I am currently reading THE LOST MANUSCRIPT by Cathy Bonidan; thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the eARC to review. It’s definitely a bit slower-paced than I usually prefer, but I’m loving the concept and the epistolary style. Anne-Lise finds a manuscript in her hotel room while on vacation; there is an address on it - so she sends it back to the owner. However, through their pen-pal relationship, she discovers the manuscript was lost 30 years ago…and it was not complete at the time. So, Anne-Lise starts off on an adventure to find out where the manuscript had been in the last three decades and, more importantly, who finished the novel?

It is a charming, little book that really is about the ability books have to bring people together and change the course of their lives. It was just a lovely, cozy read, and I loved watching the two main character's relationship unfold through their letters.

Anne-Lise Briard is vacationing for a few days when, seeking nighttime reading material, chances upon an unpublished manuscript in the bedside drawer of her hotel room. Intrigued by the novel, she writes a letter to an address tucked into the manuscript and soon embarks on an obsession to discover the manuscript's history and journey to the coast.

Although the address leads her quickly to the author of the original manuscript, she learns that he only wrote the first half of the story, so Anne-Lise becomes determined to track down the author of the other portion, engaging her best friend in the search and accumulating a collection of new friends and acquaintances.

Told in epistolary form, which limits descriptions of character and setting, and completely eliminates dialogue, THE LOST MANUSCRIPT is a unique, engaging book. I expected to love it, but only liked it. Anne-Lise came across as self-conscious, prickly, and a little annoying. This version is translated from the original French, so perhaps some of the original voice was lost in translation. #TheLostManuscript #NetGalley

One of my favorite books! I adore the message of this book. It touched my heart, and I was a huge fan of the author's depiction of the connectivity books bring us. A delightful read full of heart and warmth; perfect for book lovers!

This was a sweet story and reminded me on a romance genre version of the book of lost names. Loved and will recommend!

This was a completely delightful yet poignant story. The overarching mystery of the manuscript was wonderful and so fun for book lovers and anyone who has ever felt connected to or changed by a book. The characters felt so distinct and full, even though we only got to know them through letter. This book was exactly what I needed for the times right now.

A manuscript’s journey than spans decades set the scene for this tale. What would you do if you came across a book’s manuscript randomly while you were on vacation? The story is set out to find what happens after a woman finds a manuscript and sends it back to its original author. She finds him easily due to the address found on one of the pages, but there is a twist where there is actually a second author for the ending of the book and the original author never finished his work. Our tale takes place in a series of letters as the woman sets out on a quest to find not only the identity of the second author, but also how the manuscript ended up at point B from its origin as point A.

Anne-Lise Briard (her maiden name as I do not recall her married name given) is on vacation in the Brittany Coast at the Beau Rivage Hotel in room 128. When she opened one of the bedside drawers, she discovered a manuscript. Her curiosity piqued and she read the pages and became entranced in the story of romance. While reading she comes across a page with an address written on it before the writing style and formatting changes towards the end of the book as if the same person as the first did not write it. She decides the manuscript is not to keep and it belongs with its author so she mails it along with a letter to the address found written on one of its pages. This sets the story in motion and more characters are introduced as we follow the manuscript’s journey from its origin in Montreal, Canada, while the author was on a trip, to the peaceful and quiet Brittany Coast in France.

The story begins with Anne-Lise and her best friend Maggy as the known character. Maggy lives a quiet life on the Brittany Coast near the very hotel that starts our story. As the novel moves on, little by little her background is revealed and we learn more about her character. She enjoys her solitude for the most part and lives her life without modern technology, including having a phone (cell phone or landline) as she uses the one at the hotel if needed. Our third main character of the author, Sylvetre, is introduced when he responds to Anne-Lise’s initial letter. We learn more about his character a semi-recluse (he used to travel, but has not in decades as he prefers the quiet life). Together, they each play a role in finding out the identity of the second author.

Our journey spans six months and we follow the manuscript’s journey by starting at the end. Each letter and new character reveals where the manuscript was a certain period of time and the character whose life was touched by its writing. We work our way through five different countries and multiple cities within those places. Each new reveal paints a picture of how the manuscript ended up in their hands, how it moved on to its next destination, and how it touched their lives. Some characters end up becoming more prominent than others become as they become involved in the manuscript mystery. However, each does play a part and are memorable. There are places where it is hard to keep up with their different stories, but overall it was not difficult to understand the main events.

The writing is descriptive and each character, generally, has their own voice as the author of their own letters. Each letter’s writing also follows whom they are a correspondence between as they move between the formal and informal. One character would write about events one way to a certain character and then the tone would change as is recounted to another. Each character does reveal their own national pride as their characters describe their own homes and some prejudices are revealed at times when they talk about other places around the world and their cultures. It is not a huge part of the story as it is revealed as tidbits here and there.

Overall, the story is an easy read with well-written poetic letters moving the story along. We experience the events through each character as a second-hand observer. Each letter not only recaps the events to give updates on the new developments, but also give the reader insights into each character. The power of how a book can touch the lives of people was well done and enjoyable. I loved how it slowly gets revealed Anne-Lise’s backstory and why this book touched her life enough to set the events in motion. The unearthing of the second author’s identity was unexpected and it was done well as you guess about the identity, but you never become too certain. It is a light-hearted story with an interesting and unique cast of characters that would probably have never interacted if it were not for the power of one manuscript. A well-done piece of writing that would intrigue me to read more by this author.

**I give a special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC to read and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.**

The Lost Manuscript by Cathy Bonidan is an epistolary novel surrounding Anne-Lise, a woman who discovers an unfinished manuscript in the drawer of her hotel room. After falling in love with the writing in the manuscript, Anne-Lise discovers an address and sends back the document to the author. However Anne-Lise learns from the original author that the second half of the novel was left unfinished and must have completed by a second author. What started as a vacation to the Brittany coast becomes a search for the mystery second author through the people who previously read this hidden manuscript. From this book we discover the power of books and how compelling reading can tie us together and leave a profound impact on the rest of our lives. I enjoyed the writing style of this book, it was beautiful and matched the mood of the book premise. This book was charming with a surprising ending that would be a lovely read for anyone that enjoys romance novels in letter-form.

Many thanks to the publisher St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

The Lost Manuscript by Cathy Bonidan
Narrated by: Elodie Yung; Rupert Degas; Cecile Delepiere; Jean Brassard
Publication Date: January 12, 2021 - Out Today!
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Description from NetGalley...
“Sometimes a book has the power to change your life… When Anne-Lise Briard books a room at the Beau Rivage Hotel for her vacation on the Brittany coast, she has no idea this trip will start her on the path to unearthing a mystery. In search of something to read, she opens up her bedside table drawer in her hotel room, and inside she finds an abandoned manuscript. Halfway through the pages, an address is written. She sends pages to the address, in hopes of potentially hearing a response from the unknown author. But not before she reads the story and falls in love with it. The response, which she receives a few days later, astonishes her…

Not only does the author write back, but he confesses that he lost the manuscript 30 years prior on a flight to Montreal. And then he reveals something even more shocking—that he was not the author of the second half of the book.

Anne-Lise can’t rest until she discovers who this second mystery author is, and in doing so tracks down every person who has held this manuscript in their hands. Through the letters exchanged by the people whose lives the manuscript has touched, she discovers long-lost love stories and intimate secrets. Romances blossom and new friends are made. Everyone's lives are made better by this book—and isn't that the point of reading?”
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Thank you to @NetGalley @dreamscape_media @stmartinspress for the digital ARC and ALC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
This is an epistolary novel, a novel written in letters. I went back and forth between the book and audiobook, but mostly I listened to the audiobook because I felt I preferred it. The different narrators and accents lend to an authentic experience. This was a fresh and fun experience. There were a few characters in here, but that was not an issue. I really liked the idea of the 30 year journey this manuscript took and along the way it inspired people. It was a delightful read about how a book could heal and bring strangers together.

This was a great story with some fun mystery to it considering the manuscript. I very much enjoyed how the manuscript touched different lives

(3.5/5) The Lost Manuscript is indeed a charming epistolary novel. I found it enjoyable with quite a cast of memorable characters. Some beautiful moments with a very satisfying ending. And because of Anne-Lise I will from here on after refer to IKEA as "the Nordic people with their twisted sense of humor." I found that quite funny!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

Goodreads: 2 stars

The initial reason I was interested in this book was the premise alone- an abandoned manuscript written by separate authors and found by accident by someone who begins to connect everyone that has found it during the decades it was lost.

I tried to, I really did but I could not get into this book.

The way the book was written felt like there were far too many coincidences occurring at the perfect time to feel realistic. It was entertaining but began to not make sense as I read it due to the overwhelming amount of characters with names and connections that were hard to keep track of.

I did enjoy the way the book was written in a letter format but it felt like every person who replied to a letter went on unprompted tangents that had nothing to do with the story at hand. They were interesting enough and added personality and voice to the characters but were too eccentric and confusing for me to go along with.

This was an interesting read if you like to follow the direction of the plot and its many twists and turns, but it unfortunately was not for me.

Thank you to the St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy.

The Lost Manuscript by Cathy Bonidan 💌

Thank you to @stmartinspress for the eARC via @netgalley!

The Lost Manuscript was a cute epistolary novel told through letters sent by Anne-Lise after she discovers a book manuscript tucked away in a drawer in a hotel room and seeks to track down the people who wrote and added to the story over the years. Her letters reveal that the manuscript has had an impact on so many lives, including hers, and in the end brings strangers together. It was a very charming, quick read, and the prose style and vocabulary were beautiful and a little old-timey (for lack of a better word), and very fun to read. Epistolary novels are not for everybody, but this was a perfect light read, and I highly recommend it to anybody looking for a quick and entertaining story told in a unique way.

A one-of-a-kind story that highlights the power of stories and words. Told in multiple voices and just through letters or emails, we get to know the story of Anne-Lise, Sylvestre, Maggy, William, and all the people who were touched, in some way, by a mysterious manuscript. The journey to discover the origins of the manuscript takes these people on a different journey and changes their lives in ways they were not expecting.
The book was fast-paced and was easy to read. It was enjoyable and peculiar in a very positive way. It makes you think about how much a book or a story can have an influence in your life, sometimes in life-changing ways. I really liked it; although I thought Anne-Lise was a bit too nosy, I liked all the characters and I would definitely read more books by the author.

Thank you for the oppurtunity to review this new novel.

I had high hopes because who doesn't want to read about an old manuscript? Unfortuntaley I was a bit disappointed. I'm not a fan of the protagonist Anne-Lise. That character kind of messed up the novel by being irritating.

*I was given a free copy for an honest review*

This was a wonderful epistolary. I absolutely loved the writing and the way each character had differences in the styles. I enjoyed the description of the sights across multiple countries. The mystery behind the authors of the found manuscript keeps you engaged and excited for "Waldo" to be found. I enjoyed the ending. This was a light, fun read.

This was a solid 4.5 for me. An unfinished manuscript thought to be lost by its author leads to a hunt to find the author who finished the novel. As the journey continues, the books brings more and more people together, showing the power of words and story to bring people together and heal. A really fun epistolary novel with a lot of heart.

It’s the 1980’s and Sylvestre has lost a manuscript on his way to meet a friend in the publishing industry. It is a novel inspired by the love of his life, a woman he met one summer while he was in college.

Fast forward thirty years later. It’s 2016 and a manuscript is found by Anne-Lise, a wife and mother on holiday in southern France, in her hotel room’s nightstand. Anne-Lise reads the manuscript and is touched by the love story. She notices that it appears the story abruptly ends and is picked up by another writer who has written notes and poetry in the margins. As someone who loves books and the writing process, she immediately wants to reunite the manuscript with it’s owner and find out the true story behind the novel.

I adored this book! Written in epistolary format, the relationship between authors and readers and the beautiful and sometimes profound ways a book can touch someone’s life is brought to light. I couldn’t put it down and finished this sweet book in one day. There are several characters but they have so much depth it’s difficult to confuse them and by the end of the book you feel connected to them as if the letters they write are addressed to you.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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4/5 ⭐️ - I really liked it!

It’s been over thirty years since Sylvestre lost his manuscript. Luckily for him, Anne-Lise discovers his long lost book in a drawer at her hotel while she’s on holiday. Finding Sylvestre’s address among it’s pages, Anne-Lise send the manuscript back to him with a letter of her commentary. The response she receives is surprising: not only that Sylvestre lost his manuscript so long ago, but that it was unfinished the last time he saw it. Somewhere along it’s journey, another author completed the manuscript and Anne-Lise won’t stop until she finds them.

This epistolary novel really grabbed my attention. The short letters drew me in and made it impossible to put down! I love the interactions among the characters- their witty exchanges often had me laughing out loud. I also really enjoyed the hunt for the manuscript’s second author. Loving a bit of research myself, it was fun to live vicariously through Anne-Lise as she tracked the manuscript back through time.

3.5 stars

This often-charming but circuitous story about a lost book manuscript that reappears after a thirty-three year disappearance has quite a complex and meandering plot. Many of the characters have interesting back stories and are quite appealing.

When the manuscript is discovered, the main narrator decides to return it to an address listed in its pages. She is often difficult to connect with as she is unbelievably pushy and meddling. Several times those involved tell her quite clearly to back off, but she disregards their wishes. She does make a monumental effort to trace the movement of the draft over the years and in the process meets and befriends quite a few characters. And her efforts ultimately turn out well for everyone.

Thanks to Net Galley and to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, All opinions are my own.
The Lost Manuscript was boring. There are so many characters with relationships with one another and I couldn’t keep them all straight. And no one endeared themselves to me in their letters either...I can’t name a single memorable thing about any of them beyond their names. I seem to be in the minority on this one, so it must be a “me” thing.