I started reading ‘What’s Not Lost’ without the prior knowledge that it was the final instalment in a series. As soon as I learned the same, I was uncertain about whether to resume reading without having read the first two [‘What’s Not Said’, and ‘What’s Not True’]. However, after reading that Taylor had penned the final book to act as a standalone as well as a follow-on, I thought it best to just give it a shot since I had already started.

Though there are some elements that could perhaps have done with the flavour of the other books being on the brain, I do feel like Taylor did a good job in making this book work without being heavily dependent on the others. There is enough backstory filtered throughout that you can follow and understand the context of the situation, and how the characters come to be where they are when the novel begins. There are some moments that clearly if I had read the other books would have been further developed in my own head, especially Kassie and Chris’ relationship, but nonetheless I think the story works by itself.

The novel feels relatively fast paced initially, though this is not necessarily a bad thing. It adds to the coherency and flow of the central characters’ lives after it all gets upheaved by the arrival of Lexi, Chris’ ex-girlfriend, now pregnant with his children… yes, children! Twins!

I found Lexi to be a strange character. One moment I would sympathise with her, the next I would distrust and dislike her. Personally I am not sure how I feel about the constant shift and feel like her character could have had more dynamic, rather than just being a woman with her sights and motivations purely set on a man.

Kassie also was initially a questionable character for me. At the start, she seemed not to react or respond to events as I would have expected, which left me doubtful of my ability to align with her as a main character.

But all that changed when she left for Paris.

Kassie suddenly became a character that I did not dislike. I admired her, found faith in her, and wanted the best for her, and despite the unexpected ending, I am glad that she got the best in her life in the end!

That being said, I feel like the story did not truly start until Kassie arrived in Paris, which was the last quarter of the book. It is such a shame because I truly felt like I could have got lost in the world of Paris. I would have loved to have spent way, way more time seeing Kassie winning at life and watching her relationships with Matthias, Tanya, and even her colleagues blossoming more.

But it felt very much like as soon as Paris began, the story was over. And everything seemed to wind down and settle far more quickly than I would have liked.

That is not to say that this was a bad book. I did enjoy it, I just wish the body of it had more flavour!

And I love the fact that the female protagonist is not an eager twenty-something with her sights on the world. Kassie has life, she has lived, and she shows that there is no age limit to keep on living.

I was initially in disbelief of the ending, and then I was silently pleased, and I feel like even though I have not read the other books [yet! I am going to go read them as soon as possible], the novel felt like a fitting conclusion to Kassie’s tale, both in a standalone respect and in the context of a series.

In this series I read the 1st book and the last book. I liked the first book What's Not Said better. This book was just OK for me. I realize that Kassie's character really didn't have much self worth. If she did, she would have booted Chris's butt out of the house as soon as she found out he had impregnated his ex-girlfriend. Sure Kassie and Chris were on a "break" at the time but still-he couldn't keep it in his pants!! The story itself was cute on how they tried to keep their relationship going but Kassie had work to do in Paris and found herself along the way. I still like Annie the friend and I really enjoyed the cat Topher!! It was a little underwhelming but not a bad read.
Thanks to #netgalley, #aspetuckpublishing and @valerie taylor for an ARC of this book.

I really need to read the other two books in the series. I did love this book though. Strong characters, believable plotline, and a gorgeous background. Kassie is a strong female character who comes to terms with who she is and how she is gonna play the game of life.

What’s Not Lost
A Novel
by Valerie Taylor

I did not know this book was part 3 of a series . So, it is really not a stand-alone. If you want to get books 1 and 2 you will know the beginning. The Description did not warn it was a series.

What’s Not Lost. When I requested this book from NetGalley I was unaware it’s the last book of a series, but upon learning I had to download the first two and read them first. Readers who select this as a standalone will be missing out on hours of reading pleasure plus an in-depth detailing of previous events in the soap opera life of Kassandra O’Callaghan. That said, What’s Not Lost is all about Kassie finally finding herself away from the expectations of everyone she’s spent her life trying to appease and make happy. The author has a few surprises for readers who think they have this story figured out…just saying…. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book. Most highly recommend it and the trilogy.