Romance

58586

There were some cute moments, but this one was also a miss for me. (This series was definitely not my favorite.)

I’m not a fan of plots built entirely around one adult lying to the other (or both adults lying to each other) all through the book only to be wrapped up with a tidy bow at the end. The stories always come across exceedingly contrived, unnecessary and unrealistic, and I can never bring myself to believe that the leads are actually going to have a happy, healthy relationship when the story is over.

My other issue with this story was Jake, the male lead. He made bad decision after bad decision and just ended up being incredibly unlikeable. He was the creepy uncle who hid behind a tree or a bus at the kids’ school so he could see them without their legal guardian knowing. He asked the kids to lie to their guardian with him (and then unnecessarily let that lie go on until the end of the book). He was the guy who made (horrible) life decisions based off a rumor that one of the female lead’s relatives (who was not a part of her life anymore) had a mental illness; not her, mind you - her relative. He justified his lies / decisions by saying that the disease is hereditary (in reality, there is about a 10% chance of a child inheriting this illness from their parent who has it) and automatically assumed that the female lead probably had this illness too. He then decided that it was okay for him to snoop through her personal belongings looking for medications. Apparently we’re all supposed to forget these things because he’s buff, has a “deep throaty laugh,” and had good intentions, but I’m not buying it.

I like books with flawed characters but healthy relationships. This one had the first but not the second.
( )

Meredith grew up abandoned by her father and raised by a mother who had untreated mental illness - a perfect combination to create a woman who tried to keep everything in control and never let her emotions run wild. And then her father & step mother die, leaving her the guardian of their children. All her plans gradually fall to the wayside as she learns to love and nurture her siblings and discovers she is falling in love with their uncle (who has hidden his identity for frankly stupid reasons). It's nice to see Meredith begin to heal from the tragedy of her childhood. ( )

In Driftwood Lane by Denise Hunter, Meridith Ward must overcome the emotional hurt caused by her father’s desertion and the trauma of her mother’s bipolar disorder. She must choose between a safe, stable life and the passionate, unpredictability of romance.

When her estranged father and his wife die in an accident, Meridith obtains custody of her three younger siblings. She moves to Nantucket into the family’s rundown bed and breakfast to be with the children through the rest of their school year. But no matter how hard she tries to establish a relationship, they push back. Meridith decides to give their beloved uncle custody, but since he took off on a motorcycle trip a month ago, no one can get hold of him. Here’s the big twist: the handsome handyman she hired to fix up the house is actually Uncle Jay, watching her, collecting evidence to prove he would be the better guardian. All of this chaos in Meridith’s organized life helps her to know in her heart that God is her Strong Tower and Refuge (Psalms 61:3).

Despite its dynamic opening and ingenious plot twists, Driftwood Lane leaves much to be desired in the middle and end. Denise Hunter finishes the story with a happy, but obvious ending. This reader feels that Hunter has much more to offer and wishes that the end could be as creative as the beginning. Also, for a series that is based in one distinct area of the world, I would like to have seen more descriptions of Nantucket. Hunter had a marvelous opportunity to tell her readers something more about this place but did not use it to its full advantage.

This is a pleasant conclusion to the Nantucket Love Story series...

Read the rest of the review at http://www.christianbookpreviews.com/christian-book-detail.php?isbn=1595548009 ( )