Review: What She Lost and Found by M.L. Garcia

by Sarah Reads - 3:30 AM

Her life seemed perfect...
Her best friend since childhood, was like a sister to her. Wherever she'd go, her best friend Christina, was usually nearby. It should have been a wonderful beginning into adulthood during her freshman year of college. Unfortunately, two horrible nights would shake her world to the core.
Innocence would be stolen, lives would be shattered
and a young life is lost. Nothing would ever be the same again for Daniela.

Daniela Franco stopped trusting others after a horrible ordeal she experienced, at the hands of people within her own hometown. With a past that relentlessly continues to control her life, she decides to protect herself by never allowing anyone to get close enough to destroy her world again.

For the past few years, focusing on work and school, staying away from the wild-college parties and keeping a tiny circle of friends, has kept her safe. But life has a way of changing things.

Her secrets from the past begin to slowly resurface, threatening to rock her world again in the dark and destructive ways it had years earlier.
Can Daniela face the demons from her past, when they are determined to finish what was started?
Will the people she has begun opening up to, be able to survive her secrets as well as their own?

With new friendships, chances to build trust again, the possibility of finding love and experiencing intimacy the way it is meant to be,
changes are certain.

Daniela must try to live with what she lost and with what will soon be found...

Rating: 3 of 5 Hearts

***I am giving this book a warning***

It contains rape and the aftermath of what that rape does to the lead character. I know some do not like to read books containing this subject matter.

The journey the lead character Daniela Franco goes on to discover it is okay to let people in after she feels life just isn’t the same was refreshing. Yes, I wanted to growl at some of the choices she made. But I understood them. This story has heartache, suspense, and mystery laced with some humor. The fun banter that Daniela and her friends share shows us that life goes on even if we think it cannot.

Daniela meets the charming and sweet Nathan Villetti and she knows her life will never be the same. It’s as if he can read her thoughts and knows she is hiding a secret from him. His sister acted like Daniela does and he knows he must read carefully with her. He teaches her to live again and that it is okay to lean on someone sometimes.

What Nathan was not banking on was that she would fall for a bad boy named Alex. Even after he warns her about Alex, Daniela still wants Alex. It broke my heart watching her choose the wrong guy. Nathan loved her and would never do anything to put Daniela in jeopardy.

Nathan Villetti character won me over from the get go. Picturing this tall sexy man flirting with Daniela only to have her running way would have given most guys a complex. I also loved how he handled Daniela and never pushed her. He’s character stayed true to who he was the entire book. Even when I wished, he would fight harder for her.

Daniela relates to Alex even when she knows she should not get involved with him.

This book has many layers revolving round Daniela. Sometimes I felt there was too much going on in this book. I liked some of the twist I just felt the book was longer than it needed to be.

M. L. Garcia is the author of the upcoming-novel: WHAT SHE LOST AND FOUND and will soon be working hard on her next novel. M. L. has always nurtured her love for creativity, either through writing, drawing or graphic designs. She is overjoyed to finally be able to share her creative love with others. M. L. loves having music playing in the background while writing, since it definitely helps bring to life what her imagination conjures up.

M. L. was born and raised in the heart of Texas. When she is not busy with creating her stories or blogging, she is happily occupied with multitasking as a proud mother and the loving wife of a wonderful military man, who helps remind her that real-life love stories do exist. From being a Texas native, to living in North Carolina for over 6 years and even living in Germany, she usually finds it easy to adapt to new situations so the culture shock never lasts long. M. L. tries her best to enjoy wherever she is, taking in every new experience in her journey through life.