The Love We Found by Jill Santopolo

ARC from PRH Audio, G.P. Putnam and Netgalley for an honest review

Book Blurb:

It’s been nearly ten years since Gabe’s been gone when Lucy finds a tiny piece of paper in a box of his old photos. An address in Rome. Why did Gabe keep it, and what was he doing in Italy? Lucy buys a last-minute ticket. Impulsive, but Gabe always brought that out in her.
Lucy’s journey to uncover Gabe’s secret leads her to Dr. Dax Amstrong, a New Yorker in Italy working with an NGO. His broad shoulders and sad, intense eyes draw Lucy in. His touch reaches her in a forgotten place—one that no one has neared since Gabe.
But her old life awaits, along with an earth-shattering decision—whether she and Darren should tell their son Samuel the truth about his real father. How can Lucy move forward while she’s rooted in regret? Fate broke her heart in the past. Can finding new love set her free?

My Review: 4 stars

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The Love We Found by Jill Santopolo was such a welcome treat after waiting so many years to learn about how Lucy’s fared since the last book ended. I was nervous about this one though. First, because I was concerned it wouldn’t live up to The Light We Lost, and second, because I wasn’t sure I’d remember what happened from the earlier story.

Luckily, this one didn’t disappoint! I was invested from the start and really enjoyed getting back into Lucy’s head. Just from her cadence of storytelling, the plotline of book one came pouring through. There were old and new characters that brought this new book to life. I found the storyline about Sam’s lineage to be especially smart. It made sense and tied him to his family in surprising ways.

The storyline about Dax was predictable but still enjoyable. I really hoped Lucy would find her way forward towards love and I won’t tell you if she did or not. The ending tied up nicely so I was happy with its conclusion. I’m hoping if she continues with this series that it will focus on Sam and his potential future success in the arts.

Quotes I liked:

There were so many ways someone could perceive us. But perception and reality can be so different.”

“Is there a piece of you somewhere that loves me still? Or is it all in the past? Are we ancient history, and am I the archivist, keeping it all alive?”

“It’s that old question of mine: Fate or free will? How are our lives designed?”