This novel will take you on a journey (and make sure to pack tissues)!

     What happens when life takes an unexpected turn? Well, Tracey Garvis Graves shares exactly that in her newest romance novel The Trail of Lost Hearts. Set to be released on March 26th, get your tissues ready for this book!
     Thirty-four-year-old Wren Waters believes that if you pay attention, the universe will send you exactly what you need. But her worldview shatters when the universe delivers two life-altering blows she didn’t see coming, and all she wants to do is put the whole heartbreaking mess behind her. No one is more surprised than Wren when she discovers that geocaching―the outdoor activity of using GPS to look for hidden objects―is the only thing getting her out of bed and out of her head. She decides that a weeklong solo quest geocaching in Oregon is exactly what she needs to take back control of her life. Enter Marshall Hendricks, a psychologist searching for distraction as he struggles with a life-altering blow of his own. Though Wren initially rebuffs Marshall’s attempt at hiker small talk, she’s beyond grateful when he rescues her from a horrifying encounter farther down the trail. In the interest of safety, Marshall suggests partnering up to look for additional caches. Wren’s no longer quite so trusting of the universe―or men in general―but her inner circle might argue that a smart, charismatic psychologist isn’t the worst thing the universe could place in her path. What begins as a platonic road trip gradually blossoms into something deeper, and the more Wren learns about Marshall, the more she wants to know. Now all she can do is hope that the universe gets it right this time.
     This book wasn’t the romance book I was expecting but that might be because it should really be classified as women’s fiction? I did feel a bit deceived by the summary on the back of this book; however, I can appreciate that the author didn’t want to spoil the entire plot of the novel in just a few sentences lol! Regardless of its official genre categorization, I still appreciated this story and how it tackles heavier topics like grief, loss, and other unexpected life events.
     I think fans of Katherine Center would love this book as the beginning of it was reminiscent of Happiness for Beginners to me (in a good way)! Wren’s journey to rediscover herself and try to heal after suffering such loss and heartache is emboldening to read about and how she and Marshall find themselves both helping each other and figuring things out for themselves is really hopeful to see play out throughout the course of the book. 
     However, there is a MAJOR shift in the second half of the novel that while still connecting to the first part of the story, leaves the reader with a bit of whiplash in terms of story content. Ultimately, the story ends well, but I was very surprised by the shift the novel decided to take!
     If you’re looking for a book that showcases strength and starting over and finding happiness at the end of the journey, this is the book for you!

*I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest opinion.

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