Sometimes You Stay by Liz Johnson

 

Sometimes You Stay by Liz Johnson is set on Prince Edward Island with a few previous characters from her Red Door Inn books. Johnson also references Anne of Green Gables, a  famous fictional character from Prince Edward Island, and it is fun to see those references as an Anne fan.

Cretia Martin is a travel influencer visiting Prince Edward Island when things go awry. She, along with her suitcase and travel gear, end up in the harbor after an accidental run-in with a large dog name Joe Junior. Finn Chaffey is that large goofy dog's owner. 

Sometimes You Stay offered a glimpse into the life of a travel writer and a young man who raises dogs and other animals on his small farm. I liked how this couple learned to communicate with one another. I also liked how Cretia fit in at the Inn and made some female friends among the locals. 

My favorite part of this book was near the end when Cretia and Marie were talking about growing up in their dysfunctional families. I could relate to some of those things and I imagine many readers can relate to what they shared in some way. 

Until near the end, Cretia doesn't talk about God or church much and neither does Finn. However, there are themes of forgiveness and redemption throughout the book. Marie also has a gift of hospitality and she is quite welcoming to Cretia. I also really liked how Finn was inspired to do some better communication with his family after talking to Cretia. Finn and Cretia brought out the best in each other and encouraged each other to be better people.

I received a copy of this book from Revell Publishing through Interviews and Reviews. All opinions are my own