feeling of wondering what could have been… so following these two extremely toxic people on their journey through two decades made me… sad. And while I root for love, I was NOT rooting for them. But that could be my pessimistic ass not believing that people can change, too… soooo there’s that.

[Sheri Stern · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book!!! The storyline was easy to follow and the characters are [mostly] likeable. It had a little bit of everything thrown in there. I actually teared up at some parts.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very refreshing story. I really couldn't predict some of the twists and turns. I loved the setting (Daufuskie Island and Savannah). Also, I'm a sucker for any story with rock stars, and I found the protagonist, Lainey Bounds, to be an original and sympathetic character. She has a challenging time of it as she battles her own past issues and current addictions on her way to see if she and Ridge Buchanan can get out of the friend zone and become lovers. I really didn't know which way it was going to end until the last pages, and I won't spoil it here.