The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer - Book Review

Publication Date: 16th July 2024 

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Magic Realism 

3.7 Stars 

One Liner: Heartwarming and a tad whimsical 

Young boys and best friends, Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell, disappeared in the Red Crow Forest and were found six months later. One of them knows what happened, while the other wants answers he cannot be given. Fifteen years later, Jeremy is a missing persons investigator and Rafe is a recluse. 

Emilie wants to find her missing sister and contacts Jeremy. He knows where she is but it would mean going back to where they were during those six special months. As the trio embarks on a new adventure, they hope to find more than answers. 

The story comes in the third-person POV of Emilie and Rafe with one chapter from Jeremy and occasional snippets from the ‘storyteller’. 

My Thoughts: 

After loving The Wishing Game, I was excited to this book. It is supposed to have a good dose of magic realism, which is my favorite. 

The book started great. I liked the characters though the men seemed they didn’t always act their age. That could be explained by their mysterious disappearance (or so I told myself). Fritz was a cute addition too! 

The bits by the storyteller were cute, though not all readers will enjoy such interruptions to the plot. I liked those, though. 

The pacing is a bit uneven. The blurb reveals 50% of the plot. Or, it would be more accurate to say that the event mentioned in the blurb occurs at the midpoint of the story. Quite a long wait if you ask me. 

The second half of the book is a lot different given the change in the setting. I initially enjoyed the setting despite the weird phrases that popped up from time to time. It sounded like teens wanting to appear cool by using ‘adult’ language (mostly for the guys). The conversation between the girls was good. 

I hoped there wouldn’t be a love triangle, so to see the romance track develop differently made me very happy. While it was sweet, the vibes were off at times. That said, I can’t deny it was rather sweet in some scenes. 

The last quarter felt like it dragged on a little. I was ready for a HEA when we got a new development. Can see why it had to happen but I wouldn’t have minded a shorter and easier resolution. The ending is hopeful (HFN types). I did wonder if there would be a sequel though I think that won’t be necessary. 

The world-building is patchy but provides enough details for the readers to imagine the setting. Considering the book’s length, I’m okay with what we get. I would have loved more of it (obviously). 

The author’s note is charming, cute, and funny. Don’t miss it. 

To summarize, The Lost Story is a bittersweet tale about second chances, healing, found family, love, and the power of magic (writing). While it didn’t wow me, I can’t deny that it made me smile many times. 

(If you loved The Wishing Game, maybe go into this with lesser expectations). 

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group (Ballantine), for eARC. 

#NetGalley #TheLostStory