Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - The Trail of Lost Hearts

Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

The Trail of Lost Hearts by Tracey Garvis Graves

5 reviews

wanderonwards's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Thank you to Macmillan/St. Martin’s Press for sending me an ARC of this title. I received this copy for free and this review contains my honest opinions.

From the synopsis on the copy I received I definitely thought this story was going to focus more on geocaching, and I was really looking forward to a story about exploration, hiking, and geocaching in a state with hikes I’m very familiar with. I did really enjoy the first part of this novel, which was exactly what the synopsis had set my expectations up for, but geocaching was really only included as a way for the two main characters to meet and not as a backbone of the plot.

The story focuses on healing from trauma and moving forward with your life, which could have blended beautifully with the geocaching part I was so excited for, but instead the story quickly moves away and the second half of this novel contains several of my least favorite tropes in fiction. I would encourage other readers take note of content warnings: I would have never picked this up if I knew some of the plot points (and character decisions) in the second half of the book.

Even though this turned out to not be my favorite title, thank you again to the publisher for sending me a free ARC.

Content Warnings

louisekf's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I loved Heard It In A Love Song, so I was really looking forward to Tracey Garvis Graves’ new book, The Trail of Lost Hearts. And I did love it - for the first half of the book.

Wren discovers geocaching as an activity after a double tragedy collapses her world. After exploring a lot of the geocaching options in her area (Dayton, Ohio), she decides she’s ready for a solo adventure and heads to Oregon for some geocaching in a new location. On her first day doing this, she meets Marshall, who is also geocaching. He winds up saving Wren from a very threatening situation and they decide to team up. It turns out that he’s trying to recover from his own tragedy, but isn’t ready to share the whole story. Wren opened up to Marshall about her history but Marshall wasn’t so forthcoming.

I loved their blossoming relationship: friends to lovers. Wren isn’t ready to commit to someone who won’t be fully honest with her, though, based on past experience. Once Wren returns home, she faces an extremely unlikely situation and that kind of spoiled the rest of the book for me. Once Marshall told his story, it was a red flag for me, because it involved pumping your own gas in Oregon, which wasn’t even legal until August 2023. (I know, because we have visited there often over the years to see family.) So unless this book is supposed to take place in the near future, the background incident doesn’t hold water. Wren also withheld important information from Marshall, once she returned to Ohio, and that didn’t fit with her insistence on open communication.

Still, I enjoyed the book more than not. I loved their explorations of various places in Oregon, some of which I am familiar with, such as Crater Lake.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient, and allowed me to continue with the story even when I could not sit down and read. The audiobook was mostly narrated by Kate Handford, with some of the male sections narrated by Eric Meyers. When I saw two narrators listed, I hoped for a true duet narration but that is not the case here.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Content Warnings

readingwithmeredith's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Characters: 3

Connection to the book/Enjoyment: 2

Setting: 2

Plot/Overall Story: 3

Writing: 3

Every point= 0.25 stars, max per category 4 points

This is my second book by this author and there were definitely similar themes and vibes between this one and the other I read. I thought this book was good but I didn’t connect to it and the characters like I did her other book. There are emotional themes and some good character growth, which I’m a sucker for. It made me curious to try some other books, but the overall story just fell a little flat for me. I like the fast paced, emotional, growth focused writing style. It’s easy to read and devour.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and listen to this title in exchange of my review!

Content Warnings

rachbreads's review

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I can always count on a Tracey Garvis Graves book to be something I'll enjoy and read quickly and this book was no exception. I thought the strong focus on personal growth and healing from horrible grief was a real strength of the book. Seeing Marshall and Wren go from total strangers to friends who confided in one another (sort of...) to lovers was really special. Overall, I felt like the first half of the book was stronger than the second. The second half brought in a trope I don't love - while it had a unique twist in this instance it's still not my favorite, and I found some of the MC's decisions questionable as well. I was still rooting for everyone's happy ending!
Bonus points for so much outdoorsy content and a unique focus on geocaching, something I've never seen in a book!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warnings

jaimep's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Two people, working through tragedy, come together to find a new way forward. I love Wren and Marshall together. They are both mature and able to talk through issues. This story is heartfelt and emotional.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Content Warnings

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