How could one moment, one flash in time, be responsible for changing my whole existence?

Garth Black has lived through hard times pain, loss, and darkness. But after a long journey, he found true love, passion, and companionship with his lifelong friend Josie Gibson. We have followed them in the past few books and saw them get a happy ending in Finders Keepers. But now just as their relationship is progressing and his bull riding career is flourishing, they are faced with a  new and difficult challenge. A situation that neither of them can control or truly predict the outcome. And for a man who is used to being beaten down and made to feel unworthy, it is easy to get sucked back into destructive and negative thinking. My heart broke for Garth as he struggled. But I also wanted to smack sense into him at times.

Obstinate, foul-mouthed, sarcastic, dark, broody Garth is back in all of his bad boy glory. But Josie is just as strong-willed and won't be pushed away. He always felt unworthy and had a hard time accepting help, so this new situation is stressful, frustrating, and infuriating for him.

They both are stubborn, protective, and totally devoted to each other. But when faced with a difficult situation with long-term repercussions, their protective instincts kick in but in different ways. In Garth's mind, he doesn't want to drag her down so he pushes her away for her own good. He really thinks that is him being the better man in his own twisted way. But Josie is the type the digs in and holds on for dear life. So then it becomes a battle of the wills on who is stronger. I hated seeing Garth fall back into the self-destructive patterns, but at the same time I could understand how it could happen. When faced with something that could change your whole life, it is easy to go back to your old coping mechanisms and have your old fears, insecurities, and feelings of worthlessness come back into play.

I loved the tenacity of Josie, and also their best friends Jesse and Rowen in their fierce support for Garth. But his friends and love can only carry him so far, and Garth will have to figure out a way to pull himself up by his bootstraps in order to deal with his new reality and try to move forward. It's just a matter of figuring out what will be the motivating factor to finally get through him.

Even though Josie and Garth previously had a quickly wrapped up happy ending Finders Keepers, this one really tested their long-term commitment and the changes that they previously made. They needed to go through something even harder than what they been through before to see their true commitment and also deal with the hidden fears that had still been lurking under the surface. This book was not always easy. It was darker, more negative, tragic, and in some of it was hard to read since we had to see some regression in Garth's personality.  The characters have chemistry, but the story did not rely on sex in any way. This was about  a relationship going through a traumatic situation and then trying to find their feet again. It shows the importance of fighting for those you love even during the most difficult of circumstances.

And in the midst of Garth's issues, we learn Jessie and Rowen are also undergoing their own scary situation. So all four of these main characters are having struggles and need each other. I love the fact that they do form a support system even when they sometimes  fight or push each other away. But they've all been through so much together that they're also not willing to let any of the other ones wallow in self pity or or stay down too long without giving them an earful. And even one of the main antagonists from the last book was back. So this was an interesting journey for all of these characters that allowed us to see a bit farther into their futures while watching them all grow and change.

It was told in Garth's point of view so we got the full, unabridged, dark Garth experience. The dark parts just made the little lighter or happier parts all that more meaningful. There were moments of humor usually provided in the banter and teasing with the friends. But sometimes it just came from Garth's cranky, sarcastic mouth. Even when he was in a negative phase though, I really still loved Garth. I always have. Underneath all of his macho bravado lived this broken boy who really just needed love, trust, support, and to feel wanted. His vulnerability and capacity to love touched my heart. And I always liked him and Josie together and felt they made a perfect match for each other's strong personalities. So even though it was hard to see them going through something so difficult, it also showed how far they have come since the beginning. I did have a few issues with the book that mostly pertained to how certain plot things were resolved...some I felt maybe a little too easily or quickly or without needed intervention. But overall, I enjoyed spending more time with all of these characters. I have really enjoyed this series and would not rule out reading more about Jesse's sisters. There was a little tease about his sister, Lily in this one. And Nicole just announced that Jesse and Rowen will have another book Heart and Soul.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Garth Black has lived the dark, and he’s lived the light. But thinking everything is good and his past can’t find him anymore backfires when he finds himself faced with nothing but darkness. Garth reverts to his previous closed off, standoffish persona. As he comes to grips with what his new reality looks like, he thinks Josie will be better off without the burden that he has become. 

It felt like Garth had learned nothing from all his struggles in Finders Keepers. He has this great support group of friends who are willing to support him and take his crap without taking it personally.

I loved Josie’s determination and commitment to Garth, even as he continued to shut her out. Her stubborn streak is the perfect match to his, and she had a mountain to climb in order to fight for him. 

There were moments where I wanted to smack some sense into Garth, or let his friends have at it if I couldn’t reach far enough into the book to make contact. For as selfish and impulsive as Garth is, it shouldn’t have surprised me terribly that he reverted to a self-pity-party shell of himself, but it did. 

While there are three previous books in this series, readers really only *have* to have read Josie and Garth’s first book, Finders Keepers, to appreciate the deepest, darkest parts of Garth and Josie. However, because Jesse and Rowen’s story continues in the background of Losers Weepers, readers really should read the whole series. I binge read the first and third books in the series to both get a feelings for Garth and the series as a whole, and because Lost & Found has been waiting patiently for me since just after it was released. Now that I’ve finished up Garth and Josie’s story, I want to go back and read Near & Far to get the rest of Jesse and Rowen’s story while we wait for Heart & Soul.

This book fits nicely into the Lost & Found world. It was a little more dramatic and angsty than the other books I’ve read in the series, but was as emotional and entertaining as I expected it to be. There were a few points that didn’t sit completely well with me, but overall I really enjoyed the flow, characters, and drama.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.