Barefoot Memories {book review}

Hello, my friends! It has been a while, haha! Life has been absolutely mad, and I haven't had time or brainpower to sit down and properly blog.  But I want to get back to reviewing books, and I knew I had to do a post for the birthday of such a special book.

It's official, guys. The Tradewinds Trilogy is over.  *cries into my shave ice forever*  But that's okay, because I can still revisit these wonderful characters any time I want.  Anyway, even though this is the third book in the series, this is a spoiler-free review!  Other than maybe the synopsis.  But I didn't do that part, haha!

(Also, to read my review of the first book, click right here!)

Barefoot Memories



Author: Taylor Bennett
Genre: Christian fiction
Content: None
Main Character: Olive Galloway
Placement in Series: 3 of 3

Synopsis:
What if the biggest decision of your life wasn’t yours to make?
With the New Year upon her, Olive Galloway is determined to put the past behind her and uncover the new future waiting for her in her island home. However, her best friend Jazz seems dangerously close to giving up on her alcoholic mom—as well as her own dreams. Together with an unlikely ally, Olive helps Jazz regain her confidence and enter a high-stakes race, but there’s still trouble on the horizon. Their friend Brander is due to come home from a whirlwind music tour on the mainland, but he’s holding tight to a secret that could change their friendship forever.
Offered the chance to fulfill all of her wildest dreams with a single word, Olive realizes that she could be headed back to the mainland sooner than she’d imagined. Caught up in a whirl of possibility, Olive struggles to decide between returning home to fulfill her childhood wish or building a new life in Hawaii. The choice could change her life forever.

Add on Goodreads ~ Purchase on Amazon

What I Thought:


This was so perfectly bittersweet.  I read the whole thing in a day, mostly because I couldn't put it down.  Taylor's books have such a cozy vibe, like, you go in and you never want to leave.  The characters welcome you into the story like you've been there all along, and even though there's conflict, a little Jesus and a little communication (bless!!) can fix any problem.  It's fantastic.  Comfortable, that's the word I'd use.  This series is comfortable.  Like a porch swing.  ;)

I will never know how Taylor knew to write books that hit exactly on what I'm dealing with, but it had me kinda shook?  That it fit my struggles so perfectly and I'm a full 5 years older than Olive?  Well, I mean, it's God.  Obviously, it's God.  Taylor's writing from His heart and it's perfection.

And I just?  I love the characters so much?  Olive, Jazz, and Brander are the ultimate trio, okay?  And Macie?  And Gramma?  And their dad??  AHH my feels!!  It was just a whole roller coaster of emotion and I was there for it.  I'm going to miss them so MUCH AHH may I please make a formal request that in a few years we get another book about more adventures with these guys when they're all grown up, pleeeease!

So overall, yes, this was the best one yet.  It genuinely solidified this trilogy as one of my favorite contemporaries ever.  I can't wait to see what God has in store for Taylor next.

Overall Rating: 5 shave ices out of 5  (yeah, I'm still giving this series shave ices. what else would I give it?)

(I've also been adding to the Spotify playlist, if you'd like to give it a listen!)

About the Author:
Taylor Bennett is a dandelion-wishing, world-traveling lover of books, words, and stories. Based in the PNW, she dreams of seeing the world and writing stories set in unique locations.
Although she dreams of traveling to many different places, her favorite destination thus far (aside from her charming hometown in Oregon) is Lahaina, Hawaii. Her love for this tropical hamlet led her to write about it, hence her debut YA novel, Porch Swing Girl, the first in a series of books set in Hawaii.

Connect with Taylor: her website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads

A huge thank you to Taylor and her amazing publishers for sending me an advanced copy of the book! (Not gonna lie, it's already a contender for my top books of the year)

Have you read this series?  Are you going to??  (say yessss xD)

~ Abby

Porch Swing Girl {book review}

Have you ever read a book and felt like it needed to be a movie?  Yeah, that's what happened to me with this book.

Now, most of you have probably already heard wonderful things about this book (if you haven't, where have you been?), and I'm here to tell you that they are all completely justified.  Taylor Bennett has written a wonderful story of grief, God's redemption, and summer beach days.  And because she is one of the sweetest people ever and I'm part of her street team now, she sent me a copy to review for you today! (And yes, I do already have a copy of "Sand Castle Dreams", and yes, I'm going to be reading it very very soon)

Porch Swing Girl



Author: Taylor Bennett
Genre: Christian fiction
Content: None
Main Character: Olive Galloway
Placement in Series: 1 of 3

Synopsis:
What if friendship cost you everything?
Stranded in Hawaii after the death of her mother, sixteen-year-old Olive Galloway is desperate to escape. She has to get back to Boston before her dad loses all common sense and sells the family house. But plane tickets cost money—something Olive gravely lacks.
With the help of Brander, the fussy youth group worship leader, and Jazz, a mysterious girl with a passion for all things Hawaiian, Olive lands a summer job at the Shave Ice Shack and launches a scheme to buy a plane ticket home before the end of the summer.
But when Jazz reveals a painful secret, Olive’s plans are challenged. Jazz needs money. A lot of it. Olive and Brander are determined to help their friend but, when their fundraising efforts are thwarted, Olive is caught in the middle. To help Jazz means giving up her ticket home. And time is running out.

Add on Goodreads ~ Purchase on Amazon

What I Thought:

This was exactly what I wanted it to be, oh my goodness.  The setting, the characters, the faith content, it was just perfect. 
Things I loved:
- Brander (*heart eyes*)
- Jazz (I want to be her friend please)
- Macie (she's the cutest)
- Olive (eventually. she had to grow on me)
- The setting (even though I haven't been to Hawaii, I felt like I was there!)
- The Shave Ice Shack (can I go there please?)
 - The way Taylor handled grief.  I have to talk about this.  As someone who has lost a parent, I really appreciated it.  Olive handled it differently than her dad, who handled it differently than Macie, who handled it different than Gramma.  And that was perfection.  How Olive doubted God and her Gramma clung closer to Him.  It was amazing, and I applaud Taylor for writing it.
- The ship... I loooooved it. (and I just loved how pure and adorable it is and I can't wait to see where it goes in the next books)
- I want to visit the church, it seems so awesome.
- It was just so nostalgic feeling and wonderful.

Overall Rating: 5 shave ices out of 5

((I made an edit ooooh)

((also I made a Spotify playlist ooooooh))



If you're looking for a summer-y read that's gonna give you all the feels and has awesome faith content, I can't recommend this book highly enough.

~ Abby