A quirky, tender work of contemporary fiction about grief, love, and starting again at middle-age set in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, from the author of The Pregnant Pause and Fishnets & Fantasies.

"That's the problem with loving someone, isn't it?" said Margot with a ghost of a smile. "If you have a heartbeat, you're bound to get your heart broken. Not just once, but over and over again... But the joy that happens in between the meetings and the partings makes it all worthwhile."

Rose Ainsworth, the affable protagonist in Jane Doucet's debut novel, The Pregnant Pause, is back in this candid, compelling look at midlife love, loss, and new beginnings. Rose and Jim, her husband of almost twenty years, have been living happily in Halifax, Nova Scotia, since moving from Toronto more than a decade earlier. With a satisfying career, two sweet rescue mutts, and her family nearby, Rose's life is golden — until one day, her world unexpectedly implodes.

Widowed suddenly soon after her fiftieth birthday, Rose is addled by grief. Could that be why three months later, she decides to buy her friend Wendy Hebb's sex shop in the tiny coastal community of Lunenburg? As she rushes to rent her house and store her belongings, her older sister, Daisy, worries that Rose is running away — from the home that she and Jim lived in together, and its constant reminders of what she's lost.

When Rose lands in Lunenburg in a furnished condo with a year's lease, a colourful cast of local characters keeps her from drowning in grief: a long-lost quirky cousin with a mysterious health condition; a busybody septuagenarian widow who pushes Rose to join a bereavement group; and a handsome restaurant owner who stirs feelings in Rose she isn't ready to face.

As the condo's lease creeps closer to its expiration date, Rose must make a choice — continue carving out her new life in Lunenburg, or move back to her Halifax home? Jane Doucet's trademark heart and humour, along with the return of beloved characters from The Pregnant Pause and Fishnets & Fantasies, make Lost & Found in Lunenburg feel like a long-overdue catch-up with old friends.

Jane Doucet is a journalist whose articles have appeared in myriad national magazines, including Chatelaine and Canadian Living. In 2017, she self-published her debut novel, The Pregnant Pause, which was shortlisted for a 2018 Whistler Independent Book Award. Jane is thrilled that Vagrant Press has re-released The Pregnant Pause with a fresh new cover. In 2021, Vagrant published Jane’s second novel, Fishnets & Fantasies. Jane’s third novel, Lost & Found in Lunenburg, published in 2023, combines characters from her first two novels. Jane lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with her husband. To learn more about Jane and her books, visit janedoucet.com.

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"With her latest novel, Jane Doucet brings us a whip-smart, sweet (and salty) tale of love, loss, and starting over. Brimming with heart, humour, and hope, Lost & Found in Lunenburg is charm defined and a pure delight from beginning to end."
— Bobbi French, author of The Good Women of Safe Harbour.

"Big-hearted, playful and chock-full of truths, Lost & Found in Lunenburg explores midlife love, loss, and second chances with warmth and wit. With a quirky cast and rollicking prose, Doucet reminds us of the healing power of community to help us live and love again."
— Ali Bryan, Leacock-shortlisted author of Coq and The Figgs

"A spectacularly entertaining and moving story of grief, love, loss, sex and family, this is the essential read of the season. Fans of [Doucet's] debut will be delighted that protagonist Rose Ainsworth is back, a character so affable and warm and multi-layered that she is reminiscent of Austen's greatest leads. Doucet weaves a story so vivid and intrinsically Nova Scotian while dissecting universal themes, she is a true master of her craft."
— James Mullinger, comedian, author, and editor-in-chief, [EDIT] magazine

"Lost & Found in Lunenburg is a wonderful addition and tie-in to the previous work of Jane Doucet...Doucet writes Lost & Found in a way that makes it a standalone book, briefly touching on important factors of the previous stories without being daunting to the reader who has read all three."
"This novel is filled with sweet, sentimental moments partnered with laugh-out-loud situations that are equally relatable and cringe-worthy."
"The local flair and Nova Scotia pride throughout worked to shine a light on small communities in Nova Scotia that will reach further than our Canadian borders with its characters!"
— The Miramichi Reader