August and Everly were on the way to starting their lives again. But once August's memories start to return, secrets are revealed and his old life and demons come back to haunt him. His life is once again out of control. And the only way to protect Everly is to push her away.

Everly has a tendency to avoid or run. She tends to hide her head in the sand and try to move forward blindly. She is trying to stick firm to her choice this time and not be as flighty and erratic. But her heart and head do not always have the same answer. She remains conflicted over two men. She has guilt over some of her past decisions and deceptions. She has feelings of insecurity and she is also hurt about where things stand with her and August. She is trying to find her way, her future, and her true home. 

August is fighting to keep her safe even if it means sacrificing himself. August's two lives are colliding and he is struggling to figure out who he really is and wants to be.  He is stuck in a situation that he cannot control and it is hard to see a way out. He is trying to handle it all alone. He is falling deeper into his dark past and coping mechanisms.

And they are both left floundering and miserable. But they can't do anything about it unless he really learns to trust her, let her in, and let her help. And she has to find her own strength to push him and fight for what she needs. 

Is it safer for her to be away from him or are they stronger together? Is an unstable love connection enough to conquer their past, keep them safe in the present, and protect their future? 

I liked the side characters that returned: Her best friend Sarah,  their counselors Brick and Tabitha, Ryan, Trudy, and Magnolia. They all had a hand in offering support or help at some point for these two struggling individuals. And the antagonist was shifty and definitely unlikable.

This is an angsty story of a love that was broken, challenged, pushed away, and even forgotten but was always there pulling them back. There is a mystery and suspense component, and the questions we had from the first book Forgetting August are all answered as the story progresses. I enjoyed getting both points of view and that the characters both showed growth in this one. This is a unique duet with an intriguing story line, mystery, secrets,  and complex, flawed characters. 

ARC provided by publisher/author in exchange for an honest review. 

This is the second in the Lost & Found Duet and is not a complete story without the first book to set up the beginning. August Kincaid is still struggling to regain his memory, though bits and pieces have started to return. Though he doesn’t know all the whys surrounding what he does remember, he knows he is trying to keep Trent away from Everly and as such must let her go.

Everly is counting down the days until her wedding to Ryan. Going through the motions, she is putting more effort into planning this time, but things still don’t feel right.

These two spend so much time trying to stay away from each other when being together is all they want. August continues pushing Everly away, while Everly does everything in her power to forget him, but the pull between them is too much. It hurt to watch them start to make the same mistakes again. I continually questioned how August’s returning memory would change the course of the story and how they would be able to cope with the darker aspects of their past.

The back and forth pull between them drives a lot of the drama in the story, though Trent’s threats also add to the conflict. There were times I wished they could fast forward to the end, but when I finally made it to the end I wouldn’t have changed their journey for anything.

The side characters are also back with great influence on Everly and August. Sarah, Ryan, Tabitha, and Brick all lend themselves to this story in unique ways that had me falling in love with them all over again. (Yes, even Ryan and even while they were still planning their wedding.)

The circle at the end made me happy. Everything about where all the characters are is perfection after the journey they were on. I was surprised by some of the directions the story took, but in hindsight everything fits these characters to a T.

ARC provided by author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Forgetting August  (Lost & Found #1)
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Our 4 star reviews

She can forgive, but can she forget?

Some days, Everly still thinks she sees him. In the food court at the mall, or in a car speeding past as the light changes. It only lasts a second, but when it happens, she slips back to a time when she was ruled-and nearly ruined-by August Kincaid. And it doesn't matter that she's moved on, that she's about to marry another man. In those moments the only thing she can do to regain control is take a deep breath and remind herself that August can't hurt her-because he's in a coma. Except that he's not anymore.

August is awake. With no memories, he sets out to solve the mystery of his lost life. He unearths a photograph of a beautiful redhead named Everly and knows instinctively that she's the key. But when he finds her, the August she describes is more monster than man.

Tortured by the thought of having hurt her, August wants only to become the man Everly deserves. As the new August emerges, Everly glimpses the person she first fell in love with. But can she trust that this August is real? When the final secret of their shared past is revealed, one of them will make a choice that changes their future forever . . .