Review: The Summer of Lost Things by Jenn Bennett

The Summer of Lost Things by Jenn Bennett

Blurb from Goodreads:

Sexy new adult romance meets swashbuckling adventure when ex childhood friends Paige and Seb reconnect to finally track down the treasure that has been a legend in their small Michigan beach town for decades. Perfect for fans of The Goonies and Netflix’s Outer Banks who are craving more romance!

Star pupil Paige Malone just finished her first year at Harvard. Dropout Seb Jansen spent that time pumping gas for wealthy yacht owners at a Lake Michigan marina. They haven’t seen each other since high school. A shame, considering that they were once inseparable childhood friends who combed their coastal hometown’s sun-kissed beaches along with a couple of other middle-school pals—hunting the Golden Venus, a legendary local treasure that’s distantly connected to Paige’s family.

A treasure rumored to be worth millions of dollars. If it even exists.

These days, however, the former BFFs have traded adventure for reality. Paige is home for the summer and is spiraling after losing her college financial aid. While across town, Seb fell in with a bad crowd and now regrets his life choices, big time. Both feel colossally stuck. And alone.

But when Paige stumbles upon a hidden secret in her grandmother’s beach cottage, she must get their old treasure-hunting gang back together to finally unravel the mystery that has eluded her family for generations. Who the thrill of the hunt might help Paige and Seb find a path back to their lost friendship…or something more.

The Summer of Lost Things brings the summer heat with its combination of a high stakes treasure hunt and a swoony love story.

 This was fine but definitely not as fun as I was expecting.  Goonies is one of my all time favorite movies and this definitely has some vibes. It has some scary elements and darker plot points than I was expecting as well so definitely for new adult audiences.  Give this a try if you like new adult summer romances!

The Summer of Lost Things came out recently on April 7, 2026 and you can purchase HERE.  

The afternoon I flew back to Michigan after my freshman year at
Harvard, no one was there to pick me up from the airport. 

It's not as though I expected a shower of confetti to welcome me home, but having a friendly face to greet me would've been a comfort, which was something I hadn't had much of lately. This past week alone, (a) I found out my financial aid was in serious danger of being stripped away, and (b) I was forced to give up my spot on a once-in-a-lifetime field study trip to Europe. 

Not exactly how I expected my school year to end. 

Or how I wanted my summer to start.