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.

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.