Review of Lost and Found by Lucy Lennox and Sloane Kennedy

by Lucy Lennox and Sloane Kennedy

4 Stars

 

He promised to never leave me. But when I needed him the most, that was exactly what he did…
Wilderness guide Xander Reed has spent fifteen years trying to forget the night he turned to his best friend in his darkest hour, only to find the young man who’d sworn to always have his back was turning his on Xander instead. Two thousand miles and fifteen years of building a new life in the quiet backcountry of the Rocky Mountains should have been enough to put the memory of Bennett Crawford out of his mind forever, but old wounds run deep and when Bennett suddenly reappears in his life as part of a wilderness expedition Xander is guiding, the scars he thought long healed break wide open.

I’d only ever wanted to protect Xander from getting hurt again. I never considered the one he needed protection from was me…
Bennett Crawford was faced with an impossible choice the night his best friend needed him.

He chose wrong.

As the only son of one of the wealthiest families in New England, he should have had the world at his feet, but losing his best friend at the tender age of fourteen changed everything. And even though Bennett’s managed to hide behind a mask of contentment as he takes his place at his father’s side in the family business, inside he’s searching for the piece of himself that’s been missing ever since Xander Reed walked out of his life. Bennett’s only saving grace is his work with a group of inner city kids, and when he’s given the chance to show the troubled teens that there’s a bigger world out there waiting for them if they just have the courage to reach for it, he takes it.

But when he steps off that bus for what was supposed to be a week of fun and adventure, he’s instantly returned to the past when he discovers their expedition guide is none other than the boy he let go so long ago. Only, the soft-hearted, insecure little boy Bennett once knew is gone, and in his place is a brooding, bitter man who isn’t interested in second chances.

People leave. I know that now and nothing Bennett has to say to me will change anything…
All Bennett wants is another chance to show Xander that friendship was only the beginning. But when a stubborn Xander refuses to even hear him out, Bennett realizes he’s going to need to fight dirty.

Because now that he’s found Xander again, he’s not letting him go a second time…

This is new writing partnership between Lucy Lennox and Sloane Kennedy, and a new series - Twist of Fate, with Lost and Found the much anticipated book 1.  We really liked this book, and were so excited after reading the blurb, but a few issues had us put out.

Xander Reed is an adventure guide in Colorado, and his simple life fits him perfectly.  He grew up around the wealthiest families in New England, and never wants to live in that life again.  He thinks he is happier, staying to himself, losing himself in the mountains and keeping his heart locked away after his best friend Bennett broke it years ago.  But a chance encounter brings Bennett back into his life.  Bennett Crawford grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth, and a life path already laid-out by his overbearing father, but he is still waiting for the moment in his life where everything changes, the ‘moment’.  Working for his father’s foundation to support inner city kids has brought him to the wilderness of Colorado and smack back into Xander’s life, even if he isn’t wanted.

There are so many good things happening in Lost and Found. If you have read anything by Lucy Lennox or Sloane Kennedy you know they create fantastic, believable characters, and Xander and Bennett do not disappoint.  Xander is broken and bitter, you can feel his hatred for Bennett and the life that Bennett comes from - he wants no part of it.  Bennett is a softer fellow, although he has lived under the thumb of his father, never being good enough, never living up to expectations, being surrounded by wealth; he sees that he can make a difference in the lives of others, even if it is just one child at a time. 

Bennett is heartbroken to know that his actions all those years ago turned Xander into this hard man, his realization of his role in changing his sweet childhood friend to the man he is today is heartbreaking. And when these two men finally stop circling each other it is flammable; a scorching chemistry, a need that burns up the pages.  There is some serious HEAT in Lost and Found, and it adds so much to Bennett and Xander’s push-pull love story.

Lost and Found also sets us up with lots of secondary characters for the series that we completely fell in love with.  Xander’s Aunt Lolly is funny, witty and a total hoot; a little bit crazy and a whole lotta fun.  Friends that enter the story; Aiden and Jake are swoon worthy – and seriously we need both of their stories STAT!  And the troubled youth in Bennett’s care are poignant, listening to the stories of their lives is shattering, you just want to wrap them all in blankets and hug the crap out of them. 

Now the hard part – where we struggled with Lost and Found.  It is long – like 50 pages too long - it feels a bit like 2 authors both writing the same complete book from 2 different POVs and mashing it together, and I guess it is a bit like that, but the story just became too long.  And honestly, there was just too much, too much - back and forth (I want you, I hate you, I want you, I blame you, I want you, I don’t want you), too many silly misunderstandings, internal angst, and monkey wrenches that had us skimming. 

So where does this leave us, well we really enjoyed Lost and Found, the characters, the romance, the sizzling chemistry all make this a must read, and a good start to what should be a great series.  We know the type of books Lucy Lennox and Sloane Kennedy can write and we can’t wait to read the read of the Twist of Fate series!