Riverbend Gap is a fabulous start to the Riverbend series. It, also, my new favorite book I have read by Denise Hunter. I loved it! Five plus stars.

I loved this book. It was just a nice comfortable read. I knew how it was going to end but wondered throughout how they were going to make it happen. I would definitely recommend.

This book has it all - tragedy, romance, tears, action, inspiration and it is a page-turner. Katie has no one in her life. Her only brother just died, and she grew up in the foster-care system. With her car balancing precariously on the edge of a cliff, she forms a strong bond with the deputy who comes to her rescue. But a twist of fate reveals he is her boyfriend's brother. Their attraction is so strong. Try as they might, it is almost impossible to ignore. Such a compelling storyline.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishing for this advanced review copy. In return, I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Riverbend Gap by Denise Hunter
Katelyn Loveland while driving to meet her boyfriend’s family for the first time, ends up in a car crash and meets a very handsome sheriff deputy whom she is deeply attracted to. While visiting for the first time visiting her boyfriend’s family, the same deputy shows up, her boyfriend’s brother, Cooper. A love triangle begins and Katelyn who never really had much of a family having grownup in the foster system, has to wrestle between her growing feelings and possibly disappointing the family she finally has found.

Denise Hunter’s fans will enjoy this first in her new series, Riverbend. Although a great romance, Riverbend is different from many of Ms. Hunter’s series in that there are more moral wrestlings from the characters.

Even though it is a love triangle, Ms. Hunter does a great job in showing the characters as they wrestle with attraction while trying to do what is right for Cooper’s brother and his entire family. A subplot of Katelyn trying to find her biological mom shows how children even though they can have positive experiences in foster care, they do have an impact on the grown child. This story shows that people can be flawed but still love each other. I can’t wait to read the next in the series.

I received an ARC ebook from NetGalley and the publisher, Thomas Nelson, in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been reading Denise Hunter novels for a long time. A couple of her early novels were a little shaky, but then she found her groove as a writer and has produced consistently readable contemporary Christian romance with consistently likeable characters falling in love. Unfortunately, I didn’t think Riverbend Gap met the standards of her more recent novels.

That’s mostly because it’s an “other man” plot (not my favourite). Katelyn (also called Katie and Kate) is dating one man (Gavin, a recent divorcee), but accidentally falls for his brother after he saves her life. Oops. To add to the complication, Katelyn is BFFs with their younger sister, Avery, who is also her boss.

Katelyn has moved to the small town of Riverbend Gap and taken the job as nurse in Avery’s medical practice because she wants to reconnect with the mother who abandoned her and her little brother when they were small children. The town is based on the Appalachian Trail, and a lot of townspeople rely on the tourist trade for their livelihoods.

So there is a lot of angst when news comes out that the trail has to be moved for six months to repair a bridge. In true Hallmark movie style, the townspeople decide to host a festival to bring people to the town and hopefully make up for some of the lost income. (As much as I thought this was a cliche, I wish the plot had included more about the festival – it ended up being such a minor plot point that it might have been better without it).

The story has a great opening. Katelyn is spooked by a deer on the road and has an accident, and Connor saves her life. But it soon turns when it becomes clear that Connor is interested in Katelyn, but finds she’s dating his brother.

Honestly, this was the biggest sticking point for me. I know Katelyn was a foster child who has recently lost her younger brother (another reason she’s come to Riverbend Gap: to scatter his ashes). She longs for connection to a family. But dating Brother #1 while you’re secretly attracted to Brother #2? There is nothing good about that. There is no good way to present it, and the excellent writing and deep questions weren’t enough to change my mind.

And Katelyn keeps dating Gavin for months, long after she should have ended their relationship for both their sakes. Yes, it’s a romance so everything ends nicely, but the ending came too fast (meaning, not enough time between the inevitable awkward reveal and the final chapter for the characters to process all that had gone on), and I can’t say I find that emotionally satisfying as a reader.

Don’t get me wrong: I liked Katelyn. But I didn’t like what she was doing. I especially didn’t like the fact she wasn’t prepared to own up internally to what she was doing, much less do the right thing and stop dating Gavin. But that’s me, because I don’t like the Other Woman/Other Man plot, because a perfectly nice person inevitably gets hurt. You may think differently.

This is the first book in a new series, and Connor is one of three siblings, so I suppose the next two stories will be Gavin and Avery getting their happy-ever-after endings. I don’t know if I care. There were too many cliches in this book, I didn’t like the way the characters behaved, and it ended on more of a yawn than a bang.

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

Denise Hunter has written another great story, but had more conflict than most of Hunter's romances. The story includes the Robinson family with 3 adult children and has a love triangle between two Robinson brothers and Katelynn . Kate was a foster child and loves working for Avery Robinson as a nurse and is dating Gavin Robinson. She meets Cooper Robinson and feels an instant attraction before she knows he is Gavin's brother. Cooper feels the same for her, but feels loyalty to his brother.
There are 2 other storylines involved in this book besides the love triangle that complicate the story. I
I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to its sequel to come in 2022.

This is a hard review for me to write because I really did enjoy many aspects of this story. I was engaged from the very first scene, which really made me like both main characters and want them to be together and I really liked the ending scene when things are finally resolved between Kate and Cooper. I also enjoyed their banter. I loved Cooper’s family and I am looking forward to reading both Gavin and Avery’s stories.

What I struggled with is the love triangle. Admittedly, I am not a fan of love triangles, but when it involves family, in this case two brothers, I just feel like it is a betrayal in so many ways and the longer it went on the harder it was for me to keep reading and feel comfortable. While both characters felt what they were doing was wrong, they kept doing it. There was a point in the story where I felt it would’ve been better for Kate and Cooper to not be together. I also felt like things wrapped up a little too quickly and too neatly.

I usually really enjoy Ms. Hunter’s books, this one just missed the mark for me. I am sure others will enjoy this story though.

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

When Kate Loveland moves from Asheville to a small town in North Carolina off the Appalachian Trail, she is searching for her birth mother. She settles into a comfortable life as a nurse with a small clinic, a cozy bungalow, and a charming, thoughtful boyfriend ... until she meets his brother and sparks really fly.

I wanted to read Riverbend Gap because I love Denise Hunter's books. They are like the very best Hallmark movies - cozy and uplifting, with characters you can really like and empathize with.

This is the first book in a series, and I look forward to reading the upcoming books! I really enjoyed Kate and Cooper's story, with an understandably tentative beginning. I also loved the glimpse of small town life, the Appalachian Trail (walking at least part of the trail is on my bucket list), and the story of Kate's search for her birth mother.

I recommend Riverbend Gap for fans of small town fiction, cozy love stories, and relaxing weekend reads.

I’m a huge Denise hunter fan but I struggled with the cheating theme in this book. It hit very different then her other ones. I was honestly disappointed with how she included that in this book, especially as a Christian. I loved the characters but would have really enjoyed them if the circumstances had been different.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book!

Riverbend Gap marks the start of a new trilogy from best-selling author Denise Hunter. Based on the first book, the rest of the series should be awesome.

The story starts with a bang and a car dangling precariously over the side of a ravine. It’s not difficult to understand how in that moment, the woman left hanging on for her life finds herself developing a deep connection to her rescuer. Unfortunately for Katelyn, he’s her boyfriend’s brother. Oh brother. Literally.

Despite all her rest efforts, the two keep getting thrown together, and their bond grows.

This is an extremely tricky scenario to write well. No one likes the idea of a cheater also being a hero. Cooper, sheriffs deputy, most definitely is both. Through the novel, Hunter does an impressive job of showing us real conflict as both Cooper and Katelyn battle to squash their feelings.

We know because this is a Denise Hunter book that there’s going to be a happy ending, but wow, there’s a lot of trouble before we get there, and I did have to email the author to make sure Gavin, the unlucky other brother, gets a happy ending at some point. Phew. We are good.

While the topic may not make for comfortable reading al the time, it’s certainly compelling, and a great story. I definitely recommend the book and cannot wait for the other two in the series.

Riverbend Gap
Grab a copy or read an excerpt of Riverbend Gap…

Visit Denise’s website…

Check out her summer release…

In Mrs. Hunter’s newest release, readers will be taken to a new small town in North Carolina. The setting of this new series is idealist and seemly real. This first book focuses on the main character, Katelyn. The main male character is Cooper. Readers will enjoy reading about Cooper’s family and I hope to learn more about them in the next few books in this series. There are several interesting dynamics in this romantic novel. I enjoyed this book immensely. This book has a perfect combination of hometown and romance to keep readers interested in what happens next. I highly recommend this book and know you will not be disappointed!
***I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. This is my honest opinion. Even though I received this copy free, I have purchased her books before.

Oh man, what a great book. Denise Hunter is one of my 'automatic read' authors, and she does not disappoint with her latest book. Full of great characters, a family you'd want to be a part of, tension (both romantic and community), plus a message of forgiveness... I got sucked into it all. Whew!

Clean with the right amount of swoon. Can't wait to read the other books in the series!

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was a fun one! I'm pretty sure I read it in one night... and lost a lot of sleep to do it.

Katelyn is on her way to meet her boyfriend's family when a deer runs in front of her car. She swerves to miss it and her car ends up on the edge of a cliff. Cooper, a sheriff's deputy, happens to be on the road and is able to call for help. In the meantime the two of them talk in order to get Katelyn's mind off the fact her car is about to fall into the chasm. They create an unexpected bond, which is fine... until they both show up to the dinner and realize this can't work. While denying their feelings for each other to protect Cooper's brother, they are constantly thrown into experiences together.

This was just so cute. It was angsty, it was cute, it was sweet. I really enjoyed this and will have my teenage daughter read it. I think she'll love it too.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Katelyn and Cooper meet during an emergency and feel a connection. Cooper wants to pursue her, until he learns who she’s dating. This story grabs on fast and doesn’t let go. Katelyn and Cooper are great characters, as well as Jeff, Lisa, Avery, Gavin and Beth primarily. We meet a few others during this story as well. Set along the Appalachian Trail, we learn a bit about the trail and its history as the story weaves in and out of the growing feelings of Katelyn and Cooper and the plight of the town, along with the Sheriff’s race. Looking forward to the next book in this series.
A complimentary copy was provided by Thomas Nelson via NetGalley. A review was not require and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Pick up a Denise Hunter book and know you're in for several hours of wonderful! From the characters, to the location, to the storyline, to the depth of emotion, Hunter knows how to play the reader's heartstrings.

Riverbend Gap is book 1 in her new Riverbend series. Katelyn Loveland has pulled up stakes and is moving from Asheville, NC to Riverbend, taking a job as a nurse in the clinic there working for her friend, Avery Robinson. She tells everyone she's making the move to be closer to the man she just started dating, Avery's oldest brother, Gavin, but her real reason is much more complex. When a close encounter with a deer leaves her car teetering on the edge of a cliff, she's sure she's done for. Deputy Cooper Robinson shows up on the scene and stays with her, talking her through the terror, and stealing her heart in the process. How can this ever work when everyone in town knows she's dating Cooper's brother??

Cooper Robinson is known in town as a great deputy, but a serial dater. He's dated nearly every eligible woman in town but never lets it go farther than a date or two. Convinced he's too much like his father - the town drunk - to ever be a family man, Cooper avoids commitment. Running for Sheriff, he's doing his best to show everyone he's a protector at heart, Meeting Kate is a blow. The first woman he falls immediately in love with is already committed to his brother, of all people. Knowing he needs to stay away or lose even more of his heart to her, he avoids family meals using work as an excuse but his family keeps throwing them together. The more time they spend together, the harder he falls and it appears that Kate is falling right with him. How can they ever be together, though, when his whole family is behind Kate being with Gavin?

What a love triangle! Cooper would never dream of hurting his brother, who already endured the loss of his infant son to death, and his wife to divorce. Kate also knows that a romance with Cooper is out of the question. The Robinsons are the first family she has felt a part of since her mother's addiction sent her into foster care. If she breaks up with one brother to date the other, she might as well kiss any relationship with the family goodbye. When everything blows up, can anything ever be right again?

Do I recommend this? Absolutely! Denise Hunter is an "always read" for me, and this story did not disappoint. Readers who love contemporary sweet romance will love Cooper and Kate's story! I highly recommend!!

I was immediately attracted to this book by the beautiful cover and the fact that it is set near the Appalachian Trail, which goes by not too far from where we live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I have also read other stories by Denise Hunter and have thoroughly enjoyed them. Unfortunately, I must say this one was not my favorite. I knew going in, based on the book description, that Cooper inadvertently falls for his brother’s girlfriend. Well, that is sure to start some drama and I was expecting that. However, I did struggle with the way it played out. It just felt off to me, full of betrayal. Maybe I could have picked that up from the book’s description, but I did still want to give it a try as I wondered how it would all play out. I’m sure there are plenty of readers who will enjoy this book because overall it is well written, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and I am leaving an honest and voluntary review.

I kept hearing about this book, I have enjoyed many of her other books, I was happy to read ARC.

Travel to Hot Springs NC and the Appalachian Trail
meet the Robinson family and make some friends, you will want to know them better
This is a new series
I am looking forward to the next book, I want to know more.

This book was a delightful comfort to me as I enjoyed every minute I spent reading it. The story was perfection in the development of characters, This Christian romance will restore your faith in finding pure, sweet love in "down" times in our lives and warm your heart. I cannot recommend this enough and was elated to discover this is the first in a series. I will definitely read the books that will follow.

Denise Hunter is always good for a sweet and inspirational romance story and Riverbend Gap did not disappoint. This is a story of finding home and belonging in the world. I thoroughly enjoyed the romance between the two main characters and can't wait to read the sequels in this series to find out what will happen with some of the side characters included in this novel.

Riverbend Gap
by Denise Hunter
Book 1 in the Riverbend series
Rating: 4/5

"All her life she’d been searching for a place to belong, a person to belong to, and she’d finally found him. But she couldn’t have him."

As someone who enjoys Denise Hunter's books, I was excited to read the first book in a new series. As dramatic as the beginning of the novel was, the rest of the story was all about the aftermath of what happened. I was immediately drawn into the story at the start - talk about an engaging hook.

The chemistry between the two main characters was palpable. I especially loved the hiking trip part. This new family, the Robinsons, was a lovely family that had its faults but still knew how to come together. I'm hoping that the other books will involve the other siblings. The setting of Riverbend sounds amazing - just look at that gorgeous cover! I'm always excited to visit new places through books and I can't wait to read more. I also enjoyed how the author was still able to weave her faith into the story in a nonthreatening way.

“Sometimes family isn’t the situation you’re born into but the people who’ve chosen to love you along the way.”

Highly recommend if you enjoy Christian contemporary romance with small town charm and lots of heart.

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.