Daughter of the Lost


Romance - Contemporary
292 Pages
Reviewed on 07/28/2024
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Keith Mbuya for Readers' Favorite

When Missy Mariola, a rich and famous retired porn star living in LA, sends Tali and Trinity to college in New Orleans, she treats them to two huge surprises. First is Randy, a hot cop Missy Mariola lets live for free in the girls' apartment block to look after the girls. Then there’s Coventry, the girl who hated Trinity because she believed Trinity stole her boyfriend, Seth, from her. Perhaps it would all have been worth it if Seth, who had broken Trinity’s heart, had not ended up being a “douchebag”, hurting her as every other person in her life had done. Randy is smitten from the first time he sets eyes on Trinity. But Missy had hired him with a firm warning that he should not touch her girls. The only silver lining is that Trinity is not Missy’s biological daughter. Between the chaos that follows Trinity around, thanks to her ex-boyfriend’s bitter ex, Missy’s family drama, college life, and the fact that her rough childhood had left her deeply scarred, can the local cop win the rich girl’s heart? Find out in Kay Stephens’ Daughter of the Lost.

This gripping romance will have you hooked and flipping from cover to cover. Kay Stephens’ Daughter of the Lost is a must-read for lovers of romantic comedy. Stephens is a gifted writer and my new favorite romance author. Paying great attention to detail, but just enough not to bog down the pace of the plot, Stephens weaved an ingenious plot, featuring a dynamic and exciting cast. The edge-of-the-seat suspense and the spell-binding plot twists had me at the mercy of Stephens’ words. The evocative depictions colorfully breathed life into the scenes, making me feel like I was watching a contemporary Hollywood romcom. Stephens’ knack for adding a tremendous dramatic touch to the scenes gave the narrative a witty backdrop. I could not stop laughing at the absurdity of the girls taking relationship advice from a man delivering stolen mattresses in the middle of the night. The cast’s emotions are depicted well as their complex traits are juxtaposed. This allowed me to connect with them. There is drama, suspense, thrills, adventure, and so much more in this book. I loved it.

Mimie Odigwe

One rent-free apartment; four housemates at each other’s throats. A fun-filled summer holiday at the retired pornstar Missy Mariola's mansion spins Trinity's life out of control. Her best friend’s mother, Missy, sees her as a daughter and steps in with overwhelming generosity. She doesn’t want Trinity to work as a stripper anymore and buys a house for both girls. Worse, she gets Trinity’s sworn enemy, Coventry, as a housemate and a hot cop and his dog as surveillance. Add thin walls, a cheating ex, a baby on the way, Trinity’s life spiraling out of control, and she has to decide if she wants to remain the fiercely independent foster child of her past or embrace the people who truly love her in Daughter of the Lost by Kay Stephens.

Daughter of the Lost is a compelling read that captures the chaos and camaraderie of college life while addressing vital social issues. The book is sex-positive, embracing an open and honest dialogue about sex work and the associated stigmas and hypocrisy with a refreshingly bold perspective. Stephens uses cursing, sex, drugs, and alcohol to paint a realistic and unapologetic picture of young adulthood and college life. Humourous, steady-paced, messy, and drama-packed, this book promises to be lighthearted yet focused on serious topics like family, sexism, and morals. Randall and Trinity had enough slow burn to heat the pages, especially when there is a clause in Randall’s housing agreement that says she’s out of bounds. This book is chaotic, and I loved it.

Lisa McCombs

When a busybody porn star, a New Orleans cop trying to remain clean, and a stripper who just likes to strip are thrown together, what happens? More mayhem than humanly imagined in Daughter of the Lost by Kay Stephens. Best friends Tali and Trinity decide to drop out of college in pursuit of a different kind of future. They will open a sex shop. That is until Talli’s mother, porn star Missy Mariola, intercedes. Missy’s maternal instincts kick in and she buys a pretty, pink apartment building in downtown New Orleans. Missy refurnishes the rooms with gaudy grandeur, rounds up a group of misfits in need of her guidance, and even hires a personal cop to keep her “family” safe and secure while earning what she believes will be worthwhile college degrees. She doesn’t count on the explosion of conflicting personalities, an unplanned sexual relationship, or the re-emergence of a long-forgotten adversary.

Daughter of the Lost is a fast-paced story of surprising twists and turns that involve a myriad of intertwining characters. The reader will cheer on the leading character Trinity as she struggles to act her age without possessing the traditional values of her peer group. The plot is fresh and the characters are unconventional, making this the perfect read to be enjoyed with a chilled red wine. Author Kay Stephens introduces this debut novel with vivid vocabulary and word choices. Descriptions such as “the benevolent ejaculator” and “disappearing into her new unknown” provide an unexpected narrative, merging risque with intellectual subject matter. A fun read. Kudos to Daughters of the Lost.