Thursday, June 21, 2018

HONEYSUCKLE DREAMS by Denise Hunter


Brady Collins becomes a full time dad after his ex-wife dies.  He receives much needed help from family and friends, especially from Hope Daniels.  Brady and Hope have been best friends for a long time.  He’s handling things pretty well until he gets some unexpected news; his son Sam isn’t really his.  Now Sam’s maternal grandparents want full custody of him.  Brady feels Sam is his son no matter what and he’s willing to fight for him.   Brady’s attorney suggests that an engagement or better yet a marriage would most likely sway the judge’s decision. Hope agrees to be his fiancĂ© and even marry him if that’s what it would take to win custody of Sam.  She loves both Sam and Brady.  Then Hope is offered her dream job but it would mean being gone all week.  They both want to do what’s best but it may mean complete honesty, a lot of grace and laying their hearts on the table.

What a great story.  I was enthralled from beginning to end.  Anyone who knows me, knows I love ‘marriage of convenience’ stories and this one was top notch.  Brady is absolutely swoon-worthy!  An all around great guy.  Not perfect but one who is genuine.  Hope is a sweet and loving woman who needed to get past a terrible loss.  Together these two sizzled with such electricity it practically lit the room I was reading in.  I love how they interacted with each and I savored every bit of tender and humorous dialog. There were also some real-life issues that were dealt with along the way.  I appreciated Brady’s and Zoe’s faith and how that made a difference in Hope’s life.  Denise Hunter has once again hit it out of the park.  I could definitely see this as a future Hallmark movie.  This is the second book in the Blue Ridge Romance series and although you could read it as a stand alone, I recommend you read them in the order they were written.   This was a wonderful story filled with grace, hope, love, faith and of course, “Honeysuckle Dreams”.  Highly recommended.

*This complimentary copy was provided by Thomas Nelson through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Some favorite moments:

Between Hope and Zoe:
Besides which, we both know this is all in God’s hands, and if you’re meant to have the job you will.”  “(I know, I know.””  Hope made a pouty face.  “Why doesn’t that help?” “Because we have our own wishes and wants, and they don’t always line up with His.  But trust a girl who’s made plenty of mistakes in this area…He knows what He’s doing.

“God took all my mistakes and worked them for good.  You can trust Him with your future, Hope.”

She leaned into his kiss, her hands working up to his shoulders.  She loved the feel of him, all warm, soft flesh over taut muscles.  Loved the scrape of his bristly jaw against her palm.  His hands moved over her back, restless, as he deepened the kiss.

For more information about this book or other books by Denise Hunter, I encourage you to visit her website at https://www.denisehunterbooks.com

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