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Lost and Found #1
Hidden
A page-turning new story from the bestselling author of No Way Out, perfect for fans of Nora Roberts and Danielle Steel! Meet a brother and sister who are drawn into a treacherous mystery through an antique with a dark past, as they race against time to help a single mother and take down a ruthless couple bent on taking control of their family’s legacy…
At first glance, few would guess that Luna and Cullen Bodman are siblings. Cullen is efficient and serious while his younger sister Luna is a free spirit. When the two launch their furniture restoration shop/café—an offshoot of the family’s longtime antique business—in an up-and-coming arts center, little do they know their unique talents may be their only defense against a dangerous betrayal.
When Luna gets a strange sense about a piece Cullen just acquired, the two find themselves uniting to solve a mystery that has far-reaching consequences—never knowing there are some who’ll stop at nothing to claim what they believe is theirs. No matter what, Luna and Cullen know they can rely on each other—and this time, their lives may depend on it…
At first glance, few would guess that Luna and Cullen Bodman are siblings. Cullen is efficient and serious while his younger sister Luna is a free spirit. When the two launch their furniture restoration shop/café—an offshoot of the family’s longtime antique business—in an up-and-coming arts center, little do they know their unique talents may be their only defense against a dangerous betrayal.
When Luna gets a strange sense about a piece Cullen just acquired, the two find themselves uniting to solve a mystery that has far-reaching consequences—never knowing there are some who’ll stop at nothing to claim what they believe is theirs. No matter what, Luna and Cullen know they can rely on each other—and this time, their lives may depend on it…
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 24, 2021
About the author
Fern Michaels
281 books6,786 followersFern Michaels isn’t a person. I’m not sure she’s an entity either since an entity is something with separate existence. Fern Michaels® is what I DO. Me, Mary Ruth Kuczkir. Growing up in Hastings, Pennsylvania, I was called Ruth. I became Mary when I entered the business world where first names were the order of the day. To this day, family and friends call me Dink, a name my father gave me when I was born because according to him I was ‘a dinky little thing’ weighing in at four and a half pounds. However, I answer to Fern since people are more comfortable with a name they can pronounce.
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 601 reviews
July 25, 2021
Perhaps I came into this book with the wrong impression. However, when the dust jacket synopsis says “little do they know their unique talents may be their only defense in a matter of life and death” and “Soon, they’re on the hunt for a woman in danger—never knowing there are some who’ll stop at nothing to claim what they believe is theirs” and “and this time, their lives may depend on it...” excuse me for expecting (and hoping for) a bit of heart pounding, or exhilarating mystery story.
However, what I got instead was, a pretty unenjoyable storyline, with characters I never really liked or connected with, who didn’t ever seem to act their age, which lead to moments that just seemed completely cringey, and really no mystery or even true suspense. I felt like I saw little, to no development of the characters past what they were described to be in the beginning. The same traits and nuances felt like they just kept being brought up and knocking you over the head. And honestly, it felt like the characters were literally just stock characters that were included to check off a certain box for the story. Also, I was kind of disappointed that the only growth seemed to be the romantic relationship that, as an avid romance reader, was honestly just not good to me. There kept being mentions of extreme chemistry and energy between the two, but it takes all book to get somewhere? And then it’s just something that is rather innocent? There’s nothing wrong with a clean novel, but the way things were built up, it seemed, eh.
I read the prologue pages at the library, trying to decide if it was going to be something that caught my eye and that passed, because I picked it up and checked it out. However, as I got started reading, I just got disappointed. I was reading several chapters, just kind of waiting for the story to start. Everything felt like making the backstory, which is definitely necessary, but I had gotten to the point of “alright, so, let’s get on with the actual plot.” When I got basically halfway into the story and it was still just the same kind of thing, I really wanted to stop reading. But I never really dnf books, especially when I’ve picked them and not been assigned them. I was also hoping I might suddenly become invested. Nope, never happened. I just dragged along until the end, which still wasn’t super action filled or suspenseful.
In conclusion in short, this book was just not it for me. I found it boring and I found really nothing likable about it. Well, I think what I liked most is that it’s finally done.
However, what I got instead was, a pretty unenjoyable storyline, with characters I never really liked or connected with, who didn’t ever seem to act their age, which lead to moments that just seemed completely cringey, and really no mystery or even true suspense. I felt like I saw little, to no development of the characters past what they were described to be in the beginning. The same traits and nuances felt like they just kept being brought up and knocking you over the head. And honestly, it felt like the characters were literally just stock characters that were included to check off a certain box for the story. Also, I was kind of disappointed that the only growth seemed to be the romantic relationship that, as an avid romance reader, was honestly just not good to me. There kept being mentions of extreme chemistry and energy between the two, but it takes all book to get somewhere? And then it’s just something that is rather innocent? There’s nothing wrong with a clean novel, but the way things were built up, it seemed, eh.
I read the prologue pages at the library, trying to decide if it was going to be something that caught my eye and that passed, because I picked it up and checked it out. However, as I got started reading, I just got disappointed. I was reading several chapters, just kind of waiting for the story to start. Everything felt like making the backstory, which is definitely necessary, but I had gotten to the point of “alright, so, let’s get on with the actual plot.” When I got basically halfway into the story and it was still just the same kind of thing, I really wanted to stop reading. But I never really dnf books, especially when I’ve picked them and not been assigned them. I was also hoping I might suddenly become invested. Nope, never happened. I just dragged along until the end, which still wasn’t super action filled or suspenseful.
In conclusion in short, this book was just not it for me. I found it boring and I found really nothing likable about it. Well, I think what I liked most is that it’s finally done.
March 13, 2022
Feel good story
This is a mystery wrapped up in a “good guys win” scenario and I like how the characters all come together.
This is a mystery wrapped up in a “good guys win” scenario and I like how the characters all come together.
June 5, 2022
Really good story. Easy read. Adventurous.
July 19, 2021
Readers do not waste your time this book was extremely boring I skipped through half the book to read the last chapter and epilogue to see how the story ends.
July 22, 2022
Hidden is the first book in the Lost and Found series by Fern Michaels. The series features siblings Luna and Cullen. They have opened a furniture restoration shop/café, an offshoot of the family’s longtime antique business, in an up-and-coming arts center. Cullen has purchased a lot of furniture that needs a lot of tender loving care from a junk dealer, not knowing that it came from the estate of a rich gentlemen who recently died. Luna has a bit of a second sight and one of the pieces gives her a feeling. What she finds is an envelop, containing the last will and testament of Randolph Millstone. Not sure what to do with it, she contacts, Marshall Christopher Gaines, a man she has worked with in the past, and has some chemistry with. Meanwhile Arthur and Rowena Millstone are frantically looking for the will before they lose everything.
I have been somewhat disappointed with Fern Michael's last few books. There were parts of this book that I enjoyed, but others that were overly dramatic. I really liked Luna's character, her skills and her somewhat bohemian nature. Her feelings toward Christopher seemed realistic and I liked that they had known each other for awhile before acting on their feelings. I also liked how the mystery wraps up and the good guys win. What I didn't like was that not much happened in this story that was recommended to fans of Nora Roberts and Danielle Steel. There were some over the top stereotypical characters that made me laugh more than anything else. Lots of bumbling, being in the wrong place, and artists that hide from everyone. It was an okay read, and I will read the next one, just to see what Cullen and Luna are up to, but if it continues in the same vein, I will definitely move on. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Eva Kaminsky. It was an easy and entertaining performance, which did add to my rating.
I have been somewhat disappointed with Fern Michael's last few books. There were parts of this book that I enjoyed, but others that were overly dramatic. I really liked Luna's character, her skills and her somewhat bohemian nature. Her feelings toward Christopher seemed realistic and I liked that they had known each other for awhile before acting on their feelings. I also liked how the mystery wraps up and the good guys win. What I didn't like was that not much happened in this story that was recommended to fans of Nora Roberts and Danielle Steel. There were some over the top stereotypical characters that made me laugh more than anything else. Lots of bumbling, being in the wrong place, and artists that hide from everyone. It was an okay read, and I will read the next one, just to see what Cullen and Luna are up to, but if it continues in the same vein, I will definitely move on. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Eva Kaminsky. It was an easy and entertaining performance, which did add to my rating.
August 17, 2024
3.5! This was a good mix up from the other mysteries I have read. There were a few too many narrators for me which was the main thing I didn’t love. I did like the plot but felt like it ended abruptly.
October 25, 2022
Fun mystery.... 1st in a 2 book series.
May 4, 2023
Great read from a good author. Book was exciting and anxious to get to book two!
June 6, 2022
Huge disappointment. I hadn't read Fern Michaels for a good 30-35 years and when I saw the blurb for this one thought it was time. I like a good mystery and add in some paranormal or psychic events and I'm hooked. This one sort of offered that, but it was more like a 4th or 5th grader wrote it for a book report. I wondered if Michaels had her grandchild write it and see how it went before coming out with the fact a juvenile wrote it. The dialogue was stilted and it was just a slog. Because I liked the author years ago I kept going along with it hoping it would get better. It didn't.
September 13, 2025
The synopsis was more interesting than the actual story & I was extremely bored throughout the entire book. Even the ending was unexciting.
Everything was overly detailed and every single character, even side characters that have no relevance to the plot, get an entire backstory that is completely unnecessary.
Luna was the most interesting of the characters, but I wished we got more of the paranormal elements and more of that story. The “romance” between her and Christopher Gaines was awkward and juvenile & I did not feel the chemistry between them that was repeatedly mentioned at all.
& Rowena & Arthur were just straight up intolerable.
I hardly see how this classifies as a mystery. We know exactly where it’s going right from the start and there is not one single twist or turn. The “Life or death high stakes” description of the plot is way overdramatic and made this book a complete let down.
1.75⭐️🎧
Everything was overly detailed and every single character, even side characters that have no relevance to the plot, get an entire backstory that is completely unnecessary.
Luna was the most interesting of the characters, but I wished we got more of the paranormal elements and more of that story. The “romance” between her and Christopher Gaines was awkward and juvenile & I did not feel the chemistry between them that was repeatedly mentioned at all.
& Rowena & Arthur were just straight up intolerable.
I hardly see how this classifies as a mystery. We know exactly where it’s going right from the start and there is not one single twist or turn. The “Life or death high stakes” description of the plot is way overdramatic and made this book a complete let down.
1.75⭐️🎧
July 25, 2021
I've always loved Fern Michaels. Some of her books are great, and others, well...I almost quit this on the first page when I read the following...."and crossed her long legs which were shod in a a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes." Her LEGS were shod in a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes? Who ever Fern's editor is, they need a proofreading course. The heroine of my last read, an editor, would have been pulling her hair out at that sentence.
Now having said that, I DID continue, and I enjoyed it very much. It's kind of light reading, but nothing wrong with that. Someone else compared this to a Mary Higgins Clark novel, and I would say that's a good comparison. For me, that's a positive because I loved all of MHC's books.
I liked the main characters very much, and I can't wait to see what develops between Luna and Marshal Gaines. Look forward to reading more in this series.
Now having said that, I DID continue, and I enjoyed it very much. It's kind of light reading, but nothing wrong with that. Someone else compared this to a Mary Higgins Clark novel, and I would say that's a good comparison. For me, that's a positive because I loved all of MHC's books.
I liked the main characters very much, and I can't wait to see what develops between Luna and Marshal Gaines. Look forward to reading more in this series.
May 16, 2024
I was about 1/3 into the book when I decided to read a few reviews. I almost quit reading it, but I actually really liked some of the characters in the story so I was hoping…..but in the end, I was disappointed and the story was wrapped up very quickly with little suspense. It’s actually a 2.5 for me.
Did Not Finish
June 1, 2022DNF @ 32 pages. Snooze-fest
March 7, 2023
Hidden is a lighthearted mystery that's a quick and easy read. It's book one of a Lost and Found series. I liked it enough that I'll read book two.
December 28, 2023
Fantastic as always with her stories. Leaves you on the edge of your seat the entire book
August 9, 2024
The ending was blah…
May 13, 2025
Fast read
I enjoyed this a lot with the extra dose of some comedy at the end. The story came together beautifully with the addition of Attorney Clive hosting little Max
I enjoyed this a lot with the extra dose of some comedy at the end. The story came together beautifully with the addition of Attorney Clive hosting little Max
November 28, 2025
Just couldn’t seem to get into this book. Love fern Michael books usually but this one was not one I enjoyed
July 18, 2025
Not bad for a quick read,
February 22, 2023
I enjoyed this story. Part of it was set in Asheville, NC. It helps to imagine the setting since my family lives there, and I have visited the city twice.
September 20, 2024
This was another mystery I heard this month on Libby.
It was a nice small town story.
A will hidden in an antique desk, which then is brought by some dealers and moved across.
There is a lot more happening in the story of course with the family chasing the dealers to get the will.
Do read if you like a short mystery.
It was a nice small town story.
A will hidden in an antique desk, which then is brought by some dealers and moved across.
There is a lot more happening in the story of course with the family chasing the dealers to get the will.
Do read if you like a short mystery.
March 20, 2025
This is a different type of book: part mystery with some romance. It is very much character driven. Action is taking place primarily in the Boston and Asheville areas. It definitely kept my interest figuring out how different aspects of the story all came together in the end.
I enjoyed listening to the audiobook.
I enjoyed listening to the audiobook.
July 9, 2023
This story has siblings Lina and Cullan in a furniture restoration shop/cafe together. Things take a turn when a purchase seems to give Lina a strange sense.
Turns into a mystery .
Have not read Fern Michaels in a while and I enjoyed this one.
Turns into a mystery .
Have not read Fern Michaels in a while and I enjoyed this one.
December 3, 2025
Prologue:
Boston, Mass. - Millstone Manor 20,000 sq feet
Argument between Arthur Millstone and his trophy wife Rowena (2nd wife) about Arthur’s rich snd recently deceased father’s last will. Arthur and Rowena were in desperate need of the money. The late Randolph Millstone’s will was missing.
Brother and sister went into business together in North Carolina.
Cullen Bodmann - age 35; businessman; took over building from parents. He is now a restorer of antique furniture.
Luna Bodman adopted the surname "Bodhi" (which is Sanskrit for Enlightened), his younger sister and best friend. Luna has intuitive abilities. She has a degree in parapsychology; interest in kinesis, the interpretation of body language. She sometimes handles missing persons cases working the police investigators especially the Office of Missing Children. She is also consulting assistant for her brother’s business furniture business.
She operates a small cafe inside her brother’s building
Charlotte, North Carolina
Marshall Christopher Gaines, "Gaines" - Luna’s love interest.
(Father had been police officer of Scottish descent,
Mother - Bettina; dental hygienist; divorced the policeman and married the dentist she worked for.)
He studied criminal justice at Vanderbilt University in Nashville then went to John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York > became paralegal > U S Federal Marshall Service > obtained posting in Alabama where he met and married Lucinda Dawson. They had son, Carter., 10. > transferred to Charlotte, North Carolina but his marriage fell apart.
Gaines worked with Luna on missing 15 year old teenage boy case where the kid was ultimately found hiding in an abandoned garage of an auto body shop.
Colette, worked as assistant for Arthur, was dismissed after his death by Rowena. She relocated to Buffalo, New York with her son Max. When she found out that some mysterious man was searching for her and what she might have known about the whereabouts of Arthur’s will which she had signed as a witness she fled to the 5 bedroom rural lakefront cabin of Mr. Clive Dunbar, Arthur’s attorney, with her son.
Where was the will hidden?
This was a cute but unremarkable mystery with a little screwball comedy romance thrown in.
With all of the background details about the main characters you could tell this was going to be a series
Boston, Mass. - Millstone Manor 20,000 sq feet
Argument between Arthur Millstone and his trophy wife Rowena (2nd wife) about Arthur’s rich snd recently deceased father’s last will. Arthur and Rowena were in desperate need of the money. The late Randolph Millstone’s will was missing.
Brother and sister went into business together in North Carolina.
Cullen Bodmann - age 35; businessman; took over building from parents. He is now a restorer of antique furniture.
Luna Bodman adopted the surname "Bodhi" (which is Sanskrit for Enlightened), his younger sister and best friend. Luna has intuitive abilities. She has a degree in parapsychology; interest in kinesis, the interpretation of body language. She sometimes handles missing persons cases working the police investigators especially the Office of Missing Children. She is also consulting assistant for her brother’s business furniture business.
She operates a small cafe inside her brother’s building
Charlotte, North Carolina
Marshall Christopher Gaines, "Gaines" - Luna’s love interest.
(Father had been police officer of Scottish descent,
Mother - Bettina; dental hygienist; divorced the policeman and married the dentist she worked for.)
He studied criminal justice at Vanderbilt University in Nashville then went to John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York > became paralegal > U S Federal Marshall Service > obtained posting in Alabama where he met and married Lucinda Dawson. They had son, Carter., 10. > transferred to Charlotte, North Carolina but his marriage fell apart.
Gaines worked with Luna on missing 15 year old teenage boy case where the kid was ultimately found hiding in an abandoned garage of an auto body shop.
Colette, worked as assistant for Arthur, was dismissed after his death by Rowena. She relocated to Buffalo, New York with her son Max. When she found out that some mysterious man was searching for her and what she might have known about the whereabouts of Arthur’s will which she had signed as a witness she fled to the 5 bedroom rural lakefront cabin of Mr. Clive Dunbar, Arthur’s attorney, with her son.
Where was the will hidden?
This was a cute but unremarkable mystery with a little screwball comedy romance thrown in.
With all of the background details about the main characters you could tell this was going to be a series
March 25, 2022
At first, I was disappointed by all of the bad reviews for this book. Then I realized by looking at the profiles of a majority of the worst reviews, I think that they just weren't really the audience for this book. I will absolutely agree with a few of the reviews that were unhappy with the description of the book itself - a Romantic Suspense Novel. There was not necessarily any suspense in my opinion - mostly because when I think of suspense, I am thinking that I will be sitting on the edge of my seat, fighting to put the book down at 1:00 in the morning when I need to go to sleep. Because of this, I believe that this should be categorized as more of a mystery novel.
I do disagree with reviews stating that this was not a romance novel. If I am being honest, most novels that I find advertised as romance today have what I know as "smut scenes" at least once in the book. Which I am perfectly fine with! But there are many other types of romance - this being one of them. I consider this more of a young adult type romance, it wasn't sexually based but it gave off the impression of boy likes girl, and vice versa. There are multiple instances of "Her knees go weak" or the character is very flustered and stumbles over her words - it is very swoon-y but still a type of romance.
I personally enjoyed the authors use of switching Point of Views, though I wish that there was a better balance. You will switch between the Bodman siblings, Cullen and Luna, the curator of an Art Center, Ellie Stillwell, The Millstone Children, Rowena and Arthur, and other various characters that play large (or small) roles in the book. Fern Michaels spends a LOT of time establishing the characters and their connections to each other. As a young adult book (in my opinion) she did a great job with this, even though the plot didn't REALLY begin until around halfway through the book.
In the first few chapters I was unsure as to whether or not I would finish this. It was NOT because of the content of the story, I was just getting confused with all of the different perspectives that the author was covering. I wish that the "henchman" or "crony" of the "Bad Guys" wouldn't have just dropped out of the novel, I would have enjoyed hearing more about that character. I believe that the bones for a great series were buried in this book - and if you give it a chance, I think you will to!
I do disagree with reviews stating that this was not a romance novel. If I am being honest, most novels that I find advertised as romance today have what I know as "smut scenes" at least once in the book. Which I am perfectly fine with! But there are many other types of romance - this being one of them. I consider this more of a young adult type romance, it wasn't sexually based but it gave off the impression of boy likes girl, and vice versa. There are multiple instances of "Her knees go weak" or the character is very flustered and stumbles over her words - it is very swoon-y but still a type of romance.
I personally enjoyed the authors use of switching Point of Views, though I wish that there was a better balance. You will switch between the Bodman siblings, Cullen and Luna, the curator of an Art Center, Ellie Stillwell, The Millstone Children, Rowena and Arthur, and other various characters that play large (or small) roles in the book. Fern Michaels spends a LOT of time establishing the characters and their connections to each other. As a young adult book (in my opinion) she did a great job with this, even though the plot didn't REALLY begin until around halfway through the book.
In the first few chapters I was unsure as to whether or not I would finish this. It was NOT because of the content of the story, I was just getting confused with all of the different perspectives that the author was covering. I wish that the "henchman" or "crony" of the "Bad Guys" wouldn't have just dropped out of the novel, I would have enjoyed hearing more about that character. I believe that the bones for a great series were buried in this book - and if you give it a chance, I think you will to!
April 16, 2022
This story line had such potential, but it just didn't reach it. The dialog was too cutesy and childish at times. The adults acted like silly kids, instead of mature people, which quickly became annoying.
Luna and Cullen are siblings and have shops in a new art center opened by Ellie. Luna runs the tea/coffee shop in the complex and Cullen restores antique furniture which he offers for sale. Cullen has made a bulk purchase of estate furniture, that now sits in his shop waiting to be restored. Luna has some sort of psychic ability, though it's never made clear or explained fully in the story. She's drawn to one piece of furniture that was purchased from the estate.
The wealthy man who owned the estate never made it to his attorney with his revised will and unfortunately, had a heart attack. His loyal assistant happened to be present and the dying man gave her a book and envelope which contained his revised, legal will. She hid the envelope in a desk drawer and slipped the book into her pocket quickly when the devious son arrived on the scene.
The son and his nasty wife couldn't wait to inherit the father's estate and business, since they were desperate for money. The son has gambling debts and his world is about to explode unless he can get his hands on his father's money. The family lawyer has informed them that the father had made a revised will and just needed to be located. This doesn't sit well, of course, and the couple rush to backtrack and find the new will, so they can destroy it.
I've enjoyed other books by this author over the years, but this one could have been so much better.
Luna and Cullen are siblings and have shops in a new art center opened by Ellie. Luna runs the tea/coffee shop in the complex and Cullen restores antique furniture which he offers for sale. Cullen has made a bulk purchase of estate furniture, that now sits in his shop waiting to be restored. Luna has some sort of psychic ability, though it's never made clear or explained fully in the story. She's drawn to one piece of furniture that was purchased from the estate.
The wealthy man who owned the estate never made it to his attorney with his revised will and unfortunately, had a heart attack. His loyal assistant happened to be present and the dying man gave her a book and envelope which contained his revised, legal will. She hid the envelope in a desk drawer and slipped the book into her pocket quickly when the devious son arrived on the scene.
The son and his nasty wife couldn't wait to inherit the father's estate and business, since they were desperate for money. The son has gambling debts and his world is about to explode unless he can get his hands on his father's money. The family lawyer has informed them that the father had made a revised will and just needed to be located. This doesn't sit well, of course, and the couple rush to backtrack and find the new will, so they can destroy it.
I've enjoyed other books by this author over the years, but this one could have been so much better.
January 4, 2023
Hidden: A Lost and Found Novel Book one is written by Fern Michaels. This is the start of a new series and it looks like it will be a really good series. This book takes place mainly in Buncombe County, North Carolina where Cullen and Luna Bodman have a shared shop. The shop once was an antique shop owned by their parents; but it is two now. One is a restoration shop and the other is a café. They are in the Stillwell Art Center in North Carolina.
Cullen has received a table in a bunch of junk from an estate sale. Luna feels something weird when she sees the table. Luna is psychic at times. She wants to explore the table; but Cullen doesn’t have time to pull it out to look at. When Federal Marshall Christopher Gaines sees the table, he wants it for his house; but Luna claims it first. When Luna finally convinces Cullen to pull it out so she can see what is in the drawer, she finds a will for Randolph Millstone. They don’t know if it is real or not, so Marshall Gaines starts looking into it.
Meanwhile, Collette Petrov who had worked for Randolph had been questioned by a man claiming to be a lawyer in the firm that worked for Randolph. When she called the law office to speak to him, he didn’t work there. Knowing someone was trying to scam her, she really wanted to see his lawyer in person. She needs to find him fast.
The book is great and like all of Fern’s books has magic in it.
Cullen has received a table in a bunch of junk from an estate sale. Luna feels something weird when she sees the table. Luna is psychic at times. She wants to explore the table; but Cullen doesn’t have time to pull it out to look at. When Federal Marshall Christopher Gaines sees the table, he wants it for his house; but Luna claims it first. When Luna finally convinces Cullen to pull it out so she can see what is in the drawer, she finds a will for Randolph Millstone. They don’t know if it is real or not, so Marshall Gaines starts looking into it.
Meanwhile, Collette Petrov who had worked for Randolph had been questioned by a man claiming to be a lawyer in the firm that worked for Randolph. When she called the law office to speak to him, he didn’t work there. Knowing someone was trying to scam her, she really wanted to see his lawyer in person. She needs to find him fast.
The book is great and like all of Fern’s books has magic in it.
March 23, 2023
I got pretty bogged down while reading this. It was the dialogue and internal dialogue that messed this one up for me.
The plot was decent. We have Luna, who is a bit of a psychic, and her brother, Cullen, who creates new furniture from old pieces. A hidden will, and two rich people who are trying to find the will and destroy it.
There were some weird plot points that didn’t flow. One was that wind took down the internet, landlines, and cellphones all at once, yet, it was a nice night to go outside, sit in Adirondack chairs, and listen to crickets.
There was also the point where a woman who is pivotal to the missing will is reported missing by her sister, but when phone service is restored, she still doesn’t call her family. Seems odd.
Luna is an okay character, but her ‘banter’ with her love interest was pretty cringe worthy. There are also a lot of pop culture references in the book, I got them because I’m older, but I could definitely see anyone under 35 not getting them. They were a bit corny. And the more modern references were a bit strained. All of them would be better left out.
Overall, it was okay. Nothing too deep or causing me to want to read more in the series. Although, I do like Fern Michaels. I would read other of her books for sure.
3.5 stars rounded down here.
The plot was decent. We have Luna, who is a bit of a psychic, and her brother, Cullen, who creates new furniture from old pieces. A hidden will, and two rich people who are trying to find the will and destroy it.
There were some weird plot points that didn’t flow. One was that wind took down the internet, landlines, and cellphones all at once, yet, it was a nice night to go outside, sit in Adirondack chairs, and listen to crickets.
There was also the point where a woman who is pivotal to the missing will is reported missing by her sister, but when phone service is restored, she still doesn’t call her family. Seems odd.
Luna is an okay character, but her ‘banter’ with her love interest was pretty cringe worthy. There are also a lot of pop culture references in the book, I got them because I’m older, but I could definitely see anyone under 35 not getting them. They were a bit corny. And the more modern references were a bit strained. All of them would be better left out.
Overall, it was okay. Nothing too deep or causing me to want to read more in the series. Although, I do like Fern Michaels. I would read other of her books for sure.
3.5 stars rounded down here.
January 24, 2025
This book was not what I expected. It starts out like two separate story lines and takes eight or ten chapters to begin intertwining the them. The first ten or eleven chapters pingpong between a paranormal romance and a May/December romance gone wrong. It starts getting a little more interesting around chapter 17, but then it proceeds to open a 3rd storyline/romance that it really doesn't unpack. It does make a slight attempt to shed a little light on that storyline in the epilogue, but it's so vague, it's really pointless. The ending is incredibly unrealistic, almost to the point of being comical. A last minute character is introduced and thrown into the mix very late in the storyline. Again, this seemed to be pointless and unrealistic. An earlier character mentioned, but not important, seems to be revealed at the end. At the risk of sounding repetitive, I really didn't see the point. It almost felt like the author wanted to tell all these different stories, but wanted to stir them all in one pot. What resulted was an unsavory mess. It really didn't hold my attention at all and I found myself just trying to get through it. I had originally planned on reading the entire series, but I don't think that I want to read any more from this author. I gave 2 stars because there were a couple laugh out loud moments.
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