Summary: From the moment Lucy met Gabe when they were seniors at Columbia University, she knew that she had feelings for him. And Gabe felt the same way for her. Lucy couldn’t imagine being in love with anyone could feel this good, and she wants nothing else but a life with Gabe. But Gabe wants something else in the form of a photojournalism assignment in the Middle East. Choosing to pursue her career in New York than follow Gabe, Lucy is left heartbroken. As years go on and Gabe comes in and out of her life, Lucy’s own life begins to take shape with her career, her friends, and a stable relationship with a new guy. Through it all, she questions if she’ll ever be able to find the same kind of love that she had with Gabe.

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

My Thoughts:

It took me less than four days over a school week to read The Light We Lost. Yes, some finals prep may or may not have been out on the backburner for a bit, but I was completely absorbed by Jill Santopolo’s writing style. We’re introduced to Lucy from the day she meets Gabe and we travel well into their adulthood. Lucy narrates the entire novel, narrating as if she’s directly talking to Gabe, often referring to Gabe as ‘you’. I love books that really carry the audience through a character’s life and relationships. If you’re a fan of Cecelia Ahern’s Love, Rosie or Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Reid After I Do, The Light We Lost is sure to please.

My favorite aspect of the novel was seeing Lucy grow more independent, even if she’s in a relationship. I liked how she told Gabe that she wouldn’t follow him to the Middle East because she wants a career. If I were in the same situation, I would 100% do the same. Darren also annoyed me in the sense that he wanted to Lucy to sideline her career for his goals. Seeing Lucy put her foot down in that similar situation made me so happy as well. Jill Santopolo did a great job of showing throughout the novel that women are entitled to having a career as much as men are. When it comes to the relationships in the novel, I thought her and Gabe had a great relationship and you easily learn why Lucy loves him so much, but I wanted her to fully embrace a life with Darren. I understand that a piece of Lucy would always love Gabe, but I wanted to see her really move on.

While it became a bit predictable at times, I loved how cozy The Light We Lost made me feel. I just wanted to stay in with a cup of tea and read more about Lucy’s life—I needed to know how the book ended ASAP. I really liked seeing her build a life with Darren, and as much as I wanted to see her move on, I liked how Gabe continued to play a part in her life. It might have been frustrating for Darren, but he just couldn’t understand the comfort that Gabe provided Lucy. I recommend reading The Light We Lost if you’re looking for a contemporary read that you won’t want to put down—a perfect rainy day read!

Have you read The Light We Lost? Share in the comments!