Bookshop by the Sea by Denise Hunter Review

 Happy Saint Patrick's Day Friends :)

Do you consider today a big deal? I've never really understood the thrill about this particular holiday, especially considering those who use it as an excuse to go drinking and partying.

It doesn't make any sense to me, but since green is my favorite color, I do enjoy that part of it. Haha now that I think about it, I'm actually wearing a green sweater today which I in no way had planned around St. Patrick's Day. Too Funny!

Anyways, with that being said, I am so excited for today's review guys!

Denise Hunter is one of my all time favorite authors, and I adore all her stories. I got the pleasure of meeting her back in 2016 at the RT Booklovers Convention, and she is just as sweet and kind in real person as she appears online.

She actually has three books releasing this year, which makes me so happy, and today I'm excited to share with you all about the first one: her upcoming April 2021 release.

Bookshop by the Sea by Denise Hunter:

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Publication Date: April 13th, 2021

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Genre: Christian Fiction/Contemporary

Synopsis:

Sophie Lawson should be enjoying her sister’s wedding day. But nothing could have prepared her to see the best man again.

After her mother became bedridden and her father bailed on the family, Sophie found herself serving as a second mother to her twin brother, Seth, and younger sister, Jenna. Sophie supported her siblings through their college years, putting aside her own dream of opening a bookshop in Piper’s Cove—the quaint North Carolina beach town they frequented as children.

Now it’s finally time for Sophie to follow her own pursuits. Seth has a new job, and Jenna is set to marry her college beau in Piper’s Cove. But the destination wedding reunites Sophie with best man Aiden Maddox, her high school sweetheart who left her without a backward glance.

When an advancing hurricane strands Aiden in Piper’s Cove after the wedding, he finds the hotels booked to capacity and has to ask Sophie to put him up until the storm passes. As the two ride out the weather, old feelings rise to the surface. The delay also leaves Sophie with mere days to get her bookshop up and running. Can she trust Aiden to stick around? And will he find the courage to risk his heart?

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

Denise Hunter is one of my all time favorites, and I was so excited to read this one, even more so when I heard it was going to have a bookstore setting, a second chance romance, and one of the most beautiful covers ever.

I know to expect great things whenever I pick up one of this author's books, and Bookshop by the Sea did not disappoint. Sophie and Aiden's young romance ended abruptly when he chose to move away for a job opportunity, and things had never been resolved between them. Seven years later, the two are thrown together when Sophie's younger sister marries Aiden's best friend, and Sophie wants nothing to do with the man who once shattered her heart into many pieces. However, God sometimes has different plans than we have for ourselves, and a hurricane moving through the coast ends up throwing Aiden and Sophie back together. Feelings are rekindled that never truly went away, and soon a beautiful friendship is turning into something more. As Aiden and Sophie work together to set up her new business venture, a beautiful bookstore, things seem to be moving in the right direction. However, both are carrying past hurts and family struggles that are throwing a damper on their relationship, and only through learning to let go and let God can they truly grow into the relationship He wants them to have.

Bookshop by the Sea is a beautiful read from start to finish, and I could barely bring myself to put it down once I started. I loved how swoon worthy the romance was, while still being completely clean, and I always appreciate that Denise Hunter keeps the faith content at the front and center of each of her books. Sophie and Aiden's journey is both heart warming and heart breaking, and I loved how realistically their entire journey is represented to the reader. I wish Sophie's bookstore were a real place, as I would absolutely love to visit it.

I also have to add that if you've been a fan of Denise's previous books, then you absolutely want to keep your eyes peeled for a cameo from some of her most beloved characters to date! It made me squeal that they had an appearance in this one, and made a great story even better.

I highly recommend this one, and I can't wait to dive into Denise Hunter's next book!

Final Rating: 5/5.

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to advance read and review this!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)