Book Review - Driftwood Bay (Hope Harbor, #5) by Irene Hannon

Photo Credit - Amazon

Jeanette Mason moves to a small seaside town named Hope Harbor in hopes to live an isolated life. Jeanette is afraid of letting people in after a tragedy causes her to lose people she loved. She decides to avoid emotional attachments and focus on her lavender farm and tea room. However, Jeanette's life gets upends again when her new neighbor moves in. Dr. Logan West becomes an unexpected guardian of his niece after his mother's death. Logan gets a dog in hopes to help bond with Molly but, the dog is intent on damaging Jeanette's lavender beds. Jeanette and Logan find themselves gravitating towards each other when a refugee family from Syria moves to their town. Will Logan and Jeanette be able to open their heart to each other?

I thought the novel was an enjoyable read but, I had a hard time connecting with Jeanette. She closes herself off and didn't want to make the effort of connecting but, was annoyed that other people didn't make the effort. She felt that her neighbor should have connected with her first and made the effort. She wanted and made Logan make the first move and didn't respond well to his suggestive behaviors but, she would get sad when he didn't invite her to the beach. I found this incredibly annoying. At times, I felt like the Molly character talked to Jeanette as if she was an adult and not a five-year-old. Her conversations with Jeanette towards the end of the book didn't feel like something a child would say to an adult. Perhaps, this is how a child speaks once they go through grief but, it felt weird to me. I enjoyed reading about the Shabos' family, Logan trying to bond with Molly, Jeanette trying to find her way, and Molly and Elisa's budding friendship. I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Noto Agender Oil Hair + Body Multi Use All Natural

No matter what season it is, my skin is always desperately in need of moisture. I have used creams, lotions, and balms but, I never really used body oil. I am not a fan of the greasy slick feeling and sometimes, it stains my sheets. After a particularly harsh winter week, I noticed my skin was cracking and becoming more painful. I decided to try a body oil since it seems to be loved by a lot of people.

The oil is suitable for usage on both hair and body and has a gender-neutral scent so, it can be used by anyone. The oil is composed of organic hemp seed oil, lavender, and vetiver. I am not a fan of the scent but, it did grow on me. The scent is strong but does dissipate after an hour or so. I used the oil mostly on my skin and it did go on a bit heavy and stayed slick on the surface. My skin was softer the next day but, not hydrated enough that I can skip an application. A word of warning, this did stain my bedsheets with oil stains. I might have to look into dark sheets since I am jumping on the body oil bandwagon.

BBW Aromatherapy Sleep Lavender and Cedarwood 24hr Moisture Butter

The cream is scented with lavender and cedarwood essential oils which promotes relaxation and sleep. The cream is enriched with mango seed butter, cocoa seed butter that helps keep skin hydrated. The thick cream was easy to spread but, it did leave my skin slightly greasy.Overall, it's an indulgent treat  to be included in my nighttime ritual.

Level Naturals Organic Menthol + Lavender Shower Bombs

I have used a few shower bombs and have found them to be very relaxing when the fragrance is strong and appealing. These small but potent discs are enriched with menthol and lavender oils to help open sinuses and relax the mind. I found the bomb to very fragrant but, I had mixed results. Some bombs melted away before I finished my shower other times, it lingered in the shower long after I finished. However, I am definitely open to trying more showers bombs.

Lollia Relax Hand Cream - Shea Butter, Lavender and Honey

The sweet scented hand cream is enriched Shea butter and macadamia nut oil. The softly scented lotion has notes of lavender, bee blossom honey, white orchids, violet and Indian Amber. The hand cream absorbed quickly and it left my hands feeling smooth and soft.

Tarte Tarteist Lip Paint in Yaass

The full coverage is formulated without parabens and phthalates. A creamy pigmented lavender lip paint. The matte liquid lipstick went on smoothly and lasted two hours including, drinking and eating. I love how creamy and luxurious went on and the beautiful lavender shade.

Salt Skill Himalayan Pink Salt Body Scrub - Lavender

I had received this body scrub for my birthday from a friend and I couldn’t find much information about the product. The scrub is enriched with minerals, oils and bits of lavender. The salt was coarse but had a bit texture when you can scoop up some product (but it was still on the drier side). My skin was left smooth,soft and hydrated. The lavender scent was very faint but relaxing.

Dr. Teals pure Epsom salt soothe and sleep with lavender

Ahhh, soaking in a bath is probably one of life’s purest joys. The epsom salt is scented with lavender essential oils; even without opening the bag one can get a good whiff of the lavender.  Lavender is known for it’s calming, soothing and aiding sleep benefits. Soaking 20 minutes in warm water with 2 cups of this salt solution will have your body at perfect ease. I took a bag of this salt on my recent trip and I was so relaxed and fell asleep almost instantly.

Freeman Beauty Star Fruit Purifying Facial Paper Mask

I have used Freeman Beauty products before and I always been a fan of paper masks. Paper masks  are the latest "trend" and can be pricy but these are affordable option. This paper mask is infused with star fruit extracts, lavender, tea tree, witch hazel, and niacinamide. The skin soothing mask helps soothe  acne flare ups, balance oil production, minimizes the appearance of pores, and soothe breakouts.

The mask took some working to get on my face. The mask was too thin and kept sticking to itself. I gave up after 3 tries and just the bottom part of my left cheek was left uncovered. Like many other masks, it is best to use after cleansing the skin. However, unlike other masks whose wait time is around 30 minutes or more; this wait time for this mask is only 5 to 10 minutes.  After removing the mask, my face did feel softer but my face did have a bit of at tingly feeling. Granted, this mask is very affordable (can be found in drugstore around $2) so I might try these masks again more often. On a side note, I did notice a difference but not as a big difference as the more expensive masks. Given that, these are more appropriate for a quick pick me up instead of whole relaxing spa day type of masks.