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Lost and Found Family
She would do anything to protect her children, including keeping her secrets buried with her late husband…
All families have secrets, and no one knows it better than Sarah Anderson. Hiding the truth about her late husband from their children is only half of it. She’s let her mother-in-law, Margaret, hate her for years, just to keep the illusion that her son was perfect intact.
But when the older woman threatens to remove the boys from her home, Sarah strikes a bargain: she’ll bring them for a six week visit, even though it goes against her every instinct.
Complicating matters is attorney Luke Thompson. An old friend of the family, he’s agreed to investigate Sarah’s past, although he doesn’t feel comfortable poking around in her private life. What he finds is a truth very different from the one he’s been led to believe.
All Sarah ever wanted was a family, and all Luke wants now is her love. The time has come to reveal the terrible secrets that have been kept for so long. In losing the past, a new love—and family—can be found.
All families have secrets, and no one knows it better than Sarah Anderson. Hiding the truth about her late husband from their children is only half of it. She’s let her mother-in-law, Margaret, hate her for years, just to keep the illusion that her son was perfect intact.
But when the older woman threatens to remove the boys from her home, Sarah strikes a bargain: she’ll bring them for a six week visit, even though it goes against her every instinct.
Complicating matters is attorney Luke Thompson. An old friend of the family, he’s agreed to investigate Sarah’s past, although he doesn’t feel comfortable poking around in her private life. What he finds is a truth very different from the one he’s been led to believe.
All Sarah ever wanted was a family, and all Luke wants now is her love. The time has come to reveal the terrible secrets that have been kept for so long. In losing the past, a new love—and family—can be found.
400 pages, Paperback
First published July 6, 2021
138 people are currently reading
2267 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Ryan
50 books1,884 followersJennifer Ryan, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Hunted and McBrides Series, writes romantic suspense and contemporary small-town romances.
Jennifer lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and three children. When she isn’t writing a book, she’s reading one. Her obsession with both is often revealed in the state of her home, and how late dinner is to the table. When she finally leaves those fictional worlds, you’ll find her in the garden, playing in the dirt and daydreaming about people who live only in her head, until she puts them on paper.
Please visit her website at www.jennifer-ryan.com for information about upcoming releases.
Jennifer lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and three children. When she isn’t writing a book, she’s reading one. Her obsession with both is often revealed in the state of her home, and how late dinner is to the table. When she finally leaves those fictional worlds, you’ll find her in the garden, playing in the dirt and daydreaming about people who live only in her head, until she puts them on paper.
Please visit her website at www.jennifer-ryan.com for information about upcoming releases.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
October 17, 2021
2.5* upgraded to 3. The longer I read, the more boring I found these perfect people. She was too much to believe on 4 hours of sleep every night. I was so happy to say goodbye to all of them.
August 20, 2021
I loved this book. The characters the family and the huge heart that Sarah had after the not so great life she had before finding the love of her life. Luke is a dream guy all of us women wish for our whole lives. This is a must read I HIGHLY recommend it. You will read it in one sitting you will not be able to put this book down. It a fantastic 5 star must read.
August 7, 2021
It’s not often that I find myself resentful of the time lost reading a book.
I’m not going to spoil things too much but seriously the heroine is portrayed as a cross between Steve Jobs, Mother Theresa, Oprah (a job for you and you and you!), a horse whisperer (who would be insane enough to allow a random stranger to walk up to your prize horse - tell the vet to back off and proceed to give vaccines and sew up a cut on said horse?) and a robot. She manages two software type companies (one of which she has taken from almost bankruptcy to an annual profit of 100s of millions within two years), all while taking care of two very young children and also owning and running a successful horse breeding ranch (yet her children have somehow never seen a horse), she sleeps 2-4 hours a day but manages to always be on an even keel, cook amazing meals for her children at a minutes notice and while doing all of this she also travels around the world (without her kids) installing software and finding time to carry out acts of extreme charity.
If you can swallow all of that we then have the rest of this travesty.
The hero is an ass who cannot make up his mind whether the heroine is an evil conniving woman who is just out for his money or if she is the love of his life - he has her investigated but honestly I think his investigators saw him coming!
Somehow they fall in love at the drop of a hat.
Suddenly the MIL of her dead husband and his sister who absolutely hated the heroine decide that she is a saint after one set of explanations (and a hefty whack of money).
If I could give it no stars I would.
It’s a shame as I usually really like the books written by this author.
I’m not going to spoil things too much but seriously the heroine is portrayed as a cross between Steve Jobs, Mother Theresa, Oprah (a job for you and you and you!), a horse whisperer (who would be insane enough to allow a random stranger to walk up to your prize horse - tell the vet to back off and proceed to give vaccines and sew up a cut on said horse?) and a robot. She manages two software type companies (one of which she has taken from almost bankruptcy to an annual profit of 100s of millions within two years), all while taking care of two very young children and also owning and running a successful horse breeding ranch (yet her children have somehow never seen a horse), she sleeps 2-4 hours a day but manages to always be on an even keel, cook amazing meals for her children at a minutes notice and while doing all of this she also travels around the world (without her kids) installing software and finding time to carry out acts of extreme charity.
If you can swallow all of that we then have the rest of this travesty.
The hero is an ass who cannot make up his mind whether the heroine is an evil conniving woman who is just out for his money or if she is the love of his life - he has her investigated but honestly I think his investigators saw him coming!
Somehow they fall in love at the drop of a hat.
Suddenly the MIL of her dead husband and his sister who absolutely hated the heroine decide that she is a saint after one set of explanations (and a hefty whack of money).
If I could give it no stars I would.
It’s a shame as I usually really like the books written by this author.
August 4, 2021
This is the first book I have read by Jennifer Ryan, but I know it won't be my last. I really enjoyed this story of a dysfunctional family, a woman trying to make a living for her children while still making time for them, a woman keeping secrets and someone who is trying to reconcile with her dead husband's family for the sake of her children. All this was wrapped up in a well-written story.
Sarah Anderson is a widow, whose husband was a cheat and a liar. His mother worshipped the ground he walked on and had a strong and bitter hatred towards Sarah. She blames her for everything, including keeping her grandchildren from her. After getting a letter from attorney Luke Thompson, she has agreed to a six week visit at her mother-in-law's home with her two boys. She knows she needs to tell her the truth about her son, but doesn't know if or how she will do it. When she arrives, her MIL is miserable towards her, but sweet and loving to the boys. She vows she will make this visit enjoyable for her children, but it is easier than she expected when she meets attorney and neighbour Luke.
I really enjoyed this story. The relationships between the characters makes this story. Margaret is a sad and bitter woman, who lives alone in her large home that is showing neglect. Her daughter and granddaughter are often around as her marriage has just fallen apart. She is a bitter woman who drove me crazy. I would have left her too. Through it all, Sarah keeps her cool and refused to take the bait from either of the women. She is burning the candle at both ends trying to be a mother and a business owner and some of the fallout of that is a bit humorous and scary at the same time. Luke is almost perfect. He is a successful lawyer, a kind and generous man, owns a horse ranch, is wonderful with children and falls for Sarah. I enjoyed watching their romance blossom, although considering she was only there for six weeks, it was relatively quick. Overall, this is a sweet romance. I loved the addition of the boys to the story, as it always makes it seem more realistic to me. As Margaret thaws towards Sarah, and her romance with Luke grows, I felt the smile on my face getting wider. The audiobook was narrated by Teri Schnaubelt, who always delivers a strong performance. I enjoyed her voices, expression and emotions that made listening to this book a pleasant experience. If you enjoy a contemporary romance then pick this one up. The publisher provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.
Sarah Anderson is a widow, whose husband was a cheat and a liar. His mother worshipped the ground he walked on and had a strong and bitter hatred towards Sarah. She blames her for everything, including keeping her grandchildren from her. After getting a letter from attorney Luke Thompson, she has agreed to a six week visit at her mother-in-law's home with her two boys. She knows she needs to tell her the truth about her son, but doesn't know if or how she will do it. When she arrives, her MIL is miserable towards her, but sweet and loving to the boys. She vows she will make this visit enjoyable for her children, but it is easier than she expected when she meets attorney and neighbour Luke.
I really enjoyed this story. The relationships between the characters makes this story. Margaret is a sad and bitter woman, who lives alone in her large home that is showing neglect. Her daughter and granddaughter are often around as her marriage has just fallen apart. She is a bitter woman who drove me crazy. I would have left her too. Through it all, Sarah keeps her cool and refused to take the bait from either of the women. She is burning the candle at both ends trying to be a mother and a business owner and some of the fallout of that is a bit humorous and scary at the same time. Luke is almost perfect. He is a successful lawyer, a kind and generous man, owns a horse ranch, is wonderful with children and falls for Sarah. I enjoyed watching their romance blossom, although considering she was only there for six weeks, it was relatively quick. Overall, this is a sweet romance. I loved the addition of the boys to the story, as it always makes it seem more realistic to me. As Margaret thaws towards Sarah, and her romance with Luke grows, I felt the smile on my face getting wider. The audiobook was narrated by Teri Schnaubelt, who always delivers a strong performance. I enjoyed her voices, expression and emotions that made listening to this book a pleasant experience. If you enjoy a contemporary romance then pick this one up. The publisher provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.
July 11, 2021
I first discovered Jennifer Ryan through her romantic suspense novels but I've come to enjoy her stand-alone, women's fiction stories as well. Ryan is a master of the dysfunctional family unit, creating characters that draw you in and keep you engaged while immersing the reader in twisty stories that are overflowing with secrets and betrayals.
Sara, the lead character of this book, is a hard-working mom trying to maintain a balance while growing her successful company and caring for her two young sons. I liked her, respected her, admired her, and was cheering her on from start to finish, especially in light of the verbal abuse and casual disregard she endured from her late husband and his family. How that woman came through all that was thrown at her - from childhood to present day - with her positivity, kindness, and ability to forgive intact, not just surviving but thriving, is beyond me.
I like that Luke's suspicion of Sara (fed by her mother-in-law) isn't drawn out a long time. Once true facts come to light, his allegiance shifts and a relationship begins to develop, not only with Sara but with her sons as well. I really enjoyed the scenes between Luke and the boys. Luke is at a bit of a crossroads and has an individual journey to travel as well. I enjoyed the evolution of his character and his relationship with Sara. And I adored his family!
The story moves along pretty well until it hits about the 80% mark, when it began to slow down for me. Though I understand what the author was trying to convey in those final chapters, they felt a bit extraneous. Still, Lost and Found Family is a complex, deeply emotional, and satisfying story that reinforces Jennifer Ryan's immense storytelling skill and a book I recommend.
*ARC received for fair and unbiased review
Sara, the lead character of this book, is a hard-working mom trying to maintain a balance while growing her successful company and caring for her two young sons. I liked her, respected her, admired her, and was cheering her on from start to finish, especially in light of the verbal abuse and casual disregard she endured from her late husband and his family. How that woman came through all that was thrown at her - from childhood to present day - with her positivity, kindness, and ability to forgive intact, not just surviving but thriving, is beyond me.
I like that Luke's suspicion of Sara (fed by her mother-in-law) isn't drawn out a long time. Once true facts come to light, his allegiance shifts and a relationship begins to develop, not only with Sara but with her sons as well. I really enjoyed the scenes between Luke and the boys. Luke is at a bit of a crossroads and has an individual journey to travel as well. I enjoyed the evolution of his character and his relationship with Sara. And I adored his family!
The story moves along pretty well until it hits about the 80% mark, when it began to slow down for me. Though I understand what the author was trying to convey in those final chapters, they felt a bit extraneous. Still, Lost and Found Family is a complex, deeply emotional, and satisfying story that reinforces Jennifer Ryan's immense storytelling skill and a book I recommend.
*ARC received for fair and unbiased review
July 21, 2021
Great book!I could hardly put this book down. Highly recommend.
February 12, 2021
*ARC received and reviewed via NetGalley.*
Sarah Anderson has been doing everything she can since the death of her husband to keep things running at home and the company the two of them started. While this means working an obscene amount of hours, nothing is more important to her than providing for and protecting the people who count on her, whether that's her two little boys or all the employees at her software company. When her mother-in-law threatens to try and take the boys from Sarah in a court of law Sarah is desperate to prove to the woman she is a good mother while also concealing some dark truths about her dead husbands personal and business life. This is complicated by the fact her mother-in-law has involved the handsome lawyer/rancher next door. The man gets under Sarah's skin the second they meet and now she's got two people to prove her worthiness to. Can she do that while still keeping the secrets of her past buried?
VERDICT is that this is another fine romance read by Jennifer Ryan. I am always intrigued by the situations she cooks up for her characters which typically seem to be fierce women misunderstood by the people around them. Not one of my personal favorites though. I really felt like all of the tension and intrigue was done about half way through the story. The second half was a lot of fluff with minor misunderstandings being ironed out and reaffirming of feelings. I would recommend to readers I know are fans of Ryan's writing but not necessarily to others looking for a contemporary romance read.
Sarah Anderson has been doing everything she can since the death of her husband to keep things running at home and the company the two of them started. While this means working an obscene amount of hours, nothing is more important to her than providing for and protecting the people who count on her, whether that's her two little boys or all the employees at her software company. When her mother-in-law threatens to try and take the boys from Sarah in a court of law Sarah is desperate to prove to the woman she is a good mother while also concealing some dark truths about her dead husbands personal and business life. This is complicated by the fact her mother-in-law has involved the handsome lawyer/rancher next door. The man gets under Sarah's skin the second they meet and now she's got two people to prove her worthiness to. Can she do that while still keeping the secrets of her past buried?
VERDICT is that this is another fine romance read by Jennifer Ryan. I am always intrigued by the situations she cooks up for her characters which typically seem to be fierce women misunderstood by the people around them. Not one of my personal favorites though. I really felt like all of the tension and intrigue was done about half way through the story. The second half was a lot of fluff with minor misunderstandings being ironed out and reaffirming of feelings. I would recommend to readers I know are fans of Ryan's writing but not necessarily to others looking for a contemporary romance read.
August 11, 2021
Meh. Awkward transitions between scenes, stilted, formula dialogue and uninspired plot lines.
However, the author said in her “Acknowledgements” that this was something she had originally drafted many years ago so I’m going to try one of her other more recent books.
Graphic sex.
However, the author said in her “Acknowledgements” that this was something she had originally drafted many years ago so I’m going to try one of her other more recent books.
Graphic sex.
March 8, 2025
1.5 stars.
1 whole star is because I finished it.
1/2 star is because there were some parts that were actually interesting.
But overall, I just could NOT with this book and it is all because of the heroine.
Her name is Sarah Anderson. She is the most perfectest perfect that ever perfected!
She runs a multi-million dollar tech company in Silicon Valley that she single-handedly rescued from near disaster and bankruptcy from her horrible (now dead) husband. She is a coder extraordinaire, whose security encryption will revolutionize the industry. She is also the creator of wildly popular video games. She works 20 hour days juggling multiple projects, while also being a very hands on, involved mother of 2 young boys. She is a tough negotiator with her clients. She was taught to cook by a Michelin starred chef. She owns a ranch that has top tier breeding mares. She is a horse whisperer who is the only person who can calm a fractious stallion and administer his shots and diagnose his problems better than the vet. She is a major philanthropist. During the wedding at the very end when the Best Man (who is the hero's brother) makes his speech, it is all about what a genius and wonderful person Sarah is. He barely mentions his own brother!
And in addition she is one of those heroines -- the ones with a horrific back story who came from the foster system and poverty and abuse. And even through all of that she is super duper nice. Even thought her ex mother-in-law hates her guts and insults her openly, Sarah cleans her house, fixes her meals and gives her money.
I think I kept reading to see if she gave someone a kidney one time or spoke seven languages fluently. Because honestly I would not have been surprised.
The Hero is a rancher/super rich lawyer from a family of famous super rich lawyers. I feel like his role was to just discover how wonderful she was. There was no romantic conflict really. They fell in love in about 4 weeks, she's not like those other girls.
I sighed a lot.
I actually liked the kids though.
This is the first book by this author I ever read. I have a policy of trying again if the first time is a miss so I will try one more. But yeah this was a huge miss for me.
1 whole star is because I finished it.
1/2 star is because there were some parts that were actually interesting.
But overall, I just could NOT with this book and it is all because of the heroine.
Her name is Sarah Anderson. She is the most perfectest perfect that ever perfected!
She runs a multi-million dollar tech company in Silicon Valley that she single-handedly rescued from near disaster and bankruptcy from her horrible (now dead) husband. She is a coder extraordinaire, whose security encryption will revolutionize the industry. She is also the creator of wildly popular video games. She works 20 hour days juggling multiple projects, while also being a very hands on, involved mother of 2 young boys. She is a tough negotiator with her clients. She was taught to cook by a Michelin starred chef. She owns a ranch that has top tier breeding mares. She is a horse whisperer who is the only person who can calm a fractious stallion and administer his shots and diagnose his problems better than the vet. She is a major philanthropist. During the wedding at the very end when the Best Man (who is the hero's brother) makes his speech, it is all about what a genius and wonderful person Sarah is. He barely mentions his own brother!
And in addition she is one of those heroines -- the ones with a horrific back story who came from the foster system and poverty and abuse. And even through all of that she is super duper nice. Even thought her ex mother-in-law hates her guts and insults her openly, Sarah cleans her house, fixes her meals and gives her money.
I think I kept reading to see if she gave someone a kidney one time or spoke seven languages fluently. Because honestly I would not have been surprised.
The Hero is a rancher/super rich lawyer from a family of famous super rich lawyers. I feel like his role was to just discover how wonderful she was. There was no romantic conflict really. They fell in love in about 4 weeks, she's not like those other girls.
I sighed a lot.
I actually liked the kids though.
This is the first book by this author I ever read. I have a policy of trying again if the first time is a miss so I will try one more. But yeah this was a huge miss for me.
October 27, 2021
Wow. I have to say, Sarah is almost too good to be true but she is completely believable. I did really like this story. We all need to look at life the way she dies.
February 10, 2022
I like to read a lot of different types of books but every now and then I just need to read a book with a happy ever after ending, and this book definitely had that !
June 20, 2024
After reading The Underground Library, I was excited to read this book. But unfortunately for me, the characters were unrealistic and the plot predicable. For some this could be a good beach read.
October 1, 2021
Jennifer Ryan wrote a wonderful story about a remarkable woman who suffered through family secrets in order to protect others and through all of this she embraces her true self and finds love for the first time.
Sarah Anderson puts aside her own comfort and takes her two sons to spend time with their grandmother even though at every turn she is ridiculed by her mother-in-law. For years she has hidden the truth about what her life was like with her husband. Because of information that her son constantly told her Margaret is convinced that Sarah is an unfit mother and threatens to take legal action. So Sarah agrees to spend six weeks with Margaret so she can spend time with her grandsons.
Luke Thompson is an attorney and part-time rancher and family friend to Margaret. Margaret convinces Luke to investigate Sarah’s past. He quickly learns that everything Margaret believes is true is totally wrong and that her son was not who he lead her to believe. He learns that Sarah is a devoted mother and a warm, caring person that he really wants to get to know. Luke gives Sarah the love she always craved and a real family.
Sarah shows a remarkable ability to forgive once she reveals she secrets she has kept hidden about her deceased husband and also a secret she had no idea existed. A remarkable story about what one woman will do to have what she never had: love and family.
Sarah Anderson puts aside her own comfort and takes her two sons to spend time with their grandmother even though at every turn she is ridiculed by her mother-in-law. For years she has hidden the truth about what her life was like with her husband. Because of information that her son constantly told her Margaret is convinced that Sarah is an unfit mother and threatens to take legal action. So Sarah agrees to spend six weeks with Margaret so she can spend time with her grandsons.
Luke Thompson is an attorney and part-time rancher and family friend to Margaret. Margaret convinces Luke to investigate Sarah’s past. He quickly learns that everything Margaret believes is true is totally wrong and that her son was not who he lead her to believe. He learns that Sarah is a devoted mother and a warm, caring person that he really wants to get to know. Luke gives Sarah the love she always craved and a real family.
Sarah shows a remarkable ability to forgive once she reveals she secrets she has kept hidden about her deceased husband and also a secret she had no idea existed. A remarkable story about what one woman will do to have what she never had: love and family.
March 7, 2023
4.5 stars
I’m not ashamed to confess that this book had me reaching for the Kleenex box a few times. Not for sad tears but for happy tears. Our female protagonist Sarah Anderson is a fictional character who qualifies to be a candidate for fictional sainthood. Sarah’s mother drank herself to death when Sarah was only 4 years old throwing her into the foster care system. A few years later an unscrupulous uncle takes her and instead of giving her love and a family uses her for slave labor to care for the horses on his rundown ranch, not allowing her to attend school and attempting to remove anything that made her happy from her life. Finally at 16 her biological father who until that time was unaware she existed rescues her and from there her life gets better. With his help she catches up on her education to the point she’s accepted at M.I.T. where she graduates at the top of her class with a degree in computer programing. At M.I.T. she meets the charismatic Sean Spencer who sweeps her off of her feet and marries her before the ink on their diplomas are dry. Sean convinces her to join him in starting up a software company Spencer Industries, rather than taking a lucrative job in Silicon Valley. Sean may be the face of the company but Sarah is the brains, heart and soul of it. After a few years of marriage and giving birth to two sons Sarah realizes Sean a text book narcissist doesn’t love her. He just wants to use her for her programing talents. While she’s putting in 18- 20 hour work days six and seven days a week and also trying to raise their two sons, Sean is busy cheating on her while playing the role of a brilliant successful entrepreneur. Just when she’s finally ready to file for divorce Sean is killed in a car accident leaving their fledgling company in severe financial straits. It’s two years after Sean’s death when this story begins. Sarah a world class programmer has turned Spencer Industries into a multi-million dollar company practically working herself to death in the process. When she receives a letter from Sean’s mother Margaret’s lawyer threatening to take her to court for custody of the boys if she doesn’t send them for a six week long visit in the middle of the school year, Sarah acquiesces. Why I don’t really understand since Sean’s mother has a snowball in Hell’s chance of wresting custody from Sarah. Thanks in no small part to Sean’s lies before his death his mother is convinced Sarah is the devil incarnate and just married Sean for his money. Sean tells her he never comes to visit her because he has to work so hard because Sarah is demanding and wants to spend all of their money on expensive things for herself. Basically he blames Sarah for his actions and inactions while he’s doing everything he’s accused Sarah of. She blames Sarah for Sean’s death because supposedly he was exhausted from working so much which contributed to his accident. She accuses Sarah of stealing her son’s company, acting as a figurehead C.E.O while spending all of his money. Still Sarah knowing her mother-in-law hates her agrees to pull her boys out of school, and work remotely for six weeks so the boys can have a relationship with their grandmother whom they haven’t seen for two years. When she arrives her mother-in-law is beyond rude to her for weeks. Yet Sarah continues to turn the other cheek and take the high road while trying to both do her job, teach her kids so they don’t fall behind in school and ignore her mother-in-law’s blatant cruel barbs. See what I’m saying? Sainthood.
Luke Thompson from a wealthy family and partner in their law firm was Sean’s childhood friend. He is living on his family’s ranch which is next door to Sean’s mother’s property. He feels close to Sean’s mother whose health is in decline because of arthritis and the grief and misdirected anger she’s been dealing with since Sean’s death. All he knows of Sarah is what Margaret has told him. He’s determined to keep an eye on Sarah while she visits to make sure she doesn’t take advantage of Margaret. Only the woman he meets doesn’t act anything like the spoiled gold digger Margaret portrayed her to be. Besides that Luke feels an instant attraction to the beautiful woman from the moment they meet. Despite their immediate physical attraction Luke manages to put his foot in his mouth multiple times because of the lies Margaret has told him about Sarah. Eventually he comes to see Sarah for the brilliant, kind, thoughtful woman and caring mother she is. It’s not insta-love but considering in less than six weeks they’re already talking about forever it’s pretty close. Margaret and her spoiled bitter daughter Bridget are still full of resentment and anger towards Sarah. Finally after one too many cruel comments Sarah lays it out for them proving how kind and generous she’s actually been to Margaret despite the fact that she’s been a total bitch to her. She also gives them an idea of the kind of man Sean really was. Not the saint they thought he was. When forced to see the truth things begin to improve between Sarah and her in-laws. Sarah agrees she wants to build a life with Luke but they still have serious issues to overcome. Luke wants to live on his ranch with Sarah and her boys. Sarah who struggles to delegate work is still working too much and can’t see how she can run her company unless she’s in her office most days. If that’s not enough Sarah has another bomb dropped on her, another one of Sean’s messes to clean up. I don’t know other than losing her mother, uncle and Sean who never really loved her I can say Sarah ever really lost her family. But with her patience, and kindness she manages to create a family from her father’s family, her administrative assistant who is like a sister to her, her former in-laws and Luke’s family. I couldn’t help but love Sarah in this story because she was so wonderful but at the same time her character seemed so close to perfect she didn’t seem real. Luke was okay if you like male protagonists who are handsome, and once he gets over his trust issues is the perfect man. Margaret and Bridget may actually have been the most interesting characters because as reformed bitches they weren’t so one-dimensional.
I’m not ashamed to confess that this book had me reaching for the Kleenex box a few times. Not for sad tears but for happy tears. Our female protagonist Sarah Anderson is a fictional character who qualifies to be a candidate for fictional sainthood. Sarah’s mother drank herself to death when Sarah was only 4 years old throwing her into the foster care system. A few years later an unscrupulous uncle takes her and instead of giving her love and a family uses her for slave labor to care for the horses on his rundown ranch, not allowing her to attend school and attempting to remove anything that made her happy from her life. Finally at 16 her biological father who until that time was unaware she existed rescues her and from there her life gets better. With his help she catches up on her education to the point she’s accepted at M.I.T. where she graduates at the top of her class with a degree in computer programing. At M.I.T. she meets the charismatic Sean Spencer who sweeps her off of her feet and marries her before the ink on their diplomas are dry. Sean convinces her to join him in starting up a software company Spencer Industries, rather than taking a lucrative job in Silicon Valley. Sean may be the face of the company but Sarah is the brains, heart and soul of it. After a few years of marriage and giving birth to two sons Sarah realizes Sean a text book narcissist doesn’t love her. He just wants to use her for her programing talents. While she’s putting in 18- 20 hour work days six and seven days a week and also trying to raise their two sons, Sean is busy cheating on her while playing the role of a brilliant successful entrepreneur. Just when she’s finally ready to file for divorce Sean is killed in a car accident leaving their fledgling company in severe financial straits. It’s two years after Sean’s death when this story begins. Sarah a world class programmer has turned Spencer Industries into a multi-million dollar company practically working herself to death in the process. When she receives a letter from Sean’s mother Margaret’s lawyer threatening to take her to court for custody of the boys if she doesn’t send them for a six week long visit in the middle of the school year, Sarah acquiesces. Why I don’t really understand since Sean’s mother has a snowball in Hell’s chance of wresting custody from Sarah. Thanks in no small part to Sean’s lies before his death his mother is convinced Sarah is the devil incarnate and just married Sean for his money. Sean tells her he never comes to visit her because he has to work so hard because Sarah is demanding and wants to spend all of their money on expensive things for herself. Basically he blames Sarah for his actions and inactions while he’s doing everything he’s accused Sarah of. She blames Sarah for Sean’s death because supposedly he was exhausted from working so much which contributed to his accident. She accuses Sarah of stealing her son’s company, acting as a figurehead C.E.O while spending all of his money. Still Sarah knowing her mother-in-law hates her agrees to pull her boys out of school, and work remotely for six weeks so the boys can have a relationship with their grandmother whom they haven’t seen for two years. When she arrives her mother-in-law is beyond rude to her for weeks. Yet Sarah continues to turn the other cheek and take the high road while trying to both do her job, teach her kids so they don’t fall behind in school and ignore her mother-in-law’s blatant cruel barbs. See what I’m saying? Sainthood.
Luke Thompson from a wealthy family and partner in their law firm was Sean’s childhood friend. He is living on his family’s ranch which is next door to Sean’s mother’s property. He feels close to Sean’s mother whose health is in decline because of arthritis and the grief and misdirected anger she’s been dealing with since Sean’s death. All he knows of Sarah is what Margaret has told him. He’s determined to keep an eye on Sarah while she visits to make sure she doesn’t take advantage of Margaret. Only the woman he meets doesn’t act anything like the spoiled gold digger Margaret portrayed her to be. Besides that Luke feels an instant attraction to the beautiful woman from the moment they meet. Despite their immediate physical attraction Luke manages to put his foot in his mouth multiple times because of the lies Margaret has told him about Sarah. Eventually he comes to see Sarah for the brilliant, kind, thoughtful woman and caring mother she is. It’s not insta-love but considering in less than six weeks they’re already talking about forever it’s pretty close. Margaret and her spoiled bitter daughter Bridget are still full of resentment and anger towards Sarah. Finally after one too many cruel comments Sarah lays it out for them proving how kind and generous she’s actually been to Margaret despite the fact that she’s been a total bitch to her. She also gives them an idea of the kind of man Sean really was. Not the saint they thought he was. When forced to see the truth things begin to improve between Sarah and her in-laws. Sarah agrees she wants to build a life with Luke but they still have serious issues to overcome. Luke wants to live on his ranch with Sarah and her boys. Sarah who struggles to delegate work is still working too much and can’t see how she can run her company unless she’s in her office most days. If that’s not enough Sarah has another bomb dropped on her, another one of Sean’s messes to clean up. I don’t know other than losing her mother, uncle and Sean who never really loved her I can say Sarah ever really lost her family. But with her patience, and kindness she manages to create a family from her father’s family, her administrative assistant who is like a sister to her, her former in-laws and Luke’s family. I couldn’t help but love Sarah in this story because she was so wonderful but at the same time her character seemed so close to perfect she didn’t seem real. Luke was okay if you like male protagonists who are handsome, and once he gets over his trust issues is the perfect man. Margaret and Bridget may actually have been the most interesting characters because as reformed bitches they weren’t so one-dimensional.
December 13, 2021
I definitely would not have finished it if it wasn’t a book club read. It was just incredibly unrealistic- Sarah is practically perfect in every way- a brilliant software engineer who has to single-handedly create security systems because no one else can do it as well as her. She only gets 3 hrs of sleep a night, but is somehow an amazing mom, and turned her company around from nothing to multi-million profit in 2 years. She is a master horsewoman who knows better than the vet! (Yet her kids have never seen a horse?!) And more unbelievable things that would give away the plot. She is so kind and forgiving to even the worst people, it’s nuts! She does have a couple flaws, thought I don’t think the author thinks of them that way: she is a mysoginist, like her boyfriend and MIL. She mentions giving a bonus to an employee so he can “buy a house for his wife”?! WTF? And, after only knowing him a couple of weeks, she has unprotected sex with a guy, not worried at all about STDs, and essentially says, we both want more kids right? maybe I’ll get pregnant! Whee! And the dialogue in this book is atrocious, so stilted and weird. No one in real life talks like these people! Anyone who’s ever had a conversation with any person should not be writing dialogue like this. Bottom line- avoid this book.
September 26, 2021
Just too perfect…couldn’t even finish it.
September 7, 2022
WAAAY too long. It drug on forever and the plot didn't hold together for me. The characters were also unrealistic.
December 7, 2023
Boring predictable ridiculous
July 2, 2021
Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now on and make a brand new ending ~~ Carl Bard ~~
I still remember the first book of Jennifer Ryan’s that I read and was ecstatic to find a her and I totally would be lost if I don’t get to read her books to feed my reading addiction; be it her new releases or just the countless times I have fallen back to read her previous works.
Meet Sarah Anderson - a woman who lost herself in the struggles of life, yet found her very self as a successful and enterprising business woman, a mother who adored her two boys, an employer who has the best interests of her employees at the core of her organization treating them as family, and a genuine and honest friend to the very few people she has in her life. With not one single bad bone in her body, empathy and compassion running in her blood, sensitive and generous to the depth of her soul, she may be a fictional character sketched by Jennifer Ryan, but they do exist, and I can truly relate to this very character and personality.
And her soulmate in the making, nothing but the best in Luke Thompson - a successful attorney and a cowboy, caught between the family dynamics of Sarah and her dead husband’s famiy, his heart and mind at a war even as he falls for her but questioning her actions, he’s got some decisions to make. Spending time with Sarah and her boys, and as her family secrets come to light, making decisions that would effect his future has never been difficult.
“Lost And Found Family” is a wholesome story of a woman choosing a life that is important to her, empowering herself by working hard on the right things leads to a successful career, losing a past that was hurtful and finding a present that only would lead to a future that she always had wanted. Take this journey with Sarah Anderson and Luke Thompson as they finally become a family that they’ve always dreamed of, a brand new ending.
Jennifer Ryan always had an exceptional writing and narrative skill and no review will do justice to her books unless read in person Writing a book is never, ever easy and she has not one wasted word in this amazing story. She’s taken life as is and has put in a book that breathes this very life as the story unfolds. A true reader’s pleasure!
Received an ARC from William Morrow Custom House via NetGalley
I still remember the first book of Jennifer Ryan’s that I read and was ecstatic to find a her and I totally would be lost if I don’t get to read her books to feed my reading addiction; be it her new releases or just the countless times I have fallen back to read her previous works.
Meet Sarah Anderson - a woman who lost herself in the struggles of life, yet found her very self as a successful and enterprising business woman, a mother who adored her two boys, an employer who has the best interests of her employees at the core of her organization treating them as family, and a genuine and honest friend to the very few people she has in her life. With not one single bad bone in her body, empathy and compassion running in her blood, sensitive and generous to the depth of her soul, she may be a fictional character sketched by Jennifer Ryan, but they do exist, and I can truly relate to this very character and personality.
And her soulmate in the making, nothing but the best in Luke Thompson - a successful attorney and a cowboy, caught between the family dynamics of Sarah and her dead husband’s famiy, his heart and mind at a war even as he falls for her but questioning her actions, he’s got some decisions to make. Spending time with Sarah and her boys, and as her family secrets come to light, making decisions that would effect his future has never been difficult.
“Lost And Found Family” is a wholesome story of a woman choosing a life that is important to her, empowering herself by working hard on the right things leads to a successful career, losing a past that was hurtful and finding a present that only would lead to a future that she always had wanted. Take this journey with Sarah Anderson and Luke Thompson as they finally become a family that they’ve always dreamed of, a brand new ending.
Jennifer Ryan always had an exceptional writing and narrative skill and no review will do justice to her books unless read in person Writing a book is never, ever easy and she has not one wasted word in this amazing story. She’s taken life as is and has put in a book that breathes this very life as the story unfolds. A true reader’s pleasure!
Received an ARC from William Morrow Custom House via NetGalley
November 11, 2022
I struggled with how to rate this. A ‘3’ doesn’t reflect the fun i had reading it, but then when i started thinking about all the aspects that irked me…so not a 4 but 3.5?
To start with, when Sarah goes to her mother-in-laws house, this grandmother is portrayed as kinda … old. Like not able to move around so well, really affected by her age, letting the house and garden go… BUT SHE’S ONLY 64! So i was immediately offended by this stereotype (and wondering about this author….) Nowhere was this described as a shocking condition for her age. Grandmother-hood does not confer instant ‘granny’ mode on women people!!
But really i had to laugh because the storyline/trope followed that of the OLD (even when I read them in the 70’s) Harlequin romances my girlfriend and I would read aloud to each other, laughing all the way. It goes this way: the girl/young woman, is typically orphaned, or maybe there is a father figure there somewhere… but she is independent. (Check!) Then, enter the powerful and handsome male (check). (Omg described as imposing and intriguing… cue eye-roll) And of course there is an instant dislike/no trust dynamic…(check).
And really, these people were not kids … so this fall-in-love-gotta-marry-you-now kinda thing was so…nauseatingly ridiculous. The whole timeline thing… really needed to be stretched out.. can we have 6months at least, not 6weeks please?
The ‘lead’ characters are just too good to be true… Sarah is a high powered dot.com business owner type who leads a low-profile life, major philanthropist, (discretely), is a super mom, worth billions they way they describe her spending. Oh and is a horse whisperer too… And she is beautiful too of course. Luke is part time lawyer and part time rancher. Lawyer from ‘the most powerful law firm/family’ to boot. Her friends are all wonderful, caring etc. His family is all fantastic too…
It irritated me that the author plops them in Carmel, I think just picking a name off the map that looked far enough away from the Silicon Valley for the stressful commute aspect… but the place does not feature at all, or seem realistic for the lifestyle they have there. Just lame…why mention it all all then? Grr.
Okay… I am picking it apart, but I really did have fun reading it - must have needed a good “beach read”!
To start with, when Sarah goes to her mother-in-laws house, this grandmother is portrayed as kinda … old. Like not able to move around so well, really affected by her age, letting the house and garden go… BUT SHE’S ONLY 64! So i was immediately offended by this stereotype (and wondering about this author….) Nowhere was this described as a shocking condition for her age. Grandmother-hood does not confer instant ‘granny’ mode on women people!!
But really i had to laugh because the storyline/trope followed that of the OLD (even when I read them in the 70’s) Harlequin romances my girlfriend and I would read aloud to each other, laughing all the way. It goes this way: the girl/young woman, is typically orphaned, or maybe there is a father figure there somewhere… but she is independent. (Check!) Then, enter the powerful and handsome male (check). (Omg described as imposing and intriguing… cue eye-roll) And of course there is an instant dislike/no trust dynamic…(check).
And really, these people were not kids … so this fall-in-love-gotta-marry-you-now kinda thing was so…nauseatingly ridiculous. The whole timeline thing… really needed to be stretched out.. can we have 6months at least, not 6weeks please?
The ‘lead’ characters are just too good to be true… Sarah is a high powered dot.com business owner type who leads a low-profile life, major philanthropist, (discretely), is a super mom, worth billions they way they describe her spending. Oh and is a horse whisperer too… And she is beautiful too of course. Luke is part time lawyer and part time rancher. Lawyer from ‘the most powerful law firm/family’ to boot. Her friends are all wonderful, caring etc. His family is all fantastic too…
It irritated me that the author plops them in Carmel, I think just picking a name off the map that looked far enough away from the Silicon Valley for the stressful commute aspect… but the place does not feature at all, or seem realistic for the lifestyle they have there. Just lame…why mention it all all then? Grr.
Okay… I am picking it apart, but I really did have fun reading it - must have needed a good “beach read”!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2021
Sarah Anderson loves her two sons, Jack and Nick. Sean Spencer, their father, died in an auto accident which occurred two year ago. The boys' paternal grandmother, Margaret Spencer, was devastated by the loss of her son but for some reason blames Sarah so Margaret didn't see Jack and Nick during that two year time period. Sarah was very surprised to receive a letter from Attorney Luke Thompson "requesting" the presence of Jack and Nick for six weeks at their grandmother's home. Sarah realized the "request" was a demand and even though Margaret treated Sarah poorly Sarah agreed to the visit for her sons' sake. Little did Sarah realize this visit was about to change her life dramatically.
Luke Thompson is a defense attorney with the family's law practice. He enjoys the job but prefers the days he spends on his ranch which is next to Margaret Spencer's house. Luke went to school with Sean Spencer and their families are friends. It was Luke's suggestion to Margaret to invite Sarah, Jack and Nick for the six week visit before starting court action to require visitation or try to get custody. Margaret had told Luke negative, nasty stories about Sarah but when Luke meets Sarah he starts to doubt the veracity of what he has been told about Sarah. It didn't take Luke long as he got to know Sarah to start falling in love with her.
This is a sweet and steamy romance story. Sarah has had a troubled childhood as her mother died when she was quite young which led her to foster homes and eventually to her abusive uncle's ranch. Plus she never knew her father. This background leads Sarah to feel the need for security and family love as an adult. She never got that with Sean Spencer who cheated on her. I was so happy to see Sarah find that with Luke. Luke suffered a number of relationships with women who were only with him because he was rich so he was disillusioned. Finding Sarah renewed his faith. In this story I admired Sarah but I fell in love with Luke. Their HEA was well-deserved.
I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review.
Luke Thompson is a defense attorney with the family's law practice. He enjoys the job but prefers the days he spends on his ranch which is next to Margaret Spencer's house. Luke went to school with Sean Spencer and their families are friends. It was Luke's suggestion to Margaret to invite Sarah, Jack and Nick for the six week visit before starting court action to require visitation or try to get custody. Margaret had told Luke negative, nasty stories about Sarah but when Luke meets Sarah he starts to doubt the veracity of what he has been told about Sarah. It didn't take Luke long as he got to know Sarah to start falling in love with her.
This is a sweet and steamy romance story. Sarah has had a troubled childhood as her mother died when she was quite young which led her to foster homes and eventually to her abusive uncle's ranch. Plus she never knew her father. This background leads Sarah to feel the need for security and family love as an adult. She never got that with Sean Spencer who cheated on her. I was so happy to see Sarah find that with Luke. Luke suffered a number of relationships with women who were only with him because he was rich so he was disillusioned. Finding Sarah renewed his faith. In this story I admired Sarah but I fell in love with Luke. Their HEA was well-deserved.
I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review.
January 11, 2025
The book was sooo good in the first half. Kept me completely gripped to the secret and the storyline.
But once the hero admitted his feelings for the heroine, his dialogues were repetitive and almost the same in every single scene he was present.
And the heroine suddenly became this larger-than-life character who did it all from being a mother and spending time with her kids to coding and making video games, and charity, and running a horse ranch to making cupcakes and dinner and paying off accident victims and apparently bribing a doctor.
OMG. It became too much for me. I kept rolling my eyes every time she did something and others fawned over her and the hero said I love you and I will look after you and there is no one quite like you.
Yes. There really can't be anyone quite like her because she is a fictional heroine. *rolling my eyes so hard that I get a headache*
I liked being taken to a different world but sorry, I didn't want to be taken to unbelievable realms.
I didn't like the second half. You might love it. Don't go by my review.
Also, it was also a truth that I would love to have a guy who fawned over me as this hero did, but that too was fantasy because I didn't think humans were wired like that.
PS - the hero is supposed to be a hotshot lawyer three days a week, but I rarely saw him working or going through his own cases and getting stressed while working those court arguments.
Nope. Nada. Not a single scene with him working at court or on ranch, except for a wood-ax scene which was all for making the heroine ogle at his six-pack.
He was all about looking after her until it got to be too much and I had to skip his scenes. The book was way too long and second half could be deleted keeping only some scenes. Sighh... Read this in 1 day.
But once the hero admitted his feelings for the heroine, his dialogues were repetitive and almost the same in every single scene he was present.
And the heroine suddenly became this larger-than-life character who did it all from being a mother and spending time with her kids to coding and making video games, and charity, and running a horse ranch to making cupcakes and dinner and paying off accident victims and apparently bribing a doctor.
OMG. It became too much for me. I kept rolling my eyes every time she did something and others fawned over her and the hero said I love you and I will look after you and there is no one quite like you.
Yes. There really can't be anyone quite like her because she is a fictional heroine. *rolling my eyes so hard that I get a headache*
I liked being taken to a different world but sorry, I didn't want to be taken to unbelievable realms.
I didn't like the second half. You might love it. Don't go by my review.
Also, it was also a truth that I would love to have a guy who fawned over me as this hero did, but that too was fantasy because I didn't think humans were wired like that.
PS - the hero is supposed to be a hotshot lawyer three days a week, but I rarely saw him working or going through his own cases and getting stressed while working those court arguments.
Nope. Nada. Not a single scene with him working at court or on ranch, except for a wood-ax scene which was all for making the heroine ogle at his six-pack.
He was all about looking after her until it got to be too much and I had to skip his scenes. The book was way too long and second half could be deleted keeping only some scenes. Sighh... Read this in 1 day.
August 13, 2021
I normally don’t much like women’s fiction but this book is the exception to that rule. This story is about family, forgiveness and facing your past and look to the future. I don’t believe there are too many people like Sarah Anderson who had a bleak upbringing, suffered through foster homes and cruel uncles until her real father found her. With her father’s help, Sarah turned her life around even after her husband died and left her in debt. Fortunately Sarah was the brains behind Spencer Software and she brought the company back and kept everyone employed. Unfortunately her deceased husband had told his family lies about her and why the grandmother had not seen her grandsons or him very much. When the grandmother’s lawyer contacted Sarah with an ultimatum, she took the boys to see the grandmother for six weeks but she refused to leave the boys alone. This is a wonderful story of Sarah’s struggles to rebuild her relationships with her husband’s family when they blame her for everything. The lawyer, Luke Thompson, was a neighbor who had been friends with Sarah’s husband when they were growing up but it had been a long time since he had talked with Sean Spencer. Of course he believed his neighbors stories about Sarah until he met her and it didn’t take long to see that the stories about her had to be wrong. Sarah spent those six weeks working sixteen to eighteen hours a day in order to keep up with her work and time to spend with her sons, who were her first priority. Like I said, this is a book about forgiving and families and it is a great book.
July 6, 2021
We have all heard of those In-Laws from hell stories, well that is what happened to widow Sarah Anderson, when she received a letter from her mother-in-law's lawyer Luke Thompson, demanding that Sarah bring her sons to Margaret's home for 6 weeks or face a court battle, after 2 years of ignoring Sarah since the funeral of her son Sean, despite Sarah reaching out to her.
Luke Thompson has only heard about Sarah from Margaret but was surprised when he actually met her, as she was nothing like he expected, and honestly was shocked by Margaret's treatment, but he was even more surprised to find her asleep in his stable, but that didn't stop the sparks flying between them.
But there are so many secrets that both families don't know, that stem from the lies and incidents that Sean caused that all come to light, when feeling run high and everything comes to a head, there was more to Sean death than any of them could have imagined.
Jennifer Ryan's books have always been a joy for me to read, but I have to say that I absolutely love these stand-alone books, as they really tackle the hard topics, and mostly without the suspense, and she has done exactly that with Lost and Found Family.
Jennifer Ryan has that magical way of weaving the story around you and making you feel that you are a part of the story and that the characters are your friends and you truly get invested in their lives, despite being fictional and that is what makes her an outstanding author.
Luke Thompson has only heard about Sarah from Margaret but was surprised when he actually met her, as she was nothing like he expected, and honestly was shocked by Margaret's treatment, but he was even more surprised to find her asleep in his stable, but that didn't stop the sparks flying between them.
But there are so many secrets that both families don't know, that stem from the lies and incidents that Sean caused that all come to light, when feeling run high and everything comes to a head, there was more to Sean death than any of them could have imagined.
Jennifer Ryan's books have always been a joy for me to read, but I have to say that I absolutely love these stand-alone books, as they really tackle the hard topics, and mostly without the suspense, and she has done exactly that with Lost and Found Family.
Jennifer Ryan has that magical way of weaving the story around you and making you feel that you are a part of the story and that the characters are your friends and you truly get invested in their lives, despite being fictional and that is what makes her an outstanding author.
November 17, 2025
This Jennifer Ryan romance has more story and meat to it than the last Ryan romance I read. In this story there is a mystery that the lead character, Sarah Anderson Spencer, keeps from her mother-in-law. The big secret has to do with her late husband and the person he truly was. Margaret, Sean Spencer's mother, believes her late son was a hard-working and devoted man and father. Sarah knows the truth. She also knows the truth about how he died and who he was with when the crashed occurred. Sarah struggles through a forced visit of six weeks with her mother-in-law for the sake of her two sons, Jake and Nick. Slowly the truth is revealed about who Sarah is, her back story, and, of course, how horrid the deceased Sean was. Much of the back story is forced to the surface by Luke Thompson, absolutely-drop-dead-gorgeous-next-door-neighbor who, by chance, is the love interest in the story. I don't like when there's so much revelation in a story and it is resolved in a whirlwind in the story. If the author had to keep the book within a page limit, then it makes sense. but everything is resolved and all is forgiven very rapidly. In real life, people just wouldn't be so forgiving and accepting so rapidly. Margaret has hated Sarah for more than six years based on lies told to her by Sean. Then in a matter of hours, all is forgiven and Margaret becomes the loving, helpful, good, and kind mother-in-law. I guess that's why it's called fiction!
August 14, 2021
I know this is supposed to be an easy read romance story, but it really was poorly written. Every character was one note.
Sarah: Has no flaws. Learned to cook from a chef at a Michelin star restaurant! Is nice to everyone, even the people that are completely rude to her! Is the only one at her company that can code, apparently. Designs the best software security systems EVER oh and somehow also makes great children's games. Only sleeps 2-4 hours a night but that's ok. Also the perfect mother somehow too.
And my favorite: So great with horses that she knows better than the vet and ranchhands, manages to stick her face in a stallion's face within minutes of meeting him, gallops him bareback even though he had a problem with his foot five minutes ago, and when Luke is rightfully terrified for his very expensive horse being galloped around by this stranger, everyone thinks he's crazy and needs to apologize.
Once Luke stops going back and forth about whether he is going to investigate Sarah, he also has no flaws. He is the perfect man from then on out. On the other hand, Sarah's late husband, ex MIL and ex sister in law are all one note evil and it's just exhausting.
I loved the concept but it was just hard to get past that.
Sarah: Has no flaws. Learned to cook from a chef at a Michelin star restaurant! Is nice to everyone, even the people that are completely rude to her! Is the only one at her company that can code, apparently. Designs the best software security systems EVER oh and somehow also makes great children's games. Only sleeps 2-4 hours a night but that's ok. Also the perfect mother somehow too.
And my favorite: So great with horses that she knows better than the vet and ranchhands, manages to stick her face in a stallion's face within minutes of meeting him, gallops him bareback even though he had a problem with his foot five minutes ago, and when Luke is rightfully terrified for his very expensive horse being galloped around by this stranger, everyone thinks he's crazy and needs to apologize.
Once Luke stops going back and forth about whether he is going to investigate Sarah, he also has no flaws. He is the perfect man from then on out. On the other hand, Sarah's late husband, ex MIL and ex sister in law are all one note evil and it's just exhausting.
I loved the concept but it was just hard to get past that.
June 7, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review. The cover is what drew me in on this one...I just got a feeling of peace when I looked at it...It didn't totally fill me with peace as I read it though. Sarah is our main character, a mom trying to do right by her kids after their dad died all while running her own company... Suddenly she is receiving a letter from a lawyer saying that her mother in law is threatening to sue for custody if Sarah does not bring them for an extended visit right away. To be fair, it had been quite awhile since her husband died and the boys are very young. But that mother in law? Totally could not stand her or the snotty sister in law that both treated Sarah like absolute dirt. And I lost some respect for Sarah as she let them treat her that way not just when they were alone but in front of other people...Turns out the husband treated her like crap too and she let him...this one was a little too cliche for me and like I said, the in laws made it very hard to keep going...sometimes I would get so angry that I could only read for 10 or 15 minutes at a time and that is never good. When I was able to get into the book and stay into it, I enjoyed the story line but it didn't happen too often.
September 14, 2021
This cute little novel came on Friday, and I devoured it over the weekend. The weather was perfect for soccer and reading!
The story starts immediately with conflict- Sarah has to take her two sons to visit Margaret, her mother-in-law, for 6 weeks after receiving a legal letter stating it was basically nonnegotiable.
What ensues is just the loveliest of novels full of grace and redemption.
Sarah meets Luke the letter-writing attorney who doesn’t trust her, all because Margaret didn’t bother to get to know Sarah in the wake of Sean’s untimely death. Margaret is convinced Sarah is a terrible person and will tell anyone and everything that listens!
Margaret gives Sarah plenty of moments to shine as a forgiving, gracious, and kind women- a woman who also happens to have built a Silicon Valley tech company into a world powerhouse led of course by a strong woman.
Mix in 6 weeks at a ranch, some beautiful horses, and a cast of great supporting characters and you’ve got one of my favorite reads of the month!
Thank you to @jennifer_ryan_author @williammorrowbooks & @tlcbooktours for my #gifted copy in exchange for my honest review!
The story starts immediately with conflict- Sarah has to take her two sons to visit Margaret, her mother-in-law, for 6 weeks after receiving a legal letter stating it was basically nonnegotiable.
What ensues is just the loveliest of novels full of grace and redemption.
Sarah meets Luke the letter-writing attorney who doesn’t trust her, all because Margaret didn’t bother to get to know Sarah in the wake of Sean’s untimely death. Margaret is convinced Sarah is a terrible person and will tell anyone and everything that listens!
Margaret gives Sarah plenty of moments to shine as a forgiving, gracious, and kind women- a woman who also happens to have built a Silicon Valley tech company into a world powerhouse led of course by a strong woman.
Mix in 6 weeks at a ranch, some beautiful horses, and a cast of great supporting characters and you’ve got one of my favorite reads of the month!
Thank you to @jennifer_ryan_author @williammorrowbooks & @tlcbooktours for my #gifted copy in exchange for my honest review!
July 26, 2021
LOST AND FOUND FAMILY by Jennifer Ryan is a riveting tale about family, secrets, and a woman ready to embrace who she really is by facing down her past. Sara Anderson has hidden the truth about her late husband’s lies from their children and their grandmother. When her mother-in-law, Margaret, threatens her with legal action to see the boys, Sara strikes a bargain: she’ll bring them for a six-week visit, hoping the boys, at least, will find connection and happiness with their extended family. It doesn’t help that attorney and part-time rancher Luke Thompson lives right next door, and as an old friend of the family’s he’s agreed to investigate Sara’s past. LOST AND FOUND FAMILY is a beautifully written drama about how the lies have fractured a family, and how the truth brings healing and forgiveness. Jennifer Ryan’s suspenseful contemporary romances are about people who do extraordinary things for love, family, friendship, and the happily-ever-after. Definitely a must-read book!
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