3.5 Stars

I received a copy of "The Lost Manuscript" from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review and I could not be more excited to have had the opportunity to listen to this book. "The Lost Manuscript" is a charming, beautifully written book that kept me intrigued from start to finish.

Anne-Lise Briars is on a vacation and she comes across a manuscript in the beside table drawer at the hotel. Upon reading the manuscript she becomes completely enthralled with the story. The address of the author is noted in the manuscript, so she writes a letter to him, only to discover the second half of the manuscript has been written by another mystery writer.

Anne-Lise then sets out to find the writer. The story is a collection of letters written to a variety of different people in an attempt to solve the mystery of the manuscripts. New friendships are formed, stories are shared, and the characters come together charmingly to tell an incredible story of friendship, love, and heartache. I love books about other books/stories and "The Last Manuscript" did not disappoint. I also really enjoyed the descriptions of the locations noted within the book. I was able to imagine I was right there with Anne-Lise and the other characters as the story unfolded.

The Lost Manuscript is a charming story for lovers of books. It is written as letters between strangers-who-will-become-friends, and this style fits the story format well. It starts when vivacious Anne-Lise Briard finds a manuscript in the drawer of her hotel room in Brittany. She is so taken by the story that she makes it a mission to track down the author. This she accomplishes in pretty quick order, but he writes her back with a twist. He wrote this story 33 years ago but didn't finish it. A stranger has taken it upon themself to finish the story!

Anne-Lise takes on the challenge of finding the mystery second author, despite Sylvester, the original writer's misgivings. She will meet a cast of characters as she traces the book's path backwards, many of whom were touched by the story or it affected their life in a profound ways. All the characters will change during the story and at the end the second author is revealed and it is a great surprise.

This was a quick listen as each chapter is a letter. There are various cast members reading each part and they did a good job of personalizing their character. I appreciate NetGalley for providing me with this ARC, and also the publisher--St Martin's Press, and the author--Cathy Bonidan.

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 may have been my first ever epistolary style book and on top of that i listened to the audio book which I thought would get confusing but the opposite was true! Each letter had a short intro telling me who was writing to whom and after I got accustomed the narrators’ french accents, i loved how fun and unique the story was.

The story unfolds as Anne-Lise Briard finds a manuscript in a hotel drawer, discovers that it has been lost for 30 years and sets out to help the original author unravel the journey the manuscript took to get back to him. The whole thing was such a quirky mystery to dive into. We meet all sorts of people who handled the manuscript and learn about the impression they either left on it or it left on them. This was quite a fun tale and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, light mystery.

In this beautifully narrated audiobook, the story is told from various letters written between each of the many characters who played a full in the journey of the lost manuscript. This is a story of a group of individuals from all walks of life who are brought together by an unfinished book which touched each of them in their own way. The journey began when Anne-Lise finds the manuscript in her hotel room and begins looking for the author and it quickly grows as they realize there are two others to the manuscript. I really enjoyed the letter format of this novel but found it difficult to follow the characters while listening. I think this was another book I would have enjoyed much more if I read it instead of listen to it.

This audiobook was a pleasant and refreshing listen. It is formatted as a collection of letters and emails sent between the characters giving you a sort of inside look at their thoughts. Listening to this was especially delightful as each character had a different narrator and with how expressive they were it  actually felt like you were sitting there listening to the character read their letter out loud. The lost manuscript hooked me right away with Anne-Lise finding and returning the manuscript. Continuing with the response she got from the author, the journey she started on, and her personal problems I couldn’t stop listening!
Towards the middle of the book when the adventures started to plateau I thought it was the end, but as another mystery sprung up which kick started the excitement from the beginning I was pulled into the story more.
By the end of the book I was still on the edge of my seat anticipating what was next to come. Overall this audiobook kept me hooked throughout and left me refreshed.

This was a lovely book, made more interesting in some ways due to the audiobook presentation. It had multiple narrators allowing me to keep the characters straight and to visualize their interaction as their inflections communicated their joy and displeasure well.
Overall though, the storyline wasn't as engaging as I was hoping it would be. It is a lovely tale about a found manuscript and the circuitous route it took through various people and the impact it had on each of their lives. Both by the reading and by the connections the people found with each other as they went on a journey of discovery of exactly how the manuscript got to where it was.
I love epistolary novels, and so that is one reason why the audio book wasn't as magical as it could have been had I read the words on the page. Also the large number of characters makes it difficult to make close connections with any of them.
Overall this is a sweet tale about connecting in unique and interesting ways.

I love the narrators for this audiobook! They’re easy to understand, but have a beautiful French accent to make the book extra special, something different and romantic. I love the epistolary format. It makes the book feel like you found this bundle of letters that you know you shouldn’t read, but you can’t help yourself. You have to know how the story ends. 

Thank you #dreamscapemedia and #netgalley for an advanced audiobook.

I’m just going to go ahead and say that epistolary format just doesn’t work for me. I don’t think it really works with an audiobook either but maybe that’s just my opinion. Maybe it would’ve been better in an epub format but I think the story itself didn’t interest me either so not sure if it would make a difference.

The premise is great on how book can touch more than one persons life. I think that’s a lovely idea and so true since books really do have that power. Sadly, I just couldn’t connect with any of the characters and didn’t’t care about the back stories. The small romance aspect did nothing for me either. Overall, I felt absolutely nothing for this book. I do like how it spanned across different countries and that it is a quick read as well, but that it about it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy of the audiobook.

This book was, sadly, not for me.  I wish I had a more positive review to give.  I received an advance listener copy of the audiobook from Netgalley and I struggled through it.  It was read in such a way that was being lulled to sleep.  I had flashbacks of listening to older audiobooks read with a similar cadence. That very dry, slow, methodical read.  Normally, I listen to audiobooks at 1.2X the speed.  By increasing the playback rate, the pacing sound more conversational to me and it allows me to enjoy the book more if I feel like the read it dragging the story down. You can NOT speed this book up.  When you do, it gives the audio a sort-of choppy underwater-like quality.  So, while I was struggling to listen to the book at a normal rate, I might have enjoyed it more if I could have speed it up.  But instead, I had trouble focusing on it and staying awake.  Some of the voices were too similar, therefore I would easily lose track of whose perspective I was listening to, which inhibited me from connecting with any of the characters.

Basically, if this book sounds interesting to you I would recommend skipping the audiobook.

This book was wonderful - I couldn't stop listening to it! I loved the story, the premise, the voice actors - everything. The story is about a manuscript that was found in a hotel room by Anne-Lise and her quest to find its mysterious authors. The book is written in letter/e-mail form (epistolary) and we learn more about Anne-Lise, her friend Maggy and the people they meet. The second author is revealed toward the end and is a beautifully written twist I could never have predicted. This book is quite lovely and mellow and I couldn't wait to hear how the story would progress.  Definitely a very enjoyable read/listen. Thank you to Netgalley for letting me listen to this brilliant story.

💫 Book Review 💫 
The Lost Manuscript by Cathy Bonidan 

Jan 12,2021


A manuscript without an owner
A woman using it as an excuse to find herself as she heads out to find the author.
An unsolved mystery of said manuscript. 

I wanted to love this one so much. It had all the mechanics for me to love it but it was confusing at times. I’m wondering if this was one that would have been better in physical form instead of audiobook as I couldn’t listen to the whole thing at once. That said the narrators were good. I really appreciated the multiple voices for each POV. 

I think I just had higher hopes for it and while it was nice to thrown on while I was exercising or running around, I found my mind wandered to other things. 

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

This story is ENCHANTING. At first the accents were hard for my ear, but once I got used to the different accents I just fell into the story. I got pulled into these lives and with every revelation of the mystery I fell deeper under the spell. There is some romance - lost loves and new loves but mostly the books is a love letter to books and writing. More importantly it brilliantly paints a picture of how books can influence our lives, loves, and bring unexpected people into our world. The language and structure of the writing almost feels poetic and lyrical in nature. That probably at least in small part is because of the wonderful narration of this cast. I thought I wanted to read this book in a traditional manner - and at some point I probably will, but listening to it in this form made the story sparkle.

The Lost Manuscript by Cathy Bonidan is the perfect novel for someone looking for a feel-good read. Told through letters exchanged by different characters, it adds an interesting layer to the unfolding of the story. The book revolves around a misplaced unfinished manuscript’s travels and the lives of the people that have encountered it. The manuscript is the main character of this story and it is complex and meaningful. The audiobook was narrated by a cast and was lovely to listen to. 

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, the publisher, and narrators for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

What a great audiobook! Just the story I needed for my commute. I loved that it was set in letter format it was such a fun change from audiobooks I have listened to before. 

Thank you for my copy in exchange of a fair review.

Title: The Lost Manuscript

Author: Cathy Bonidan

Genre: Adult Fiction/ Contemporary

Content Warnings: Cheating, drinking, robbery, character death, car crash

Rating: 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Unspoilery Blurb
When Anne-Lise finds an abandoned manuscript in a drawer in her hotel room, she is launched into an adventure to find the creator. The plot thickens when she contacts the author and learns that the manuscript had been missing for over thirty years and that the story’s ending had a second, mystery author.

This book is formatted as a compilation of letters written to and from the people who interacted with this manuscript over the years. It tells a fascinating story about the power a good book has to change lives and bring strangers together. Full of mystery, fun, friendship, and emotion, The Lost Manuscript is a story for people who long to feel a connection with the written word.

Unspoilery Review
This was a fun, easy read full of friendship and mystery. It took me a while to get into the writing style of the book since the entire plot is composed of letters and emails between the characters. But as I began to follow the story and learn about the people who were impacted by the manuscript, I was swept away. I appreciated that I could tell a difference between the different writing styles of the characters, and the voice actors did a wonderful job narrating the audiobook as well!

The idea of tracking the progression of a manuscript that had been lost for many decades is a fascinating one, and I think the author did a wonderful job with the story. It was fun to embark on the journey through the past trying to discover the second author, and the end was so satisfying!

I appreciated that the book told a story of a manuscript, but it focused on the impact that the manuscript had on the lives of the characters. This connection to people and relationships made the book more personal and addictive. All these characters connected with each other and grew so much during this fun book, and I am so glad that I had the pleasure of reading it.

This was such a fun, easy book to read, and I blew through it! I hope you pick it up and enjoy!

I am trying to listen to more audio books even though it is my least favorite way to read to be able to get more books in while I do other things like exercise or clean or lay in bed with my eyes closed. Typically, I don't like novels on audio because I am a fast reader and I don't like slowing down to listen. The Lost Manuscript was an exception. I love hearing French accents so that probably helped. I also liked the epistolary style of the book, I think that, for me, having so many different voices via these letters really helped the audio seem more interesting. The actual book was also great. I loved the different actions of all the different characters and how each letter built up to create a great story.

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Thank you to NetGalley for the audio version of "The Lost Manuscript" by Cathy Bonidan.
    I rarely say this, however,I truly could not step away from this book once I started to listen to the story. I also had pre-ordered the book before I had been awarded the audiobook so I am going to do something else I rarely do, I am going to read the book when it arrives even though I have already listened to it in its entirety. Is their higher praise when there are so many great reads out there just waiting to captivate me.?
   First , on the audio edition. I believe that the various narrators added to the enjoyment of the novel , esp . with it being an epistolary layout. The voices seem to match perfectly with the personalities gleaned from their letters. It also made listening so much easier knowing instantly to whom one was listening. For those who enjoy audio books , I think that this is an excellent selection.For those new to audiobooks, what a great place to start. Everything about the audio version was perfect.
   On to the book itself. I must state that epistolary novels are one of my favorite styles of writing even though I find it difficult to discover  new ones. .But when I do , I either love them or meh? This one was outstanding. Why has letter writing gone out of style when so much can be said in so few words. Each letter is a short story with a mood, tale, setting  and questions to lead you to the next response. This book flowed so easily and carried you on with the investigations.
    What would you do if you found a manuscript?How curious would you be? Enough to investigate its history.?  What if you found that it had traveled from Montreal to Paris to Brittany and beyond over a 30 year period and that it had affected multiple people along the way? Right, you would have to know who , what, where, why? Anna-Lise was just the protagonist needed to tie these stories together. It is very clever and unique  yet charming tale that exemplifies the love of books and how that love of books can unite us. It is  love letter to books, letter writing, friendship and taking chances.It is nearly impossible to not be pulled in to their search and  the mystery of the 'other' writer. I enjoyed getting to know Anna-Lise, Sylvester, Maggie, William, and David  and others along this literary journey and hope that other readers will be as entranced as was I.

Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Cathy Bonidan for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. 

I enjoyed the writing and the concept of the book. I admire the main character and her persistence in finding the authors of the manuscript, however, I couldn’t relate to any of the other characters. 

I realized about halfway through this book that I was not at all invested in the lives of these characters. I think the format is to blame for this. Also, it might have been easier for me to connect with the story had I read the ebook or a physical copy. It’s hard to keep up with who’s speaking when you’re listening to the audiobook. 

This book was short and actually perfect to listen to while I was cleaning, cooking, driving, etc. It made for a good distraction for a few hours. 

3/5 stars.

Anne-Lise Briard stays in a hotel on the Brittany Coast where she finds a manuscript of a book that was never published. Finding an address in the pages she sends it back to said address along with a note of her own writing. When she gets a letter back she finds out that the script has been lost for over 30 years! Not only that but the script has come from an airport very far from where it was lost. 
This starts up her mission to find out what happened to the text and how it ended up in her room. She also gets to learn a lot more from the writer of the manuscript in fact he only wrote the first half. The book was finished by somebody else. 

Her mission means that she meets many people who the manuscript has touched and has warmed their hearts. It also means that she finds out everything she set out for and a whole lot more!

I read this in the form of an audiobook and I have to say I truly enjoyed this book.
I think the idea is very original and truly lead the way for an amazing story.
This book was the first I have read that is written in the form of letters and it is a form I didn’t think I would enjoy as much as I did.
The collection of all of the characters coming together is written in a way to truly show the understanding that they all have for on another. 
This work truly explores the love and connection that people can have for a book and how people connect through the love of books much like a lot of people do in life around stories that mean the most to them. 
The letters all have different feels from character to character and portray each character in a way that someone could relate to and gives everyone a different feeling for the story but also the understanding that they have.

The book is very different from any other book I have read because it shows the connection over a story from people all over the place in so many different walks of life.

This book is one for people who love writing but also for anyone who wants a different perspective of the world and it is a truly brilliant story that is written beautifully.