This review contains affiliate links, which earn me a small commission when you click and purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my small business and allowing me to continue providing you a reliable resource for clean book ratings.
After a recent heartbreak, a summer at her great-aunt’s bed-and-breakfast is just the haven Calisa needs … or so she thinks. When the 16-year-old arrives, she’s shocked to find the place more run-down than cozy, and her grumpy and eccentric Auntie Zee seems determined to send her packing back to her mom’s in the city. Calisa is just as determined to stay. She just has to convince her great-aunt she’s worth keeping around.
With help from the groundskeeper’s handsome son, Calisa sets to work fixing up the inn. But the longer she stays, the surer she is that there’s something strange about the B and B — and its residents. Something otherworldly.
Imagine opening a closet or wardrobe and finding that Narnia existed all along, and suddenly, you have the compulsive need to open ALL THE DOORS. Because that’s how reading The Faraway Inn made me feel. It’s a tale tinged with fairy tale wonder and innate childlike curiosity. And while there are no high stakes or fast-paced plot, there is a subtle mystery that keeps you turning pages.
The Faraway Inn is the kind of story that just makes you happy, with an eclectic cast that you can’t help but love — from grumpy Aunt Zee to ever-optimistic Jack, from the inexplicably moving statue to the most-definitely-just-a-normal-lizard Steve. Even the inanimate inn seems to have a personality of its own.
I did find myself wishing more than once that Calisa had been aged up. I imagine this would have fit better into the space between high school graduation and college, but that’s just my personal taste. And even though I did find myself annoyed by Calisa’s instant obsession with Jack’s appearance (which felt shallow after her recent heartbreak), I appreciated that her relationship with Jack was given the opportunity to grow into something healthy. Also, I’m a sucker for friends-to-lovers.
Overall, The Faraway Inn is the kind of story I’d recommend to readers looking for a palate cleanser between heavier high fantasies or who are just looking for a cozy escape from reality.
Rated: Moderate, for 3 uses of strong profanity, 1 use of moderate language, 2 uses of mild language, and 2 uses of the name of Deity. Calisa’s boyfriend cheats on her and is found with his hand up another girl’s shirt. Characters kiss.
Click here to purchase your copy of The Faraway Inn on Amazon.
*I received an ARC in exchanged for my honest review.
