The Trail of Lost Hearts is the second book I’ve read by Tracey Garvis Graves and she’s now made my list of auto read authors. Resilience is a theme of this story and there were many beautiful moments that captured my heart.

I don’t want to divulge too much of the plot because it’s best just to follow the main character, Wren, on her journey. Quite literally she is on a journey. After facing some major life stuff she decides to take a solo trip to Oregon to go geocaching. Her hobby involves using GPS and locating markers or containers which have been placed all over the great outdoors. Maybe this trip will be the jump start she needs to get her life back on track.

Recommend if you are looking for a contemporary fiction read with some depth that will also make you smile and laugh.

I thoroughly enjoyed the entire first half of this book. We had two lonely broken individuals and they were really going through it. But they were adults in their mid 30s!!! Who communicated!!!! And it was marvelous! There were incredible conversations about grief and healing and this was shaping up to be a really great book. I was looking at a very solid 4 star read.

Then the second half kicked in and the twist happened. I hated every second of it and lost an entire star because of it. Wren turned into the person she was accusing Marshall of being and what’s worst of all is she knew it. Her inner monologue was constantly how unfair she was being and how aware she was of what a hypocrite she was being. Ugh. She was keeping a huge secret while inwardly chastising him for keeping his own secrets. Newsflash, he wasn’t keeping secrets, just dealing with his own grief that she was fully aware of the whole time.

Idk why the author made the choice she did but it turned into a very bad soap opera. The story already started with these characters dealing with a hell of a lot more than anyone should, unexpected deaths on both their ends. And then some major betrayals on top of it. Now the author added this soap opera twist that just added such unnecessary drama and angst. It would’ve worked so much better if they took their time and healed slower than throwing that curveball at them to force things along.

The entire second half made Wren entirely unlikable. Once Marshall came back into the picture I warmed up to her again. He made her a better person. And I hate that I only liked her again because he was back.


Thank you to St Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Had all the promise of being a winner...⁣
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Summary⁣
Wren Waters, a 34-year-old woman who travels from Dayton, Ohio to Eugene, Oregon for a week-long solo geocaching expedition to help her heal after two life-altering losses. Wren finds solace in the outdoors, and geocaching becomes her therapy. She meets Marshall Hendricks, a psychologist, and the two go on personal journeys towards healing. The book is about overcoming grief while finding oneself.⁣
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I loved the set up, I loved Wren, and I loved the hiking element. But at some point around the 30 percent mark, it went off the rails. Too many far fetched and over the top situations/events started to happen and it lost me. I finished because 1) I also had the audio so that made bumping up the speed and 2) I did need to find out what happened with Wren and Marshall.⁣
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Thank you @netgalley for this free copy in exchange for my honest review.⁣
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Have you read any by Tracey Garvis Graves? I remember enjoying The Girl He Used to Know so I'm not sure of I'm completely finished reading TGG but this one put me on skeptical island.

This is a go-to-author of mine! Tracey Garvis Graves is a brilliant storyteller and knows how to get a reader invested in the characters.

Get ready for a heart-wrenching and roller coaster ride with Wren and Marshall. They will take your emotions on a wild ride! This book had me grabbing my tissues. Not only is this read a tear-jerking, angsty love story, it will truly bring all the feels out on each page. Again, another bravo book from this author!

I love Tracey Garvis Graves and this book was no exception. Just wonderful, I love the characters and the story so much. Highly recommend, thank you for my copy!

I really enjoyed this. I loved the geocaching angle; it's actually inspired my husband and I to get outside and do more geocaching.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own

Book Review:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Wren Waters, is mourning the death of her fiancee and the life they would have shared. Marshall Hendricks, is dealing with immense guilt over his brother’s untimely death. Needing to be in nature the two set out separately geocaching on the PNW trails. But when Wren’s safety is called into question they decide to team up.

Tracey Garvis Graves novel, The Trail of Lost Hearts, perfectly straddles tragedy and hope. While both main characters are dealing with profound loss, they experience a beautiful love story. Perfect for fans of Eat, Pray, Love, Wild, and Happiness for Beginners.

I loved that a large part of the plot centers around geocaching. While I have heard of the term I was unfamiliar with the activity. Geocaching was the perfect choice as it gave Wren and Marshall a common goal.

While nature can be one of the best healers, there is no substitute for therapy. Tracey Gravis Graves did a phenomenal job of showing how everyone deals with trauma differently. Wren and Marshall had very different paths to healing. I thought the mental health representation was wonderfully researched and beautifully done.

Needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book. More so than I expected to. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

Special thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Tracey Gravis Graves for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

A emotional and full of feels read with lots of up and downs through out it. There are several heavier situations in this story but they are handled with care and balanced well with lighter, happier moments. The characters are loveable and relatable; you won’t be able to not root for them. Also, if you are a fan of solo travelling and geocaching, this one id definitely for you.

This book will make you question "Is Geocaching somthing I should be doing?"
This is a first rate romance book from the author that gave us "on the island" and it is another romance where setting is as important as story. The woods, the adventure, and nature take a full front seat in this romance that is perfect for anyone that wants a little angst in their romance.

I am a sucker for any story where a woman goes out to nature to heal after a traumatic event. This was not one of my favorites, sadly. I really struggled with a plot device the author used and I found the therapy talk really heavy handed. The trip itself was the strongest part of the novel. I hated it once she went back home.

What a beautiful story! I really enjoyed this book on many levels - the environment (outdoorsy/National Parks), the fun and non-traditional activity that brought them together (geocaching), the characters, their back stories and their personal growth. Ultimately, through the hunt for hidden treasures of geocaches, Wren and Marshall found themselves, and each other. The story was fun and quirky at times but also very serious and tragic at others. I couldn't put it down! I also enjoyed the writing format, as later in the book it changes partly to emails, which is realistic way of communication that isn't used often in novels, and in the case of Wren and Marshall, who were both working through their own person journeys of grief and growth from a distance, it was the perfect platform for them to communicate their thoughts and feelings. I would highly recommoned this book for the beautiful story, but it may also help some with their own personal process of working through grief and finding their way once again. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the advanced copy read.

The Trail of Lost Hearts was my first book by Tracey Garvis Graves, and I can't wait to read her previous books! Her writing is so heartfelt and honest, and I felt like I was sucked into the story.

Wren is out on a hike looking for a geocache and is trying to be the first to find. After finding it, she has a terrifying encounter and Marshall comes to the rescue. After a brief amount of time together and a dinner, Marshall suggests they continue the hunt for the geocaches together. What ensues is an adorable story of friendship, recovery from grief, shock, and romance.

I liked how multilayered both main characters. They popped off the page and came to life. I thought the way Graves handled some pretty tough issues like grief was beautifully done. She made the characters emotions come to life.

A wonderful heartwarming book.
Thank you, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review.
4.5/5 stars

This particular tale breaks the mold with its unpredictability, a quality I found captivating. The main characters meet cute is far from ordinary, each carrying their own heavy baggage of deep-seated trauma. The growth they experience together feels incredibly authentic and tangible. Themes of cheating, death, grief, and hope are skillfully woven throughout the narrative, adding layers of complexity. Despite a twist that typically wouldn't be to my liking, it didn't deter me from eagerly devouring this story This book captures the essence of real-life struggles and relationships, making it a truly enjoyable read.

This book was very well written and so emotional! I loved the emphasis on counseling, mental health, trust, and love.

Tracey Garvis Graves is easily becoming one of my favorite authors.

I highly recommend this novel and am glad I had a chance to read it!

This was a quick and fun read! Even though the story touches on several difficult subjects (death of loved ones and other things I won't mention or they'd give some of the plot away) I felt like I was reading an uplifting story.
Wren and Marshall, who meet by accident geocaching, are each traveling with hidden emotional trauma, hoping to heal by hiking their way through the grief. It's a love story, but so much more. It's finding your strengths after being beaten down by loss, it's being honest once you've worked through deceit, and it's daring to believe you deserve to be happy.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me this enjoyable story.

Thank you very much @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of The Trail of Lost Hearts by Tracey Garvis Graves. We meet Wren when she is beginning a solo hiking trip. We quickly learn that her fiancé has recently died. A little later on we find out more about him-but that’s kind of a spoiler so won’t reveal that here, but it’s big. Wren really wants to do this on her own, but she runs into a scary situation on the first day, and is rescued by a man who seems to good to be true. The story goes on from there, and it is not a smooth road. Definitely a happy ending, and a pretty heartwarming story. #netgalley #advancedreadercopy #thetrailoflosthearts #traceygarvisgraves #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #booknerd #whattoread #readingtime #bookaddict #ilovetoread #ilovebooks #needtoread #readallday

Oh my goodness! This book took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. I started reading it on my kindle but when the publisher sent me an audio version I switched over and I quickly became immersed in that version. Wren and Marshall meet each other while they are in the wilderness using GPS to find hidden articles. Both have had major losses in the recent past and while Wren opens up to Marshall he cannot open up to her and when it is time for her to go home she knows it is the end for them. When she gets home she has another surprise, she is pregnant. Not Marshall but her deceased fiance. I'm not telling you anything else about this book because this one is definitely worth the read and you need to go into it and find out for yourself! Just know that Marshall does get his head back on straight and come back into her life.

"The Trail of Lost Hearts" is a story of overcoming grief while finding oneself. As Wren is trying to recover from a gross betrayal and loss, she learns to geocache. It's the perfect opportunity to get herself out of her apartment, out of her head, and into nature, where she typically finds a bit of peace.

But one particular day, out on the trail, she encounters a life-threatening situation and is rescued by fellow geocacher Marshall. While she doesn't know what to think about him at first, she realizes that there is safety in numbers, and if she wants to continue on her geocaching journey, it would be better to travel together than alone.

As the story progresses, we learn that Marshall is overcoming his own significant loss, and the two become connected in their shared journey of recovery.

While this isn't your typical romance, what I liked so much about it is how mature it and realistic was. When we have pain to overcome, it's wise to do the work that's needed first before jumping into a long-term commitment, and that's exactly what happens here, with the story spanning more than a year of their lives, including time spent apart as they each pursue the healing they need.

I don't know anything about geocaching, but I do know a lot about grief. And I truly enjoyed this story for the way it handled the topic with sensitivity and realism without becoming morose or depressing.

Thank you to Tracey Garvis Graves, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advance review copy.

I was excited to get this ARC back in the fall - thanks to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for access in exchange for my honest opinion. But then I put off reading it for a while. The Trail of Lost Hearts published last month, and I listened to the audio over the weekend, thanks to my library.
Wren has recently gotten into geocaching, finding items that are hidden using GPS coordinates. It’s been the one thing that has helped pull Wren back into humanity after suffering a huge loss - technically two huge losses. While traveling to Oregon from Ohio with the purpose of geocaching, Wren runs into some trouble and luckily Marshall, another geocacher she crossed paths with earlier in the day, comes to her aid. Marshall has also suffered two big losses, and the two end up working together both on geocaching and trying to move on from their respective tragedies.
I liked the first half of the book, where they are geocaching and getting to know each other, much better than the second half, where the book focuses on something else. I appreciated the way both characters were able to discuss their losses and connect to help them heal. I have been trying to put my finger on exactly what didn’t work for me, but I’m having trouble determining exactly what rubbed me the wrong way. I enjoyed the audiobook narrators, and I am sure others will like this one, so I do recommend you check it out. If you’ve read it and can help me verbalize what didn’t work, please send me a message!

What a story!

I didn’t expect to enjoy myself as much as I did. I felt like I couldn’t stop reading due to how chaotic and dramatic this book was!

Wren has a massive life change when her fiancé ends up dead and his WIFE shows up at the hospital, wren decides to go on a hike and meets Marshall, a charming, psychologist who seems to make sparks fly immediately.

The journey Wren goes through, and how her grief challenges and helps Marshall’s grief journey, too is so good and thought provoking. I would read this authors books going forward!