This book was surprisingly delightful! I enjoyed it and have recommended it to my followers. Thank you so much for sending it to me!

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of Libby Lost and Found by Stephanie Booth. I had a hard time getting into this, and did not finish it. I tried a few times, because the premise of Libby, a children's book author who has dementia and trying to finish her last book, is appealing to me. But for some reason, I couldn't get through it. Possibly in the future? So sadly this was a DNF for me.

This book is about Libby's Life-

A successful children's fantasy author who's life is turned upside down when she is a victim of her own mind. Libby finds herself experiencing early-onset dementia and unable to write anymore.

In an attempt to save her craft, she enlists the help of Peanut Brixon, her biggest fan who happens to be an eleven year old girl. While I appreciated the story line in this book, the story inside of the story was a miss for me. With that being said, I did enjoy the real life look into the struggles of dementia, that I feel many readers can connect with.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

*Libby Lost and Found* follows Libby Weeks, a best-selling fantasy author diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, as she struggles to finish her final book before her memory slips away. Desperate for help, she turns to eleven-year-old superfan Peanut Bixton, but as Libby’s dementia deepens and Peanut’s secrets surface, their collaboration hurtles toward a shocking and life-altering conclusion.

I wanted so badly for this book to go in the opposite direction than what it did. I was SO in it from the start. My heart melted for Libby. I wanted the world for Peanut and her family. I so badly wanted real villains and not just bullies. I guess I am just mad that the book was too darn realistic. The first 60% of the book? Loved. When the crushing reality of the premise set in, I was more than lost - I was angry.

3/5 stars. It’s decent, but you’ll probably be just as mad as I was that this didn’t slant fantasy.

Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an interesting book and premise. I enjoyed the story and the way it played out. Secretly, Libby is the best-selling author of a global phenomenon, a children's fantasy series so popular that some are willing to pay thousands to learn her identity. Thankfully, that secret is locked tight — until Libby's own mind begins to crumble. Experiencing the first struggles of early-onset dementia, Libby finds herself no longer able to craft new adventures for her beloved characters, despite high demand for the long-overdue final book. With no support network in sight, Libby travels to the hometown of her biggest fan, eleven-year-old Peanut, hoping that she can help Libby finish the story.
Walking in Libby's shoes and feeling her confusion was such a great perspective for the reader. That said, I did feel that there was a little too much background left unaddressed — the trauma of Peanut's childhood, and Libby's reasons for her reclusive life.

All in all, a very strong debut effort, and I look forward to reading more from Booth in the future. Thank you to NetGalley, and Stephanie Booth for providing an advance digital copy.

I enjoyed this book well enough. I was invested in Libby's journey with her dementia and how she was going to finish her book. I liked Peanut, she is spunky. As much as I was invested in the book I felt a disconnect because of not knowing the characters in the books within the book, if that makes any sense. I will have to try and read it again at a later date, maybe I will have a different take. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved the unlikely friendship in this book between Libby and Peanut and how they help each other. I thought the overall plot was very interesting and kept me engaged, even through slower/redundant parts of the book. The characters were all so lovable, and Libby had a piece of my heart from the start. If you're a reader that loves books about books, this one is for you!
A trigger warning, this book discusses the early stages of alzheimer's/dementia.

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️.✨ This was such a heartwarming story filled with found family and adventure. You really feel for Libby as you follow her and her early onset dementia. I absolutely adored Peanut and the complete story arc was great! A little repetitive at times and I think I wanted just a little bit more about Libby and HER story but overall I would recommend. Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC :)

The premise of this book drew me in and I thoroughly enjoyed the balance of heaviness and tenderness in its pages. It was different than I was expecting it to be yet still unique and unlike most I’ve ever read. If the premise appeals to you, I encourage you to pick it up.

Conflicted. It's a unique premise with an unreliable narrator, even to herself. I rather enjoyed the slight magical realism threaded into the story, but felt like it did nothing with it. Much of the book is spent laying the foundation for so many parallels between the children's book and Peanut's life, only to go nowhere. This could have been so much more, and like many other reviewers, the ending was a disappointment.

I really loved this book, but it also was heartbreaking and bittersweet. I’m so glad I read it during this time of year because I think it’s a perfect cozy winter read! I look forward to handselling it!

Libby Weeks is the very successful author of a series of fantasy children's books about the Falling Children, using the pseudonym F. T. Goldhero. She can't seem to complete the final book in the series. She has just been given a diagnosis of early onset dementia, and she is frozen with the thought of abandoning the children.
Peanut Bixton is an 11 year old who adores the books. She writes to F.T. Goldhero, and offers her help to finish the book series. Libby is desperate, so she travels to CO to meet Peanut, planning to steal her ideas. But, what happens is a delightful story of family, love, trust, and hope.

I should have realized, but didn't, that this book was told through the voice and point of view of an 11-year-old. Books narrated by children can be hard for me to not find annoying or saccharin and unfortunately this was no different. I almost DNF'd it a few times, but was hoping it would redeem itself at some point. There's a book within a book, which I found to be a bit tedious and took me out of the actual story – this definitely impacted my enjoyment and desire to pick it up. I don't think I was the target audience for this one.

This was lovely. Sad, sweet, funny…and a love letter to the books that shaped our childhood (I’m looking at you, Nancy Drew!). Despite a couple of choppy chapter transitions…a few details seemed to be missing…this was a very charming story.

Libby Weeks has written the best selling children's fantasy series called "The Falling Children". Now she is under contract to finish the last installment in the series. Her publish, editor and most importantly, her fans are getting impatient as Libby misses one deadline after the other. But Libby is a mess

Here's what you need to know about Libby: She writes under the pseudonym FT Goldhero so nobody knows who she is. Libby has also just been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. Compounded by her anxiety and stress, Libby know she has little time to finish the series but her brain is a mess and her place is littered with reminders everywhere.

So when an 11 year old fan writes to her offering her help with the last book, Libby decides to go for it, setting forth a series of events that have unintended consequences.

It took me awhile to get into this book and I admit I skimmed through the sections of the novel which had excerpts of her book. The story was definitely a stretch when it comes to being believable but I did enjoy the characters and the personal secrets they each had buried inside. Once I was invested in the characters, the book went pretty fast and I definitely liked the conclusion.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for an early digital review copy of this novel.

I managed to complete this book, exactly hours before its expiry date.
I gave this book 4 stars, because it kept me curious and waiting throughout the book, however it might be a three star actually. I have to admit that I was expecting a different twist and ending, but this is what we get. For sure, the ending could have been a bit different, as the current one does feel forced and rushed. I still think that SPOILER!!! having an 11 year old announced as a writer does spoil the reading experience for me. end of SPOILER!!!
My heart ached for Libby during almost the entire book. She has always been a very private person, but struggling with dementia has made this privacy frightful and dangerous to the extent that Libby gets out of her comfort zone for an almost comical and unbelievable reason. Having one's mind out of control sounds scary and the author has described this process so well that I read with an elephant sitting on my chest almost every sentence relating to Libby. It must feel foggy and dark and gloomy and rainy in a mind once clear as sky, so sad really.
All the remaining story of Peanut, Buss, Jessie, Orson (what was this about visiting an old and abandoned house and this visit having no effect on the entire book at all), all the unexplained coincidences (I did expect that Libby would turn out to be the grown up version of Peanut, but it did not), which again had no effect on the ending and everything in between.

In Libby Lost and Found, Stephanie Booth pens an emotionally resonant exploration of memory, identity, and the impact of stories on our lives. At the heart of the novel is Libby Weeks, a successful fantasy author whose world begins to unravel when she is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. Known to her millions of fans as the mysterious "F.T. Goldhero," Libby has spent years concealing her true identity while crafting the beloved The Falling Children series. But as the disease rapidly progresses, Libby finds herself not only losing her grip on the world around her but also on the very thing that has defined her—her books.

The novel grapples with the profound effects of dementia on both the person experiencing it and those around them. Libby’s struggle is heartbreaking, but it’s also a poignant meditation on how we define ourselves through the stories we tell. Once a successful author able to control the narrative of her fictional worlds, Libby now faces a reality where her own story is slipping away from her. The pressure mounts when her final manuscript is overdue and she must find someone—anyone—to help her finish it.

Enter Peanut Bixton, an eleven-year-old superfan who knows The Falling Children books better than Libby herself. Peanut is an endearing character—smart, intense, and deeply empathetic—yet also grappling with her own trauma and secrets. The relationship between Libby and Peanut becomes the emotional core of the story as they work together to finish the last book. However, as Libby's dementia worsens, their bond becomes fraught with tension, forcing both women to confront their personal demons, regrets, and what it means to truly be "lost" and "found."

Booth’s writing is lyrical and evocative, capturing the fragile nature of memory and the deep connection that can exist between authors and their readers. The book also tackles themes of legacy, creative fulfillment, and the sometimes painful truth that we can't always control how our stories end. The dynamic between Libby and Peanut, two people from different generations yet tied by their shared love of stories, is beautifully rendered and forms the heart of the novel. Their journey together is one of learning to cope with loss, understanding the complexities of one another’s worlds, and ultimately finding a sense of closure.

Libby Lost and Found is a novel for readers who understand the powerful, sometimes transformative role books can play in our lives. It is a tender and thought-provoking exploration of the way stories shape who we are, how they can offer solace in moments of crisis, and how they can sometimes also hold us captive to our past.

Libby Lost and Found by Stephanie Booth. Dementia, Grief, and Heartfelt.

I rated this book 3 stars.

Libby is a children’s fantasy author, who has been diagnosed with early on-set dementia at the age of 40. She is now unable to finish her series and no one knows that she is the author of these books. Libby finds 11 year old, Peanut Bixton, her biggest fan, hoping she can help her complete the story.

The premise of this story sounded good and promising but I felt like there was a lot of unanswered questions (ex. Peanut’s childhood trauma), and some issues that deserved to be discussed further.

Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This is a difficult book to describe, rate and even read at times. Yet I'm glad that I did. What happens when the best-selling author of a beloved children's book series develops early dementia and can't satisfy the public with an end to the story? Libby Lost and Found explores some heavy themes, so it is not an easy read. Yet I was invested in the characters and wanted the right ending for them. I did find the story within the story a little difficult to follow, but it didn't detract from the main plot.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #RBMedia for a free copy of #LibbyLostAndFound by Stephanie Booth. All opinions are my own.

Don't really know what to think of this book. Enjoyed for what it was, like the idea of a book within a book, but the ending was not my favorite.