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Literary Friday: Lowcountry Stranger

Friday, August 12, 2016

Happy Literary Friday, My Lovelies!  This week I read Lowcountry Stranger from the Sweeney Sisters Series by Ashley Farley.





About Lowcountry Stranger

• Publisher: Leisure Time Publishing; 1 edition (July 1, 2016)

There's a stranger in town. And it’s no coincidence when she shows up uninvited at a Sweeney family wedding. All eyes are drawn to this urchin who seems to have washed in with the tide. Before the night is over, the doe-eyed waif charms young and old with her street smarts and spunky personality. For better or worse, Annie Dawn is here to stay.

The memorable Sweeney sisters from Her Sister’s Shoes have returned with more suspense and family drama to hold you spellbound until the dramatic conclusion. As she approaches the next stage of her life as an empty nester, Jackie is torn between expanding her fledgling design business and spending these last precious months with her boys before they fly the coop. Her own worst enemy, Sam is terrified of making a commitment to Eli Marshall, handsome police officer, true love of her life. Her resolve is tested when a ghost from her past shows up after nearly two decades. Faith nurtures her seven-year- old daughter who is recovering from the trauma of her abusive father. Is the threat in the past, or is there more danger on the horizon? The sisters seek guidance from their mother, Lovie, a true Southern matriarch who shows them how to respond to adversity with grace and dignity. Things are heating up in the Lowcountry. The Sweeney sisters remind us, once again, that being a part of a family is about more than sharing the same DNA.



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Ashley Farley

About Ashley Farley

Ashley Farley writes books about women for women. Her characters are mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives facing real-life issues. Her goal is to keep you turning the pages until the wee hours of the morning. If her story stays with you long after you've read the last word, then she's done her job. After her brother died in 1999 of an accidental overdose, she turned to writing as a way of releasing her pent-up emotions. She wrote SAVING BEN in honor of Neal, the boy she worshipped, the man she could not save. Ashley is a wife and mother of two college-aged children. She grew up in the salty marshes of South Carolina, but now lives in Richmond, Virginia, a city she loves for its history and traditions. Ashley loves to hear from her readers. Feel free to visit her on Facebook or Twitter. Visit her website at http://www.ashleyfarley.net.


My Review:

I have not read the first book in the series (Her Sister's Shoes), but I wish I had.  While Lowcountry Stranger is a stand alone, having read the backstory would have helped.  The book starts out at a wedding, and several characters are introduced so it was hard to keep everyone straight at first.  But if I'd read the first book, then all the characters would have been familiar to me.

The Sweeney girls are drama magnets.  They face several real-life issues such as: infidelity, alcoholism, domestic abuse, facing an empty nest, aging parents, death, terminal cancer, a hostage situation, kidnapping, and a psychotic stalker...and there are even more I didn't list.  I enjoyed the story even though it was filled with drama.  I was a little surprised that the family was willing to take in a virtual stranger who crashed a wedding, but then I realized that these sisters have a history of making poor choices.  (Yep.  I'm on my high horse about that one because who would allow a stranger to babysit an already traumatized child with selective mutism?)  But the sisters are kind and want to do the right thing for those they love.  Sam is the most intriguing of the sisters to me.  A recovering alcoholic, she is her own worst critic, and I was truly hoping she'd see herself the way others do.  Told from all three sisters' points of view, I liked how each sister had a shoe at the beginning of each chapter to represent their personalities (Sam's is the preppy Sperry Top-Sider).

I was expecting more from the setting: I didn't really get a strong sense of place, and as a Southerner I wanted to experience more of the South Carolina Lowcountry.  This story could have been based on the coast practically anywhere.

If you enjoy books filled with family drama and strong female characters, then you will love Lowcountry Stranger. 

There's a lovely recipe for white gazpacho at the end of the book, and I intend on trying it soon because it has been so hot here in Central Alabama.  It would be the perfect dish for lunch on a hot Southern day!

Disclaimer:  I received a copy of Lowcountry Stranger via TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.



Would you like to win an Amazon gift card   Ashley Farley is hosting a generous giveaway, and you can enter for a chance to win below.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Did you complete your summer reading list?  Please share your favorite book of the summer in the comments section below!


Until next time...

Happy reading!
Ricki Jill


6 comments

  1. I shared a book called The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper this week. It was a different genre than I usually read but I really enjoyed it. It is good to get out of our comfort zone and read something different.

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  2. These sound like books I would enjoy Ricki Jill, I love to read reviews by people I know- I love books about Southern women and I have been binge reading the Lowcountry series by Susan Boyer this summer, about a female detective has has a lot of crazy experiences. I am putting your recommendations on my reading list!
    Jenna

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  3. I've never tried gazpacho but it does sound perfect for the hot, humid weather we have here in Maryland at this time of year.

    Thanks for being a part of the tour!

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  4. I just bought Her Sister's Shoes on iBook. I have nothing to do today so sitting on the beach, feet in the sand with a book sounds great.

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  5. Strong female characters are a must for me!

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  6. The book sounds great! Thanks for your wonderful review ♥

    summerdaisycottage.blogspot.com

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I'm Ricki Jill. Welcome! I'm honored that you're reading my blog. I enjoy sharing my creative lifestyle @ The Bookish Dilettante. For more information about my blog, please read the Start Here page. Thank-you for stopping by, and I hope you'll consider following me via email.

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