The Bookshop by the Sea is another great Christian fiction novel by Denise Hunter. With a story full of beaches, family issues, second change romance and books, it doesn't get any better than this. Denise Hunter never lets you down. I loved this book. Thanks to author Denise Hunter, publisher Thomas Nelson, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Aiden had a great business opportunity so left Sophie behind to seek his dream seven years ago. He did not know that he said goodbye on the day her father left the family. Sophie’s mother was bedridden, and her brother and sister needed her, so she discarded her dream of college to stay with them. Sophie dreaded seeing Aiden for the first time after he left when her sister got married. Sophie and Aiden both have abandonment issues even though their love rekindles. Sophie needs to take care of herself instead of putting her family first. This is a good Christian romance, and a look at sharing responsibility and allowing others to help.

enise Hunter is my favorite romance writer so I jumped at the chance to read and review her newest book Bookshop by the Sea. This book is about second chances. Aiden and Sophie had been sweethearts in college but on one day Sophie's dad walked out on the family and Aiden left the same day. Sophie gave up going to college to stay home to take care of her terminally ill mother and her two siblings. Sophie and Aiden had to work through some past baggage to get past. I loved how finally she was able to stand up to her family. I loved the happy ending and how they were able to work things out. I loved the quaint small town and how they helped Sophie out in a time of need.

Readers who have read the Bluebell Inn series will enjoy a cameo appearance of Adam and Molly.
I'm hoping Denise Hunter will write more novels set in this quaint town.

received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Expected publication is April 13, 2021..

You had me at bookshop, lol! But in all seriousness I love Denise Hunter’s books and I was so excited to read this newest release of hers!
I loved the small beach town setting and my book lover self that loves to organize was itching to jump in and help Sophie set up her bookshop.
I liked both Aiden and Sophie but their choices frustrated me at times and I wished they had done a little more work on their issues in the time they’d been apart instead of letting the same things come between them years later. Sophie’s inability to tell any of her family members no when they abused her willingness to help was especially frustrating for me. Beyond that though they were pretty great and I enjoyed seeing them learn to forgive and open their hearts to love again.

After a time of not reading or finding the next good read for myself, I could not put this book down. It was such a breath of fresh air during these difficult times to be taken away to cozy little seaside town "smell" the salty air, "feel" the breeze blowing and be reminded that there are good, caring people out there who do the "right thing" - Sophie with her mom, Aiden with Sophie and Tiffany. I love how the author weaves characters from past novels into her new series to keep the connection and interest. Denise Hunter's books are gems and am looking forward to her next book.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Sophie is going to finally open a book store after raising her two siblings. At her sisters wedding, her ex boyfriend Aiden who left town years ago is back. Sophie tries to do everything in her power to forget him. This book was well written.

Sophie has been through a lot ever since she was abandoned by her childhood sweetheart Aiden and also

lost her mother to a debilitating illness. Over the years she took responsibility for her twin brother Seth and

younger sister Jenna. . Now Sophie's life is going to change as she opens up her very own bookshop In

Pipers Cove.. At Jenna's wedding, Sophie and Aidan meet up after a seven-year gap.

This is a well written., thoughtful tale that gives two people a second chance at love and a future together

with the support of family and friends.. A story filled with hope, and romance.

This book was so good and was the perfect read to forget about the troubles of this world for a while. I was drawn in right away and was happy to escape for a while. I just wish it hadn't ended so soon.
I highly recommend this book!

Denise Hunter writes charming contemporary romance novels. Bookshop by the Sea is one to enjoy.

Aiden moved away after high school for an exciting job opportunity, and Sophie stays to care for her ailing mother and her two siblings. Sophie and her mother plan out the bookshop, and it's Sophie's plan to fulfil that dream. Enter Aiden, back for Sophie's sisters wedding after leaving Piper's Cove seven years prior.

A second chance at love despite wrestling with conflicts and abandonment issues. The characters are well developed and interesting. Although Sophie's siblings are always expecting her to drop everything and fulfil their need. It's a co-dependency that Sophie eventually needs to establish confines as a sister not as a mother. I loved how the community came together to help Sophie in her hour of need, with Aiden missing a very important event to be by her side.

It was a very enjoyable believable story. A heartwarming book by one of my favorite authors.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a second-chance romance story. Not usually my favorite - they're normally predictable. This was a sweet, quick read.

It opens with Sophie seeing her ex-boyfriend, Aiden, who is in her sister's wedding, for the first time since he left. He apologizes for leaving her, they make amends and he's headed back to Charleston. Only, the incoming hurricane grounds his flight and they end up staying at the same beach house during the storm. There they really reconnect and discuss the past. What Aiden didn't know, is the day he left - Sophie's dad had left the family, too. And she was left to hold the family together - with an irresponsible twin brother, a younger sister depending on her to handle everything and a mother stricken with MS.

With her sister married, her brother off on a new job and months after he mother passed away, Sophie is finally realizing her dream of opening a bookstore in a small beach town. But she falls off a ladder during the hurricane and is left on crutches. Aiden steps up to help her out in working on the store. Leading them to spend more time together and old feelings to rekindle. Until he does a runner and leaves her again. But not to worry, it does have the requisite happily ever after ending.

BOOKSHOP BY THE SEA by DENISE HUNTER is a most enjoyable novel which really got me thinking. I asked myself why we so often become so willing to help others that it not only ruins our lives but also denies them their independence? We become the "go to" person whenever something needs to be done, and it can become a really bad habit. In Sophie Lawson's case it is motivated by love for her family, but there is also an underlying fear of losing those she loves. Aiden Maddox also has a deep rooted fear of abandonment because of his mother leaving him when he was a young child. This leads to him running away from difficult situations.
The story starts in the small seaside town of Piper's Cove with Sophie's sister Jenna marrying Aiden's best friend. Aiden and Sophie dated from when they were in high school, and when Aiden moved away to a dream job, he broke Sophie's heart. Meeting like this after seven years is awkward to say the least!
Add to this a hurricane, a bookshop opening and a small dog called Pippa and you have the makings of a great story!
I highly recommend Bookshop By The Sea to anyone who enjoys a good romance novel.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Thomas Nelson. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

In this standalone novel, 25 year old Sophie Lawson has plans to begin the next phase of her life. She has long been the very patient caretaker of her family; however, with her mom recently passed away, her twin brother starting a grownup job, and their younger sister almost married, it's finally her turn to pursue her dream....opening a bookstore in a beautiful seaside town.

Business owner and extreme sports enthusiast Aiden Maddox and Sophie go way back...all the way to high school. Unfortunately, Sophie still hasn't exactly forgiven him (OR forgotten him), since he left her to pursue HIS dreams. He's back in town for her sister's wedding but when a hurricane hits his flight is cancelled. Due to a series of events, he winds up staying a little longer than expected and helps Sophie navigate a series of unexpected challenges...but will his apologies and staying power make a difference this time?

Exploring several themes including first love, forgiveness, and healthy boundaries, this is ultimately a sweet romantic story in a lovely setting. I usually enjoy Denise Hunter's books and this one is included on that list!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book is about second chances and enjoying life. We all need boundaries in our life and Sophie is finding that a hard thing to do. Sophie is finally able to live her life but will she be able to move from the past. Aiden has fears and at times those are what drive him and not always in a good way. Sophie and Aiden are good for each other. They do need to overcome the past, fears, insecurities and boundaries but in the end they can with the help of each other. This book is sweet and emotional.

*I received this free book from NetGalley and am leaving my honest opinion*

Denise's words bring Piper's Cove to life. Sophie is strong smart, smart and a giver. She has always been the rock for her family. After her Dad left she took care of her siblings and her mom. Her Mom has passed. Now she is realizing a dream and opening a bookstore. Aiden and Sophie have a complicated past. They forced together in an awkward reunion. Aiden realizes he did wrong by Sophie in the past. Sophie always see's the best in him. Sophie inspires him to be a better man. She makes him feel whole. Aiden realizes that Sophie is a one in lifetime love. Both Sophie and Aiden have abandonment issues. Sophie needs to start setting boundaries for her siblings. With God's help Aiden and Sophie come back together. Seeing Molly and Adam again from Lake Season again was wonderful.

Enjoyable and well written, “Bookshop by the Sea”, by Denise Hunter (Thomas Nelson- FICTION), is a story of a second chance love between two very decent people who deserve happiness, set in a North Carolina hospitable beach town.
Aiden and Sophie are good people, although in the beginning the hero seemed a bit cold and the heroine played the victim sometimes.
After the unique characters in the fabulous “Bluebell Inn” series, the story of Aiden, with his handsomeness and feelings of inadequacy, and Sophie, and her martyr complex, didn’t fully engage me. They’re both likeable but not particularly endearing. However, I think that the author did a great job showing the reasons why they’re this way and how they evolve and grow. The hero really grew on me; he’s such a contradictory human being, a man with a high risk profession and yet deeply insecure in the personal/intimate level.
Maybe for the same reasons, the romantic couple wasn’t so instantly compelling for me as others in this excellent author's previous work.
All in all, I did like the story, with its altruistic small town folks, and the secondary characters. And meeting Adam and Molly again was such a delight!

I really enjoyed this story and couldn’t put it down. I love how the author developed the characters: they were flawed and imperfect but there were reasons they reacted to situations the ways that they did, and they were able to grow and learn from past mistakes. I recognize a lot of myself and my Mom in Sophie. People pleasing and having a servants heart to care for others is great, but oftentimes the lines get crossed and others take advantage and expect too much of you, and you can’t pour from an empty cup. I think one of my major takeaways from this story is to remember to care for myself and lovingly encourage others to stand on their own two feet as well.
The romance in this story was superbly written! Of course I would expect nothing less from any of Denises books. My heart broke for both Aiden and Sophie, and all they had both been through. And Pippa was just too cute of a character for words! I loved the bookshop plot and how the close knit community came together to help out one of their own. There is just a lot to love about Bookshop by the Sea and I highly recommend it.

Aiden and Sophie broke apart in their teenage years by a choice that forever changed their futures. Each went their separate ways while Aiden built a business, Sophie took care of her ill mother and her siblings. Seven years pass by and they are reunited at Sophie's sisters wedding and with weather circumstances they become stationed together until it passes. Sophie stays in Piper's Cove to build her and her mother's dream bookstore. Aiden and Sophie work together to get her bookstore prepared for the grand opening and work on their relationship, but again falling in love (or back again) is never easy. This is a sweet romance that checks all the boxes and brings the reader everything they could want in a second chance romance.

This was a perfect book for a summer beach read, and makes me yearn for it to be that season. Many twists and turns in the way of relationship for Sophie and Aiden PLUS a horrific hurricane. SO MANY obstacles on the pathway to love for these two, smh. Loved the characterization of them and the cover, my only issue is a little heavy on the religion factor but it did not bother me a lot in this book. Still recommended.

All thought and opinions are my own. Thanks to Netgalley, Denise Hunter and Thomas Nelson Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 4/13/21

Omgosh I could not put this down. I didnt want it to end. It made me smile and left me feeling warm and cuddly like a good book should. I'm so glad Aiden and sophie fixed themselves and I wish I could see the bookshop it sounds like my perfect place. I hope there is going to be more with sophie and Aiden.

I enjoyed this new book by Denise Hunter. If you’ve read her Bluebell Inn series, you’ll enjoy a cameo visit from some of its characters. This book has a different flavor, however. There are no mysteries to solve, other than those involved in relationships that run into roadblocks. Plot twists are fueled by hurricanes, other boy/girl friends showing up at the wrong time, meddling family members, and so on. Hunter resolves things well, with good insights into family relationships, communication, trusting the Lord, and friendship. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you read it!

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