This is Book 1 in Bluebell Romance series. I, personally, cannot wait to read Book 2! I do want to be quick to say that Book 1 is not a cliffhanger at all. It is a story all its own.
Molly Bennett is the main character. After their parents sudden, unexpected and devastating deaths, Molly, along with her siblings, Levi and Grace all pull together to make their parents dream of an inn come true. It's quite admirable how Molly and Levi gave up their dreams/job to allow their younger sister to continue her high school education without a move and upheaval to her already devastated life. It was great and touching to see the love and care the siblings had for each other and for the memory of their parents.
Their first guest at the inn just happens to be Molly's favorite author of all. But, she doesn't realize this as he writes under a different name, wishing to be anonymous to his fans.
During construction, an old letter is found in a wall. An unopened letter. The inn was once a post office. Curious, Molly opens the letter and reads it. She feels she must find the addressee and deliver the long lost mail and its' message. She enlists the help of their guest, 'Adam.'
In time, Molly and 'Adam' begin to have feelings for each other, but can Molly trust to love again after her previous relationship has left her with scars due to his dishonesty?
'Adam' has his own insecurities due to feeling he never measured up to his father. Will he only be a disappointment once he reveals his identity to his fans? To Molly?
Fantastic story of family, mystery, lost love, trust and forgiveness. A must read! Thank you Denise Hunter for another wonderful story!
I received a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher, Thomas Nelson and Netgalley. . Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you!

I’m looking forward to reading this whole series. This first book was delightful. It read fast and kept me interested. Here we meet the cast: a sibling trio who run an inn on a lake in North Carolina. This is a getaway setting to help readers escape. First, we get to experience Molly’s story. She’s has a crush on her favorite author, who just happens to stay at her inn incognito. I loved that premise.

The hero is a best-selling novelist, which was super fun to read about. I wonder if Denise let us in on her own writing process a bit. She has had several of her novels made into TV movies, which has been a delight for this fan. Perhaps this one will be a movie one day too.

The lost-letter aspect kept me intrigued. Their inn used to be a post office. This semi-historical element served as the B story and kept me hooked.

The hero is a nerdy bookish type. I loved him! He’s relatable in a few ways, and I instantly sympathized with him. He’s insecure about disappointing people, so we get why he’s hiding his true identity from his fans. I liked how awkward he was in social situations and how romantic he was. He doesn’t see his own lie, of course, which is his inner journey. I liked that he’s learned, a man of words in more than one language.

The heroine doesn’t know she’s his muse (see summary above), even while they grow closer. Denise is a master at writing romance. Every. Single. Book. Reading these two characters’ romance was delightful. The heroine is bookish too, which draws these two together.

One area that I’d hoped to read and that wasn’t included was around the revelations of their secrets. I would have loved to see a stronger reaction in their romantic relationship when the truth came out. I need to be vague here so I don’t spoil anything, but this felt like a missed opportunity.

The heroine has surprises for Adam, and he has his big secret. It was fun watching this unfold.

The heroine is paranoid of leaving things unsaid between her and her loved ones. She has been wounded by loss and is anxious and insecure, even though she’s surrounded by loving family and friends. This will be relatable to anyone who has suffered similar losses without warning.

Well done! Highly recommended!

A sweet and engrossing story that made smile and root for the characters.
I like the romance, the well crafted plot, the lovely setting, and the well thought cast of characters.
Can't wait to read the next book by this author.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Lake Season by Denise Hunter is so sweet and romantic. When the hero spoke Italian to the heroine without knowing she understood, I swooned right then and there. I loved everything about this book, the story, the adorable characters, the hop back in time, but mostly the sweet romance. Sigh. The ending was amazing and I can't wait until the next book.
*I was given a copy of this book by Thomas Nelson and this is my honest opinion.

This was an amazing story with a plot that is a puzzle until all the pieces fit together perfectly. It is in present time and scenes from the past. Denise Hunter has great skills in writing to pull the reader in immediately and keep their interest high throughout the book. Her characters are very well developed and I cared about them deeply. The setting is described in such detail that I felt like I was actually visiting Bluebell, North Carolina.
The story has many themes running throughout. The one I think that stands out the most is people pulling together for a common goal, knowing that life is precious and can change with a blink of an eye.
I enjoyed this book so much! It is the first in a new series and I am looking forward to the future books.
I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas Nelson – Fiction, for allowing me the great pleasure of reading this book. This is another deeply moving story to add to Denise Hunter’s collection. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Adorable!! What a unique twist, engaging characters, and the sweetest romance. Denise Hunter tugged my heart big time!

The Bennet siblings are trying to put their lives together after losing their parents in a tragic accident. To fulfill their parents’ dream of transforming their house into an inn, each sibling will have to make a sacrifice. The question is will this cause more pain and create resentment when they need something to draw back their hope.

Adam Bradford is the epitome of adorableness. Unconventional, he takes Molly Bennet by surprise. But he also carries a secret. Will he be able to seek the muse of his dreams in real life?

I’m anxiously awaiting the next book 🙂

Denise Hunter is one of my favorite authors so I am a tad bias. But, I loved Lake Season! While the love story between Adam and Molly was obvious from the beginning, the twists and turns along the way is what made me fall in love with this novel. The mystery of a lost love letter and the healing that took place during the journey of finding its rightful owner made this book endearing. A must read for sure!

I enjoyed this sweet, heartwarming first book in series centering around a trio of siblings who tragically lose both parents and step up to open an inn in NC that was their parent’s dream.

This is Molly’s love story but also includes a second love story dating back to 1962. As Molly and Adam work together to locate the intended recipient of a lost letter discovered at the inn (previously post office), they slowly begin to lower their defenses and learn to trust and love again.

Would definitely read the next in series.

Thanks to #ThomasNelson and #NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.

Another great story by Denise Hunter. I can’t wait to read the next in this series. Her books are always so enjoyable to read and I love the characters She creates.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

I found this to be a quick but engrossing read. I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed the two different storylines. The romance between the two main characters was very sweet with the usual problems along the way.

I thought it was interesting that Molly kept saying she didn't know how to do research on the internet yet she was a college senior majoring in hospitality. I would think that most college age kids could do research to try & find someone. That was the main thing that took away from the story from me.

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

This was an excellent book and I can't wait for the next in the series. The characters were wonderfully written and it was hard to put down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next.

The first book in what looks to be a promising series.

I enjoyed Adam’s self-description. He’s a writer of romance novels and considers himself to be the opposite of a typical hero. He’s shy and nerdy and his insecurities about how his audience might find him lacking are more endearing than annoying.

Molly lost her parents and has trouble letting people go without ensuring they leave on the best of terms. She avoids doing anything where someone might leave angry, and when she finds the lost letter, it bugs her no end that the couple had no closure.

The meet-cute between Adam and Molly was undeniably cute and set off a friendship that would not be denied.

The twists and turns in the plot were fairly straightforward and the ending was bittersweet. Being a Denise Hunter book, I already knew the writing would be done well, and I wasn’t disappointed.

Adam and Molly’s conflict wasn’t unexpected, the foreshadowing prepares you for what’s coming.

The romance is sweet and the banter funny yet heartwarming. I don’t think there could have been a better setting for this book. Bluebell Inn captured my attention and I loved seeing the work and love put into its construction.

This was a nice, easy read with a great message on overcoming loss and learning to trust God with all your heart. Those two don’t seem to go together. Read it and you’ll see what I mean.

Denise Hunter’s newest series, “The Bluebell Inn,” starts with Lake Season and doesn’t disappoint. It drew me in from the first tragic pages and didn’t let me go until I knew there would be a happy ending. It tugged at my emotions and made me laugh and maybe even tear up a bit. The character development had me involved from the beginning to the end, and I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

Anyone who knows me fully understands that I will fangirl ANYTHING Denise Hunter writes—be it contemporary romance, time slip books, grocery lists, etc. So needless to say, I was looking forward to her latest release—Lake Season. And wow, this story captivated me from start to finish. 

I feel the need to mention that the temperature dropped into the teens here in Ohio, and so a story set in the summer on the lake is absolutely ideal. The author did a great job painting the North Carolina backdrop with vivid descriptions that helped me envision the charming town of Bluebell.

As for the characters, Molly had such a sweet spirit about her and seemed to be one of those unique individuals that always lights up the room. And she loves reading. So yeah, we could be besties. Adam, the hero, is the character that surprised me the most. He was just such a nice guy. And as the pages wore on, I found myself rooting for him, wanting him to break free from the shadows he hid behind. Of course, the romance element was exploding with spark-filled chemistry. Hunter excels in that area for sure. 

What was different about this story is that it’s a time slip. I loved the historical portions of the book, and it seemed to flow perfectly with the contemporary parts. Sometimes time slips can feel choppy and awkward, but this one had smooth transitions. Very well done. 

The plot was well thought out and interesting. The romance, like I said above, is spot on. And the pacing was fabulous. If you enjoy stories that are both refreshing and intriguing, then this one is for you! Highly recommend!

*I received a copy from Netgalley. My opinions are my own.

I loved, loved, loved Lake Season by Denise Hunter! I was so excited to see she had a new series starting and, after seeing the cover, I couldn't wait to start it.

The Bennett siblings are trying to open the inn of their deceased parent's dreams in the charming town of Bluebell, North Carolina. As the siblings are trying to work through their grief and get the inn ready to open a guest arrives a little early and throws in some complications as one of the siblings becomes his muse.

With the perfect setting for this story, excellent chemistry between the characters, and great pacing to keep me hooked, but let me connect with the characters, Lake Season is a fantastic start to a new series! I really enjoyed this new set of characters and particularly enjoyed Adam's character. The fact that he was a bestselling author was such a fun character to learn about.

I was so immersed in this book that as soon as I finished it I was online looking at how long I have to wait to read the next one. The cover of it is amazing and I am already highly anticipating it!

Adam Bradford, writing under the pen name Nathaniel Quin, travels to Bluebells to fight writer's block and gather materials for his new book. Whilst there he meets Molly, who is a fan of his books. Adam has fought over the years to keep his identity a secret but now he finds himself falling for Molly as they both try to solve the mystery of an old letter Molly has found. Is there hope for them when Molly finds out he has been deceitful.
Interesting read with themes of family, loss, love, trust and acceptance.
Thanks to Netgalley and the Thomas Nelson Fiction for the opportunity to read this book. This is my candid review.

Molly is a sweet small town girl who has just lost her parents in a sudden accident. Adam is a shy and slightly damaged author (in hiding) struggling with an intense case of writers block. Both come together because of an old inn, a mysterious letter, and a budding romance that fills their broken parts (and the heart of this reader.)

At times charming and romantic and so uplifting, Lake Season will keep readers engrossed until the very end!

Title: Lake Season
Author: Denise Hunter
Genre: Romance, Christian
Rating: 5 out of 5

After their parents die in a tragic accident, Molly Bennett and her brother and sister decide to make their parents’ dream a reality: turning their historic home back into an inn. Molly will have to give up her dreams of Italy, but she knows it’s worth it to see her youngest sister finish high school at home in tiny Bluebell, North Carolina. Then Molly finds an unsent letter in the wall of the inn—a letter that tells of a love lost years ago in Bluebell. She wants to return the letter to its rightful owners but has no idea how to find them.

Adam Bradford, secretly bestselling novelist Nathaniel Quinn, is in Bluebell to research his next novel. Quiet and reclusive, he takes no chance on people finding out who he really is. But Molly and Adam become instant friends and soon he is just as fascinated with finding the lost letter’s recipient as she is. But Molly doesn’t know Adam is keeping secrets—and trust is one thing she holds sacred.

I loved this book! Sweet and simple, mixing the past and present together seamlessly as it explores Adam and Molly’s fears and issues as well as secrets from the past. I was invested from the first page, and I loved the characters—and the small town of Bluebell—as well as the family bond between Molly and her siblings.

Denise Hunter is a bestselling author who lives in Indiana. Lake Season is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Thomas Nelson via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Romance, clean; Christian faith elements
Molly and Adam's story was a gorgeous, sweet romantic read with a beautiful dose of faith. Mourning her parents loss, Molly and her siblings open the inn her parents had planned on opening. As they are preparing for the final inspection, Adam arrives to see about renting a room. Molly's genuineness, her kindness, concern for others, her sweet, gentle nature along with her persistence, and of course, her beauty and natural charm are a perfect muse for Adam in his writing block. Great side characters, beautiful setting, lovely back story and past mystery, all waiting for the right moments to unfold. D.H. perfectly captures the moments, the nuances and small things that make for a perfect small town read, with big heart, and oh so swoon-worthy moments for the romance lover, and adds the perfect amount of faith and heart. Loved this read. For some reason I didn't pick it up right away, it was the perfect read for me right now, above and beyond anything I had on my shelf. Hope, love, friendship, small moments with big heart, great characters, family, beautiful setting, and everything combined for a perfect home and heart-home both for the characters and for me.
More of a 4.5 for me as a reader, but it was so lovely, rounded up.

What a fantastic summer romance. Just what you want to tuck into your beach bag! Highly recommend!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.