3/5 Stars

I would first like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me an ARC (advanced read copy) of this book.

This was definitely one of those warm and cozy types of books. People always making tea, serving tea, drinking tea with the ones they are close to.

“The kettle was coming to a boil again. More tea, but it was a comforting routine, part of the ritual of friendship, and today, more than any day, they were all prepared to drink gallons of the stuff if it helped Lia.”

A young librarian starts a book club at her library and ends up trying to help out all of the people who join as time goes by… and possibly to help herself.

“Well, I used to think that things were quite simple and then I found myself becoming involved in what was happening in other people’s lives, and I’ve realised just how complicated life can be- how you can be set on a particular path one minute and then something comes along and prompts a life changing decision.”

I felt that this story had distinctly EMMA like qualities about it. A young woman who is trying to guide the lives of others without understanding where her own young life should be going. Her mother doesn’t seem to help either, in my opinion.. while Lucy, you come to realise, has a lovely family, her mothers’ initial prompt on why to make friends is a little wayward to me..

“Being a friend costs nothing – and from what you’ve said that’s exactly what Lia and Oscar need right now. Everything happens for a reason, and maybe if you give them a helping hand, somewhere along the line they’ll help you out too, give you something back in return that perhaps you never even knew you needed. That’s how it works in my experience.”

Now, I get that she probably meant that these people would give her something that maybe she is lacking in her life, social skills, etc. we all learn from our friends. But, I couldn’t help reading that suggestion from a possibly socially graceless point of view thinking “be friends with someone so I can get something out of it in the end??”

Beyond these silly things that I am picking on, maybe I’ve been  imbibing on too much of my own recommended drink,  it was a very sweet story and it was well written with, in my opinion, very relatable characters.

Lucy’s Book Club for the Lost and Found

is best served with:

Blueberry Tea

• 1 oz. Grand Marnier liqeur
• 1 oz. Amaretto liqeur
• Hot Orange pekoe (or any stronger flavoured black tea.. I personally used a David’s English Breakfast) steeped to taste

Heat mug by pouring boiled water into it for a few minutes first so liqeurs don’t cool your tea down after you add it. Add liqeurs to cup and fill with hot steeped tea to taste. You can steep the tea after the fact but you may not get it to your tasting so it’s easier to pull out that teapot! (and cozier)