Honeysuckle Dreams
by Denise Hunter
Thomas Nelson--FICTION

Thomas Nelson
Christian , Romance
Pub Date 01 May 2018


I am reviewing a copy of Honeysuckle Dreams through Thomas Nelson and Netgalley:


Brady Collins not only looses his ex wife, but after she dies she learns the nine month old boy he thought was his son is not his child. After learning this Brady know he will have to fight for his son because blood or not he's the boys father, he will go to any lengths to keep her.


Brady's attorney tells him one major life change would virtually assure him of winning guardianship of baby Sam and that was if he married his friend Hope.



Hope Daniels is a local radio who has been offered her dream job, but if they find out about the arrangement with Brady, she may miss out on the chance of a lifetime as well as stand in the way of a friends dreams.


Brady and Hope both make sacrifices to help one another in their time of need. The two also risk uncovering a truth neither expected to uncover.


I give Honeysuckle Dreams five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Honeysuckle Dreams was just what I expect from a Denise Hunter novel. The story was engaging, the characters likeable, and the romance was amazing. I loved the contemporary marriage of convenience storyline; it was unique to have it in a contemporary setting and I think the way it was done was great.

After being introduced to both Brady and Hope in Blue Ridge Sunrise, I was eager to read their story and see how everything played out. Brady just lost his ex-wife and Hope has her own heartache. The reasons for their to decision to get marriage were realistic and I liked how they were up-front about their expectations and that they would "court" with the intentions of it leading to a "true marriage" in the future.

All in all, Honeysuckle Dreams was a wonderful contemporary read. After being disappointed in the first book, Blue Ridge Sunrise, I am so happy that this book was typical Denise Hunter fiction and I recommend it to fans of contemporary romance! I cannot wait to read the next book, On Magnolia Lane.

*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 received and ARC for an honest review.
Absolutely loved it! Amazing charecters in this book. Brady and Hope have a special friendship that grows into so much more! Each of them has their own issues and it is great to see love conquers all.

Honeysuckle Dreams may be my favorite Denise Hunter novel yet! Two romance conventions for the price of one: a marriage of convenience AND friends to lovers.

I loved both Hope and Brady - and their scenes with little Sam. Even the incidentals resonated with me - the radio job, the car mechanics, the panic attacks.

Overcoming fear by trusting in God sounds simple, but as Hope discovers in dramatic fashion, it’s not easy. When you’ve been hurt, true intimacy is a mighty big risk.

This is one I’ll read again!

I love all of Denise Hunters' books and always look forward to her new releases. A captivating story that will have you staying up until the wee hours of the morning just to see what's next. I will treasure this book for years to come.

Honeysuckle Dreams is the second in Denise Hunter’s Blue Ridge Romance Series.

This book’s main story is a marriage of convenience between Hope and Brady, two friends who like each other and are - at times - somewhat attracted to each other, but do not feel romantic love for each other. Subplots include a custody battle, drug addiction, commuting for work, career change, blended family, and continuing emotional fallout from the sudden death of a high school sweetheart.

Although I did not read the first in this series, I did not find any difficulty in understanding supporting characters most likely introduced and more fully described and developed in the earlier work. The book is a well written “lite” Christian romance, an easy read.

Unfortunately, I found the leading characters - Brady, Hope, Brady’s late/ex wife, his mother and his in-laws to be caricature-ish, and the story needlessly complicated with timelines and actions that for me were not quite believable.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of Honeysuckle Dreams for free via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In Denise Hunter's Honeysuckle Dreams, the second installment in the Blue Ridge romance series, this inspirational romance would uplift your spirits and warm your hearts. After Brady Collins's ex-wife dies in a car accident, he's lift in charge of his newborn son. When everything couldn't have gone wrong, his attorney had informed him that his former in-laws had filed for custody of Sam and wants Brady to take the paternity test. But not everything would go as planned for the temporary hearing. He needs to get married. That's when he turns his attention to Hope Daniels, his sister's Zoe's best friend, when they had been friends forever in Cooper Creek. When he asked her to marry him for convenience, she agrees to do it and surprise everything. For Hope, she had lost her heart once in high school when she lost her true love in a surprise death. She didn't want to fall in love again and didn't want to feel the pain of loss again. Besides agreeing to help Brady, she had gotten the dream she wanted to work at an oldie station, though the commute might be tough. Together they dealt with the ups and downs of marriage and unwanted surprises, when they needed to follow their hearts and listen to God to lead them the right path to love each other in the end.

HONEYSUCKLE DREAMS is part of Ms. Hunter's Blue Ridge Romance series but it easily stands alone. I fell in love with Brady and Hope and sweet little Sam, though Hope did get on my nerves at first with her over-the-top baby talk (which is realistic, but who wants to read it for chapters? Oh, you do! You do! Yes, you do!)



The thing that bothered me most about the book was the use of "soft swear words" that I know doesn't bother a lot of people, but more conservative readers will be bothered by it. Some might be bothered by the use of words like sex and sexy but it was between a married couple, and the bedroom door was shut before any marital relations were played out. There were plenty of hot kisses though.



I think this book was definitely the best of the three books I've read in this series, (I guess the first one was marketed as stand-alone, and technically this is second in the series, but...) they all do stand-alone. Readers will want to read Sweetbriar Cottage and Blue Ridge Sunrise and I can't wait to read On Magnolia Lane (November 2018).



Fans of Ms. Hunter's steamy romances will definitely want to read HONEYSUCKLE DREAMS. This couple kept me up at night as I couldn't put the book down.



I received a copy of HONEYSUCKLE DREAMS free. All opinions are my own.

The long awaited story of Brady and Hope. We met both of them in the first book of the series, Blue Ridge Sunrise. They have been friends for years and when Brady "needs" a wife for his son, Hope steps in to the role more than willingly. This is a love story that grows from a childhood friendship into something neither of them expected. It is about God's grace and forgiveness and His love for us to give us what our heart's desire.

Such a cute book. Very true to life story with laughter, heart ache and healing. Learning to trust again isn’t always easy but it is always good.
This book was an easy and quick read with a heart felt story. I would recommend it to others.

The author put serious thought into this book to keep the story believable, especially between two Christians of this day and age. I really appreciated the thought Brady and Hope put into getting married before they make the final decision; they act like intelligent adults!* And they're upfront and honest right away with the people who'd catch them out. What really makes it for me is that they go into it with the expectation that it will be for life, regardless of whether Brady actually wins the custody case or not. It isn't some grand deception that they're trying to pull over the judge; they are fully committing to a marriage. Which includes premarital counseling! Not just with some pastor they barely know, but a friend.

This is all not to say that things don't go wrong, but I feel a lot better about it when it isn't because they didn't use their heads to start start with.

Even in fiction, child custody cases are not for the faint of heart. I was reminded of a custody case a friend of mine was a witness for, and it was hard for me to read about the trial, simply because I had heard so much about the real-life case. But it is a well-written and emotional story.


*If you're going to do something that you worry might be incredibly stupid, you should at least do it with forethought and intelligence. This will impress the people you're trying to convince (including yourself), and you just might get away with it. Unless you live in fiction.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Hope and Brady marry for convenience. When Hope actually starts falling in love with Brady, though, she pulls away, leaving Brady hurt and confused. This is a good book to sit and relax with. I enjoyed getting to know the characters. I found myself wanting to tune into Hope’s radio program!

A book full of heartbreak, difficulties and happiness showing us just how complicated life can be. Life can hurt so much but it's who you have there to help you through it and how strong you are that shows us the way.
This was my first Denise Hunter read and it won't be my last. It was such a great and heartfelt love story with super characters and lovely descriptions. I thoroughly enjoyed it, a definite MUST READ.
4. 5 Stars

Brady and Hope are good friends who marry to provide Sam with two parents and a loving home. Brady wants custody of 'his son" and all is not as it seems. This modern day marriage of convenience brings hidden issues to the forefront. But through faith is God and honesty their future is made sure.
This book is a treasure. A wonderful read with an unusual story line. I reccommend it highly.
NetGalley furnished me with this ebook to read. The review is mine alone.

This inspirational romance featured a lot of characteristics and plot devices that fans of this genre seem to enjoy: modern day marriage of convenience plot, an adorable baby, a single dad, friends with the possibility of becoming more than friends, all within the context of a sweet small-town setting.
Plausible backstories for both the hero and heroine created empathy, and a familiar cast of secondary characters made for an enjoyable reading experience. The positive message about trusting God with our lives was subtly woven into the novel, as well. This story is exactly what I hope to read when I open a book written by Denise Hunter. She delivers every time.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of Honeysuckle Dreams. All opinions shared here are my own.

This is a book unlike any I have read before. To put that into perspective I’ve probably read hundreds. I was filled with joy, almost brought to tears, and biting my nails nervously. Let me just say, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I absolutely loved the characters and loved how I got to know them a lot more through out the story. I originally met Brady and Hope in Blue Ridge Sunrise and loved them then. Don’t worry, if you haven’t read the first book I think you’ll still enjoy this one. I was taken on a journey through heartbreak and hope and enjoyed every minute of it. Both characters had some rude awakenings and they both had to learn to trust in God to get them through it. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Contemporary Romance and something that is one of a kind. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in the Blue Ridge Romance series. I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins Publishers and was in no way forced to post a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

What a fantastic book!
I absolutely loved how the author took me through the ups and downs in this story. The chemistry between the two main characters lept off the pages, and the drama of life's stuggles left me flipping through the pages as fast as I could. I really appreciated how the author spotlights how God is there to carry us through when our lives get difficult.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Brady is tricked into marriage. Only after his ex-wife died and the child is six months old, does he discover the deception when his ex-inlaws file for full custody.
Hope, a long time family friend (and best friend to Brady's sister) has been helping him out babysitting and dearly loves little Sam.
Brady's attorney, mistakenly believed Brady and Hope to be engaged and told Brady he would have a much stronger custody case if he were married prior to the case going being tried. So...Brady and Hope marry. After all, they have been friends forever and Hope wants a husband and children. And, here is where my disappointment began with this story. Brady and Hope are professing Christians and yet they lie about this. On the stand and under oath, Brady is asked if he hastened his marriage due to the court case and he lied and said he did not. What?!!! There was never any mention of guilt over the lie or repentance.
Their marriage wasn't smooth sailing and there were problems almost from the beginning. Neither wants to admit they love the other. As Hope realizes she does love her husband, old haunts surface and she runs from her husband and Sammy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have been waiting for Honeysuckle Dreams with great anticipation, and I'm happy to say, it did not disappoint! We first met Hope and Brady in Blue Ridge Sunrise, and I was excited for their story. Brady finds out that the son he's raised since birth isn't his after all, and he'll have to fight a long battle to be allowed to keep him. Brady is concerned about a marriage of convenience to Hope, but she convinces him it's a good idea for Sams' sake. When Brady really starts to fall in love with his wife, he thinks she feels the same. But Hope has a lot of pain in her past. Can she overcome it all to make all of her dreams come true?

I wasn't sure what to think about this "marriage of convenience" plotline, but it really works. I liked the fact that Brady determined from the start to win Hope's heart and have a real marriage. Beyond the love story, though, there is an important lesson. Marriage does take work, and isn't something to be taken lightly. Sometimes people with different backgrounds do need to work hard to get over the past. I felt both Brady and Hope's pain in this story. Denise has once again delivered a love story that's honest, and real with imperfect people who learn to trust God with their futures.

Perfect beach read for this summer!

Going live on Monday, May 7:

Brady is a single father with a slew of trouble headed his way. He’s been friends with Hope forever, but they’ve stayed just that—friends. This is a modern-day “marriage of convenience” story that for the most part, worked. There were a few missed opportunities—an implied plot direction that didn’t pan out, but overall, I enjoyed this story. It held my interest the entire novel.
Hope is a likable character. I sympathized with her. Just when her life started going very well, when her dreams were coming true, the past came up to haunt her. Some of the elements in this book that released the same day as my latest novel were the same. Hope needs therapy, but she isn’t willing to get it. Instead, she suffers and hopes things will get better, which of course, they won’t until she takes the big step. This psychological aspect was very familiar as I read (because of my own novel). I’m glad our books came out at the same time since they shared some aspects.
I liked that the hero and heroine were married already (by a short ways into the story). That meant that the romance could happen without the usual road blocks. But in some ways that meant this book sometimes felt like women’s fiction, which is fine. Themes included believing that our old coping mechanisms can still carry us through current trials. How friendship can turn to love.
The way these characters sacrificed for each other was beautiful, a welcome example in a sometimes-selfish world.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.