Review: Lost and Found by Tarah DeWitt
Thank you St. Martin’s Press for my copy! All thoughts are my own.
I have loved watching Tarah DeWitt’s career grow. My favorite of her novels is The Co-Op but I have loved the Spunes trilogy of interconnected novels so much too. This book was really special to read as it balanced a lot of heavy feelings surrounding grief, IVF, and loss within a second chance romance. I thought it was incredibly well done and brave to explore what it’s likes for someone to go through IVF with a supportive partner. It’s a topic that doesn’t get a lot of representation in my opinion because it’s a topic that makes people uncomfortable. While Bea’s situation for needing to use IVF isn’t the typical reason, I thought it allowed the reader to see the process in an authentic way.
Synopsis:
“Bea always wanted to be a mom. But she never expected she’d have to lose her best friend to do it. Armed with nothing but her best friend’s eggs and a bucket list to complete, Bea’s world is a sea of changes.
When she needs a place to stay, her longtime friend Silas steps in to help. A firefighter grappling with the aftermath of an accident, Silas has his own challenges to work through that have left him cautious and vulnerable.
At first, they expect nothing. But as these two former sunshines knit together in a love that has been unfulfilled until now, a new beginning comes out of the ashes of the past—one that will lead to a love that can withstand all the slings and arrows, joys and triumphs, that life can throw.” —NetGalley
What I Liked:
The Explanation of IVF—The shots, the schedules, the emotional trauma, the stress, the emotions are all represented.
The Characters’ Chemistry—I loved Silas and Bea’s relationship and how it blossomed under pressure.
The Exploration and Layers of Grief—Not only did we walk with Bea through the loss of a best friend, but the complexity of what happens to a community through of one person was explored in a nuanced way. How do the parents of that person deal with their grief? The sister? The friends? The ex partners? It went beyond Bea.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
The Second Chance Past Timeline—The pacing of it didn’t work for me in the second act but the third act made up for it.
Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 3/5 Overall Rating: 4.5/4
Content Warnings:
grief, loss, cancer, IVF/infertility process