Driftwood Bay

Written by Irene Hannon

Narrated by Therese Plummer

After tragedy robs her of everyone she loves, 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? Bestselling and award-winning author Irene Hannon invites readers back to the charming seaside town of Hope Harbor, where they are sure to find peace, healing, and a second chance at happiness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 2, 2019
• ISBN: 9781980018513

Irene Hannon

Two-time RITA Award winner Irene Hannon is the bestselling author of 40+ romance and romantic suspense novels. She has also won a National Readers’ Choice Award, a Carol Award, a HOLT Medallion, a Daphne du Maurier Award and 2 Reviewers’ Choice Awards from RT Book Reviews. Booklist named one of her novels a “Top 10 Inspirational Fiction” title for 2011. Visit www.irenehannon.com.

Reviews for Driftwood Bay

[hes7 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Travel, once again, to the Oregon coast (and perhaps enjoy the thought of Charlie’s fish tacos) in the latest addition to Irene Hannon’s Hope Harbor series, Driftwood Bay. In the delightful small-town community, second chances, faith, and hope blend for a heartwarming story—with a generous helping of romance, too.Jeannette Mason, still reeling in the wake of a tragedy, only wants to get her life back on track and in the meantime, keep anyone from getting too close. Logan West has his own grief to handle with his niece and nuisance of a dog. Still, though they may not have been searching for a connection, a connection finds them anyway—with the help of a recently-relocated Syrian family.The story on the pages of Driftwood Bay encompasses all the emotions. Dealing with grief, loss, and seeing God work in the midst of it all makes it an incredibly poignant read, and I enjoyed it. It’s another Hope Harbor novel that proves easy to recommend to contemporary readers.I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

[rjmoren · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoy reading Irene Hannon. This book was no exception. It would be enjoyable if she would take the characters into another book and show us how it went with their relationship and how they work through the issues they have begun to overcome in this book.

[jaymewill-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Author Irene Hannan is known in the Christian market for her suspense novels. In her newest series, Hope Harbor, she departs from suspense to more of At Home in Mitford pace. Her book, Driftwood Bay, introduces new characters in the small town of Hope Harbor, Oregon. Jeanette is a single woman, perfectly happy with her quiet life of growing Lavender and running a tea shop. Her peace and quiet is interrupted by a new neighbor, his niece, and his unruly dog. As she slowly opens up to new friends, Jeanette finds she was missing out on happiness all along.I liked the book. It is an easy read for a quiet, rainy afternoon. Hannon is very descriptive of the beach near Jeanette's house. I could envision myself there. I also enjoyed the side plot involving a refugee family from Syria.

[tcjrogers · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Driftwood Bay is about a lonely woman, Jeanette, who has determined to live a solitary life. Her plans are foiled when a single doctor and his young niece interrupt her solitude. At the same time, a refugee family that the church and town have committed to helping is in need of assistance that she can give if she is willing to step out of her comfort zone. Her faith and her conscience continue to drive her to do what she knows is right even if it’s not in accordance with her plans. This story really focuses on grief and healing and being able to move forward after terrible things happen in life instead of staying in the grief. And it’s about allowing love for other people and from other people to help you heal. I really enjoyed reading Driftwood Bay. The characters are likeable and relatable. And the emotions that the characters are dealing with are emotions that I think a lot of people can connect with. I would definitely recommend this book.***Thank you to the publisher and author for sending me a copy of this book to review. My review is my own opinion, and I was not obligated to give a positive review.***

[harley0326 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This story is one that takes you to a small community where people help others, encourage them and along the way find healing. It’s hard to say which character I liked the most because each one had depth, needs and wanting a place to belong.The author gives us a story of several people who each need healing from their past while letting go of fears. I could relate to Jeannette because I too like to stay isolated. She has a wonderful tea room where the community comes for special treats and an atmosphere of friendship. It is hard for her to open up and give friendship but I have a feeling her new neighbor will become important in her life.Logan has his hands full with raising a niece he hardly knows, starting a new job and trying to control an energetic puppy. His niece is hurting from being moved from one place to another. Molly needs stability, friends and love. Most of all she needs to know that she is important. Logan is a very caring person and really goes out of his way to make Molly feel at home. Losing family is hard on the little girl and I cried as I wanted to give her a big hug.The other characters in the book are from Syria. They have come to Driftwood Bay to start over after a tragedy in their country. The significance of them in the story is powerful as Jeannette will be asked by God to come out of her comfort zone to help this family in a unique way. I loved how the author threaded each character into a story that touched on faith, hope and reaching out to others. The story is well written with a lesson for each of us to be His hands and feet. The community comes together to help a family in need and in the process helps others in the community to let go of fear and trust God.I received an advanced copy of this book from Librarything Early Reader program giveaway and Revell Publishing . The review is my own opinion.

[utacraft · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is my first time reading a book from author Irene Hannon, already planning to read more of the Hope Harbor series.This book deals with two stories, Logan West with niece Mollie has moved to Driftwood Bay to start a new life and also the family from Syria also starting a new life. I give this book 4 stars

[vintagebeckie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Driftwood Bay, the 5th book in Irene Hannon’s Hope Harbor series, brings the reader back to the small Oregon town with a big heart. I absolutely love the seaside setting with its sea stacks, quaint harbor town, and lavender and cranberry farms. The people are special too. Each book in the series focuses on a different couple in the town, but there are a number of recurring characters that add more than extras for the stories. They add heart and soul. Romance and real life issues combine to make this series and Driftwood Bay winners. Recommended.Driftwood Bay has two story lines that intersect. In each, the characters are dealing with loss, displacement, and grief. I really liked how Hannon explored the varying ways the characters dealt with their circumstances. Some, like Mariam Shabo hold fast to their faith, trusting God for His promises. Others, like Jeanette and Thomma retreat — from the world or their own family. Hannon’s inclusion of the struggles of the two young girls brought a deeper dimension as well. The varying reactions were very real and relatable. At the heart, though, was fear — of further loss and rejection. Hannon’s small town is a great vehicle for exploring how people of faith can reach out to others. The whole town gets involved. I loved that! Love is very much at the forefront of the story, in the depiction of love for others and the sweet romance that builds between main characters Logan and Jeanette. And for fans of the romance genre, you are going to love this one.Driftwood Bay is a great addition to a wonderful series. It can be read as a standalone, but don’t do it! LOL! Begin at the beginning. And with 5 in the series already published you are in for a real binge-reading treat. I am excited that there will be more to come. Can’t wait!Recommended.Audience: adults.(Thanks to Revell for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

[khiemstra631 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The only problem with this book is that it had to come to an end. The characters are wonderful and well-developed. Given that it is part of the Hope Harbor Series, a few of the characters appear in all of the books that make up the series. However, the only ones with fairly major recurring roles are the pastor, the priest, and Charley, the fish taco man. This book features Logan, a doctor new to Hope Harbor, and Jeannette, his next door neighbor, who is also a fairly recent arrival. Logan has recently "inherited" his five-year-old niece, Molly, after the death of his mother and his brother. Also featured are the Schabos, mother, son and granddaughter, a Syrian refugee family recently arrived in Hope Harbor. The book brought tears to my eyes several times before it ended. Irene Hannon writes wonderful books, and Driftwood Bay is not to be missed.

[pam50627 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a story of loss, pain, love & recovery. Logan & Jeanette have both tragically lost their families. Where Jeanette was left alone & chose to retreat from life & love, Logan isn’t allowed that luxury. He has one family member left, his niece Molly. He has to draw her out of her shell so that she can thrive & grow. As they are all drawn into the town activities & drama, they each end up helping out a refuge family in their own ways. By seeing the struggles of this father, daughter & grandmother while they attempt to move forward in a new & foreign place, Logan, Jeanette & Molly grow closer & gain their own strengths. Truly a sweet, inspiring story.

[jenniferrobb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's a novel of tragedy, love, and loss--and recovering from loss.The Shabo family consists of a mother, her adult son, and his 5 year old daughter. The rest of their family died in Syria. They have recently relocated to Hope Harbor after being sponsored by two churches there. Miriam (the mother/grandmother) is suffering grief, but trying to hold what remains of her family together. Her son, Thomma, is having trouble getting past the loss of his wife to see that his daughter, Elisa, still needs him. Logan West has relocated to Hope Harbor with his niece, Molly, to take a job at the local medical clinic that will give him better hours for the niece he's now raising. He's lost his brother (Molly's dad) in the Middle East and his mother (Molly's grandmother and her previous caregiver). He's trying to connect with Molly but feels rebuffed at almost every turn. Molly struggles with the loss of those she loves as well as with all the changes in her life as a result.Jeannette lost her family in a plane crash--a plane she wasn't on because her school asked her to stay a few extra days to help them arrange for a substitute teacher. She fled to Hope Harbor to avoid the memories and has tried to stay aloof from the townspeople. She still has contact with them--she goes to church, and has a farm market stand, and runs a tea room--but she avoids getting involved or entangled. She's afraid to love again because once she opens her heart, it's vulnerable to being hurt again.I can understand the desire to build a wall around the heart to protect it from pain and hurt and disappointment. I can also understand that grief can blind one to the good things around. I'm glad that the characters were able to work through their issues and while not totally healed, were able to face some of the issues and get past them or find ways to work with them so that relationships could be redeveloped and solidified.

[sherylhendrix · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Logan West suddenly finds himself the single parent of his brother's five-year-old after both his brother's death and his mother's death. Molly didn't really know her father as he was a soldier deployed overseas for much of her life but Nana, the grandmother who had raised her in Missouri, was another story. She missed her desperately and felt that her Uncle Logan, despite his many attempts to show her, didn't really want to be saddled with a child. When Logan moves to coastal Hope Harbor, Oregon to start this new life with his niece he moves into a home next to Jeannette Mason, who like his niece is closed up and reluctant to open to people. But Molly likes Jeannette, which gives Logan hope for a relationship with both of them at some point. Driftwood Bay chronicles the inner turmoil that surrounds these three as well as a family of Syrian refugees whom the town has "adopted." Driftwood Bay looks at the factors that surround deep and significant loss and how these are resolved, not by effort on the part of those who care, but through the mysterious workings of God and the desperate cries of two very sad little girls. A wonderful story that makes me want to read others of Irene Hannon's Hope Harbor books.

[milibrarian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Logan has moved to Hope Harbor, Oregon to manage a local clinic and raise his niece Molly. While he is enjoying a slower paced life, he is unable to break through Molly's reluctance to forming a bond with him. Meanwhile, his next door neighbor Jeanette has tried to cope with the loss of her family by isolating herself, as much as possible, from the rest of the community. When the local churches sponsor a Syrian refuge family, Jeanette finds herself outside her comfort zone as she tutors them in English.As each of the characters learns to cope with losses in their lives and open themselves to the possibilities of new relationships, Logan finds himself drawn to Jeanette. Can a new family be formed? Add in a beagle pup for some humor, and Hannon has winner in this light read. This is part of a series, but as only the minor characters carry through from one to another, it can be read as a stand alone.

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Logan West has moved to a small seaside town, making a new life for himself and his five-year-old niece. Molly’s life has been turned upside down with the death of her father and grandmother, and now she must live with an uncle she hardly knows. Even though Logan is determined to do his best with the little girl he clearly loves, somehow he has fallen short and cannot connect with Molly. Their next door neighbor is also struggling with losses of her own, and has built fences and walls, both literally and figuratively, around herself. Add in a refuge family from Syria who also has experieced severe losses, and you have several characters struggling to cope. How they connect, how they grow, and how they learn to accept the past and look forward to the future is wrapped around a very interesting and entertaining storyline. Author Irene Hannon has written a well-crafted tale of endurance and hope, and of faith and love.

[jumbler-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first Irene Hannon book I've read. I enjoyed this book. The characters were well written and very believable. The story deals with love and loss and hope for the future. It takes us through all the stages of grief and how the characters worked through it and came out stronger and hopeful willing to open their hearts and try again.

[lamb521 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Title: Driftwood Bay (A Hope Harbor Novel #5)Author: Irene HannonPages: 368Year: 2019Publisher: RevellMy rating: 5 out of 5 starsThe titles of the books in the Hope Harbor series are Hope Harbor, Sea Rose Lane, Sandpiper Cove, Pelican Point and Driftwood Bay. The author has done a marvelous job of storytelling the author brings to readers hearts and minds a message of hope.Each novel has characters that are continuations from previous books, while also introducing us to new characters and insights into familiar ones who inhabit Hope Harbor. In the latest tale, I was soon swept into the heart-touching story of a single man trying to raise his niece after the loss of his mother. Alongside that thread is the tale of an immigrant family brought to America from their former Syrian home after the loss of family members and so much more. Keeping both those threads going, we get to “see” how Marci is doing as a newlywed and running the local paper. These are but a few of the threads woven together and show us a masterpiece telling us hope from loss, new paths forged from the rubble of former lives, and of course there are other threads or themes I haven’t shared.Irene Hannon’s touch of reality in the genre of fiction is astounding! The characters and their tales seem so lifelike. I wouldn’t be surprised if some readers have experienced the trials shared in the book. My heart was touched seeing how one particular character named Jeanette was rebuilding her life from ashes after she relocated while shielding herself from others.Readers may enjoy the story more if they read the other tales in books 1-4 first. Whether you read this one first as a stand alone or not, here is a novel sure to uplift your heart!Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility.

[alekee_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From beginning to end this story tugs at your heart strings, and it doesn’t let go.The author has set this book back in Hope Harbor, and as with the other books in this series, this town seems to be there for one another, and you have to love Charlie, and his seagull friends.This story features two hurting little girls, not yet gone to school, but both have lost their mom’s or grand mom, and are grieving. Adjusting to a new place, and one a new country, they share a universal language and new friendship.I loved that the author gives us and epilogue, it really wraps up the book beyond the ending, and completes the read for me.I received this book through Net Galley and the Revell Reads Program, and was not required to give a positive review.

[tealadytoo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In this latest installment of Irene Hannon’s ‘Hope Harbor’ contemporary romance series, we meet Logan, a bewildered single man who suddenly gained responsibility for his five year old niece after the sudden deaths of his brother and mother months apart. He has moved with his niece, Molly, to Hope Harbor to take charge of the town’s Urgent Care clinic in hopes that it will be a better situation for the bereaved child than his ER practice in busy San Francisco. But between the sad child and a newly acquired rambunctious beagle, he is seriously in over his head. We also meet his new neighbor, Jeannette, who runs the lavender farm and tearoom next door. Jeannette keeps herself to herself, since a series of her own personal losses have convinced her that emotional ties can lead to more pain than she is able to bear.They are reluctantly drawn together by their proximity, by Molly’s needs, and through their involvement with a refugee family who is dealing with devastating losses of their own.This book is authentic and heartwarming, and despite the theme of love and loss, manages to create a hopeful atmosphere as the characters gradually come to terms with what they have lost and to believe that with faith and an open heart, life can still be a joyous experience. The story is unabashedly sentimental, but never strays into maudlin territory. Overall, it’s a very worthwhile read.I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[cyncie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Driftwood Bay by Irene Hannon is her latest in the Hope Harbor series. It deals with new beginnings for a single doctor who suddenly finds himself caring for his five-year-old niece, and their stand-offish neighbor, a lonely lady with a lavender farm and tearoom, who has sworn off relationships after family tragedy. Some of the characters from the early books of this series get updates and the story is a satisfying continuation of the theme of hope.

[coverloverbookreview · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Driftwood Bay is the next installment of the Hope Harbor series. I haven’t read all the previous stories, but I think I’ve read two. Upon revisiting this series and author, it brings a sense of nostalgia.The spiritual vein throughout this author’s stories is gentle and comforting, and the characters are so easy to connect with. I love life after loss stories and the seaside town with its Lavender Farm is a wonderful setting.Captivating, believable, and heartwarming!#DriftwoodBayAuthor: Irene HannonPublisher: RevellPages: 368First Lines: Chaos. That was the only word to describe his new home.Source: I received an advanced reader copy (ARC) from LibraryThing.