Where Dandelions Grow: Book Review

I was privileged to be on a review team for Lydia Howe's latest book, Where Dandelions Grow!
I'm pretty horrible at reviews, so bear with me. ;P

Synopsis:

Cousins are forever, or at least they're supposed to be.

What happens when your world falls apart and your dreams are mocked by those closest to you?

Destiny's idyllic childhood full of laughter and cousins abruptly ended when her mom uprooted the family to move them across the country with strict instructions to never talk about Swallow Ridge again.  Eleven years later Destiny moves back to her hometown, determined to find her cousins... and answers.

Plagued by generations of bitterness and manipulation, Destiny hides her life-long goal - unwilling to let anyone else trample her fragile dreams.  But life in the cozy town full of dandelions teaches Destiny there's more to life than what she's been taught.

Is it possible Swallow Ridge not only holds the answers Destiny so intensely searches for, but also hope?

My rating: 3.5 stars

The book is well-written, and has some very good points.  In order to be more and more like Christ, we need to 'take the higher road', as Lydia so aptly put it.  With our relationships, with our money... with everything.  She also brought up the point that our definition of success shouldn't be based on worldly things, but spiritual things, things that actually matter.  However, I would've liked to see more about Destiny's road to success—how she came up with her own worldview, instead of just doing what other people told her to do.
Don't get me wrong; I think advice is excellent, and often, needed.  But a person's got to decide for his/herself what they really believe for themselves.  And she eventually did figure it out, but there was sadly little about God's guidance in her journey; she did what Mrs. R. and others suggested.

The characters were good.  Destiny's caffeine overload had me smiling, Teal's wise crack about cooking made me laugh, and just all the characters were generally likable.
My favorite was Uncle Carter, however minor he may have been as a character.  Kinda reminds me of my dad (and that was another thing I was confused about; there was not mention about Destiny's dad that I remember until later in the book).
Mrs. Reed was so motherly, and caring, and... *squishes her*
I could certainly relate to Destiny with her love for writing and books. I could relate with Teal about her love of music.  But that was pretty much it.  I struggled with relating to anything else in the book, which was a small disappointment.
Also, there was one or two characters that I was wondering exactly what their place in the book was.
But, as far as a general overview of every character in the book: thumbs up!

Noveltea is like, my dream place to work.  A bookstore with a cafe, and ALL THE COFFEE.  I'm not a coffee drinker (yet) but I absolutely LOVE the smell, and it just makes a bookstore that much better!
So yeah.  I may or may not be a teensy weensy bit jealous of Destiny on that count. ;P

So, to give you a one-sentence summary of my review?  Where Dandelions Grow was a fun read, and I would certainly recommend it for anyone looking for a book to make them feel good.

And thus sums up my review!
Congratulations on your newly-released book, Lydia!
~Kaitlyn

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review*