Lost Treasure

Review by Barb
Kyle Champlain is the executor of his grandmother’s estate in Wetlake, Canada. He and his parents have been estranged from Molly Champlain since the summer his parents caught his best friend, Ryan Summers, with his hand down Kyle’s pants. He was whisked away from the area and later told that Molly was disgusted with him and didn’t want to see him again. Over ten years later, Kyle now asks himself why he didn’t initiate contact anyway.
Kyle shows up at Molly’s cottage to get the place ready to sell and discovers that Ryan is renting a shed on the property to use as a woodworking workshop for his business, and he’s not interested in breaking his five year lease.
Kyle’s parents want to move forward with the sale, and when they hear about Ryan renting, they make plans to evict him, but as Kyle begins to carry out errands which Molly specified in her will, he starts to appreciate Molly’s place enough to make him think of staying and fighting his parents’ plans. It doesn’t hurt that he and Ryan still have chemistry, and even though they decide not to pursue their feelings since it would be short-term, Kyle and Ryan do get closer. In the years since they saw each other, Ryan had a son who is now eleven years old and living with his mother and her husband but spends a lot of time with Ryan. Sean takes care of Molly’s cat, and through that frequent contact, he becomes important to Kyle, despite his lack of experience with children. In the way Kate Sherwood has of bringing characters to life, this ensemble cast of characters quickly becomes engaging and entertaining. They definitely added to my overall appreciation of the story.
Molly has tasked Kyle with the delivery of personalized bequests to an odd assortment of people from all walks of life, and as he meets these characters, he begins to realize there’s more to each bequest than can be seen on the surface. Procrastinating about leaving because of his attraction to Ryan, Kyle lingers in the area long enough to begin to realize just what life lessons Molly was trying to impart to him with her bequests. But it isn’t until he’s leaving town and stops to give the last recipient her bequest that all the puzzle pieces come together, and Molly’s lessons finally make sense.
This was a very nice story, with great characters brought to life by narrator, Jem Matzan. His vocalizations were varied and interesting, both male and female, and I absolutely loved the voice he gave to the “john” of one of Molly’s recipients. He definitely added to my enjoyment of the story.
I would recommend the audiobook format of this story over the e-book format to those considering reading it. It’s a slow burn romance that also fits the categories of reunited love and men with children. Both Kyle and Ryan are interesting characters and the story is very realistic and down-to-earth with a HEA that is hard won.
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I enjoyed this story of two guys meeting again after 15 years, who are trying hard not to fall for each other again. Since Kyle is only visiting for a few weeks, neither he nor Ryan feel they can or should have anything lasting or serious.
The story is also about Kyle reconnecting with his grandmother and the wonderful childhood summers he spent in the small Canadian town. As he delivers her small bequests, Kyle learns more about her and how she saw him through the eyes of those who knew her. I had a strong feeling of loss that it was too late for him to know her better. This part is bittersweet, but Kyle learns as much about himself as he does his grandmother, and the story is well told.
As in other Kate Sherwood stories, there are wonderful secondary characters, people I really enjoyed getting to know. She writes children well. They're not perfect by any means, but they are great kids who are important to the story without overwhelming it. The writing is smooth, clear and so comfortable it drew me in for enjoyment.