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Lost & Found in Lunenburg

Lost & Found in Lunenburg

A quirky, tender work of contemporary fiction about grief, love, and starting again at middle-age set in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, from the author of The Pregnant Pause and Fishnets & Fantasies.

“That’s the problem with loving someone, isn’t it?” said Margot with a ghost of a smile. “If you have a heartbeat, you’re bound to get your heart broken. Not just once, but over and over again… But the joy that happens in between the meetings and the partings makes it all worthwhile.”

Rose Ainsworth, the affable protagonist in Jane Doucet’s debut novel, The Pregnant Pause, is back in this candid, compelling look at midlife love, loss, and new beginnings. Rose and Jim, her husband of almost twenty years, have been living happily in Halifax, Nova Scotia, since moving from Toronto more than a decade earlier. With a satisfying career, two sweet rescue mutts, and her family nearby, Rose’s life is golden — until one day, her world unexpectedly implodes.

Widowed suddenly soon after her fiftieth birthday, Rose is addled by grief. Could that be why three months later, she decides to buy her friend Wendy Hebb’s sex shop in the tiny coastal community of Lunenburg? As she rushes to rent her house and store her belongings, her older sister, Daisy, worries that Rose is running away — from the home that she and Jim lived in together, and its constant reminders of what she’s lost.

When Rose lands in Lunenburg in a furnished condo with a year’s lease, a colourful cast of local characters keeps her from drowning in grief: a long-lost quirky cousin with a mysterious health condition; a busybody septuagenarian widow who pushes Rose to join a bereavement group; and a handsome restaurant owner who stirs feelings in Rose she isn’t ready to face.

As the condo’s lease creeps closer to its expiration date, Rose must make a choice — continue carving out her new life in Lunenburg, or move back to her Halifax home? Jane Doucet’s trademark heart and humour, along with the return of beloved characters from The Pregnant Pause and Fishnets & Fantasies, make Lost & Found in Lunenburg feel like a long-overdue catch-up with old friends.

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Lost & Found in Lunenburg

“Lost & Found in Lunenburg” by Jane Doucet was an unforgettable read! It was touching, funny, and a deeply relatable novel about loss, reinventions, and the surprising ways we find ourselves again. Set in the seaside town of Lunenburg, the story follows Rose Ainsworth, a recently widowed woman in her early fifties who decides to escape her old life by making a bold move—buying a sex shop in a town she barely knows.

What sounds like the setup for a comedy turns into a beautifully layered story of healing. Rose isn’t running away so much as she is running toward something new, even if she doesn’t know exactly what it is yet. The shop becomes a symbol of her independence and courage, and through the quirky people she meets, Rose begins to rediscover her spark.

Doucet writes with warmth, infusing humor into moments of vulnerability and grief. Her descriptions of Lunenburg are so vivid, you can almost smell the salt air and hear the buzz of conversation at the local cafe. But what really makes the novel shine is Rose—an authentic, smart, funny, and strong protagonist whose journey feels both personal and universal.

This book is perfect for readers who enjoy character-driven stories, uplifting midlife transformations, and tales set in charming small towns. It’s a gentle reminder that even in the face of heartbreak, it’s never too late to start over or to find joy in unexpected places. I highly recommend “Lost and Found in Lunenburg” to anyone who craves for a laugh and a good cry in one.

I recommend this book.

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