Gray and Kirsty are teenagers on their annual summer vacation with their parents when they meet a young man who starts to show an interest in Kirsty. Kirsty is young and her brother Gray feels something is off about this guy. He can't quite put his finger on it but something about him makes Gray uncomfortable. However, his sister likes this young man and even their parents think Gray is overreacting. Alice's little daughter names the man 'Frank', and Frank is soon almost a member of the Lake household. Lily is bewildered by the revelation, but loves and trusts her husband. Moreover, she isn't about to rely on the lethargic cops, and - with the help of Carl's work acquaintance - launches her own investigation into her husband's disappearance. Both Lily and Alice are attracted to men who have done terrible things in their pasts, and feel on some level they shouldn’t love anymore. In what ways do these two loves parallel each other? In what ways are they portrayed differently from each other? Compare and contrast, discussing the reasons behind these similarities and differences. This mystery was so much fun to unravel, and I really enjoyed how it was presented from three different perspectives (two from present day and one from 22 years ago). I really liked Alice's character a lot, which is always a treat. It's really nice to have a heroine you can empathize with and root for.

The plot/mystery itself. Yes, I both loved it and then didn't. The downside to the plot is that it's just hard to believe all of it could have even happened the way it did. You know what I mean-no character ever feels it's right to call the police, or a character has completely lost his memory but no one takes him to a Dr. Yet miraculously they are able to solve the mystery on their own through convoluted ways that would never happen in real life. Here's the thing -- I seriously struggle with thrillers where the forward movement of the plot relies heavily on the characters making not-very-smart, illogical decisions. Call it a pet peeve, if you will. But I kind of feel like it's an easy way out for authors to write characters who consistently make wrong choices and then use the wrong choices as the driving force of the plot. I've read many intelligent, tightly written thrillers. I know that a thrilling story with smart characters can be told.Saffyre Maddox notices a vacuum in her life after celebrated child psychologist Roan Fours, who she spent three years with her, ends their sessions. I found the story to be incredibly engaging, the characters were fascinating to learn more about, and the mystery was filled with suspense and I was stumped on who this mystery man was until Jewell revealed his identity near the end. Readers will also notice that I Found You ends on a happier note that some of Jewell’s other novels don’t necessarily end on. It was really nice to read a mystery novel that has some happiness to it after a very sad story overall. The more that I read Jewell’s work, the more I like her. I cannot wait to read more of her novels and see what she comes up with next.

Readers will undoubtedly speculate about how the plotlines relate to each other, and they'll probably be wrong. 🙂 I don't want to give away spoilers so I'll just say that things come together in a dramatic, well-wrought, and satisfying fashion. One of the things I appreciated most about I Found You was Jewell’s ability to make me identify with and care about someone who is nothing like me. Alice makes bad choices. Alice watches the telly rather than reading books. Alice lives somewhat messily. Alice is almost nothing like me and yet I loved her and rooted for her. It’s rare I can be made to care deeply about someone that I cannot find a single thing in common with and it speaks to Jewell as a writer to be able to develop her so gently and so well. Additionally, if you had asked me before I read this book, I would not have believed that you could convince me that a likeable, mostly rational character would invite a total stranger to live in her house and yet, Jewell made that choice fit into who Alice is. Of course Alice would invite Frank in and, of course, the reader will love her for it. Voice…Literally

Table of Contents

Surrey: 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.

Each character is strong and has distinct elements. You see major flaws in all of them, but somehow still root for things to work out. Lydia, despite being rich and accomplished, is still haunted by a distressing childhood; Dean is a jobless single father without a promising future; while eighteen year old Robyn, who is smart and popular, has just joined college with dreams of becoming a pediatrician. She is however performing dismally in class and is also getting to know what it means to fall in love for the very first time. Jewell is a huge fan of writing stories from multiple perspectives and points-of-view. She never disappoints on creating unique and well thought out voice for each of her characters and for her stories in general as well. While it’s apparent that each of the characters in I Found You are connected on some level, Jewell keeps the reader guessing right up to the point where everything is revealed. Personally, this is my favourite of Lisa Jewell’s work so far. Alice has a best friend named Derry Dynes ( with one son Daniel). She has made it clear to Alice that she doesn't approve of the stranger Alice has brought into her house. Derry's warnings were always in my thoughts also....'knowing' this story could go anywhere.Lisa Jewell does a fantastic job of developing unforgettable characters....whether they had two legs or four legs. The animals were almost as entertaining as the humans. All so well written! I loved the personalities of the humans and the dogs. Despite the darker tones and subject matter, the book has a deeply satisfying quality to it, which can be attributed to the characterizations, and the way the author adeptly, and realistically drew the book to a close.

Three seemingly unrelated people see their lives converge in the most horrific an unimaginable way. Readers of Liane Moriarty, Paula Hawkins, and Ruth Ware will love.” — Library Journal (starred review) I Found You is Lisa Jewell’s fourteenth novel, which published in 2016, and it is both extremely mystifying and very well done. The novel follows three narratives throughout the story as the reader tries to figure out who this mysterious man is and why he ended up on a beach not remembering anything about himself, where he came from, or why he is alone on a beach in the pouring rain. The story is told from four perspectives: Alice, the mystery man that Alice’s daughter names Frank, and Lily (which are told in the present), and Gray, who is telling his story from 1993. It’s apparent that these people are somehow connected and Jewell does a wonderful job at not giving away anything as she navigates between these character’s narratives. The setting and descriptions are quite vivid. The writing is simple and easy. Everything flows and connects, with just enough mystery and suspense left all around.

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After discovering what Frank did before he lost his memory, Alice chooses to forgive him. Would you have forgiven him if you were in her position? Despite being raised in the most suitable of conditions, things aren’t turning out well for brothers Tony, Sean, and Ned who are now all grown up.