When it comes to sweet stories that touches the soul I know I can trust Denise Hunter.

This book is just epic. I loved the very personal touch of the story. The characters were so sweet and relatable. I loved the profound and inspiring lessons from the book.

A book to read when you need something deep but calm too.

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

This book by Denise Hunter started out rough for me. It felt awkward, and I didn't enjoy the sappy talking to the dog. BUT I kept going, because come on.. Its's Denise Hunter!! I would like to say, I'm so glad I did! I loved this book. Through all the awkwardness and face palm meeting to the end these characters make an awesome story and wonderful HEA.

Thank you to Hunter and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for a fair review.

I loved it!!

Aww, such a sweet story!!

I think this book was my favorite so far by Denise Hunter! Sam and Sadie's story had a different twist, and once you read it, the title will make perfect sense!

Sadie is an author spending the summer at a duplex beach cottage. She's been given a mandate by her publisher, write a romance novel or else. Simple, right? Nope, because Sadie's normal genre is westerns, and we all know they are nothing alike!

Sam's just come off a difficult breakup, one he's not likely to shake anytime soon because it involves his cousin who he's been very close with all their lives. He's working hard every day as a landscaper, the last thing he thinks he needs is to come home to the duplex every day and have to listen to singing, laughter and dancing coming from the other side. Nope, he wasn't putting up with that!

Along the way, Sadie finds a book containing a secret in the little library she built as a distraction. Sam and Sadie join forces to find the original owner of the book and its secret, and can't help getting closer. Will they find the owner and maybe find love too? Read this and find out, you won't get spoilers from me!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Oh my goodness! I absolutely loved A Novel Proposal! This heartfelt novel has amazing characters, a beach setting, witty dialog, a dog, and much more! I laughed and cried. I wanted to smack some sense into the main characters. Basically, it’s got everything I love in a romance.

Sadie is an absolute delight. She’s been writing westerns that people love, but the sales are dismal. So her contract is cancelled. And, yep, she’s spent the advance. For both books. Her agent has some good news for her though, and it might help her not have to pay the advances back. They want her to write a romance novel. Never mind that she doesn’t read romance books, watch romance movies, or know the first thing about being in love….she’ll do it! And thanks to her best friend’s mom, she’ll escape noisy NYC and write from a beachfront duplex in South Carolina. That’s sure to inspire her, right?

Sam is just trying to get some peace and quiet. He’s dealing with some personal issues and doesn’t want to talk to people, so he rented a beachfront duplex hoping to just be alone. When Sadie, a natural chatterbox, moves in, Sam’s plans are thwarted. I love how Sadie’s personality drives Sam crazy at first, but then he realizes just how wonderful a person she is. She talks to everyone, and she really listens to people. She actually cares about others which is what leads Sam and Sadie on a quest to find the owner of a book with an engagement ring inside.

Sadie and Sam’s story is just so good! The beginning of each chapter has a little blurb (I’m not going to spoil it for you by telling you about them!) that you’ve got to laugh at. But they’re so true and so true to real life! Don’t miss them! I adored this book and was sad to come to the end! I highly recommend it to romance lovers. It’s inspiring and emotional and so so romantic! I hope you love it as much as I did!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

A Novel Proposal
By Denise Hunter
Pub Date. March 21
Thomas Nelson
Thanks for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
This was another wonderful read!
Set on an island off the coast of South Carolina, I recommend it for a beach read.
Lots of fun, with sparks , healing , trust, faith and bumps along the way.
4 stars

A Novel Proposal by Denise Hunter.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction and Denise Hunter for the E ARC of this book. It is published 21st March for Kindle Edition and 25th May for Paperback.
We meet Sadie and she is a Cowboy Western author but her publishers would like her to change genre as her last book did not sell well. They would like her to write a romance story. This gives Sadie all sorts of doubt about her ability as an author, also she knows nothing about the romance genre.
Her best friend suggests that Sadie get away from New York for the summer and uses her best friends Mum beachside duplex in South Carolina to immerse herself in romance and write. So off Sadie, her dog and a box full of romance novels head to the beach. When she arrives at the duplex, she finds the other half occupied by a very handsome if grumpy man called Sam, who just wants to be left alone. Sadie fills her days with getting to know people who walk past the house on the beach, she and her dog spend time on the beach, going into the town and Sadie also build a little free library to put up outside the duplex fence. One day whilst looking at the books in the little free library she finds one that has something precious inside. She decides that she has to find the owner before it is too late and she pulls Sam into helping her. Can they find the owner? Will spending time together help them both? Will Sadie get her inspiration for the novel?
This was a fun read, a good plot line. I found Sadie to be a fun character who wanted to help someone she didn’t know have a special time. Sam was a hurt soul who needed someone out with his family to help him move forward. I liked Sam’s younger sister, she was a lively character who added to the Sadie/Sam dynamic.

Sadie is a teacher and writer of Western novels until her publisher and editor inform her due to lack of sales they need her to write in a different genre. Unfortunately since she doesn't her advancement, she needs to comply because her savings account is dwindling. The problem is she's never been in love.

Her best friend Caroline's mother owns a duplex on a South Carolina island she offers to Sadie as a writers retreat. Upon arrival she meets her gruff neighbor. First impressions are deceiving and as their friendship grows and a relationship blossoms, it provides the fodder for her romance novel.

He's been deceived in a past relationship and is focused on honesty going forward. As their relationship grows so does the pages in her novel. When Sam discovers it is semi autobiographical, he questions her motivation in their relationship and feels betrayed breaking up.

They each return to their respective apartments in different states. As she completes her novel she realizes her parent's relationship and family history colored how she proceeded in her own relationship. Can she explain this to Sam and get a second chance at love?

Another wonderful story by Denise Hunter that you're going to want to read.

Although I received a free ARC eBook, all thoughts, ratings and opinions are my own.

Sadie doesn't read romance, and has never been in love - but to save her bacon, she's going to have to turn her back on the Westerns she usually writes and write a romance over the summer. She gladly accepts an offer of a beach house to write in, and Sam, the attractive (single) neighbour is a definite bonus. Unfortunately, she's still short on ideas - until she discovers a ring hidden inside a library book and their joint search for the owner sparks not only an attraction but a storyline. But though that might give her the story she needs, she's still due to leave at the end of the summer, and her real-life romance can't go anywhere - can it?

Another delightful clean romance that had me rooting for the characters from page one. Poor Sam had a great family but a difficult betrayal to get over, while Sadie had her own quite different problems - and the mystery of the ring tied everything together beautifully. The one thing I didn't like so much about this book was actually the quotes at the start of each chapter. While they were kind of clever, I found that they distracted me from thinking about the story to thinking about the mechanics of writing and how the quote was playing out in the story - which pulled me out of the story itself. Nevertheless, a great story, and Sam's speech at the wedding was incredibly touching given the background. I was sorry to say goodbye but thrilled to see them get their happy ending at last. Recommended.

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

I just read the novel by Denise Hunter, A Novel Proposal, through NetGallery

. Western author, Sadie Goodwin's last novel was much less successful than her previous novels and she has no way of repaying the advance on her book. At the publisher's suggestion she is attempting to write a novel In a new to her genre, romance. The problem is Sadie has never been in love. Hoping for inspiration, she moves into her friend's South Carolina beach house where she shares side by side duplexes with less than neighborly, Sam Ford, who is nursing his wounds from a broken engagement and prefers to be alone. However, Sadie has built a free library on the beach in which she discovers a book containing a hidden compartment which holds an engagement ring. Sadie convinces Sam to help her find the owner of the ring, which brings them closer together. However, something Sadie neglects to reveal to Sam about her novel nearly destroys their relationship which causes Sadie to return to New York. Can Sadie finish her novel and repair the rift between Sam and herself as well as find the ring's owner?

Denise is an incredible author. She knows what the readers want and she doesn't disappoint.
The main character is an Author who writes, reads and watches Westerns. Till one day, she needs to writing a romance novel. She knows nothing about romance let alone write about one. So she starts reading and watching everything romance. Do you think she will put everything she knows aside and finish the novel?
I love how Denise added notes about how to write a romance novel before each chapter. It helps the reader know what a writer thinks about when writing a novel. Its not an easy job, but when you love what you do, it flows.
Pre-order your copy today and be ready to find out when it releases on March 21st.
I highly recommend this book. You won't regret it.
I received an advanced copy of The Novel Proposal by Denise Hunter for my honest review.

This book gave off Emily Henry’s Beach Read vibes. The heroine is a struggling romance writer who has to write a story by a deadline. Throw in a missing Diamond ring and you have a wonderful story!

I received an advanced reader’s copy from Netgalley, although the opinions are my own.
A very good friend introduced me to Denise Hunter’s book this Christmas with the bookstore by the sea. I loved that one, and this one was no different. I think I read the whole thing over my day off, and cried at least twice.
This was such a sweet story. I could relate well to Sadie, she’s clumsy – talks a lot (even more when she’s nervous). And she LOVES books! I loved that she joins this small town community, and instantly wants to share books, talk about books and make new friends over books. What a great way to make friends! She starts a free little library at the edge of her yard. She bought all these romance books for research that could be made available to the community (leave a book, take a book). Throughout the book Sadie is giving book recommendations and dropping author names. And it’s the tracing down a lost book to its owner that she meets Sam. The developing friendship into something more was so perfect between the two.

Sadie’s career as a writer is in jeopardy if she doesn’t make a complete change of writing from westerns to romance. She doesn’t have a lot of experience in the Love department so is struggling. A friends family offer her their beach house for the summer and this is where she meets Sam. He has rented the other half of the duplex she is staying in. He is there getting over a heartbreak/betrayal. It takes a while for them to even speak to each other, but Sadie draws him in to a mystery surrounding the little library she puts up. Sam was wary of trusting again and Sadie was stressed trying to write her book. I must admit the story was too slow for and I jumped ahead to the end. They were sweet together and I liked the idea of writing a book about writing a book, but I did not like the romance writing 101 quotes. I found them pretty off putting.

Denise Hunter’s latest, A Novel Proposal, was an absolute delight to read. I so enjoyed the lively heroine, the grumpy hero, and the romance that connected the two of them. With a hint of mystery, inner healing that must be worked through, and obstacles to overcome, A Novel Proposal was the perfect read.

Hunter’s books are consistently those that whisk you away to another place where you can enjoy the sweetest of stories. I highly recommend each and every one of her books. They are better than a rom-com any day!!

I received this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Although I enjoyed the storyline, this book was incredibly slow. I almost DNF'd it but followed through. Sadie was a bit much and Sam was easy going. Their personalities complimented each other so it worked out. I liked that each chapter began with a quote from a book on writing romance novels. Sadie and Sam's investigation (I won't spoil it) was a little long for me. Maybe that's why the book seemed to drag. I'm new to this author, so I'm not sure if this is her writing style. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review.

I was once told that as a teacher, I should be able to teach any subject – even without education or experience. That is the premise of A Novel Proposal. Sadie knows and loves writing Westerns, but her publisher wants her to write a romance novel. Problem is, Sadie has barely dated and never been in love. She decides to take a beach vacation to get inspiration, however that inspiration turns out not to be the beach, but her next door neighbor, Sam. Their relationship leads to the story-line of her new book. They closer they get as a couple, the better the book is becoming. But can you write an autobiography without the other persons permission? A great beach read. Fast moving and engaging. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I've read a handful of Denise Hunter books now. One of them (Summer by the Tides) was my favorite book of the month when I read it. This one took a lot more time to get into, even though I adored the concept (since I'm a romance writer myself).

While I loved the snippets at the beginning of each chapter because it was like reading a mini writing book, I thought they spoiled the chapters sometimes. You knew what was coming, and sometimes the peek behind the veil isn't fun. I often wondered if a reader who doesn't also write liked those snippets. So sometimes they kind of took me out of the story. But professionally, I liked the way it summed everything up.

The characters were interesting. Sadie is a huge talker, and that sometimes got awkward. Especially the way she spoke to her dog. Though that format of going from thought to thought without any action between the thoughts to break them up translated to all the characters in the book, it seemed. Sometimes the dialogue felt rushed in a way. But Sadie was charming and adorable, so I could see why Sam would fall in love with her.

Speaking of Sam, I thought he was the more interesting character of the two. While Sadie never met a stranger, Sam unfolded like peeling layers off an onion. So we learned more slowly about him. But I love the way they played against the setting of the duplex, and of course the ending for it was perfect. The way the "mystery" part of the book went seemed a bit off to me only because they assumed one thing from the very start, but I had at least one other plausible explanation that could have been explored. Either way, it was still fun and I love the way it worked out.

It was more a than a fluffy romance, so I enjoyed it. I always hope for way more when it comes to Christian romance, rather than how it worked in this one: a few brief mentions of God and prayer in passing. So don't come to this looking for any theology or actual dependence on Jesus and you'll be fine.

3.5 / 5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and Denise Hunter for the ARC of A Novel Proposal. This is my personal review.
Sadie Goodwin is a writer and her books have lost their audience, so her agent has said she thinks it is time she wrote a different type of book- she thinks a romance novel is the way to go. This isn’t her idea of what she wants to write but her publishers want the advance they gave her back.
So now she has to do this and she is having a little issue with romance but Sadie has no idea how to do that because she has never been in love.
She is offered a place to stay while she writes her book. The place offered is wonderful. This is a perfect place to write but Sadie lets things get in the way.
Sam is staying in the other half of the duplex. Their first meeting wasn’t very smooth.
The entire book was so easy to read, and I enjoyed every page.
This is a perfect romance book to take to the beach with you and get lost in the story.

A Novel Proposal by Denise Hunter is another amazing romance! This book was so much fun to read. I thought the story line was original and the characters to be very likeable. The heroine was such a cute, fun and quirky girl, It made a wonderful match to the handsome and broody hero. The meet-cute was adorable. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I loved the ending. It had an ending that was so happy I was giddy.
*I was given a copy of this book by Thomas Nelson Publishers and this is my honest opinion.

This is my third book by this author and she’s my new favorite.

Her books are just like coming home. I love the author’s writing, storytelling and her characters. Her covers are always so gorgeous.

This book was interesting and entertaining. I enjoyed the premise and the way the story was told. It was a good book to get lost in.

My only complaint was that the ARC copy was of bad quality, so it was hard to read at times. The formatting was awful.

Thank you Netgalley.