Emotional beginning sadness from all the bitterness of the in- laws. Sarah was a very caring mother and and after the death of their father the boys were doing well. Through a lot of hard work and sleepless nights Sarah got the business on strong footing after the death of her husband. When things started to come to a head you see what a bad husband Sean was and all the bad things he had done. I enjoyed the book and if it was donated to the library I would recommend it to others.

I enjoyed this book. I thought the main character was believable. I think it is a little unrealistic that she forged such a strong relationship in only a few weeks but that is one of the reasons I enjoyed the book. I enjoy romance for the escape.

Jennifer Ryan illustrates profound emotional thinking in Lost and Found Family. This latest novel is pure captivating with 100% page flipping tendencies. I could not put this novel down for a second, acknowledging that I finished it within a day.

Sarah Anderson had a rough life and even a brutal marriage. With her mother in law at her throat wanting to see her grandchildren, Sarah, by the grace of her heart succumbs to the wickedness of her in-laws. While spending time and hardship with her MIL, but giving her boys the memories they deserve, she falls for the rancher next door- but that’s not to say she has to grit her teeth as well with obstacles with him.

This story encompasses grace, forgiveness and love. A soul searching romance that makes you stop and think of your own life and how you treat others. What matters in life; materials possessions or family? A very strong female lead with a heart throb cowboy who will steal your heart and make you swoon.

I really enjoyed this novel. Excellent writing and flow to the story.

What does it mean to be really rich. Filthy rich, successful and gorgeous to boot. Well to some it’s the dream come true. To others it is a means to an end. To Sarah it is a way to support herself and her sons. For Sarah her intelligence and drive brought her great riches and success. Her businesses have thrived. There is of course a price. Sarah had to learn how to juggle her work and her boys. The boys are her personal priority. So Sarah’s days are often 20+ hours long.
LOST AND FOUND FAMILY is a rags to riches story in a totally unique package.
There are lots of ways to judge being rich. Not always in dollars. For Sarah her life has been poor in so many ways. Needy for sure. The most valuable item missing from Sarah’s life has been love and family.
Sarah’s business model has been designed as a family unit of respect and earnest work toward shared goals. Sarah rewards honesty and respect and loyalty.
Sarah’s husband was a disappointment on many levels except for one, her sons.
LOST AND FOUND FAMILY is one woman’s search for that elusive something she always wanted, coveted - family. And belonging to something that didn’t have an expiration date.
Sarah’s start was the foster system and then to an even bleaker life with an uncle. The fact that she survived and emerged as a wonderful human being was in itself amazing. Sarah could not have done this on her own. She relied on her business family and they came through for her just as she rewarded them.
Jennifer Ryan had to dig deep to create Sarah without making her an unrealistic caricature. Sarah just may be Jennifer Ryan’s most complex character to date. And even though Sarah may seem almost too perfect we get to see how complex her life is. Sarah doesn’t have the freedom of mistakes. Too much at stake.
There are many types of families. In LOST AND FOUND FAMILY Jennifer Ryan showcases a truly unique gathering of folk that are connected in a twisted illogical social group. May sound odd but it works in both Sarah’s and Jennifer Ryan’s world.
Lots of characters to meet in LOST AND FOUND FAMILY. Many with flaws that are the root cause for many of the conflicts. But in the end these are all folk that somehow belong to Sarah’s world. Jennifer Ryan masterfully sets the scene for Sarah’s new world with grace, heart and integrity. Sure there are some perhaps unrealistic reaches when the authors pen becomes creative. Keep in mind it is all for the better good. In this case all for Sarah and her boys.

Lost and Found Family had such a unique feel to it, almost like a classic or retro romance novel. I loved the characters and their stories, wasn't ready to leave them at the end of the book. I always love the "benevolent benefactor" character, it's what I would like to be if I were wealthy. I kept waiting for something tragic to happen to the main character, not sure if that was because of her history or the current pandemic? Loved it !

Sarah Anderson has been doing everything she can since the death of her husband to keep things running at home and the company the two of them started. While this means working an obscene amount of hours, nothing is more important to her than providing for and protecting the people who count on her, whether that's her two little boys or all the employees at her software company. When her mother-in-law threatens to try and take the boys from Sarah in a court of law Sarah is desperate to prove to the woman she is a good mother while also concealing some dark truths about her dead husbands personal and business life. This is complicated by the fact her mother-in-law has involved the handsome lawyer/rancher next door. The man gets under Sarah's skin the second they meet and now she's got two people to prove her worthiness to. Can she do that while still keeping the secrets of her past buried?
VERDICT is that this is another fine romance read by Jennifer Ryan. I am always intrigued by the situations she cooks up for her characters which typically seem to be fierce women misunderstood by the people around them. Not one of my personal favorites though. I really felt like all of the tension and intrigue was done about half way through the story. The second half was a lot of fluff with minor misunderstandings being ironed out and reaffirming of feelings. I would recommend to readers I know are fans of Ryan's writing but not necessarily to others looking for a contemporary romance read.

Lost and Found Family by Jennifer Ryan is a pleasant read that has its ups and downs. Sarah Anderson is a brilliant, hard working, single mother who tries to do her best. Her deceased husband's mother is spiteful and on the advice of her neighbor and attorney, Luke Thompson, insists Sarah bring her grandchildren for an extended visit or risk a court case. Juggling her children and her insane work load she complies and works really hard to overcome judgemental attitudes and an attraction to Luke.

The pros:
A likeable underdog hero who is really nice and strong and talented and capable.
A beautiful setting.
Horses and cute kids.
A nice hero who is a bit of a jerk but quickly improves.

The cons:
Sarah is TOO nice. Sometimes I just wanted her to rip into someone and really defend herself.
The conflict was mostly resovled at 60% of the novel. The remainder was a family love fest. It would have been better if it were a bit shorter, the last half dragged for me.
While I expect time tables to be compressed in a romance novel, the miracle Sarah worked in her bankrupt company didn't seem possible in the allotted time and that was distracting for me as a reader.
The horses, and Sarah's affiinity for them, was a nice element that just got dropped and never mentioned in the last half of the novel.

Despite the flaws I enjoyed the book and would recommend it. 3.5 stars.