Praise for Lost in Beirut

“Lost in Beirut reads like an action film. Battles won and lost. Truths realized. Eternal bonds of love and friendship built through the triumph of human spirit. This endearing culture clash of love and camaraderie is what this world needs more of.”
— Christopher Wayne, Film Producer

“Lost in Beirut aims to inspire the hungry souls like Stevens searching for themselves through every kind of unknown.”
— Vittoria Benzine, Whitehot Magazine

“What a ride!”
See my full review on instagram.com/chelseahudsonreads
— Chelsea Hudson

“This memoir chronicles a pivotal snapshot of Ashe’s life in the time leading up to, and during, the 2006 Lebanon War. At the time, Ashe Stevens was a figure heavy in the Hollywood scene, with solid connections in the nightclub and concert industry. One summer, his best friend invites him to Beirut, Lebanon to help pull off the concert of a lifetime. The book follows Ashe’s adventures in the club scene, his dating life with billionaires, and ultimately the unfolding war. I found this book to be a fast and interesting read—and I found myself wishing that there was an epilogue! I followed the Lebanon War when it took place, but it was very impactful reading the firsthand account of a civilian’s experience during that time.”
— Missy

“Living in the moment in Beirut feels like the nights are orchestrated by angels “

“I don’t know if I loved this book because of the beautiful storytelling or because this book takes place in a country vey dear to my heart and during a time that’s been burnt into my memories.

Ashe and Magdalena were so nice to send me a copy and they are just so sweet, once again thank you.

For me this book is a lovestory. A lovestory about Lebanon, a lovestory about a new adventure and a lovestory from a man with…” …more
— Mimo

“{ Disclaimer: I know some people don’t like to give ratings to true stories but I just have to because of the work that I know went into putting this book out! I was blessed with the chance to have many in-depth chats with Magdalena Stevens about everything & everyone mentioned in this book & it left me with a book hangover!} (Swipe for the synopsis)

This true story takes you on such a wild ride it’s hard for you to put it down. I felt so many emotions while reading this book, I laughed, I was shocked…” …more
— Naomie Matilus

“First I would like to say bookstagram is a wonderful community. Filled with some beautiful people.

So thank you again to the sweetest and kindest @lostinbeirutbook for reaching out with kind words and gifting me this signed copy. I am forever grateful to have connected. 🤍

This book is absolutely beautiful. Filled with love, loss, hope, and so much faith. I could not put it down. Read it all weekend…” …more
— Cynthia

“my love for you is like the war, easy to begin and hard to end.”
Author: Ashe and Magdalena Stevens @lostinbeirut

“I will never put a star rating on someone else’s life journey. So let me go into this saying Wowww, thank you Ashe and Magdalena for sharing this story with the world. What a heart wrenching memoir of love, loss, and war as we follow Ashe Stevens and his friends right in the center of The 2006 Lebanon War. Reading Lost in Beirut felt like watching a film, I was right there with Ashe as he maneuvered through what was probably his biggest summer of self-discovery. I loved his vibe and how he loved deeply and embraced the love conquers all motto. It really gave me an inner eye to look closely at the destruction war causes on other nations and the way the local people are perceived. I think right now is such an important time to read this book to feel what the people of Ukraine are currently going through.”
— Sarah Matlock, bookedupandcaffeinated

“We’ve all heard idioms like “the grass is always greener on the other side” or “don’t judge a book by its cover”.  These idioms and others convey that our experiences have the power to shape who we are and how we see the world; if we only see a certain part, we never grow or find our place in the world. 

Lost in Beirut, written by Ashe & Magdalena Stevens, shows us the importance of the role that our perspective takes, taking us on a beautiful journey which shows us what can be gained when you…” …more
— Justin Pitt

“First and foremost, I would like to thank the lovely Magdalena and Ashe for being so kind as to reach out to me and send me a gifted signed copy of this marvelous book. I had no idea what to expect, but I am beyond grateful that we connected and that I accepted the generous offer. It has been so special reading Ashe’s incredible story, my heart has been trulv touched. 💙 I am at loss of words, I just can’t seem to be able to put my thoughts into words. No words will give Lost in Beirut justice…” …more
— Celly

“I would like to start off by saying, thank you to Ashe and Magdalena for the generously gifted copy of this amazingly written book. I am forever grateful that I took the chance at saying yes, to read something out my norm.

This story will stick with me for years to come.

Lost in Beirut is a book of love, hope and a faith that could move mountains.

I truly couldn’t put this book down.

There were times, I kept thinking to myself that this is insane and I can’t believe this is real. I felt like I…” …more
— Amber Gordon

“𝙁𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙡”

“Thank you so much @lostinbeirutbook for my signed gifted copy. I’m so grateful you guys gave me the chance to read and review your book. Magdalena is the sweetest human, and I have really enjoyed our conversations. 🤍 Thank you guys so much for sharing this story! 💙

This was a very eye opening, and emotional book following Ashes adventure to Lebanon for business with his best friend Danny in 2006.

Reading this was SO INSANE!! I’m still shocked about what I read. I felt l…” …more
— Samantha, paperback.maniac

“I’m sitting here writing this review in my air conditioned home that Lost in Beirut has made me eternally grateful for… If I could sum up Ashe’s story in one word, it would be: impactful. After a few days and my thoughts have really had a chance to settle, I realize that this memoir is truly one of the best I’ve ever read and probably will ever read.

As a millennial, I grew up on the cusp of knowing what was happening in the world and still being somewhat insulated from the scary parts because social media wasn’t as present. Lost in Beirut was the beautiful eye-opener I didn’t know I needed. This book follows Ashe Stevens as he transforms from an American party boy/actor into a true ‘world citizen’. My biggest takeaways are the strength of the human spirit and people’s capacity to love.

No matter whether you love romance, thrillers, historical novels etc. – there aren’t many people who wouldn’t love this one!!

A 10/10 must read for any and all Americans – the world is so much bigger than you know.”
— Southern Lady Reads

“Lost in Beirut is a short, quick paced memoir about making the most of each day when tomorrow isn’t promised. Ashe was working in Hollywood when he was presented with the opportunity to create a big event in Beirut, Lebanon. While there, we meet a whirlwind of colorful characters (ie real people whose names have been changed) as Ashe enjoys life and love in Lebanon. Unfortunately, Israeli air strikes and Hezbollah retaliation bring violence upon Beirut. You’ll have to read the book to find out what happens!

This true story is a powerful testament to human decency and kindness. Especially in a time where war and violence ravage so many lands, this story remind us that people are not their government or their government’s choices.

And it’s a reminder that no day is promised. Have you lived the life you want to live and loved the people you want to love?”
— Taylor Kennedy

“No matter the amount of “things” you accumulate in life, we all leave with the same amount of nothing. Until now, the cup has never been full, but here in Beirut I’ve learned that having a cup is all you need because life will fill it if you let go and allow it.”

I don’t read non fiction often. This is the first I’ve read this year. And I’m so glad that I did. This felt like a movie. And at times I had to remind myself this really happened. This is someone’s story. This is Ashe’a story. I’m just not used to reading a real true story. And it’s beautiful. It was heartbreaking and devastating and unbearably sad. But also incredibly eye- opening, uplifting and awe inspiring. There’s a part at the end (and I won’t spoil it) but it just I was like “that’s SO true. And I’ve never thought of it that way before.”
— Samantha Paige

“Omg this book is soo amazing!!! I highly recommend getting this if you love a good fast read, love, and war experience among many others!! What caught my attention was the cover and having the title of the country I’ve love in it! This book has amazing details of his life through an eyes of an American in a foreign country. The story flows so quickly you forget you’re reading and just experiencing it by his side. I definitely did shed some tears for him and so grateful to share this with us all!

Literally drop what you’re doing & get a copy!! Also follow them on instagram as they continue to share their story and answer our questions!”
— Steph

“Wow! This is a 5-star read all the way. It’s a page turner, fast paced, and a hard to put down book. Never a dull page. The only reason it took me long to finish was because I had due dates on my school assignments and exams.

The writing is beautiful and speaks to the reader profoundly. I loved the metaphors in this book.

My soul was out in Lebanon partying. Jamming out to 50 Cent! I laughed, I cried, and I held my kid tight. And I’ll keep it at that. Just like the cover, you’re gonna have to dive in this adventure.

Special thanks to Ashe and Magdalena for the gifted copy, I will cherish it forever! 💗”
— Lisset Gomez

“Wow – this book was quite the rollercoaster! I loved learning more about the culture and the Lebanon War in 2006. With wonderfully written descriptions, this was a fast paced story that provoked a lot of emotions right up to the ending! The story this book tells is an important one full of mystery, love, and hope. It really made me reflect on my life living in the USA. This story is definitely going to stick with me, and I will treasure the time I have spent reading it! Thank you so much to @lostinbeirutbook for gifting this story to me, and I encourage you all to read it yourselves!”
— Emma

“This was a wonderful book only made better by being a true story. It was fast paced and quick to get through. It help my interest the whole way through and some of the lessons can apply to today.
Perhaps it left an opening for a second? :)”
— Kristina Moore

⚠️ TW: war and PTSD

“- i normally do not read nonfiction, so this was a little different, but since i saw so many good reviews, i had to reach out to the authors! to my surprise, even though it is a nonfiction, it was written so well that everything flowed so naturally and i was able to easily picture everything as if i was reading a fiction novel. Moving on — this book is a very short read, but in roughly 250 pages, LIB was able to make me laugh, feel poor 💀, teach me history…” …more
— Nance

“This was a quick, fast-paced memoir, with many life lessons that we can all benefit from reading. The writing style was easy to engage with, so much so, that there were several times I had to remind myself it wasn’t fiction and that these events actually happened.

I loved the friendship between Danny and Ashe, and I loved that they stuck together during difficult times. I also loved that we find out where the name of Ashe and Magdalena’s daughter comes from, a bright light after a tunnel of darkness!

The ending had me blinking back tears, mostly out of relief for Ashe, but also because the story culminated beautifully.

Overall, this is a book everyone should read!

Side note: I do not give star ratings to memoirs.”
— Chrisell

“𝙐𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙪𝙥 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝘽𝙚𝙞𝙧𝙪𝙩, 𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙘𝙪𝙥 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙜𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙞𝙩.”

“Wow. This was my first memoir in a veeeeeeery very long time and it was so good!

I have limited knowledge of the events that have occurred in Beirut over the years and it was so amazing reading this from a personal account. The story sucked me in immediately and I was invested from start to finish.

The love story that…” …more
— Janae, (evergreen_reads)

“In this memoir, Ashe Stevens recounts his experience on a business venture in Lebanon. In 2006, Ashe goes to Beirut to help his friend Danny, a LA promoter, organize Lebanon’s biggest concert featuring 50 Cent. While he knew this was a huge opportunity for him, he didn’t know how much it would impact his life. Ashe and his friends get stuck in Beirut when the country goes into war overnight.

I could not put this book down. This memoir was quite different than any others that I have read. It was really captivating and almost felt like watching a movie. And the writing is so intense that you are able to feel Ashe’s emotions through his experience. It is a reminder that no day is promised and really made me take a step back and evaluate where I am in my life. This memoir definitely is one that will stick out and I cannot recommend it enough.”
— Stephanie, Paperbacks with Steph

“First and foremost I want to thank sweet Magdalena for reaching out and giving me the honor to receive a beautiful hardcover edition of this book along with the exciting opportunity to read this true story.

I love that this review is coming right after American Dirt, where I promised I would elevate more voices of first hand accounts and true stories and Ashe’s is one filled with love, loss, magic and tragedy. From the very first page I was drawn in and ended up reading the whole book in one day…” …more
— Tessa Tumyol

Click here to read more reviews