I went into this one, honestly, for the Geocaching. I through Wren would really explore Geocaching and it would be the heart of the story.

SO don't be like me! It's not that. This story is really about Wren finding herself and re-defining who she is after a tragedy and a heartbreak. I liked the sweet parts of the story (and was surprised by the spicy parts!)

The addition of Geocaching, to this one, was a nice touch but if you know anything about the hobby, it was frustrating to read. Everyone comes to Oregon, if they are a Geocacher, and wants to go to The Original cache - because the very first one was placed here. And the very few homeless I have encountered, while Geocaching, have always offered to help me - they have never ever ever harmed me (and I've been a female caching alone and with friends for a very very long time).

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

3.5 ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! This book was full of nature, national parks, broken healing hearts and adventure. It digs deeper than a typical romance and touched me in ways I wasn’t expecting. If you’re looking for a book that might just break your heart but heal it back together, this is the one.

If you like you love stories with a healthy dose of real world problems, you will really enjoy this one. If you don’t have any reading red flags then I would almost recommend going in blind, because there are some really great plot twists. But please know these could be triggering for some readers. When we meet Wren, she is hiking in the Pacific Northwest, feeling the travel bug and needing a break from the reality life has dealt her. While geocaching she meets Marshall—their meet cute is more of a meet tragedy, but the way they instantly become connected is riveting to say the least. Marshall and Wren instantly bond over their experience which allows them to connect and share with each other in a more meaningful way than if they had met while dating.

I loved the frankness with which Garvis Graves writes her characters. They are absolutely flawed, but there’s no BS, they act like the adults that they are, and even when they mess up, they are mature about it. I think this key ingredient is missing in so many books and it’s so refreshing to read about adults who act like adults. So even when life throws yet another curveball at Wren, the way she handles it is with grace and strength. Although this is an open door romance, the changes and experiences of Wren and Marshall are what take center stage more than the love story itself. It’s how they communicate with each other THROUGH their circumstances that help them fall in love. The Trail of Lost Hearts is an emotionally intimate story that will have readers believing in happiness after heartache and that the universe will bring you love when you least expect it. I received an early copy from St. Martin’s Press. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5
Steam: 🪭
Emotional growth: 📈📈📈

I wanted to love this book, I really did. The beginning was amazing and had me hooked from the first chapter, but I found myself losing interest as the story went on. A large part of the story felt forced and unrealistic to me. It was still an enjoyable read, if you suspended belief about how a normal person would react in the situation Wren finds herself in. Wren and Marshall are cute and their continued run-ins initially kept me reading to the end, but it's not a book I would choose to reread.

After a life-altering tragedy, Wren discovers geocaching. In an effort to escape and rediscover herself, she books a geocaching trip to the Pacific Northwest. On her first trail she meets Marshall, a psychologist escaping his own problems. When he rescues her from some men on the trail looking for trouble, he suggests that they team up while hunting for the rest of her planned caches.

I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Tracey Garvis Graves and this was no exception. The Trail of Lost Hearts is a well written story of grief and healing. Wren and Marshall both have a lot of baggage, but are able to restore some of their faith in humanity through each other.

This was a great book! After a surprising event in her life, Wren has taken off on a geocaching trip. She meets Marshall in a chance encounter on the trail. I enjoyed Wren’s story. And I enjoyed her journey during her outdoor adventure.

This is a lovely meditation on grief and how each person processes it differently. Each grief situation is shown to be just as valid as another – nothing is made to feel lesser. It’s also how adults should relate to each other in real life and a romance that ends very happily. (There’s also a sadly real situation on how women move through the world.)

I learned more about geocaching, which I’d been somewhat aware of for years, but didn’t realize that a) it was still a thing and b) the rules around it. If I was more of a hiker, I’d try it myself.

I really liked this and thought that everything was handled deftly and loved the conclusion.

Definitely recommended!

I received an ARC from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion.

#TrailOfLostHearts #NetGalley

I loved the first book I read by this author which was The Girl He Use To Know and I loved it. I loved the writing. I had to read this one. I like the authors writing style. This one deals with loss and grief. It makes you feel. You feel for the characters and what they go through.

DNF

This book was fine. It didn't have anything that really intrigued me, and while I could've finished it, I could just tell that it was going to be average read.

The Trail of Lost Hearts is a beautifully written contemporary romance focusing on two lost souls and the healing process each undertakes separately and together. What an emotional roller-coaster from beginning to end, it's equally heartwarming and heart wrenching. I enjoyed the writing style and how each character's traumatic life events were revealed. It's one of those books that you can't put down but want to put down because you don't want it to end.


Thank you St. Martin's Press for this gifted ARC.

This story definitely gave me Wild vibes.
Our FMC starts on a wilderness journey of geocaching while dealing with heartbreak.

It was not an easy journey for her , but made easier by the swoon-worthy MMC.

The main characters bond and heal over their traumas in a way that was moving and realistic.

The Trail of Lost Hearts is the recent release from Tracey Garvis Graves and if you've not read a book by her yet, you are missing out. I know that when I pick up a book from Garvis Graves I am going to get a good story and well-developed characters and sure enough, this book gave me both.

This story kicks off with our main character Wren going on a hike and Garvis Graves pulled me in with the questions I had about her and what she was doing on her own as well as the situation she was finding herself in. When Wren discovered geocaching, it quickly became the thing that motivated her to get out of bed after taking some pretty big hits and now as a way to take back control of her life she decided to take a solo trip to Oregon but finding herself in a dangerous situation on a trail, she wonders what she's going to do.

Enter Marshall Hendricks, a psychologist searching for distraction as he struggles with a life-altering blow of his own. Though Wren initially rebuffs Marshall’s attempt at hiker small talk, she’s beyond grateful when he rescues her from a horrifying encounter farther down the trail. In the interest of safety, Marshall suggests partnering up to look for additional caches. Wren’s no longer quite so trusting of the universe―or men in general―but her inner circle might argue that a smart, charismatic psychologist isn’t the worst thing the universe could place in her path.

As Wren and Marshall slowly become more than just friends to each other, they learn how to trust again and I loved how Garvis Graves built this relationship. It felt real and at times, complicated and hard but I could also feel how much these characters wanted to figure it out. It is an emotional read but in all the good ways.

If you're looking for a new contemporary, adult romance consider picking this one up. This author is an auto-buy author for me because I can always count on her books to give me a great story with real characters and if you haven't read her backlist yet, you should go and grab them too..

While sitting in her fiance’s hospital room, Wren Waters receives a blow so devastating that she doesn’t even know if she can recover. In an effort to reclaim her life, Wren heads to Oregon for a solo vacation geocaching, needing desperately to get out of Ohio for a while. On the hiking trail, Wren meets Marshall Hendricks, who is also on a mission of healing, and as both are geocaching, they decide to team up.

There’s a lot going on in this book, just the way I like it! Wren is incredibly strong and she and Marshall work together really well. I enjoyed seeing the story unfold and appreciated the supportive friends and family both Wren and Marshall had.

I was so excited when I saw that Tracey Garvis Graves had a new book out. I’m so happy to save I loved it as much as I hoped I would! It is a bit on the heavy and emotional side, but it is so well written. There was a lot of talk of geocaching in this book, which I know nothing about, but it was fun to read about. I loved the Oregon setting in this book, it made me want to visit there even more than I already did! If you enjoy forced proximity and open door romance, you’ll love this book! I highly recommend checking it out!

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my, this book. As a fellow griefy gal, this book hit me in all the feels. I really enjoyed the grief mixed with the wilderness pieces. I think fans of Tracey Garvis GRaves will also enjoy this one. Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read!

Trail of Lost Hearts is my first book by author Tracey Garvis Graves. It was an emotional love story that gave me my happy ending. This book is a great pairing with nonfiction novel, Wild by Cheryl Strayed. This book is perfect for readers who enjoy camping and hiking.

Likes:
*Intense opening that draws you into the story.
*Outdoorsy setting along the Pacific Crest trail.
*Characters who deal with real like experiences.

Dislikes:
*Open door scenes

I received an advanced electronic copy from publisher St. Martins Press books and Netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview this book. #smpinfluencer

This book combines Wild by Cheryl Strayed with Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and tied up with a mature and respectful romance. I appreciate romances with older (ie- not early 20s) characters. But sometimes even with the age, the author doesn't give them maturity, maybe to explain why they are single or to create foils for the relationships. So when an author has to adults acting like adults and being mature in their communications and decision making, it is refreshing to me. There can still be complications in creating a long lasting romantic connection without huge dramas, immaturity and miscommunication. The quiet, more emotional pieces can make just an impactful a story, and definitely did with this one.

Wren and Marshall both have grief to work through, and while Marshall is good at helping others, he struggles with opening himself up and working through his own pain. I appreciated having a novel show a man realizing he needs help and seeking out resources for that. I also felt so much for Wren and respected how she worked through her trauma, both alone and with Marshall's help. Her maturity and grace in the back half of the novel was truly admirable. This was an incredibly touching story about second chances, and ultimately finding what you need.

The Trail of Lost Hearts by Tracey Garvis Graves
Four Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

I just finished *The Trail of Lost Hearts* and wow, what a ride! This book had me hooked from the first page.

The characters felt so real and relatable, especially Wren. I found myself rooting for them through every challenge and heartbreak. The setting was beautifully described too – I could almost feel the trail beneath my feet and see the stunning landscapes.

The only reason I’m not giving it a full five stars is that there were a couple of slow parts in the middle that made me itch to skim ahead. But honestly, the rest of the book more than made up for it. If you’re looking for a heartfelt story with a bit of everything, this one’s definitely worth the read.

I really enjoyed this book, it starts with two unlikely people be friending each other and continuing the story as their romance blossoms. No one is expecting them to develop feelings for each other let alone them. A lot of unexpected occurances happen and they need to figure out what to do about it.

4.5 stars (rounding up)
Not going to lie-I saw this cover and kinda thought this book would reflect the story. However, I was so pleasantly pleased with how much I loved this story (sorry to whomever came up with the cover art!)!
I loved these characters, I loved the setting and the outdoorsyness, I loved the mature way these characters communicated, and I loved the romance.
Finished this just a little over 24 hours!
Love this author!