The Lovey and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes- This will be a great addition to our high school library. The incorporation of search dogs along with the adventure itself will keep my students interested. Great read for guys or girls.

It took me a while to pick this one up but I'm glad that I did. Kira's story is one that I will continue to think about as it brings up a topic I haven't really read much about with the search and rescue focus.  Barnes is a good writer and I enjoyed the way she created this world and characters. It isn't my most favorite of her novels, but definitely one I will recommend to our library because of the story line and the topic. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

5 out of 5 Stars

My Review:

Kira was saved by Cady when she was a little girl surviving in the wilderness. Kira does not remember much from life before Cady and Jude, just the survival instincts she needed to stay alive. Eleven years later, Kira still only calls Cady by her first name, but she is her mom, and Jude is her foster brother. 

Cady is in the search and rescue business, a family affair. Kira, Jude, Cady, and Free train search and rescue dogs (find, play, find, play). It is perfect for Kira because she can understand animal instincts more than she can understand human emotions. 

Cady is estranged from her father, and left her childhood in the Sierra Glades National Park behind when she got pregnant with Jude. When he shows up one day, he asks for Cady's help to come home and help search for a missing little girl. 

Resistant at first due to underlying issues from her past, eventually Cady packs up her teenagers and their dogs and returns home to start the search. 

A survivalist novel at the core, Barnes has the perfect ingredients for an awesome YA novel. I could not put this down, and promise you will not be able to either.

I really enjoyed this book. The mystery, the tension, the drama, the high stakes search and rescue, the DOGSSSSSSS!!!!!

The human characters were super enjoyable as well. I loved the themes of found families and loyalty woven throughout. Cady's son, Jude, is such a precious popsicle, his witty banter made me giggle pretty much nonstop. I also enjoyed Kira so much. The way she connected with the dogs and her strong-willed spirit had me rooting for her the whole way.

In my opinion, this is a great YA mystery/thriller, that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. It was completely unique, I have never read anything quite like it, and I was really impressed with Jennifer Lynn Barnes writing. She drew me in and had me needing to know what the heck was going on.

I would definitely recommend this book and plan to pick up more of her books. I would also be totally stoked if there was a continuation to this; whether a companion novel, a prequel or a direct sequel. I am so not ready to be done with these characters.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney Book Group, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I truly enjoyed it and appreciate the opportunity!

In a book like this one, where minors investigate a mystery, it's important to draw careful lines. Barnes handles this carefully. The teens are actively involved in searching for the missing child. As soon as it becomes clear that a crime has been committed, though, the teens are blocked from the investigation. They can do search and rescue because they are trained. They cannot interfere with the police. And the teens themselves are careful to stay out of the way of the police. Sure, they keep investigating but their investigation takes the form that any citizen could do. They talk to people, hunt through library records. Their training simply gives them different insight than other people. The mystery itself is thinly evidenced, the suspects vague at best. Compelling enough for a single read.

I've never read a Jennifer Lynn Barnes book until now, and must immediately rectify this! The Lovely and the Lost was a compelling read with a sub-culture I readily fell into and characters I cared for. I could tell I was in the hands of a skilled writer from the first chapter.

Probably my favorite aspect of the book was the deep dive into the sub-culture of search and rescue, and the mountain town setting. I loved every single second of the dogs--loved their names, their personalities, how they interacted with the humans. The whole book has a level of specificity of world and character that really makes it stand apart for me. I was so happy to lose myself in a YA book where I truly got to slip into a total stranger's shoes and experience this other world with them.

I must share a dog-shaped spoiler because I know these things are important to many readers: One dog does die, but not from violence, but old age. It's upsetting, but tastefully done.

Probably my only note, hardly a quibble, but notable is that I found the backstory with the adults in the story to be really juicy, but felt almost out of place at the end? I felt like I kind of wished that had been a novel, or even an adult thriller from Cady's POV so we could get deep flashbacks to when they were younger, etc. I just found those characters and dynamics so interesting, whereas the teen characters in this YA, for good reason, don't have any romance or complex dynamics along those lines. So the juicy bits were about the adults. But, to that end, the book is a great example of a complex YA with a dynamic female lead who has no romance--I know many readers are looking for that kind of story.

I absolutely loved reading this book! I love Jennifer Lynn Barnes books, she's one of my favourite authors, and yeah, this book sounded really interesting and high stakes. I mean, a missing child, I mean, only a missing baby, or multiple children missing, would increase the stakes.

Kira was an interesting character to read about. She has a very strong ability to read non-verbal cues. She spent a time alone in the wilderness as a child, and she's closer with her dog then she is with most people, her dog and her pack of friends and family being the only ones she really spends any time with. I really enjoyed her relationships with Jude and Free! 

Part of this book is the missing child and the mysteries of the town and surrounding area. Part of it is why Cady left home and why, who Jude's father is. Given that this is her hometown, that leaves some pretty informative resources for them to mine for information. 

That ending, though! It was just incredible, there was an amazing twist that I didn't see coming! It brought everything together so well! And while there were a few lingering questions that I would love answered in a sequel, yeah, the note it ended on was so great to read!

This book is so great, and I would love to have a sequel!

My favorite book I've read so far this year! I love author Jennifer Lynn Barnes writing style and her characters in this book. I can't wait to read more books by this fantastic author. She's a new to me author and I loved reading each and every story plot twist and turn in this one. This isn't a book that I was able to guess as far as the ending goes and that's a huge thing for me. If I'm being honest, I don't usually read this genre, but I'm so glad that I took the chance on this one and I loved it!

meeehhhh. normally i like YA books in this type of setting, but this felt a little over the top. The book felt too unrealistic and the characters weren't very driven. The plot died off quick and overall I kept getting bored. I had to push myself through this novel. :(

5 stars +++
Outstanding! This book is a prime example of why Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a must buy/must read author for me. This book has it all: rich, fascinating characters; a story you can't put down; lots of snark and laugh-out-loud humor. You can really see Barnes' background in psychology with the development of Kira and the impact of her childhood trauma. And the characterization of the search and rescue dogs is fantastic. Don't miss this one! Highly recommend!! (possible triggers around abuse.)

This is my first Jennifer Lynn Barnes novel and I absolutely loved it!! I really enjoyed the character development and totally fell in love with her writing style!. Her story was full of twists, secrets and thrills that kept me on the edge of my seat! I seriously couldn't put this one down and recommend it to anyone looking for a fun fast paced read!! 

Thank you to Disney Books and Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was very impressed with this book. I loved the premise of the teens being trained for Search and Rescue. I thought the writing was very crisp and appropriate. I loved how quick-witted Free and Jude were and found Gabriel to be intriguing. But the story really belonged to Kira. The way the author wove her past trauma into her character and the way she related to events and people was fascinating to read. I especially liked the comparisons and similarities to the dogs, and how much she could relate to them. The mystery they were all trying to solve was well thought-out and kept me turning pages. I read this book in one day and would highly recommend it to teenagers and adults. This review was written based on a complimentary pre-release digital ARC courtesy of Disney Book Group (Freeform) via NetGalley.

I’ve loved The Naturals series and was excited to see this new book by the author. The Lovely and the Lost was the quick, intense YA read I was hoping for! 

Kira was discovered as a young girl alone in the woods after she had been surviving on her own for weeks. After being discovered, she was adopted by Cady. Along with Cady’s son Jude and their good friend Free - Kira has been training to work with search and rescue dogs. Cady is considered the best in the country and the teens are almost ready to be certified. 

When they are called back to the town where Cady grew up to assist in the search for a missing 9 year old girl named Bella - things get intense quickly. It starts to bring back memories for Kira of what happened in her life before she was rescued. Will they find Bella in time? Will Kira be able to help or get caught in her memories? 

I loved the fierce loyal friendships between the three teens in this story and appreciated what they each brought to their team. Jude could always be counted on to bring the humor and lighten a moment. Free is adventurous and thinks outside the box. Kira is guarded but would do anything for the people she loves most. 

Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Search and rescue work is not for the faint of heart.  But what if one of the searchers has been herself lost and found from the wilderness with no memories of the past except those of fear and loneliness?  Kira Bennett was found by her foster mother, Cady Bennett, who continues carrying on search and rescue missions. Kira’s relationship to her foster parents and siblings is another aspect of this mystery since Kira was found unable to speak and petrified of human beings. Kira participates in their family searches because what else can she do, knowing the terrors of having to live in forests and surviving with skills learned for survival. 

One of the delights of this story is getting to know the animals who are part of the search and rescue team, Silver, Saskia, NATO and Dutchess, lovely canines who are dedicated, relentless in finding their quarry, and loving friendliness.  They become part of Kira’s survival in their present search, when glimmers of her own memories threaten her ability to continue with the desperate search for a missing girl.  Their intuition matches her own, having lived in a feral state that bonds them into a natural unit pursing their mission.

Tracking is a careful skill that can be thrown by natural events, accidents and more.  While they continue their search, she meets Gabriel, the son of an abusive Sheriff. Gabriel’s brother is also one of the missing, which adds another twist to the story that keeps the river riveted to the mystery of this family. 

Kira will discover aspects of her own past as the search for the mission is accomplished but with more problems than answers.  The Lovely and the Lost is a fine read, albeit sometimes confusing with a too large cast of characters.  Kira’s world seems realistic and mysterious which adds to the mysterious drama of each aspect of this account.  Nicely done, Jennifer Lynn Barnes!

This follows a young woman named Kira Bennett, who was found by Cady Bennett and her search and rescue dogs out in the woods.  Apparently, Kira had been living alone and wild in the woods but for how long and why, nobody knows.  Kira remembers bits and pieces of her life in the forest but has no memories of before that time.  

Kira is adopted by the Bennett family and learns the family business:  Search-and-Rescue.  Working alongside Cady, Cady's son Jude and their neighbor Free, Kira trains search-and-rescue dogs and she hopes to perform rescues herself eventually. It's also worth mentioning that Kira has a difficult time connecting with people, does not like making eye contact or being touched and her "wild" side often overtakes her.  She's definitely more comfortable with dogs than with people.  

Soon, Kira and the others kids find themselves involved in a  real live search and rescue when Cady's estrange father finds her and asks for her help in locating a little girl who disappeared in Sierra Glades National Park. Kira soon becomes obsessed with the case, having been in the same situation herself — being lost in the wild, alone.  

As they search for the girl, several strange events occur leading everyone to discover that there is a lot more to this case than a simple child lost in the woods and danger soon mounts for those involved.  Moreover, the case has triggered old memories for Kira — chilling memories — which begin to overwhelm her.  Then, secrets about Kira's true nature, the Bennett family and about what happened to her come to light causing her to confront some difficult truths.  

What I found especially fun about this story were the layers upon layers of mysteries that the story presented:  there's the mystery of Kira's past and her real family; the mystery of who Jude's real father is; the mystery of the animosity between Cady and her father; the mystery of Gabriel, the strange boy living with Cady's father; and of course, the mystery of the lost girl.     Just about everyone is hiding something.  Though there's a lot going on here, the plot is well-thought out, easy to follow and downright compelling as it's a suspenseful story with plenty of twisty surprises.

I also loved the inclusion of the dogs in this story and how integral they were to the plot line.  The strong bond between the teens and their canines was heartwarming.  I enjoyed learning about rescue dogs and their training and thought that this added a rich element to the story.  

But mostly, this book was a heartfelt exploration of family in all of its forms, whether it be human or canine and teaches that a family created out of love can often be just as strong as a family formed by blood.  

All in all, I thought the Lovely and the Lost was wildly entertaining with relentless pacing, richly developed and empathetic characters, and a satisfying conclusion rendered this an undeniable page-turner.  

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Freeform for the advanced reader copy in return for an honest review!

This work of YA fiction covers characters who are a testament to resiliency of spirit and explores what it means to be family - by blood or by choice. Much like the search that takes place in the book, the relationships between the characters have many twists and turns which keep it interesting.

The Lovely and the Lost is about a family of search and rescuers, Cady, Jude and Kira, who are participants in a mission to find and save a missing young girl. Kira was once  a missing girl herself and was found living alone in the woods and taken in and adopted by Cady. The search brings flashbacks to Kira which forces her to confront her past while at the same time her adoptive mother is forced to confront her own past. This is an intriguing novel full of interesting characters. The book moves along quickly and definitely keeps you interested. However, in the end I would have liked to know a little more about the characters, especially Kira, and what happened to them before and after the events of the book, and I was not ready to leave them at the end of the book.

I received an advanced reader copy of The Lovely and the Lost from Disney Book Group via NetGalley, in return for my honest opinion.

The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a story about survival and coming to terms with our past. Cady and her kids, Jude and Kira, train dogs for search-and-rescue missions. Cady no longer actively participates in search-and-rescue missions. Not since she rescued Kira- a small, orphaned child lost in the forest. When someone from Cady’s past comes to her for help looking for a missing four year old in the Sierra Glade National Park, she can’t say no.

Kira is sure if she can find the missing child, she’ll no longer be broken and her past will no longer haunt her. Kira’s dog, Saskia, can be a bit unpredictable, but Kira is sure that she’s up for the task. Now that Cady has returned to the place she once ran from, will the secrets from her past be exposed? Will Kira’s past help or hinder the search-and-rescue mission?

I devoured this book, it was a fast enthralling read. I loved the unique story line. The Lovely and the Lost, will be available tomorrow, Tuesday, May 7, 2019.

Goodreads Rating: 5/5 stars

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Uhmmmmm excuse me! This book ended way before I was ready. 

Sigh. 

This book is fantastic. It takes a very different look at k-9 Search and Rescue teams. I could probably talk for hours about how awesome this book is, but don’t want to give away any spoilers.

I will say that Jennifer did a great job of giving misdirection and getting your heart rate pumping! Just when I thought our mystery was solved, there’s a twist, and you’re taking for another ride. 

I have a little chuckle a lot in this book. Jude, in particular, has a lot of those one liners that just crack you up. Well, at least they did for me. Kira and Free are pretty funny too. All the characters are just so real, and cheeky. 

It was a very enjoyable read. A highly recommend this book- coming out 5/7/19!

I almost passed on this one.  The release date was creeping up and my DRC was about to expire...so I picked it up last night to read the first few chapters and see if it was worth it.

Boy, am I glad I did!  I stayed up late and finished it in one sitting.

Mystery isn't really my favorite genre, but I do enjoy a good kidnapping story.  This one has lots of other interesting story lines woven in (a girl who was found half-feral in the woods grows up training search-and-rescue-dogs with her foster mother,  foster mother called in to find a missing girl by her estranged father, mysterious teenage boy with sketchy background looking for his brother) and some amazing characters.  (I mean...can I just put Jude in my pocket and take him everywhere with me?)

Kira and her friends (dogs included) are dedicated and fiercely loyal to one another, and I enjoyed watching the family drama unfold along side the mystery.  I sometimes get bored by details when it comes to explaining certain careers or processes, but I found the rescue dog procedures, commands, and rules extremely interesting.  Jude provides a punch of humor throughout (he really has most of the best lines), and the smarmy sheriff provides a worthwhile is-he-friend-or-foe adversary.

Just really well done.