This book opens with Zoe Collins coming home after five years for her grandmother’s funeral. She has been living in Nashville with a guy named Kyle who is a singer and she sings back up in his band. He wants her to come back with him but when she inherits the peach orchid she decides to give it a go. Mad Kyle says she will come to her senses. Staying in town has also brought her closer to Cruz Huntley, who is running the orchid now and they are being forced to work together. You see Cruz was he first love and still is. You find out he is also the father of Gracie her child. Which he does not know about. This book is much more about coming home again, but about all of the choices made. Some of course was mad because of age, anger, hurt, and some by lies. She is working at wanting to also fix her relationship with her father, but that may or may not happen. As you work through this story it becomes clear that love is in the air between Zoe, and Cruz and you want them to have peace, but will Kyle and others give them that. A lot of twists but nothing that you can’t keep up with and overall a good book.

I liked this book in many ways, Zoe was very spirited and trying to find herself again after leaving a controlling boyfriend. She is also taking over her grandmothers orchard, even though it is in trouble, she looks forward to making it work again. In order to do so she has to work with her ex-boyfriend. They still have a connection in more ways than one!

I didn't realize it was considered Christian fiction, or I probably wouldn't have requested it. The trickling of faith language in the last section felt completely out of left field and preachy, which is not my cup of tea.

Otherwise a good story, and good character development.

I received a free copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was a Christian novel, but it is not. It does have God mentioned a couple of times, even few prayers are said when in trouble, but the characters, their lives or the story does not demonstrate a personal relationship with God. Also, there is pre-marital sex with consequences, yet that is not ever talked about it regarding their faith and it is applied that it has happened, with others, after the youthful incident. Just to get that message clear out there.
I always review the books in their own category, so if this is not Christian romance novel, am I going to treat it as a contemporary romance novel?
The story was engaging, there was some family drama, life lessons, problems with the ex, and trying to find their place in life mixed with the second chance romance.
I liked the main characters, Cruz Huntley is a strong male lead with admirable character. He was a bit of a hothead as a young man, but he has grown to be a responsible, caring, generous man of good principles and forgiving mind. I loved his dedication to 'Bella' and his open heart and mind towards the sudden changes in his life.
Zoe Collins had made some serious mistakes in her life yet I understood where she was coming from, how her father's behavior had driven her to doubt her own worth, and how low she was at the time when she found out she was pregnant. She is her own worst enemy with the doubts and worries of her character and abilities. Her growth through the story is remarkable, yet it takes a big step back right when I thought she had gained some ground.
The constant shadow of Kyle and the lies that were easily believed shadow the new start in Zoe's life. The danger the threats from Kyle provided some spice and intensity to the tale, bringing it all to a high climax towards the end, with lives in danger.
I liked the story, the plot had some surprises that not only gave this tale new turns but took the whole series forward. I just kept waiting for the revelation that would have come from the characters finding faith in God, growing in faith, and seeing the errors of their past. Since that moment never really came, I was left wanting at the end. Maybe if I would not have expected this, I would have enjoyed the story more, but as it is now, I give it
~ Three Spoons

This book claims to be Christian fiction but it's not. With it's premarital sex and lack of faith elements it's just a contemporary fiction book. I simply could not warm up to or identify with the characters in this book especially delusional Kyle. I wanted to like it because I had been looking forward to it but unfortunately couldn't. Sweet little Gracie aka Bella now I liked her and the ending was a lot of tension which was pretty good as well. Overall though I couldn't make a good connection with the characters .
Pub Date 07 Nov 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson--FICTION for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Part of her Blue Ridge Romance series, Blue Ridge Sunrise is a lovely story by Denise Hunter. We meet in cameos some characters from her previous stories as the setting is the same town. The story opens with Zoe Collins returning to attend the funeral of her beloved grandmother. She has not been back since leaving with boyfriend Kyle in 5 years. But at the funeral, just as she fretted, she runs into former first love, Cruz Huntley. Unable to make eye contact, Zoe is not her former assertive self. Cruz still has feelings for her and is concerned with the changes in her personality and her appearance, having been a true redhead, she is now a blond.


Zoe's intention, especially because of Kyle's insistence, is just to remain long enough for the reading of the will; however, her grandmother leaves her Peach Orchard and small business to Zoe. Kyle insists she has to return to singing with his band and sell her inheritance. To enforce his demands, he begins his usually MO of beating her in the parking lot but Cruz comes to her rescue.


Zoe's longtime friend and her brother help her to understand she doesn't need Kyle and his baggage and she should stay and make a go of it. To complicate matters, Zoe is not along but has her little girl. A little girl whose father doesn't know about his paternity.


This is a good novel but one of those I consider kind of stressing to read because of the angst between the main characters and the complicated issues they must overcome and relationship that needs repairing. But this does have a dramatic climax and very satisfying ending. I recommend it is worth your time to read. I received this book from netgalley for my honest review.

Denise Hunter used to be one of my favorite authors, I've read every single one of her romances she's written over the years. I've heard that Thomas Nelson is becoming more edgy and that is apparent with the last few romances Ms. Hunter has put out.

Zoe is a wild child. The book starts when she's fifteen and she's got the stuff and is hot to trot. She has Cruz lusting after her, but he's her brother's best friend. When Brady goes off to college, Cruz promises to keep his eye on her... and he does. That, and other things.

Then Zoe runs off to join a country band and sing backup. When granny dies, she comes back home with her four year old daughter in tow...

Okay, you can see where this is going. Zoe is not a character I like or identify with. With the exception of Granny and her brother and one girlfriend she's pretty much burned all her bridges behind her, too. Even her own dad is reluctant to help. Even Cruz hates her, but she's still hot... And of course they are forced together because...

The ending was rather rushed and unsettled. Telling. Not a satisfactory end.

Faith message was weak. She sings in church, says a prayer or two , and it's called good. Lives like the devil the rest of the time.

I wanted to like this book. But I didn't. And I hate to say this, but it might be the last Denise Hunter book I ever read. That kind of breaks my heart.

I was given a copy free. All opinions are my own.

Started off a little slow but quickly ramped up and was hard to put down. It wasn’t a particularly original story as it reminded me of Nicholas Sparks Safe Haven type quite a bit. But that’s ok. Loved the relationship between Zoe and Cruz. Wished there would have been developments between Brady and Hope. Maybe in a subsequent book?! There were times when I felt like there was a time jump or a character appeared out of thin air. It was a little jarring and I had to go back and re read feeling like I had missed something. (Maybe that was because it was an unedited version I read and there were no dividers.) the story was interesting and definitely kept me wanting to read more. Lots of interesting aspects to the storyline and characters were real. I didn’t feel like they were answer perfectly every time type characters. Responses and interactions were authentic. Overall I really liked the book.
I received a digital copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Blue Ridge Sunrise by Denise Hunter is fabulous. The novel starts with the amazing premise of Zoe returning home for a funeral and reading of the will, only to discover that maybe she isn't ready to leave Copper Creek for good.

The backstory is deep and wide, allowing the author to explore deep feelings and hurts. The plot is fast-paced and the characters three-dimensional. Blue Ridge Sunrise was a quick and fun read!

Blue Ridge Sunrise is a fantastic story about Star-Crossed love. You have two true love's who were together when they were younger - Zoe and Cruz - but when she hurt him so bad in a way you just can't believe. She then leaves town until her grandmother dies and she has to take care of the peach farm - she goes back to the farm - she shows back with her child and Kyle the man she cheated with on Cruz with - will she be able to handle seeing Cruz again? Do the Sparks reignite? Will she keep the farm? Can she handle being on the farm again?

Another good romance from Hunter. I enjoyed the back and forth between past and present. I do think that a large portion of her last couple books are just the two main characters having the hots for one another, which gets old after a while. Sentences like "His lips tingled with want" make me roll my eyes a bit.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

The book had a strong spiritual sense as well as being funny, romantic, suspenseful and extremely heart-warming. The emotional "growing up" of the main character was a joy--especially when she discovers her own self-worth. Definitely a quick read--I enjoyed every word and hope this author continues to write more! Thank you for the opportunity to have read this title prior to publication!

Zoe Collins left her hometown at the age of nineteen with a broken heart, promising herself to never return again. Her dream was to sing onstage so it was easy to be smooth talked into leaving with Kyle, who had a band, for a life of traveling and singing while hoping to make it big one day.
Zoe did return five years later for her grandmother's funeral. Returning with Zoe was her four year old daughter and Kyle, who is now her boyfriend.
Zoe learns her grandmother has left the peach orchard to her and...guess who runs the orchard? None other than the boyfriend who had broken Zoe's teenage heart, Cruz.
Zoe has decisions to make. Kyle is highly pressuring her to sell the orchard and hop the next plane to their next gig. Will she choose to dump her mentally/physically abusive boyfriend, Kyle and allow him to manipulate her yet another time? Then, there is Cruz. Can she work with him, even be in the same town with him? She is still hurt over the way their relationship ended five years ago.
Great story, even though a bit predictable.
I was given a free ecopy of this book to read by the publisher, Thomas Nelson and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Blue Ridge Sunrise (A Blue Ridge Romance) by Denise Hunter is a coming home story. The descriptive writing is excellent; I could almost smell the peaches growing in this Georgia Region. The characters are far from perfect but mostly wanted to live better lives. Secrets, mistakes, and regrets hold Zoe and Cruz back from a solid faith.

The story is strong on drama especially as the past comes to light in Zoe present visit home. There is also current boyfriend of Zoe that has to be dealt with in the story too, along with a young child. The Christian aspect of the novel is weaker than I expected making this a more mainstream read. This is a well-written story, but I can’t say it is my favorite by Denis Hunter.

Denise Hunter continues to delight me with her amazing writing. Zoe and Cruz were childhood sweethearts, in secret. Cruz is the best friend of Zoe's brother. He tries really hard to stay away from her but ..... Then they start seeing each other but no-one knows about it. Obviously that is not a great idea. I don't want to give away the whole story so I'll just flash forward the five years to the current story-line. Zoe has been gone a while but she is back for her grandmother's funeral. She's also back to run the peach orchard which has been left to her by her grandmother. She's in for a surprise when she finds out that Cruz is the one managing the orchard and they will be working together. Zoe has a few surprises of her own for Cruz.
I loved that there were no fake or rushed reconciliations. Zoe ran out on her family and she has been gone for a while, fences are going to take a while to be mended. It may be the Christian thing to forgive and move on but the human heart often needs time to heal and recover so I like that all was not rectified in one but healing was allowed to take it's time. The interactions of the secondary characters are handled well so that they aren't crowding the main story or are completely forgotten until something big happens and you wonder where have they been all this time to suddenly be in the know. I LOVED the secondary story brewing in the background and look forward to the second book.

I really liked this book. I'm fairly new to Denise Hunter, but I like what I've read so far. This book had several things going on. It was a second chance trope, but there was Zoe's current/ex also thrown in the mix. It is hard to explain. She is with the guy when she comes back to her home town for her grandmother's funeral. That's the current part. He soon becomes an almost ex when she stays and he leaves. It's just different and definitely muddied the waters.
Cruz is the second chance guy. Their relationship is complicated and not always pretty, but at least he's a nice guy. The story deals with a little physical and mental abuse. There's danger, mystery as to who is doing what, love and romance. And a little girl. All worked out for me in the end, so I'll definitely look for more from Denise Hunter. This is pegged as a Christian romance, but faith really played little part in this book.

I love Wednesdays. I love Wednesdays because I love books, and on Wednesday I get to share books I love with you! The only thing better than reading a great book, is telling a friend about it, and getting them to love it, too. I have a few favorite authors that I read and review over and over again. Denise Hunter is a more recent favorite, and I'm so glad I found her books! I love her style--sweet romances with a twist of harsh reality. I like her message that life isn't perfect, and love is sometimes hard, but it's always worth the struggle!

Denise's newest book, Blue Ridge Sunrise, is another instant favorite. Zoe Collins has just returned to the small town of Copper Creek for her grandmother's funeral. She came with her boyfriend and her four-year-old daughter. She intends to leave right after the funeral, but the reading of her granny's will throws a wrench in her plans. Her granny left the peach orchard to her, and everyone seems to think she should stay to run it. Zoe never planned to return to Copper Creek, and she never planned to have to face her first love, Cruz, again. But when Zoe decides to give running the orchard a try, she unknowingly sets herself right in the middle of his life. Their feelings are still strong, but Zoe has a secret. When Cruz finds out the answer, will they still have a future? When things don't turn out like Zoe planned, will she even stay in Copper Creek? Does Cruz believe in her, or is he just like her dad?

This story is really as sweet as the Georgia peaches that fill the pages! For real, y'all, this book made me hungry! I love peaches, and reading about the peach orchard and all the delicious recipes made my mouth water. I wish The Peach Barn was a real place so I could go and visit!

Once again, Denise Hunter's characters shine. I love that her characters are flawed, like the real people we know. Zoe left Copper Creek for what she thought would be a better life. Now, it's been five years and she's trapped. On the surface, it seems that she has it all together, but underneath, she's no longer the wild, free spirit she used to be.

Cruz never got over his feelings for his best friend's little sister. It took considerable time to patch up his relationship with Brady after Zoe left, and he's not sure he's willing to go through that again. But the Zoe he sees isn't the one he remembers. As he gets closer to her, he begins to see pieces of the old Zoe shining through. He still cares for her, but the secret she's hiding might be more than his love can overcome.

Denise's books always seem to come with a dose of harsh reality. She isn't afraid to tackle tough issues, whether it be pregnancy out of wedlock, or domestic abuse. These aren't pretty parts of life, but many times, they are reality.

It made me really sad to see how Zoe's dad shadowed over both her life, and Cruz's. Even though Zoe had angered him by joining the band instead of going to college like he wanted, she tried to patch things up with him. He shot her down at every turn. Cruz's father never had any part in his life, and he had to work hard to support himself and his mother. He was determined to prove his worth to Mr. Collins. But Zoe's dad wouldn't budge against him. This was probably the saddest part of the book to me.

Relationships aren't always perfect, and they aren't always easy. Zoe and Cruz had a lot of issues to work through, but I love how they determined to trust and believe in each other. I loved the ending of Blue Ridge Sunrise, and I was really on edge to see what was going to happen.

It was great to see Noah and Josephine Mitchell from Sweetbriar Cottage make an appearance in this book. (See my review here.) I also loved the secondary characters, and I'm really hoping the next book in the series is the story of Brady and Hope!

If you haven't read Denise Hunter's books before, now is a great time to start! Blue Ridge Sunrise is the start of a brand new series, so you won't have to miss anything. I think you'll love this great, new Southern series from one of my favorite authors!



I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own, and a favorable review was not required.

The heroine is insecure and considers herself a failure. She was immediately likable. I sympathized with her and rooted for her. We get a few flashbacks into the heroine’s past and Denise did a great job of characterization, showing the heroine’s less mature side and then her growth. Her voice was very strong in both time periods of her life. She’s well layered, but sometimes I felt we were missing some of the motives so her actions either weren’t believable or weren’t something I could get behind. I did have a hard time respecting her during some later parts of the novel, when she made some decisions that weren’t strong.

As I read, I didn’t highlight much in regards to the hero. I think that’s because we spent a lot more time in the heroine’s deep POV, which is fine.

I had a little trouble following all the characters. I felt like I’d missed book one, but this is book one. As with previous books by this author, there is a lot of mention of cheeks warming in the narrative. This feels more fitting for a historical, and the repetition does get tedious. Perhaps a variety of visceral reactions would boost this part of the story telling, so several characters don't react the same way from book to book. A similar, overused phrase in this novel was lips curving.

The villain was easy to dislike as I despised his methods. Great descriptions throughout, and I love reunion romances. Some of the themes in the story included control versus independence, and an unhealthy familial relationship.

The secret in the story wasn’t quite believable. It seemed obvious that visually there could be no question, but this wasn’t addressed until a little too late. I also felt the heroine would worry more when the two characters were together (I’m being vague to avoid spoilers) but we didn’t get that feeling while in her deep POV, which didn’t seem believable, or perhaps like a missed opportunity.

I’ll be watching for the next book in this series.

Denise Hunter never fails to deliver! Emotionally charged and suspenseful, I couldn’t put Blue Ridge Sunrise down until I turned the last page. Our leading lady is one stubborn girl (ahem, I can relate) and she bears the consequences for her decisions as we journey through from her 15 year old self to her wiser 24 year old self. Amidst the interesting business challenges surrounding the orchard and the lovely romance that runs throughout, what resonates for me is the reminder to value oneself for who God made one, we are defined neither by our failures or our successes but by His love. Though fictional, I love the thread of the scripture “God works all things for good” which is the backbone of this story, redemptive hope flows throughout. A warning: with the many descriptions of peaches and their accompanying delicious recipes, don’t be surprised if this one leaves you hungry! I thoroughly enjoyed it, 5 out of 5, and can’t wait for the next one from Denise Hunter.

I would not put this book in the category of Christian fiction. There is too much secular issues and very little seeking God or faith. Violence in front of a four year old and talking about adult issues in front of her was too much. Many things were left to wonder, such as why Zoe's father treats his children the way he does. Hopefully in the next book things will become clearer.

I had mixed feelings about this book. At points I liked it, reading about Cruz and Zoe getting another chance. But at other points, I didn't really like it, as scenes moved from one to the other so quickly. Because a chunk of the book was written when they were in high school or just out of high school, it felt more like a young adult novel to me. Even for the rest of the book, they were in their early to mid-twenties. The faith aspect of the book was very minimal which was alright except that it felt nonchalant and only cropped up when the characters were in trouble mostly. However, I liked that I got to see their past relationship instead of just reading about it from what they reveal in the present.