South of Somewhere by T.I. Lowe

 

South of Somewhere by T.I. Lowe

4.5 Stars rounding up to 5 on Goodreads

“You are loved, you are cherished, and you are chosen by our Savior, and your identity is far greater than any label someone is trying to place on you. Don’t ever forget that.”

I'd heard so many wonderful things about T.I. Lowe's books, and South of Somewhere was my first experience with her writing. Readers typically praise her ability to tell powerful, redemptive stories centered on real-life struggles and now I completely understand why. All I can say is....wow y'all! She delivered an emotional, heartfelt story that exceeded my expectations and showcased exactly why so many readers love her books.

Juniper "Junie" Wilder is a woman whose battle with grief after the loss of her husband and alcoholism cost her custody of her young daughter, Fern. She is determined to rebuild her life after rehab and she goes on a very difficult journey to healing, forgiveness and proving she deserves a second chance at motherhood.

This book is REAL. I love that T.I. Lowe didn't shy away from the powerful realities of addiction and recovery. We saw the setbacks, the guilt, the temptation...and you really had empathy for Junie in what she was trying to do.  You root for her to come out of this ahead and to make her way back to a healthy place for her daughter.

As a southern girlie in Tennessee, I also love the South Carolina beach setting. It gives a comforting feel in the midst of the heavy. The encouragement of everyone around Junie was so beautiful to see as well. It had that found family element as the people around her become like family as they share their struggles, stories of addiction and accountability for each other to make it.

The romance between Junie and Henry is an underlying thread that added heart to the story without overtaking the main plot. It was a slow build and their relationship developed naturally as friends first rather than instant attraction and I loved that. Henry believed in Junie. 

I was so connected to this book, especially from an audiobook listen - the narrator had a great southern narration for all the different characters and you really felt so connected like it was movie you were watching. 

While I wanted a smidge more of Junie's faith explored, she still realized just how much the Lord was on her side regardless and I loved the emphasis of that.

Highly recommend for anyone who loves southern fiction with real life stories that make you think, empathize and learn. Excited to read more by T.I. in the future.

Content/Trigger Warnings: alcohol and drug use mentioned, child custody battle, addiction recovery, mentions of loss of loved ones, grief from losing spouse, brief violent moment from a character, no language, no spice

Amazon: https://amzn.to/449IDTQ
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9798400507816_south-of-somewhere

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