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

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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.**

Book Review - Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

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Cassie Hanwell strives under pressure, especially during emergencies. As she is one of the only female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, she has dealt with a fair share of them. She can handle other people's tragedies but, any of her own. When Cassie's ailing and estranged mother asks her to move to Boston to help take care of her, Cassie is suddenly thrown into an emergency of her own. 

Cassie finds a new job at an old-school Boston firehouse that is completely different from her old job. The new firehouse lacks proper facilities, equipment, funding, and the crew regularly hazes each other. None of the firemen on staff is happy that their captain hired a lady to be on their shift, even if Cassie comes highly recommended.  

The only person that doesn't mind having Cassie around is the handsome rookie, Owen. Cassie feels drawn to him but, she knows firemen can't date each other and she doesn't believe love is her thing.  However, the more Cassie learns about the rookie, the more she feels her resolve to stay away from him slipping away. Will Cassie open up herself to love even if it means losing the only job she ever loved?

I have read the author's other book, How to Walk Away and enjoyed it. I was excited to read this book as the previous novel was an emotionally captivating book. While, this book delivers a powerful message about forgiveness, love, courage, and vulnerability, I didn't find myself feeling much for the characters. I didn't feel invested in Cassie and had a hard time relating to her. I felt like the story was missing an emotional connection for me like the previous book had. It is a good book if you are a fan of the author but, to me it felt like a giant fluff piece.

 **Disclosure - 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 any extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**