BOOK REVIEW- Driftwood Bay :A Hope Harbor Novel Book #5 by Irene Hannon

Description

After tragedy upends her world, Jeannette Mason retreats to the tiny Oregon seaside town of Hope Harbor to create a new life. Vowing to avoid emotional attachments, she focuses on running her lavender farm and tea-room--until a new neighbor with a destructive dog and a forlorn little girl invades her turf. But she needn't worry. Dr. Logan West is too busy coping with an unexpected family, a radical lifestyle change, and an unruly pup to have any interest in his aloof and disagreeable neighbor.

Yet when both Jeanette and Logan find themselves pulled into the life of a tattered Christian family fleeing persecution in war-torn Syria, might they discover that love sometimes comes calling when it's least expected?   AMAZON
                                 4.5 STARS

   This book was even better than I expected.   It was emotional as you could have guessed.  But it was emotional without being mushy.  
Exceptional main characters with great depth.  It was also several main character families suffering some of the similar things, even if some of situations were different.  Grief was one main theme.  Trying to start over in unfamiliar settings is another.  Relationship with God is another.  
  Jeannett, is the Lavender Lady who is all alone and that is how she has decided that's how she wants it to stay.  Including people, getting involved in people's lives just invites the possibility of more loss and pain.  Nope.  She doesn't want to go there again.
   Logan West and his niece, Molly are starting from scratch when it comes to knowing each other.  Things are NOT going well.  Add in that wild beagle dog, Toby and Logan's stress level just got upped. You've got to admire a single guy who upends his whole life for his niece though.
   Mariam, and her last surviving son, Thomma, and his daughter Elisa  Shabos bring their own kind of loss and pain.  Mariam's faith is strong but few people see her struggle to adjust but she is doing her best to keep her family together and trust God.  She is thankful to have opportunity to leave the camps and saw that thought things are difficult, there is opportunities being offered to them.  Thomma is sunk deep in depression, he's bitter and not making much effort.  He's just putting one foot in front of the other and hoping things will get better.  Not that he thinks it will.  Caught in the midst of his agony is his daughter, who has lost much of what the rest of the family has. Added to her grief, is the grief of her father rejecting her over and over.  Elisa is hurting not understanding why her father has changed from the loving, involved father she knew.
 What a great community these people landed in.  When they say they are there for you, they aren't afraid to show up.  It's proved more than once in this story.  They also welcomed the
Shabos family with open arms and went the extra mile to help.
Charly is a unique character who makes wonderful fish tacos and connects with people in an almost supernatural way.  He cares about people and spreads non-judgemental wisdom as he goes.
 Two more people made me smile.  It was the interaction between  Reverend Baker and Father Murphy.  Not only were they caring people but they were also funny.  They worked together when it came to helping the Shabos family and I liked to see that.  But the humorous ribbing between Baker and Murphy was fun to see too. 
There is a H.E.A. for all but it's going to be hard work for all for quite a while. 
   I'm glad that a Epilogue is added because I always like to see how things move forward for people. 
 “I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”