Repositioning: Lost Love Found

by Jeanine Lauren

It’s been three decades since he left her alone and heartbroken. She wants to avoid him, but he wants answers, and their cruise doesn’t end for nineteen days.

After years of hard work and being the family caregiver, Maria, 52, has a life she loves, cruising around the world and living every day in the present.

Until now.

Now her plans are falling apart, and her past is coming out of the shadows.

— Her family wants her home to pick up life where she left off.
— Her travel companion wants to go solo
— And Nathan, a man she loved long ago, is on the ship, forcing her to re-examine their shared history — a history she has tried for decades to forget.

But her heart still remembers.

Nathan can’t believe she’s here. Maria. The woman who broke his heart when she married another man without telling him why. Now he wants answers.

But the only question that seems to matter is, will she give him another chance?

Can Nathan and Maria heal their differences and forgive old hurts? Or will they both sail off in different directions?

If you enjoy a story of friendship, love, and second chances in the second half of life, this one may be for you.

Genres: Romance

286 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 31, 2023

About the author

Jeanine Lauren is a USA Today bestselling author who writes stories about friendship, love and second chances in the second half of life, because let's face it, the second half is the most interesting.

Though Jeanine has been writing most of her life, many (okay, almost all) of her words have been for her day jobs, term papers, volunteer work, or used to make endless 'to do' lists she rarely looks at.

In 2019, Jeanine finally published the first book in her Sunshine Bay series -Love's Fresh Start - followed by three more so far, and is now writing as fast as she can, trying to make up for lost time.

To find out when Jeanine's next books are coming out, head over to her website at jeaninelauren.com and join her mailing list.

Jeanine lives in the lower mainland of British Columbia, Canada not far from the fictional town of Sunshine Bay where most of her characters live.

Reviews

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting second chance late in life romance. Being on same cruise they run into each other and deal with hurt feelings, mistrust and misinformation fed by another trying to manipulate a break up. They finally have chance to clear the air and feelings start resurface. I enjoyed the e characters and the late on life struggles each going through with respective family. *I was given an advanced reader copy via BookSirens and am voluntarily giving my honest review.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great second chance romance later in life.
I enjoyed every moment with this book.
Has a lot of drama , past unresolved issues with family and finally reconciliation.
We have also second generation who not always understand that age is just a number and life doesn’t revolve around them. Some of the situations will make you laugh.
“”Dad,you and Maria seem to get along pretty well. You haven’t…” “Haven’t what?” Rory looked at him closely, and Nathan felt himself blushing. “You have! Dad, I didn’t think you still had it in you.” “I’m fifty-two,what do you think….””.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Carol (Reading Ladies) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Would you consider living on a cruise ship?

Misunderstandings + second chance romance + cruising.

After the death of her husband, fifty-two year old Maria has created the carefree life she loves living aboard cruise ships and traveling the world. Her sister and her young adult children would like her to return home but she is conflicted. As her current cruise gets underway, she is horrified to spot her old high school boyfriend, Nathan, among the guests. Suddenly, her life becomes complicated as she initially tries to avoid him and when that fails, she's faced with having an uncomfortable and potentially confrontive conversation. As misunderstandings and old hurts are addressed, Maria and Nathan are faced with an inevitable attraction and the possibility of a second chance romance.

Can they repair their relationship? What are the risks? How will their families react?

Amid the twists and turns, a lovely story emerges. Thoughtful themes include second chance romance, new found family, honesty and trust, reconciliation, sibling dynamics, heartwarming romance, loss and heartbreak, and complicated family drama.

I'm enthusiastically recommending Repositioning for fans of light women's fiction, for those who love more mature characters, and for readers who appreciate closed door romance and no profanity. It's engaging and heartfelt.

Thanks @BookSirens and the author for a complimentary eARC upon my request. All opinions are my own.

For more reviews visit my blog www.readingladies.com

[Becky Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marie Phillips had been spending the last three years on cruises since her husband Evan had passed away. She had met Belle on one of the cruise ships and they had become close friends. But she was looking forward to her sister Cynthia to join her on this cruise. Cynthia didn’t show up and when Marie called she said Gerrard her husband wasn’t doing well. Marie was flabbergasted that Cynthia didn’t let her know sooner. Cynthia wasn’t there for Marie when her husband had gotten ill so should she help her sister. But then Marie saw Nathan from a distance on the ship and she couldn’t believe he was on this ship. They had been in love during their high school years and suddenly he broke off the relationship.

Marie’s family wants her to comeback home to Sunshine Bay and ironically Nathan’s family wants him back home too but can he leave his life of world photographer?

I received this ARC from Booksirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a second chance romance and it is Nathan and Maria’s story. Nathan and Maria have history between them as they had been high school sweethearts ending with them breaking up and both being heartbroken. Years later and they meet again while both on a cruise ship and they will have to decide if they want to confront each other and talk about there past to be able to find out what went wrong between them years ago and if they are able to resolve there situations and hopefully giving them a second chance of being together again. There are many twists and turns and ups and downs along with drama, family, anger, forgiveness, hope, love and situations that had you laughing and wondering what the outcome would be for them in the end. There were great characters and a storyline that pulled you in making this book a must read and I can’t wait to read more books in the future.

[KL Cassanello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maria and Nathan, separated 30 years ago by "circumstances", run into each other on a cruise. They reunite first as friends. As they share their secrets, they finally figure out what happened to them. The story is filled with kindness and understanding, new relationships and old friendships, and apologies and forgiveness. My favorite thing about this book is that Maria and Nathan are adults who act like adults, talking through their past issues to move forward. I just devoured their story, and would have read it in one sitting except for my volunteer shift at the local food bank. I received an advance copy of the book, and this is my honest review.

[Shuvai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Repositioning: lost love and found is a wonderful book written by Jeanine Lauren about a later in life romance, about two highschool sweethearts Maria and Nathan who got separated as a result of some misunderstanding.

When Maria realised she was pregnant, her parents about to disown her and it also looked as if Nathan had rejected her telling her to get rid of the problem, fortunately Evans was there to save her by marrying her and accept her child as his own because of a hereditary disease he had, he could not father a child for fear of passing it on.

At the same time when Nathan heard that Maria was married after his short absence he also felt rejected, what with all the problems that he was facing at the time. Eventually he got married and had two sons…

Thirty years later they met at a cruise ship as they both loved traveling, by this time Maria is a widow and Nathan a divorcee. When they met their love was rekindled and all the misunderstandings cleared, only for Nathan to realise that he had a daughter for the first time in more than thirty years.

I really loved this book because the characters are so interesting and the book is well written in a way that is easy to read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[gwendolyn Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this quite refreshing. This deals with the past of missed opportunities, unresolved issues, a second chance. Thirty years have come on gone, now Maria and Nathan come face to face on a cruise ship. There is no where to escape. Her family want her home and Nathan wants answers. You'll get those laugh out moments when your kid says something that they can't believe you are up to doing. You'll get the extra drama and a little hostility as old wombs are opened. This is their second chance in their golden years.

[Ayla Stierwalt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book and glad that I did normally I wouldn't have bought this book. It was a short cute read felt like the aurthor took different sernarios from life time movies and smashed them all together. No complaint here haha it was kinda slow for my normal read but it was a nice pace made me smile. It was nice to read that even if it takes a life time to have that second chance it comes with a lot of raw feelings just as if you were young. I would recommend for the same age group not really for the younger reader. I felt like I found a long lost journal from my mother if she had a life like that.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Second Chance Romance.

This is a wonderful book with the motto that communication in any relationship whether it be with a lover, friend or family is always important.
I think the main characters, Nathan & Maria, realize this when they find out they both misread events from 30 years ago. When they meet on a cruise and hash out everything out they decide to try again as the mature adults they now are.
This was a very enjoyable book and I highly recommend it.

I won a copy of this b0ok from a Goodreads Giveaway and am happily leaving this review.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nathan and Maria have a past. They were high school sweethearts thirty years ago. Now they meet again on a cruise ship and he wants answers. It's a second chance at love with anger, laughter and twists along with the romance. It's well written, moves fluidly and is an entertaining story. Loved and recommend this book.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Cricket1327_Zmob King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely lovely story! Really great characters that come to life and share their lives full of love, loss, heartbreak and rebuilding. Teaching story that shows it's never too late to learn and love again. I can't wait to read more of these wonderful stories!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Merry Jelks-Emmanuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nathan and Marie have a past one that he broke off with them going their separate ways. When Marie's husband dies, she uses the time to travel and her last cruise brings her face to face with her past, Nathan. This story has several twists and turns that makes this heartfelt story worth reading and cheering for the main characters, Nathan and Marie.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maria makes a drastic life change, renting out her home for a year and taking a cruise. Nathan goes on the same cruise with his son, and Nathan and Maria meet unintentionally after three decades. Since the story takes place predominantly on a cruise ship, Maria and Nathan cannot be closer or farther apart. The story is a pleasant and heartwarming romance reunion, as both characters reflect on their lives over the years and where they want to be now.


I received a free copy and am leaving a review voluntarily.
Thank you to Hidden Gems Books and author.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

As teenagers Marie and Nathan were a couple until misunderstandings caused them to go their separate ways. They get their second chance thirty years later when they meet on a cruise ship. Enjoyed this mature adult romance with a sweet ending.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Fleur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and didn't out it down until the end, this is about Maria who is a little a drift in life and how things can shift and change direction at any age and when you least expect it. You get characters you will fall in love with, laughs along with some heartache, friendships and second chances.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeanine Lauren has done it again! She has written a well rounded story about second chance love at a mature age.
I love the fact that the story as well as the author is Canadian based.
This is a closed-door romance that is realistic and the characters are personable.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maria sees a man a few tables over from her, he looks like the man that abandoned her, so many years ago, then he looks up and its him, Nathan. They both have different memories of that time because of how someone handled their secrets. I enjoyed reading about Maria's life living on a cruise ship for three years and of her friend Belle, that often travelled with her. I liked meeting Maria's and Nathan's families, they have so many changes to look forward to.

[Janet Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second Chance Romance for World Travellers
This is a sweet and mostly clean romance. A second chance at romance happens when 2 travelers meant on board a cruise ship after not seeing each other since high school. It is a heartwarming look at putting away the baggage of the past and living for today.

[Laura Jutras · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not your typical love story … and I liked it a lot! This is boy meets girl, fall in love and through a series of misunderstandings, they fall apart. Fast forward more than 30 years and boy finds girl again. A lifetime has passed in that time. But can they work through old hurts and the new realities of their lives and find their way back to each other.

Jeanine Lauren has created wonderful characters and set them in real mixed up relationships like today’s modern families. And while there is some sadness, there is far more funny and sweet times… much like life itself.

This story is very heartwarming and readers of all ages would enjoy it.

I received an advance review copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Marcie Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s lovely to think you might find love even though you are middle aged. Might have cried my way through this one

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been three decades since he left her alone and heartbroken. She wants to avoid him, but he wants answers, and their cruise doesn’t end for nineteen days.

A second chance at love story that will sweep you up and keep you turning the pages. The characters are easy to get to know and engaging. A perfect weekend read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Elaine Coghlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Repositioning ~Lost Love, Found by Jeanine Lauren.

An older age group, a second chance, a daughter, a misunderstanding of what happened 33 years ago. What more could you ask for? Oh, I forgot they are on a cruise ship🙂

I loved this story from Jeanine Lauren the first read for me of hers.

The main character is Maria, a widow who is the mother of a daughter from her high school sweetheart.

The other is Nathan, a divorced father of two boys.

I found this book to be beautifully written and kept me entertained from the beginning till the end.

I hope the author will add a next book that will follow on from this on another lovely character called Belle. Maybe an update on how the two families get on? I highly recommend this story.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re an armchair traveler like me, you’ll love Jeanine Lauren’s Repositioning: Lost Love, Found, about a widow who reconnects with a former love as they experience cruise life and the sights of Colombia, Panama, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. Maria rekindles her love with Nathan while dealing with family secrets, misunderstandings, and sibling dynamics. The characterizations and plot twists drew me in. Lauren knows her craft!
I was able to read an advanced copy of Repositioning: Lost Love, Found and am under no obligation to give a review. However, I highly recommend this book. Grab a copy and enjoy the journey!

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoy books about rekindled love. Like the fact that the characters are older and have more life experiences but sometimes that isn't enough. You have to search your heart and your soul for what you really want. I like the different location of it being on a ship or a cruise. That adds a whole another twist to the story. Good read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Bonnie Theel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love second chance romances, especially when they are more mature adults. Maria and Nathan had been high school sweethearts more than 30 years ago. Unfortunate circumstances caused their breakup.

Their paths crossed on the cruise ship both of them were on. Maria showed some hostility toward Nathan when they started talking and then walked off. Would they be able to work out their differences? Would they become friends again or maybe more?

I received a free ARC, and this is my honest opinion.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable second chance romance. Ideal holiday reading especially if you enjoy cruises! Liked the characters and could easily envisage being on the cruise. Would read more by this author.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an easy, lighthearted read about being given a second chance at love and family reconciliation after tragedy, personal setbacks and relatable family dynamics. It's a true heart warmer.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read

I was the lucky winner of this Goodreads Giveaway. I enjoyed reading this story of reconnection. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to just get lost in a nice story for a couple of hours. There are no great mysteries, suspense, or angst in this novel. It is a story of how people have the wrong perception but fail to communicate with each other to clear up muddy waters. I think that is why I didn't give it five stars. I wondered how so many people could fail to just sit down and talk it out to save themselves years of heartache.

[Mark taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Repositioning: Lost Love Found is a sweet and sentimental 2nd chance romance between Maria and Nathen who broke up 32 years ago and meet each other again for the first time on a cruise ship.

The story is told through both perspectives with both Nathen and Maria having enough of the story to allow you as a reader to find them a fully fledged 3 dimensional character which gives the story more depth to it than if it was only told through Maria’s eyes for example.

While the main part of the story was set around, the second chance story line Jeanine Lauren seemed to rely on the miscommunication plot line to cause a lot of the issues in the novel both in nathen’s and Maria’s relationship and personal life.

While this was done very well by Jeanine Lauren in most cases and passible in the rest it almost got repetitive after a while, although each one was resolved in a different way, and a lot of them were more lack of information than miscommunication,

As for the characters both Nathen and Maria were 52 which was nice to read a romance novel with characters of this age, and giving both of them different back stories which allowed them to get to this point in their lives,

As for the angst that seems to be in most romance novels set around the second chance plot line this was never over the top and felt proportionate to the two characters personalities and lives,

For me Repositioning: Lost Love Found is a sweet sentimental fade to black middle aged second chance romance that really hits the sweat spot.