Book Review: The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan

Author: Ruth Hogan

Title: The Keeper of Lost Things

Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Fantasy, Magical Realism

Format: ebook

Pages: 277

Published: February 21, 2017

Where I Got It: Borrow from library

Summary: 

Lime green plastic flower-shaped hair bobbles—Found, on the playing field, Derrywood Park, 2nd September.

Bone china cup and saucer—

Found, on a bench in Riveria Public Gardens, 31st October.Anthony Peardew is the keeper of lost things. Forty years ago, he carelessly lost a keepsake from his beloved fiancée, Therese. That very same day, she died unexpectedly. Brokenhearted, Anthony sought consolation in rescuing lost objects—the things others have dropped, misplaced, or accidently left behind—and writing stories about them. Now, in the twilight of his life, Anthony worries that he has not fully discharged his duty to reconcile all the lost things with their owners. As the end nears, he bequeaths his secret life’s mission to his unsuspecting assistant, Laura, leaving her his house and and all its lost treasures, including an irritable ghost.

Recovering from a bad divorce, Laura, in some ways, is one of Anthony’s lost things. But when the lonely woman moves into his mansion, her life begins to change. She finds a new friend in the neighbor’s quirky daughter, Sunshine, and a welcome distraction in Freddy, the rugged gardener. As the dark cloud engulfing her lifts, Laura, accompanied by her new companions, sets out to realize Anthony’s last wish: reuniting his cherished lost objects with their owners.

Long ago, Eunice found a trinket on the London pavement and kept it through the years. Now, with her own end drawing near, she has lost something precious—a tragic twist of fate that forces her to break a promise she once made.

As the Keeper of Lost Objects, Laura holds the key to Anthony and Eunice’s redemption. But can she unlock the past and make the connections that will lay their spirits to rest?

Review:

Picked this up for book club. I was going to do the audio version but decided to just borrow the ebook from the library. 

Laura is recovering from a bad divorce. She is lost and decides to accept the position as Anthony's assistant. 40 years ago, Anthony lost a keepsake from his beloved fiancée. That very same day she died unexpectedly. Brokenhearted, Anthony starts rescuing lost objects and writing stories about them, and finding their owners. In the twilight of his life, he hands over his life's mission to Laura by leaving her his house and all the lost treasures. We also follow Eunice who found a lost trinket on the London pavement and kept it throughout the years. With her life coming to an end soon, she will break her promise.

I wish I had loved this book. It has all the elements there for me, but it missed the mark for me. Maybe because there were just too many time jumps and too many players in the game? Too many parallel storylines going on?

One thing I know that didn't help was my feelings for Laura. I didn't like her from the moment we meet her. There was just something about her and her actions that rubbed me the wrong way. Not that she was a bad person...but she annoyed me. 

I also wanted more of Anthony and his love's story. I feel like a more linear way to tell the story would've worked better for me. See him fall in love, lose the keepsake, she dies, he grows old, meets Laura, and so on. Maybe I would've been hooked more because I did adore Anthony. 

Awwwww Sunshine was my absolute favorite! Adorable. 

Oooo! The ending was perfect! Great way to end it. I won't spoil anything, but it fit like a glove to end this tale. There is a little bit of hope for maybe another, but no cliffhangers or anything. You can just read this and be content. 

In the end, I wish I had liked this more. It just ended up being okay for me. I adored Sunshine and I wanted more of Anthony and less of Laura. There are some disjointed parallel storylines that just didn't sit well with me. However, I did like this and ending was good! Overall, this is a good choice for book club. There is a lot to discuss. 3 stars from me.