Lost and Found Sisters (Jill Shalvis)

From New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis comes her first women's fiction novel—an unforgettable story of friendship, love, family, and sisterhood.

They say life can change in an instant…

After losing her sister in a devastating car accident, chef Quinn Weller is finally getting her life back on track. She appears to have it all: a loving family, a dream job in one of L.A.'s hottest eateries, and a gorgeous boyfriend dying to slip an engagement ring on her finger. So why does she feel so empty, like she's looking for a missing piece she can't find?

The answer comes when a lawyer tracks down Quinn and reveals a bombshell secret and a mysterious inheritance that only she can claim. This shocking revelation washes over Quinn like a tidal wave. Her whole life has been a lie.

On impulse, Quinn gives up her job, home, and boyfriend. She heads up the coast to the small hometown of Wildstone, California, which is just a few hours north, but feels worlds apart from Los Angeles. Though she doesn't quite fit in right away, she can't help but be drawn to the town’s simple pleasures…and the handsome, dark-haired stranger who offers friendship with no questions asked.

As Quinn settles into Wildstone, she discovers there's another surprise in store for her. The inheritance isn't a house or money, but rather something earthshattering, something that will make her question everything she thought she knew about herself, about her family. Now with a world of possibilities opening up to Quinn, she must decide if this new life is the one she was always meant to have—and the one that could finally give her the fulfillment she's searched so long for.

Review

As much a novel about family ties, sisterhood, and stepping up as it is a romance, Lost and Found Sisters charmed me almost from the first page, and kept me smiling and sometimes laughing all the way to the end—when I wasn’t teary-eyed, that is! Shalvis writes funny, modern banter, the sort of smart, pointed, sometimes sarcastic quips I wish I could come up with myself. Yet she’s also able to evoke heartfelt emotion and vulnerability in her characters, engaging the reader’s sympathies.

Quinn is the central character of the novel. Likeable and immediately relateable, Quinn has been holding feeling at bay since her sister Beth’s death. But a series of unexpected revelations upend her sense of who she is and shake her faith in the people she loves. And the dying wish of a stranger becomes both a responsibility and a priceless gift…if she’s strong enough to accept it. Quinn’s determination and uncertainty may appear to be at odds at times, but ultimately there’s no question that she’ll do what’s right for herself and the people around her.

Mitch is one of the first people Quinn meets in Wildstone, and he’s perfect—not in an annoyingly unrealistic way, but as in “perfect” for Quinn. He seems to accept and understand her even when she’s confused and unsure, offering whatever support she needs. Like Quinn, he’s dealing with some family issues, less dramatic but there in the background, as well as some drama involving a former girlfriend, and an adversarial relationship with a town official.

As for Tilly, the third POV character…despite (or perhaps because of) her resentment, anger, and smartassery, she completely stole my heart–which is pretty much all I can say about her without spoilers.

All three of the POV characters are caretakers, in the sense that they almost instinctively try to protect and take care of others–though of course, each does so in their own distinct way. They are also loyal and caring. As a caretaker myself, I found it easy to relate to each of them, but I think that regardless of your personality, you’ll enjoy spending time with Quinn, Mitch, Tilly, and the little town of Wildstone.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• Take Control of Your TBR Pile Challenge (March 2018)

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