I sat down to read this title. I came up short as I had not read the previous book. I'm not sure if that is a deal breaker or not....but I feel like I need to read the first one before reviewing this title.

Denise Hunter is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. While labeled Christian fiction, she is not preachy and her books always have a good story line and a bit of upheaval, but they are clean and fun to read. Carolina Breeze is no exception. Wonderful story. Read it!!

I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review. These opinions are my own.

What a great addition to the series. I was eagerly awaiting this next book and was so not disappointed. I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you Denise Hunter, Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

This series just gets better! After LOVING the first book I couldn't wait to get my hands on this next book and it did not disappoint! I was drawn once again into the story and I didn't want to stop reading! Now I'm anxiously waiting for the next book to release!

When the tabloids publish pictures of up-and-coming actress Mia Emerson in what looks like a compromising position with her (married) leading man, Mia escapes Hollywood for the Bluebell Inn in North Carolina. After all, it’s the week of what was to have been her honeymoon, before her fiance broke it off.

Mia chose the Bluebell Inn for her honeymoon because her deceased grandparents used to own the building. She’s delighted to find the Inn’s library includes her grandmother’s journal, where she discovers unknown stories about her family history … including a missing jewel that is supposed to be hidden in the inn.

Meanwhile, Levi is hiding his own secrets. The inn is facing financial problems, something he’s been hiding from his sisters, who co-own the inn. If there really is a missing jewel and Levi could find it, then their financial problems would be over …

What follows is a Christian romance that’s more complex than many, as both Mia and Levi need to get past the lies and half-truths in their pasts to allow for a possible future together. I found it had to put the novel down once I’d started, because the characters and their situation was so compelling. As with many romances, there was an obvious answer … but what seems obvious to the reader isn’t so obvious for the characters.

Carolina Breeze is the second book in Denise Hunter’s Bluebell Inn Romance series, following Lake Season. You don’t have to read Lake Season first (I didn’t), but Carolina Breeze does contain a couple of spoilers for Lake Season. If that’s going to bother you, read Lake Season first.

Recommended for fans of contemporary Christian romance.

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

In Denise Hunter's Carolina Breeze, the second installment in the Bluebell Inn Romance inspirational romance series, this beautiful loveswept and tender-hearted novel is so inspiring and moving about finding love when you least expect it. For Mia Emerson, she's a rising Hollywood star and recovering from a broken engagement. In the middle of a potential spotlight for a scandal with her male leading star, she escapes Hollywood and lands in Bluebell, North Carolina to the inn where her grandparents made their legacy there. She hides out there to deal with the blow and lick her own proverbial wounds. That's when she meets the innkeeper, Levi Bennett, the older brother of his two younger sisters, Grace and Molly, who help run the same family inn. While she kept up with her anonymity, they knew who she was and didn't alert the press. He's been hard-pressed to keep up with the financials, but he acted like a loyal friend and supporter to Mia as a tour guide and a valet around the town. Within time, Mia befriends Molly, who's waiting for a proposal from her boyfriend Adam, and Grace, who has no wishes to go to college and build a business of her own. As she prepares for her latest movie role, someone leaked out the press on her whereabouts, causing a maelstrom of the Paparazzi to interrupt their lives. Out of instinct, both Mia and Levi pretended to become a couple, when later on, they discovered they had the real thing--they started to have feelings for each other while they searched for a hidden family heirloom. But when things get serious, they broke up, leaving Mia reeling since her parents abandoned her and wants someone to love her for once. Within time, after Levi deals with a flood in his apartment, he lets his sisters run their own lives and be happy and reunites with Mia when she returns home to get her fairy tale ending.

These books make me so happy for some reason. Idyllic setting? Sweet, realistic, relatable characters? Slow-in-a-good-way plots? There's just something so perfect about these books.
While I would have preferred to read Lake Season (Buebell Inn Romance #1) first, I jumped right into installment #2. Carolina Breeze worked perfectly as a standalone, but as I loved it so much I will definitely go back and read Lake Season (Buebell Inn Romance #1) in the Bluebell Inn Romance Series. I want to see what story line I may pick up from the beginning.

I absolutely loved this book. After reading the first Bluebell Inn book, Lake Season, I didn't think it could get much better. But then I met Mia. I flippin loved her. Everything about her. She was such an amazing character and her story was captivating. I absolutely love the Bennet family and the story of their family.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

This book is the second in the series about three siblings who take on the task of renovating their parents home into the Blue Bell Inn. The first book was about Molly, this one is about Levi. Levi and Mia (she's staying at the Inn from a broken engagement) realize that they need find their worth in God and not in what the world thinks. Levi learns that it's okay for others to help him, he doesn't have to carry the burden alone and Mia realized that some people truly don't want anything from you other than to be your friend. I thought the characters were well developed and I felt like I had truly stepped into the Bluebell Inn and the town.

CAROLINA BREEZE is the second book in this series about three siblings. I haven't read the first book, yet, but hope to soon. I wasn't lost at all.

Okay. Ms. Hunter is one of my favorite romance authors, and while I loved the romance between a needy Hollywood star and a control-freak inn keeper, I did have some misgivings.

The writing level didn't seem up to Hunter's usual standards. It was choppy and repetitive. The kissing scenes were way over the top -- and for me that is huge. The faith message is very very weak, and there are some soft swear words. The black moment was beyond obvious with no surprises.

The low key mystery element was nice.

Overall a disappointment for me but I will still read the other two books in the series.

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

Movie star Mia Emerson is spending her honeymoon, alone, at the Bluebell Inn. Suffering through a broken engagement, and untrue tabloid rumors, she's anxious to spend some time alone on her honeymoon. After all, the Bluebell Inn used to belong to her grandparents. She longs for a nice, loving family since she's never had any strong familial roots in her life.
Innkeeper Levi is stunned when movie star Mia Emerson stays at his family's inn. She's beautiful and they hit it off so well...but Levi has a lot of problems - both familial and financial.
I thought that both Mia and Levi had a lot of emotional baggage to work through. Both of them had deceased (or estranged) parent(s) - and the deaths/estrangement of their parent(s) caused strife in their lives. Family problems can filter down to generations, which can prove hurtful.
A secret necklace and a diary were added twists to this lovely story. It was also different to see a famous person as a heroine. I seldom see famous folks in romance novels. From my experience, publishers tend to shy away from movie star characters. I believe they (publishers) shy away from that subject matter because readers cannot relate to being a famous person.I felt that Mia was relatable since most of her struggles dealt with familial issues - and lots of folks have family problems.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Hollywood star Mia Emerson has a flawless reputation but that all changes when she finds herself in the middle of a public breakup and the victim of a celebrity cheating scandal. Laying low seems like the best thing to do so that's how Mia finds herself at the Bluebell Inn--the destination of where her honeymoon should have amen place.

Levi Bennett has a secret. One he must try to work out on his own and not burden his sister's with. The inn has fallen under financial hardships and won't be open for much longer unless something changes. Having Mia at the inn is like a breath of fresh air to Levi. Drawn to her from the start, Levi goes to keep her safe from the nosey paparazzi.

When the two of them discover an old journal that hints at a rare diamond necklace hidden elsewhere in the inn, Levi and Mia dive into an exciting treasure hunt to find the jewel and save the inn.

Denise Hunter is a master storyteller. I read this book on the heels of reading Lake Season and I could not be happier with this addition. The story is breathtaking and will have you flipping through pages from beginning to end.

I highly recommended this book for everyone. You won't regret reading this one.

Mia Emerson is beautiful young actress who becomes embroiled in a scandal with her married co-star. She is also recently single, following the breakup of her engagement to another actor. Needing to get away from it all, she decides to go to the inn where she should have been spending her honeymoon. Coincidentally, this is the same inn that was owned by her grandparents many years ago. While staying at the inn, Mia spends time with one of the owners, Levi, who is a handsome and very personable young man. Their attraction is mutual, and while a romantic relationship is hindered somewhat by the fact that Mia lives in California and Levi lives in North Carolina, things have a way of working out.

I found this to be a sweet, enjoyable read. The story line was interesting and the characters were portrayed as decent human beings. A perfect read anytime - vacation, long flight, beach. Definitely recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author Denise Hunter, and the publisher Thomas Nelson, for a complimentary copy of this book. The opinion expressed is wholly my own.

This was an enjoyable read that continues the story of the Bluebell Inn and the siblings who run it. Carolina Breeze is the story of an actress who needs to escape from a media frenzy and goes to the inn for some privacy (this was meant to be her honeymoon, with the relationship dissolving before the scandal!) What develops is a lovely story, with Christian values, between the main characters who slowly develop feelings for one another for the duration of Mia’s stay. We get to revisit with some old friends from the first book in the series, however Carolina Breeze can be read as a standalone. I enjoyed reading about the history as Mia researched the past when her grandparents ran the inn and the emotions Mia goes through over the course of this book. Recommended for lovers of romance!

I really liked this book. It had all the right components, broken past, romance, difficult I really liked this book. It had all the right components, broken past, romance, difficult current circumstances. And, whoa, the kisses that Denise wrote, they were very well done.

It was also nice to see Molly and Adam and again and how their relationship was progressing.

I am very excited to read about Grace’s story in the next book. She is a spitfire so I have I no doubt her story will be a good one. She’s so young too, so I can’t help but wonder how her romance will proceed.

My only complaint is one I am finding a lot. These characters are Christians but the name of Jesus was never said in this book. Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

A copy of this book was given to me by Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Carolina Breeze by Denise Hunter is the second book in the Bluebell Inn series. This series is about three siblings that are owners of the Bluebell Inn. It was well written and has a few twists that certainly maintain your interest. This is Levi and Mia’s story. Levi is struggling to make the Inn financially stable and hiding the financial status from his two sisters. Mia is a movie star who has been jilted by her fiancée and is the victim of false negative publicity. The entire Inn was already prepaid for her honeymoon, so she escapes and stays at the Inn. Levi and Mia have an instant attraction that turns into a romance. Both have many issues to overcome but in the end they succeed. The story moved at a slow steady pace, and even included other side issues with Levi’s sisters. It was a nice story that I enjoyed reading.

When actress Mia Emerson becomes involved in a Hollywood scandal, she needs a safe place where she can get away. Wanting to explore the inn that her grandparents once owned, Mia decides to escape to Bluebell, North Carolina. Levi Bennett, along with his two sisters now run the Bluebell Inn. When Mia Emerson arrives, the three agree to keep her presence in town a secret for her protection. As Levi acts as Mia’s chauffeur and guide while she’s in town, the two become close. And when Mia finds a clue in her grandmother’s journal to a hidden blue diamond, Carolina Breeze, the search for the diamond gives Levi and Mia a reason to spend even more time together. The two continue to grow closer as Mia repeatedly extends her stay, but could the two from two different worlds realistically have a relationship that lasts?

I enjoyed reading Carolina Breeze. I like how Denise Hunter uses Levi’s and Mia’s struggles to highlight how parent-child relationships can have an effect on future relationships. I thought that Levi and Mia were both very likable characters, and I enjoyed the reappearance of Molly and Adam from Lake Season, the first book in the series. And as in all of Denise Hunter’s books, I appreciate the role that faith plays in the story. Overall, Carolina Breeze was an enjoyable read, and I’m looking forward to the third book in the series.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am a fan of Denise Hunter's writing but I was particularly afraid of this book because I already knew how Levi could be controlling and overly protective in addition to being hardheaded, but it was a pleasant surprise to find myself in love with this beautiful history and with Mia and Levi.

Mia is an actress on the rise and after two scandals in a row, she is forced to take refuge in the place that should be her honeymoon. Sad and frustrated with everything that is happening to her, she finds herself enchanted by the inn and its owner, by the city, by the story of her grandmother.

Levi and Mia gradually get closer and he gives her a lot of strength, he values her but he still wants to control everything and needs to take care of the inn without trying to show his sisters that the situation at the inn is not good.

Carolina Breeze by Denise Hunter is an absolute delight to read. It is a breath of fresh air! This is the perfect summer read. But honestly it is the perfect feel good read for any time of year. Here, a jilted woman avoiding the spotlight meets a man overburdened with the inn’s problems. Set in the beautiful lakefront property and it is a fun read. I love the way this author writes. This is not an easy happily ever after. There are difficulties along the way and true emotional conflicts. And a mystery is thrown in too! I adored this book and I think readers of romance and women’s fiction will love it too. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Perfect beach read! In the second book of the Bluebell Inn Romance series, the siblings are still struggling to make the inn turn a profit. When Hollywood actress Mia decides to honeymoon by herself after being jilted, Levi is captivated by her. I love that Levi cares about his sisters but does get carried away at times. Sweet romance with a hint of a mystery! Can't wait to read the next in the series. Recommended!