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.

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.

Definitely have to say this is the Denise Hunter I am used to reading and enjoying. Book 1, Blue Ridge Sunrise, was a disappointment. It was rather edgy and the spiritual content was very light; not what I normally see in her Christian fiction books. Honeysuckle Dreams is better written, has wonderful spiritual content, and very good character and plot development.

I loved Hope and Brady's story. In one sense, it reminded me of a mail-order bride book in that they married without a previous courtship but rather in order to allow Brady to keep Sam. Brady's courtship after the marriage was delightful. He took his time to court Hope and allowed their feelings as well as any intimacy to develop slowly. Sam was absolutely adorable, and I couldn't image a better set of parents for him. The courtroom drama was a perfect touch as it kept me wondering what might happen with Sam's custody.

Thank you Denise Hunter for returning to your previous endearing writing styl

How far would you go for a friend?

A Modern “marriage of convenience” story. Honeysuckle Dreams is a well-written romance that will pull you into the lives of Brady and Hope. I loved how Hope’s name plays into the storyline and her radio show, Living with Hope. These characters have faced heart-ache and loss. They know what it is to have a loved one reject you or be taken from you. This story looks fully into the struggles of the modern Christian, how falling for temptation of alcohol or fornication can completely change the course of your life. The lives of these characters show that there is hope in Christ, forgiveness of sins and a bright future for those who make it their goal to faithfully follow him. The past that haunts both Brady and Hope has made it difficult for them to open their hearts to love again, especially Hope, who when facing the vulnerability that love brings is almost more than she can handle.

Honeysuckle Dreams is a modern story in both the timeline and the writing style. I was disappointed to see the usage of “minced oath” type words (some may refer to these as euphemisms). I know that many Christians don’t see a problem with these words, that’s completely between you and God. From someone who has a more tight-lipped personal filter, this is a warning that those words are in this book. And these words were not spoken by a villain or a non-Christian, the main characters themselves used them. (Sexiness and sex are also part of the subject matter, so I would use discretion when recommending this book to unmarried readers.)

All that being said, Denise Hunter writes a beautiful love story, and for those looking for clean romances or a more faith-based story, you will love Denise Hunter’s newest release, Honeysuckle Dreams.

One more thought, this book works as a stand-alone novel, it includes characters from Blue Ridge Sunrise, the first book in the Blue Ridge Romance series, but these characters are well explained. So, even if you haven’t read book one, book two will make perfect sense. This is the first book I have read by Denise Hunter. I have seen the Hallmark movie, A December Bride, based on her story of the same title. And I loved it!

A mistake made real. Brady Collins is a full time dad to his baby son Sam since his ex wife died suddenly, Hope Daniels is a loyal friend and a great support in his time of need. Just as Brady is getting a handle on single parenting he discovers that the son that he loves is not biologically his and the baby's grandparents are suing for custody. After his lawyer makes a misconception about their relationship, Brady and Hope decide to go along with it to strengthen Brady's case.
This is something that is tricky to handle in Christian circles, marriage of convenience, while it was not perfect I could live with it since this is fiction.
Besides the custody battle, Brady and Hope navigate their own personal struggles as they grow as a couple. I love how the author is not afraid to tackle tough topics in real ways. As this unconventional couple falls in love they must decide if their love is worth fighting.
Bonus we get a sneak look at the couple for the next book.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/review/R1XFJ7FVFUD86Y?ref_=glimp_1rv_cl

Here is the link to my review of Honeysuckle Dreams. I loved it, thanks for the review copy!