From New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne comes a brand-new story about two women, a family secret and a lost manuscript that changes everything…
Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from RaeAnne Thayne’s The Lost Book of First Loves, which is out June 3rd 2025.
Raised by her literary icon father Carson Wells, Alison Wells always felt loved, even though her mother died when she was a teen. But when she takes a DNA test on a whim and discovers she has a sister she never knew about, it’s clear there are things her father didn’t tell her before he died. Determined to meet Juniper—her half sister—and unravel the truth of what happened all those years ago, Ali finds herself taking a job as Juniper’s intern. She’ll eventually figure out a way to tell Juniper the truth of their relationship. But she never could have imagined what would happen next…
Juniper Connolly has always been incredibly healthy…until she wakes up in the hospital after experiencing cardiac arrest, with her new—and recently fired—intern to thank for saving her life. It’s clear June needs to de-stress her life a little, so when Ali offers her the use of her family’s cabin in a small Wyoming town, June has no reason not to go. But when she arrives, her life will never be the same.
Under the wide-open spaces of the Wyoming summer sun, Ali and June will untangle the secrets and lies their lives were built on to discover who they really are and what family really means. But even more than that, they’ll build a real relationship with one another and finally become sisters.
The day she died, Juniper Connelly had just finished firing her latest intern.
For three weeks, June had tried to be as patient as possible. She loved mentoring other women, especially bright, creative women like Alison Wells. With a shiny new law degree but no practical experience, the woman had seemed like a good fit for the corporate development program at Move Inc. On paper, she seemed perfect. An undergraduate degree in business. Second in her class at the University of Utah law school. Accolades from multiple professors.
Move Inc received hundreds of applications from recent graduates for their highly coveted internship program, with only a handful chosen each summer. Alison Wells’s name had quickly risen to the top of the pile to be June’s personal protégé.
She had high hopes that Alison would be another triumph like her predecessor, who had gone on to take a prestigious position at Microsoft, straight out of her internship. But after three weeks of the woman’s blunders and missteps, June had to accept that Alison wasn’t a good fit for the internship program.
She had tried to be as kind as possible. June might have a reputation for brusqueness in her position as head of marketing at one of the fastest growing tech innovation companies in the world, but she wasn’t cruel.
Still, June didn’t see any value in wrapping the hard truth in pretty paper.
“I am sure you will agree that these past three weeks have been something of a disaster, from start to finish,” she said, keeping her voice deliberately calm as she surveyed Alison over the wide expanse of her desk.
Out her window on the twenty-first floor, she had a stunning view of the Seattle skyline and the water of Puget Sound beyond. It never failed to give her a rush of joy.
“I didn’t think it was a complete disaster,” Alison said, her voice low and her eyes fixed on the hand-loomed carpet June’s designer had assured her was the finest quality, straight from the souks of Morocco.
An unmistakable note of hurt pierced the other woman’s voice like a splinter hidden beneath the skin.
June sighed, wishing she could point out that was exactly what she meant. Alison needed to be more tough if she wanted to succeed in this fast-paced, cutthroat world at the top executive level.
She could try to teach Alison how to run a meeting and ways to organize and inspire a team, but she couldn’t help her grow a spine. The woman was nervous every time they were in the same room, even after three weeks. She hardly said a word and when she did, she fumbled through her sentences, aiming most of her responses to the floor.
“You have potential, Alison,” June said as gently as she could manage. “If you didn’t, I wouldn’t have chosen you as my intern. I am absolutely certain you will achieve wonderful things, once you figure out what you want to do with your life. It’s clear that life goal isn’t working as an executive at Move Inc.”
Was that relief she saw in the other woman’s eyes? June couldn’t quite tell.
“Maybe not, Ms. Connelly,” she said after a pause. “I am a little lost when it comes to new technology. But I am grateful for the chance you gave me, even with the obvious holes in my base knowledge.”
“I appreciate you saying that.”
“The experience has been enormously educational. I’ve learned more than I can ever tell you, watching you in action.”
June wasn’t entirely certain that was meant as a compliment. She started to answer but before the words could emerge, she felt a sudden intense pain in her chest that stole her breath.
She clutched at the monster pain ripping through her chest and uttered one imprecation she rarely ever used before she slid off her chair to the floor.
Excerpted from The Lost Book of First Loves, by RaeAnne Thayne. Canary Street Press, 2025. Reprinted with permission.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
#1 Publishers Weekly, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne finds inspiration in the beautiful northern Utah mountains where she lives with her family. Her books have won numerous honors, including seven RITA Award nominations from Romance Writers of America and a Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews magazine. RaeAnne loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at raeannethayne.com.
