relzreviewz.com Bookshop by the Sea by Denise Hunter

Synopsis:~

Sophie Lawson should be enjoying her sister’s wedding day. But nothing could have prepared her to see the best man again.

After her mother became bedridden and her father bailed on the family, Sophie found herself serving as a second mother to her twin brother, Seth, and younger sister, Jenna. Sophie supported her siblings through their college years, putting aside her own dream of opening a bookshop in Piper’s Cove—the quaint North Carolina beach town they frequented as children.

Now it’s finally time for Sophie to follow her own pursuits. Seth has a new job, and Jenna is set to marry her college beau in Piper’s Cove. But the destination wedding reunites Sophie with best man Aiden Maddox, her high school sweetheart who left her without a backward glance.

When an advancing hurricane strands Aiden in Piper’s Cove after the wedding, he finds the hotels booked to capacity and has to ask Sophie to put him up until the storm passes. As the two ride out the weather, old feelings rise to the surface. The delay also leaves Sophie with mere days to get her bookshop up and running. Can she trust Aiden to stick around? And will he find the courage to risk his heart?

Necee’s take:~

“She never wanted it to end. Wanted to stay in his arms forever because his embrace felt like home. Home.”

Delightfully romantic…this is for every book lover who dared to make their dreams into a reality. The romance and scenery were inviting and heartwarming. Hunter knows how to capture her readers, draw out her character’s struggles, and bring a happily ever after with realistic undertones. I loved the chemistry and romance, too.

“The taste of her was still on his lips, an addictive drug that made him desperate for more.”

Sophie Lawson and Aiden Maddox were characters that drew my heart in this second chance romance. When a hurricane throws them together, the sparks between them grow. However, with a broken past between them, the barriers seem insurmountable. I loved seeing these characters grow and find healing in their relationships and with God. This beachside romance was an inspiring story filled with hope, forgiveness and overcoming fear.

“I need to learn to turn down the fear. I need to listen to God’s voice instead.”

I was given an advanced reader copy of this book through NetGalley by the publisher. All opinions are my own and are given honestly.

Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 35 books, three of which have been adapted into original Hallmark Channel movies. She has won The Holt Medallion Award, The Reader’s Choice Award, The Carol Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist. When Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking green tea, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband raised 3 boys and are now enjoying an empty nest.