The Lost

If you saw her on the street you would probably walk right past her. You'd likely even go out of your way to avoid making eye contact or getting too close to her. This girl with the dirty hair and sad eyes. No one sees her pain, or acknowledges the hurt that's as clear as day on her haunted face. All they see is a girl who isn't up to societies standards. You'd judge her just from a glimpse, and then you'd forget her. Too bad she can't forget herself. Her name is Leigh, and this is her story.The [...]

2.5 Lost Me stars“Maybe we are lost, and some of us just don’t want to be found.”The Lost was lost on me. I just really disliked the heroine. I read the premise and felt a need to read the book, I wanted the darkness it offered, but it's hard to take in when I feel nothing for the main character. I continued on with the book because of all the other characters; but in the end I just could wrap my head around her selfishness and her reasonings. I loved the thought of lost souls, but 90% was [...]

4.25 LOST-then-found Stars!The Lost by Cole McCade was one of those books I ventured into by the book blurb alone- it had just enough promise of darkness, I couldn't NOT try it out. Cole McCade is a new author to me, and I've always appreciated the different voice we get with male authors and Mr. McCade did not disappoint. The Lost depicts a woman deeply emotionally damaged by (view spoiler)[ incest(hide spoiler)] abuse from her step-father. The complexity of this heroine does not make for a lig [...]

5 - "Do you think lost people recognize each other, when they meet?" Stars!The Lost is without doubt the type of book I normally avoid, and you certainly won't find a ream of titles of this genre sitting on my TBR shelf. Not because it is badly written, but because it covers subject matter that as a reader I do not look to read about. Dark, gritty, taboo, uncomfortable, and in equal parts heart-wrenchingly sad and gut-churningly brutal. But when a trusted friend and fellow reader recommends a bo [...]

***** 5 My little mouse stars***** Best of the year for me. WOW amazing! "The wounded, the broken, the struggling, the hopeful the lost. We find beauty in poison, and we love the bitter taste."I'm gonna start with the writing, this is my first book by Cole McCade and I was blown away. His writing was beautiful and flawless, he has a way with words that made you feel everything. I don't remember the last time I highlighted a book as much as I did this one!Sometimes you read a book and you feel l [...]

It's been a long time since I've pulled an almost all-nighter reading. Prepare yourself, because for amongst all that is a little unsettling, The Lost is an absorbing story which holds you captive and has characters with real depth. It's dark and, at times, uncomfortable but it's equally touching, and the journey you are taken on and the emotion it pulls from you is something else. I'm going to be vague, I'm not going into much detail because doing so risks taking away something special; the not [...]

4.5 starsDark, gritty, and gut-wrenching story! This author was new to me, but this book delivered so much more than what I was expecting! There were tortured main lead characters, yes, but the passionate and captivating way in which the author presented these characters made me warm to them, imperfections and all. Small issues? The author's writing style was an adjustment for me in the beginning. It was almost overly descriptive/ lyrical at times. Some of that wordiness made my mind wander brie [...]

☆☆☆☆ 4.5 Daddy's Little Girl Stars ☆☆☆☆"Dishes and dicks. That was what she'd traded her life for; dishes and dicks and still she was happier than she'd been with a minivan and an investment account. " Leigh is a lost and broken sole. After leaving a life of domestic "perfection" (or so everyone thinks) behind, she finds peace on the streets. Never getting attached to anything so feelings can never be felt, she lives with ghosts of the life she has escaped.Her demons rule her pre [...]

This was a very intense and well written read. It is not for everybody, and readers should take the author's warning very seriously before reading this book. There are very hard subjects and themes to deal with and I am positive it would trigger certain people. If you are into the darker reads, then this is one to pick up for sure. I am short on time right now but I feel this book deserves a more in depth review. Hopefully I will be able to come back and give it a review more worthy of this stor [...]

This is one of the hardest reviews I've ever written, so hard to put this story into words. This story had elements in it that were brutal and intensely sad. It's incredibly dark and very heartbreaking. Leigh's story is told in layers, each slowly peeled back of her history, and how she became the lost, sad girl she is. There are definite TRIGGER WARNINGS for this story, they should absolutely be heeded. (view spoiler)[Leigh's spiral downwards, starts with her stepfather raping her repeatedly in [...]

5 "All that matters is that we're lost together" Stars I have so much to say about this book, that I’m sure I’m going to be rambling throughout this review, so I apologize in advance. This was just an Amazing read for me. So let’s start…I can see why most of the reader’s that read and reviewed this book did not like it or Clarissa, but I have to say she was fascinating, engrossing, and strong willed and I loved her journey.Clarissa Leigh Van Zandt is living a life of promiscuity trying [...]

Review: Surj 4.75 starsFacebook: facebook/TheHopelessRTSU: tsu/HopelessRomanticsBlog: thehopelessromanticsbookblog.bCole mcCade's "The Lost" was a book that I hadn't heard of until I saw a blog post about it's release recently. In fact, I hadn't even heard of the author up until that point but if this is the quality I can expect from the mysterious writer, then I have to say, I will definitely be picking up more of his books. This really was a gem of a find that I couldn't recommend enough. Alth [...]

4.5 stars“Tonight she was a goddess of broken-down dreams, and didn’t want any mortal man to touch her."This book is a slow burn. The writing is very detailed, kind of flowery, the author uses a lot of similes and metaphors. I feel like "flowery" has a bit of a negative connotation but that's not how I mean it, the writing is gorgeous; I highlighted so much of this book because I just fell in love with the way this author strung words together to make breathtaking and often heartbreaking sen [...]

Wow! That was something else! I'm quite shaken and impressed with this story, though I also had some issues with it. Will need some time before I decide on a rating and write a review. I'm off the read the prequel, The Fallen, which gives us Gabriel Hart's story. Here is the full review.My first book by this author and I'm impressed with his writing and brave to tackle a very dark topic. Before I start this review, a few words of caution. This is a very dark read despite the HEA. It's triggery f [...]

4 - 4.5 STARS!"Maybe we are lost, and some of us just don't want to be found."When Allison and I stumbled across the sign up for this read, we both knew we just had to take a chance with this one. To say I'm surprised by how much I really enjoyed this read would be an understatement because I went in with close to zero expectations as I've never read anything from this author before. While this book screams dark from the cover itself to the blurb that makes you shudder a little, the story was so [...]

This book contains a TRIGGER WARNING!, so please make sure you READ IT, as this book may not be for you.Quote from Picture of Dorian Gray: "You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit."Leigh: I want that to be me. I want that to be my legacy. A lifetime of all the sins I've ever wished for, and the courage to follow through.YeahI'm not even sure what to say about this book. My very first read by Cole McCade and I'll definitely be reading mor [...]

I've just finished this book and I'm sitting here thinking wow. The emotions and the feels I got while reading this is amazing. Ok firstly your not getting anything from me about the storyline. I didn't even read the synopsis of this book before jumping in. I had a feeling I'd get emotionally tangled in this story and I was right. I wouldn't say this book is dark I'd rather say it's a heavy read. It certainly wasn't a one sitting read for me. It's a heart wrenching emotional read about two lost [...]

Another one bites the dust. DNF at 32%It took me 4 days to read 32%, I paced whole afternoon what to do with this book. What can I say the story is interesting and now I am wondering what happens with Leigh at the end, because I liked her very much. There is some depth I felt in her character and story and I am sorry to not see the end. The only reason for DNF is writing style. English is not my mother language and it was really hard to understand what I was reading. I re-read almost each senten [...]

The Lost and The Fallen Dual Book Review“Do you think lost people recognize each other, when they meet?”You know you’re reading something incredibly special and poignant when the second you’re away from this book your thoughts are straying back to it. You almost feel its emotional burden on your shoulders, mind and heart despite being parted. To call this a collection of pages purely with printed words is a grave injustice; we don’t often come across a written story that affects us so [...]

This was such a hard book for me to rate and I'm still not 100% sure that I've gotten it right for how I felt. Haha. This is a story about a young woman called Leigh who has had people control her and make her decisions for as long as she can remember. She's been told that she just has to look pretty, keep her mouth shut, do as her husband says, give him what he wants and pretend to be happy, even if she's not.She's been completely suffocated and uses her extremely high sex drive to rebel agains [...]

This starts with a prologue that immediately sucks you in--Leigh, in police headquarters, giving just enough of her story to make you want more. Even at the beginning of Chapter 1, I was still hooked and thinking it was going to be a fantastic ride, a dark erotic story as promised in the blurb. It was at about 10% that I started to lose interest. Let me say, first, that Cole McCade is a fantastically gifted author. His imagery is both emotive and beautifully poetic. The problem is there's just s [...]

I have mixed feelings about this book. It certainly wasn't what I expected. It's dark, but it's more about topics that most of us tend to avoid.I love the author's writing style. He writes assuming all of the readers are intelligent and knowledgeable enough to grasp all of the references. It's refreshing, like having an intelligent conversation over an after work beer with a peer. Its a pleasure.Back to the story, it's great. The h is unique and original. She's feisty and never gives up. Her act [...]

It’s difficult for me to write this review. I just… don’t think my words will do my thoughts or emotions justice. This book isn’t for everyone, but it is my perfect cup of tea. A broken story that will haunt you, yet somehow fill you with hope… the darkest of hopes. That’s what The Lost is to me. I cried. More than once! And… I’m not a crier, people. I can count on one hand how many books have made me cry. The tears weren’t all bad. Some were just a release of emotion. So many [...]

HAUNTING. TWISTED. PROFOUND.I adored this book. It was my kind of read. It had drama, a touch of taboo and darkness and engaging characters that spoke to my heart.Clarissa is a lost soul. She searches for a way to fill the void inside her. She threw a life of wealth and security in order to be free; in order to find herselfBut at what price? Homeless but getting by, she watches her old life from afar, catching it in endless camera snaps. One huge part of her heart is still left behind, trapped i [...]

"What do you really want, Leigh?"   Clarissa Leigh has desires, ones she cannot voice, as she is scared of the reaction of her husband, of her mother, of the society within which she has to endure everything with a smile. She keeps a mask to stifle everything she needs, she wants. She strives to be a good wife, but it just does not work. She fails as a mother, as a wife, and as a daughter, so she runs away, and that’s where the story begins.Leigh decides not to get attached, to live day by d [...]

A very descriptively and emotionally written story.Two main characters Leigh and Gabriel each with their own troubled pasts come together through a friend Gary.A beautiful story unfolds and we get flashbacks from Leighs life and how she became who she is and why she did what she did.A sexy romantic erotic read at times but also hard and heavy with domestic abuse being the subject matter.

The Lost and The Fallen Dual Book Review“Do you think lost people recognize each other, when they meet?”You know you’re reading something incredibly special and poignant when the second you’re away from this book your thoughts are straying back to it. You almost feel its emotional burden on your shoulders, mind and heart despite being parted. To call this a collection of pages purely with printed words is a grave injustice; we don’t often come across a written story that affects us so [...]

Ce livre m'est tombé dessus complètement par hasard, ce n'est vraiment pas le genre de lecture dans lequel je me serais lancée par moi-même. Le résumé, la couverture :pale:, les multiples avertissements Et finalement The Lost, c'est la douloureuse histoire de Leigh, fleur fragile errant dans les bas-fonds de Crow City, ville imaginaire des US. On sait qu'elle a fui quelque chose, et il faudra parcourir de nombreux chapitres avant de rassembler toutes les pièces du puzzle. Leigh est une â [...]

4.5 starsThis is one of those books that I requested based on the cover alone. From the first moment I saw it, I thought the cover was creepy and sad, so obviously it got my attention. Having now read the story, it perfectly captures the theme of the story. This story is dark in that it is nearly devoid of light. It's heartbreaking and tragic, but in an odd way, I did not find it depressing. There are flawed heroines, and then there is Leigh. The flawed heroine is a common theme in a book, but o [...]

If you read nothing else I recommend, read this!This is one of the most beautifully written books that I have read in years! Yes, I said years! It is relevant, thought provoking, ugly, wonderful, sad, hopeful and necessary! It's a book all women and even men should read. To one degree or another, Leigh's story is your story. You may not have walked the same walk as Leigh but you will hear the echoes of her boots somewhere in your life. I'm in utter awe of Cole McCade's words. They have touched m [...]