I have said it before, Denise Hunter is my favorite author. I love her books. Wildflowers Fall is no exception. Well written and you enjoy the storyline. This is book four of the Riverbend Romance series. The book can be a stand alone but I recommend reading them all.

Charlotte Simpson is caught spying on a man working at her home but actually she has just found out the man is possibly her half-brother. Gunner Dawson is a horse trainer she has hired but soon becomes much more. Together they interact with the Robinson clan to know more about them. They soon start caring for each other. You will enjoy the book to the last page!

Wildflower Falls

by Denise Hunter

Romances frequently follow a pattern. Boy meets girl under circumstances that vary from shaky to middle of a crisis. Both characters have background issues that interfere with their having a smooth relationship. There are ups and downs in their paths, and usually there is a happily ever after. Wildflower Falls conforms to this typical sequence. How good a romance is depends on the skills and talents of the author in executing the plot and developing the characters.

Author Denise Hunter falls in the category of excellent with the reader wanting more. As I read Wildflower Falls, I was involved in the characters and wanted that elusive “happily ever after” for stable owner Charlotte Honeycutt and roaming horse trainer Gunner Dawson. Charlotte is trying to fulfill a promise to her deceased mother to save the ranch that has belonged to her family for three generations. There is a mystery as to the identity of her biological father, and Charlotte is caught between betraying a confidence and hurting a whole family of very nice people. Just as important to some readers will be the horses and their relationship with Charlotte and Gunner. Daisy is due to have her foal, and Midnight is a “free” horse that trusts no one. Gunner is purported to be a horse whisperer. Will he be able to win Midnight over before he is scheduled to further his career by working with a Derby horse in Kentucky? His time in Riverbend Gap was never supposed to be more than temporary, but will he be able to pack up his motorcycle and move on at the end of his stipulated six months?

The story is a good one, and the characters are generally likable, especially the members of the Robinson family who are central to the continuing series.

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

Rating: 4/5

Category: Romance, Christian

Notes: #4 in the Riverbend series. Although it could be read as a standalone, I advise starting this series at the beginning because all of the characters in the Robinson family were introduced in the first three books. There are a lot of family dynamics that play into Wildflower Falls.

Publication: September 12, 2023—Thomas Nelson

Memorable Lines:

Horse smart, cute as a button, and a sense of humor too. If that wasn’t the perfect trifecta in a woman, he didn’t know what was.

He was better at reading horses than humans. People attempted to hide their feelings. Horses didn’t do that. When they were afraid, they twitched, tremored, or reared. When they were happy they nickered and swung their tails. When they were angry, they pinned their ears back and pawed the ground. Pretty straightforward.

“Real feelings are always a risk, aren’t they? Nobody likes to get hurt.”

Wildflower Falls was a good read that I was able to easily finish, even while trying to get out of a reading slump. Denise Hunter knows how to write romance novels that hold my attention and are interesting.

The characters were nice, although the romance was not a favorite of mine. I enjoyed the mystery of who her father was and seeing how she reconciled with family from that side.

All in all, Wildflower Falls was a good read and one I enjoy reading.

*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. 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.*

This is a heartwarming and uplifting read that will resonate with fans of clean, inspirational romance, country settings, and stories of family, love, and self-discovery, making it a perfect fit for readers who crave a feel-good, emotional journey with a strong sense of community and connection.

Read this as a stand alone and so happy to find out it was in a series! The characters grow on you and you want more. So happy to dive into the rest of the books in this series. Such a sweet romance story.

Gunner was an absolute sweetheart! He and Charlotte worked perfectly together as a couple. Charlotte’s journey to find and be accepted by her biological family was beautiful.

Wildflower Falls is a romance novel written by Denise Hunter. It is book four in the Riverbend Romance series, but it is not necessary to have read the previous books in order to enjoy this one.

Summary: With the death of her mother, Charlotte Simpson becomes determined to make her family’s horse ranch profitable again. After all, she promised her mom she would make it work.

But her mom’s death has also reignited the burning desire she has to connect with the father she never knew.

Can she find a way to bring back the ranch to its former glory? And will she find out the truth about her family’s past-without hurting those closest to her?

My Thoughts: I liked this one. Charlotte finds herself in a pretty complicated situation, and I enjoyed watching her work through the challenges that come up and how she deals with them.

I thought the plot was unique, I really enjoyed how character-driven the story was, and the romance was pretty good as well.

This book definitely made me want to read some of the other books in the series, and I would recommend this one as a nice, light, romantic read. I enjoyed it.

I would like to thank Thomas Nelson for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you!

Denise Hunter books have a way of nestling right into the center of your chest, leaving you full of wamr and fuzzy thoughts. While Charlotte was not my favorite character, it was nice to revisit with previous characters and catch up with where they are now.

This book is part of a series, it CAN be read as a standalone, but you will definitely enjoy it more if you read the others in the series first.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all opinions expressed, are mine and mine alone.

I have a confession to make. It's a bit embarrassing, especially after reading and falling absolutely in love with Wildflower Falls, but this is the first book I've read by Denise Hunter. Crazy, right?! She has such long backlist of books which actually now makes me excited for all that I get to read!!

Wildflower Falls is a sweet small-town romance that hits you in all the feels. The characters and all their d.r.a.m.a. (!) kept pulling me back into the story. I took my kindle with me everywhere there was a chance I had to sit and wait so I could sneak in a few more pages (waiting at appointments, waiting for the car to warm up, waiting for the toaster oven to finish...you get the idea!).

Super enjoyed this book and if you don't hear from me in awhile...well, that might be because I'm too busy reading all of Denise's other books!


Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for a copy of this book to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another hit by Denise Hunter! I just can't get enough of her novels. They are so refreshing and easy to read. I most often read mysteries or suspense/thrillers. Hunters books are just the perfect palate cleansers when I'm in the mood for a quick, clean, easy to read book.

Wildflower Falls is the fourth book in the Riverbend series by Hunter, but don't let that deter you from reading this one. These books can be read as a stand-alone or out of order. Once you read this title, you might want to go back and check out the rest of the series. All the characters are just lovely and each story is just heartwarming.

Main character, Charlotte, is grieving the loss of her mother when she discovers some missing info from her past and goes off in search for her birth father. As she's struggling with much new information, she finds support from someone unexpected - her farm hand Gunner. I love that the storyline and romance are all told in such a rich way. It is just such a refreshing book to pick up and read and you will enjoy it immensely.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I’m always happy to read a new Denise Hunter book, and Wildflower Falls is a wonderful addition to her Riverbend series. I enjoyed returning to Riverbend Gap for some more small-town romance. Well-crafted and engaging characters populate this story, and an interesting and entertaining plot kept me invested in it. Ranch owner Charlotte Honeycutt hires horse trainer Gunner Dawson to temporarily help her with the ranch. Gunner prefers a drifter lifestyle and is averse to commitment. They work well together, and soon Gunner is helping Charlotte find her biological father. I enjoyed seeing their relationship change and grow. I recommend this book to those who enjoy small-town contemporary romance.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This is the last book in Denise Hunters Riverbend series and I believe that out of all of them this is my favorite. It’s a very heart touching book. It can stand alone if you have not read the previous books, this is Charlotte’s story. It is centered around her farm and her search for her biological father. She had to learn to let go of the bitterness that she had against her father and forgive him for not wanting to be a part of her life. Gunner needs to let go of the pain that he has from his past, so both of them have to learn to forgive and forget and overcome their differences. Both of them are hesitant to enter into a romance and they have good reasons but they overcame the differences…… Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this wonderful book.

I had looked forward to this book since I'd read the others in the series. I was delighted with the well-drawn characters, the North Carolina setting, the resolution of the various issues of the main characters, and the description of day-to-day life on Charlotte's horse ranch. The book has an extremely satisfying ending. I loved it!

I laughed , I cried, I cheered, and I sighed contentedly at the end. This book provides all the emotions you hope for in a story. Denise Hunter writes a fantastic story and this is one of her best, yet. Thank you for this gift of being so completely absorbed you lose track of the here and now. This book was provided to me through NetGalley and the author for me to read. The opinions expressed are my own thoughts.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson--FICTION, Thomas Nelson for gifting this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a Denise Hunter fan so I was excited to receive this book. This is book 4 in the series but definitely can be read as a stand alone. A great contemporary romance and I loved the bonus book club discussion questions at the end of the book.

I love Charlotte and Gunner. I love a good clean romance with developed characters. A perfect story for those who enjoy small town, heartwarming love stories.

I received a complimentary copy of this and I love Denise Hunter books, this one took some pressing on and it was not my favorite. I was disappointed that i didnt like it like the rest of the series!

If you love sweet romance and Denise Hunter is not one of your MUST READ authors, you really need to check her books out. One book, and you'll be hooked!

Wildflower Falls takes readers back to Riverbend Gap where Charlotte Honeycutt is trying to keep the family ranch she and her sister inherited afloat. Her sister has no desire to even keep the ranch. She'd rather take the money they could get from selling it and open her own bakery. As the eldest, Charlotte dreams of making the ranch a success, and to do that, she needs to add a horse trainer to her staff. Enter Gunner Dawson.

Gunner is a "rolling stone" who never stays in one place longer than a year, and he doesn't do relationships. Except, the longer he's with Charlotte, the more he admires her determination and drive. When he first meets her, she is "spying on" her builder, who is putting up her new barn. As she begins to trust him, he learns that she believes that she might be related to her builder, Gavin Robinson. She might even be his sister.

Charlotte's mother took the identity of her father with her to the grave but she left behind clues in some newspaper clippings she saved. Is it possible she has more family than her sister, and would they accept her since her existence means their father cheated on their mother? And, what can she do about Gunner? She's falling hard for him, but he is leaving. Or is he?

I love reading Denise Hunter's books, and this one I "read" the audio version. There was lots of tension but secrets have a way of coming out, don't they? I absolutely recommend this book (and the rest of the series, too!) to any reader who loves sweet romance.

I loved this story to the fullest. Especially since it had horses in it.
I feel like Hunter has knocked this one out of the ballpark for sure and certain.
This was a well written novel and one I thought was her best yet.
Charlotte was an interesting character. I loved in getting to know her.
Forgiveness is a hard thing to do. But if we don't do it it can leave us a bitter and old person before our time.
Charlotte and Gunner were perfect for each other. They just didn't know it yet. I loved both of them dearly.
I found myself rooting for them. Most especially for Charlotte.
I connected most with Charlotte.
I love how Gid orchestrates things don't you? Sometimes we can find home in the most unexpected places and ways.
I'm giving this novel 5 stars for a job well done. I highly recommend.
My thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

November 25, 2023
"He wanted to tell her. But she was afraid to know. Afraid to hope. Afraid to believe. But she had to push through her fear."

Charlotte wants to keep her Mom's legacy going. But she knows that there is more to her story. She wants answers. Gunner is supposed to be temporary help. But soon, she comes to rely on him more than she ever expected. Can she convince him to stay? Or can he decided on his own that establishing roots is temporary?

The most powerful part of this book is the theme of forgiveness. Charlotte has to let go of bitterness toward the man who chose not to be a part of her life. The Robinson siblings have to forgive their Dad for not being true to them or their mom. Gunner needs to let go of pain for the past. I thought that this part of the story was well done. But some might feel like that resolution happened too quickly.

Both characters are hesitant to enter into a romance. They both have good reasons. I liked how they overcame their differences. But the romance almost moved too fast for me as their scenes of really connecting seemed limited.

This is a bonus book in the Riverbend Gap series. Characters do overlap. I recommend reading the other titles first. Overall I thought it was a good book.

I read an ARC copy through NetGalley. I requested to read and review the book. All opinions are my own.

Well done contemporary romance by fan favorite Denise Hunter.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.