4-4.5 stars

My sister in law introduced me to Denise Hunter’s books a couple of years ago, and ever since I can’t stay away. So when I saw she had a new title, Blue Ridge Sunrise, coming out I knew I had to read it. Like her other contemporary romances, this one is sweet and clean. It’s a story of long lost love, missed opportunities, regret, and redemption. Fast paced and sure to please, the storyline was easy to get into, as always because it was relatable and the characters were easy to love. I also particularly enjoyed how seamlessly Hunter incorporated her love of a good Godly message, all the while writing a story that would appeal to readers from all walks of life. Definitely worth checking out!

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this review opportunity.

This is actually the first Denise Hunter book that I have read. It was great! It is written in the here and now. I've read other reviews that point out that this book is not Christian fiction; however, I tend to disagree. The issues in this book, unfortunately, involve issues that some Christian families deal with today. Never say that it won't happen in your family because it can. This book was easy to read in just a few sittings and I had a hard time putting it down. I look forward to reading more of Denise Hunter's work.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2261819947
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/reviews/blue-ridge-sunrise-denise-hunter/1125895912?ean=9780718090500

Another hit from a great author. I was swooning through this book from the start, it was sweet and a beautiful story.

My review can be seen at RT Book Reviews

Denise Hunter's "Blue Ridge Sunrise" grabs your heart from page one and holds it until the very end of the book. Zoe and Cruz's relationship is filled with years of joy and agony. Read as Zoe discovers what is really important to her--and how Cruz fits into her life. Themes of family along with friendships and abuse combine to make an unforgettable book.

Zoe Collins returns to her hometown in Copper Creek, Georgia, when her grandmother leaves her the peach grove. Zoe has spent the last 5 years singing backup in Nashville, and living with her boyfriend Kyle. Kyle expects her to sell the orchard and get back to her life in Nashville, but Zoe wants to give it an honest try. Zoe's best friend Hope Daniels encourages her to stay.



Zoe and her daughter move to Copper Creek, but working the peach groves it harder than she thought it would be as she will be working alongside the man who was the reason she left 5 years ago. Cruz Huntley is the manager of her grandmother's grove, and she must face the mistakes that she made when she left.



Zoe's confidence grows as she works the grove and she has ideas to help bolster the success of the grove. I love how her brother is supportive of her, and she looks to the faith of her grandmother and decides that is something that she would like to have too. As she and Cruz come to an understanding they begin to see that this working together maybe the second chance that they didn't even know that they wanted.



I like how their relationship changes over the course of the book, and it shows the grace in their lives. But at times it was hard because of the slow pace due to the heavy backstory that we needed to catch up on. And I really didn't like Cruz's self pity. There is great interaction between Cruz and Zoe, with a good tension as well. Not my favorite by this author, but a story of second chances and redemption.





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A cozy read and uplifting, too. It was a pleasure to read after so many mysteries.

A Wonderful Story of Coming Home and Righting Wrongs
Blue Ridge Sunrise by Denise Hunter is the first book in the Blue Ridge Series. Zoe left home years ago and broke many hearts as she pursued her dream to be a singer. She comes home for her grandmother’s death with many regrets and inherits the family orchard. I highly recommend this book because of the author’s talent for telling a good story and creating well developed characters. This is not an overtly Christian book nor would I call it a non-Christian book. The character makes mistakes in the book but in no way does the book make it seem like her actions were okay. I look forward to more books in this series to find out what happens to the many other characters introduced in this book. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligation. This is my honest review.

I have to admit, I don't feel like gushing with admiration over Blue Ridge Sunrise. It was well-written from a technical standpoint. The family orchard was fascinating, and the family reunion bit was charming (though overused these days). But I saw the ex-boyfriend angle coming a mile away, and I just couldn't get invested in the characters or the storyline. Maybe the next Denise Hunter book will measure up to Seaside Letters, but not this one.

I'm not the biggest reader of Christian romances, but I LOVE all of Denise Hunter books that I've read, so I was excited to read this one (and even more excited that this appears to be the first in a series, I want Brady and Hope to be together!)

Zoe has loved Cruz since she was a young teenager and he's always felt the same way about her, her family came from money and his did not so their young love was not meant to be. Fast forward 5 years, and Zoe has come back home. She's in a bad relationship with Kyle, her grandmother has died and left her the family peach farm, and she's come back with Cruz's child...unbeknownst to him.

I read quite a few of the reviews here and was shocked to see some 2 and 3 star ones, then discovered that apparently "true" Christian romances don't even allude to the fact that there is such a thing as premarital sex, let alone a child born out of wedlock. The bulk of the bad reviews I read, were from people saying this wasn't really a Christian romance, so if you're a Christian purist, then this book isn't for you, because....Zoe had sex with Cruz when she was 19 and then went on to have his child.

Getting past that, this book, to me, was really really good. Enough sexual tension that you don't really miss the lack of actual sex, enough God that if you AREN'T a fan of Christian romances, this won't be too much for you, and plenty of good story, that if you're truly an avid reader, the fact that this book has a labeled genre, won't matter one lick to you. A book absolutely worth picking up. I can't wait for the next one (can her dad get his comeuppance?)

Thank you so much Netgalley, for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2141772384

Ever since reading Sweetbriar Cottage by Denise Hunter, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the first book in her new series Blue Ridge Sunrise. This book is a spinoff from Sweetbriar Cottage and I was excited to see some of the characters again, even in the small roles they played in this story.

Through the pages of this book, Denise takes us from the present to the past as we learn more about the characters. Zoe is a former free spirit. We learn about her past and what it was like growing up with her.

I enjoyed the character development and the ways Denise drew me into the lives of the characters. I felt like I was right there when Zoe snuck in the back of the car and her brother scolded her.

I can’t help but mention the cover. I really like the cover. I had wanted to read this book before ever seeing the cover. Now I’m anxiously waiting the next book in the series, Honeysuckle Dreams.

This is the first Denise Hunter book I have read and I did enjoy it. This book was listed as a Christian lit book but the references were light and there are implications of premarital sex and secrets being kept. I do not find these offensive, but think some who chose to read this genre might. Overall it was a sweet story that kept my interest, and though it was a bit predictable, it was an enjoyable dreary cold evening companion.

Romance, clean, Christian faith elements
Zoe and her peach orchard, an inheritance from her grandmother are the center of this story along with her past, and her 'fall' that play a big part in where she is in the present. Her daughter, her boyfriend, and the love from her past are the center of this story. Zoe has a secret and Kyle knows it and holds it over her head. As Zoe finds herself wanting to return to her roots, her secret threatens to spill out and change. Kyle's fame hasn't left him the kindest person. He is threatening and mean. Cruz is rooted in the community, in her farm, and works her way back into her heart.
Engaging story, bit if dramatic conflict that for me was a little over the top as a reader, but helped move the story along.
Redemption story in so many ways. Zoe truly needed to escape the hold that Kyle had on her. Ending is there (kind of guessed ahead it would happen), beautiful to see Zoe and Cruz reconnect in so many ways. The redemption is there, but wish there wasn't a fall to begin with. It is so central to the story though.
More of a 3.5 for me as a reader, but still a good read.

3.5 Stars
A contemporary second-chance romance that includes a couple of brief Christian references mixed in. The novel also has a theme of overcoming controlling relationships and the romance part is pretty clean. The female MC deals with her choices and the male MC is a nice guy. I love the settings, a Georgia peach orchard, a small town, and a little bit of Nashville. The MCs' friends are likeable and I hope their story continues in the next book. For younger contemporary romance fans, especially new adults.

Net Galley Feedback

Denise Hunter likes to tackle hard topics and this book was not any different. However, it is a lighter story, if that makes any sense. While topics such as domestic violence, premarital sex, judgmental Christian people, and racism all arise in this book, nothing is told in any type of detail.  

It was an enjoyable easy read, but don't expect a lot of preaching, bible verses or the like throughout as you won't find that here. Instead, you see the struggles of believers, behind the scenes, so to speak living with the aftermath of their choices from years past. 

I found myself enjoying seeing the journey of the characters and feeling the reality of the burdens placed on them. I also enjoyed the peach orchard setting, and could almost taste the tangy fruit as it was picked.

3.5 Stars for Denise Hunter's first book in new Blue Ridge Romance series. As always, she brings us a heartwarming, charming romance but this one builds to a suspenseful ending that was a pleasant surprise. Looking forward to where she takes us in this series and what other unexpected twists await.

A few months back, I was asked to provide feedback on the cover for Blue Ridge Sunrise (probably because I’m a member of the publisher’s blogging programme). I don’t actually recall what feedback I gave … but I doubt this was my first choice of cover. So for those of you like me who think this is a pretty meh cover, remember the old adage:

Don’t judge a book by its cover.
I’m also not entirely sold on the book description. Yes, it’s a (mostly) fair description of the novel. But I’m not convinced it’s a great sales pitch. But don’t let that put you off either.

Zoe Collins is back in Copper Creek for her grandmother’s funeral, accompanied by her musician boyfriend and four-year-old daughter. She’s only planned to stay the day—she and Kyle have to get back to Nashville for a concert, and she has no desire to reconnect with her father. But her plans change when she finds out she’s inherited Granny’s peach orchard, the only place she’s felt at home since her mother died.

What no one has told her in the five years she’s been away is that the orchard manager is Cruz Huntley, her first love and Gracie’s father. Now the two are thrown together as Zoe tries to save her family orchard, against the advice of everyone else—especially Kyle, and her father. And it seems someone is prepared to do more than tell her running the orchard is a stupid idea.

Someone seems prepared to go to great lengths to ensure she gives up and goes back to Nashville.
Zoe and Cruz were both great characters, and I wanted them to get back together right from the start. It was good to see a romance where the couple isn’t apart for the whole novel. I think that’s why I like romantic suspense, because of the way the external suspense plot serves to both bring the characters together and keep them apart. Blue Ridge Sunrise did a great job in this regard.

There were lots of great lines. Unfortunately, I can’t share most of them because they might give something important away (although I did share the opening line last week as part of #FirstLineFriday). Let’s just say the writing is excellent, and there are many nuggets of truth hidden in Blue Ridge Sunrise. Like this line at the top of this post.

The other thing I liked …
While there is a happy-ever-after ending (this is a romance. There has to be a happy-ever-after ending), the ending isn’t all roses and pink unicorns. Relationships are messy, and can’t always be tidied up nicely to fit a 80,000 word novel (or however long this is).

Blue Ridge Sunrise is the beginning of a series, so I’ll be looking forward to seeing some of those relationships develop and improve in future novels. As an aside, while it’s the beginning of a series, it’s the same setting as Denise Hunter’s last book, Sweetbriar Cottage, and there are a couple of references.

Overall, recommended for those who enjoy Christian romance with a faith focus, and plenty of suspense.
Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

Zoe Collins returns to Copper Creek with the settlement of her grandmother’s estate. The timing is excellent as she is thinking of getting away, at least for a while, from her music partner and captor, Kyle. Going home, though, means reckoning with her stoic father and adopted brother, Brady. Oh, and let’s not forget high school boyfriend Cruz Huntley who has never won her father’s favor. At 24, though, Zoe can call her own shots and she decides to try and work her grandmother’s orchard.