The Lost Manuscript by Mollie Rushmeyer

The Lost Manuscript
by Mollie Rushmeyer

ISBN-13: 9781335508423
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired Trade
Released: August 29, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
It’s not just Ellora Lockwood’s home that’s being emptied as she prepares to sell—her heart seems to be empty too. Since the mysterious disappearance of her beloved Grandma June and separating from her husband, Alex, Ellora has felt adrift. Then comes an invitation from Alex to teach history at a summer program at Alnwick Castle in England. He’s even found information about the location of a medieval manuscript that was her grandmother’s obsession before she vanished.

Warily, Ellora accepts Alex’s offer. Surrounded by lush English countryside and captivating history, she pieces together clues about the manuscript’s whereabouts. Could someone have been in competition with her grandmother for the manuscript? Ellora receives anonymous threats, but as she and Alex work together, she finds the courage to see this quest through, wherever it may lead…


My Review:
The Lost Manuscript is a Christian...romantic suspense? One of the major themes was Ellora and Alex deciding if they had a future together. They're still attracted to each other, but Alex didn't want children because he worried he'd fail them (like he failed his brother) and Ellora had a miscarriage of their child (which Alex didn't know about) and felt abandoned by Alex when she needed him the most. She discovered she wanted children, and she certainly wanted a loved one who didn't choose other things over her, like her parents and even her grandmother. Basically, these two complex characters needed to decide if they'd fight for their marriage rather than letting past hurts tear them apart.

One of the 'mysteries' was what happened to Ellora's grandmother, who disappeared while tracking down a historically significant, lost manuscript. However, rather than trying to trace Grandma's movements, they launched their own search for the manuscript, finding new information while also coming across traces of Grandma's search. Someone else also wanted the manuscript, and Ellora received several threats. The search was also dangerous at times, adding some suspense. As I'd figured out where they ought to search about halfway through, it felt like they took a long time coming to the same conclusion. On the other hand, they did stay on Grandma's track and found out what had happened to her.

Ellora and Alex decided that they needed to make God the steady foundation of their marriage if it was going to have a chance (though they had some trouble figuring out how to do this). There was no sex or bad language. Frankly, I never became immersed in this story, but I enjoyed what the author was trying to do with it. I'm looking forward to reading her future novels and would recommend this one.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.