Review: The Trail of Lost Hearts by Tracey Garvis Graves

 

The Trail of Lost Hearts by Tracey Garvis Graves

Publication Date: March 26th 2024 by Macmillan Audio & St. Martin's Press

Pages: 304

Audio Book Length: 8hrs 52min

Narrator: Kate Handford & Eric Meyers

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookbub | Audible | Libro.fm | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Wren and Marshall have each had shock and heartbreak they’re trying to get over and they randomly meet on a trail in Oregon while both geocaching.  Their paths converge in a dramatic way, and they decide to team up for the remainder of their vacation. They bond over and soothe the heartbreak they’ve suffered. They have chemistry and end up falling hard, but the timing is tricky.

The Trail of Lost Hearts started with a bang and had me so frightened for Wren at the beginning! I was enraged by the event, and I feel exactly the same way: A woman SHOULD be able to hike alone without worrying about being in danger! Men do not have this worry and it’s so unfair! I love hiking and have hiked a lot of trails in Oregon, so the setting at the beginning reminded me of all the beautiful scenery! The idea of geocaching, something I’ve never tried, sounds like a lot of fun!

I was in love with this story until I hit the 60% mark. Then it took a turn I wasn’t thrilled about.

I would've enjoyed it more if Highlight for spoiler (I tried to keep it vague still): Marshall was responsible for the surprise situation Wren found herself in. Also, I wasn't thrilled with Wren marching out to New York to inform the widow of what happened. Why not leave the poor woman alone? At least give it some time for hurt to diminish before adding to what must have been a horrible shock on so many levels. I get why Wren wanted it out there, but like I said, maybe wait a while? I would've said the same thing as Shayla said when she answered the door to Wren: "Are you fucking kidding me?!" End of spoiler

Just felt like a lot of messy drama added on to a story I was really enjoying. I will say that I finished the book in one day. It was one I couldn’t put down.

I alternately read and listened to the story. Kate Hanford did a wonderful job performing both female and male voices. She had a steady, calm voice that fit right in with Wren taking all the hits while remaining calm and clear headed. It was a nice feature to have Eric Meyers read his emails and texts to Wren. I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed.

3.5 Stars

Book Description:

New York Times bestselling author Tracey Garvis Graves takes readers on a life affirming journey, where two lost souls find the unexpected courage to love again.

Thirty-four-year-old Wren Waters believes that if you pay attention, the universe will send you exactly what you need. But her worldview shatters when the universe delivers two life-altering blows she didn’t see coming, and all she wants to do is put the whole heartbreaking mess behind her. No one is more surprised than Wren when she discovers that geocaching―the outdoor activity of using GPS to look for hidden objects―is the only thing getting her out of bed and out of her head. She decides that a weeklong solo quest geocaching in Oregon is exactly what she needs to take back control of her life.

Enter Marshall Hendricks, a psychologist searching for distraction as he struggles with a life-altering blow of his own. Though Wren initially rebuffs Marshall’s attempt at hiker small talk, she’s beyond grateful when he rescues her from a horrifying encounter farther down the trail. In the interest of safety, Marshall suggests partnering up to look for additional caches. Wren’s no longer quite so trusting of the universe―or men in general―but her inner circle might argue that a smart, charismatic psychologist isn’t the worst thing the universe could place in her path.

What begins as a platonic road trip gradually blossoms into something deeper, and the more Wren learns about Marshall, the more she wants to know. Now all she can do is hope that the universe gets it right this time.