The Trail of Lost Hearts is a contemporary romance between two people who have faced tragedy. They meet while hiking in the forest. What begins as friendship blossoms into something deeper. Will they be able to overcome their hardships and learn to love again? If you’re a nature enthusiast and you like love stories that are complicated and emotional, you’ll enjoy this book!

Thank you to @macmillan.audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 🙏🏻

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This is my 3rd book by this author and while my favourite still remains to be The Girl He Used to Know (that one just really blew me away, especially the ending), I did enjoy this one as well. The dual-narrated audiobook was excellently done and I enjoyed the initial setting and the two main characters. There were many good supporting characters in this one too, and Wren's circle of friends and family were fun to read about (I love a group chat where everyone teases a bit).

I did find the middle dragged a little bit because I wasn't quite sure where the story would go, but I admired the direction the author took with the ending and I don't want to say much for fear of spoiling a couple of major plot points but I do believe readers will either love this one or have mixed feelings about it depending on preference for a couple of tropes. I appreciated Wren's character growth, the mental health representation on the part of both characters coping with different grief journeys and the positive focus on therapy and seeking help.

Mostly, I kind of want to try geocaching now - especially with my kiddos!! I never thought of myself as being a huge outdoors person but I definitely love it now in the last 10 years more than ever.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrators were a great match for the book. The storyline was both heart wrenching and heart healing at the same time. I loved the author’s writing style and the way she describes everything so vividly. Highly recommend!

I love a book that tugs at my heart strings and also makes me think. Tracey Garvis Graves’ books do both for me. The Girl He Used to Know is a book that I still think about years after reading it and The Trail of Lost Hearts reinforced why I love her books so much. I was rooting for both Wren and Marshall. Both were dealing with a shocking loss and their meeting was more than serendipitous. I devoured their journeys of self discovery and thought the narrators were wonderful.

Wren and Marshall have a lot in common when they first meet. They're both in their mid-30s. They're both successful in their careers. They both enjoy geocaching, which is how they meet. Most importantly, though, they're both suffering from recent life-altering, devastating losses that have left them distrustful about their judgement in their personal lives and relationships. So when they meet, they're at once attracted to each other while also distrustful of their own feelings, and they clearly have some issues to work through. A friendship grows between them, and the story grows from there. Throughout, the reader (at least this reader) is pulling for their relationship to grow and blossom. And we're encouraging each of them to "tell him", "tell her", "tell us!". But the relationship grows and falters in its own time. And I loved it. Graves created two characters that I really liked - they made me laugh, my heart broke for them, they broke my heart. She surrounded them with lovely, (mostly) supportive friends and family. Overall, I just really wanted these two characters to have their happily ever after. I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by Eric Meyers & Kate Handford, and they did a wonderful job of giving Wren and Marshall just the right voices.
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

This is the second book that I've read by this author and her writing is so very well done. The characters meet by chance over a shared love of geocaching. They are complex and navigating some big feels about some recent events in their lives and spending time together is a bit of healing mechanism. These characters are mature and have good communication skills which was so refreshing. I was so proud of Wren taking control of her life and not backing down from anything. If you like heroes that need some TLC, then Marshall is the guy for you. I'm not sure that I've listened to these narrators before but I really enjoyed listening to them.

4.5 stars. This book was so good!! This is about our main character, Wren. Her fiance has just died and left her life in a major tailspin. She finds out more about him after his death that leaves her questioning herself, her relationships and her future. She has a social media job that allows her to work from anywhere so she decides to take a week and go geocaching all around Oregon. She gets herself in a dangerous situation and our main male character, Marshall, rescues her. He is another lost heart. He's lost someone close to him and is struggling so he took a week off to geocache as well. Despite Wren's overwhelming need to push everyone away, they decide to venture out and spend the week together. They stay in separate rooms at hotels, etc. but they go geocaching together. They become friends and eventually more, but I would say this is more of a women's fiction about Wren learning to move on. The geocaching adventure lasts for part of the book, but we also follow them after they go their separate ways and how their paths meet and converge. It has a trope that I love and it was just really good. I thought some of the ending was overly convenient and not great, but overall this is a great book.

















SPOILERS AHEAD: Wren realizes shes pregnant with her ex fiance's baby as soon as she gets home. Her fiance was lying to her the whole time and he had a wife and 2 kids and a whole life without her. Marshall's brother was killed in a gas station shooting while he was in the car filling up so he has a lot of guilt about it. He goes through a lot of therapy and she goes through a lot of self reflection and growth in the pregnancy and eventually they end up together. The part I didnt like is that she goes to the ex wifes house and shows her the baby and basically says our kids need to be apart of each other's lives. The wife agrees and they become friends and it felt cheesy. It also all worked out really well and easy for her to move to Oregon with Marshall with no real consequences or choices needing to be made, but that was good.

*4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"Anger is just sadness coming out sideways "

"Please be kinder to yourself."

There are many words of thoughtful wisdom and kindness in the romantic contemporary fiction The Trails Of Lost Hearts by prophetic author Tracey Garvis Graves.

Wren, 34 years old, has suffered an immense loss that has left her angry, sad and in self doubt, so she tries to get out of her head by taking a plane to Oregon to do a solo geocaching trail. Geocaching is the outdoor activity of using GPS to look for hidden objects. As a homebody this isn't my kind of fun but I get the outdoors helping clear your head. When she has a dangerous encounter, another geocacher, psychologist Marshall, comes to her rescue.

Marshall is dealing with his own devastating loss but he sees the pain in Wren and soon they are experiencing the trail, their finds, and their hearts with one another. But distance, fear and heartbreaking loss keep them apart.

Told mostly from Wren's perspective, voiced by supreme actress Kate Handford (currently starring in the award winning Poor Things), I was thrilled to get a dual point of view from Marshall, portrayed by talented actor Eric Meyers, more towards the end of the story.

This is a beautifully written character driven story about mature adults at a crossroads. Their realistic communication with another, their ability to see the need to heal their hearts before trusting them to someone else again, was a breath of fresh air to hear. It was more romantic than romance. It wasn't about sex, though there are some intimate moments, it was about healing, breathing, and trusting in yourself before sharing a life with someone. It's a trail we all should take before losing our hearts to another.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Macmillan Audio via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinion are my own.

Graves always puts her characters in the most interesting situations that are unpredictable. I wasn’t sure where this book was going to go after the first few chapters, then when the twist was revealed, I was pretty shocked! The way her characters have to navigate their way through these uncommon problems is always so fun to watch. This book is filled with so much heartache, and redemption and love. It is a book that is good for the soul! About finding your own way in life, when life has given you more than you think you’re capable of handling. To persevere and find your new normal when your life gets turned upside down. I would recommend for anyone looking for a great read! The narrator’s did such a great job with this book! I listened to it in a day and could have listened longer! It was beautifully done.

The Trail of Lost Hearts is the 10th novel by Tracey Garvis Graves. After suffering a traumatic loss coupled with the reveal of a shocking secret, Wren Waters is slowly digging herself out from under a cloud of despair. With the help of her best friend, hiking, and geocaching, Wren is beginning to see the light. This spurs Wren on to do a solo geocaching trip to the Portland, Oregon area. However, trouble ensues on Wren’s first outing. If it weren’t for the chivalry of Marshall Hendricks, Wren has no idea what might have become of her.

Marshall Hendricks, practicing psychologist, is on his own journey coming to terms with great loss. Geocaching is also his way of focusing outside himself as he tries to heal. Wren and Marshall join forces for safety and company on their travels. Wren completely opens up to Marshall and shares her experiences. However, while Marshall does confide some, he never completely opens up. Even with the attraction that zings between them, after what Wren experienced before she has promised herself she will never settle for anything less than full disclosure again and she wings her way back to Ohio. But that is far from the end of the story!

This is such a well plotted story with extremely well drawn characters. There are quite a few surprises along the journey that add to the heart felt tale being told. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

I love Tracey’s books and they just keep getting better, this story captured my heart completely. Powerful, emotional and moving. I think I have a new favorite from her. All the stars.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for this gifted copy.

Macmillan Audio ALC
I adored this book. It was my first one by Graves, and I’m now so excited to go back and read her backlist. This book was chock full of emotions and characters with depth. I was instantly intrigued by the geocaching plot. This was such an interesting way for characters to connect. I liked how Wren’s story was told slowly through her hike. I appreciated the way she grew throughout this story. I also fell for Marshall. While guarded, I could tell he was one of the good ones. The way these two slowly learned to trust and open up again was vulnerable and touching.
Both of the narrators did a fantastic job. I am so glad there was someone for the Marshall parts when needed. Both captured these characters wonderfully.

I listened to the audio version of this book narrated by Eric Myers and Kate Handford. They did an outstanding job of the narration and I thought their voices were perfect for the characters. It really leant a maturity to the characters.

I really loved this book. To be honest, looking at the cover I thought I was in for another YA book. I was very happy to discover that it wasn't. Mature characters. Yeah! There was so much I loved about the story. I really loved both Wren and Marshall. They both had some big stuff to work through in their lives, but they were doing their best. I also loved the whole geocaching aspect. I really didn't know much about it to begin with, but I found it intriguing.

Wren and Marshall were so good together. It was a very slow build up for them, but that was perfect for the emotional trauma they had both suffered. When they finally came together, it was so right!
I can't wait to read another book by this author.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook. All thoughts are my own.

Wren Waters is grieving the loss of someone very important to her. During her grieving process, she has managed to find solace in the act of geocaching and when we meet her, she is in the mountains on a solo trip. The trip is meant to be both a distraction as well as another step toward healing, but takes an unexpected turn when she is accosted by two men but then rescued by Marshall Hendricks, a fellow geocacher. Wren is a bit leery of her rescuer but finally decides it would be safer to team up with Marshall. It turns out that Marshall is also reeling from a heartbreaking loss so the two of them are going through some similar things emotionally.

I’m a big fan of stories that present us with characters who are working their way through grief. Grief is just such a universal experience that it’s easy to relate to characters who are dealing with it and to become fully invested in them finding their way through it to healing and to a second chance at happiness.

I loved the relationship that blossoms between Wren and Marshall as they hike together. The growth from strangers to friends to more than friends felt very organic, and it was all too easy to root for them to end up together. That said, even though I did enjoy that bit of romance included, it was each character’s personal journey to healing that really made this book such a special read for me.

I alternated between the ebook and the ALC and don’t think you can go wrong with either choice. The writing is gorgeous, and the audiobook, narrated by Eric Meyers and Kate Handford, is also beautifully done.

Sweet romance novel. A little spicier than I was expecting!

Wren is reeling from a set of traumatic incidents in her life, so she decides to leave her Ohio home and go geocaching in Oregon. While on a trail to find a cache, she meets Marshall, who steps in when she needs him. The two join forces to search for further geocaches around the state, Wren learns that Marshall is dealing with losses and pain of his own. Can the two overcome their obstacles to follow their hearts?

I loved the Oregon setting of this book. The author obviously did her research because everything she described was realistic for the setting. I liked the development of the relationship between Wren and Marshall, although it was a bit too rebound-instalove for my liking. The fact that they were so intense after only knowing each other a week was unrealistic. Sexual fling was believable, the rest not so much. Also there was a big secret that Wren should have told Marshall, but didn't for longer than I was comfortable with, and that just frustrated me. Plus, I didn't love that plot point being thrown into the story at all. It kind of spoiled an otherwise meaningful book and made it a bit too OTT dramatic.

The romance scenes were a bit more spicy than I was expecting, so don't go into this thinking it's a sweet closed door romance because it is not. I did appreciate that the characters dug in and did the work they needed to do in order to heal.

All in all, this is an enjoyable read. I listened to the audiobook and it kept me interested. I'm not sure that the male narrator for Marshall's emails was necessary, but it didn't detract. If you're looking for a sweetly engaging romance and can overlook the need for deeper development, this book will hit the spot.

“How nice it would be if women could go about their lives with the confidence a man has when it comes to safety.” THIS

“‘You know, it takes a special woman to help heal a heart she didn’t break,’ Jillian says…Her words fill me with warmth, and I turn to her and say, ‘It takes an equally special man who’s willing to help raise a child he didn’t make.’” ❣️❣️❣️

The Trail Of Lost Hearts is a story of love, loss, and healing. Wren Waters is just dealt a blow that would crush even the toughest of women and she finds herself lost and struggling to trust. And rightfully so. But then Marshall Hendricks, himself struggling with his own tragedies and hurt, saves Wren from a potentially violent situation on a trail and a bond forms.

The rest of the story is their navigation of, quite literally, trail walks and also their own hearts. This is my first Tracey Garcia Graves book and it will not be my last! This book played like a movie in my mind and I was rooting for the MC’s throughout. I feel like I will be thinking of these two damaged yet hopeful souls for a long time.

The audiobook sucked me in and never let go! This is an emotional read and, with dual narrators, I felt like I was IN this story. I love dual narrators when there is both a male and female main character because it just makes the story all the more compelling in my ears.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I was really happy to receive an ARC of Tracey Garcia Graves newest title as I’d read a few of her books in the past and enjoyed her writing. This was not a conventional romance, and it really surprised me that there was more to the story than two people falling for each other. It really focuses on two people who have been through trauma, and how they’ve worked through it and found each other through the process. There were some twists, but I didn’t find them cheesy at all, and I was happy for the ending.

I also loved the geocaching aspect as it’s something I do from time to time, and it’s pretty unique way for characters to meet in a book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sharing this audiobook with me.

The Trail of Lost Hearts

Wow I loved Tracys last book, Heard it in a Love Song, so I was more than excited when I was approved to read The Trail of Lost Hearts. It fully lived up to what I was expecting from the author and the story.

There was so much passion and emotion in this book. The story behind both characters and the things they went through is heartbreaking but the theme of hope within the book was great.

The grief and sense of loss that both characters go through is hard to read at times but Tracy I think just understands the subject and really in my personal opinion from my own personal experiences with loss I think she writes with such empathy and compassion.

I thought it would be really hard for me to read emotional books like this that deal with grief but when it is done well like The Trail of Lost Hearts I think it provides me with more strength and understanding of how to move forward.

I also really loved how the story progresses and ends. I think that Wren is such an emotional strong character and I loved seeing her grow.

3.5 rounded to a 4
Wren and Marshall meet while geocaching in the Pacific Northwest. They are both dealing with trauma and are on solo journeys. They decide to team up to finish out the week. I really loved Marshall as a character and the descriptions of the PNW. The second half of the story wasn't near as engaging to me and I wasn't a fan of the plot twist. I appreciated the healing through the use of therapy and the more mature storyline.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced digital audiobook for my review.

I’ve read a few books from this author before so I was ecstatic to read this and I just adored it! It was a beautiful, heartfelt novel of loss and grief. I always enjoy reading about how brave and resilient people can be in the face of heartbreak, trauma or darkness. Highly recommend if you enjoy emotional books!