Raised by her fiercely passionate and free-spirited grandmother, Julia Hope has never gone without love. But as she tends to her only living relative during her final days, Julia struggles to overcome her fear of being alone.
A thousand miles away, Matt Gatlin has managed to avoid the coldhearted grandmother with whom he once lived. But after twelve years of her being blessedly out of sight, she needs him. His resentments still raw, Matt packs up his car and reluctantly heads to California to confront a bitter past he thought was long gone.
Over the next six days, Julia’s and Matt’s fates intersect. An old diary exposes the tragedy of a long-lost love. A history of secrets in two families comes to light. And on a lonely back road, Matt picks up an unusual yet captivating hitchhiker with a secret of her own.
For Julia and Matt, something heartbreaking and heartwarming, mysterious and beautiful, will touch their lives—with neither of them realizing that maybe they’re destined for each other. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)
I have been a fan of Kerry Lonsdale's writing, ever since I picked up Everything We Keep in 2016. Her latest novel, Find Me in California, has a different feel from her previous novels, but it is incredibly engaging and hard to put down.
The story goes back and forth between the past and the present. The past is told via a diary that Julia learns about for the first time. It explains the animosity between Julia and Matt's grandmothers, but is dished out in a way that makes you wait for a big reveal. They were friends in the beginning! I was in suspense and just had to know what really happened with Matt and Julia's grandmothers! Matt and Julia were lost souls and my heart went out to both of them.
In the present, we learn a lot about Matt and Julia and what shaped them from adolescence into adulthood. They both had hard lives that were connected to their mothers in some way. Little did they initially know about their grandmothers having a connection in the past. Their conversations were really interesting and revealing, and my heart ached for both of them.
I don't want to say too much more as to not spoil things. While I was able to guess at something, there were still many surprises in store. I felt like I was expecting more to come from Matt's connection with the hitchhiker, but it was still a satisfying story no matter what.
Pick this one up on June 11th for a thoughtful and immersive summer read!
(Trigger warnings at the bottom of the post.)
Julia: Haley Lu Richardson
Matt: Nick Robinson
Magnolia (past): Kerri Medders
Liza (past): Alexia Fast
Matty (past): Chase Stokes
Thanks to Kerry Lonsdale for the book in exchange for an honest review. Enter to win an ebook from Goodreads! (US only. Ends 6/10.)
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