I was thrilled to receive the arc for The Love We Found by Jill Santapolo. This book is deeply emotional. I have to admit, I thought for sure that I would love it as much as I love All the Light We Found. However, I found that I was just not as invested in the characters as much as I was in the previous book.

***Spoilers for book 1

This story follows Lucy and takes place 10 years after Gabe's death. One day as she is going through his belongings, she discovers a piece of paper with an address in Italy and a child drawn on it. The discovery prompts her to buy a last-minute ticket to Italy to uncover Gabe's secret.

In Rome, Lucy meets Dr. Dax Armstrong, a New Yorker working with an NGO. His presence stirs emotions in Lucy that she hasn't felt since Gabe's passing. As Lucy delves deeper into Gabe's past, she faces a significant decision about whether to reveal the truth about her son's real father.

This is a story about finding love again and the courage to move forward while honoring the past.

Thanks to NetGalley, The Author, & Penguin Group Publishing for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the sequel to "The Light We Lost" by Jill Santopolo (which was an amazing book) and boy did Jill not let us down with this book.

This book is set 10 years later and follows Lucy's life after the first book. She's a mom to three kids, living her day to day life, but unhappy and is divorced. This story follows the 10 year anniversary of her close friend's death and they want to celebrate him, but need her assistance to make it all come together. She agrees to help and through this process, she learns to fall in love again, fall in love with life again, and learn how to balance being a mom.

This book pulled at my heart strings so many times. Without giving too much away, I will say this book not only gives readers a look into Lucy's life, but also gives a perspective from a 9 year old who learns more about his identity and how he navigates what's being told to him.

I highly recommend this book if you ever get the chance to. Huge thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and the author for an ARC of this book!

When I saw that there was a sequel coming out for “The Light We Lost” by Jill Santopolo, I was beyond excited about what was left unsaid by Lucy. The way the first book ripped my heart out, I was going into this book with high expectations.

This book is set 10 years later and covers Lucy’s life since the previous book. Her kids are older, her life has changed, and there is new love on the horizon. She pulls herself out of the mundane day-to-day she’s been living and starts to realize that if she doesn’t move on now, she’ll be stuck doing the same thing forever. As a mom of 3 kids, I loved seeing how she finally learned how to balance being a mom, falling in love, and working while still having fun.

I won’t give away too much else, because the first book is a MUST READ if you haven’t read it yet, but this book was everything I wanted answers to and more! The Light We Lost was a 5-star read for me, so start reading it now so that you can get ready for this release!!

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and the author for an ARC of this book in which I had the pleasure of reading. Publication date: March 18, 2025

I loved this follow up. The first book was amazing and it was nice to revisit the characters. The writing made the family situations feel very real like. I wanted Lucy to be happy. I really enjoyed the POV of Lucy talking to Gabriel.

I really enjoyed Jill Santopolo's The Light We Lost and was ecstatic to see that I was approved for the ARC of the sequel. Jill has a way of writing characters that are relatable, even if what they're experiencing isn't something that's happened to you. That was me while reading this book. I found myself rooting for Lucy, yelling at other characters while reading (sorry, animals), and that a box of Kleenex was never too far out of reach.

Lucy is searching for something in this book. An address. A person. Something more. and we are searching along with her. Lucy finds so much more than she hoped for and we find ourselves at the end of another well written book wanting more. With the way Santopolo ended it, I'm hoping this leaves the door open again for us to step back into this world one day.

I recently read The Light We Lost and absolutely fell in love with it. It was one of those books that you just can’t put down and this one was no different. I love Jill’s style of writing. I wasn’t sure how she would follow up from the first book since it left off so beautifully but she somehow figured out the perfect way. This book was beautiful and just as unforgettable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book!!

First, if you have not read the first book in this duo, The Light we Lost, stop reading and read that amazing book first!! This second book is a 4/5 star book for me. The author’s style of writing is simply beautiful. This book begins 10 years after the first book left us heartbroken. The author cleverly pulls us right back into the life of the main character, Lucy. We are reminded of the heartbreak and devastating grief from book 1. However, we see some glimmers of hope. Freedom from the pain of losing the love of your life and putting yourself back together in a new way. I still love Lucy. I love the imperfections and I love watching her navigate parenting as she also tries to accept who she is now as a woman.

Lucy gets a call from Gabe’s editor to help find some photos for a gallery showing to commemorate the tenth anniversary of his death. As she looks for photos, she find a piece of paper with an address in Italy. As she travels to Italy, she meets Dr. Dax Armstrong, a New York ER doctor stationed there. I LOVED Dax’s character. I love the way they supported each other and made each other feel again. Love again, trust again.

In the midst of this new love, there are still secrets, ex’s to navigate and children involved. This is not an easy love story, but a beautiful sequel. Well done!!

Another emotional but beautiful book with love, family, loss and second chances! I loved the way love was discovered between so many In unique ways in the book. I only wish I had reread the first book before starting this! I could have used a refresher! Highly recommend!!

THE LOVE WE FOUND ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Release 3/18/25. Read the first book in the series if you have not! 10 years, in 10 years Lucy is still in mourning, conflicted with the loves of her past, and the love she has for her 3 unique children. With a family secret so deep, it could have a catastrophic ripple effect in their entire dynamic. She finds a part of her loves past, the pulls to a unique future. Will Lucy find the freedom she so desperately needs from her past? The writing was so honest, transcendent. I loved this book, I read it in 2 sittings, and just couldn’t stop. The end came with tears, I felt patched together as her story unraveled. A great read and good ending to the first novel. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I read The Light We Lost, the first book in this duology a few years ago and I was absolutely captivated by Gabe and Lucy's story the entire way through. It was heartbreaking and also somehow so beautiful. I could really feel their love and all of the reasoning behind the decisions that they made, some of which were not good ones. That being said, I was so excited to pick back up with Lucy's story. I found her in a similar place to what I expected but on a journey of self discovery and love. When she finds an address amongst Gabe's things, she decides to travel to Rome to investigate. This trip leads her on a journey that she does not expect and forces to face the facts that sometimes hiding the truth is not the best option, even if the truth is scary. This was a beautifully written book and I loved finding Lucy in a more hopeful place at the end of this one. If you read The Light We Lost, I think this one is a must read. 5 stars from me! Big thanks to Putnam Books for the ARC!

This was just the book I needed to start my year of reading off! I didn’t know I needed the continuation of Gabe & Lucy, but I did.

This book just completed everything in every way possible. It wasn’t easy for Lucy to move forward, but her growth was amazing and I really enjoyed seeing how she maneuvered through the tough times with her ex husband and kids. It truly was a perfect ending to The Light We Lost.

I highly recommend if you’ve read The Light We Lost or if you haven’t, I would recommend reading both!

***Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review***

Jill Santopolo writes a beautiful story with "The Love We Found".

Lucy sees everything through the lens of Gabe; what he isn't experiencing with her since his death almost 10 years earlier, and what might have been. As we are hearing from Lucy's perspective, she talks to Gabe about life and how she feels each day regarding her family, her current state of life, and their son that he never got to meet. Lucy's relationship with her kids reminds me of my own, and I truly love her style of parenting. I felt really connected to her each time she was with her kids, and love how intuitive and intentional she is with each of them. I do think that Gabe being woven into the entire story really shows how much Lucy loved him. He is always in the back of her mind. I am glad she lets herself try some things and pushes herself outside of her routine.

This book picked up for me in chapter 23, around the time Lucy goes to Italy. Her encounters there really bring life into her, as well as meeting Dax which shows us a welcome and beautiful side of Lucy we haven't seen yet. Although. hearing about it through the "talking to Gabe" lens was a struggle for me at times... as it kind of felt like thinking of one man while being with another. I would get wrapped up in the moment and feel like I was reading a first-person perspective, and then she would say something directed at Gabe and it would startle me because I felt like he was somewhere he shouldn't be.

This book is not a light read. There are light aspects and sweet moments, but it really carries such a deep, and at times painful, narrative. Amidst that though, is hope, healing, and love.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @Putnambooks for this ARC!

I absolutely loved the continuation of Lucy & Gabe's story. I read "The Light we Lost" back in 2021 and fell in love with that book. I don't usually remember what I read, but that was a story I couldn't forget. I was so honored to receive an ARC copy of the sequel "The Love We Found." This book should be a testament to us all that even if we are grieving, we can keep going. As humans we are resilient.

Lucy made some bad decisions, but we can find truth through healing & love.

There was so much raw emotion in this book I ate it up! Lucy's dedication to Gabe is just unmatched. This is a love story for the ages. If love is not like this I don't want it.

"There are some people you meet and for whatever reason it feels like your bodies vibrate on the same frequency - or maybe it's your souls."

Thank you to NG for this ARC copy of The Love We Found. Get yours wherever books are sold on March 18, 2025.

The Love We Found by Jill Santopolo is a beautiful sequel to The Light We Lost. Taking place ten years later, the story is about over coming grief and moving forward.

If you enjoyed The Light We Lost, I highly recommend this sequel. Jill Santopolo’s books are filled with so much emotion.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for an advanced copy of this book!

**4-Star Review for *The Love We Found* by Jill Santopolo**

Jill Santopolo has done it again with *The Love We Found*, delivering a poignant, heartfelt story that lingers long after the last page. This novel explores the complexities of love, loss, and self-discovery in a way that feels both intimate and universal.

The characters are beautifully fleshed out, especially the protagonist, whose journey of reconciling her past and embracing her future is as moving as it is relatable. Santopolo has a talent for crafting moments that feel so genuine they could be lifted straight from real life. The themes of forgiveness and second chances are woven throughout the story, making it a deeply emotional read.

The pacing is steady, though a few sections felt a bit drawn out. However, the author’s prose more than makes up for it—lyrical without being overwrought, and packed with vivid imagery that brings each scene to life.

What stood out most was how Santopolo captures the nuances of relationships—not just romantic ones but also friendships and family ties. The novel’s conclusion is satisfying, striking the perfect balance between bittersweet and hopeful.

While it didn’t completely break new ground, *The Love We Found* is a tender and well-crafted story that will resonate with anyone who has ever loved, lost, and dared to love again. A beautiful addition to Santopolo’s repertoire, this book is perfect for fans of heartfelt contemporary fiction.

Highly recommended for a cozy weekend read!

The story of a sappy gal who needs to snap out of it

I remember loving The Light We Lost which came out in 2017. I think I cried when reading it. This memory of pure enjoyment could’ve set my expectations too high for the follow-up, The Love We Found.

Because what I assume was meant to be a loving ode to Gabe turns out to be kind of an exhausting time spent with Lucy. Her actions were unnecessarily sloppy.

Despite her journey - physically and emotionally - I’m not sure she ended up in a new place at all.

She seems to define her worth by her romantic relationship status which is such a bummer to see for this character 10 years after The Light We Lost debuted.

However, it’s interesting to read romances at different stages in life. What may have seemed romantic in earlier years appears trite later and vice-versa.

I was a bit disappointed in this one. I loved The Light We Lost so much and had high hopes for this sequel but it just fell flat for me. The romance between Lucy and Dr. Dax felt so unbelievable it was almost absurd? The way the kids handled things in the story felt all so fake and contrived. I gave it 3 stars for it being a quick read and had some good points, but was not impressed on this one.

The Light We Lost wrecked me so I figured this would wreck me too - and it did. Santopolo is a genius at weaving a story of love, passion, and grief all in one. 10 years after Gabe's death, Lucy is thrown back into Gabe's photography world, retracing some of his work on a small island in Italy.... there she tracks down a boy from a photo. And there she also meets a doctor who is visiting from NY,... and there is a spark. When Lucy heads back to NY and her home, she struggles with the ability to let Gabe's memory go and maybe start something new? There is another entire dynamic too dealing with her 3 children and telling her youngest son her biggest secret- that Gabe is actually his father, not her ex-husband who has raised him. I loved the internal struggle Lucy had with all of this and how in the end - she chooses to believe in love and that love will be her truth.

A must read if you read The Light We Lost because it’s a follow up set ten years later. It’s also a good stand alone read if you haven’t but a much richer experience if you’ve previously read The Light We Lost. Give me all the protagonists who are middle aged woman with life experiences and grief and a past finding passionate, romantic love again because I’m here for it. Lucy has a secret, three children , a divorce and a deceased love of her life. Can she let her secret go and find love again? .And it’s partly set in Italy! Yes please. I don’t read romance but this author I love!

A beautiful continuation of the story that so many connected with in *The Light We Lost*. While it may not capture the same magic as its predecessor, fans of the original will appreciate seeing the journey unfold a decade later. The narrative is rich with emotion and depth, exploring the complexities of very real, human characters that are rare in novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC on this fantastic sequel.