Looking for Me

Title: Looking for Me Author: Beth Hoffman Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books

I read this book in ebook form on my Kindle.

From Amazon:

Beth Hoffman’s bestselling debut, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, won admirers and acclaim with its heartwarming story and cast of unforgettable characters. Now her unique flair for evocative settings and richly drawn Southern personalities shines in her compelling new novel, Looking for Me.

Teddi Overman found her life’s passion for furniture in a broken-down chair left on the side of the road in rural Kentucky. She learns to turn other people’s castoffs into beautifully restored antiques, and eventually finds a way to open her own shop in Charleston. There, Teddi builds a life for herself as unexpected and quirky as the customers who visit her shop.  Though Teddi is surrounded by remarkable friends and finds love in the most surprising way, nothing can alleviate the haunting uncertainty she’s felt in the years since her brother Josh’s mysterious disappearance. When signs emerge that Josh might still be alive, Teddi is drawn home to Kentucky.  It’s a journey that could help her come to terms with her shattered family—and to find herself at last.  But first she must decide what to let go of and what to keep.

Looking for Me brilliantly melds together themes of family, hope, loss, and a mature once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. 

After reading Saving CeCe Honeycutt I eagerly awaited this novel. (I STILL say that CeCe should be a movie.) 

Although drastically different from her first novel, Looking for Me is still a great book in it's own right. It is an interesting look at the impact of following ones dreams against all odds as well as the effect of having one's dreams taken away. The novel also delivers a powerful message about animal cruelty. 

Teddi is a likable character. She makes mistakes, had to work for all she has, and loves dogs. :) I think Teddi's relationship with her mother is a powerful part of the storyline. I don't want to include spoilers, but finding out about Franny's life (toward the end of the book) makes her character much easier to understand.

I think Beth Hoffman is a great  southern writer. This novel has a great storyline which doesn't rely on silly romance or fairytale endings. (I HATE novels that do that.) I will eagerly await her next book.

Read this book if:

*you love southern fiction

* you love novels about families

*you love stories with a bit of mystery to them

*you feel strongly about animal cruelty and wildlife preservation