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The Finder #2
The Found
More than two years after nearly dying at the hands of a serial killer, sort-of psychic August Goodson is living his best life. He has a great relationship with his dreamy cop boyfriend, Luke. He works for his twin brother, Finn, with whom he’s built a company. And he has the loving support of his long-time best friend, Cherry. When a high-profile murder occurs, however, and Luke is assigned to the case, August can’t seem to shake the feeling that history could be repeating itself. His ability got him in trouble once before. Will it happen again? And if it does, will he and the ones he love come out of it alive?
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 29, 2019
51 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
J.E. Lorin
7 books92 followersAuthor of sci fi and fantasy themed gay romance novels. Lives in North County San Diego.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
September 18, 2020
Loved every page of this book! I have serious book hangover now. I loved the mystery, family, and relationship dynamics. I cried through many of the trials and tribulations of these wonderful characters. I appreciated the work Augie and Luke put into their relationship. We all wish love was enough, but oftentimes it's unrealistic. We have to put in effort, and after their traumatic ordeal, they put in the work. It was heartbreaking at times. I even sympathized with the villain at times too. I really hope we get more of these two wonderful characters.
June 2, 2024
OK, I think I'm in the clear and safe from any last minute shenanigans, but MAN...
December 8, 2021
I liked this one. I loved the last one.
When things picked up and the case actually went somewhere it was enthralling. However, most of this was just going through their every day lives. And not just Luke and August's, but every relationship here and in fine details.
The killer was obvious and how he did things. I could have gotten over that though if not for the above.
There's the bit where it gets solved and hospital, blah, blah, but then it goes right back into laying things out. It was all about the tell and how things were working out/getting resolved. Fell very flat for me.
I'm not sure if I'd actually continue the next, if there is one (and there shouldn't be) but I probably would if there was a guaranteed more focus on the case like the first one. I'd probably still read this author though.
[...] you can't hold on to things you can't change. You've got to let that stuff go or it'll drive you crazy."
(I'm not sure where my previous rating went but added it back. Glad I've started to save them and went back to the old ones... D:)
When things picked up and the case actually went somewhere it was enthralling. However, most of this was just going through their every day lives. And not just Luke and August's, but every relationship here and in fine details.
The killer was obvious and how he did things. I could have gotten over that though if not for the above.
There's the bit where it gets solved and hospital, blah, blah, but then it goes right back into laying things out. It was all about the tell and how things were working out/getting resolved. Fell very flat for me.
I'm not sure if I'd actually continue the next, if there is one (and there shouldn't be) but I probably would if there was a guaranteed more focus on the case like the first one. I'd probably still read this author though.
[...] you can't hold on to things you can't change. You've got to let that stuff go or it'll drive you crazy."
(I'm not sure where my previous rating went but added it back. Glad I've started to save them and went back to the old ones... D:)
September 2, 2019
I enjoyed the story a lot. First part of the book was a bit slow going. It explored all the relationships August has in his life - his brother and his family, his best friend Cherry and her life changes and Luke his ever present boyfriend. I enjoyed their interactions. There was mild steam and a bit of family drama. What I found I liked the best was that the book was as close to real life relationships as can possibly be. There was a bit of awkwardness and misunderstandings that were discussed and not left to fester (at least in the beginning). Both MCs were self-sufficient adults that didn't need to be attached at the hip to feel complete. Their trust in each other and their feelings was a nice change.
When the case picked up due to unusual plot twist, it peaked my curiosity. I didn't expect that. There were suspense, angst, fear and possibility of death. Author definitely surprised me pleasantly there. And the aftermath made me tear up a couple of times. But Ms Lorin was able to bring both MCs to their happy ever after. The road was difficult and took a lot of work, but both Luke and August managed to find balance and peace. It ended very sweet. I recommend it.
When the case picked up due to unusual plot twist, it peaked my curiosity. I didn't expect that. There were suspense, angst, fear and possibility of death. Author definitely surprised me pleasantly there. And the aftermath made me tear up a couple of times. But Ms Lorin was able to bring both MCs to their happy ever after. The road was difficult and took a lot of work, but both Luke and August managed to find balance and peace. It ended very sweet. I recommend it.
August 28, 2019
I loved it
This was a great follow up to The Finder, and I hope there's more to come from Augie and Luke.
This was a great follow up to The Finder, and I hope there's more to come from Augie and Luke.
September 14, 2019
I liked the first book better. This was a lot of relationship drama and I just wasn't interested in it. I'm not going to continue with the series.
September 6, 2019
I remembered enjoying The Finder so I was excited to read the sequel, but this one was hard for me to connect with. The narrative style made me feel like I was reading a summary, there was an odd sense of distance from the events as they occurred. At the same time there were a lot of details I thought were unnecessary; for instance the opening with every tiny action Augie does in the morning before going to work read more like a list than a scene. I appreciate that neither story ends when the villain is stopped and the mystery is solved but in this instance some of the work at the end felt...didactic, like the moral of "get mental health help and communicate with each other" was the point rather than showing the struggle of two men who went through something terrible trying to come out on the other side of it intact. My true rating would probably be 2.5 stars but it squeezed a couple of tears out of me so I'm rounding up rather than down.
October 19, 2019
Mixture
The last 30% of the book is fast paced and then there is no easy fix. It was realistic. I had trouble with the over hashing of the first book. A chapter on Paul would have been enough and the woe was very overpowering. August was just to self pitying at the beginning as was Luke. I can't wait for the next book but hope that we don't have to rehash this one for most of the next one.
The last 30% of the book is fast paced and then there is no easy fix. It was realistic. I had trouble with the over hashing of the first book. A chapter on Paul would have been enough and the woe was very overpowering. August was just to self pitying at the beginning as was Luke. I can't wait for the next book but hope that we don't have to rehash this one for most of the next one.
September 28, 2019
I hope we get to see more of August and Luke. This was a good followup to the first and is set a couple of years later. Relationships are shown true to life with lots of ups and downs, however felt the turnaround by Finn's mother a bit quick.
September 2, 2019
Great read
This was a great next in what I hope is a series featuring the intrepid August. Was a bit fearful in the direction the book was going but it ended happily.
This was a great next in what I hope is a series featuring the intrepid August. Was a bit fearful in the direction the book was going but it ended happily.
December 7, 2022
Ugh, this is a well-written book that I'm sure I'll never pick up again, and pretty sure I didn't really enjoy even though I'm glad I read it. Does that make any sense??? LOL. In terms of romance, I would have been much happier leaving August and Luke's HFN from The Finder as-is, and skipping the sequel. Mysteries and romantic suspense aren't really my thing, but this one, like the previous book, was well-written and engaging in that regard and, like with the previous book, one of the main twists - - was easy to figure out early-ish in the story. What I did NOT see coming was , and while objectively, I consider it good storytelling, it neither ripped my heart out nor mended it, it just... disappointed me. If the events in the book somehow happened to real-life people, then I can absolutely see it unfolding the way it did in terms of their , but I don't read romance for that, and it really made this couple fizzle for me no matter how realistic it is. Also, there was just something missing for me in August's total... acceptance. I don't even like angst in my romance, but I still found the lack of rage and retribution from him off-putting, and by the end of this one (vs the end of the first one, or even the middle of this one), I had fallen a little out of love with the two of them as a couple. So why am I giving it 5-stars? Well, maybe 4.5... ugh, I don't even know. I think it was a good book, I guess that's why. I think the author did a good job with it. I just didn't personally enjoy the direction they took it in, so... this rating, review, and my personal thoughts are all over the place about it, I guess. What I do know is I'm 100% willing to check out their other books based on this duology, so given how quickly I will write off an author who disappoints or DNF a book that isn't working for me, I'd say my 5-ish-star rating is more for engagement than enjoyment.
Disclaimer: I review books for completely selfish reasons, i.e. to keep track of my own thoughts about wha I read, and keep track of book lists for myself. I don't expect any of this shit to ever be all that helpful to other potential readers (although I very much appreciate the kind of reviewer who leaves those kinds of reviews, too
Disclaimer: I review books for completely selfish reasons, i.e. to keep track of my own thoughts about wha I read, and keep track of book lists for myself. I don't expect any of this shit to ever be all that helpful to other potential readers (although I very much appreciate the kind of reviewer who leaves those kinds of reviews, too
November 3, 2020
4.25 Stars****
This was a great sequel. In fact, I actually prefer it over the first book. I rarely ever prefer sequels over the first book in a series.
One thing I really enjoyed about this book is that it didn't feel like a sequel. Sequels can often feel like it's just the first story rehashed, but this one felt unique and like its own story. I loved how much of a focus there was on Finn and his brotherly bond with August. It felt good to be able to follow along with the side characters and how they were just as important as the main characters. Getting to see Cherry's wedding develop, getting to see the struggle with Finn's parents. It was done quite nicely.
Of course, there were some things I didn't like in this book. I didn't like how much foreshadowing there was. It was really overdone. It kept building up and building up. It was too constant and dramatic for me. I also felt like August was too knowledgeable about the case for someone who isn't a detective. He was keen to too many details and seemed to be better at handling the case than the actual policemen were. It was a bit of a "first person point of view" problem. You could see that the author wanted to show us what the puzzle looked like, but they shouldn't have made August be the one who put the pieces together.
I really enjoyed this book, though. It was the perfect book to read on a rainy day.
This was a great sequel. In fact, I actually prefer it over the first book. I rarely ever prefer sequels over the first book in a series.
One thing I really enjoyed about this book is that it didn't feel like a sequel. Sequels can often feel like it's just the first story rehashed, but this one felt unique and like its own story. I loved how much of a focus there was on Finn and his brotherly bond with August. It felt good to be able to follow along with the side characters and how they were just as important as the main characters. Getting to see Cherry's wedding develop, getting to see the struggle with Finn's parents. It was done quite nicely.
Of course, there were some things I didn't like in this book. I didn't like how much foreshadowing there was. It was really overdone. It kept building up and building up. It was too constant and dramatic for me. I also felt like August was too knowledgeable about the case for someone who isn't a detective. He was keen to too many details and seemed to be better at handling the case than the actual policemen were. It was a bit of a "first person point of view" problem. You could see that the author wanted to show us what the puzzle looked like, but they shouldn't have made August be the one who put the pieces together.
I really enjoyed this book, though. It was the perfect book to read on a rainy day.
February 6, 2021
Same issues as the first. The writing is so clinical. I think a good editor would have fixed a lot of the style issues and made the story flow better. I also don't think this story was best served by the first person POV, since August is not particularly likeable. A lot of details could have been cut and streamlined to give other areas of the plot more room to breathe.
Overall, I still don't feel the pull or spark between Luke and August. They're so lukewarm (heh) for each other and their story dragged a lot. Luke goes from being an excruciatingly polite, boring dude to a "bad partner" and then the stuff at the end happens, all the while he still has no personality.
Overall, I still don't feel the pull or spark between Luke and August. They're so lukewarm (heh) for each other and their story dragged a lot. Luke goes from being an excruciatingly polite, boring dude to a "bad partner" and then the stuff at the end happens, all the while he still has no personality.
October 11, 2022
Disappointing
I liked the first book--good characters, good story--and there's a good psychic detective premise here, but it gets buried in trite, uninteresting, Hallmark-style relationship scenes, which make up most of the book as opposed to the murder mystery.
The author passed up developing important scenes such as how Auggie or the villain develop their abilities and tells, tells, tells, which slogs down an already slow narrative. Moreover, the brother's family storyline is just implausible as well as superfluous.
This is all a shame because JE Morin can write, but this story needed a serious edit.
I liked the first book--good characters, good story--and there's a good psychic detective premise here, but it gets buried in trite, uninteresting, Hallmark-style relationship scenes, which make up most of the book as opposed to the murder mystery.
The author passed up developing important scenes such as how Auggie or the villain develop their abilities and tells, tells, tells, which slogs down an already slow narrative. Moreover, the brother's family storyline is just implausible as well as superfluous.
This is all a shame because JE Morin can write, but this story needed a serious edit.
May 6, 2025
Forever Love?
It's been three years since the serial killer nearly killed August. He and Luke have never been happier. But all good things come to an end. A new killer targets August and it becomes apparent he has his own ability.
August and Luke are great characters. Things happen that put August's life and relationship with Luke at risk. Will August and Luke get their forever love? Read the free KU book to find out.
It's been three years since the serial killer nearly killed August. He and Luke have never been happier. But all good things come to an end. A new killer targets August and it becomes apparent he has his own ability.
August and Luke are great characters. Things happen that put August's life and relationship with Luke at risk. Will August and Luke get their forever love? Read the free KU book to find out.
February 24, 2021
My favourite thing about this book (and the series) is that the relationship between Luke and August is real. It’s raw and it takes work and they put in the work. It’s worth it to them and that’s what meant I could overlook the trauma. The murder aspect isn’t the important part of these books, the reality of being with someone who comes with real danger and risks is and I love that.
June 13, 2021
*WARNING* intended for mature audiences
I really like the story. I had no idea who the killer was until it was revealed. The trouble I with this is August is so childish. Augie wants to be carried, wants Finn's family to hover over him, want Cherry to hover, it completely shatters the heroic, mature way he uses his ability.
I really like the story. I had no idea who the killer was until it was revealed. The trouble I with this is August is so childish. Augie wants to be carried, wants Finn's family to hover over him, want Cherry to hover, it completely shatters the heroic, mature way he uses his ability.
August 17, 2020
Better Than The First
I was surprised by how much more intriguing this one was than the first. I think they really delved into someone who has to deal with stuff. PTSD and depression are all real and they made it all matter of fact and real. I loved it.
I was surprised by how much more intriguing this one was than the first. I think they really delved into someone who has to deal with stuff. PTSD and depression are all real and they made it all matter of fact and real. I loved it.
January 19, 2021
Such a wonderful story
This was a wonderful sequel i cried experience angst love murder and suspense the sex scenes were so steamy August and Luke story was genuine and fabulous I enjoyed it so much
This was a wonderful sequel i cried experience angst love murder and suspense the sex scenes were so steamy August and Luke story was genuine and fabulous I enjoyed it so much
January 26, 2021
Great story!
I was thrilled to find the sequel to The Finder. This book continues with the rollercoaster that is August and Luke's life together.
All the feels and all the action. Great book!
I was thrilled to find the sequel to The Finder. This book continues with the rollercoaster that is August and Luke's life together.
All the feels and all the action. Great book!
August 14, 2020
Brilliant
This was an action packed sequel that had me on the edge of my seat throughout. The conclusion was just perfect I hope that this series continues. A 5* read Xx
This was an action packed sequel that had me on the edge of my seat throughout. The conclusion was just perfect I hope that this series continues. A 5* read Xx
December 28, 2021
“Yay Therapy!!” Should be the official slogan for this book and I love it!!
April 22, 2024
Fine sequel but I still like the first one more
I love Finn
I love Finn
February 16, 2020
2.5 stars. I felt disconnected through most of the book. Instead of giving us much in the way of Augie's gift (which was what interested me the most), we were treated to a lot of mundane details of everyday life. As far as Augie and Luke's relationship, for most of the book there didn't seem to be much of one.
September 7, 2019
This was more of a 2.5 book for me and that s surprising bc I remember liking the first book. The main disappointment were the main characters, I didn t like them. First part of the book August felt like such a weak character, always needing someone else for suport, when he went somewhere alone he ended up in the hospital. He was whiny and annoying. He knew Luke won t have access to his phone and yet when he ends up in the hospital bc he chose to go alone to a call he acts ups bc Luke didn t come visit him right away. He would always say the opposite of his thoughts, like "I know it s not his fault, he was working all day in interogation room", Luke shows up: "where were you, why weren t you here with me!?"..dafuq🤷🏻♀️
The whole book had that repetitive feeling to it seeing as we get yet another kidnapping, Auggie almost dying and Luke bailing when things get tough. The mind control thing I liked and it s great relationship angst but I felt it was written poorly here. Up until that point I didn t like Auggie much, after the shooting Luke was on my shit list. He came off as selfish and all about his pain. I can understand his guilt but the writing lacked depth here. We weren t told if he asked ab Auggie while he was on house arrest, did he care ab what Auggie was going through? All we know is he felt bad ab what he did, when he finally gets his ass to the hospital it was to tell Auggie how hard it is for him to see Auggie hurt. Really? imagine how hard it is for Auggie to be hurt. All his bs behavior was quickly explained with "oh, I was depressed" and although in his never ending inner monologs Auggie would vent and be upset ab the way Luke was acting in real life he was all "don t worry ab it, I m glad you want me back".ughh... I should give this 2 stars.
Finn"s mom was anothor bad written character. She s a bitch to Auggie for 3 years although according to Finn she is a Saint who fosters and cares so much ab her children. She is mean and a bitch and then, poof she apologies bc apparently it was all bc she feared loosing Finn. Yeah, a good woman and mom does not act like she did for 3 years.
Overall a big let down from book 1.
The whole book had that repetitive feeling to it seeing as we get yet another kidnapping, Auggie almost dying and Luke bailing when things get tough. The mind control thing I liked and it s great relationship angst but I felt it was written poorly here. Up until that point I didn t like Auggie much, after the shooting Luke was on my shit list. He came off as selfish and all about his pain. I can understand his guilt but the writing lacked depth here. We weren t told if he asked ab Auggie while he was on house arrest, did he care ab what Auggie was going through? All we know is he felt bad ab what he did, when he finally gets his ass to the hospital it was to tell Auggie how hard it is for him to see Auggie hurt. Really? imagine how hard it is for Auggie to be hurt. All his bs behavior was quickly explained with "oh, I was depressed" and although in his never ending inner monologs Auggie would vent and be upset ab the way Luke was acting in real life he was all "don t worry ab it, I m glad you want me back".ughh... I should give this 2 stars.
Finn"s mom was anothor bad written character. She s a bitch to Auggie for 3 years although according to Finn she is a Saint who fosters and cares so much ab her children. She is mean and a bitch and then, poof she apologies bc apparently it was all bc she feared loosing Finn. Yeah, a good woman and mom does not act like she did for 3 years.
Overall a big let down from book 1.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2019
Another great add to the series. Luke and August are at it again! I loved catching up with these two and how they have overcome what happened in the first book. Life goes on and they have to adjust to changes both good and bad that come there way. I loved seeing August with his brother; it was beautiful and also painful with that he has to deal with. As much as they love each other being brothers isn't easy for everyone else. Again with so much happening I don't want to spoil anything bt this had me shocked at all the twist that came; I cried hard, laughed and smiled in a true roller-coaster fashion. Just when you think you know what could happen you don't. Everyone gets dealt some hard moments and I loved that it felt realistic and truthful of how people react, how people want to fight to overcome wrongs and discover that love does last. Can't wait for the next.
October 17, 2019
A little bit of a dissapointment. It mostly focuses on the after effects of the first novel and very slowly opens up into the murder mystery of the second serial killer who also happens to have a psychic ability. More trauma and bad things happen to our intrepid heros and then they have to deal with the aftereffects of that as well. There was some touching scenes at the end that got me a little wet eyed, but the majority of the end was dealing with depression and PTSD. So, not a barrel of laughs. I was mostly disappointed at the end when in the hospital, no calls came in and JEL didn't even address that. Why wasn't Augie inundated with ghost waiting for him to find them. In fact after the dramatic denouement, there was no more mention of Augie's power at all, which I felt was a lost opportunity to explore other options.
September 17, 2019
WOW! Great way to continue with the story. Now the main characters are against another serial killer and August is just in the middle of the action. Luke tried to protect him but instead finished putting at risk his sanity, August’s life and their relationship. The author created amazing characters that evolved in the 2-years gap between stories presenting us people with more complex emotions struggling to get together while defeating a really scary and evil villain. Of course after saving all obstacles they won and get a well deserved HEA. However, the end looked like too final for my taste so please tell me there is going to be more books coming!! Pretty please with a cherry on top?? 🙏🙏🙏
June 20, 2024
A disappointing sequel to The Finder. The plot of this book isn't as attention-grabbing as the first, but still OK. The book jacket description nails it though "history could be repeating itself." And it does, over and over again, but in less interesting ways the entire book.
The biggest letdown is the ongoing relationship struggle between Luke and Augie. It was not enjoyable and I think I would have forgiven this book more if they split and Auguie went to the wedding with the cute doctor instead.
The biggest letdown is the ongoing relationship struggle between Luke and Augie. It was not enjoyable and I think I would have forgiven this book more if they split and Auguie went to the wedding with the cute doctor instead.
September 4, 2019
This is the sequel to the finder
This was and amazing series I fell in love with the main couple in fact all of these couples were awesome they went through so much but still triumphed against all the odds . Although this was a very emotional read mixed with a lot of horror and intrigue this was also a beautiful story too here's hoping that this is not the last book in this series .
This was and amazing series I fell in love with the main couple in fact all of these couples were awesome they went through so much but still triumphed against all the odds . Although this was a very emotional read mixed with a lot of horror and intrigue this was also a beautiful story too here's hoping that this is not the last book in this series .
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews