Review: I Found You – Lisa Jewell

Title:  I Found You
Author:   Lisa Jewell   (Author Website)  (FB Page)
Genre:   Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Atria Books (April 25, 2017)
Length:  352 pages
Source: Netgalley.com

 

About Book: (From Good Reads)  A young bride, a lonely single mother, and an amnesiac man of dubious origin lie at the heart of New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell’s next suspenseful drama that will appeal to fans of Liane Moriarty and Paula Hawkins.

In a windswept British seaside town, single mom Alice Lake finds a man sitting on the beach outside her house. He has no name, no jacket, and no idea how he got there. Against her better judgment, she invites him inside.

Meanwhile, in a suburb of London, twenty-one-year-old Lily Monrose has only been married for three weeks. When her new husband fails to come home from work one night she is left stranded in a new country where she knows no one. Then the police tell her that her husband never existed.

Twenty-three years earlier, Gray and Kirsty are teenagers on a summer holiday with their parents. Their annual trip to the quaint seaside town is passing by uneventfully, until an enigmatic young man starts paying extra attention to Kirsty. Something about him makes Gray uncomfortable—and it’s not just that he’s playing the role of protective older brother.

Two decades of secrets, a missing husband, and a man with no memory are at the heart of this brilliant new novel, filled with the “beautiful writing, believable characters, pacey narrative, and dark secrets” (London Daily Mail) that make Lisa Jewell so beloved by audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.

About Author:   Lisa was born in London in 1968. Her mother was a secretary and her father was a textile agent and she was brought up in the northernmost reaches of London with her two younger sisters. She was educated at a Catholic girls’ Grammar school in Finchley. After leaving school at sixteen she spent two years at Barnet College doing an arts foundation course and then two years at Epsom School of Art & Design studying Fashion Illustration and Communication.

She worked for the fashion chain Warehouse for three years as a PR assistant and then for Thomas Pink, the Jermyn Street shirt company for four years as a receptionist and PA. She started her first novel, Ralph’s Party, for a bet in 1996. She finished it in 1997 and it was published by Penguin books in May 1998. It went on to become the best-selling debut novel of that year.

She has since written a further nine novels, as is currently at work on her eleventh.

She now lives in an innermost part of north London with her husband Jascha, an IT consultant, her daughters, Amelie and Evie and her silver tabbies, Jack and Milly.

My Review/Rating:   I Found You by Lisa Jewell is three different stories. But how are they related?    I will say this book is best read in longer settings.  The story grips you right away so you should have no problem reading it in longer settings.  Unfortunately, I started the book and picked it up and put it down a few times, before I had some time to read.  So on my birthday, I took the day off and read I Found You.   What a great way to spend my day.  The story quickly grabbed me and there was no way I wasn’t finishing the book. 

The first story in I Found You, starts with Annie a single mom and  free spirit.  Annie discovers a man sitting on the beach with no coat.  This man has lost his memory and has no idea how he arrived on the beach.  Annie calls him Frank and brings to her home against her friends advice. 

The second story is of Carl and Lily a newly married couple. Lily is Ukrainian and new to the area.  She is very depended on her hubby, Carl.  One day Carl does not return from work.  An investigation uncovers some contradictory information about Carl. 

The last story is of a family with two teens holidaying in the Yorkshire seaside in 1993.  While I was sure these stories were going to be related to each other.  Lisa Jewell masterfully gives you the information bit by bit and has you captured.   And if you are anything like me you will guess wrong a number of times.  If you love twists, turns and secrets you will love I Found You by Lisa Jewell. 

I Found You is a mystery/thriller, love story and coming of age story all wrapped into one.  This was a 4 star read for me.  Be warned if you start this book at night, you will be very tired the next morning!

I Found You by Lisa Jewell is available in book stores on April 25th, 2017.

I Found You by Lisa Jewell was also reviewed by Books & Boys, Novel Gossip, and It’s Book Talk,

My Rating Scale: 1 – didn’t like it; 2 – it was ok; 3 – liked it; 4 – really liked it; 5 – it was amazing

Happy Reading!

**Disclosure – I Found You by Lisa Jewell was received from NetGalley.com reviewer program and Atria in exchange for a fair review. All opinions are my own.