After receiving the results from a DNA test, Alison Wells discovers she has a half sister she’s never known about, connected through her late father, renowned author Carson Wells. Ali takes a job as and intern for her long lost sister, Juniper Connolly, only to save her life amidst a terrifying health scare, and invite her home to her family’s ranch in Wyoming to recuperate, despite having not shared what she knows about their genetic connection.

I absolutely loved the setting of this book, and felt fully transported to the family’s Wyoming ranch through the author’s beautiful and descriptive writing. This is such a feel-good book, and I loved the relationship that develops between June and Ali, as well as their respective romantic relationships. This is also a book of healing and growth, and I felt for June and she tried to adjust to her new life following a terrifying health scare.

MEMORABLE QUOTE: “A good story becomes part of you, whispering truths and stirring emotions long after the final page is turned.”

Thank you to UpLit Reads, Canary Street Press, and NetGalley for my gifted physical, digital, and audio copies!

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC of this lovely book for an honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Juniper, Allison, Beckett , Xander and their complicated relationships. The characters were well thought out and Carson the deceased author brought three of them together. I would enjoy reading a second book about how their lives played out. I would highly recommend this book.

The perfect book! I adored each moment that I read it. I loved the characters and their growth throughout the book. They were relatable and genuine.

I’ll be honest—women’s fiction isn’t usually my go-to genre, so I went into The Lost Book of First Loves with measured expectations. That said, RaeAnne Thayne delivers a thoughtful, if slow-paced, story about two estranged sisters brought back together by a death in the family and a mysterious old book that stirs up long-buried memories.

The heart of the novel lies in the dynamic between Julia and Sienna, whose relationship is layered with misunderstandings, emotional distance, and the weight of shared history. Thayne handles their story with care, digging into themes of forgiveness, identity, and the often complicated process of coming home—emotionally and literally.

For me, the lack of strong forward momentum made it hard to stay fully engaged at times. There’s not a lot of plot, and the conflict is more internal and reflective than external, which may appeal to fans of quiet, introspective fiction. Personally, I found myself wishing for a little more urgency or unpredictability. The book also hints at romance, but it never becomes the focus—something that might appeal to readers tired of formulaic love stories.

In the end, I appreciated the emotional honesty of the characters and the idea that healing doesn’t always come in big, dramatic moments. It’s a solid choice for readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories about family, memory, and reconciliation—but if you're like me and prefer more plot-driven fiction, it might feel a bit meandering.

“The Lost Book of First Loves” is a beautiful story. The author does a great job of capturing the love that Ali, Beck, Xander, and Loretta have for the people and places that are important to them. I liked the changing relationships between Ali and June, Beck and June, and Ali and Xander.

This lovely book by RaeAnne Thayne is a fine example of women's fiction with romantic undertones. There are actually two romances that develop in this book (yeah!).

The book centers around two women working for a large successful corporation--one is the boss of the other. When Juniper, who had just fired her, has a cardiac event, Allison offers to take the other woman home with her to Wyoming to recover. Little does Juniper know that there is another reason behind her invitation.

This is a book of secrets, lies, family, and taking chances on love. It had a very satisfactory ending, aside from the fact that it WAS ending. I really want to go to Wyoming now!

Thanks to the author for the digital copy. All thoughts are my own.

Alison Wells was raised by her famous author father Carson Wells. She always felt loved even though her mother died when Alison was young. She decides to take a DNA test after her father died and found some surprising news that she had a sister out there. Obviously her father had some secrets that weren’t revealed before he died. Ali finds herself taking a job as Juniper’s intern which turns out to be her half sister. In time Ali finds a way to tell Juniper what she has found out about their relationship.

Juniper Connolly has always been healthy but finds herself waking up in a hospital from a cardiac arrest that her intern (recently fired) had saved her life. It’s clear June needs to de-stress her life so Ali volunteers her place in Wyoming to recuperate in. There is no reason for June to refuse since Ali did save her life. Her life will never be the same after she arrives.

June and Ali will discover the secrets and lies under the summer sun of the wide open spaces of Wyoming. They will find out who they really are and what family really means. But even more than that they’ll build a real relationship and truly become sisters.

RaeAnne Thayne writes another 5* story bringing families together in a heartfelt story. Intriguing and heartwarming. There is lots of romance in a small town atmosphere. Will love interests become strong enough to last? Secrets to be uncovered where the missing manuscript will reveal. But first they have to discover the manuscript or if there really is one. Likable characters. Unputdownable! A must read!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers in letting me read this book and allowing me to leave an honest review.

I was not quite sure where the title was taking us with this story, but the journey was amazing. Alison and Juniper both embark on journeys that lead them to find answers, happiness and their true loves

This is the story about Juniper Connelly whose life takes an unexpected turn. June is head of marketing at Move Inc. A very qualified, driven, go getter and has had much success in training interns in the company internship program. Her latest intern Alison has turned out to be a disappointment and so our introduction to these two women is at the meeting where June is basically giving Alison her walking papers. However, fate stepped in and that’s how THE LOST BOOK OF FIRST LOVES begins.
Alison is not there at Move Inc., to get a job. She is there to get a look at the woman who might be the secret love child of her now deceased father. Looking at June, Alison has her doubts since there is no physical resemblance. Alison and her father had done a DNA test. The results were, to say the least, disturbing. But now Alison is in a rather odd situation.
Having been the one to save June’s life, Alison feels somewhat responsible for the sister she never knew existed.
Coming home to Bridger Peak. THE LOST BOOK OF FIRST LOVES by RaeAnne Thayne is an adventure of sorts. Two women looking for a connection that they had never imagined. Alison had a very close relationship with her father – so finding out she had a sister was a major surprise. For June it was equally unexpected. June had been raised by her single mother. Her mother died rather young leaving June as a minor.
As part of the discovery little items pop up. June being a huge fan of books written by Alison’s father. June’s mother reading several books of his before she died.
You get the hints along the way, just as RaeAnne Thayne planned it.
Fans of RaeAnne Thayne will certainly appreciate the creativity in this story that interweaves so many lives. Personally I read it twice. Falling in love with this authors characters is expected. They are written with such a sense of being, personality and purpose. Think of it as a mystery novel with hopefully a much expected happy ending for all those involved.

This is a very heartwarming story. Ali is an intern for June. As June is firing her for incompetence, June suffers a massive heart attack. Ali saves her life and offers her the chance to recover at her family home in Wyoming. The big part of the story June doesn't know is that she is Ali's half-sister. As she begins her recovery, she falls for Beck, the man that she originally disliked because of his former job. Little did she know what he has been through. I can't say enough about the feelings, well written characters, and the depth of feelings. I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

I received a free DRC of this book through Netgalley. It would definitely be classified as a romance for it's main genre. I was more interested in the side story of the two half-sisters finding out about each other amidst one of them having a health scare. The descriptions of the scenery made me want to go visit The Grand Tetons and Yellowstone.

Title: The Lost Book of First Loves
Author: RaeAnne Thayne    
Genre: Romance   
Rating: 4 out of 5 

Raised by her literary icon father Carson Wells, Allison Wells always felt loved, even though her mother died when she was a teen. But when she takes a DNA test on a whim and discovers she has a sister that she’s never heard about before, it’s clear there are things her father never told her before he died. Determined to meet Juniper—her half sister—and unravel the truth of what happened all those years ago, Ali finds herself taking a job as Juniper’s intern. She’ll eventually figure out a way to tell Juniper the truth of their relationship. But she never could have imagined what would happen next…

Juniper Connolly has always been incredibly healthy…until she wakes up in the hospital after experiencing cardiac arrest, with her new—and recently fired—intern to thank for saving her life. It’s clear June needs to de-stress her life a little, so when Ali offers her the use of her family’s cabin in a small Wyoming town, June has no reason not to go. But when she arrives in the small town, her life will never be the same.

Under the wide-open spaces of the Wyoming summer sun, Ali and June will untangle the secrets and lies their lives were built on to discover who they really are and what family really means. But even more than that, they'll build a real relationship with one another and finally become sisters.

I was on the fence with this for the first 20% or so, but then the characters sort of settled and I connected with them. The small-town life in Wyoming was vividly portrayed—enough to make my skin crawl, frankly. (I’m not much for the small-town thing.) I enjoyed the growing relationship between Ali and June, and watching June realize there was more to life than what she’d been living. This was a solid read.

RaeAnne Thayne lives in Utah. The Lost Book of First Loves is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Canary Street Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Alison takes a DNA test and discovers a sister she knew nothing about. She decides to find the sister. Her father has died and she doesn't know why he didn't tell her about the sister.

A wonderful book about family, secrets, and truth when Alison finds out that June is her half sister. June is her boss and was ready to fire her. When June has a cardiac event, Alison invites her to her home in Wyoming to recover and work up the nerve to tell her they are half sisters. While there June meets Beckett and after spending time with him June thinks she might have a crush on him. She works in another state and can’t get involved or can she? What happens when Alison finally tells June they’re half sisters?
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

A heartwarming novel about what it means to be family. This book was especially close to me as I lost my father less than a year ago so I related with Alison’s grief over losing her Dad.

This story is really two stories - Alisons’s and June’s. The two are intermixed but each has a story of their own on relationships and learning to let others in. I had a hard time putting this book down as I wanted to see where the women’s lives were to go. I loved the setting in Montana and the father’s writing house. I can picture it in my head. If you are looking for a contemporary romance with excellent characters and a beautiful setting you can’t find a better book than this one!

A wonderful women’s fiction. It’s amazing story about half siblings finding each other later in life. The challenges the characters face made it hard for you to put the book down. I loved the found family in plot.

RaeAnne does it again with an incredibly heartwarming tale of found family, buried secrets, and second chances, set against the cozy charm of small-town Wyoming! Thank you to NetGalley, RaeAnne & her amazing team at Canary Street Press for the eARC!!! I absolutely loved this!!!

What to Expect:
⭐ Found Family
⭐ Enemies to Lovers AND Best friends to lovers
⭐ Lost story found after loved one passes
⭐ Second Chance Romance
⭐ Secrets From The Past

My Thoughts:
I swear RaeAnne seems to have an unending depth of book ideas that are just so full of love, beautiful characters, and stories! I don't know how after so many years and so many books she is still able to produce something I will still love! The foundation never changes. The depth of each character stays consistent and true to her past stories. The stories that bring the characters together AND their individual stories are always so beautifully written in detail and design that you feel as though you are living it with them next to them. It's hard to continue to find that from an author years in this business.

So I will start by saying just that... like her previous books this is as classic and beautiful as those. The story takes you for a loop with the big event at the beginning! The secrets that fall out as the story unfolds, are what keep you flipping through to see how it unfolds. The location makes me want to pack my bags and head for Painted Sky right now. Just the hiking sounds delightful! I wouldn't mind waking up with my coffee to the porch at the cabin or the views from Painted Sky every morning. Just so dreamy!!!

If you're fan of the clean closed door romance and story telling of Hallmark this is for you!


Synopsis:
Raised by her literary icon father Carson Wells, Allison Wells always felt loved, even though her mother died when she was a teen. But when she takes a DNA test on a whim and discovers she has a sister that she’s never heard about before, it’s clear there are things her father never told her before he died. Determined to meet Juniper—her half sister—and unravel the truth of what happened all those years ago, Ali finds herself taking a job as Juniper’s intern. She’ll eventually figure out a way to tell Juniper the truth of their relationship. But she never could have imagined what would happen next…

Juniper Connolly has always been incredibly healthy…until she wakes up in the hospital after experiencing cardiac arrest, with her new—and recently fired—intern to thank for saving her life. It’s clear June needs to de-stress her life a little, so when Ali offers her the use of her family’s cabin in a small Wyoming town, June has no reason not to go. But when she arrives in the small town, her life will never be the same.

Under the wide-open spaces of the Wyoming summer sun, Ali and June will untangle the secrets and lies their lives were built on to discover who they really are and what family really means. But even more than that, they'll build a real relationship with one another and finally become sisters.

Such a good book!

I really enjoyed this book, once I started I didn't want to stop reading. The pages just flew along, and then I didn't want it to end!

Yes, this story revolves around a lost manuscript, assumed to be a story of a lost love. But there is so much more than loss in this story, there is actual heartache, fear, loss and love for the main characters. Juniper, or June, is a high-powered executive who was powerless against her congenital heart condition. Alison is searching for a sister after the loss of her father, and knows that June is that sister, but how to convince her? Beck has suffered losses of his own and has been perfectly happy on his own, but has feelings growing for June.

If you have read and loved any of Ms. Thayne's works in the past, please don't hesitate with this one, you won't be disappointed!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

The characters in The Lost Book of First Loves by RaeAnne Thayne are so real that readers feel a part of the story. This book has romance and a bit of a mystery. I did not want to stop reading and felt that the ending came too soon.

This book was a great book. This book pulled me right in from the first page. A story about 2 half sisters and only one of them knows. Alison has to figure out the perfect time to tell juniper that they are related. Definitely a 5 star must read.