The Trail of Lost Hearts

A Novel

By: Tracey Garvis Graves

Narrated by: Eric Meyers, Kate Handford

“The narration authentically propels the story forward with relatable and energetic tone.”—Booklist

Thirty-four-year-old Wren Waters believes that if you pay attention, the universe will send you exactly what you need. But her worldview shatters when the universe delivers two life-altering blows she didn’t see coming, and all she wants to do is put the whole heartbreaking mess behind her. No one is more surprised than Wren when she discovers that geocaching—the outdoor activity of using GPS to look for hidden objects—is the only thing getting her out of bed and out of her head. She decides that a weeklong solo quest geocaching in Oregon is exactly what she needs to take back control of her life.

Enter Marshall Hendricks, a psychologist searching for distraction as he struggles with a life-altering blow of his own. Though Wren initially rebuffs Marshall’s attempt at hiker small talk, she’s beyond grateful when he rescues her from a horrifying encounter farther down the trail. In the interest of safety, Marshall suggests partnering up to look for additional caches. Wren’s no longer quite so trusting of the universe—or men in general—but her inner circle might argue that a smart, charismatic psychologist isn’t the worst thing the universe could place in her path.

What begins as a platonic road trip gradually blossoms into something deeper, and the more Wren learns about Marshall, the more she wants to know. Now all she can do is hope that the universe gets it right this time.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

©2024 Tracey Garvis Graves (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Breathtaking and endlessly romantic. I love this book and know you'll love it too."—Colleen Hoover, New York Times bestselling author of It Ends With Us

"Tracey Garvis Graves has crafted a powerful story of resiliency and the strength of the human spirit. A poignant, heartfelt read."—Rochelle B. Weinstein, bestselling author of When We Let Go

"Graves shows how two people can find connection even at their darkest moments while serving up a satisfyingly twisty and realistic plot."—Publisher's Weekly

Loved it!

Such a compelling story! Following their story through all the things life has thrown at them was such a treat.

I’m leaving the book feeling satisfied

I personally wished it was more “woman finds herself in the woods” but I also really liked how the story wrapped up and focused on the things in life I also believe are important.

Not my favorite from the author, but well narrated

The relationship just felt rushed or unlikely in the beginning. I liked the characters, but I felt there were too many themes stuffed into the book.

Meh 🫤

What started as a very promising beginning turned into a story that I couldn’t relate to. As a female my decisions would have been very different. That is all I can say without giving away the storyline. Events that followed were not realistic. I was very disappointed with the development of the female character!

Such An Endearing Story!

This story had me invested from the beginning. It has a quiet tone but not short on drama. The challenges faced by the two main characters garnered and focused my attention throughout. The storytelling is beautiful.

Characters face grief

I enjoyed the story because there was the veil that wavered between reality and fiction. I have faced having life in my womb and being left by my significant other. There’s a wonderful thread of what love can look like here. I loved Wrens character and Marshall who picks up her broken pieces. There’s a feeling of actual tension of vulnerability and navigating grief and I have a very strong appreciation for how the author does this well. The adventure of geocaching also made me interested in this…. It was a delight to read. And while it has a good conclusion getting there feels authentic.

Hard to engage

This was the first book I did not enjoy from the author. I found it hard to engage with the main character. The flow of the overall story was too mundane. It took me weeks to finish because I didn’t feel engaged enough to care about the characters. The development stayed neutral with no intriguing parts. I was glad when it ended. It was hard for me tell whether the narration played role or the story just didn’t cut it.