An intriguing book, it tells of the friendship of two small girls. They have both lost parents. The story is written sympathetically and honestly. I did enjoy reading this book and pleased at the ending.

Driftwood Bay is the 5th book in Irene Hannon's Hope Harbor series. I had not read any of the previous books in the series, but I felt like this book could easily be read as a stand alone novel. This book tells the story of Jeanette Mason and Logan West, who both are trying to overcome tragedies in their lives. They both find themselves involved in the life of a refugee family who recently came to town. I really enjoyed this book and the positive message that it conveyed. A wonderful story of hope, love, and friendship. Readers of contemporary fiction will enjoy this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell through NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

This is about people who try to run from relationship entanglements because of the hurt they may cause. Jeanette has a tea shop and lavender farm that she purchased when her entire family was suddenly killed. Although she never married, she feels the loss so deeply that she shuts out all the people who want to love her. Her new neighbor is a doctor with a newly acquired five year-old niece. The little girl is afraid to love for fear that she will lose him, too. I really like the way the author handled all these situations. You didn't feel like you wanted to smack a character for not seeing what was right in front of them. Instead, you felt their pain and anguish. Throw into the mix a rambunctious beagle and you'll catch yourself laughing at the scene depicted by the author. The wisdom found in the pages of this book is amazing. Perhaps it's something you'll need in your heart.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Driftwood Bay returns readers to Hope Harbor, where faith and romance, friendship and community come together to give hope and new beginnings.

Jeanette likes the privacy her little lavender farm and tea rooms in Hope Harbor give her. She is good at shutting out the world and she likes it that way. When Logan West and his niece, along with their boisterous beagle, move next door they, along with the new refugee family in town, threaten the walls Jeanette has built around her heart. Will she let them in and risk her heart again, or will fear keep her from the chance of love and new friends.

I have really enjoyed reading the Hope Harbor series. Each book, with its laidback and charming setting and strong collection of friends, is relaxing and an easy book to sink into. However, I have enjoyed some of the other titles in the series more than I enjoyed this latest instalment. Driftwood Bay, despite a few exciting moments, is a slow-paced book. Complications arise due to the reluctance of each of the characters to integrate with each other. Logan’s niece is unwilling to respond to his care, Jeanette doesn’t want to become entangled with Logan and his niece Molly, nor with the community at large, and members of the Shabos family, a new refugee family recently moved to town, feel isolated and removed from the community.

There are some sweet moments as these characters slowly learn to welcome others in. There are also some familiar moments from previous books with Charley giving sage advice and chatting to his animal friends. However, the romance fell a little flat for me. While Logan can be commended for his care of Molly and his endless desire to help and love her, I did not like the way he goes about convincing Jeanette to give him a chance. A kiss given without warning just after a conversation where she tells him she’s not interested was unexpected. I will be interested to hear what other readers think, but to me the relationship between Logan and Jeanette felt manipulative and lacked true emotional depth. I think I was disappointed by this story because I have loved the previous titles of the Hope Harbor series so much, all of which I can highly recommend.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

A delightful return to Hope Harbor! I’ve enjoyed this series, getting to know the characters, getting to catch up with them in each book, and book #5 is a great return to Hope Harbor. Having read the previous books isn’t necessary, but anyone who reads books in a series knows how nice it is to revisit old friends. Jeanette has known unimaginable loss. Logan is dealing with loss as well, while trying to figure out how to be father to his 5-year-old niece, who has suffered her own loss. Together they have the chance to create a new happy place, but first they have to be willing to risk loss in order to open up to the possibility of love. A story of loss, love, friendship, opening your heart, and hope. A great read!

Irene Hannon has once again created a story that grabs the heart and pulls you into an absorbing journey with her characters.
Hope Harbor is a place that I really wish I could visit in real life. The setting and characters who live here become so real, I just want to meet them, especially Charlie, the fish taco guy.
I loved how the author wove the stories of three nontraditional families together, all who had suffered loss and were working to rise above and build new lives for themselves.
This story was engaging beginning to end and I recommend it highly. I love the Hope Harbor series and am hopeful that it will continue.
I received a complimentary copy from Revell through NetGalley. All opinions are entirely my own.

Welcome Back to Hope Harbor! I was glad to return. I am someone that always says to read a series in order but I honestly believe someone would enjoy this story even if they have never read another Hope Harbor book before. The story was touching and at times heart-wrenching as there were several people in the story that were struggling...deep, painful struggles from life experiences that they were each dealing with in their own way. I enjoyed returning to Hope Harbor and love the community that you not only read about but really felt drawn to. I want to know more about Charley! I don't mean to ramble but to give you parts of the story would give so much story away, and I don't want to do that...so many "side" stories build together. I liked that while there was a main focus on three people, there was definitely times that another family came to the forefront of the story and I was equally interested in how their story would play out. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to friends without hesitation. It is a book that warms your heart with the community, friendship and love that is formed. And on a lighter side, the banter between the two ministers is refreshing and fun. Yes, read this book!

My favorite Hope Harbor book to date!! Driftwood Bay encompasses a range of emotions fear, loneliness, heartache, and new beginnings as we meet Hope Harbor’s newest residents the Shabos and Logan West with his niece, Molly, and get to know the lavender farm lady, Jeanette Mason. While their stories are unique to each other, circumstances and language barriers do not stop a bond from forming as they each deal with loss.

Ms. Hannon draws you in as you walk each of their journeys. Even though I haven’t experienced the same exact situations as they have, I found myself relating to the feelings they experienced and have felt at times myself. We get a glimpse of what they struggle with and get to watch as God works in their lives leading to a building of faith and life changing experiences. Resident sage, Charley, is once again in hand to offer divine wisdom with his fish tacos.

While Hope Harbor is a fictional town, I always find myself wanting to move there when I read the book. It is a wonderful book giving you the feelings of home, faith, and love while dealing with daily struggles. This series and Driftwood Bay are must reads!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Travel back to Hope Harbor in Irene Hannon’s fifth book in her wonderful series filled with hope where you meet new characters along with the original cast. Ms. Hannon develops quite believable characters that work through their fears and struggles to see hope in a new life. This is a very enjoyable read along with all her other books.

The story of Jeannette and Logan. Both have ended up in Driftwood Bay after losing people. Jeannette is there on her own and plans to keep it that way, but people in the town, especially Logan, have other ideas.
Logan moved to town with his niece Molly, to give her a better life.
Jeannette, Logan and Molly all get involved when a family of Syrian refugees move to town, helping them to adjust to their new life.
A nice gentle read, showing the community spirit and love in the Bay.

A heartwarming novel about loss, grief and redemption, “Driftwood Bay”, by Irene Hannon, takes us back to the small, tight-knit community of Hope Harbor, introducing new characters and subjects.
Paralyzed by fear and sorrow, Jeannette, the heroine, leads a quiet, solitary life centered around her lavender farm, until two young girls, a rambunctious puppy and an handsome doctor make her question whether she should continue isolating.
Logan is a selfless, honorable man, and his insecurities when dealing and bonding with his niece, Molly, make him so much more human.
The romantic couple’s problems are seen in a new light when confronted with the terrible loss affecting the small Immigrant family welcomed by the small community.
I enjoyed reading this story and revisiting with characters from previous books – I hope Charley and the Syrian family will have their own stories -, although I felt the romantic plotline lacked emotions and intensity, making it a bit subdued.

'Ignoring a need would be wrong.'

Irene Hannon takes her readers back to Hope Harbor for this fifth offering in the wonderful series. I love this little town on the Oregon coast and its inhabitants, especially Charley, the fish taco man, who, I'm convinced, is an angel.

Jeannette Mason has come to Hope Harbor after a grievous loss and is determined to shut herself off from every sharing her heart again. She has a wonderful business with her lavender farm and tea room and is completely happy with her life. But is her heart happy? Logan West has moved to Hope Harbor after his mother and brother die and he is left to raise his 5 year old niece alone. He thinks a small town will be best for the little girl, who doesn't seem to have an ounce of happiness in her. Even the beagle puppy he buys for her has upended his life.

Then both Jeannette and Logan find themselves joining the town in making welcome a Syrian Christian family fleeing war torn Syria and begin to discover that love sometimes involves risks and doors God opens need to be walked through.

Once again Hannon has crafted believable and human characters, people with heartaches and fears and struggles with their Christian walk. I am a forever fan. Loved this and finished in one day. Recommended.

*My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book via Net Galley. No review was required. The opinions stated here are expressly my own.

Received a copy of this book from netgalley.
It is a book well put together,going at just the right pace to attract the readers interest,colourful characters throughtout the book each with their own story to tell and bringing comunity together.

Irene Hannon visits her iconic Hope Harbor with a new-to-him single father and a woman trying to flee her past with her Lavender garden. With a hint of romance, Hannon flows through the pages of Driftwood Bay with flair and hints of love. The predictable plot moved along at a nice rate. I really liked the idea of the community coming together to support a Syrian refugee family who needed to learn English, have a place to stay, and earn their own money. Hope Harbor appears to be a wonderful place to live. If you are a fan of contemporary romance with a feel good ending, then this might be just the book for you. If you are fans of Courtney Walsh, Becky Wade, Melissa Tagg, or Kara Issac, then Driftwood Bay might be right up your alley.

I received a complimentary copy of Driftwood Bay by Irene Hannon from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

Irene Hannon is an incredibly talented author and knows how to weave together a cohesive plot with realistic and loveable characters. It is no wonder she is a seven-time RITA Award finalist and three-time winner. But I will be honest and say that I tend to be skeptical of her works—particularly her romances—as they just aren’t always my cup of tea. But when I saw Driftwood Bay, the synopsis really grabbed my attention, so I thought I’d give another a try. And I am very glad I did!

From chapter one, I fell in love with Logan West’s character. He’s kind and caring and doing his level best to connect with his grieving five-year-old niece, of whom he now has custody. But he’s also insecure and very real in his struggles to care for a little girl, and that just makes him such a relatable character. His niece, Molly, is also a very sweet character, and while the reader only enters her point of view once or twice, you nonetheless quickly fall in love with her as well. Jeannette Mason is also a very solid character, and very relatable, but I didn’t click with her as much as I did the other characters.

While Logan and Jeannette are our main characters, we also enter the point of view of a Christian Syrian family fleeing persecution. I think that subject is a very relevant one right now, and Hannon did a fabulous job weaving that topic into the story. I loved getting into Mariam’s and Thomma’s heads and seeing firsthand some of the tragedies they went through.

The plot maintains a nice pace that keeps you engaged from beginning to end, and these characters will quickly find a place in your heart. As I mentioned briefly above, I didn’t particularly care for the romance, and that’s the reason I docked half a star from my rating, but that is only my personal preference. I did appreciate how the romantic thread played a more backseat role compared to the other storylines.

All in all, I greatly enjoyed this release from Irene Hannon! If you are looking for a romantic, cozy, beachy read, definitely check out Driftwood Bay!