Beach Haven (The Carolina Coast Series)

Beach Haven by T.I. Lowe is a cute romance with enjoyable characters. The plot was interesting, the characters were well developed, and it had that classic small town feel to it that the author is known for.I really enjoyed the setting of this book. T.I. Lowe really has a gift in pulling together small towns. I could visual the town and all the places clearly in my mind, and the connections everyone in town had.The story also has a strong faith subplot throughout, which is something I really look for in my Christian fiction. It's not preachy, but you see the characters strong in the faith and struggling, and how God works in their lives.This book isn't a heavy hitting book like Lulu's Cafe (which was a bit disappointing to me) but she did have a character with past trauma. She wrote the PTSD very realistically and did a good job representing it on the page. I just wish I could have connected with the character's story more. I wanted to see his past and his pain rather than just hear about it from him. In Lulu's Cafe the trauma was hard to read and tear jerking, and I just didn't feel that here.The characters and their relationships are well developed. I do wish that Opal would have been more developed. She is shown as quirky and is an interesting character, but you never really get backstory on why she is that way or any of her behaviors, so most of them just came off as a bit weird and exaggerated to me.Another thing I liked about this is that it didn't have tons of physical attraction, they weren't just constantly admiring each other's bodies. You could tell that each character fell in love with the other because of their personality traits and the little things they do. I'd love to see more of this in contemporary romance, and hopefully T.I. Lowe is helping to lead the way!This is a good contemporary romance that I would recommend to anyone who reads the genre, or wants a read that would be a feel good romance to bring along to the beach. Reading this had me wishing I was at the beach myself.I'm going to give this one 4 stars, well done T.I. Lowe!

Beach Haven is the second book I’ve had the pleasure of reading by T. I. Lowe, the first was Under the Magnolias, and it most certainly won’t be my last. In fact, with this story, T. I. Lowe has jumped right onto my auto buy list. I highly recommend both of these stories.I absolutely love Opal! She is quirky, honest, heartfelt, and would do anything to make those she loves happy. She doesn’t let things get her down and relies heavily on prayer. I also really loved Lincoln, while he was gruff, you could just feel his pain and, after all he had been through, it was easy to understand why he was the way he was. I loved how Opal put up with him and helped him do what he needed to do to fix some past wrongs. I loved their story! And I absolutely loved the epilogue!I can’t wait to read the next story in this series! If you love southern romance, this is the author for you!I purchased this book. All opinions are my own. The faith thread is medium. 5 stars.

Quirky and spunky with a large enough heart for anybody who comes along not only describes Opal Gilbert but the whole of Beach Haven. The first book in T.I. Lowe’s Carolina Coast series has a sweet humor while simultaneously tackling personal demons—Opal’s fear of rejection and the battles Lincoln Cole carries after his time serving as a Marine. In time, both find that they need each other to move beyond their problems.I loved how Opal used shells from the coast as wishes for each person who purchased a piece from Bless This Mess, her coastal boutique where she took old furniture and created something new. That is what this story is truly about. Taking the old and making it new. Healing. With a nod to the Prodigal Son. Each shell Lincoln received from Opal was another wish—or prayer—for his healing, for his heart, for his family.The relationships in the story were genuine, from the main characters to the Sand Queens as well as the Knitting Club. No two people were exactly alike, and the author went above and beyond to show it. There was also, in my opinion, the right amount of romantic tension between Opal and Lincoln. Fiesty, flirty. Opal knew how to melt a whole in Lincoln’s cold facade, yet she never went further than she should with her prying and meddling, poking and prodding.I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next two in the series as they explore the stories behind Opal’s two friends from the Sand Queens: Josie and Sophia.

Beach Haven, T. I. Lowes latest offering brings a heart warming story of a group of folks living together in a beach community . A sprite of a girl, Opal, a free spirited entrepreneur who owns a second hand shop is the center of a group of local folk she has known all her life., the Sand Queens, together since babies, and the Knitting Club, a group of spirited elderly ladies. The are a very tight knit group and are much loved. Into this community arrives a former ex-marine, big, tough and tortured by a devastating injury. received in combat. Following a hurricane which seriously damages Opals shop, Bless this Mess, Lincoln wanders in and helps with bringing order from the chaos with much sparring between the two.. Gradually a working partnership is formed and Lincoln begins to let a softer side appear and Opals strong faith and love of God starts to come into the heart that had hardened. Lincoln begins to work on repairing bridges that he had broken in his life and gradually acknowledges his growing attraction to Opal. This is an achingly, heart warming story of two unlikely characters who, through difficulties find their way to true love, redemption and a partnership. This book has it all, brokenness, humour , healing, companionship, love, and the hand of God .