Finding Lucas by Samantha Stroh Bailey Review

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Finding Lucas by Samantha Stroh Bailey-Women's Fiction/Chicklit

Kindle format given by author for review/blog tour

Can you ever really go back to the past?

On her fifth anniversary with boyfriend Derek, Jamie Ross finds herself in a Montreal hotel room wondering how the carefree guy she met in a Chicago bar has turned into “the quintessential metrosexual.” Weighed down by Derek’s disdain for her second hand wardrobe, her unusual family and her low-paying job as an associate producer of a daytime talk show, Jamie reaches a breaking point. And when her new boss plans to reunite lost loves on the show, she remembers Lucas— the boy she’d loved and lost ten years earlier. What follows is a quest that is at times hilarious and at others disastrous as Jamie’s life transforms from run of the mill to absolutely crazy. But will finding Lucas give Jamie everything she’s looking for?

My Take:

Do you ever wonder "What would've happened?" I know I do sometimes. I mean, I love my husband and wouldn't change my marriage for anything, but there have been times in my life (pre-marriage) that I've wondered about old boyfriends. What would they be like today? Do they still look the same or are they balding? Are my memories better than the reality? Would I still do some of the crazy things I did with that person now? Valid and reasonable questions in my opinion. So, these were the reasons I was really excited about reading this book and I'm glad I did. 

Let me just start by saying that Jamie must have been a saint for staying with Derek for five years. I would have wanted to punch him in the face daily. Although, I certainly wouldn't have stayed in a situation that bad in the first place. However, Jamie did, but thank the lord she came to her senses. Jamie was definitely likable and even though my personality is very different, I could relate to her. She's got a unique family and as a result she's a bit quirky. I could definitely dig it. She has a great network of family and friends who show her love and support despite the fact that she occasionally refuses it. After her split with Derek, she's determined to make some positive changes. One of those being, finding her high school love, Lucas. 

Jamie works for a TV show, so when the idea of finding lost loves comes up for a show, she wants to take the lead. She begins working with her boss, Andrew, on the segment and they begin interviewing potential guests. They have to do some traveling and Jamie sees this as her perfect chance to test the waters for herself in her search for Lucas. The thing is, she and Andrew have been spending a lot of time together. They've become good friends and confidants. Once the show airs, finding Lucas may not have been the goal, but finding herself was and Andrew was there to help her. 

The characters were likable, with the exception of Derek. Jamie's family made me laugh and I simply adored Andrew. It was a lot funnier than I was expecting. I also loved the setting of the story. I lived in Chicago, so I could visualize the places she talks about. I was intrigued by the concept of the story mostly because, I believe in finding love and happiness. 

While I did enjoy the story, it seemed a bit long. I felt that the beginning seemed a bit drawn out and somewhat repetitive. The fact that her family was different and quirky was brought up several times. I understand that her family was a big influence on her decisions and personality, but I felt the point was made. 

Overall, I really did enjoy the book. Not only was it well-written, but it was funny, sweet, and made me feel a bit nostalgic. I'd definitely recommend it. 

 Amazon

Samantha Stroh Bailey has been a writer ever since she could pick up a pen. In fact, she even sent her first manuscript, Freddy the Flame, to publishers when she was ten years old. Sadly, it was rejected, but a lifelong passion to write was born.

After 15 years of teaching ESL to adults, including at the University of Toronto, she decided to live her dreams of being a fulltime writer and editor. Now the owner of Perfect Pen Communications, she not only gets to write novels, but also writes and edits for magazines, websites, businesses, students and other writers.

Her work has appeared in Now Magazine, The Village Post, Oxford University Press, Abilities Magazine, on Mommyish.com and many other publications. Samantha also has a Master of Education in Applied Linguistics.

She lives in Toronto with her husband and two children. Finding Lucas is her first novel.

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