What do you think?
Rate this book
River Valley Lost & Found #1
All The Things We Lost
Librarian's note: Alternate cover edition of ASIN B071JBZZNT.
After her mother’s death, eighteen-year-old Katie finds herself in a town she never thought she'd see again. Lost in turmoil and sadness, a ray of hope shines brightly when she comes face to face with Julian for the first time in years.
However, he isn’t the same boy she left behind. Reserved and covered in bruises, everyone in River Valley avoids him. Rumors of his activities run rampant.
Despite his cold attitude toward her and her own sadness, Katie can’t keep her thoughts from straying to her childhood friend.
Julian is barely keeping it together. He’s the sole provider for his family after his dad leaves. His dreams to go to college are ruined. Even his relationship with his older brother leaves its mark.
But, Katie’s back in town and is stirring feelings in him he thought were lost forever.
Can they find hope and love in each other, or will the struggle to survive their desperate situations prove too much?
After her mother’s death, eighteen-year-old Katie finds herself in a town she never thought she'd see again. Lost in turmoil and sadness, a ray of hope shines brightly when she comes face to face with Julian for the first time in years.
However, he isn’t the same boy she left behind. Reserved and covered in bruises, everyone in River Valley avoids him. Rumors of his activities run rampant.
Despite his cold attitude toward her and her own sadness, Katie can’t keep her thoughts from straying to her childhood friend.
Julian is barely keeping it together. He’s the sole provider for his family after his dad leaves. His dreams to go to college are ruined. Even his relationship with his older brother leaves its mark.
But, Katie’s back in town and is stirring feelings in him he thought were lost forever.
Can they find hope and love in each other, or will the struggle to survive their desperate situations prove too much?
ebook
First published June 8, 2017
514 people are currently reading
1150 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
December 28, 2018
*3 CUTESY STARS*
Short and sweet is exactly how I would describe this! And look at that pretty cover!
Unfortunately, this wasn’t my first Kayla Tirrell book. I’ve previously read Chasing Love, and while I really enjoyed that one, I found this one lacking in certain aspects.
Everything felt really rushed to me. The big conclusion basically consisted of the last 5 pages and bam, the end. While I understand that because this book is overall very short, I prefer my explanations a little more elaborate. The first half where Katie and Julian ignored each other dragged on for a bit too long, whereas the second half was pretty much about insta-love, drama and the happy ending in extremely quick succession.
Frankly, I also thought Katie was a very irresponsable and childish character, from the way she treated her friends and family as well as her money.
The writing itself was’t bad though, but I just wished the story was a bit more balanced.
I probably would've enjoyed this much more had I still been in my teens instead of mid-20's.
Received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Short and sweet is exactly how I would describe this! And look at that pretty cover!
Unfortunately, this wasn’t my first Kayla Tirrell book. I’ve previously read Chasing Love, and while I really enjoyed that one, I found this one lacking in certain aspects.
Everything felt really rushed to me. The big conclusion basically consisted of the last 5 pages and bam, the end. While I understand that because this book is overall very short, I prefer my explanations a little more elaborate. The first half where Katie and Julian ignored each other dragged on for a bit too long, whereas the second half was pretty much about insta-love, drama and the happy ending in extremely quick succession.
Frankly, I also thought Katie was a very irresponsable and childish character, from the way she treated her friends and family as well as her money.
The writing itself was’t bad though, but I just wished the story was a bit more balanced.
I probably would've enjoyed this much more had I still been in my teens instead of mid-20's.
Received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
January 14, 2025
This one was short and sweet!!
I thought it would have a bit more depth after reading the blurb, I just felt like it was going to have a bit more depth to it, but overall it was just a quick cute read!!
And I loved the characters in it, they were so lovely and quite cute. And they just felt real as well, which was really nice!
Katie did annoy me a few times, but Julian was just so sweet!!
And overall it really was just a super cute contemporary.
I loved that it was short and didn't drag on for too long, a great way to spend an afternoon reading this!!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a review copy! All opinions are my own.
I thought it would have a bit more depth after reading the blurb, I just felt like it was going to have a bit more depth to it, but overall it was just a quick cute read!!
And I loved the characters in it, they were so lovely and quite cute. And they just felt real as well, which was really nice!
Katie did annoy me a few times, but Julian was just so sweet!!
And overall it really was just a super cute contemporary.
I loved that it was short and didn't drag on for too long, a great way to spend an afternoon reading this!!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a review copy! All opinions are my own.
Want to read
January 6, 2018💝 FREE on Amazon today (1/6/2018)! 💝
Blurb:
After her mother’s death, eighteen-year-old Katie finds herself in a town she never thought she'd see again. Lost in turmoil and sadness, a ray of hope shines brightly when she comes face to face with Julian for the first time in years.
However, he isn’t the same boy she left behind. Reserved and covered in bruises, everyone in River Valley avoids him. Rumors of his activities run rampant.
Despite his cold attitude toward her and her own sadness, Katie can’t keep her thoughts from straying to her childhood friend.
Julian is barely keeping it together. He’s the sole provider for his family after his dad leaves. His dreams to go to college are ruined. Even his relationship with his older brother leaves its mark.
But, Katie’s back in town and is stirring feelings in him he thought were lost forever.
Can they find hope and love in each other, or will the struggle to survive their desperate situations prove too much?
Blurb:
After her mother’s death, eighteen-year-old Katie finds herself in a town she never thought she'd see again. Lost in turmoil and sadness, a ray of hope shines brightly when she comes face to face with Julian for the first time in years.
However, he isn’t the same boy she left behind. Reserved and covered in bruises, everyone in River Valley avoids him. Rumors of his activities run rampant.
Despite his cold attitude toward her and her own sadness, Katie can’t keep her thoughts from straying to her childhood friend.
Julian is barely keeping it together. He’s the sole provider for his family after his dad leaves. His dreams to go to college are ruined. Even his relationship with his older brother leaves its mark.
But, Katie’s back in town and is stirring feelings in him he thought were lost forever.
Can they find hope and love in each other, or will the struggle to survive their desperate situations prove too much?
January 30, 2018
I really enjoyed this one ♥
Wrote the review on the blog a few days ago.
Check it out here!
Wrote the review on the blog a few days ago.
Check it out here!
December 21, 2017
I managed to get a free copy of this book and now I’m going to share all of my feels.
It’s four AM, I just finished All the Things We Lost, and here I am typing this review if that gives you any indication on how much I adored this debut novel. It was such a fast read, but I hated when I had to put it down and be an adult.
This sounds cheesy, but from the very beginning I knew that I was going to enjoy Tirrell’s writing. When I first heard that this was going to be a contemporary trilogy, that can also be read as standalone novels, the Anna and the French Kiss trilogy immediately came to mind. Now those are some huge hype/expectation shoes to be filled, but let me tell you, I was not disappointed with this read.
I loved Tirrell’s humor with the sarcastic remarks that she put into her character’s mouths. The use of the dual POV was brilliant. It isn’t something I have personally seen a lot of in contemporary romance. Some people might say that it only causes repetition, but I appreciated the extra insight and understanding of each character that it gave the reader. I was pleasantly surprised by a strong female friendship, which I always am a sucker for. Okay, now let’s talk about the actual story.
I loved Katie and Julian, plain and simple. What I cared about most though is that they have history. This isn’t a boy meets girl and they fall in love in 2 seconds kind of story. Katie and Julian were best friends growing up. Then Katie’s parents divorced and she and her mom packed up and moved to the sunshine state. Leaving Julian, her first crush, and best friend, in Idaho with the potatoes.
Years later, Katie’s Mom dies and she begrudgingly, per her grandparent’s wishes, packs up and moves back to Idaho to try and salvage a relationship with her Dad. Which is when she’s faced with the fact that the boy next door has grown up, and man is he cute behind that diner grill.
Katie and Julian have experienced loss in different ways and must learn how to start healing. Will they be able to overcome their fears and insecurities with the support of their family and friends? Maybe they can find each other, while searching for themselves.
My closing thoughts: I loved this story. It consumed me in the day that I read it. I need more.. thankfully there’s a short story available ❤️
❌SPOILERS FOR ENDING AHEAD - DO NOT PASS❌
There are two reasons that I’m not giving this a 5/5 stars:
1) Gwen and her backstory. I wish that the mysterious reason that she left her entire family in California was revealed. I feel like Katie would have been able to help her through opening up about that at some point. I understand that a strong part of their friendship is that they don’t push each other for information. However, I wanted to know why she was so afraid of sharing what her story was.
2) Lack of Katie+Julian scenes. The anticipation of them getting together is a reason why this story was so addictive. Then once they’re finally together, the other shoe drops and she flees across the country, and they’re apart again..which is a major conflict so I can’t be upset about that. I just feel like it would have been nice to actually see them together in more situations than are present.
It’s four AM, I just finished All the Things We Lost, and here I am typing this review if that gives you any indication on how much I adored this debut novel. It was such a fast read, but I hated when I had to put it down and be an adult.
This sounds cheesy, but from the very beginning I knew that I was going to enjoy Tirrell’s writing. When I first heard that this was going to be a contemporary trilogy, that can also be read as standalone novels, the Anna and the French Kiss trilogy immediately came to mind. Now those are some huge hype/expectation shoes to be filled, but let me tell you, I was not disappointed with this read.
I loved Tirrell’s humor with the sarcastic remarks that she put into her character’s mouths. The use of the dual POV was brilliant. It isn’t something I have personally seen a lot of in contemporary romance. Some people might say that it only causes repetition, but I appreciated the extra insight and understanding of each character that it gave the reader. I was pleasantly surprised by a strong female friendship, which I always am a sucker for. Okay, now let’s talk about the actual story.
I loved Katie and Julian, plain and simple. What I cared about most though is that they have history. This isn’t a boy meets girl and they fall in love in 2 seconds kind of story. Katie and Julian were best friends growing up. Then Katie’s parents divorced and she and her mom packed up and moved to the sunshine state. Leaving Julian, her first crush, and best friend, in Idaho with the potatoes.
Years later, Katie’s Mom dies and she begrudgingly, per her grandparent’s wishes, packs up and moves back to Idaho to try and salvage a relationship with her Dad. Which is when she’s faced with the fact that the boy next door has grown up, and man is he cute behind that diner grill.
Katie and Julian have experienced loss in different ways and must learn how to start healing. Will they be able to overcome their fears and insecurities with the support of their family and friends? Maybe they can find each other, while searching for themselves.
My closing thoughts: I loved this story. It consumed me in the day that I read it. I need more.. thankfully there’s a short story available ❤️
❌SPOILERS FOR ENDING AHEAD - DO NOT PASS❌
There are two reasons that I’m not giving this a 5/5 stars:
1) Gwen and her backstory. I wish that the mysterious reason that she left her entire family in California was revealed. I feel like Katie would have been able to help her through opening up about that at some point. I understand that a strong part of their friendship is that they don’t push each other for information. However, I wanted to know why she was so afraid of sharing what her story was.
2) Lack of Katie+Julian scenes. The anticipation of them getting together is a reason why this story was so addictive. Then once they’re finally together, the other shoe drops and she flees across the country, and they’re apart again..which is a major conflict so I can’t be upset about that. I just feel like it would have been nice to actually see them together in more situations than are present.
March 20, 2018
Rating: 4.5/5
Genre: YA Romance/Contemporary
Recommended Age: 16+ (some violence and slight sexual content)
Pages: 192
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my review. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: After her mother’s death, eighteen-year-old Katie finds herself in a town she never thought she'd see again. Lost in turmoil and sadness, hope surfaces when she comes face to face with Julian for the first time in years.
However, he isn’t the same boy she left behind. Reserved and covered in bruises, everyone in River Valley avoids him. Rumors of his activities run rampant.
Julian is barely keeping it together. He’s the sole provider for his family after his dad leaves. His dreams to go to college are ruined. Even his relationship with his older brother leaves its mark.
Can Katie and Julian find hope and love in each other, or will the struggle to survive their desperate situations prove too much?
All The Things We Lost is a young adult contemporary romance perfect for both teens and adults. It is the first in a series of books, each revolving around a different couple living in the same, small town.
After the slew of fantasy and sci-fi reads I have waded through this month I just HAD to stop and read this cute little teen romance story and I didn’t regret it. It was charming and delightful. The characters were very well developed, their struggles felt real, and I cried. Like ugly cried. The world building was decent for this type of book and the pacing is well done. I also thought for the most part that the plot was good and it did keep me interested in reading the rest of the book.
The only slightly off-putting thing about this book is that it’s sometimes cliché and some of the things that happen in the book are a bit predictable. However, that doesn’t detract from how well written and interesting the book is. It’s also great for a good cry.
Verdict: If you like teen romance books, this is your new favorite series!
Genre: YA Romance/Contemporary
Recommended Age: 16+ (some violence and slight sexual content)
Pages: 192
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my review. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: After her mother’s death, eighteen-year-old Katie finds herself in a town she never thought she'd see again. Lost in turmoil and sadness, hope surfaces when she comes face to face with Julian for the first time in years.
However, he isn’t the same boy she left behind. Reserved and covered in bruises, everyone in River Valley avoids him. Rumors of his activities run rampant.
Julian is barely keeping it together. He’s the sole provider for his family after his dad leaves. His dreams to go to college are ruined. Even his relationship with his older brother leaves its mark.
Can Katie and Julian find hope and love in each other, or will the struggle to survive their desperate situations prove too much?
All The Things We Lost is a young adult contemporary romance perfect for both teens and adults. It is the first in a series of books, each revolving around a different couple living in the same, small town.
After the slew of fantasy and sci-fi reads I have waded through this month I just HAD to stop and read this cute little teen romance story and I didn’t regret it. It was charming and delightful. The characters were very well developed, their struggles felt real, and I cried. Like ugly cried. The world building was decent for this type of book and the pacing is well done. I also thought for the most part that the plot was good and it did keep me interested in reading the rest of the book.
The only slightly off-putting thing about this book is that it’s sometimes cliché and some of the things that happen in the book are a bit predictable. However, that doesn’t detract from how well written and interesting the book is. It’s also great for a good cry.
Verdict: If you like teen romance books, this is your new favorite series!
June 13, 2018
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.
Overall Rating: 4.5 stars.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I felt like it captured the topic of loss and learning to trust people after loss perfectly. I devoured this story so quickly and I can't wait to read the next part in the series. It was a delightful story with characters that made me not want to quit reading.
I felt so connected to Katie while reading this story. While I've never dealt with the loss of a parent, I did have a spinal fusion in the middle of my senior year, which took me out of school and in turn I lost out on a lot of experiences of my senior year and the summer after that senior year.
This story would have gotten a 5/5 rating from me, but I felt that some of the characters could have been developed on a little more as well as there was one section in chapter ten where the same concept is explained almost the exact same way in two separate paragraphs.
Overall, I can't wait to read the next in the series. I'm looking forward to learning more about Gwen since she is one of the characters I felt was underdeveloped in this story.
Overall Rating: 4.5 stars.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I felt like it captured the topic of loss and learning to trust people after loss perfectly. I devoured this story so quickly and I can't wait to read the next part in the series. It was a delightful story with characters that made me not want to quit reading.
I felt so connected to Katie while reading this story. While I've never dealt with the loss of a parent, I did have a spinal fusion in the middle of my senior year, which took me out of school and in turn I lost out on a lot of experiences of my senior year and the summer after that senior year.
This story would have gotten a 5/5 rating from me, but I felt that some of the characters could have been developed on a little more as well as there was one section in chapter ten where the same concept is explained almost the exact same way in two separate paragraphs.
Overall, I can't wait to read the next in the series. I'm looking forward to learning more about Gwen since she is one of the characters I felt was underdeveloped in this story.
November 9, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. It is at the other end of my lifetime but a good story for a young adult dealing with grief. It was very real feeling especially with the flow of emotions teens and young adults deal with. I look forward to reading the other two books in this series.
September 20, 2018
All The Things We Lost by Kayla Tirrell is the 1st book in the River Valley Lost and Found series, a young adult romance. Katie, 18, returns to River Valley, Idaho after her mother dies, to live with her father. Katie runs into Julian her old childhood friend, and he has changed. Both Katie and Julian are suffering from loss in different ways, will their relationship survive? Will they learn to trust again? I love this genre, there is something so innocent about first loves. I love watching the characters grow. I found this book to be a quick read, and recommend it to all readers who enjoy a young adult romance. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
September 6, 2018
#AllTheThingsWeLost #NetGalley
Katie has some serious abandonment issues and Julian has a lot of trust issues, can they figure it out and make it work?
This is a great representation of how feelings and emotions are heightened with love and how jumping to a conclusion instead of calming down and communicating can ruin or almost ruin a relationship. Both characters in this book have a lot of people, family that have let them down. They come to the relationship with a lot of luggage, but they have a friendship that is untarnished by time and that helps them build a bridge to each other. This is a very moving, easy reading novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kayla Tirrell for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
Katie has some serious abandonment issues and Julian has a lot of trust issues, can they figure it out and make it work?
This is a great representation of how feelings and emotions are heightened with love and how jumping to a conclusion instead of calming down and communicating can ruin or almost ruin a relationship. Both characters in this book have a lot of people, family that have let them down. They come to the relationship with a lot of luggage, but they have a friendship that is untarnished by time and that helps them build a bridge to each other. This is a very moving, easy reading novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kayla Tirrell for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
May 17, 2017
I was privileged to receive an advanced readers copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review, and although this is Ms. Tirrell's first release in the Young Adult genre, her work did not disappoint! Anyone who has experienced any sort of loss will immediately relate to Katie and Julian, empathizing with them as they work through their grief while simultaneously cheering them on as their sweet romance unfolds. "All the Things We Lost" is a beautiful coming-of-age story that left me starving for the next volume in this series.
October 12, 2017
I was recently given the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review. The description of this book sounded really like something I would enjoy and I was right. I read this book in a day and Katie and Julian quickly grew on me. Right from the start you feel for both of them. I can't imagine the grief Katie is going through and what Julian must be feeling when his family falls apart. Reading from both POV, really made me understand them more. I loved the fact that they already knew each other was really nice and more so with the fact that it wasn't instant love again. They were actually really careful of the other in the beginning. I appreciated this. It happens too often in books that they're instantly in love in less than a minute.
The only thing that bugged me about this book was that the time seemed to fly by. A jump of a few months happened at times and that made me feel like we were missing certain things. Other than that an amazing book that made me want to jump in the second book right after.
More descriptive review will follow on thebookdutchesses.wordpress.com
The only thing that bugged me about this book was that the time seemed to fly by. A jump of a few months happened at times and that made me feel like we were missing certain things. Other than that an amazing book that made me want to jump in the second book right after.
More descriptive review will follow on thebookdutchesses.wordpress.com
June 7, 2017
I was given this arc for an honest review. I'm not a huge YA fan. But, All The Things We Lost is heartfelt, fun and enjoyable. It's not brimming with teenage angst. I also didn't want to scream too loud at the charters for making unrealistic idiotic life choices! Instead I found characters that I wanted to hang out with, and that my empathy was at full capacity for. Childhood friends... loved it! For a first YA book, it's a great summer read and at the end you will be fully invested in this group of friends! It has my faves, HEA and no cliffhangers! 🙌
October 3, 2017
I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a review.
I really liked Katie and Julian's story. It's sweet, real, and you definitely feel for the characters. Katie's mom dies and she moves from Florida to Idaho to live with her dad. She moves back to the first house she ever lived in, back to where she used to have friends before her parents got divorced and she moved away. Back to the boy she used to love but he's grown up now and everybody in town says he's bad news.
This is definitely for fans of Jessica Sorensen.
I really liked Katie and Julian's story. It's sweet, real, and you definitely feel for the characters. Katie's mom dies and she moves from Florida to Idaho to live with her dad. She moves back to the first house she ever lived in, back to where she used to have friends before her parents got divorced and she moved away. Back to the boy she used to love but he's grown up now and everybody in town says he's bad news.
This is definitely for fans of Jessica Sorensen.
July 17, 2017
A solid start to a promising series! Looking forward to seeing what happens next with Julian and Katie. :-)
November 18, 2018
4/5
(Gracias a Netgalley, la editorial y la autora por la oportunidad de leer una copia)
Me ha parecido una historia dura y tierna a la vez. La lucha de los personajes por superar una pérdida, cada uno a su manera y como las segundas oportunidades esperan a cualquiera. Los personajes secundarios me han parecido igual de importantes que los protagonistas y estoy deseando leer qué ocurre con Gwen y Mitch.
Recomiendo el libro de Julian y Katie a cualquier amante del New Adult, no decepciona.
(Gracias a Netgalley, la editorial y la autora por la oportunidad de leer una copia)
Me ha parecido una historia dura y tierna a la vez. La lucha de los personajes por superar una pérdida, cada uno a su manera y como las segundas oportunidades esperan a cualquiera. Los personajes secundarios me han parecido igual de importantes que los protagonistas y estoy deseando leer qué ocurre con Gwen y Mitch.
Recomiendo el libro de Julian y Katie a cualquier amante del New Adult, no decepciona.
February 14, 2019
Super quick listen (audio-wise) but I could not get into the story. Maybe that was from the horrific audio or the writing but regardless, this was not for me.
February 7, 2018
This was a young adult coming of age story. It was good but just fell a little flat for me. I always want a Amy Harden or Krysten Randle level of intensity and depth and when I don't get it I feel sad. I was also a little disappointed in the way this was written in a couple places. Over all it was a clean YA story about a girl trying to find her way after losing her mom and a boy who's family goes off the rails after his dad leaves. There are side characters who's stories you can tell were a set up for the next book. I didn't love this and don't want to read the same formula in the next, so over all a good story to take up time but nothing special for me. There is some violence and talk of sex in this book. It is minimal but leaves it in the older teen category.
October 2, 2017
Though I read lots of YA, romance isn't my first choice. This book is a debut for Tirrell, and I think she is on to something. The characters are flawed, some more than others, and they are merely trying to deal with life and all it's ups and downs. In addition, folks, the novel, although a love story, has no parts that are even PG rated.
Katie, the protagonist, is a young woman who recently lost her mother and is on her way from Florida to Idaho to become reacquainted with her father , who flew the family home many years ago. In addition, other young people are holding small secrets of their own, and Katie is trying to get acquainted with people who carry as much baggage as she does. Getting a job, learning to trust, forming a community. This novel feels like real life and succeeds in making one want to read more.
My only minor issue is that the ending, after Katie flees Idaho for awhile, seems rushed. The problems seem to be wrapped up faster than what was expected.
I received an eBook of this novel in exchange for my review and thoughts on the novel.
Katie, the protagonist, is a young woman who recently lost her mother and is on her way from Florida to Idaho to become reacquainted with her father , who flew the family home many years ago. In addition, other young people are holding small secrets of their own, and Katie is trying to get acquainted with people who carry as much baggage as she does. Getting a job, learning to trust, forming a community. This novel feels like real life and succeeds in making one want to read more.
My only minor issue is that the ending, after Katie flees Idaho for awhile, seems rushed. The problems seem to be wrapped up faster than what was expected.
I received an eBook of this novel in exchange for my review and thoughts on the novel.
May 27, 2020
2.5/5
*I was provided with a copy of this book by the publisher, in exchange for my honest opinion.
Upon finishing this book, I was shocked to see that it was actually under 200 pages. I'm not sure if it's because I didn't enjoy it that much, but it felt a lot longer. In hindsight, it does explain why I thought something was lacking here and the length might be part of the reason we didn't get to know the characters that well. This isn't one you'd necessarily pick up for a really good plot either, but because you were hoping for a quick and cute read. The romance in this could have potentially saved the lack of plot and character development, but unfortunately, it wasn't that great either.
The romance wasn't for me at all. I just found that the characters had no real chemistry and I didn't understand what they liked about each other so much. Consequently, it bewildered me that they kept talking about this amazing connection that they had, which there was literally no evidence of in the text. And it can't even be because they understood each other, because they didn't confide in each other until much later on. I would even say that Julian had more chemistry with his friend Gwen, than he did with Katie. None of their interactions made me feel anything at all and so I didn't care much for the scenes when they were alone.
A major reason why I didn't like the romance, was because I didn't even like Julian. He just wasn't a likeable character in my opinion and I couldn't understand what Katie saw in him. When Katie moves back in with her dad, he kindly sets up a job for her, at the same place that Julian works. Her dad then goes to see Julian and is nothing but nice, and he asks him to look out for Katie, because she's gonna need the comfort of a familiar face. He even tells Julian that he doesn't believe the nasty rumours going around about him and that he's a good kid. Julian's response to all of this, put me off of him, very early on.
I know that Julian's been having a hard time, but if anything, that should make him more sympathetic towards Katie, yet his response to her dad is "No offense, but what does this have to do with me?". And then he's like 'I didn't need anything else on my plate. Certainly not charity to a girl I barely remembered.' Katie used to be best friends with him and this is his response to just keeping an eye on her. Not to mention that Katie's mum literally just died, like have some compassion! He was a complete jerk here and I couldn't get past this to see him as some swoon-worthy love interest. Yh, it's commendable what he's doing for his family, but he's not a good person in my opinion.
There were also quite a lot of questionable and random things that were said and done in this book. For the most part, I actually liked Katie, but she sometimes said or did things that left me a bit annoyed. For example, her and Gwen experiment with makeup and hers hasn't gone to plan, then she says 'I thought I looked like a lazy drag queen'. I don't even know what that was supposed to mean, if it's implying that drag queens have bad makeup, we all know that they're some of the best at it, so I'm very confused. Then they are going to play a game where people will get picked to kiss each other and there's a possibility that she may be picked to kiss Gwen. Katie then thinks 'Gwen would be weird if only for the fact she was a girl and I was strictly hetero.', that 'strictly' made me roll my eyes a bit, like what was the need.
Now onto the random and questionable things that Katie did. Even though her and Julian aren't even particularly friendly at the time, she sneeks into his garden to be emotional on his trampoline, it was very strange. Then just after her and Julian start to confide in each other, she sees Julian and his brother having a physical fight and she literally gets the next plane back to Florida, because it scared her. My favourite, Gwen, did call her out on how weird this was, but still.
The rumours that were going around about Julian were so silly and for such a stupid reason. These rumours were started by his ex-girlfriend, because he asked if they could take a break so he could focus on his family. She then tells everyone he's bad news and the bruises he gets from his brother make it worse and people think he's in a gang. Surely people would of seen him actually fighting with his brother though, as it was usually out in public, with the police often being called. His relationship with his brother was very weird, his brother would literally just show up, beat him up, take his money and leave, repeatedly. Julian's response to the rumours were a bit childish though, like blasting a rock radio station he didn't even like, just because he thought people would expect it, so why not.
Lastly, I just want to warn that there is racism in here, it's brief, but yh. I feel like even the racism in here was random and I'm not sure why the author included it, it wasn't really explored. We never got Julian's feelings about it, all we got was Katie reprimanding someone about it and her boss brushing the situation off. Julian's ex, Michelle, decides that she's going to start being racist to him when they break up, saying stuff like "I wish they would find a way to send all the illegals back to where they came from." Then Julian reminds her that him and his family were born there, so she whispers "I wish you were illegal, so there was a way we could kick you out." Then Julian's ex-bestfriend defaults to being racist to him as well, "I don't want his dirty Mexican hands touching my food."
This wasn't a terrible book, I just didn't particularly enjoy it that much, so I wouldn't tell someone not to read it, but I wouldn't actively recommend it either. I liked Katie I guess and really liked her grandma and Gwen, her dad was also okay. The parts about Katie dealing with her grief and seeing her friendship with Gwen were some of the best parts of the book. It was disappointing in a lot of other areas though and that's why I've rated it what I have.
*I was provided with a copy of this book by the publisher, in exchange for my honest opinion.
Upon finishing this book, I was shocked to see that it was actually under 200 pages. I'm not sure if it's because I didn't enjoy it that much, but it felt a lot longer. In hindsight, it does explain why I thought something was lacking here and the length might be part of the reason we didn't get to know the characters that well. This isn't one you'd necessarily pick up for a really good plot either, but because you were hoping for a quick and cute read. The romance in this could have potentially saved the lack of plot and character development, but unfortunately, it wasn't that great either.
The romance wasn't for me at all. I just found that the characters had no real chemistry and I didn't understand what they liked about each other so much. Consequently, it bewildered me that they kept talking about this amazing connection that they had, which there was literally no evidence of in the text. And it can't even be because they understood each other, because they didn't confide in each other until much later on. I would even say that Julian had more chemistry with his friend Gwen, than he did with Katie. None of their interactions made me feel anything at all and so I didn't care much for the scenes when they were alone.
A major reason why I didn't like the romance, was because I didn't even like Julian. He just wasn't a likeable character in my opinion and I couldn't understand what Katie saw in him. When Katie moves back in with her dad, he kindly sets up a job for her, at the same place that Julian works. Her dad then goes to see Julian and is nothing but nice, and he asks him to look out for Katie, because she's gonna need the comfort of a familiar face. He even tells Julian that he doesn't believe the nasty rumours going around about him and that he's a good kid. Julian's response to all of this, put me off of him, very early on.
I know that Julian's been having a hard time, but if anything, that should make him more sympathetic towards Katie, yet his response to her dad is "No offense, but what does this have to do with me?". And then he's like 'I didn't need anything else on my plate. Certainly not charity to a girl I barely remembered.' Katie used to be best friends with him and this is his response to just keeping an eye on her. Not to mention that Katie's mum literally just died, like have some compassion! He was a complete jerk here and I couldn't get past this to see him as some swoon-worthy love interest. Yh, it's commendable what he's doing for his family, but he's not a good person in my opinion.
There were also quite a lot of questionable and random things that were said and done in this book. For the most part, I actually liked Katie, but she sometimes said or did things that left me a bit annoyed. For example, her and Gwen experiment with makeup and hers hasn't gone to plan, then she says 'I thought I looked like a lazy drag queen'. I don't even know what that was supposed to mean, if it's implying that drag queens have bad makeup, we all know that they're some of the best at it, so I'm very confused. Then they are going to play a game where people will get picked to kiss each other and there's a possibility that she may be picked to kiss Gwen. Katie then thinks 'Gwen would be weird if only for the fact she was a girl and I was strictly hetero.', that 'strictly' made me roll my eyes a bit, like what was the need.
Now onto the random and questionable things that Katie did. Even though her and Julian aren't even particularly friendly at the time, she sneeks into his garden to be emotional on his trampoline, it was very strange. Then just after her and Julian start to confide in each other, she sees Julian and his brother having a physical fight and she literally gets the next plane back to Florida, because it scared her. My favourite, Gwen, did call her out on how weird this was, but still.
The rumours that were going around about Julian were so silly and for such a stupid reason. These rumours were started by his ex-girlfriend, because he asked if they could take a break so he could focus on his family. She then tells everyone he's bad news and the bruises he gets from his brother make it worse and people think he's in a gang. Surely people would of seen him actually fighting with his brother though, as it was usually out in public, with the police often being called. His relationship with his brother was very weird, his brother would literally just show up, beat him up, take his money and leave, repeatedly. Julian's response to the rumours were a bit childish though, like blasting a rock radio station he didn't even like, just because he thought people would expect it, so why not.
Lastly, I just want to warn that there is racism in here, it's brief, but yh. I feel like even the racism in here was random and I'm not sure why the author included it, it wasn't really explored. We never got Julian's feelings about it, all we got was Katie reprimanding someone about it and her boss brushing the situation off. Julian's ex, Michelle, decides that she's going to start being racist to him when they break up, saying stuff like "I wish they would find a way to send all the illegals back to where they came from." Then Julian reminds her that him and his family were born there, so she whispers "I wish you were illegal, so there was a way we could kick you out." Then Julian's ex-bestfriend defaults to being racist to him as well, "I don't want his dirty Mexican hands touching my food."
This wasn't a terrible book, I just didn't particularly enjoy it that much, so I wouldn't tell someone not to read it, but I wouldn't actively recommend it either. I liked Katie I guess and really liked her grandma and Gwen, her dad was also okay. The parts about Katie dealing with her grief and seeing her friendship with Gwen were some of the best parts of the book. It was disappointing in a lot of other areas though and that's why I've rated it what I have.
March 3, 2018
This book somewhat reminds me of Morgan Matson's contemporaries (though far) for some reason, only that the plot is much more intriguing and interesting to read and not some summer romance. This book had a lot of things to share.
To start off, I was already impressed with the plot honestly. Only that at times, I felt like some scenes were abrupt but the story was pretty slow. Nevertheless, it was not an excuse to make me stop going further.
"One day he was here, the next day he was gone."
"It was strange to think how my life had changed in a short amount of time."
This line just had me thinking. I loved how the author made me realize a thing or two with just one line! It seemed to me that everything can change that fast. Truly, it was an eye opener.
The author captures what she wants to let the readers know. It gave me an impression that she knew what she wanted and would do everything to reach her readers, which by all means, was a success. This is an undeniably good book to begin with.
To start off, I was already impressed with the plot honestly. Only that at times, I felt like some scenes were abrupt but the story was pretty slow. Nevertheless, it was not an excuse to make me stop going further.
"One day he was here, the next day he was gone."
"It was strange to think how my life had changed in a short amount of time."
This line just had me thinking. I loved how the author made me realize a thing or two with just one line! It seemed to me that everything can change that fast. Truly, it was an eye opener.
The author captures what she wants to let the readers know. It gave me an impression that she knew what she wanted and would do everything to reach her readers, which by all means, was a success. This is an undeniably good book to begin with.
October 25, 2017
recently I have been feeling lonely and depressed, unable to pull myself out. I picked up this book to give it a shot, it was 100% what I needed. The pages were full of so much emotion I couldn't stop turning through the pages.
I cannot remember the last time i laughed out loud to a book but this one had me doing just that. the book is not meant to be funny, but I know The scene i am talking about was meant to be. i couldn't help it, i sat outside enjoying the pretty weather just laughing away.
as someone who lost a family member myself, I know the pain Katie is going through. I think that is a reason why this book hit me so hard. it made me open my eyes to my own suffering and want to keep moving forward.
I loved the characters in this book. they felt so real, it was like i was sitting in that diner working right aside them.
I was sucked into the pages and couldn't stop until the last page. i was left wanting more, but atalready know there is a second book for me to now have to devour!
I cannot remember the last time i laughed out loud to a book but this one had me doing just that. the book is not meant to be funny, but I know The scene i am talking about was meant to be. i couldn't help it, i sat outside enjoying the pretty weather just laughing away.
as someone who lost a family member myself, I know the pain Katie is going through. I think that is a reason why this book hit me so hard. it made me open my eyes to my own suffering and want to keep moving forward.
I loved the characters in this book. they felt so real, it was like i was sitting in that diner working right aside them.
I was sucked into the pages and couldn't stop until the last page. i was left wanting more, but atalready know there is a second book for me to now have to devour!
January 15, 2018
Amazing Love Story
Disclaimer: A copy of this novel was given to me in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinions in this review are solely my own and do not reflect the opinions of the author. Thank you so much to the author for providing me with a copy of this book.
This is a YA romance novel that focuses on recovering from loss and figuring out your place in the world. Katie must learn to get over the loss of her mother in order to move on with her life. She must decide to move on from the past, forgive those who have wronged her, and learn to open up her heart to new experiences. I loved the main character and the love interest in story. I wanted to learn now about Gwen and she ended up in this new town. I also wanted a bit more background information on the male love interest in this story.
Overall, I thought it was a great book. I loved the gushy romance and the turmoil in the family dynamics. I also loved the style of writing used. The author definitely did a great job with this book and I’m excited to read more from this author!
Disclaimer: A copy of this novel was given to me in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinions in this review are solely my own and do not reflect the opinions of the author. Thank you so much to the author for providing me with a copy of this book.
This is a YA romance novel that focuses on recovering from loss and figuring out your place in the world. Katie must learn to get over the loss of her mother in order to move on with her life. She must decide to move on from the past, forgive those who have wronged her, and learn to open up her heart to new experiences. I loved the main character and the love interest in story. I wanted to learn now about Gwen and she ended up in this new town. I also wanted a bit more background information on the male love interest in this story.
Overall, I thought it was a great book. I loved the gushy romance and the turmoil in the family dynamics. I also loved the style of writing used. The author definitely did a great job with this book and I’m excited to read more from this author!
February 20, 2019
I listened to the audiobook version of this book.
This is a clean coming of age YA novel of two teens, Katie and Julian, overcoming difficult losses and family problems.
Katie loses her mom from cancer and returns to her childhood home to live with her father where reconnects with her old friend Julian. We are able to see her grow as a character as she learns to cope with the loss of her mother, to forgive, trust, and open up to new love and friendship.
Like Katie, Julian is also dealing with some different but equally difficult harships in his family life. He is dealing with his father's abandonment of his family and an abusive older brother. Julian learns to stand up for himself, to trust and open up. He also learns that it is never to late to try to pursue his dreams.
Both main characters learn some important lessons in their lives and discover important things about themselves. I loved that we got to see them overcome their obstacles as they grew closer together in this sweet coming of age story. The author wraps things up nicely and we are able to take away some valuable lessons in addition to a nice love story.
The narrator did a great job differentiating and staying consistent with the characters and speed.
Overall, I enjoyed many aspects of this shorter YA story.
I received a review copy at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review.
This is a clean coming of age YA novel of two teens, Katie and Julian, overcoming difficult losses and family problems.
Katie loses her mom from cancer and returns to her childhood home to live with her father where reconnects with her old friend Julian. We are able to see her grow as a character as she learns to cope with the loss of her mother, to forgive, trust, and open up to new love and friendship.
Like Katie, Julian is also dealing with some different but equally difficult harships in his family life. He is dealing with his father's abandonment of his family and an abusive older brother. Julian learns to stand up for himself, to trust and open up. He also learns that it is never to late to try to pursue his dreams.
Both main characters learn some important lessons in their lives and discover important things about themselves. I loved that we got to see them overcome their obstacles as they grew closer together in this sweet coming of age story. The author wraps things up nicely and we are able to take away some valuable lessons in addition to a nice love story.
The narrator did a great job differentiating and staying consistent with the characters and speed.
Overall, I enjoyed many aspects of this shorter YA story.
I received a review copy at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review.
October 18, 2018
All The Things We Lost is a story about a young girl, Katie, whose parents divorced and she moved from Idaho to Florida with her Mom. After her Mom passed away she eventually goes back to Idaho to try to find herself and heal relationships with her Dad and former bestie Julian. Julian is a troubled soul who has been dealt a bad hand since she last saw him.
This a great heartfelt story of two teens trying to make the best with their lives and forge their path forward after dealing with life changing events. The type of events no kid should have to deal with.
I found this book to be refreshing as it was not the perfect life story but one dealing with real life issues and both main characters fighting to find their path to the future. Interested to see where the second part of this series will take Katie and Julian!
This a great heartfelt story of two teens trying to make the best with their lives and forge their path forward after dealing with life changing events. The type of events no kid should have to deal with.
I found this book to be refreshing as it was not the perfect life story but one dealing with real life issues and both main characters fighting to find their path to the future. Interested to see where the second part of this series will take Katie and Julian!
Read
June 16, 2022“And, Julian, this is going to sound so crazy. Like, I can’t even believe I’m saying it. But I miss you. I think I need you to be my friend right now."
- reader notes -
I can’t even imagine feeling that kind of loss...
It’s DUAL POV?! 😱
Okay so this was an unexpected re-meetcute...even if it was more of a drive-by thing and not actually a meetcute lol
I do nottttt like these wrestling team guys, ugh
A month has gone by?!
This Michelle girl is a piece of work smh
Oh my gosh, his brother is horrible too
Julian needs to make his move!
Some language, violence, racist remarks, and reference to drinking/drugs
Trampoline 💗
She called it homeeeee
Is it weird that I’m kind of glad he wasn’t immediately happy to see her lol??
Awww!! He asked her to go for a car ride with him 💓
OF COURSE SHE WAS THINKING ABOUT YOU
- reader notes -
I can’t even imagine feeling that kind of loss...
It’s DUAL POV?! 😱
Okay so this was an unexpected re-meetcute...even if it was more of a drive-by thing and not actually a meetcute lol
I do nottttt like these wrestling team guys, ugh
A month has gone by?!
This Michelle girl is a piece of work smh
Oh my gosh, his brother is horrible too
Julian needs to make his move!
Some language, violence, racist remarks, and reference to drinking/drugs
Trampoline 💗
She called it homeeeee
Is it weird that I’m kind of glad he wasn’t immediately happy to see her lol??
Awww!! He asked her to go for a car ride with him 💓
OF COURSE SHE WAS THINKING ABOUT YOU
July 12, 2019
I’ve been struggling a lot lately with YA contemporary stories, and this one was a good bridge version - because Katie is 18, fresh out of high school, so honestly it felt more New Adult to me. At the very beginning we find out that Katie’s parents are divorced, she’s living with her mom and her dad is out west - a tragedy strikes, forcing her to make some hard choices. I really enjoyed that this book wasn’t so nice & happy- these kids dealt with some hard choices and were already being forced to live like true adults right out of school. I really enjoyed the relationships that formed and how even though all Katie wanted to do was run, she decided to figure it out, and face her fears.
I listened to this one on audible, it was a short 5 hour or so narration. The narrator was enjoyable, she did a great job distinguishing between characters as the POV switched with every other chapter. There were a few breathy moments, and chapter breaks where I experienced some background noise, but overall the narration was enjoyable.
I listened to this one on audible, it was a short 5 hour or so narration. The narrator was enjoyable, she did a great job distinguishing between characters as the POV switched with every other chapter. There were a few breathy moments, and chapter breaks where I experienced some background noise, but overall the narration was enjoyable.
September 26, 2017
I received an ARC from the Author in exchange for an honest review.
Wow, this was such a cute book. I love being a fast reader sometimes because now I get to move on to the next one! Okay so All The Things We Lost was super cute story, with memorable characters. I adored Katie and my heart ached for her. Julian was the sexy brooding book boyfriend of all my dreams. Their connection was authentic, and pure. This made the story such a delight to read. Also I LOVE GWEN...the next book is about Gwen which I'm so excited about.
Wow, this was such a cute book. I love being a fast reader sometimes because now I get to move on to the next one! Okay so All The Things We Lost was super cute story, with memorable characters. I adored Katie and my heart ached for her. Julian was the sexy brooding book boyfriend of all my dreams. Their connection was authentic, and pure. This made the story such a delight to read. Also I LOVE GWEN...the next book is about Gwen which I'm so excited about.
September 18, 2017
All the things we lost was that thing that kept me going during four am baby feeding sessions. I found myself wanting to delve deeper and deeper into Katie and Julian's story though if I'm being honest it was Gwen and Mitch that stole my heart and curiosity. There are moments in this book that make you go awwwwww! There are moments in this book that make you want to throw things! I was very happy with the ending and props to the author for not making everything to rosey to be real.
March 24, 2018
What an utterly adorable read. It has both heart, pain and sweetness that you just can't help but enjoy! Julien was a misunderstood guy who just wants more for himself, and Katie is just trying to find herself after a tragedy. It's a coming together book, and surprisingly no love triangle!!!!!!!!!!!! what a refreshing read. I can't help but want them to have a happy ever after, best friends, comforting eachother through a hard time... all of it was awesome I definitely recommend this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews