The Lost Girls of Devon is a feel-good story written by an excellent author, Barbara O'Neal. Set in Axestowe, England, we follow four generations of women in the Fairchild family.

Lillian, the matriarch, who later in life (love that - she was in her 40s) became a celebrated author of mystery books and, unfortunately, is in the beginning stages of dementia.

Poppy, think hippie sunshine chick, is Lillian's only child and has returned to Axestowe after leaving her daughter to Lillian's care to find herself.

Zoe, Poppy's daughter, who Lillian raised since she was 7, now has a 15-year-old child of her own, lives in New Mexico, is divorced, and is disinterested in other relationships; until she runs into her old fling in Axestowe.

Isabel, Zoe's daughter, holds a devastating secret that has torn her apart.

The disappearance of Zoe's childhood friend, Diana, brings the women all under one roof. There are so many beautiful threads to follow in this story of love, forgiveness, and new beginnings, that it is hard to put them all in one review. Suffice it to say, each of the women answers the other's need for closure, understanding, and self-healing.

While not my favorite O'Neal book (if you haven't read When We Believed in Mermaids - do it!), it is still great. (Mermaids just hit my personal heartstring.) The Lost Girls of Devon is totally worth the read and will leave you with a beautiful sense of female dynamics within the family.


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Like any good tale, this novel is a lot of things. It's about family. About healing. About second chance romance.

It feels a bit dichotomous: Not quite British, not fully American. Which makes sense, I guess, as the characters are a mix of both, as is the author's family.

Enjoyable. Good. Not especially memorable, however. But still worth a read, especially for those who enjoy stories about family. ( )

I appear to be grossly in the minority here; however, The Lost Girls of Devon did not impress me.

We are introduced to four generations of women, all who are highly unlikable and incredibly one dimensional.

What bothered me most was Zoe (a now 40 year old mother of a teen) and her obsession with the "love of her life", her ex with who she parted ways her first semester of college. Some small plot hole here and there. The reactions to Isa's trauma when its finally exposed.

Sadly, for me this lacked all the charm and heart of When We Were Mermaids. Everyone else appear to love it so far - check it out, maybe you will too!

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for my copy in exchange for a review. ( )

If you're looking for an emotional read with a good twist of mystery, you've met your match. Following the 4 different women was a little difficult at times, but overall, I could relate and felt invested in their stories. There wasn't enough to suck me into their world and force me to stay up late finishing this one, but I did enjoy it.

Amidst family and friends from her childhood, Zoe insists on solving a mystery that the police have put to bed. Excellent! ( )