Lost and Found by Tarah DeWitt: My Honest Book Review
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⭐ Quick Verdict
⭐ My Rating: 4 ★
💭 Quick Take: A deeply emotional romance about grief, second chances, and a hero whose years of quiet devotion make finally getting his shot at love feel incredibly rewarding.
👉 Read If You Love:
- Friends to lovers
- History between the couple
- Years of yearning
- Firefighter romance
- Roommates to lovers
- Forced proximity
- Grief and healing journeys
- Emotional contemporary romance
🚫 Skip if:
- You prefer lighter romances with less emotional weight.
- You’re uncomfortable with IVF being a major storyline.
- You don’t enjoy dual timelines.
- You want the romance to be the primary focus over the heroine’s personal journey.
Book Details
Release Date: August 2026
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Tropes: Friends to Lovers, History Between Lovers, Firefighter Romance, Roommates to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Grief, Star-Crossed Lovers
Series: Spunes (book 3)
Steam Level: Moderate
POV: Dual
What This Book Is About
After losing her best friend, Merrit, Bea is left grieving while trying to figure out what to do with one final gift her friend entrusted to her. As she navigates an incredibly emotional decision that could change the course of her life, she’s forced to lean on the people who love her most.
One of those people is Silas, the firefighter who’s quietly loved Bea for years. Although their connection has always been undeniable, bad timing and Bea’s loyalty to Merrit kept them from ever exploring what might have been. Now, as they’re thrown together under one roof, the feelings they’ve both buried become impossible to ignore.
Told through both present-day chapters and flashbacks, Lost and Found slowly reveals the handful of moments that shaped their relationship and why finally finding their way to each other feels so meaningful.
My Review of Lost and Found
One thing I know about the Spunes series is that every book is going to make me feel all the feels, probably leave me reaching for a tissue, and remind me how precious life and love really are. Lost and Found delivered exactly that.
This is first and foremost Bea’s story. Her grief following Merrit’s death shapes nearly every decision she makes, and the emotional journey she embarks on because of the final gift Merrit leaves her becomes the heart of the novel. The exploration of grief and IVF is thoughtful and deeply emotional, though I can also see why some readers may have conflicted feelings about the choices Bea ultimately makes, just as her own mother does.
The romance works because Tarah DeWitt never asks you to believe Bea and Silas suddenly fall in love. Instead, she carefully shows that the feelings have always been there, buried beneath years of bad timing, loyalty, and missed opportunities.
Silas absolutely stole this book for me. His quiet yearning was everything. For eight years he loved Bea without expecting anything in return, simply showing up whenever she needed him and waiting for life to finally give them a chance. His devotion never felt obsessive or unrealistic. It felt patient, selfless, and completely swoon-worthy.
The flashbacks are one of the book’s greatest strengths. Rather than showing years of friendship, they reveal the handful of moments that defined Bea and Silas’ connection and explain why neither of them was ever able to fully let go of the other. Every glimpse into the past made their eventual romance feel more believable and emotionally satisfying.
Despite the heavy subject matter, DeWitt still brings plenty of lightness through Bea and Silas’ flirtation. Their playful innuendo and constant attempts not to flirt somehow only make their chemistry even hotter. I smiled just as often as I teared up.
Silas is also recovering from a devastating accident that left him with severe burn scars, but his healing journey remains secondary to Bea’s story. While I would have loved a little more time exploring his recovery, I never felt shortchanged because his emotional arc centers on finally allowing himself to hope that Bea could choose him.
Readers who’ve followed the Spunes series will especially appreciate seeing the Byrds again. Ellis’ big brother advice was exactly what Silas needed, Wren’s reflections on motherhood and grief had me tearing up, and Silas and Fisher’s back-and-forth provided the perfect comic relief throughout the heavier moments.
I also loved that DeWitt avoided a third-act breakup. After everything Bea and Silas had already endured, their happily-ever-after felt stronger because the conflict remained focused on healing and moving forward instead of unnecessary relationship drama.
I received an advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.
What I Loved
- Silas’ eight years of quiet yearning for Bea.
- The playful flirting and innuendo between Bea and Silas.
- The flashbacks that slowly revealed why they never forgot each other.
- Silas and Fisher’s hilarious banter.
- No third-act breakup.
- The beautiful balance between grief, hope, healing, and romance.
Things to Know Before You Read
- The story focuses much more on Bea’s grief than Silas’ recovery.
- IVF and fertility decisions are central to the plot.
- Told through both present-day chapters and flashbacks.
- Silas’ burn injury and recovery are part of the story but not the primary focus.
- Can be read as a standalone, though returning characters from the first two books add emotional depth.
- Some readers may have mixed feelings about Bea’s decision regarding Merrit’s frozen eggs.
Final Thoughts
Lost and Found is another emotionally rich romance from Tarah DeWitt that perfectly blends heartbreak, hope, and healing. While the romance unfolds alongside a much larger story about grief, Silas’ years of unwavering love and the incredible payoff of finally seeing these two get their chance together make this one incredibly satisfying.
If you love emotional contemporary romance with a yearning hero who’s impossible not to fall for, I highly recommend adding this one to your TBR. It felt like a beautiful farewell to the Spunes series, though I’d happily come back for Micah’s story if Tarah ever decides to write it.
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