In “The Love We Found,” Jill Santopolo’s highly anticipated sequel to her bestselling novel “The Light We Lost,” readers are invited back into Lucy Carter Maxwell’s world, ten years after the death of her former love, Gabriel Samson. This emotionally resonant follow-up explores the ripple effects of secrets, the weight of guilt, and the possibility of finding love again amid grief and responsibilities.
The novel opens with Lucy addressing Gabe directly, a narrative device that immediately pulls readers into their intimate connection that transcends death. When Lucy discovers an address in Rome tucked away with Gabe’s old photographs, her curiosity leads her on an impulsive journey to Italy, setting in motion events that will ultimately transform her life in unexpected ways.
Character Development: The Heart of the Story
Santopolo excels at crafting multidimensional characters whose complexities mirror real life. Lucy’s evolution throughout the novel is particularly compelling. At 44, she’s a successful TV producer and dedicated mother juggling co-parenting with her ex-husband Darren. But she’s also a woman who has walled herself off from romantic love, afraid of both hurting others and herself again.
The introduction of Dr. Dax Armstrong, a widowed physician working with refugees in Lampedusa, creates the perfect counterpoint to Lucy’s carefully constructed solitude. Their connection feels authentic rather than contrived, built on mutual understanding of loss and the courage to risk one’s heart again.
The supporting characters are equally well-crafted:
Samuel, Lucy and Gabe’s biological son being raised by Darren, navigates his emerging identity when he learns the truth about his parentage
Violet and Liam, Lucy’s older children with Darren, respond to family secrets with realistic teenage angst and surprising wisdom
Eva, Lucy’s elderly landlady and friend, offers perspective that only comes with age and experience
Darren, whose complexity as the wronged husband yet loving father adds necessary tension
What separates Santopolo’s work from typical romance novels is her unflinching look at the messiness of human relationships. No character is entirely hero or villain, and each brings their own wounds and wisdom to the narrative.
Thematic Richness: More Than Just Romance
“The Love We Found” explores several interconnected themes that elevate it above genre conventions:
The nature of truth and secrets: Throughout the novel, Lucy grapples with the consequences of her secret about Samuel’s paternity. Santopolo deftly illustrates how secrets, even those kept with good intentions, can erode the foundation of relationships.
Fate versus choice: Lucy’s ongoing internal debate about whether life is predetermined or shaped by our decisions forms a philosophical backbone to the story. Her reflection on this after meeting Bashir, whose life was changed by Gabe, is particularly thought-provoking: “Was it destiny that made me find that address? I still wonder. Was it you?”
The possibility of multiple loves: The novel challenges the notion that we get only one great love in life. Through Lucy’s relationships with Gabe, Darren, and Dax, Santopolo suggests that our hearts have the capacity for different kinds of love at different stages of our lives.
Healing through connection: Whether through Lucy’s Sunday walks with Eva, her evolving relationship with her children, or her burgeoning romance with Dax, the novel emphasizes that healing happens in relationship, not isolation.
Narrative Structure and Pacing: A Few Missteps
While the novel’s structure—Lucy directly addressing the deceased Gabe—creates an immediate intimacy, it occasionally feels constrained by this device. Some revelations might have been more powerful if the reader discovered them alongside Lucy, rather than having her explain them to Gabe.
The pacing occasionally falters, particularly in the middle sections where Lucy’s indecision about pursuing a relationship with Dax sometimes feels repetitive. The oscillation between moving forward and pulling back, while realistic, creates some narrative lag.
Additionally, the resolution of Lucy and Darren’s conflict over telling Samuel the truth seems somewhat rushed given the buildup. Their eventual reconciliation, while satisfying, could have benefited from more development.
Prose and Style: Emotional Resonance
Santopolo’s prose shines brightest in moments of emotional intensity. Her ability to articulate complex feelings—particularly grief, longing, and hope—with precision makes even familiar romantic tropes feel fresh. Lucy’s description of her attraction to Dax as “a reawakening. A gift” captures the terrifying wonder of falling in love after loss.
The use of recurring motifs—like the “best, worst, wished” dinner table tradition Lucy shares with her children—effectively anchors the narrative and shows the evolution of family dynamics throughout the story.
Cultural Context: Refugees and Global Awareness
One of the novel’s strengths is its integration of the refugee crisis into the narrative without exploitation or sentimentality. Through Dax’s work in Lampedusa and Bashir’s history as a Syrian refugee, Santopolo creates a backdrop that acknowledges global realities while focusing on individual human stories.
The portrayal of Bashir, whose life was changed by a brief encounter with Gabe, adds depth to our understanding of how small actions can have profound impacts. His perspective challenges Lucy—and by extension, the reader—to see that grief doesn’t exist in isolation, and that Gabe’s life created ripples far beyond what she knew.
Strengths and Weaknesses
What Works:
The authentic portrayal of complex family dynamics and co-parenting
The nuanced exploration of grief that acknowledges both its persistence and the possibility of joy
The well-developed secondary characters whose stories enrich rather than distract from the main narrative
The integration of global issues that add dimension without didacticism
What Falls Short:
Occasional overreliance on coincidence to move the plot forward
The resolution of Lucy and Darren’s conflict feels somewhat rushed
Some readers may find Lucy’s prolonged indecision about pursuing Dax frustrating
A few secondary storylines (like Eva’s past) are introduced but not fully developed
Comparison to “The Light We Lost” and Similar Works
Fans of “The Light We Lost” will find this sequel a satisfying continuation that honors the emotional impact of the original while allowing its characters to evolve. Unlike many sequels that simply rehash familiar territory, “The Love We Found” explores new emotional landscapes while maintaining consistency with established characters.
The novel shares thematic territory with works like Taylor Jenkins Reid’s “Maybe in Another Life” and Josie Silver’s “One Day in December,” all of which explore how chance encounters and choices shape lives. However, Santopolo’s willingness to embrace the complexities of family life and parenthood sets her work apart.
Final Verdict: A Deeply Human Love Story
“The Love We Found” is ultimately a novel about second chances—not just in love, but in family relationships, in one’s relationship with the past, and in one’s understanding of oneself. It suggests that healing doesn’t mean forgetting, but rather making space for new connections alongside cherished memories.
While not without flaws, the novel’s emotional intelligence, complex characters, and willingness to explore difficult questions make it a worthy follow-up to “The Light We Lost.” Santopolo has crafted a love story that acknowledges life’s messiness while still believing in the possibility of joy.
For readers who appreciate romance with emotional depth and realistic portrayals of family life, “The Love We Found” offers a moving exploration of how love manifests in its many forms—between partners, parents and children, friends, and even across the boundary between life and death.