Cover Image: Autumn Skies

Autumn Skies

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Member Reviews

Romance, clean, contemporary, Christian; Series, but stand alone read
Grace and Wyatt's story was the perfect ending to this series. Strong characters, emotions, and events that are so well described you can feel the emotions, angst, and the romance so strongly. So well done. Grace's past, and her hopeful present come together along with bits from her other siblings that make this perfect as the latest installment in this series.
Wyatt was such a great conflicted hero. His present and past, both catching up with him, and his story line being the introduction to the story was a perfect start to this novel. The other characters introduced from his past made me so curious!! Totally hoping for a spin-off for his good friend! (side note there). The chemistry that was the turning point for Wyatt, was such a moment. He and Grace were so perfect together, their fall so well done.
Seeing Levi's HEA with Mia, even though those scenes were brief, and also Molly and Adam's moments were definitely sweet moments in this novel as well.
I've read most of what D.H. has written. This is by far one of her best of her body of work in terms of how the story flows, the characterizations, the emotions, and the way she builds the plot and pulls all the elements of the story together. Truly a beautifully crafted novel that was satisfying in so many ways.

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I guess I am in the minority here since this is a highly rated series but I thought this book was just okay. Autumn Skies is the 3rd and final book in the Bluebell Inn romance series which focuses on the youngest of the Bennett siblings, Grace. Although I haven't read the first two books which cover the stories of the older siblings Molly and Levi, I found the blurb of Autumn Skies interesting and decided to read it. The writing is pretty good and the setting is apt for a romance novel; I just did not feel any of the characters, especially the chemistry between Grace and Wyatt, a Secret Service agent who comes to Bluebell Inn to recuperate and find some closure to a tragic incident in his past. I am all for a love or attraction at first sight scenario but I just didn't feel the sparks go off between these two at all. The ending too felt a bit rushed. I guess I will have to read the first two books in the series to see if it helps change my thoughts.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Thomas Nelson Fiction and the author Denise Hunter for the e-Arc of the book.

The book was published on 20th October 2020.

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Woo! Just the right amount of steam and swoon! Denise Hunter is a master at her craft. Such a perfect ending to this series. I love that we get more of Molly's and Levi's stories in the book, after their happily-ever-afters. Reading the first two books, I hadn't connected with Grace very much, but she really shines in her own book. Strong, athletic, and determined, she's bold but also vulnerable in a surprising way. Actually, those characteristics describe Wyatt too... I loved his character and the two of them together.

Note- some steamy kisses, mentions of abduction/murder, panic attacks

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own and are unbiased.

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Denise Hunter rounded out her Bluebell Inn series with Autumn Skies, featuring the youngest sister, Grace. Hunter delivers a well balanced story with emotion and conflict. The characters are relatable but not predictable. I enjoyed the many outdoor activities and scenes that developed the mood of the storyline. Being the last book in the series, it neatly tied up loose ends and leaves you with a warm heart and wanting to visit the lake town in North Carolina.

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My Thoughts on Autumn Skies…
As per usual, Denise Hunter tells quite a story. The plot and the romance balanced nicely without one overwhelming the other. Sometimes with a romance, the love story can obscure the events and plot of the book, but Denise Hunter is great at bringing these two elements together seamlessly.

I especially loved how honest everyone stayed with each other and themselves. There were many points along the way where I was certain Grace and Wyatt were going to separate because one or the other didn’t tell the truth.

This is one of my biggest pet peeves. If the entire conflict of a book can be solved by one person simply explaining an incident or by being truthful, it’s hard for me to like the book. I need more realistic issues.

In Autumn Skies, Denise Hunter layers on the conflicts and keeps her characters honest, making the drama and the resolution feel more genuine. In this way, Grace and Wyatt become much more relatable even though their personal situations wouldn’t be to the average person.

Autumn Skies is a quick read because the book will keep you interested and the writing is so smooth. Can be read as a standalone, but now I want to read the first two books in the series.

Perfect setting and a great fall read. Christian Fiction fans will enjoy this one.

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Love stories are my favourite. I requested this book on Netgalley because I liked the blurb. It seemed my kind of love story. Plus the cover is beautiful and the title sounds lovely.
The reviews are fabulous, however it seems like I'm the only one who didn't really enjoy reading this book.

The writing is good, the premise is interesting. There's an element of suspense that keeps you curious ---for some time ---but after certain point, it gets slow and a bit boring. Mainly because I didn't connect with the main characters, and I didn't feel any connection between the main characters. Disappointed.

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I'm struggling so much to put words to how much I loved this book. I read most of it in one sitting. I cried. I laughed. I melted. This book is everything.

It's no secret that Adam (from Lake Season) ranks among my top book boyfriends and his brief appearances in Autumn Skies reiterates why I love him so dearly. But MY HEAVENS, Wyatt is right up there with him. The swoon factor is off the charts, and the chemistry between Wyatt and Grace is incredible.

I honestly believe this is some of Hunter's best work. It's everything a contemporary romance is supposed to be, with encouraging and inspiring threads easily weaving through the heartwarming moments. What a perfect way to end a beautiful series!

I received a complimentary copy of the book. All expressed opinions are my own.

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What a perfect ending to this series.

I have thoroughly enjoyed each book and this one brought everything together beautifully. I even cried at least twice. I could feel Grace’s pain so clearly and happiness.

I just knew there would be some deeper connection between Wyatt and Grace then they even realized, and I was right.

If you haven’t read the other books in this series you can still read this as a stand-alone but it will definitely have a greater impact if you read them all.

A copy of this book was given to me through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

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Loved the third and last of the Bluebell Inn series. Grace and Wyatt have a sweet romance I enjoyed.

This was a good read and conclusion to the series!

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I have loved this series and Ms. Hunter did not disappoint with this installment. This was a feel good, small town romance and it was a great beach read for me. The writing style is beautiful and atmospheric.
Many thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

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This is another amazing book by Denise Hunter. The setting in the Blue Ridge Mountains story adds a beautiful backdrop to the story. Grace is the main focus of the book this time around, and I found I liked her more than ever before. I loved how the Bennett family encouraged each other rand were always there for support. Wyatt Jennings was the perfect match for Grace. Their story has just the right combination of faith, hope, and love as they both moved forward to reclaim their lives and find their future together. I highly recommend this series and look forward to reading Denise Hunter’s next book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

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I really enjoy reading books by Denise Hunter. They are well-written, engaging and hard to put down. This one was no exception. I started reading it and I was immediately surprised and thought that I had started reading something by someone else. She started out with a character that is a secret service agent, which was completely unexpected and not her normal character. I appreciate that an author can still surprise you, and is creative enough to write about characters in a way that you wouldn't associate as typical for them.

This is the third book of the Bluebell Inn Romance series, and while they do all go together, it is not necessary to have read the first two before this one (although I would recommend it). This could be read as a stand-alone and still be an enjoyable story.

I love that this series is set in North Carolina and follows a set of siblings. The first two stories are about Molly and Luke, and this one is about Grace.

I loved reading Grace's story and how it eventually intertwined with Wyatt's. There are so many different elements in this story; romance, suspense, humor and the overarching theme of the grace of God. I read this book in an afternoon. I have not devoured a book that quickly in an extremely long time.

I highly recommend this book (and series) to anyone who loves reading clean, inspirational fiction. Thank you to Nelson Publishing and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are entirely my own.

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What a compelling story. Autumn Skies by Denise Hunter is a beautiful multilayered story of the youngest Bennett sibling Grace and the strong and silent mysterious guest Wyatt Jennings who shows up at the Bluebell Inn. This story grabs you by the heartstrings as it delves into the past that has both Grace and Wyatt in need of healing. And oh my goodness the kissing scenes! This whole Bluebell Inn series has been so enjoyable and I hate to see the adventures end. I highly recommend Lake Season, Carolina Breeze, and Autumn Skies where you will love to get lost in the stories of three sibling innkeepers in the small town of Bluebell, NC.

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haven't read all of this author's books but the ones I have read are all five star books.
I really loved Grace and Wyatt's story. Now I need to catch up on the other books in the series.
I love that it took place in North Carolina, I visited there several times in the past few weeks and used to live there. The book is very realistic and I loved the scenic outdoors descriptions.
I love this author's books. She writes such feel good books. I highly recommend them all!

Pub Date 20 Oct 2020
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

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I’ve read the first two books in Denise Hunter’s Bluebell Inn Romance series, and Autumn Skies, the third and final installment is my absolute favorite. In the first book, Lake Season, we were introduced to three siblings who’ve taken over their deceased parent’s fledgling inn on a picturesque lake in North Carolina. Book one focused on older sister Molly and her relationship with mysterious fiction writer, and the second installment Carolina Breeze featured older brother Levi and his relationship with a starlet laying low after a broken engagement and a media scandal. Autumn Skies give youngest sibling Grace the spotlight three years after the second book, and she’s met her match in Secret Service Agent Wyatt Jennings.

Like in the previous books, the story is told in the points of view of the Bennett sibling and their potential love interest who comes to stay at the Bluebell Inn. Wyatt Jennings is on leave from his job, being forced to take a month off after his recovery from an on-the-job shooting isn’t going so well. He decides to recuperate and get his straight in the place that he last felt right and safe: Bluebell, North Carolina–the small town where his family had a summer home and they’d stay every summer until he was twelve and tragedy struck. Being shot in the shoulder has brought all of his childhood trauma to the surface, and he thinks that confronting his past head-on is the only way to move past it and go back to his job with a clear head.

Grace Bennett has not only been working at her family’s now in-the-black bed and breakfast, but she’s been running the town’s only outfitter’s business from the inn as well. Her fledgling company is doing well, but with the impending sale of the inn so her siblings can take their lives off of pause and get back to what they were doing before their parents died, Grace needs to find another space to hold her business as well as lay her head. And when Wyatt shows up with his intense eyes and serious demeanor, eventually asking about the local wilderness area, Grace can’t but help to volunteer to be his mountain guide and provide him her first-ever guided tour for free. Their attraction grows despite their five year age difference, and they get to know each other very well when out and about in nature.

Grace and Wyatt are perfect for each other. When her childhood trauma manifests itself as panic attacks, Wyatt’s training kicks in and he’s able to calm and soothe her. He loves her independence and how she knows what she wants from the future. Wyatt is an alpha male on the outside: strong, athletic, and handsome. But he’s also quiet and stoic, and he’s drawn to Grace no matter how impossible he thinks a relationship with her would be. The live in different worlds, both personally and professionally, so how can they overcome that to be together?

I give Autumn Skies a five out of five. This book was definitely my favorite of the three, and Grace matured into a confident, capable, successful, and smart woman in the space between books two and three. There wasn’t really a mystery to unravel in this book, and I honestly didn’t mind it. Only Wyatt’s connection to the house was a mystery to the Bennett’s –not the reader–and even though that reveal came late in the book, I enjoyed how Grace and Wyatt’s connection was a surprise, and it was very emotional when it came to light in the end. Autumn Skies spends a lot of time in the surrounding woods and mountains, and Denise Hunter sets the scene so vividly that I could just picture the areas in my head.

Even though this can be read as a stand alone book, I highly recommend that you read all three to get the Bennett siblings complete story. I’m a bit sad that their stories are completed. I’d like to see more of them and Blue Ridge.

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This was another wonderful romance by Denise Hunter! Wyatt was an amazing character, brave and dedicated to his job as a Secret Service agent but struggling with a tragedy he endured as a boy. He also had such a wonderful sense of honor and treated Grace with such respect. Grace was also a strong character, mature for her age, intuitive and also struggling with an event in her childhood. I liked how they both were trying to work on their issues. Their banter was fun and I liked how Grace was independent and a little bit strong-willed. It was also so romantic that they each really got to each other, Grace having dated a lot but not really seeing what the big deal was and Wyatt getting bowled over by a small-town girl. They had a lot of chemistry and some wonderful romantic moments. Grace was a Christian while Wyatt hadn't attended church in a while but was starting to get back to his faith. They had some good conversations about God and why bad things happen. There was some action and I loved that we got to see Grace's siblings' love stories continue. I highly recommend this story if you like romance!

I received this ebook free from Netgalley. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own.

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This was a really good book. Several times I was on the edge of my seat and then others times my heart was full because people were healing from past hurts and falling in love with their best friends. So many times writers show the happily ever after but don't show the day to day struggles in marriage. Hunter show both very well in this book. I would definitely recommend this book to others who enjoy Christian Fiction Romance.

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Autumn Skies by Denise Hunter

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
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Story Notes

The finale of the Bluebell Inn series is the best story in my opinion. I loved the depth and heart that was in the story coming from both main characters. They were two broken people trying their hardest to not be ruled by their brokenness. Grace and Wyatt's unknown shared history made them both opposites and identical and created such a beautiful love story for them. They each had an idea of what they needed to be and do and it turns out that God had more for them than they believed possible. Each of them challenged the other to let go of the past and reach for a future they wanted and this would bring them unexpectedly together. I will certainly recommend this book to others and hope that Ms. Hunter has another wonderful book out very soon.

I received this temporary complimentary E-book from Thomas Nelson Fiction via NetGalley in order to provide a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

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The Bluebell Inn series centres on the three siblings who co-own the Bluebell Inn, on the shore of Bluebell Lake in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The first two novels paired the other sister and brother off with a world-famous author and a Hollywood actress.

Autumn Skies focuses on the youngest sibling, Grace, who has established a business hiring out bicycles and canoes to tourists. Wyatt Jennings is a Secret Service agent who has been told to take time off for psychological reasons after being shot in the line of duty. He chooses to visit Bluebell Lake, because he wants to find the place where his mother died when he was a boy. They meet when Wyatt checks in to the Bluebell Inn—his childhood vacation home until his mother’s death.

There were two things that didn’t grab me in the beginning. Grace’s instant attraction to Wyatt, and their age gap. I’m not a fan of instalust (shouldn’t true love be built on a meeting of minds and faith?). I’m also not a fan of big age gaps, and the beginning gave the impression Wyatt was in his thirties, compared to Grace’s mere twenty years. However, that was later clarified: she is twenty-one, and he’s only twenty-six.

That set my mind at ease, and I was able to enjoy the book. As romance novels go, this one went fairly smoothly. That made for an enjoyable and relaxing read. Both Grace and Wyatt have external issues from their past they had to get over, and there was an unexpected twist near the end which gave the plot extra power. And the final chapter has that all-important aww factor we want from a romance novel :)

The story ends with an epilogue which rounds out the trilogy—so while this is a standalone story, Denise Hunter fans will want to read the trilogy in order.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for provding a free ebook for review.

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This is book 3 and the final book of the “Bluebell Inn” series. While this wasn’t my fave series of Denise Hunter’s, it was still enjoyable. This book follows the youngest Bennet sibling, Grace and Wyatt, a Secret Service agent. Their romance was really sweet but I felt like it was a bit rushed though. The Bennet siblings are selling their family inn and will move on to the next part of their lives. While on leave from work, Wyatt visits the inn and meets the siblings. This was a nice story. We find out some secrets that some readers will be surprised about it. I definitely was. We also get Molly’s POV about selling the inn which was nice to see. I recommend this book and entire series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

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