Driftwood Lane

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 show more 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. show less

I loved how the author made a compelling case for her heroine's fear. Growing up with a mentally ill mother and a father who essentially abandoned her was a key part of the need she had to control everything about her life. The cool thing about true love is the out of control feeling it gives. You love it and it scares you at the same time. This was so well illustrated. You crave what you need and want to run screaming at the same time. Ms. Hunter really laid a solid foundation for these characters and continually put the heroine in situations where she had to let the hero get one step closer. The necessary blowout for any good romance novel was also well done.

We all know how one phone call out of the blue can change our lives. Meridith Ward received that call one day while she was at work inspecting a resturant. The call telling her that her estranged father and step-mother were killed and she was the guardian of 3 siblings that she never laid eyes on and had a Bed & Breakfast to take care of!This was an enjoyable, fast paced read. I love the charactor of Meridith and her willingness to drop everything and rush to Nantucket to take care of the kids until their uncle returns, or so she thinks. Meridith is a take charge woman and I felt she was much older than her 25 years. Uncle J or Jake as Meridith knows him is a funny, loveable guy. He's a bachelor who loves nothing more than riding his show more motorcycle. I loved the interaction between him and the kids, it was very touching. The scenes with Jake and Meridith were funny, touching, sad and explosive at times. Though Driftwood Lane is labeled as Christian fiction I did not find it preachy or in your face as I have found other books of this genre.I would recommend Driftwood Lane to anyone who needs a take me away book for the beach or a rainy weekend. It's nice at times to get lost in something that is not too deep. show less

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.

We all know how one phone call out of the blue can change our lives. Meridith Ward received that call one day while she was at work inspecting a resturant. The call telling her that her estranged father and step-mother were killed and she was the guardian of 3 siblings that she never laid eyes on and had a Bed & Breakfast to take care of!

This was an enjoyable, fast paced read. I love the charactor of Meridith and her willingness to drop everything and rush to Nantucket to take care of the kids until their uncle returns, or so she thinks. Meridith is a take charge woman and I felt she was much older than her 25 years. Uncle J or Jake as Meridith knows him is a funny, loveable guy. He's a bachelor who loves nothing more than riding his show more motorcycle. I loved the interaction between him and the kids, it was very touching. The scenes with Jake and Meridith were funny, touching, sad and explosive at times. Though Driftwood Lane is labeled as Christian fiction I did not find it preachy or in your face as I have found other books of this genre.

I would recommend Driftwood Lane to anyone who needs a take me away book for the beach or a rainy weekend. It's nice at times to get lost in something that is not too deep. show less

This was a feel good story and a heart warming romance. You know how it is going to end when you start reading it, but it is just enjoyable watching how it all comes about. You have Meridith Ward, who has a well ordered life, and who finds herself becoming guardians of 3 children she has never met. She must leave her well ordered life and travel to Nantucket to care for the children and try to care for the Bed and Breakfast their parents owned. Enter Jake, the children's uncle, who becomes the handyman who helps keep the Bed and Breakfast from falling apart, and who keeps his real identity a secret from Meridith. Meridith will have to learn to trust God with her fears and trust Jake with her heart.

A good summer read as you find yourself show more on Nantucket Island, enjoying walks along the beach, but also enjoying each of the characters in this story. It was fun to watch this mismatched family unit learn to like, then love one another. This is part of a series listed as; four women, four love stories, one island, escape to Nantucket, I enjoyed each story and felt they could all be read as a stand alone stories. If you want to get away and escape for the day, then grab "Driftwood Lane" and enjoy a relaxing and entertaining love story that will leave you refreshed and relaxed as you travel to Nantucket Island. show less

I think this Driftwood Lane is the best one in the series. Meridith is left not only a bed and breakfast, but also the guardianship of her three siblings after her father suddenly passes. This is a cute story of Meridith finding herself, while learning that kids can be messy, wrapped up in a love story.