This is another uplifting story from acclaimed Christian author T.I. Lowe.

Juniper has suffered some losses in her life, and she hasn't always made the best decisions. Now she finds herself fresh out of rehab and fighting for custody of her daughter, Fern. Over the course of the novel she joins an eclectic sobriety group, starts attending church, starts two new businesses, and befriends/falls in love with her neighbor. Slowly but surely she starts to mend fences with her brother, who has custody of her daughter, and apologizes to those she has wronged. She also confronts her absent parents.

There were several storylines that I thought would go somewhere but didn't. For example, she never confronts her friends from childhood with whom she used to drink. And the dog, Winston, could have been used to greater effect in terms of demonstrating Junie's parenting skills, which have been questioned. However, I appreciated the focus being mostly on Junie's successful efforts to craft a new healthier life.

I was surprised at the romance focus, but it's nicely handled, and Junie is responsible about not wanting to date too soon.

This is an uplifting story about how Junie gets her life back on track. She is not afraid of working hard, which I appreciate. For example, when her parenting skills are questioned, she takes a parenting class.

Henry, her neighbor and love interest, is charming. Gilbert, her probation officer and sponsor, is a delight as well. Same for Patsy at the sobriety group - a great Southern character with sass and humor.

The southern setting works well, and Lowe paints a pretty and realistic picture of Sullivan's Island and Charleston, combined with funny Southern sayings, recipes, and customs. I especially enjoyed Junie's memories of Olla, her grandmother.

The "dark moment" is a bit too dependent on a weather event and the reappearance of a "bad guy" from rehab versus serious soul-searching on Junie's part.

Some of the AA scenes go on for two long as we hear testimony / life stories from the other attendees. As a result, the pacing drags a bit in the middle.

However, these complaints are minor.

Readers will enjoy this sweet story about healing from addiction and moving forward after mistakes.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

T.I. Lowe is a master at weaving a tale that pulls at your heartstrings. South of Somewhere is a beautifully written story about Junie, a recovering alcoholic who is trying to right her path so she can regain custody of her daughter, Fern. You can't help but root for her, and I loved witnessing her growth and recovery throughout this story. I would recommend it to everyone.

T,I Lowe you know how to write an amazing story! I loved the characters, the setting and the sweet story that unfolded. Highly recommend.

I love TI ‘s books they always have heart and some mystery , southern charm and romance this book was the same way.
Way to go TI to bring this story to life I really enjoyed it
Highly recommend it
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher

Thanks to Netgalley and Tyndale House for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I'm so grateful that I read this. I have always loved this author but this was my favorite so far. It deals with Junie as she leaves rehab and is trying to get her daughter back. As I have dealt with alcoholics this really resonated with me. I admired Junie and so enjoyed Gilbert and Henry. I can highly recommend reading this!

Junie is a recovering alcoholic who lost custody of her daughter when she drove under the influence with her daughter in the car. After getting out of prison and rehab, she moves into her grandmother's house, which had been willed to her and her brother. She struggles to rebuild her life one day at a time, hoping to regain custody of her daughter.
Although I got bored with Junie playing the victim most chapters, I do have to admit that alcoholism is out of my realm of expertise. So maybe this was portrayed accurately. It was enlightening to watch as Junie found her niche- with her art talent, her groups of friends and with Henry. It was an empowering novel, and I was rooting for Junie to stay sober and get custody of Fern.

First read by T.I Lowe and wow was it a great read. I am looking forward to reading some more titles by her.

After losing her husband and grandmother, a young woman struggles to overcome addiction so she can regain custody of her daughter. Inspiring story of the power of faith and community.

South of Somewhere is about a young woman who hasn’t always made the best decisions. Junies rock bottom was actually driving drunk losing her baby girl’s custody to Cy, Junies older brother. Addiction not only hurts the person with the addiction but family as well as any friend in the wake of that chaos. Through it all though God is always there. Not to make the hurt, pain and addiction to go away like a magic wand but to help guide and direct our path full of promise. This book is good bringing humor to such a serious topic. Shows grit and strength. Well written in such a way that you feel what each character is feeling. I couldn’t put the book down.
Thank you for this Arc provided by Tyndale house publishing.
South of Somewhere: https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/676462
Pub Date: Mar 10 2026
Archive Date: Apr 11 2026

T.I. Lowe has hit another one out of the park! This book was so real and messy with no easy solutions for Junie after she gets out of jail and rehab for driving under the influence with her 2 year old in the car. I love how she went from having almost no friends to a whioe team of people, mostly other recovering alcoholics, who love and accept her. It's a race against time to see if she can regain custody of her daughter Fern. I loved all the twists and turns and the ending will surprise you. Highly recommend!

This was such a lovely and profound read.

Juniper is a young mother who lost custody of her daughter due to her alcohol addiction, and we follow her journey through healing, forming authentic connections, and becoming the mother her child needs.

I loved seeing her evolve and confront her struggles with addiction, forgiveness, and grief. She's an awesome protagonist because she’s deeply flawed and not always likeable. She made a huge mistake that could cause the reader to be hesitant towards her, and to me, that made the novel unique and powerful. Even though I couldn’t always understand or forgive her choices, I still rooted for her.

The relationships she formes feel true and authentic, though far from perfect.

The romance subplot is everrrythinggg! Seriously, couldn’t have asked for a cuter love interest, wow. 10/10

I also really liked the writing style: fast-paced but still mature and well-developed characters.

I also appreciated how close the narration was to Junie's POV. There are silly jokes and quirky bits even in the narration, which makes it feel like we're reading Junie's journal or like we're one of her close friends.

The story is overall adorable and has themes of family, forgiveness and hope. A lot happened, but it all felt rewarding and complete in the end.

Such a satisfying read. The only thing I wish was explored more deeply was her faith journey, like her personal beliefs and her relationship with God, especially since this is clearly Christian fiction and there's frequent mention of church. sometimes Junie’s faith felt surface-level.

But overall, I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who loves Christian fiction with strong character development, themes of forgiveness, healing, connection, and a touch of romance.

🩷 Tropes, triggers and whatever: found family, small town, alcohol addiction, mention of gun/kidnapping situation, summer vibes, artsy creative protagonist, adorable dorky love interest, young child, siblings relationship, childhood trauma, forgiveness

⭐️ 4 Stars

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC, opinions are my own.

Wow. This book brought me into a world I've never experienced before--dog and alcohol abuse-- but in the midst of this heartbreaking and heartwarming story I learned so much. Southern fiction with a twist. Very highly recommended.

This book has a special place in my heart. We follow Juniper and her getting out of rehab. Now she must put her life back together which is hard since her brother, Cy, has custody of her daughter and won't let her see her. With help of her probation officer Gil, she starts going to AA and making new and lasting friends, even her neighbor Henry is there for prayers and support. But Juniper wants her daughter back and her brother wants to move and take her daughter with her. Can Juniper have a 2nd chance with her daughter and make things right with her family? Does she have a right for that 2nd chance? This book will always have a special place in my heart. In 2023 I went through rehab and went through some similar things as Juniper went through especially with family. TI Lowe knew how to write a story like this. True to heart and full of faith. This book speaks of 2 Corinthians 12: 7-8 and it is a perfect verse for this book. Paul thorn in his flesh. We are all flawed and Juniper is a flawed but Christ loved character in this book. Expect your heart to be put through a lot of emotions reading this book!! I just loved South of Somewhere and trust me when I say you will love it too!! 5 stars and one book I will highly recommend to my friends and book lovers out there!! I will definitely will be rereading this book once it is published!!

Such a wonderful stool real life recovery. An encouraging book with many lessons in staying the course. A reminder of God's grace and love for each individual to be who he called us to be.

This is a really good story. I am always pulled into any story that T.I. Lowe writes. She is truly gifted.
This story is a bit different. It is mostly a story of a person who was addicted to alcohol as she goes through life and the recovery program successfully. It is the opposite of a smooth journey. Junie has lots of ups and downs and she needs much support. She is strong enough though to realize what she needs and works hard to create a new life for herself.
The characters are varied and interesting. And the main characters, Junie and Henry are both talented yet quirky. They are strong and very likeable. And Gil was a great grandfatherly figure.
Their faith plays a large and necessary part in the story. I found it very interesting to learn about recovery and also the importance of good parenting.
Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read this book. The opinions are entirely my own.

I’m obsessed this was such a great women’s fiction story I really enjoyed it a lot each page was beautifully written.

Pub Date: March 10, 2026.

This has quickly became one of my favourite T.I. Lowe books! It evoked so many feelings; heartbreak, amusement, anger, sadness, and joy! The romance was lighter than what I usually prefer but the main storyline pulled me right in immediately and I loved it; I was so invested in Junie trying to get her daughter back after owning, and working to right, her mistakes. Lowe’s storytelling was amazing and I loved Junie’s people and how they supported her, especially Gilbert and Henry.

SOUTH OF SOMEWHERE by T I LOWE is a beautifully written novel in which the authot deals sensitively with some difficult subjects, such as alcohol and drug addiction and family dynamics. The story will keep you riveted as you follow Junie Wilder in her journey to stay sober and show her brother Cy that she is capable of looking after her little daughter Fern. ……
On being released from rehab she goes tol live in the house in Sullivan’s Island where memories of her grandma Olla abound. She is desperately lonely and feels guilty for her bad behaviour, but, between her fatherly probation officer, handsome and kind neighnour Henry, Betty from her Methodist AA meeting, her friends from the Magnolia Nephilist Society, and Winston her canine friend, Junie gradually learns to foegive herself. ……
There is a strong Christian message, and I like to see her relationship with God growing, as well as her desire to make things right with her brother…….
This is a story about second chances, redemption, determination, and the courage of a mother, who herself was neglected by her parents, striving to make up for her mistakes and become the best mother she can be for her daughter.
I cannot recommend this lovely read strongly enough.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Tyndale House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely mu own.