I was not expecting the emotion from this book. I have always enjoyed Denise Hunter's novels. The tension between the two characters is always my favorite. This is about a couple who find out after a period of time their divorce was not finalized. You learn how they met and why their relationship fizzled. I felt so bad for Josephine even though I had not experienced her childhood trauma. Noah and Josephine work to overcome their emotional battle and I was happy to see the end results. While not a favorite, I still enjoy Denise Hunter's writing style. Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book. 3.5 stars.

That is a really long blurb. It pretty much sums up the whole story. I'm glad I didn't read it before I read the book because it would have taken out the anticipation of what was to come for me.

This book was basically Josephine and Noah wading through the muck of their broken marriage and struggling against each other and truth, which always has a way of coming out one way or another.

Josephine is a secret keeper. She has an awful, horrible past and it has really messed with her ability to connect to people and share her real self. Noah is angry and confused and rightly so. His knowledge is limited and it's hard to judge situations for what they are when you have limited knowledge. I really loved Noah. Even in his gruffy and self preservation moments, he was kind and protective. He showed respect when most people would say it wasn't deserved. The love in his heart was the catalyst for change and healing.

This book deals with such heavy issues. It really isn't a light-hearted romp through the park and reading it at some points was very hard. The characters are in a messy situation. Situations alternate between the present and the past. It was good as a reader to be able to visualize their initial meeting and their growing relationship to balance out the present day angst. The flashbacks to Josephine's past are just sad and hurt my heart. But those helped me to feel the compassion I needed to like Josephine and understand her better. The book is well written and I felt the constant pull to keep reading in order to find the resolution I was so desperately seeking for these characters.

Content: rape, sexual abuse, child abuse and neglect, marital affair, Christian fiction

- I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required and all opinions expressed are my own.

Noah and Josephine are shocked to find that they are still married after filing for divorce a year ago. Noah is living his dream running a horse ranch, and Josephine is running a barber shop. Josephine goes up to the mountains to get the divorce papers signed at last, but when a snowstorm hits they are stranded together, and as they use their wits to survive, they relive moments from their relationship and childhood.

Josephine had a troubled childhood, and bounced around leaving rubble in the rearview, she comes to a new town for a new start where she meets Noah. They marry, but their relationship only prompts her to bury her secrets and pain even deeper, where it grows. Josephine has been slowly turning her life around, seeking answers, and trying to help other girls not to make the same mistakes that she did.

Noah has lived in a small town his whole live, working construction and serving his country. He is smitten with Josephine, and overlooks some red flags on the road to marriage. Noah has been living his dream with his horse ranch, but holding on to his bitterness, becoming a hermit.

Though well written and compelling, it delves deep into the characters into what brought them together and broke them apart. It was a tough book to read, because of the difficult things in Josephine's past and the hurt that she went through, seeing the present and the past and how it all came together. A good book for those who like emotionally tension filled reads.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

Denise Hunter's style of writing encourages me to read her novels in one sitting, this one is no different. I escaped from a flare-up of my CRPS into this world of well-rounded characters and thoroughly enjoyed the storyline and it's swift pace. I love the story starting in the midst of a marriage rather than the traditional romance beginning when the couple first interact. The only detraction is the moving back and forth in time, we begin in the conflict the two characters are experience and then flip to the two first getting to know each other and, on occasion, even further back into Josephine's history. I can see the value of this in making each character more relatable and the reader more empathetic but personally don't enjoy it as much as the linear journeys. Aside from that, a great book and well worth reading! 4 out 5 on the en-JOY-meant scale!

I keep hearing about this author from my sister. She seems to like all of Denise Hunter’s books, so I wanted to give her a try. To be honest, if you want to read her books and you have not yet, I would say do not read this one first. I have read Just a Kiss so I have an idea how she writes but this book story is not like that one. The main character, Josephine, had a bad past and sad life. Hunter made her character with the “bad girl” past. The main lesson in this book is that God forgives even the dirtiest of sinners if they ask forgiveness.

I would not recommend this book to younger reads since this story is a more mature read, since the book deals with sensitive issues.

Title: Sweetbriar Cottage
Author: Denise Hunter
Author’s Website: http://www.denisehunterbooks.com/

I received this book from Thomas Nelson through Netgalley for this review.

This review is written in my own words and is my honest opinion.

Hunter has written a sweet, yet somewhat dark novel about lost love and second chances. Noah and Josie are supposed to be divorced, but a letter from the IRS alerts Noah to a problem with his tax returns. This is an emotional book and handles childhood sexual abuse and the consequences. I strongly recommend this book.

When I read the sypnosis for this book I thought it sounded like "Married till Monday " by the same author. But while it did have slimilarities, I thought this one stood on its own very well.
A couple who is on the edge of divorce are thrust together buy circumstances beyond thier control.
Denise Hunter can write tension and attraction very well. She proves in this book that she can write about the hard things in life too. I appreciate and author that illustrates how we need to look to God for hope in our darkest times

4.5 stars

This beautifully written romance tells a story of true love and redemption. When an unexpected notice draws Noah's attention to a fluke oversight made by his ex-wife Josie he is livid. But as Josie attempts to correct her mistake it seems instead of making things better she inadvertently proceeds to make them worse. As one after another her blunders begins to pile up, Josie starts to feel the weight of every mistake she's ever made. Being caught up together in a surprise mountain storm does give Noah and Josie plenty of time to talk through their issues; however, there's such a thing as too little too late. Could this be one of those times?

Hunter writes from the heart, a story that compels her readers to keep reading long after their lunch break has ended or the time for bed has come and gone. Her characters' emotions are palpable, and their heaviness grips you. Sweetbriar Cottage isn't a harlequin style, run of the mill, romance novel. It won't tickle you in all the right places just because it can. No. Reading this book is like watching the petals of a fresh rose blossom gently peeling back. There are thorns one must be wary of, you can't simply grab at the blooming beauty and expect to come away unscathed. You must slowly and carefully savor the beauty all the while not letting it go, lest you miss anything.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this delightful review copy and opportunity. It's been fabulous!

This is a different story premise than the author's typical novel, and I applaud her efforts for wading into the complex topic of infidelity. I love that she handled it with such grace and truth, creating two broken, wounded characters who seemed (in the beginning), like they'd never find healing. The hurt was almost palpable--brilliant characterization on Denise Hunter's part. I really loved that Noah struggled so with forgiveness, yet wanted desperately to redeem their wrecked marriage. Josie's past is filled with pain and circumstances that are heartbreaking, and I loved that the author used a real-life scenario to offer a hopeful message to a hurting world. Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the complimentary advance copy.

We all have a deep-down desire for unconditional love, and Josephine is no exception. The tragedy of her life keeps her from fully trusting anyone--including herself. She and Noah marry in haste and divorce just as quickly--or so they think.

When they discover that the divorce has never been finalized, an unexpected snowstorm throws them together in a life-threatening situation where they learn more about each other and how to communicate honestly with each other.

Hunter does a great job of brining up a sensitive topic (adult survivors of childhood abuse) and showing how only true love (from God first and our fellowmen second) can heal those wounds.

Sweetbriar Cottage by Denise Hunter, is a very good read.
Jose needed someone to truly love her for once in her life. She married Noah Mitchell, keeping her painful past tucked away in her heart and ended up divorced, or so she thought.
Noah, so devastated by the hurt from the divorce, gave up his dream job and moved to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains to start a horse ranch, and get as far away from Jose as he could get.
Noah receives a letter stating that Jose never signed the papers and the divorce was never finalized. Noah was upset to find out that he and Jose were still legally married.
Jose, equally upset, takes the papers up the mountain to Noah's ranch, where her car dies and she gets stranded with Noah in a bad snow storm in his cottage.
This is a great story but very emotional. You will feel the pain that Jose has suffered and her fear of telling Noah of her past. Can Noah forgive like God forgives? Can they get past all the hurt and have a future together? Can Jose forgive herself and find healing?
Denise Hunter did another great job, she pulls you in to the story from start to finish.
Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me to give my honest opinion.

Well-written story of redemption, love, and second chances. The premise of Noah and Josephine finding out that their divorce was never finalized, and then fighting their feelings and their mistakes to try again was interesting. But Josephine's past was a little more than I expected, and not in a good way. It also seemed like she and Noah reconciled too quickly after years of discord and silence. The reconciliation was sweet, though, and a happy ending is always welcome!

Loved this book. The Story of Josie and Noah is such a beautiful story of love, forgiveness and second chances. This book tells a story of true love, faith in God, and forgiving others as we have been forgiven for the wrong we have done. I found the heart warming cleanliness of this book so refreshing. I will look for more books by Denise Hunter.

I was captured by the characters and drawn to the story with the author's words and imagery. I liked how the characters were flawed and yet likable. It seemed to me that the flaws only bring the characters closer to being real. It was a look at forgiveness: both giving and receiving it. It was a story that I stayed up late to finish!

When Noah and Josephine Mitchell discover their divorce was never actually finalized, their lives are turned upside down.

Following his divorce, Noah gave up his dream job, settling at a remote horse ranch in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northern Georgia, putting much-needed distance between himself and the former love of his life. But then Noah gets a letter from the IRS claiming he and Josephine are still married. When he confronts Josephine for the first time in months, they discover that she missed the final step in filing the paperwork and they are, in fact, still married.


Josephine is no happier about the news than Noah. Maybe the failed marriage—and okay, the botched divorce—was her fault, but her heart was shattered right alongside his, more than he would ever believe. The sooner they put this marriage behind them, the better for both of their sakes.


But when Josephine delivers the final paperwork to his ranch, the two become stranded in his cottage during the worst spring snowstorm in a decade. Being trapped with Josephine is a test of Noah’s endurance. He wrestles with resentment and an unmistakable pull to his wife—still beautiful, still brave, and still more intriguing than any woman he’s ever known.


As they find themselves confronted with each other and their shared past, old wounds surface and tempers flare. But when they are forced out into the storm, they must rely on each other in a way they never have before. Josephine finally opens up about her tragic past, and Noah realizes she’s never been loved unconditionally by anyone—including him. Will Noah accept the challenge to pursue Josephine’s heart? And can she finally find the courage to trust Noah?

I'm not sure what to think of this book. It was nothing like I was expecting. It was an eye opener about sexual abuse and it's consequences to the victims. I would suggest that everyone read this book to get a greater understanding and empathy for sex abuse victims. Only with God's help were the characters able to overcome the trauma. This is so in real life as well.

I was given this book by Netgalley for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

This was not the flirty, sweet rom-com I was expecting it to be. That's not a bad thing, but I was surprised. I expected the divorce to have been over something rather silly that got blown out of proportion or some misunderstanding, and the time spent in the cabin to be a lot of giggly, flirty, well we're still *technically* married tongue in cheek stuff. This book was nothing like that. This book actually tackled some serious issues. I don't know why I'm surprised. I shouldn't be. I've read all of Denise Hunter's books, and I know she's not afraid of getting into real issues. I enjoyed that aspect of the book.

I liked this book, for the most part. I'm glad that Denise Hunter delved into these darker areas and acknowledged the brokenness that is so many people deal with. There were only a couple things that kept this from being a five star read for me. The first one was Noah himself. He had his moments, but overall, I just didn't like the dude. He seemed to put a lot of pressure on Josephine. I don't even think it was conscious, but it really bugged me. It felt like she wasn't allowed to make a mistake. Granted, she made some big ones. And he did seem to be trying to be more understanding. But I just didn't like his attitude for most of the book. Maybe because I could see Josephine's side as well and he couldn't. Whatever the reason, I did not like or sympathize with his character much.

I also felt like the issue between Josephine and Noah really needed to be dealt with more. Not on the page necessarily, but just confessing your past and what happened doesn't resolve an issue. There would SO much more work that needed to go into this relationship. And while I might not want to sit through all of it as a reader, I'd rather read some indication it's happening than read that everything is fine within ten pages. I felt like the extreme circumstances the characters find themselves in raised the stakes ridiculously high as well. I mean, not wanting someone to die is not the same as wanting to live with them every single day. I just didn't feel like out on the mountain was the best place for them to talk and hash out their issues, especially because Josephine was barely conscious.

My final issue was that Christianity/spirituality seemed to play very little role in the redemption of these characters and their marriage. I felt like things were left intentionally vague at the end and it was dissatisfying. I felt like the characters went through a tremendous trial and that Christianity played a large part in the past views of the characters, but in the end it got brushed aside.

Ultimately this was a three star instead of five star read for me because although I was thoroughly engaged throughout most of the story, I ended up a little dissatisfied in the end. I'm glad I read this book. I highly recommend Denise Hunters' books to my fellow readers. This one didn't blow me away, but it was still an enjoyable, engaging read.


*I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

When I initially started this book, I really didn’t have very high expectations. When books have me transported back and forth between present and past, it throws my interest off a bit. However, as the chapters moved along, the present and past slowly meshed together.

Noah and Josephine are divorced, at least they thought they were three years prior. It isn’t until Noah gets a letter from the IRS is he sent reeling, trying to figure out how the divorce never went through. A visit to Josephine and they find the unsigned documents. Immediately, they go through the process to get the divorce done and finalized.

Josephine delivers the paperwork to the ranch, in hopes of getting the ball rolling, but ends up getting stuck at the ranch in an epic snowstorm. It’s while there, they are both faced in the truth of their lives and their marriage.

This book had me moved. I felt teary at least twice or more, all the more determined to finish the book. The growth of the characters grew until the explosion at the end. I would definitely recommend this book to be read and enjoyed.

I always enjoy the writings of Ms Hunter...and so thrilled to read her latest masterpiece. Loved this story.

Sweetbriar Ranch
A heartbroken man gets notice that is still married to his own true love.
He informs her, not knowing that she misses him also and he is her true love.

True Love..everyone has their own description or definition of this word.

Life intervenes and they get a chance to know each other again and deeper than before.
You will be rooting for these two as they do.

Sweetbriar Cottage deals with some tough issues for Josephina. I loved that this book wasn't the normal sweet Christian book and she covered some real issues that people face. I love the process of forgiveness that Noah went through and it was very relatable. The friction between Josie and Noah was so much fun to read and I always wanted more!
The only thing that seemed a little forced were all the issues that caused them to end up in certain situations. Sometimes they seemed a little farfetched and unbelievable.
All in all, this book was great and I recommend it to everyone! It is a great story about forgiveness!
I received a copy of this book from netgalley for an honest review.