Once Lost

by Ber Carroll

Are some things better left unfound?

Best friends Louise and Emma grew up next door to each other in a grim inner-city suburb of Dublin. Now Louise, an art conservator, is thousands of miles away in Sydney, restoring a beautiful old painting. She meets Dan, whose family welcome her as one of their own, but she will always feel lost until she finds her mother who walked out when she was just eight years old.

Back in Dublin, Emma is stuck in a job where she is under-appreciated and underpaid, but her biggest worry is her ex-partner, Jamie. Emma has lost so much because of Jamie: her innocence, her reputation, almost her life. Now she is at risk of losing Isla, her young daughter.

So where is Louise's mother? Will Emma ever be free of her ex? Both women frantically search for answers, but when the truth finally emerges it is more shattering than they had ever expected.

Genres: Fiction, Ebooks, Contemporary

388 pages, Paperback

First published April 7, 2015

About the author

Ber Carroll (also known as B.M. Carroll.) was born in Blarney, a small but rather famous village in Ireland. The third child of six, she often retreated from the chaos of family life by immersing herself in books.

Ber moved to Sydney in 1995 and began to climb the corporate ladder. Her dynamic work environment captured her imagination and inspired her first novel. Ber is now the author of twelve novels, which never fails to surprise her. In recent years, her writing has become darker and more twisted (reflecting her state of mind!). Her most recent novels are: The Missing Pieces of Sophie McCarthy (2018), Who We Were (2020), You Had It Coming (2021), The Other Side of Her (2023) and One of Us Is Missing (2024).

Ber gave up her finance career when she realised that she couldn’t hold down a demanding job, be mum to two small children and write books to contractual deadline. She lives in Sydney's Northern Beaches with her husband, children (who are adults now) and PJ, the family dog.

You can find out more about Ber by visiting her website or by checking out her Facebook page (@bercarrollbmcarroll) or Instagram (@bmcarrollauthor).

Reviews

[John Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ber Carroll has outdone herself once again. My fourth book by her (one under B.M.Carroll her alter ego) and maybe her best yet. As in World's Apart, two best friends, Emma still living in Dublin, Louise now in Sydney. Ber Carroll moved from Ireland to Sydney in 1995.

This novel was a slow starter which took over half way to get any real traction on the story, but once set, it all happens on both sides of the world and had me sitting on the edge of my seat, very intense. Dual narration, alternating between Emma and Louise, both now in very different circumstances. Emma working as an undervalued employee at a bank, with a six year old daughter, while Louise is a restorer of old, damaged paintings, working at the Art Gallery, but also searching for her mother, who walked out on her and her drunken stepfather 16 years ago, without a word since. Louise feels she is in Australia. Anyway heaps going on, both story lines intense with wonderful supporting characters. 5 solid stars once again for Ber. I still have a few of hers ready to go and plan to read all of her novels, she's that good.

'When we first look at a piece of art, we shouldn’t be analysing the technique or the supposed uniqueness or even the materials used. We should be looking for one thing only: an emotional connection.' 18% So true.

'I gesture at him to keep reading. There will be plenty of time later to see how I feel about this. Right now, knowing is more important than feeling.' 66%

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a little conflicted by this book. The first half of the twin storylines seemed to drag a little, with a lot of it isn't fair, and what about me being banded about, and the swearing of the one of the main characters was rather off putting. However, about halfway through, the storylines pick up in a big way, leading to not one, but two very delicious climaxes that left me unable to put the book down. The resolution was also rather shocking, and I would have preferred a little more closure, but I'm happy enough with what was there.

[Lesley Moseley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars . Really enjoyable read, well-paced, and knowable and likeable characters, I even got passed the alternative voices, device (mostly.)

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once Lost is an intriguing story about two best friends, the complexity and drama of life and family relationships, and the challenges that arise when their quest for the truth about issues in their lives are revealed, and unexpectedly change their lives.

Author Ber Carroll weaves a fascinating tale that transports the reader between Dublin, Ireland and Sydney, Australia, as the reader follows the alternating life stories of the two best friends: Louise and Emma. This is an intriguing story that delves into the complexities and drama of the best friend's lives and family relationships that are wrought with trials and tribulations, drama, and the search for answers.

The reader easily gets drawn into Louise and Emma's story, as they both face challenges in their lives with tension, drama, and an unexpected touch of mystery thrown into the mix. The author does a great job of drawing the reader into the story by alternating between the lives of both women, while adding in surprising twists and turns, and intertwining the complex dynamic of the past and present that swirls with mystery and secrets.

The author takes the reader on a wonderful journey that is filled with an interesting cast of characters and enough drama, tension, and even a touch of romance, that easily keeps them turning the pages and wondering what will become of the best friend's lives, their friendship, and family relationships, when the answers that they have searched for come to the surface. You can't help but get drawn in as the women learn to deal with the challenges, choices, disappointments, and successes of everyday life, and how they overcome them in order to find a happy medium in their lives.

I loved the author's rich description of the alternating settings of Dublin and Sydney. It feels like you are transported to these cities where you get to vicariously experience the sights and sounds and landmarks, it makes you want to visit them.

If you love to read stories about complex and dramatic family and friendship relationships interwoven with everyday life experiences, then Once Lost is a must read.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #24 for #aww2015

Once Lost is told by best friends Emma and Louise, who grew up neighbours in an inner-city suburb of Dublim. They are now in their mid-twenties and living half a world away from each other, facing their demons with their biggest ally so very far away. There are two very separate storylines linked only by the strength of the friendship between Emma and Louise, they each tell their story in alternating chapters.

Carroll has explored some tough topical issues and the far reaching effects they have; from addiction and mental illness to absent parents and teen pregnancy.

Louise was only eight years old when she returned home to find her mother gone without a trace, leaving her in the care of a stepfather who was under no obligation to stay. Fortunately for Louise, Emma was only next door and her mother took on the nurturing role but it wasn't the same. At eight years old how can you understand your mother disappearing, that's not what mothers do. Mothers nurture and protect and are always there.

The remainder of the review will be live at Beauty and Lace.

[Susan Adele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend.

I enjoyed this novel. Ber Carroll’s characters are well developed and become real to me. She integrates important life issues into her stories which is helpful to her readers who may be dealing with similar issues. I highly recommend this and all of her novels.

[Cait · Rating 1 out of 5]

I struggled to get through this and I think it’s because I didn’t like the two main characters. I don’t think that was the author’s intent. Emma and Louise should be likeable: they’ve both dealt with personal struggles and have overcome them to be relatively successful. And yet.... they bitch and moan incessantly, judge others harshly, hold everyone to a higher standard, and are unkind in general. But they don’t see that. They each see themselves as these benevolent saints granting their favour on everyone from their nice “pudgy” co-workers to even a drug-addicted ex-boyfriend (from when they also did drugs? Glass houses?). I think Louise is the worst. Yes, her mother abandoned her when she was 8, but her Mother’s mental health never factors in to the 16 years she wondered about why? I think the author also needs to write older characters or in period setting, because she is completely out of touch with how any 24 year old would act in the modern world where this is set. They act like matronly women who can’t navigate the digital world? I finished this book but really wanted to stop when there was drama, an argument with her boyfriend, and multiple chapters devoted to Louise having dyslexia. Really?? Partners don’t storm out because you didn’t disclose that you have DYSLEXIA in the first few weeks of dating. That is not real life. I think Ber might need to switch to writing boomers for any of her plots to be relevant or believable.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy and enjoyable read. Following Louise's journey as she searches for her Mother through the eyes of Emma and Louise , in Dublin and Sydney respectively. The story is fairly predictable, but the growing understanding and appreciation of the impact of mental illness draws the story into a clearer focus.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Once Lost. It's been a while since I read a book in one sitting (ok, more laying in bed than sitting). I would have liked to spend more time with each character and found the short chapters jumping between characters jarring.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit slow to start and at times I found the switching between the stories of the characters a bit off putting. Having said that, the stories unfold well and the characters grow and develop and both the women become stronger personalities, finding the hidden strengths within themselves.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. I found the characters engaging and very real. A couple of minor storylines through the book were a little annoying. But a good light read overall

[Carolina Imhof · Rating 3 out of 5]

It´s a nice story and I will probably look for other books by this author

[Lynette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still unsure how much I liked it. It was interesting. I liked how the characters grew during the course of the book.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story of two lifelong friends, one living in Ireland and the other in Australia. I have found a new author to enjoy.

[Ande]

About half way through I began to get worried that there would be no real culmination to this book. I am sorry to say that there really wasn't much of one in the end.

[Rowena · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book that I shall read as part of my first book club, and a digital club at that, through my local library's e-book service. The club is called Together We Read and I shall see if I can read fast enough to keep up.
And later...
Well, I did get it read in time although I was pushing it.
I enjoyed it as a medium-light read, similar in style to Works Apart by the same author.
I have even decided to use the 'Other Similar Books' recommendation to choose my next book. Watch this space to see if I enjoyed The Turning Point by Freya North.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to CLP Blog Tours for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. Ber Carroll's book Once Lost was fantastic. The story examines the struggle one can experience when a traumatic situation leaves questions unanswered and feelings unresolved. It is about the heavy weight of dealing with life when you have not had closure on a childhood incident you were not emotionally mature enough to process but have carried into adulthood. This is the story of two best friends - Louise and Emma. Louise's mother abandons her when she is 8 years old. Even at such a young age, Louise senses that things aren't right. He mother has erratic mood swings and is not the loving and affectionate mother Louise desperately needs. She simply ups and leaves one day for no apparent reason abandoning Louise in the care of her step father. Throughout her childhood, Louise longs to have her mother return to her but to no avail. Her neighbor and friend's mother steps in as a kind of surrogate mother to Louise and involves herself in Louise's upbringing. Louise and Emma grow up like sisters except that Emma feels the unconditional love and security of having a mother around at all times that puts the daughter above her own needs. The book switches from chapter to chapter between Louise's story and Emma's story. Emma has had her mother all along but she has a bout of rebellion in her teenage years and gets involved with a boy, Jamie, who brings nothing but trouble with drugs and drinking. Emma finds herself pregnant at a very young age and forever tied to the unpredictable and often dangerous consequences of having a baby with someone whose life has no direction. Louise and Emma are now in their mid twenties and are both seeking resolve - Louise wants to find the mother that left her so she can know why and Emma wants to keep Jamie - her daughter Isla's father - as far away from endangering Isla and eliminate his influence on her. Louise restores art pieces all over the world. As such it enables her to go around the world and further her search for her mother. Both restoring art and her search for her mother become her life's work. A job in Australia takes her to Sydney where she thinks her mother might have fled to. In Australia she meets people that help her and become the support system she has always needed. Back in Ireland, Emma is doing a lot of growing up. She's a good mother, she's in a stable relationship and is doing her best to make up for the mistakes of her youth. But Jamie has a newfound desire to be a father to Isla that threatens Emma's protective hold on her daughter. I don't want to give away what happens to both Louise and Emma as they seek closure on childhood wrongs but their journey is engrossing and poignant. Ber Carroll tells a story that is real and taps into a very human need - the need for love, security and reassurance that we get from bonding, loving relationships early on in life. I not only recommend this novel and give it highest praises.

[Annie McDonnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Once Lost” had me at hello! Now, I need to read all of Ber Carroll books!!!
Ber delivers a wonderful literary menu: Best Friends. Dublin, Ireland. Women’s Fiction. Women’s Dilemma’s. Turmoil from the past. Friendships. Motherhood. Romance. Travel.
It had everything I love and more. An intricately written story that will have you flipping the pages until you are finished.
Louise moves from her home; Dublin, Ireland and travels the world for her business, which is conserving art work. As a Conservator she can spend months, even years working on one piece of art work. Louise has to "go to the art", so she has spent time in places like New York and London, to name a few. At the beginning of this story she is searching for a place to call home in Sydney, Australia…thousands of miles from her home in Dublin, Ireland...and her Best Friend, Emma.
I loved getting to know Louise. She was just an awesome character. Her mother abandoned her when she was 8 years old. All she had was her Step-Father, and her best friend, Emma next door.
Emma is still in Dublin and she is missing Louise something fierce. Emma has a daughter named Isla, from a previous relationship with a man named Jamie. He is a terrible father figure, but the courts say that Isla must see her father. Emma spends most of her time worrying about Jamie, and trying to take proper care of her child. She now lives with Eddie, and he is a fabulous character in this book, as well.
I loved bouncing back between characters and countries. I loved being in Dublin most, but I am biased as I lived there when I was younger.
This is a marvelous work of woman’s fiction. Ber Carroll’s books are going to be added to the bookshelves in my Library. (My version of my husband’s Man Cave)

[Annabel Krantz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just over a year ago, I read Worlds Apart by Ber Carroll. That book told the story of Erin and Laura, in Ireland and Australia - I loved it. It was so honest, and I was hooked from the beginning, completely wrapped up in how their stories were unfolding.

So, when I got an email about reviewing Carroll's latest book, Once Lost, I was excited. On it's face, it seemed like it would be just as good as Worlds Apart - two women, half a world away from one another, dealing with life, and everything it throws at them. I wasn't disappointed!

Emma and Louise are both very well written, and the reader immediately sympathises with their situations, even though they may not have experienced anything similar themselves. It's not easy to write characters that are so realistic, so Carroll should be commended for that. The characters were quite reminiscent of Erin and Laura in Worlds Apart though; even insofar as they had the same initial!

Also beautifully written are the descriptions of life in Ireland and Australia. Being an Aussie girl myself, I always love it when Australia features in a story, and I've visited Ireland too, so I was happy to be reminded of my adventures there.

This is definitely a book I'd recommend. A little more serious than 'chick lit', this is fiction that is worth reading in a cozy chair with a warm cuppa. Now, please excuse me, I'm off to hunt down some of Carroll's other books!

[Jenee Rager · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through a goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

I found "Once Lost" to be an easy read. I always wanted to keep reading, and find out what was going to happen next. The stories of Emma and Louise don't intersect quite as often as I would have imagined from reading the book cover, but each has a great story to tell. Personally I favored Louise's story just a bit more, from the search for her missing mom, to finding the identity and story behind her latest restoration project, to falling in love, I just found her a bit more easy to identify with. I also felt like the author gave her a more complete back story and this might be part of why I felt this way.

Emma's story is also good, but the details about her just kind of eke in little by little, and the climax of her story is one that the reader can see from a mile away. I also would have loved to read more about how she and Eddie met. It wasn't crucial to the story, just another personal desire.

All in all a good solid book and worth the read.

[Lana · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book. The parallel story lines and troubles that Louise and Emma had to go through made you feel for the two characters.

All that Louise did during her life after her mother left was influenced by the fact that her mom had left. The jobs she took allowed her to look for her mom in many different cities. I admire her positive attitude and consistency in continuing to look even though she had no way of knowing where her mom went when she left.

Emma has a different problem with her ex-partner. A recovering drug addict who has gotten Emma in trouble numerous times, he claims that he has cleaned up his act this time. He requests more time with their daughter, shared custody.

I liked the strength of both characters. Each of them considers running away from their current situation, but in the end they stick around and deal.

Overall, the book had very likeable and strong female characters. An excellent read!

[Helene]

i won this book at a giveaway at good reads. once lost is a very good book, written by Ber Carroll.ti's
about two girl's growing up together, as not only best friends but also next door neighbors in Dublin Ireland.and , how both their live's play out so differently . not only in Ireland but also in Austraila.A story about Louise who's mother walked away from her when she was eight, and who she's tried to find ever since. Also, a story about Emma and her ex partner who has caused so much turmoil in her life. to find out about these two womens lives is what this book is all about. this is a great book, and i reccomend it highly to anyone who want's to read such a real life story.

[Samantha March · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a review copy
This is my second book from Ber Carroll, and I have also reviewed Worlds Apart. Both books were very engaging as a reader, and being from the US, I was quite tickled to have the entire book set in Sydney and Dublin. The language, the setting, the sights, the culture differences – it’s just so much fun to read about. A very fine piece of women’s fiction that left me satisfied at the end.

[Louise purfield-coak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Understanding the effects of trauma,loss, and mental illness

I thought the authors treatment of the above subjects on the characters in this novel was right on target. Having experienced dealing with with the effects of these things on myself, I feel I can vouch for the authenticity of Louise's reactions.
I highly recommend this book!

[Julia Fleming · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once lost

A very easy read. It was ok. Not bad but not one I'd heartedly recommend either. Two and a half stars.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Barbara Jamieson]

I enjoyed this book and found it an easy red.

[Libby]

Compelling.