Lost and Found by Danielle Steel

Welcome!  A Ghostly Suspect by Tonya Kappes will be out on June 29.  Plain Truth by Susan Lantz Simpson releases on June 30 and it is the third book in the Plainly Maryland series.  Amish Covert Operation by Meghan Carver publishes on July 1.  It is a Love Inspired Suspense novel.  Is there a book you are looking forward to reading this summer?  I am always looking for new books to add to my TBR pile.

Lost and Found by Danielle Steel takes readers to New York City, New York.  Madison “Maddie” Allen, a famous photographer, lives in a firehouse that she converted to a home and photography studio fifteen years ago.  She is divorced with three grown children with two of them living in California.  She is not close to them, so Maddie lives a lonely existence dedicating herself to her work.  On a Friday evening, Maddie begins sorting through a closet when she finds a box that contains love letters and photographs from three old lovers.  Maddie climbs up for the last box and end up falling off the ladder which results in a broken ankle.  Her eldest daughter, Deanna reads Maddie the riot act stating she is too old to be climbing a ladder (she is fifty-eight) and that Maddie should sell her beloved home, move into an assisted living facility, get a caretaker to live in and wear an emergency alarm around her neck.  Maddie’s confidence is shaken after the fall and from Deanna’s critical words.  She goes through the box of love letters and wonders if she made the right decision regarding each of the three men.  Since she has four weeks until her big shoot in Shanghai, Maddie decides to take a road trip to revisit the past.  She feels compelled to get closure on the past before moving forward with her life.  Maddie embarks on a journey that will change the course of her life.  

Lost and Found is a story about a women’s self-reflective journey.  Maddie Allen is a famous photographer who is divorced and on her own after raising her three children.  She does not have a close relationship with any of her kids, and Maddie leads a quiet life focusing on her work where she excels.  Maddie loves her home which is a converted firehouse with a spiral staircase and where she has her studio and offices on the ground floor.  After breaking her ankle in a fall and a dress down from her eldest daughter, Maddie decides to take a trip.  She wants to see if the choices she made in the past were the right ones.  It also allows Maddie to reflect on her life, lay old ghosts to rest and see what the future holds for her.  Lost and Found reminds me of Danielle Steel’s earlier books.  It is a light women’s fiction story with a heaping helping of romance and a splash of fairy tale (happily ever after).  I like the author’s relaxed writing style.  It makes the story easy to read and it has a smooth flow.  I did not understand how Maddie could let her daughter run roughshod over her and be intimidated by Deanna’s words.  Of course, critical comments from family affect us more than remarks from others.  There is a significant amount of repetition in the first half of the book.  After a while, I knew the information by heart (a little rewriting would have dramatically improved this book).  As Maddie’s journey progresses, the story improves.  I was especially moved by her Wyoming visit.  There were some heartwarming scenes that were touching.  I liked seeing the characters develop and the changes in various relationships.  I agree with Maddie when she said. “strange things happen in life when you don’t expect them”.  Sometimes it helps to look back before moving forward.  Lost and Found is sweet story about reflection, family, romance, and choices. 

Lost and Found comes out June 25.  Danielle Steel's next novel is The Dark Side which releases on August 27.  I appreciate you joining me today.  Tomorrow I am featuring Death by Dissertation by Kelly Brakenhoff.  It is the first A Cassandra Sato Mystery.  I hope you have a stupendous day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader