Lowcountry Stranger by Ashley Farley + a Giveaway

Hi, readers! Today I'm a stop on the TLC blog tour for Ashley Farley's latest, Lowcountry Stranger. Note there is a tour wide giveaway for this one, so do be sure to read through to the end to enter the Rafflecopter.

It's been months since Faith's daughter, Bitsy, last spoke. And while they've all taken some time to get over the incident that caused this selective mutism, everyone expects it'll simply take more time for Bitsy to open up again. But then a strange girl crashes Faith's wedding. As she wanders the celebration stealing food and pocketing other items, she also speaks to Bitsy - and Bitsy answers. 

Everyone is so blown away that they can't help but feel some sort of obligation to the girl, especially when they learn that she's been abandoned partway on her own journey to New York City. And so they offer her a place to stay in exchange for helping with Bitsy. Even so, none of them is quite sure what to believe when it comes to their new houseguest. 

Readers, I had a hard time getting into Lowcountry Stranger. It was clear at the start, as sisters Faith, Sam, and Jackie narrate Faith's wedding, that there's a history here. And it's one that the author does make an effort to rehash as the story begins. Unfortunately I still felt lost. I did realize it was the second in a series that I hadn't read before but I'd hoped that I would have an easier time getting into the family's story.

It does pick up, but that shaky start stuck with me, overshadowing all.

There was also, for me, a big sense of disbelief here. A strange teenager shows up at a wedding she's not invited to, packs her purse with bam biscuits and makes off with a wallet or two and the family offers her up a guest house - even when they acknowledge that her story seems off. Not only that, but they want to put their children in her care... And that's just the start.

Perhaps, had I had a better grasp of the characters and their family dynamic going in, I would have enjoyed their second outing more. My fault. I've no doubt fans of Farley's Her Sister's Shoes will love returning to this family and seeing what comes next for each of them. If you're curious and new to this author, I'd recommend starting there before diving into Lowcountry Stranger.

And now for the giveaway. Ashley is offering up a $50 Amazon gift card to one lucky winner! Again, this is tour wide so you only need to enter on one blog post.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To see more stops on the tour be sure to check out the official TLC tour page here.

For more on Ashley Farley and her work you can visit her website here. You can also like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Purchase Links: Amazon | iTunes | Barnes & Noble | Kobo