Whoo! Swoony! Denise Hunter never disappoints! Stubborn, but loving people who need some heart-growth. My favorite kind. I actually can't think of anything I didn't like in this book... wow. Highly recommend. This is the second in the series, but it still makes sense even if you haven't read the first (but you're going to want to because that one is really good too).

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

Mulberry Hollow is the second book in the Riverbend series by Denise Hunter and I absolutely loved Wes and Avery’s story. Wes is hiking the Appalachian trail when he gets terribly sick and makes his way to the town clinic where he collapses on the door step in the middle of the night, the next morning the town doctor finds him and this is where their story starts and it was a joy to read.

This second book in the series takes place in the Smoky Mountains. Wes Garrett is hiking the Appalachian Trail in honor of his deceased buddy. Actually it is from guilt because his friend died saving him. Also he promised his friend he would take care of his sister. On the trail he becomes ill and when he reaches a crossing in the trail of a small town, he seeks a doctor. Avery Robinson is the doctor who finds him on her door steps unconscious and tends to him. There is immediate attraction between them but neither feels free to see if this attraction would grow into something more. She, because she feels that she may have inherited an incurable disease from her mother and he feels like if he is to take care of his friend’s sister, that would include being married to her. As they fight their attraction to each other, many happenings are taking place with Avery’s family. Especially her brothers who feel like they are her guards and must protect her from all harm and that includes Wes. All is well that ends well. Hunter has written another winner…..Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this advanced review copy. In return, I am submitting my voluntary review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Mulberry Hollow is the 2nd book of the Riverbend series by author Denise Hunter. I had read the first book 'Riverbend Gap' last year and liked it very much. The first story was about the conflicted romance between Cooper and Katie and I remember being emotionally touched by their story and completely involved with the lives of the Robinson family.

Mulberry Hollow follows Avery's romance with Wes Garrett. In the previous book, we had seen that Avery may be a genetic carrier of Huntington's disease and that she decided not to test for it. She has also decided not to marry so as not to inflict her uncertain future on a partner and child.

In enters Wes, who is hiking the Appalachian trail, in memory of his dead friend, and is down with fever. He stumbles on to Avery's clinic and she treats him back to health. We get to see how their relationship progresses as he stays on to repair the run-down carriage house near Avery's clinic as payment for her treatment.

As Avery's potential illness serves as one of the road blocks for their romance, Wes's promise to his dead friend confuses him. The story explores their internal conflicts and their personal growths as they decide what they want out of their lives.

I loved the way Avery's character has been written. She is a well-written complex, conflicted female lead. Author Denise Hunter has attempted to do something similar to Wes's character too but that didn't quite reach the mark. I didn't understand his motives and priorities; most of the things he did, just didn't make sense to me. It seemed he himself is a confused person who just didn't understand what he wanted out of his life. However, I otherwise enjoyed the organic way their relationship developed and grew. I also enjoyed the various interactions of Avery's family.

Overall, it's a good follow-up to the previous book and is a warm, sweet and lovely story. I enjoyed it quite a lot.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC. I got this ARC in exchange for an honest review and all opinions expressed in the review are my own.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a sweet clean romance. I wish I would have read the first book in the series so I do need to check that out. I have read Denise Hunter's books before and she did not disappoint with Avery and Wes's story. I loved the story line and it flowed so well. I loved all the characters. They were all good people with morals. I like that their romance wasn't instant. Attraction yes, but it play out and had something to build on and grow on.

This was a perfect summer romance and I would definitely recommend it.

This is the second book in this fantastic series. I have really enjoyed reading this series so far and cannot wait until the next book comes out. This book focuses on Avery who is a doctor. She became a doctor after watching her mother die due to a genetic disease. Due to the uncertainty if she has the disease, she has chosen to work hard, but not marry. Wes is hiking the Appalachian trail in memory of another person. After becoming sick, he meets Avery. Both have issues of things holding them back from each other and living life to the fullest. This book would be a great beach read. I highly recommend this book and know you will not be disappointed!
***I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. This is my honest opinion. Even though I received this copy free, I have purchased her books before.

my thoughts Denise Hunter is one of my very favorite romance authors and I love the series about three siblings and are very wise father. In book two the daughter is struggling to stay on top of the health clinic does she manages and runs all by herself. She needs another doctor on staff but what she got is a through hiker from the Appalachian trail in need of medical attention. But sometimes what you're not looking for is actually an answer to prayer because God knows what you need before you do. There is a good message in this book. The faith must be just weak but is there if you look for it. I really love this story and I can't wait to reread the series. I was given a copy free and all opinions for my own.

Mulberry Hollow

by Denise Hunter

Denise Hunter continues her Riverbend Romance Series with the Robinson family at the center of the stories. Mulberry Hollow focuses on Avery, the youngest child of three and the only daughter in the merged family. Avery is high achieving and operates her own medical clinic in the little town of Riverbend Gap that is an oasis of relief and comfort for weary hikers from the Appalachian Trail. Avery’s family handles her with kid gloves because she has a 50% chance of having a fatal, degenerative disease. She has resigned herself to a love life with the clinic and the community and rejects the possibility of having children.

One evening she finds Wes Garrett, dehydrated, with a high fever, on the clinic’s doorstep. He was formerly a worker in Columbia for Emergency Shelter International, but is currently a thru-hiker on the Appalachian Trail in honor of a deceased friend. Wes’ background was tough growing up, and as an adult he is saddled with paying off his father’s debts. Wes is a man of his word and a man of honor. While the handsome guy’s qualities are admirable, they also cause obstacles in any romantic relationship that might develop.

I loved this story and its characters. These are people that fight hard to do the right things putting others above themselves. It’s hard not to keep turning the pages in hopes that good things will happen for Avery and Wes. There are a lot of twists in the plot that will have you groaning at the unfairness of life, but the characters continue to trust in God and pray for others. The religious element is not dominant; instead it reflects the way these characters live out their lives through good times and bad and when the right choices are not the easy ones.

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

Rating: 5/5

Category: Romance

Notes: 1. Discussion questions are included.
2. This is #2 in the Riverbend Romance Series, a trilogy. It could be read as a standalone, but the characters continue from the first book, Riverbend Gap, so you would probably enjoy it more if you read them in order.
3. Clean romance.


Publication: April 19, 2022—Thomas Nelson Fiction

Memorable Lines:

“He was a hustler?” “He could’ve sold mosquitos to a backpacker—and he would’ve if he hadn’t been so lazy. Such as it was, he made do with home improvement scams.”

She took in the now-familiar angles and planes of his face. He was pretty to look at, no doubt, but he was even more attractive on the inside. A man who put aside his plans to help another was a man who could be counted on. A man who spent months on the trail to honor a friend was a man to be admired.

She considered all he’d been through. His difficult childhood, the loss of a dear friend. And yet he’d somehow flourished as a human being. Emerged from his trials a good and caring man. She was thankful God had brought him to Riverbend just when she’d needed him.

When a handsome handyman faces a medical emergency on the Appalachian trail, his sudden appearance in town challenges an ambitious doctor’s plan to remain single for life.

Avery Robinson decided to be a physician after helplessly watching her mother lose a battle with a terrible disease. Now at risk of developing the same illness, Avery guards her heart from love. She’s driven to protect her loved ones as a workaholic doctor in the tiny mountain town of Riverbend Gap, North Carolina.

Contractor Wes Garrett is hiking the Appalachian trail, in memory of the man who died saving his life, when an illness racks his body. After an agonizing fifteen-mile hike to Avery’s clinic, he collapses on her doorstep. He recovers to find himself in debt again—but this time to a beautiful doctor.

When he decides to help her renovate a rundown carriage house, the obstacles to their attraction sprout like weeds—starting with the woman waiting for Wes at the end of the trail. Will he be able to relinquish the debt he owes his best friend? And will Avery find the courage to risk everything for love?

My review: Avery has a mission in life. That is to be a dr. and help as many people as she can along the way. She will never marry as she doesn't want to take the chance of her spouse/children suffer the way she saw her mother suffer. She can take a test to see if she is a carrier. But she is afraid. Then she meets Wes. He became her patient when he became sick on the hiking trail outside her town. Wes hiking to complete the wish of his friend who died while saving his life. Wes will do just about anything to stay out of debt. So when he finds himself in debt to the dr., he does contract work to pay off his debt. Along the way the two find themselves falling in love. But Wes thinks he needs to marry his friends sister out of gratitude. So what are two people supposed to do who love each other but don't think they can? Read the story and find the answer. It is a good clean read.

I was given this book Thomas Nelson via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

Wes is trying to remember his friend and fulfill the things he would be doing to help his sister. When he becomes I’ll, he gets medical attention and meets Avery. Avery became a doctor after a horrible loss. When Wes needs medical treatment, she does her best to help, but will it be enough? There’s a definite attraction but will either act on it?

This is the second Riverbend romance and I loved it as much as the first. Mulberry Hollow is Avery's story, the youngest of the siblings. Avery is a step-sister of Cooper and Gavin and they take watching over her very seriously. Avery's mother died of Huntington's Disease and she is worried that she could also have the Huntington gene or at least be a carrier. She has decided she will remain single and do what she can for others in her role as doctor and owner of the medical clinic. Contractor Wes Garrett is hiking the Appalachian Trail in honor of his recently deceased best friend when he falls terribly ill. He stumbles into the nearest town and soon finds himself indebted to the beautiful young doctor who owns the clinic. He can't afford to pay her so they make a deal, he will renovate the carriage house on her property in exchange for the medical care he received. As they spend time together, their relationship changes into friendship, then deeper feelings. Wes has to leave to marry and take care of his best friend's sister, and Avery is not going to marry, but can they fight these feelings?

I am enjoying this series with it's wonderful setting and characters. I have never wanted to hike the whole Appalachian Trail, but I have been enjoying learning about it, and how the towns along the way support the hikers, but also how the hikers keep the towns afloat. Avery is a wonderful character. She is a caring woman who wants to spend her life helping others. She is beloved by her family as well as the town. I can't fathom what life would be like being afraid you have a terminal illness, but I was frustrated seeing how fearful she was to even live. Wes was a great swoon-worthy character. His life had been affected by his past, but he wasn't as willing to give everything up as easily as Avery. They made a great couple if they can work through their baggage. This was another emotion packed story with anger, joy, sadness, happiness, humour and love. Being a Christian Fiction Romance, there are references to prayer, God's plan, faith and acceptance. I am looking forward to Harvest Moon, the third and final book in this series, which will be Gavin's story.

These are the kind of love stories that I really enjoy reading. Where the main characters, start off as friends, get to know each other and develop feelings over time. When the other characters provide help and even though some like to cause havoc, their intentions are meant well. The story also felt that you were there with the characters in the relaxing scenes of Riverbend Gap.
I really enjoy reading about this characters and can't wait to get to know them more.


Thank you NetGalley, Thomas Nelson, and Denise Hunter. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Mulberry Hollow by Denis Hunter is the second book in the Riverband Gap series. An excellent story that is well written, has a good flow, and is very enjoyable. This is Avery and Wes’s story. These two have issues that they are trying to work out. Their warmup is slow but steady. I was so captured that I read this story in one day. You will enjoy this one!
Thanks Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A delight for the mind that virtually touches all the senses and emotions. Denise Hunter treats readers to stunning scenery, family, community, restoration, redemption, and healing in this beautiful story with a dazzling cover.

I received a copy of the book without obligation. This review is my opinion.

“What is it about that town? It just does not want to let you go.”

Mulberry Hollow has a way of drawing people in and making them want to stay. This is the second book in the Riverbend Gap series, but could easily be read as a stand-alone. However, my guess is you will want to go back and read the first one. The characters are engaging, the town is inviting, and it just makes you want to call it home. I found this heartwarming romance between Avery and Wes to feel very real and their issues and romance to flow very naturally. As they gradually open up to each other they realize they have more in common than they thought.

“Her new motto was, “plan for the worst, hope for the best.”’

Wes is trying to make up for a tragic circumstances after losing his best friend. In his heart to do what seems right and good, he is thrown by his feelings for Avery. I was riveted by his character. He was just a neat guy. Another great thing about this book was seeing Avery deal with the possibility of a serious illness. Her focus was on what might happen versus getting the results to find out if it was a possibility. However, her fear of dying like her mom cast a dark shadow in her outlook on life. It stole her joy and hope for a full life. I really loved seeing her grow in this area. Hunter did an amazing job in revealing that we can find hope even in the midst of trials.

“He cupped her face. “Avery . . . you’re the strongest woman I know.” “I’m scared to death.” His insides went soft and mushy even as a smile curved his lips. “Don’t you see? That only makes you braver.”’

This really is a beautiful story about finding love unexpectedly. Both Avery and Wes are stuck in the past due to their grief and survivor’s guilt. Hunter writes a story that is poignant and life changing. I thought it was gripping and inspiring, as well as utterly romantic. Wes and Avery’s journey to finding their happy ending is wonderfully done and I highly recommend it!

I was given a copy of this book through NetGalley by the publisher. All opinions are my own and have been given honestly.

Better than a great big hug:
This book was fabulous and like a hug for my soul. It flowed effortlessly and I was immediately drawn into the story. I felt an immediate connection to the main characters and liked them as both individuals and as a couple.
It was lovely being back in Riverbend Gap and whilst part of a series, this book could easily be read as a standalone.
My heart went out to Avery as she struggled with a potentially life threatening medical diagnosis and how she should live given its shadow over her life. Wes was also dealing with his own guilt and self-imposed expectations and I liked the personal development that both characters underwent. There was a light Christian thread in that the characters went to church and prayed but I would have liked to have seen faith play a bigger part in their lives.
All in all this was a delightful book. Now I can't wait for the remaining siblings story, I am sure it is going to be a doozy.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Oh, so good! Denise Hunter always tugs on my heart with her emotional stories and this is one of her very best.

Mulberry Hollow is the second book in the Riverbend Romance series by Denise Hunter. The book takes place in Riverbend Gap, a little town not far from the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina.
The book opens with Wes Garrett sick. He had been hiking the Trail but had come down with something that he could not fight. He made it the fourteen miles to the medical clinic run by Avery Robinson who had just celebrated her thirtieth birthday. She had become a doctor and come back to her hometown to help the sick. Could she help his sickness? What made him want to stick around to help her?
Hunter once again brings humor and realism to her storyline, keeping the reader turning pages. I look forward to reading the next in this series about the Robinson family. I enjoyed reading this book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. #MulberryHollow #RiverbendRomance #DeniseHunter

series
second book, can read as a standalone
but you will want more of the story

read in entirely in 1 day

love this family, characters, and storyline!!

This was such a good read! The characters were ones that I could easily relate to. The situations they found themselves in were well written and well thought out. I don't think there was ever a time that my basic thoughts were "You've got to be kidding me." That's not always easy to accomplish. Well Done!