Member Reviews

Five-star read. This is fantastic novel, probably the best I have read till today about the theme of prodigal gal. Poignant, relatable, highly emotional stuff that never sounds dull. Restorative and tender read.

Sonny Bates is back in Carolina, confronted with her past and her present bonds and on-going traumas. On the outside, she is pretty, glamorous Hollywood location scout working with movie stars and being in on-and-off relationship with her boss. Envy-worthy, right? But the sad truth is, that Sonny longs for reconciliation with her family, but she feels unworthy. Unworthy why? Because she left them on bad terms and she does not think she is worth of forgiveness. And she have been broken since leaving, with her low-self esteem playing a part in why she feels so powerless. And she is being abused by said boss. Let me tell you very clearly that the part about the abuse is VERY ugly (be forewarned that the sexual violence is a part of the story - the description is not graphic and is needed for the story, but it is a very sad reading), but it is also very well done - meaning that you get to understand what Sonny and maybe other survivors and victims might feel, how trapped, scared and traumatized they might be. It is powerful because it is freeing in describing the truth. Well done, Ms Lowe.

And there is Indigo Isle where the Beast hides - in the form of a man with much sadness in his soul and with some scars on his body.
And these two survivors might give the other one the much needed tenderness, respect and healing. And truth. And healing.

This is not a fairytale. This is not a morality story. This is a deep story about healing. And it is a romance, but not a sweet nonsense. More like a love you need to fight for. There is no fast healing, no. There is sweat and work and tears. There is ugliness - but thereis also a hope that shines through so strongly, that it might make the fear to run away.

Read this. This is the best Christian novel I have read this year and one of the best novels of the 2023 in general. My applause.

Recommended read.

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Indigo Isle was a story of forgiveness, reconciliation, personal growth, and romance wrapped up in a story of workplace bullying and assault, friendship, secrets and grief. That might not sound like a story you want to read, but believe me this was an uplifing, heartfelt story. Sonny Bates ran from home fifteen years ago to make it in Hollywood and never looked back. Her acting career didn't take off, but she is a well known location scout and loves her job, at least most of it. The latest movie brings her back close to home in South Carolina scouting islands off the coast of Charleston. While searching she comes upon Indigo Isle, a private island inhabited by Hudson Renfrow. He is a hermit, scarred and grieving from an event in his past. He wants nothing to do with Sonny or the movie company that wants to film on his island. Sonny can't keep away from the island and when a hurricane hits, she becomes stranded with Hudson. They get to know each other during the long hours and develop a respect and friendship. They are both damaged and scarred either literally or figuratively. Can they help one another heal and forge more than a friendship.

Another reviewer described this book as a combination of the prodigal story with Beauty and the Beast, and I have to agree. There was so much in this book. Sonny carried guilt for what she did to her family when she left. She was never able to say goodbye to her father when he died. She didn't think she was good enough, so when her boss forced her to have a physical relationship with him, she didn't think she has any choice. She was worried about losing her job all the time, even though she was very good at it. Hudson was full of grief and guilt over the loss of his wife and daughter, even though Sonny knew it was not his fault. There were some wonderful secondary characters, especially the owner of the dumpy motel they were all staying at and her best friend. There are some "Me Too" moments, self-realization, personal growth, acceptance, and self-forgiveness that make a big part of this book. I loved the ending of this one and highly recommend this story. I did a read/listen (mostly listen) and loved the narration by Justis Bolding. She is quickly becoming a favourite performer of mine and I don't hesitate to listen to books she has narrated.

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This story was all mystery and love.

The flow of words while describing the landscapes makes it so easy to picture these islands.

We get pulled into the give and take of Somny and Hudson. You can't help but feel compassion and fall in love with them.

The way their story flows and follows along with progress of the movie and filming.

As a mood/season reader, it's definitely a book a will re listen to in the summer time.

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"Storms show up and there ain't a thing we can do to stop them."
Indigo Isle is a Beauty and the Beast sort of contemporary retelling. Sweet Sonny, dealing with abuse at the hands of a real life Gaston, becomes stranded on the broken, 'monstrous' Hudson's private island. This story is both cozy and darkly emotional as the characters deal with abuse and trauma. It's Christian fiction at its best-well applied grace and nothing heavy handed. The audiobook is excellent. Easy to listen to!

"Thank you for letting me weather the storm with you." Indigo Isle, T Lowe

#sponsored Arc audiobook from NetGalley and RB Media. Published last month on June 6.

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This was my first novel by this author and will definitely not be my last. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and the different communities that the story was set in. Seeing how Sonny was able to grow and mature in her faith but also within herself was heartwarming and encouraging. The major theme of reconciliation was evident not only in her story but it played a part of some of the other characters stories as well. I found the book to be healing to my soul and was encouraged by it.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advanced copy. Review is entirely my own opinion.

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This was a great audiobook! I love the narrator. She has the perfect pitch changes and changes her voice perfectly for each character who's speaking. I loved the 'beauty and the beast' trope! It was definitely a closed door romance but the message was so clear! I would recommend to anyone who isn't a fan of spicy/smut books and who wants something more conservative. This had me crying at certain moments. Such a beautiful story!

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What an emotional, powerful, and faith-filled story!! This was my first read by T.I. Lowe and it won’t be my last❤️ “Indigo Isle” is a prodigal son retelling about a young woman named Sonny Bates who has gone astray in the entertainment industry. It’s a redemptive story that showcases how God’s love and mercy can bring us back to Him even when we’ve hit our lowest low🙏🏻 I really appreciated this central message and the way the author interwove scripture into the story❤️

In addition to the strong faith elements, this story also had a really great grumpy v. sunshine romance🥰 Hudson Renfrow, our MMC, complimented Sonnie’s character really well💕 I loved the way he was protective over Sonnie, even though it took some time for him to warm up to her. Hudson suffered a lot of losses in his past that have hardened him, but the way Sonnie was able to break down his walls made for a very heart-warming romance❤️

Overall, I highly recommend this story and really enjoyed it on audiobook!

🚨TW: Loss of a family member (past), mentions of drug abuse (past), unwanted advances, brief & mildly described on-page s*xual assault
🚨CW: clean romance with just kisses & no language

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“Storms show up and there ain’t ⁣
a thing we can do to stop them.”⁣

Set on the coast of South Carolina, Sonny Bates returns to her hometown after running away 15 years ago. Now she is scouting for the perfect location for a movie shoot. There is a mysterious private barrier island she comes across with an even more mysterious monster. I absolutely loved the coastal setting and southern hometown feel. As I read I could smell the salt sea air and the Georgetown paper mill. While on location Sonny comes face to face with the wounds of her past and present. Will she find freedom, love, and reconciliation?

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“I learned something important a long time ago about grace and mercy. Grace is God giving us what we don’t deserve, and mercy is Him not giving us what we do deserve.”
- Indigo Isle by T.I. Lowe

This is my first novel y author, by T.I. Lowe. And am so happy to have found this author. The stunning cover for Indigo Isle, caught my attention.

Sonny Bates is a Hollywood location scout, traveling the world searching for perfect places to film movies. One assignment brings her to the Charleston where she finds the ideal setting for a key scene, but there's a problem. The land is private property and Hudson Renfrow, wants no part in having a film crew invade his home on Indigo Isle. Hudson is a recluse focusing on his business of processing indigo plants into deep blue dye.

The incredible writing makes the reader feel and see the South Carolina coastal setting and the ocean breezes. Justis Bolding's narration with her Southern accent enhances the time and setting.

This book is such a good read/listen with quirky characters and intense plot.

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Thank you to Netgalley , the author and the publisher for a chance to read and review this audiobook. this is my first book by this author and it won't be my last. The story was very interesting and I loved all of the characters. I can not wait to read more by this author.

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Indigo Isle is a contemporary novel written by T.I. Lowe, with the audiobook narrated by Justis Bolding.

Summary: Sonny Bates ran away from home right after high school graduation. She didn’t leave a note. She just took her parents’ money and fled to L.A.-determined to make it big.

But years later, her movie scouting job will bring her within driving distance of home. No matter how much she secretly wants to make things right with her family, she fears her sins are just too big to be forgiven.

When tasked with finding the perfect location for a movie scene, she stumbles across the perfect island, but convincing the reclusive owner to let them use it, is a near impossible task.

Determined to do her job, she comes back to the island again and again. The more time she spends there though, the more she realizes that maybe the life she wanted so desperately, isn’t the life she wants any more.

My Thoughts: This book is so good. I loved the quirky characters, the intense plot, the fascinating family dynamics, and the overall message of feeling unworthy, but receiving forgiveness.

The only thing I really didn’t love about this one was the narrator. I understand that she was probably chosen as she has a southern accent, and that was definitely a plus, but I just didn’t care for the read.

I would absolutely recommend this book, but a warning-one of themes is sexual abuse, so if this is a trigger for anyone, I would avoid this one.

Overall, this book is excellent, and I fully intend on reading it again-something I don’t say too often!

I would like to thank RB Media for providing me with a free digital audiobook in exchange for my review. Thank you!

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“I learned something important a long time ago about grace and mercy. Grace is God giving us what we don’t deserve, and mercy is Him not giving us what we do deserve.”
- Indigo Isle by T.I. Lowe

For years, I’ve heard great things about novels by T.I. Lowe but hadn't read any. When I saw the stunning cover for Indigo Isle, I had to read it as soon as possible.

Sonny Bates, a Hollywood location scout, travels the globe searching for perfect places to film movies. Although her life is documented on an Instagram account, her reality is far different from her carefully curated photos. When an assignment brings her to the Charleston area, she finds the ideal setting for a key scene ... but there's a problem - the land is private property and Hudson Renfrow, the reclusive owner, has zero interest in having a film crew invade his deeply private home on Indigo Isle. With minimal contact from others, he focuses on his business of processing indigo plants into deep blue dye while dealing with emotional and physical scars. Can two damaged people heal their hearts and build a bright future together?

This contemporary "grumpy and sunshine" romance is a retelling of both Beauty and the Beast and the prodigal child story. It's gritty and real and tackles tough subjects not addressed often enough in Christian fiction. Hudson is a swoony hero, and my empathy for Sonny grew as the plot unfolded. I appreciated the peek into film production, and learning about the history and processing of indigo was interesting and its symbolism was meaningful.

Indigo Isle has a strong sense of place; I could see the South Carolina coastal setting and feel the ocean breezes. Justis Bolding's narration with her Southern accent rooted me even deeper in this time and setting.

Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for the ALC of this novel. I'm eager to read Ms. Lowe's backlist novels on my TBR shelf.

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Sometimes a book just grabs you and doesn't let go. That is Indigo Isle by TI Lowe. As soon as I had finished I went in search of other books by the author. I can't wait to read them. Sonny is a location manager for a Hollywood company and has spent the last thirteen years trying to escape her shame. Hudson is a lonely hermit living on his own island, far away from others, drowning in grief. When the two cross paths, they will find hope and healing. A message of trust and love and faith, you won't want to miss this!
Thanks NetGalley. The narrator also did a fabulous job.

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𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐨 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐞
𝐁𝐲 𝐓.𝐈. 𝐋𝐨𝐰𝐞
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: 𝐓𝐲𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝟔.𝟔.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑

Thank you @KateRockBookTours @TILOWE @Crazy4Fiction and @TyndaleHouse for a spot on tour and a gifted book.
And thank you @recorededbooks for the gifted audiobook.


This one totally took me by surprise and I LOVED it!

Sonny Bates is a Hollywood location scout and her current job finds her on the coast of South Carolina. She left this place abruptly as a teenager, never wanting to face her past, yet here she is. Her job is to find a secluded site for the film crew to shoot.

When Sonny wanders onto a small private island, she comes face to face with the man deemed as the “Monster of Indigo Isle.” This wild man is Hudson Renfrow, a former attorney who exiled himself to this island after a horrible accident. He spends his time alone in his grief and guilt, making indigo dye.

If you’re getting Beauty and the Beast vibes - you’re right! Although both Sonny and Hudson have some dark stuff in their lives, this is such an uplifting story of second chances in love and life. Hudson, now a recluse, has become very angry and grumpy. Sonny on the other hand is sweet but is letting others take advantage of her in horrible ways. They are both wounded and need rescuing!

I love how this unlikely friendship slowly develops and then it becomes something more. 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐨 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐞 is an emotional roller coaster, a fun retelling, and a beautiful story of the power of forgiveness, redemption, and love.

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If you’re looking for a meaningful romance here it is: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🎧This is an interesting modern take on the classic Beauty & The Beast. It has heart, grief, forgiveness, and redemption. I love the overall message of hope and the characters are written in a beautiful way. The audiobook is well done and I really enjoyed the narrator’s southern accent. Please be sure to check all trigger warnings as this book deals with difficult topics.

Audiobook: RB
Author: TL Lowe
Publisher: Tyndale Publishing

📚The audiobook production and narration was excellent. Thank you to NetGalley for an audiobook ARC of this story.

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3.75 Stars ⭐
Indigo Isle is strangely very much different from things I leaning towards such as fantasy or magical stories. This one is a contemporary type of Christian, Adult/Women's General Fiction as categorized which I never thought I would like the book as much as I liked.

The story begins with a woman called Sonny Bates who left her home fifteen years ago and never looked back even after her father's death, working as a location hunter for a movie production company. She believes her life is a mess and has no specific life goal. And the other main character, Hudson Renfrow, Is a once-successful New York attorney, who lives in isolation by choice. While Sonny is in location hunting for her company's next production, she comes across this secluded, beautiful, and mysterious island that has a rumour about a monster living in it called 'Indigo Isle'. Soon their lives get intertwined due to the intrusive persistence of Sonny's curiosity within the both damaged souls explore the life of chances.

I loved the themes wrapped in this book about resetting late in life, forgiveness and seeking redemption, letting go and moving on, family reconciliations, friendships and their good influences, and standing up for yourself. And I was intrigued by how smoothly the author handled a topic such as sexual assault but in a good way. Even though this was the first time I've ever read from the author, I liked his way of representing big, emotional topics in a fun way; the writing style was quite accessible.

I highly recommend checking out this book even for the sole reason Indigo Isle has a few chickens running around its garden & you will love the blissful atmosphere and imagining boat rides around the island.

#IndigoIsle #NetGalley #GeneralFiction #Women'sFiction

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I really enjoyed this book! This is the first book I’ve read by this author and it won’t be the last! There were only couple of unbelievable parts in it, but maybe that’s just me. I really liked our main character she was very relatable. I was captivated from the start and didn’t want to put it done. There are a lot of difficult topics in this book so check the trigger warnings.

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This is a tough but sweet story with a rocky road to a happy ending. Sonny and Hudson both had a lot of past and present hurts to work through and I think the author did a great job of building their relationship over the course of the story. It was a sweet, slow burn romance that while they say it was an instant pull, it didn’t feel that way and had the sweetest ending. Coming back to faith in God and forgiveness of past wrongs are themes in this book and well done. This is a Christian book but it definitely has some grit to it and addresses a really tough subject. I do think a trigger warning is warranted as there is a vaguely detailed/fade to black sexual assault described at one point in the story.

I listened to this on audio and while I enjoyed the narration overall (southern accent was a little off - more Tennessee than South Carolina), the voicing sounded a little young at times, sometimes making it hard to keep the image of Sonny at the right age in my head.

I received an advanced audiobook copy of this book from NetGalley. These are my honest thoughts.

Romantic Content: Kisses, fade to black

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Indigo Isle sucked me in from the get go! Sunny knows she’s a hot mess full of regrets, and I found myself empathizing with her constantly. I appreciated that Ms. Lowe gave her friends to point out what was really happening while we, as readers, have to process the truth through Sunny’s lens and filters. There’s a lot of nuance and subtext as well that enhances the reader experience as we’re seeing through Sunny’s eyes and yet processing as if we’re a friend wanting the best for her. The budding friendship and eventual romance with Hudson was beautiful. They were for each other what made Leah and Crowley so special in Lulu’s Cafe. In many ways, actually, Indigo Isle reminds me of Lulu’s Cafe, which remains one of my favorite TI Lowe books to date. Not as if they’re too similar or anything like that, more that I get the same sense of compassion, empathy, and feeling of being swept into a complicated yet hope-filled emotional story where two people find the exact connection they needed in a truly unexpected time and place, from the last person they’d expect to find it.

Truly superb.

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Wow, I devoured this book.
I adore going into books blind, learn just enough to get me interested.
In this case it was the title, the cover, and this blurb...
"Sonny Bates left South Carolina fifteen years ago and never looked back. Now she's a successful Hollywood location scout who travels the world, finding perfect places for movie shoots."

Sounds good right? It's even better than you think.
Sonny is a fabulous character, with a fun supporting cast and a story filled with layers of emotion.
This is one of my favourite reads of the year!
Very excited T.I. Lowe has a back catalogue for me to enjoy.
So much love to NetGalley & RB Media for my DRC, I loved it!

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