I absolutely loved book 1, “The Light We Lost ,” so I was eager to dive into the sequel. Unfortunately, “The Love We Found” didn’t live up to my hopes.
This book felt like a step backward rather than a continuation. The main character, Lucy, lost much of the strength and growth I admired in the first book. Her decisions here felt erratic and driven more by drama than by any real emotional depth. And don’t get me started on the rushed romance—it felt forced and completely out of sync with the story’s tone.
I truly respect the work that goes into writing a novel, and I hate giving a negative review. But I honestly don’t understand why this sequel exists—it didn’t add anything meaningful to Lucy’s journey and left me wishing the story had ended with book 1.

#TheLoveWeFound #NetGalley.

I really enjoyed book 1 “The Love We Lost” so I was incredibly excited to read this follow up book. However, I’ve been duped and left disappointed.

“The Love We Found” is what happens when a character makes decisions and has to live with the consequences. Lucy did not win any points with me in this sequel. I didn’t enjoy her character, finding her to be beyond obsessed with a lost love yet falling in insta-love with someone. She’s just not my favorite kind of person - real or fictional.

At the end of the day, I hate to dislike someone’s hard work. Writing and publishing a book is not for the faint of heart. But I’m not sure what the driving force was behind creating a sequel; it wasn’t needed.

You’ll find plenty of 5 star reviews for this one so — do what you will with my review.

The much anticipated sequel to The Light We Lost…..a book I absolutely loved when it came out years ago. I wish I could say I loved this one as much, but sadly, I did not. Having said that, I still very much enjoyed this book. I enjoyed seeing where everyone is all these years later and what has happened over the years. I just did not feel the emotional connection or depth that I felt with the first book.

I know I am in the minority here, but I struggled through this one. I may have needed to go back and reread The Light We Lost before I dove into this one, but I did not, and here we are.

I can't put my finger on it, but for some reason I just did not like Lucy in this book. I could not connect to her for anything. I tried to feel for her, but it wasn't happening. There was something very irritating about her character for me. It's been ten years since Gabe has passed and she seems to have not grieved much at all. Which made the meeting with Dax feel forced at times. I didn't believe in their love, and that is very necessary in a book like this. It's almost like Santopolo put him in the story in order for readers to have a happy ending for Lucy.

Make sure to read the first book close to the second. I think it may have affected my reactions and feelings with this one.

This is a follow up book to The Light We Lost - which I remember enjoying several years ago, but couldn't remember most of. If it's been a while, I would recommend re-reading The Light We Lost before reading The Love We Found.

My thoughts:
-well written emotional story
-real life messy emotions portrayed, nothing sugarcoated
-relatable in honesty
-I felt empathetic towards all characters

-I didn't particularly enjoy the plot, there were a few times I was wondering.... I don't understand the point of this book
-would only recommend if you want to "know what happens" in this world

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC!

The Love We Found 🏛️🌇
1⭐️
3🌶️

Thank you so much to Putnam for the chance to read this free advanced copy.

As a preface, I read The Light We Lost and absolutely loved it. It has been one of my favorite literary fiction pieces that I have read, and it has been very special to me.

After the ending of The Light We Lost, I was curious as to how the story could possibly be continued in The Love We Found. I was not pleasantly surprised.

Quite frankly, this book was unnecessary. I thought that the internal monologue being directed towards Gabe was odd, and I thought that the time gap between the two books was extreme.

I didn’t like that Lucy’s husband left her after everything, and the overall plot of this book felt like Jill or her agent said “we need another book… come up with anything, it doesn’t matter”.

So while I loved The Light We Lost, The Love We Found fell EXTREMELY flat for me and I did not enjoy it.

This book starts about 10 years after The Light we Lost. I reread that book as it had been about 5 years since I read it and couldn't remember much about it. I found that these two books went together seamlessly. I'm sure Lucy was a fun to hate person in her community but her character was written so honest and done to earth. I loved that it was still written as a journal and I love that she advocated for the truth. It was a beautiful and very well written story.

10 years since we left off with The Light We Lost - and I will say, you must have read this book in order to truly feel the impact with this one! Because it is impactful!

10 years of grief, and hen a phone call comes - his former editor wants to publish a book of all of his photography to commemorate the anniversary of his death. When Lucy goes through his belongings she comes across an address in Italy that she doesn't know anything about.

She then travels to Italy, and what results is a stunning novel about grief, hope, and the healing that comes slowly and overtime - you're never the same as before a great loss, but you can learn to live with it. The communication between all of the characters, and the gorgeous strength shown will really appeal to anyone that knows grief.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to Penguin Group Putnam for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ebook.

After the emotional rollercoaster of The Light We Lost, I wasn’t sure what to expect from The Love We Found, but I’m happy to say that this sequel exceeded my expectations in a way I didn’t anticipate. While the first novel left me frustrated with the protagonist, Lucy, and her seemingly selfish actions, the sequel gave me the space to appreciate her growth—something I didn’t expect to happen.

The Love We Found takes place nearly a decade after Gabe’s death, as Lucy uncovers a hidden clue in his belongings that leads her on an impulsive journey to Rome. This journey of discovery not only unravels Gabe’s past but also brings Lucy face to face with Dr. Dax Armstrong, an emotionally complex man who challenges her to move on while still honoring her past.

What I truly appreciated about this book is the way Lucy’s character evolves. In the first book, her behavior often felt self-centered, and to me, her "love" felt like obsession--with Gabe everything came across as unhealthy. However, in this second installment, we see Lucy’s emotional growth in a more grounded way. Her struggles with guilt, isolation, and the heavy burden of loss felt raw and relatable. It wasn’t easy to watch, but it felt real. I especially liked how Santopolo addressed Lucy’s healing process. As painful as it was, her journey toward finding peace with her past and learning to communicate her feelings better was both powerful and realistic.

Another standout aspect of this novel was the focus on hope and love after loss. The relationship dynamics, especially Lucy’s growing connection with Dr. Armstrong, were more mature and grounded than I initially expected. It wasn’t a whirlwind romance but rather a slow, meaningful build that emphasized emotional intimacy and self-acceptance. It was clear that Lucy had made progress since the first book, and I appreciated that the story didn’t rush into a perfect love story, but allowed time for the healing process to unfold.

The most satisfying part of the novel, though, was the conclusion. After everything Lucy had gone through—dealing with the past, facing the possibility of new love, and the looming decision about telling her son the truth about his father—the ending was full of peace and hope. It felt earned, not rushed.

The Love We Found is a powerful continuation of Lucy’s journey. While the first book felt more like an exploration of obsession (I know *it's a romance but hard disagree*) , this one focuses on healing, growth, and ultimately, the importance of hope and communication in relationships. If you were frustrated by Lucy in the first book, you’ll likely find her transformation in this sequel both redemptive and satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of The Love We Found. I really liked this book. I read immediately after the light we lost and everything that didn’t work for me in the first book, DID work for me in this one. I loved the short chapters, it always makes it easier to follow along. The firsthand pov, the second (or third?) chance at love. It has heartbreak but also hope for Lucy’s story.

I absolutely loved this book — the perfect sequel offering a close to a story that I loved so many years ago.

The Light We Lost is one of my absolute favorite romance novels, and ever since, I’ve read Jill Santopolo’s books as soon as she releases a new one. I never imagined I’d be lucky enough to get a follow up to TLWL!

In anticipation, I re-read The Light We Lost, which was interesting because I’m in such a different place in life than I was when I originally read it, and it definitely had a different resonance. While the sequel definitely stands on its own, I would recommend reading (or re-reading) TLWL first, as it will be more rewarding to take the full journey. Here, Santopolo writes beautifully of a lifelong love that transcends grief.

I forgot how much I really enjoy a good Contemporary Romance and leave it to Jill Santopolo to remind me.
I listened to the audio of this book and man it was so good. I love that she Narrates the book herself. It makes it where you can truly feel the book through her eyes.
Lucy grows so much through out this book and I loved hearing her story.
Plus this actually had a little spice not a lot but a little.

Great book
Great Narration

A beautiful sequel but felt unnecessary. I unfortunately did not connect with the main characters. If you've read The Light we Lost then definitely pick this one up to see the story continue!

I was so excited to read this after loving The Light We Lost so much. After finishing this, I feel like a sequel was so unnecessary. It didn't add anything to the story. I didn't feel connected to the main characters like I did in the first book. After ten years, there wasn't any good character development. I felt so emotionally connected to the first book and this one I didn't. At times, it was really hard for me to focus on the story. I'm still a huge fan of Jill Santopolo and will always read her work.

This sequel to The Light We Lost picks up 10 years after the book left off, continuing many of the original storylines. While I enjoyed Lucy as a character in the first book, I found her a little insufferable at times in this one. The romance between Lucy and Dax had strong insta-love vibes and felt somewhat forced. Although the plot was fairly predictable, it was still a pleasant and easy read.

This is the sequel to The Light We Lost. That book broke me and I still think about it to this day. This takes place 1o years after that one. While it didn't leave me in pieces like the last one did, I did enjoy this one. Lucy is a difficult character to like and she wasn't much better in here. She made a lot of questionable decisions. However, I do think these were incredibly hard decisions that most people would never be faced with. She goes a lot into her past with Gabe in this one as well. It felt like he was still there. I loved the new man, Dax. This book really gave a lot of closure and I would recommend it.

2.5 ⭐️⭐️.✨ Sequels are hard and this one just felt unnecessary? I’m not sure if the storyline needed to continue and a lot of this felt forgettable. The plot in the first one is quite sad but had a will they/wont they romance to carry it through — that sadness and melancholy carried through this second one and overall just felt a bit depressing. I wasn’t obsessed with the first one so I’m not sure what I was expecting with this sequel. Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me and I feel like it is one of those books I won’t really think about.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This novel is beautifully written, blending past and present with heartache and hope. Lucy’s emotional conflict-between holding on and letting go-feels deeply human and relatable. The Italian setting adds a touch of magic, while the twist surrounding her son Samuel adds emotional depth and stakes.

Perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes or Rebecca Serle, this story reminds us that love lost can sometimes lead us exactly where we need to be. A bittersweet, heartfelt read.

I had unsuspectingly picked up the light we lost years ago. And it positively wrecked me in the best of ways so imagine my utter delight to pick up a sequel?!

A perfect continuation of Lucy's story 10 years after Gabe's death. A story that is thoughtful, emotional, a little adventurous, and honoring of everything I loved about the first book.

Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC in exchange for my review!