I started this book and kept hoping it would get better but unfortunately didn’t find it to be engaging or of interest. The writing was just average.

Great story, easy to read and kept me engaged throughout! Highly recommend to others Denise Hunter does it again!

Libby has moved back to her hometown after her divorce. She was taking care of her father as he was dying and trying to forget about her own devastating losses - three pregnancies and a husband. She is tackling a new career as a photographer and finds herself being drawn into the circle made of Elaine's family, one of the prominent families in their town. Libby doesn’t understand why Elaine is being so insistent that Libby socialize with them. Enter Colton. Colton is a jack-of-all trades who Elaine has hired to restore the greenhouse on her property. Colton is a widower with two young sons and he and Libby are drawn to each other. The greenhouse has Sadie scratched on one of the windows how does Sadie figure into this story. Will Libby get answers to all her questions, including ones she didn’t know she had? Sit down with Honeysuckle Season and a glass of sweet tea to transport yourself to a enjoyable Southern tale

This is not my favorite of Denise Hunter. The story didn't flow quite as well for me. I enjoyed it, nevertheless.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Brady Collins has been raising his 9-month-old son, Sam, since his ex-wife died in a car crash, with help from his friend Hope. He is devastated to learn that her parents are suing for sole custody of Sam, claiming that Brady isn't actually the boy's father. When Brady's lawyer mistakes Hope for Brady's fiance, he tells Brady that their impending marriage could make all the difference in winning custody of Sam. Hope is willing to go along with plan, and the two let their family and friends know about the engagement. Hope has a shot at her dream job in Atlanta, though, and it might stand in the way of their relationship.

I am reading this series out of order; I started with the last book of the series. I [b]loved[/b] [i]On Magnolia Lane[/i], and this book was a letdown in comparison. Several plot points didn't feel believable, and the side characters were flat. I am glad I read the last book of the series before this one, or I would have missed out on its great story.

Unfortunately, I requested this book, but didn't get to read it before it was archived. I wish I had gotten to it.

Swoony, fun and meaningful, this second book in the Blue Ridge Romance series should come with a ‘grab your fan’ warning! Best friends to more, a modern-day marriage of convenience, and Denise Hunter? Yes please! Hunter’s skill at writing sizzling romance combines with two reader-favorite tropes to deliver a story that is both toecurling and heartwarming. Brady Collins exudes swoon-appeal just by standing there, and his friendship-to-more with Hope Daniels is all kinds of fun to read. (To Brady’s credit, watching him be a daddy and navigate all the challenges that life throws at him during the course of the book is the most swoon-worthy part of his character.) For her own part, Hope is truly delightful, a heroine who readers will want as their new best friend. The external conflict is believable and takes a few unpredictable turns along the way, while the internal conflict deals with even weightier issues like self-worth and crippling anxiety. Some of Hope’s decisions do seem a bit extreme, but all the positives in this great story outweigh this one minor negative.

first appeared on RT Book Reviews, May 2018

This novel by Denise Hunter is a story about two friends who take on a marriage of convenience so that Brady, our story's hero, can keep his baby son. After Brady's wife died, her parents request a paternity test of their grandchild, and it comes to light that Brady is not his son's biological father. As he has been the only father his little son has known and he deeply desires to raise him, his best friend Hope comes to his rescue.

Although the premise of the story seems a little far fetched, Hunter writes a swoon-worthy romance between Brady and Hope. I enjoyed the read for the most part and am thankful that NetGalley provided me with an ARC for my honest review.

Romance, clean; Christian; Series, but stand-alone read
Brady, Hope and Sam's journey to becoming a family and for Brady and Hope a couple, was a lovely, poignant, heartfelt, honest, sincere read. D.H. often deals with the consequence of lapses of faith. This was my favorite of this series, as it seemed to deal less with the mistake that brought this couple together, than with them falling for each other and giving their hearts to each other. Two conflicted characters, coming together for baby Sam, as friends. Then dancing around their feelings of love, inadequacy, uncertainty and both of their growing feelings, along with their family, their jobs, it was a beautifully crafted story and fall. Best of the series for me.

family drama and romance abound. This has such engaging characters that you want it to keep going or to have a sequel.

You don't want to miss this book. It is a must read. Denise hunter never fails to entertain,

Sam's x-wife dies and Sam finds out that his son is actually not his. His x-inlaws want custody and Sam does not want to give up his son. The fight is on. Hope is Sam's best friend. Will she be able to do anything to help Sam keep the baby? Read it you will be glad you did.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read this title for an honest review.

After Brady’s ex-wife dies he’s left raising his baby son alone. When his in-laws seek custody he’ll do anything within his power to keep his young son. Hurt and neglected as a child, he wants to be sure that he doesn’t abandon his son. He admires Hope and loves the way she cares for his son. As they spend time together they find that they may be able to help each other out. But, is Hope the best candidate to help her friend? Hope feels like her life is a mess and she doesn’t want her emotional problems to affect Brady’s and his young son’s lives. Besides, she is being offered the chance of a lifetime and is unsure if motherhood is in the cards for her.

I really liked this sweet, endearing romance. Hope and Brady are friends who like and respect each other. Both of them love Brady’s son, Sam – and their mutual love for Sam creates an even stronger bond between them. This book shows how we really need to face our fears and be truthful to one another so that we can move forward toward the path of healing.

Such. A fun,sweet book! Didn’t want to stop reading and finished this book in one sitting. Loved it!

I really enjoyed this book! Good steady pace, interesting characters and plot. Clean Christian romance and drama.

The main characters dealt with betrayal, heartache, addiction, love, loss of a loved one… all real life events and circumstances that helped them become stronger in the end-to each other and to God.

Brady and Hope were great characters and I hope to read more about their family in other books. I loved their friendship and dedication to each other!

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

Denise Hunter is a new-to-me author and I must say I really enjoyed this book. I will be looking for others of hers to add to my library.

Brady is given devastating news about his son, Sam and his friend, Hope is there to help him pick up the pieces. What starts out as a fake engagement leads them on a path that neither were expecting. Their friendship blooms into something more but is it real or just part of the act they are performing?

The author does a good job developing the characters and making them believable. There are humorous moments as well as ones that show how life can beat us down. I liked the faith element to the book… it was an underlying message without being “in your face” preaching.

All in all, it was a heartwarming story of family, of love, of friendship and faith. One I would not hesitate to recommend.

There is nothing better than a book that sweeps you up and puts you smack dab in the center of the story. The author knows how to capture characters with real problems and let them unfold with emotions. I loved the characters so much that I was hoping someone would turn the book into a movie.

It's not everyday you hear about a single father but Brady is an example of not running away but stepping up to his responsibilities. He is so kind and loves his son Sam with all his heart. I loved reading about the interaction between father and son. Brady knows what it is like to be abandoned by parents and will do everything he can to make Sam feel loved and wanted.

His best friend Hope is smart, pretty and smitten with Sam. I liked how she helped Brady out by watching Sam when needed. She has a great career on the radio with hopes of one day getting the job of her dreams. Hope has carried around a fear of losing people she loves since the loss of someone special some years back. I think that holds her back from being in a serious relationship.

When there is a chance that Brady could lose custody of Sam he asks Hope for help. I was quite surprised at what he wanted them to do, but I admired him for wanting to keep Sam. The story is filled with surprises and keeps readers glued to their seats. It's a love story like none I've ever read. How far would you go to help a friend? Fear plays a big part in the story and I liked how the author used faith examples to help the character work through fear. Both Brady and Hope deal with abandonment issues and it causes distance between them. Can they work through their problems and give Sam a safe and loving home? Don't miss the discussion questions at the back of the book. They are good questions that make you examine your life and increase your faith.

I received a copy of this book from The Fiction Guild. The review is my own opinion.

Honeysuckle Dreams is the second book in the Blue Ridge Romance series. It holds up very well as a stand alone book even though characters from the first book show up in this one. This is Brady and Hope's story. It's a sweet friends to lovers story that will steal your heart.

I liked the characters and the romance in this one much more than the first book (Blue Ridge Sunrise). I didn't care for that one much. Brady and Hope were close friends before making the choice to marry so that Brady could keep custody of his son. One of the things I loved about their story was that they had a conversation about their expectations for the marriage. They wanted it to be real and took their time before starting a physical relationship. Both Brady and Hope felt very real to me. They brought fears and insecurities from their past into the relationship. But they were a couple you wanted to root for. The only thing that bothered me was Hope not seeking counseling sooner for her issues. A lot of the angst could have been avoided had she not avoided her fears. Since she doled out advice on her radio show, she should have known better.

If you are a fan of clean Christian romance, then I do recommend this one. It's another one that will make a great summer read. -Kari

Brady Collins made a mistake. That mistake left him married with a baby son, then divorced. Now his ex-wife is dead, and he’s learning to navigate life as a solo parent. But then his in-laws sue for custody, saying Brady isn’t Sam’s father. Oops.

Hope Daniels is happy to help. She loves little Sam as if he was her own. And he might be: Brady’s lawyer mistakenly thinks Hope and Brady are engaged. He points out that being engaged might help Brady in the upcoming custody battle, but not as much as them being married would. So Hope proposes a solution: getting married to make sure Brady gets to keep his son.

The marriage of convenience trope is relatively common in historical romance, but not so common in contemporary. I suspect this is because it can be hard to find a scenario where the circumstances behind the marriage of convenience makes sense. It often reads like a contrived way of getting the characters where the author wants them: married. Sure, the fake engagement and marriage is contrived, but it works for these characters.

My one issue with Honeysuckle Dreams was that Brady was too perfect. Sure, he had problems: his son, his ex-wife’s family, his mother. But they were all external problems. Fixing them relied on other people, not on Brady and his own character journey.

Hope was a much more interesting character. She’s been in love before, in high school. That relationship ended badly. Her boyfriend collapsed and died in right in front of her at a high school basketball game. It took Hope years to recover and she’s still not sure she’s ready to risk her heart again. And that’s not a good way to begin a marriage, even a marriage of convenience.

Honeysuckle Dreams is the second book in Denise Hunter’s Blue Ridge Romance series, following Blue Ridge Sunrise. She’s also written Sweetbriar Cottage. It isn’t officially part of the Blue Ridge Romance series, but is set in the same town before the events of Blue Ridge Sunrise, and features some of the same characters.

Overall, Honeysuckle Dreams was an excellent contemporary romance, although I didn’t think it measured up to the outstanding Sweetbriar Cottage. Mind you, that’s a hard act for any author to follow.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

A sweet romance, filled with a homey small town and delightful characters.
This comes from a superb write of Christian romance, Denise Hunter.

Can love spring from a marriage of convenience?

Brady is a single dad and he finds out that he is not the biological father of his beloved little baby boy. Then his late wife’s parents try to gain custody of the boy, and there is a hearing….and his attorney mistakenly thinks Brady is engaged, and tells him that just might be the winning key to keeping his little boy.

Hope, Brady’s good friend, is very willing to marry him and help him keep little Sam.

She’s had too much heartbreak in the past, and isn’t sure she’ll ever be able to love a man again, so she thinks this should be “safe”.

I found it interesting to see their lives progress. Trust. Love. Commitment. And more are found in this book.

Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

The second in a series but is one of those series where you can skip around because each book focuses on a different character, but all of the stories take place in the same location. I give this preface, but I also say the control freak in me likes to always start at book one, so I did in this case and my review for that book went up yesterday.

This story revolves around the brother of the main character of book one, Brady Collins. His ex wife has died and he finds out that the son that he thought he fathered with her is not biologically his and he must fight to remain the father of this young boy who has captured his heart. Through some funny circumstances, his life long friend Hope Daniels is caught up in his fight and has some drama of her own.

I will not spoil the drama that Hope has as it is somewhat spoilerie but I will say that I wish the author had done a little more with it earlier in the book. I felt as though we were two thirds the way through the book and she threw some stuff in to create some drama and it didn't feel real to me.

BUT I did like this book more than book one. I liked their story and I liked them. Overall their story was interesting with a court case and their courtship/relationship was definitely different than what you normally see in a women's fiction/romance book.

I like Denise Hunter books because they are the best bits of romance without all the in your face sexy times. Because she is in the Christian fiction realm she keeps that out, but it has the plot that you love from a women's fiction or even most romance books. I am excited for book three to come out in November.