From the bestselling author of Lulu’s CaféJosie Slater has allowed the circumstances anchoring her in Sunset Cove to become a life sentence. Since her mother’s death years before, she’s spent most of her waking hours helping her dad run the Driftwood Diner. As her best friends, Opal and Sophia, make their dreams come true, Josie watches her own art school aspirations drift on by. But when a … by. But when a French-speaking Southern gentleman from her past moves back from Europe, Josie is launched into a tizzy of what-ifs and I-sure-do-hope-sos.
August Bradford left Sunset Cove six years ago to sow some life oats and conquer his ambitious career goals. Finally ready to lay down some roots, the successful artist is back in town and determined to win Josie’s heart. When he enlists Josie’s help in the preparations for a children’s art camp, Josie finds herself unleashing her artistic side in a way she hasn’t since before her mother’s death. August hopes to convince Josie to paint a life with him, but the problem is convincing her to let go of her apprehensions and give him—and her dreams—a fair chance.
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“I’m a thief . . . . A thief of moments. . . . I want to steal as many as I can steal in the time God gives me. Jo . .. will be a thief with me?”
“When a man loves a woman” . . . . the words to that classic pop ballad ran continually through my mind the entire time that I was reading this book. August Bradford’s pursuit of the gorgeous, shy, fearful, talented, and terribly fragile Josie Slater is a masterpiece of wooing . . . . teasing, touching, tugging . . someone else’s heart closer than they ever imagined it could be. Using multiple brushstrokes; words, colors, paints, and canvases, August draws Josie into a step-by-step journey towards a life that “is too short to live without you”.
I expect that I will read this story over and over and over again . . . . as it’s meant to be.
I so enjoyed August and Josie’s story! Their journey to wholeness is one we’ve all been invited to embark upon. It’s not easy but so worthwhile. The subtle thread of Christ’s love is gently woven into the pages of this inspiring novel. It’s a lovely picture of beauty rising from the ashes.
Recommend to readers who enjoy inspirational, contemporary fiction.
I purchased a copy. All views expressed are my honest opinion.
I could really stop my review there… but I won’t. Because I neeeeeeeeed to swoon-flail (new word) over August. Oh how I love a hero who pursues the woman he loves. That gentle intention that gives meaning to every action, every word, every ‘just dropping by’ moment. There’s something about that kind of patient, purposeful romance that wraps so completely around my heart. I think because it reminds me that I am pursued by a Savior – gently, intentionally, patiently, lovingly. Reminds me that He would do anything to get to me and show me how much He loves me. My favorite kind of story is one that organically reflects The Story without feeling forced or preachy – and Lowe’s incredible talent does exactly that in Driftwood Dreams.
Josie herself is a complex character with several layers to unpack, and a carefully hidden fragility about her spirit. That’s not to say that she is weak – on the contrary, Josie is an exceptionally strong woman, even if she doesn’t realize it. I adored her relationship with the eccentric Dalma (who I want to just hug all the time), and Dalma’s antics added a great deal of humor to the story. Their unpredictable interactions infused Driftwood Dreams with wisdom and tenderness as well. And of course there are the Sand Queens – Josie’s BFF’s – Opal and Sophia. I loved following up with Opal’s story and grew more and more intrigued by Sophia’s, which we’ll see in book 3.
Bottom Line: Driftwood Dreams by T.I. Lowe is romance novel perfection. August and Josie are creative, artistic, and well-layered, and their relationship journey is absolutely beautiful. Main, secondary, and tertiary characters are all nicely drawn and each contributes in his/her own way to add dimension to the story. Lowe is a master at writing books with faith, hope, humor, tenderness, and swooniness – each element combining intrinsically with the others in such a way that neither can be omitted without losing something essential. I grinned a lot, I got a little teary, and I swooned often. A must-read for fans of Becky Wade, Denise Hunter, and Pepper Basham.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. In the interest of full disclosure, I also received compensation from the publisher to coordinate an instagram tour for this series with JustRead Tours, a company I partially own. All views expressed are still only my honest opinion & were not in any way influenced by compensation for coordinating the tour.)
I thoroughly enjoyed this fun beach read. Josie and August create a wonderful chemistry together. I love how he pursues her and does not give up on her while pushing her to fight for her dreams. Themes of family run deep and I love the devotion portrayed by the characters. Friendship is the sweetness that ties this series together and I enjoy how the three friend’s stories support and intersect with each other. Lots of southern charm, beach vibes and genuine faith come together in this sweet, clean romance.
This was another wonderfully delicious, laugh out loud read by TI Lowe. It was poignant, full of life, with characters that feel like friends. I got a bit frustrated with Josie a few times, but nothing I didn’t get over by the end of the it. 🙂 I hope Josie and August live and love happily ever after stealing moments and memories together.
I would give this series ten stars if I could!! Driftwood Dreams is the second in the Carolina Coast series by TI Lowe. This book tells Josie and August’s story who readers met in Beach Haven, the first book in the series.
Josie and August grew up together in Sunset Cove, but life events took them separate ways. August went off and became a famous artist and Josie stayed in Sunset Cove to help her father run the Driftwood Diner after her mother died. She gave up on her dreams of being an artist to do what she knew she needed to do. The story opens with August moving back to Sunset Cove to help open an arts camp for children. Josie and August find themselves drawn to one another as they spend more and more time together to get the camp ready. Josie is worn pretty thin because she has made it her mission to take care of everyone while losing herself. With August’s help, she finds her passion in art again, but wonders how to make it all work without letting anyone down.
Driftwood Dreams is such a beautiful love story complete with a swoonworthy artsy hero. It takes place in a fabulous southern coastal setting complete with lots of quirky characters I would be honored to have as friends. Everyone needs a Dalma in their life! Whether you are able to travel to a beach this summer or not, this story will take you there. This series is definitely the best beach read of the year.
I am so looking forward to Sea Glass Castle, the third book in the series, which releases in August.
Driftwood dreams is the perfect summer novel. This is the second book in the Carolina Coast Series, and it is just a wonderful as the first. I love a good love story, but I don’t like cheesy stories. This is the perfect romance with enough depth to keep me reading. I could relate to Josie because I lost my mother when I was a young woman, and it affected my life and how I relate to others even more than I probably realize. I love how patient August was with Josie and how he wooed her and gave her time to grow. It reminded me of how Christ woos us. I look forward to reading the last book in the series.
A very enjoyable book! Beautiful setting and wonderful characters. This is my second book by author T.I. Lowe, and I look forward to reading more from this author!
I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.
“Driftwood Dreams” is the second book in the “The Carolina Coast” series and it is the third book I have read by T.I. Lowe. This book can be read separately, however, it is so much better if you read them together and in order to get the full enjoyment out of this book. In this novel, you get better acquainted with two of the characters from the first novel, Josie and August. You will also continue to hear about Opal and Lincoln who were the main characters from the first novel, “Beach Haven”. Josie is so scared after losing her mom that something bad will happen to her dad that she does not even try to follow her passion of art. She also spends what time she is not spending helping her dad assisting everyone else in town with whatever they need. August has finally come back to town to stay. Josie and August have a past history together and as you are reading you wonder if they will pick up where they left off. If you are looking for a good beach fun read and like some romance then this book is for you! T.I. Lowe does an amazing job of bringing you into the lives of her characters where you feel like you live in the town with them. You should definitely read this novel and the one before it.
I enjoyed this book. This book is the second in a series though honestly, I feel they’re both stand-alone books and you don’t need to read the first one. Normally I say you have to but this series you don’t. Though you should because the first book is amazing as well. But a quick caveat that book one has a lot of hard issues and topics packed in those pages that the author covers with grace.
Back to this book. I loved it. August is gentle and steadfast. He has loved Josie since they were in school but now he’s back and ready to show her just how much he loves her. That is if he can get her away from helping people instead of following her own dreams and desires.
They’re both artists. While I know nothing about art I really enjoyed the art scenes in this book. I really enjoyed all the scenes about the art camp. It sounds like such a fun place! I also enjoyed how this book had romance without being dirty or making me feel like it was wrong. The way August courted and wooed Josie was wonderful!
Highly recommend this book. I loved that it also contained hard things like early death or parents and foster/adoption. As adoptive parents in our home I always love how it can be portrayed in a good light with children who actually come out okay in the end!
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
When I learned that Driftwood Dreams was book two in The Carolina Coast series, I purchased a copy of the first book, Beach Haven so I would be sure to be up to speed when I began reading. I did discover that Driftwood Dreams can easily stand on its own merits but I am also happy that I read the first book first. It was fun catching up with familiar characters as well as getting to know Josie a little better.
Josie is a fixer and although she doesn’t actually acknowledge it, she operates as though God needs her help taking care of everyone else. She has always had a thing for August Bradford but tends to become tongue-tied whenever he is around so she usually avoids him as much as possible. It hasn’t been too difficult while he was out of town for several years but now that he is back for good, Josie cannot seem to avoid him.
Driftwood Dreams was a fun to read novel filled with interesting and sometimes quirky characters. I frequently found myself laughing at some of their antics only to encounter a sweetly tender scene on the next page. I loved how August patiently wooed Josie, giving her space when she needed it yet constantly encouraging her to follow her dreams and exhorting her with the truth. I admired Josie’s loyalty to her father and her generous spirit toward her friends and others in need, especially one precious but eccentric old lady.
In my opinion, Driftwood Dreams is a gem of a story and I recommend it to all, especially those who enjoy Southern fiction. I would also recommend Beach Haven and I am looking forward to the next installment.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Celebrate Lit. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.
I found Driftwood Dreams to be a really great read. T I Lowe is a new to me author and it will not be the last. This book is the second installment from her Carolina Coast series. Even though it is part of a series, I felt like it could be read as a stand alone.
Driftwood Dreams was a delight to read. The details of the setting was so beautiful and made me wish I was right there. I loved Josie right from the start. The chemistry between her and August was undeniable. Their story was fun, entertaining, beautiful and inspiring.
I am giving Driftwood Dreams four and a half stars. I would love to read the first book of the series, Beach Haven, and will be early waiting for the release of the third book, Sea Glass Castle. I recommend this one for readers who love to read a sweet romance.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
This inspirational book is a lovely read. Art, special needs, depression, hunger, abandonment, friendships, neighborly love and music are all included in this delightful story! Add beaches, nature, family and a smattering of romance makes this a must read! Definitely worth the read! This book was provided to me by the author and Celebrate Lit for my review.
Oh my ! This is a wonderful story not just about love but allowing yourself to dream. I’m sure each of us had a dream of becoming something or doing something as we grew up. My dream was to be a teacher and a librarian. I loved being around children and I loved to show children how fun learning was. Josie reminds me a bit of myself. She has always had a special dream but things always got in the way. There was always someone who needed her help, so she pushed her dreams aside. I discovered while reading the story that part of Josie was afraid to let others down. She felt needed when helping at her dads place, or helping an elderly lady with chores or just sitting and talking with her.
It was hard for both Josie and her dad when her mother died. That void was hard to fill. I’m not sure she let herself grieve because she was so focused on making sure her dad was okay. They have a great relationship as father and daughter but Josie senses something is off with her dad. I loved reading how much Josie’s dad wanted her to fulfill her dream but he needed to tell her that he would be fine . I kept hoping that Josie would open up to her dad. Maybe she was afraid she wouldn’t be needed or loved.
August is one of those guys you just instantly like. He is charming, sincere and has a gift that he wants to share with others. I loved reading about the camp and how much August was devoted to helping it achieve. He made me think of my husband in so many ways. My husband is a very talented artist. He has air brushed murals for churches and homes. He always wanted to be an artist, but let his dream slip away when his parents didn’t support him. August sees the gift in Josie and wants her to allow herself to dream and see it happen.
I was very impressed with the writing and how easy it was to fall in love with these characters. The author delivers a touching story of following your dreams and never giving up. As for me, I did become a teacher but not the kind I though I would be. I was the Children’s Pastor of our church for many years. I also was a librarian for fifteen years. My husband continues his dream today as he is often asked to do murals for churches and other things like design T-shirts or paint a mural for a nursery. The story for me was personal because August like my husband supported Josie and never gave up. He encouraged her and rejoiced with her as she allowed herself to let go and trust God.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
Dreams never die, life just put them on hold.
I’m just going to put this out there now, I Love T.I. Lowe and this story is the perfect reason why. Southern charm and whit ooze off the pages as she opens the door to this quaint little community full of every day people. Some of the locals have left town to follow their dreams while others stay behind and put their dreams on a shelf.
Josie is this shy, unassuming woman who does everything for everyone and puts her needs on the back burner. She wants more but is clearly afraid to step out of the box she put herself in. I don’t know about you, but I know I have done that on many things. It’s what we mom’s do, right? When we do that, though, we forget what we are capable of. Like Josie did. The last paragraphs forced me to take a look at my own life to see what dreams I put away so that I could serve everyone else.
Then walks in Mr. McHottie, Austen, her blast from the past. He challenges her to take her dreams and goals off the shelf. To dust off her talents and see where things go. And maybe even take a chance on love. I love how he pushed her, just ever so slightly. His gentle patience is endearing. She pushes him back though. But if you love someone enough you fight for them, even if it is the person you are battling.
Honestly, there isn’t a thing wrong with this book. It is easy to read and easy to get lost in. I’d recommend tossing it in your beach bag next to your sunscreen and walk to the beach and get lost for a bit. Or at least pretend you’re at the beach. Your nerves will thank you.
** I was given a copy of this book from the publisher through CelebrateLit publicity. The views expressed a purely my own. A favorable review was not required but freely given.
Book two in T. I. Lowe’s Carolina Coast series will have you smiling at times, sighing at times, and hurting for the heroine at others. I actually read Driftwood Dreams first but now I’m going to have to go back and read Opal’s story because she’s quite the secondary character in this book.
August Bradford is a hero I can get behind. This guy knows what he wants and sets out to obtain it. Yet, he’s patient and cares for his family and friends. He’s doesn’t run over people to get to his goal.
The art scenes in this book are wonderful and original, and just like Josie, drew me right in. There is healing in creativity, and August uses that to draw Josie out of her colorless world.
If you can’t get to the beach right now, Driftwood Dreams is a great escape that will whisk you away for a few hours.
Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
I thought that T.I. Lowe did a great job with the storyline movement and that the characters were genuinely relatable. The themes she wove in were great reminders that we only have this one life to live, and we need to live it how God calls us to. Also, we need to remember to follow our dreams and not be afraid of what others might think. T.I. Lowe described island life in a way that made me feel like I had sand under my feet and palm trees growing in my house. I truly loved her vivid descriptions. I think readers who like Debbie Macomber, Rachel Hauck, and Denise Hunter will love this book and the Carolina Coast series.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for the relaxing storyline (So made me want to go to the beach), the interesting characters, and for the theme of following your dreams. I recommend picking up this book (or series!) to read while at the beach this summer!
I loved the chemistry between August and Josie. It was funny how dumbstruck she was around him at first. The way August wooed Josie was award winning swoony. Very romantic.
I’ve never read about a character with such a sweet heart like Josie. She had a heart of gold set on sacrificing for others.
So inspiring how a common, shared history united them together. I loved how their love story turned out despite the pain and hardship they had both gone through.
August and Josie’s story was inspiring to believe despite what life throws God is still in control and one would smile again. The sun will rise again, the rainbow will appear soon because the One who controls them never fails.
I received a copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.
This series is so deep and inspiring. As Md. Lowe takes you on a journey of the Sand Queens and the love of their lives, readers will be swept away by the love of God and friendships. There is nothing like having people in your lives that will be honest with you and lift you up to be the best that you were created to be. August and Josie’s story is about living out the dreams that God has placed in your hearts. August pursuit of Josie was filled with ups and downs. Although he hoped for Josie to be more, he had no control of how she would respond. Josie had to confront her fears to accept the promise of an amazing future. I cannot wait for Sophia’s story. This will be a series that will stay with the reader for a long time.
I received this book from NetGalley and the opinions expressed are entirely my own
‘Josie Slater collects people in need like a crazy cat lady collects strays, but she won’t let anyone do that for her.’
Josie Slater has imposed a life sentence upon herself to help her daddy run their café after her mother’s untimely death years ago. She has never even thought to allow her own dream to come to fruition. She’s too busy taking care of everyone else.
Six years ago August Bradford left town and fulfilled his own dreams and goals. Now he is back in Sunset Cove to settle down for good. He is also bound and determined to win Josie. You see, both Josie and August have always had a crush on the other. But August must find a way to convince Josie to let herself be set free from all the expectation she has put on herself. And he is convinced that he will not lose.
I only discovered this author this week and I love her books already! Written expertly with characters crafted so that they jump into the readers heart and emotions so deeply felt that you just sigh so often throughout the book, these are books I love and think about long after I’m finished reading them. The author is a fellow lifelong South Carolinian as well and I totally got her turns of phrasing, too! Loved every minute and highly recommended.
*My thanks to Tyndale House Publishing for a copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinion stated here is my own.