The Words We Lost is a brilliant story. One of the top five books I’ve read this year, and probably last year too. Seriously now. If you love contemporary romance, don’t even read the rest of the review. Order the book.

The premise is a traumatized editor (Ingrid) who can’t really read after the death of her best friend, best-selling author Cecelia Campbell. Cecelia’s cousin Joel was the love of Ingrid’s life, until the death of Ingrid’s father, something she blames Joel for. Finally, there’s a missing manuscript that closes Cecelia’s best-selling series. But in order to stand any hope of finding the book, Ingrid must go back to her childhood home, face Joel and more importantly, their past.

I’ve been writing fiction for ten years and I can’t even. This book, guys. Wow. Deese explores the big hurts, the way grief effects everyone differently. Then there’s the sweetness of rekindled memories that bring stabs of regret. Joel’s endless devotion, tempered by Ingrid’s still simmering anger.

And then a new manuscript arrives that no one knew about and truth bombs start changing everything.

There isn’t a feel this book doesn’t deliver on Olympic level (and the book is set with those mountains as a backdrop). Grief, love, truth and courage all work together to deliver an emotional powerhouse that kept me up late because I had to finish the story.

I don’t know what else to say. Buy the book. You won’t regret it.

I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley, the overly fangirling, that’s all my own and well deserved. Just wow.