Finding Lucas [Kindle Edition]

Samantha Stroh Bailey (Author)

Book Description

Can you ever really go back to the past?

After five long years of living with Derek, her former bad-boy-turned-metrosexual boyfriend, Jamie Ross finally reaches her breaking point. She's had enough of his sneering disdain for her second hand wardrobe, unusual family and low-paying job as the associate producer of Chicago's sleaziest daytime talk show. When her new boss plans a segment on reuniting lost loves, Jamie remembers Lucas, her first love and the boy she'd lost ten years earlier. Spurred on by her gang of quirky friends, Jamie goes on a hilarious, disastrous and life changing hunt to track Lucas down. But are some loves best left behind?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Samantha Stroh Bailey has been a writer ever since she could pick up a pen. In fact, she even sent her first manuscript, Freddy the Flame, to publishers when she was ten years old. After 15 years of teaching ESL to adults, including at the University of Toronto, she decided to live her dreams of being a fulltime writer and editor. Now the owner of Perfect Pen Communications, she not only gets to write novels, but also writes and edits for magazines, websites, businesses, students and other authors. Her work has appeared in Now Magazine, The Village Post, Oxford University Press, Abilities Magazine, on mommyish.com and many other publications. Samantha also has a Masters of Education in Applied Linguistics. She lives in Toronto with her husband and two children. Finding Lucas is her first novel.

Product Details

• File Size: 596 KB
• Print Length: 367 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0988020424
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007VIIU6A
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,622 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars So, So Good! January 23, 2013

By Stacey

Format:Kindle Edition

This is one of those books that I knew I would love from page one, and I was so, so right. The whole time I was reading this book, I kept thinking, Why is this not a NYT bestseller? Why is Samantha Stroh Bailey's book not sitting on a front table at Barnes & Noble next to Jennifer Weiner and Sophie Kinsella? Because, trust me, this book is every bit as good as your favorite chick lit classics. First of all, Stroh Bailey's writing is hilarious. I mean, there were so many times I nearly rolled out of bed laughing while reading. Secondly, the plot is really well-crafted to keep you guessing just what the heck is going to happen next. And lastly, the characters were all so well-drawn that they truly felt like living, breathing, people. From her evil co-worker to her posh BFF to her "alternative" family, every character had a thoroughly developed personality and backstory, which were both expertly revealed in the writing. What impressed me most, however, is that even though the main cc is SO completely different from me, I was still able to connect and empathize with her and her journey toward self-discovery and ultimately self-awareness and self-acceptance. But more than anything, Finding Lucas was simply a really great read and I enjoyed it so thoroughly that I took my time reading it, not wanting to finish it in too much of a hurry, but to savor every word of it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars So Much to Love About This Book! January 20, 2013

By BrainyBlonde

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Finding Lucas is one of those stories that's so clever and entertaining you hate for it to end! I enjoyed this novel from the first line (and it's quite a memorable one!) all the way to the last page. Well-paced, funny, and beautifully written, I really couldn't have asked for more. The author has such a deft hand with her characterizations. Everyone populating the book, from insecure heroine Jamie to her super successful BFF Hanna to her controlling, appearance-obsessed boyfriend Derek (Boo! Hiss!), has complexities and richly layered backstories that explain why they act the way they do. Even minor characters in the book, like Jamie's arch-nemesis at work and Derek's uptight mother are well-drawn, colorful, and hard to forget.

Poor Jamie really does have her hands full in this book. When the story starts, she's absolutely miserable in her deeply unsatisfying relationship with Derek, but she's too paralyzed with fear and self-doubt to end it and try for something better. In desperate need of a life raft and inspired by an upcoming topic (Reuniting Lost Loves) on the talk show she works for, Jamie gloms on to the idea of finding her secret teenage hook-up, the gorgeous, broody Lucas. She envisions them rekindling their adolescent love affair and walking off happily into the sunset together. Of course, tracking down Lucas, whom she hasn't seen in over a decade, is a lot more difficult than fantasizing about him.

In the end, Finding Lucas is really more about Jamie finding herself than some elusive ideal man. She has to go on journeys, both literal (Road trip!) and figurative, in order to figure out exactly what it is she wants and what will make her happy. She may, or may not, find love (no spoilers!), but the things she does pick up along the way (her backbone, a sense of purpose, and a new appreciation for her unusual family) are every bit as valuable.

Samantha Stroh Bailey is a consummate and engaging storyteller, and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future. Meanwhile, I encourage everyone to pick up a copy of Finding Lucas. I guarantee you hours of reading fun with this book!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Finding Lucas September 23, 2012

By Jersey Girl Book Reviews / Jersey Girl Sizzling Book Reviews

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Have you ever been in a relationship that has hit a really rough patch and you find yourself thinking about a past love and playing the "what if " game?

Jamie Ross and her live-in boyfriend Derek are celebrating their fifth anniversary with a trip to Montreal, Canada. While on the trip, Jamie wonders what has happened to their relationship, it seems like the guy that she has fell in love with has become a new person. Instead of the laid back fun loving guy he used to be, he's become the ultimate metrosexual. Realizing that she is unhappy in the relationship, Jamie breaks up with Derek.

Jamie works as an associate producer for a TV talk show in Chicago, and when her boss Andrew announces that they will be doing a show reuniting past loves, Jamie thinks about her old boyfriend Lucas while taking a trip down memory lane wondering "what if" ... so she decides to search for Lucas while embarking on a journey of self-discovery that will change her life.

Finding Lucas is an entertaining story about a woman who embarks on a journey to find a past love, but ultimately finds herself. Written in a witty and humorous first person narrative, the reader follows Jamie on her journey to find Lucas. This was such a fun story to read: it has quirky characters, sassy dialogue and a storyline that everyone can relate to, come on you know you've gone down memory lane and played the "what if" game once or twice. Rich in detail and description, the story takes place in Chicago, and the author does a wonderful job of transporting the reader to the Windy City.

The author has created a quirky cast of characters who are realistic and fun to get to know. Jamie is a sassy lady that made me laugh, I certainly could relate to her! I couldn't help but feel for Jamie as she embarked on her journey, hoping that she would find the person that would bring her happiness. I did not like Derek at all, I know I wouldn't have lasted with him for five minutes let alone five years, I probably would have smacked the hell out of him before dumping his pompous ass. I really enjoyed Jamie's crazy family and friends, their antics kept me in stitches, and I really loved how they provided Jamie with a great support system. Andrew was my favorite character, I could just hug that man, and I loved the friendship and growing relationship that he and Jamie shared. The dialogue and interactions between the cast of characters were very entertaining, I loved the author's sense of humor, her witty writing style kept me laughing as I turned the pages.

Finding Lucas is a wonderful story about relationships, friendships, family, love and life lessons ... it will engage you to go down your own memory lane where you'll reminisce about past loves, and you'll learn even more about yourself!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.

More About the Author

Samantha Stroh Bailey has been a writer ever since she could pick up a pen. In fact, she even sent her first manuscript, Freddy the Flame, to publishers when she was ten years old (it was rejected) and a lifelong passion to write was born.

After 15 years of teaching ESL to adults, including at the University of Toronto, she decided to live her dreams of being a fulltime writer and editor. Now the owner of Perfect Pen Communications, she not only gets to write novels, but also writes and edits for magazines, websites, businesses, students and other writers.

Her work has appeared in Now Magazine, The Village Post, Oxford University Press, Abilities Magazine, on mommyish.com and many other publications. Samantha also has a Master of Education in Applied Linguistics.

She lives in Toronto with her husband and two children. Finding Lucas is her first novel.