The Magic of Found Objects

A Novel

By: Maddie Dawson

Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo

Length: 11 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's Summary

From the bestselling author of Matchmaking for Beginners comes a feel-good story about becoming who you were meant to be all along.

Phronsie Linnelle was conceived at Woodstock in a serendipitous liaison between a free-spirited hippie and a farmer’s son and was born with magical wonder flickering in her DNA and rationality knit into her bones. All her life she’s been torn between the two. But now that she’s been betrayed by both love and the mother she once idolized, her rational side is winning.

So when her best friend from childhood proposes that they give up on romance and marry each other, Phronsie agrees. Who better to spend your life with than your best friend? Maybe the connection they already have is love. Maybe there’s no falling to be done. But immediately after they announce their engagement, she encounters someone who makes a very charming and compelling argument for revisiting romance.

While her even-keeled stepmother argues for the safety that comes with her new engagement and her mother relays messages from the universe to hold out for true love, Phronsie must look to her own heart to find the answers that have been there all along.

©2021 Maddie Dawson. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

I missed it when it was over

It takes me a while to finish a book because I don't have long periods of time available to listen.
I wasn't crazy about the reader at 1st, but she really grew on me and she she did an incredible job. The whole story was interesting and thought provoking in the realm of love which is not a realm I spend much time in!
It was mildly predictable but I was in the mood for that.
My absolutely favorite part was when The main character's mother describes Woodstock. It may be the best description of anything I have ever read, and some of that credit must go to the reader because she read it beautifully. I was just a toddler when Woodstock happened but felt like I was there, and the emotion that she put into it was was epic.

Loved!

Yes it’s a RomCom but with a twist. Phronsie is trying to figure herself out, detangle her past and move forward. Just life does, when you stop looking for love it happens. Great lovable characters! Excellent narrator.
Included in Kindle Unlimited!!!!

Quirky characters, friendship, love and family!

The Magic of Found Objects was a refreshing and compelling read. I read it on Audible, and played it continuously for 2-1/2 days, including on my earphones while water walking in the pool! The story was moving and interesting, and I, like a few other readers, hope there will be a sequel. I found the pacing and complex interrelationships very well done. I loved meeting Phronsie and Jud and their families. The story was greatly enhanced for me by a truly superb reader -- such a relief after many a bad or annoying one. I thought her light, sensitive approach was perfect. This was a genuine and moving story of the difference between love and friendship, and how longing for romance isn't a sign of weakness at all, but a crucial divining tool for sorting the two. As a mother and step mom, I was also gratified by Phronsie's connection to both her Bohemian mom and her steady caring step-mother. I thought the wedding dress shopping scenes were hilarious, and oh so true. Hats off to Maddie Dawson for yet another tale of people we can care about, shake our head over, and root wholeheartedly for!

pleasant read but predictable

This was an easy to read novel but not super compelling. The plot was predictable, so the ending was no surprise. Very Hallmark movie-like.

A lLove Story

Though somewhat predictable, the story was well written and the storyline being non-linear helped keep it moving and suspenseful.
My main criticism is in the voice of the male characters: most of the men sounded the same and all of them sounded like a female trying to sound masculine.
This being said, Dawson’s story is a good one and worthy of reading/hearing if you like love stories, which I do… otherwise I wouldn’t have purchased it. It successfully tugged at my emotions and made me feel good.

It was such a great read, thank you!!

Such a fun read, the Audible presentation was great...
will read more of her, I'm sure

Magic? Maybe.

This book seemed like a good idea. But it didn't always seem to keep track of itself. Like it was written with a different goal in mind in different chapters. A lot of parts seemed to be over exaggerated and others seemed to gloss over some critical content and skipped to something I should feel in the story but didn't. Also, in full transparency, I listened to this book on audible. And I did start 'reading' more critically because I absolutely didn't like the narration. At all! didn't like the voice she did for the different characters at all. I had higher hopes for this book. There was no magic to it.

Awful!

Narrator was pathetic
Story went nowhere .
Finished just to finish
Returning
Waste of time
Awful

Layered story

Yes, it's a romantic story and somewhat predictable, but there's more to it ... multi-faceted story about family and a woman's history and finding herself. I enjoyed it.

Narrator was too annoying to continue to listen...

So sorry for this review - haven't read any of Maddie Dawson's previous work - but I found Lauren Ezzo's narration excruciating. A little too snobby, not great at character voices and honestly, I just couldn't get past listening to her to care enough about the story to continue. Gave it two hours. She kind of has a Julie Whelan cadence to her voice - urban, smart, educated - but for whatever reason, nothing about it worked for me. As a former casting director for 20 years - voice, acting, and interpretation matter to me so I listen more intently than some listeners would - but this didn't feel like a great match for the material. Obviously, other reviews I just stumbled upon would respectfully, disagree. Good luck!