Book Review: "The Trail of Lost Hearts" by Tracey Garvis Graves

Wren has been reeling from the sudden death of her fiancé, not to mention a second blow which was even more crushing. All she has wanted to do is cut herself off from the world and wallow in her grief, but her friends won’t let her. Remarkably, she starts to find joy in geocaching, or using a GPS to find hidden objects, and she plans a trip to Oregon, to get away from home and spend a week clearing her mind while searching for geocaches.

Shortly after starting out on a hike, she encounters a dangerous situation she is utterly unprepared for. Marshall, another hiker, happens to be walking by and he saves Wren from almost certain disaster. Wren is tremendously grateful for Marshall’s heroism, and when he proposes they team up for the rest of the week, she agrees.

Marshall is dealing with a tragedy of his own, and while his kindness and empathy help Wren to unburden herself, he isn’t willing to open up himself. But the more time they spend with each other, the stronger the connection between them grows. Neither is sure what the future holds, but they decide to enjoy the time until Wren heads home.

But when Wren returns home, it appears that she and Marshall are farther apart emotionally than Wren thought. For the first time, she knows it’s necessary to put herself and her needs first, even if it’s not what her heart wants.

How do you find the strength to move on when you can’t see past your grief and hurt? When do you know if you’re ready to shake off your past and start anew? Can you let your fears go in order to take a chance?

I love the emotions that Tracey Garvis Graves fills her books with. Every one I’ve read has hit me square in the feels, but at the same time, they’ve been infused with hope. I definitely will keep reading everything she writes!!