I love the small town vibes in Riverbend Gap.

Avery was one of my favorite characters in the first book. I was so happy that the author made her love story.

I Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Wonderful story of healing and love. The secret is discovered of the great bearded man who stays in the mountains.

I'm really enjoying this series by Denise Hunter. These books make for a great pallatte cleanser between my normal suspense/thriller selections. I love the clean romance, the wholesome daily family interactions, and the fact that the characters are pretty much relatable for me. I know the romance, descriptions, and dialogue can sometimes come across as cheesy, but these books are a fast and easy read with happy endings that I need in my life right now.

Mulberry Hollow - Contractor Wes Garrett is finishing hiking the Appalachian Trail in memory of his best friend who had died before finishing the trail himself. But after an interaction with another hiker, Wes falls very ill. He manages to make it to the next town and collapses on the steps of a building which happens to be the town clinic. With barely any money to his name, he finds himself indebted to the local doctor, Avery Robinson, who aided him back to health. Avery is in need of another doctor to help out at the small but busy clinic. She has housing on site in the form of a run down carriage house that is in need of some repairs. They work out an arrangement where Wes will stay for a few weeks and do the repairs in order to pay off the care he received at the clinic. But the more time that Wes spends with Avery, the more they realize that they have undeniable chemistry.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This is the second book in the Riverbend Romance series by Denise Hunter. The first book, Riverbend Gap, was the first book I read by this author and I loved her writing style. It was easy to read and at a pace I enjoyed.

In Mulberry Hollow, Avery is trying to expand her medical clinic in the small trail town of Riverbend. She's overworked and feels that because her job is a priority that a single life is her only choice. She also carries a heavy burden which affects her decisions.

I loved Mulberry Hollow. The character and storyline progress with a well balanced mix. Because I live both character driven and plot driven books, Denise Hunter's third book in thus series is definitely on my "To Be Read" list.

Due to a personal difference in beliefs (WITH THE PUBLISHER) I will not be reviewing this book outside of Netgalley nor do I plan to support Thomas Nelson in the future due to their decisions of late and the lack of fiction with good Biblical values.

This does not mean I do or do not like the book, it just means I will not be reviewing books for this publisher anymore as I do not care to support them when I do not agree with the way they have left their former standards.

I always know I’m in good hands when I pick up a book by Denise Hunter. She’s one of my most trusted romance authors and I continually adore her books. Her writing is a notch above and I always get lost in her stories. I’m so happy to say that Mulberry Hollow was once again another fantastic romance read by Hunter and oh, how delightful it was to be back in Riverbend Gap!

The characters here were so wonderful and I loved coming alongside them. I so appreciate when characters are real, relatable, and well-developed, and that’s precisely what we get here in Wes and Avery. Romance stories can sometimes have cheesy, over the top characters, and I’m not saying that’s always bad, but I like it when I can actually imagine myself in the characters shoes and connect with them on a deeper level. So, all that to say, the MC’s were a total highlight of this book and I was sad to part with them at the end.

Another highlight here is the picturesque descriptions of the setting. I truly got lost in the pages and felt as if I were transported right to this lovely mountain town of Riverbend Gap.

Lastly, the romance here was swoon-worthy, clean, and lovely to come alongside. A story do love, family, overcoming obstacles, and sincerity, this whole story was wholesome, heartfelt, and meaningful and checked all of the boxes for what makes a great romance read.

If you’re looking for a feel-good, easy read to escape with, I would highly recommend Mulberry Hollow!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the gifted e-copy!

Colour me in love! Ì couldn't stop until I was done. I loved everything about the book.
The settings was beautiful especially the hiking trail.
The characters were so relatable. I saw grace illustrated ìn this book like I've never seen before.
The story was super captivating, inspiring and heartwarming. I had to finish it before I could put it down.

Highly, highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.

Very sweet romance - loved the small-town setting and the way Avery and Will slowly opened themselves up to love and to each other.

Denise Hunter has done it again with Mulberry Hollow. I couldn't get enough- or read it quick enough (I mean I stayed up til like 4 am more than once!). Mulberry Hollow follows the story of Avery and Wes who meet when Wes becomes ill while hiking the Appalachian Trail and Avery (Dr) treats him. Of course they have an initial connection that develops over a series of events that bring them close together. This is a story of love, trust, faith, and grief. I love all of Denise Hunter's books and The Riverbend Series does not disappoint!

This was my first Denise Hunter book even though I have always heard great things about her writing. This book was easily digestible and I found myself loving the setting of this book since I live in the East TN area. Both Avery and Wes were some of the most likeable main characters I have read in a romance book this year. My one complaint I had was that this book reminded me of Virgin River in many different spots so therefore left out some of the originality for me.

A sweet and endearing romance not to miss. She, the small town doctor afraid of love due to a fatal illness she has a 50% chance of getting and refuses to be tested. He, hiking the Appalachian Trail to help process the loss of his best friend to war, his survival, and the promise to his best friend that he'd take care of his best friend's sister, the veteran feels indebted. They help each other in myriad ways and fall in love. A lesson in seeking out the nature of others' needs and lending a hand.

An excellent read and I love the setting.
Many thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Denise is such a pro at story telling. You know you’re in good hands, reading her books. Her method of short chapters keeps the pacing very strong.

I liked the Appalachian trail tie-in—very interesting for someone who’s never seen any part of it. Still wigs me out a little that total strangers sleep side by side in the periodic shelters, but again, the trail is foreign to me.

The story’s hero chafes at the idea of owing any more debts to anyone. He’s committed to paying off one so personal he’s sacrificing a lot to do so. We’ll see his debt aversion a few times in the story. I like his noble cause and could immediately sympathize with him, even though his reasons slowly unfolded.

Our heroine lives under a large shadow. She fears the future, in a way, and that’s relatable to readers I think, no matter what their personal issues may be. Her private concerns were a great why-not, which, paired with the hero’s, gave us solid tension and conflict.

I love that we revisited previous characters from this Riverbend Romance series. An enjoyable book! I can’t wait to read the next novel in this series, which centers, I’m guessing, around the most wounded of this family of siblings: Gavin.

Highly recommended!

Mulberry Hollow was a good continuation of Hunter's Riverbend series. I really enjoyed getting to know Avery better and Wes seemed like a great guy.

The romance was fine, although I didn't love everything about it. The story held my attention and I enjoyed reading it.

All in all, Mulberry Hollow was worth the read and I'm eager to finish the series soon. I can't wait to read Gavin's story! :D

*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/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and 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.*

I really loved this second book. Every time I had to set it down (that mom stuff really can get in the way of reading!) the story would stay in the forefront of my thoughts. I loved the relationship and the yearning between Avery and Wes. The only thing I didn't like (having read Riverbend Gap) is how one-dimensional Cooper and Gavin were. I was actually a little turned off by their big brother behavior but thankfully they were a small part of the story.

A woman who has vowed never to love, and a man who has promised himself to another.

Avery is surprised to find dehydrated and feverish hiker Wes Garrett literally on the doorstep of her clinic, in order to pay off his medical bill he offers to help her spruce up the place in hopes of attracting another doctor to the practice.

Wes is a great guy, bound by duty and determined to assuage his guilt. Meanwhile Avery is working herself to the bone to give her community the best medical care that she can offer, while living in fear of the unknown. Avery and Wes find an easy companionship, and I liked how they made a great team.

Overall, a sweet romance set alongside the Appalachian trail. I thought it was funny how protective Gavin and Cooper were of Avery, constantly checking up on Wes. I loved the close knit family of the Robinsons, as well as the themes of trusting God and accepting forgiveness. I'm excited to read Gavin's story next!


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

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest opinion. So this is my first Denise Hunter book and it definitely won't be my last! This book is #2 in the Riverbend series and even though I have not read the first book in the series I still enjoyed the characters and can't wait to visit them again in the other series books!

Good thing we're headed to the Blue Mountains of Virginia soon, because this series has me hankering for a hike on the Appalachian Trail! There's so much to love about this setting, starting with natural beauty and small-town living.

Wes, a contractor completing the AT in honor of his deceased friend, is a solid guy. No wonder even Avery, overworked at her health clinic and committed to remaining single, can't help but fall for him.

I enjoyed catching up with the other characters in the series as well.

I enjoyed this modern romance set in a small town along the Appalachian Trail where a lone doctor runs a small clinic and a man stumbles off the AT, ill. Both of these characters have interesting background that complicate their current life choices. This is the second book in the series, but I read it as a stand alone and it faired well. As is typical of the genre, the romance progresses rather quickly but it was a very fun read!

Grab the book and a few hours of spare time, on a couch, in the train, on the beach, wherever. Just grab the book. You won’t be able to put it down. Not cuz it’s a high action edge of your seat read but because the characters are intriguing and you want to root for them and you want to know what’s gonna happen! Loved the depth. Loved that the story didn’t follow the typical pattern. It was sweet. It was swoon worthy. It was funny. It was good! I wish there was a little more setting description cuz it was a little vague. I wish I knew a little more what the characters looked like. I didn’t have a picture of them in my head like I normally do when I read a book. They were deep from an internal perspective though which actually matters more than the outward appearance. Faith wasn’t really apart of this book. It was hinted at a few times. Just clean reading which is great.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I was in no way required to write a positive review. All thoughts are my own.