Book Review for The Museum of Lost Dreams: A Novel by Christine Nolfi

 

The Museum of Lost Dreams: A Novel by Christine Nolfi

Published:  June 23, 2026 by Lake Union Publishing

Taken from Goodreads:  Returning to her fractured past, a woman is determined to end a cycle of heartbreaks in a moving novel about family, sacrifice, and redemption by the bestselling author of The Secret Library of Hanna Reeves.

When Bess Rollins’s parents die in a tragic accident, she is forced to abandon her dream job overseas. After three years away, she returns to her family’s estate in the Finger Lakes, a veritable monument to her brilliant late grandmother, and a reminder of the wreckage Bess left behind.

There’s the guilt over leaving her younger twin siblings, Casey and Caleb, and she struggles to rebuild a bond that may be irrevocably broken. Amid the grief, resentment still looms toward her reckless and self-indulgent mother and father. And then there’s Luke Monticelli, the devoted man Bess walked out on but never stopped loving.

Haunted by her regrets at every turn, Bess soon realizes that the past is far more complicated than she ever knew. With each secret that she uncovers about her family, Bess comes closer to healing their wounds, seizing a second chance at love, and fulfilling dreams that can lift them all—right here at home, where she belongs.

My Thoughts:  Christine Nolfi is a must-read author.  I am so excited about The Museum of Lost Dreams.   This book had me not wanting to put my Kindle down. The dual timeline of Valerie, Bess’ grandmother, and Bess was so fun to read.  I liked that I could know the history of Bess’ family, I could see a reason for why life was as it was for Bess. 

The Museum of Lost Dreams is a story of family drama, lost and found again love, coming home, and rebuilding relationships.   I was invested in not only Bess’s relationship with Luke but also with her family.   I cared that she mended those relationships with her siblings.   As she started to rebuild her life, she uncovered more secrets about her family that gave her explanations and understanding. 

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

 

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Meet the Author (taken from her website):   Christine Nolfi is the award-winning and bestselling author of fifteen novels, including A Brighter Flame, selected by She Reads as a best book club pick, The Passing Storm, cited by Publishers Weekly as “Tautly plotted, expertly characterized, and genuinely riveting” and gold medal winner in general fiction, International Book Awards. Look for Christine’s 2024 release, which will be available for preorder soon.

Other works include The Road She Left Behind, a top book club pick by Working Mother and Parade magazines, and the award-winning Sweet Lake Series: Sweet Lake, The Comfort of Secrets, and The Season of Silver Linings.

Earlier works include Second Chance Grill, highly recommended by The Midwest Book Review and Treasure Me, recognized by the Next Generation Indie Awards and Put Your Heart in a Book Awards.

The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge was cited by The Midwest Book Review as “Poignant and powerful, as much a saga of learning to survive, heal, and forgive as it is a chilling crime story, unforgettable to the very end.”

A native of Ohio, Christine now resides in South Carolina with her husband.