The Words We Lost

March 1, 2023

Fiction editor Ingrid Erikson is a rising star at Fog Harbor Books, but her head hasn't been in the game since the death of her best friend Cecelia Campbell, who was also one of her authors. In her grief, she can barely even read more than a few paragraphs at a time. To make things worse, the fourth book in Cecelia's massively popular fantasy series wasn't submitted before she died, and now Ingrid's job is on the chopping block unless she can find the missing manuscript. To do so, she has to return home to the Pacific Northwest and face her first love (and Cecelia's cousin) Joel Campbell, whom she still blames for the events surrounding the death of her father. A memoir written on Cecelia's deathbed reveals both the bond of the trio's friendship and the tragedies that split them apart. VERDICT Deese (All That It Takes) is a master wordsmith, deftly weaving a story that readers won't be able to put down. This latest book has crossover appeal for fans of contemporary romance seeking realistic and endearing characters.

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 14, 2023
In this romance involving the worlds of writing and publishing, Ingrid and Cece grow up together in Port Townsend, Washington, two members of an inseparable trio with Cece's cousin, Joel. After a traumatic incident during their teen years, Ingrid and Joel become estranged. Now grown, Ingrid is an editor for a San Francisco publisher and Cece is her first best-selling author. Then, Cece dies during surgery for a brain tumor and Ingrid is left deeply grieving the loss of her best friend, and pressured by her job to find Cece's final manuscript, the location of which is unknown. When Joel arrives in San Francisco and urges Ingrid to return with him to Port Townsend for the sake of Cece and her legacy, they learn that even as they make choices for themselves, a powerful love may bring them back together. Deese's novel has good dialogue, vivid description, and plenty of emotion.

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