Hurricane Season

This is SUCH a brilliant book, and on so many levels. I have to preface my review with this: the last time I read a 400 page book in ONE day was.... never! But right from page one, I was drawn in and in and in to the story of these two sisters who on the surface are so different, but under the surface they hold a loving history and bond. The first level of this book is beautifully written- believable characters whom I cared about from the beginning and whose needs and desires on so many levels kept me swiping page after page on my iPad screen. Not only believable characters, but a finely tuned plot that keeps us wondering until the end who is going to make their dreams come true and who is not going to be able to, and what they will do when they can't.

On a whole other, deeper level, this book made me think about so many things: the storms we all weather and how we do so, the dreams that we plant that may never come to fruition and how we deal with that, the art of photography and seeing beneath what everyone else sees, and also the tender yet infinitely strong bond of a loving marriage and how that is weathered through the years.

I was able to read a digital version of this book for free from NetGalley, and am grateful to the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The cover art captured my attention...but the story captured by heart. Loved it. So will you. Five stars.

In Ms. Denton’s latest release, Hurricane Season, she tells the story of two sisters. In this book she examines their past and how they got to where they are now and how they currently are. This book reveals the relationships of the people connected to the sisters and the impacts they have made on their choices and lives. This was the first time that I have read a book by Ms. Denton, but it will not be my last. This book is refreshing and uplifting. The story of healing and how to get through difficult times is a great example of how we all should live in this imperfect world. I highly recommend you read this book!
***I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest opinion. Even though I received this copy free, this is my own opinion.

Hurricane Season is the perfect vacation read! Denton weaves an excellent story of love, heartache, and hope that make it impossible not to root for Betsy and Jenna (the main characters). This book is an easy and relaxing read that leaves you feeling refreshed! I highly recommend and will be buying to give to various friends and families for their summer read!

Once in a while I will cherry-pick through my list to find the book that's "just right" for my mood. Hurricane Season was THE book that happened to fit that bill perfectly. It's actually two books melded into one. Betsy and Jenna lead very different lives, even though they are sisters. Betsy is married to Ty and works at helping him on the dairy farm. Jenna is not married, but she has two lovely daughters and works at a coffee shop. When opportunity knocks on Jenna's door to go to an artist's retreat, she dumps her daughters off on her childless sister for eight weeks.

There is no "romance" in this book, per se, but there is the discovery of love between sisters, between Betsy and Jenna's children, between Ty and Jenna's children, and the renewal of love between Ty and Betsy. The interactions of the characters make the book. Lauren K Denton knows how to bring the characters to life and make the book believable. I love the way she develops her plots and weaves them together. This is a five star book, two thumbs up, and a safe place to be during a hurricane.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read and review this book.

I wanted to keep readibg! What a warm, Home oriented, family driven novel. It's a hard call to determine what I liked best. I think I enjoyed how warm and open each character were to each other. Book of the year.

I received an ARC copy of Hurricane Season. Lauren K Denton is the real deal author. Her 2nd novel does not disappoint. A moving story about the relationship 2 sisters have, the trials they are each enduring that tie them together in the end. The backdrop of the family farm in Alabama brings you into the story to teach you about the dedication it takes along with the appreciation of hard work on a dairy farm. Her words on the page convey the struggles of infertility, the bond sisters can have while overcoming long held differences and the basic love family can give us.

Hurricane Season is really a beautiful book and that's not just the cover, I'm talking about. Its a book about two sisters that are very different. Jenna was a wild child, now a single mom and Betsy is a farmer's wife, and the more stable of the two.



Each are in very different parts of their lives.



The sister scenario is something I'm seeing a lot of lately in books, especially with sisters that are polar opposites. Neither are exceptionally likable. They are both very human and the reader should feel a certain amount of pity for each of them. Jenna, because her life is not very put together, but she is trying, while having two small daughters to take care of and it seems her dreams of being a photographer are slipping away.



Betsy is the stable one, trying desperately to have a child with her husband, Ty. Because of a photography camp, she finds herself with her sister's kids for the summer. This is both a joy and a trial for her.



I loved experiencing both women as they grow through those months, whether that growth be for career or family. By the end of the book, you will find yourself really caring for both women and their families. I especially loved Ty, Betsy's husband, but its the children in this book that steal the show and are the reason the adults all become better people. Addie and Walsh were perfectly quirky kids. (I would have loved to have a story behind that child's name).



The ending was bittersweet. It wraps things up but leaves things open at the same time. Part of me wants Ms. Denton to revisit these characters somewhere down the line, because I want to know what happens to them. Will Jenna and Sam finally try a relationship? Will she succeed with her photography? Will Betsy and Ty become blessed with a child of their own?



I adored this book.

Hurricane Season by Lauren K. Denton is a fabulous read. The story is about relationships, family, sibling misunderstandings, marital stressors. farming, hope and love. Ms. Denton has wonderful character development. These are characters that you will want as friends. It is a poignant story of family ties and the messiness of life. The story is told from the three main characters perspectives.

As we all know Hurricanes can bring great destruction. If one waxes poetic it can also be a time to see what can survive such strong winds and rain. Lauren K. Denton entwines a story of healing and discovery with a wonderfully written setting. The scenery is so wonderful that it actually becomes an additional character.

As a reader you feel the growth of the characters and their journey of acceptance and reconciliation. You feel involved in their losses, their worries and their joys. C I loved that this story was hopeful and shows you that sometimes in life your dreams change. This would be a terrific beach read. This is my first Lauren K. Denton novel and she will definitely be on my list of writers to will follow.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Lauren K Denton and the publisher ThomasNelson for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emotional, well-written, with a little suspense mixed in for good measure.

Ty and Betsy Franklin are owners of the Franklin Dairy in Alabama. Ty knew he wanted to take over his grandfather’s farm since he was fifteen, but it took a lot of hard work and sacrifice. Betsy sacrificed a lot too, including her promising career in marketing to be with the man she fell in love with. Together they’ve brought the farm into the modern era, but still have problems that come and go. One problem they never planned on was being unsuccessful at having children, which tears at Betsy’s heart through their whole marriage. That all changes when Betsy’s sister Jenna calls out of the blue asking Betsy to watch her two girls for two weeks while she goes on a writing retreat in Florida. Jenna is a free spirit to say the least. She never measured up to her parent’s expectations and once she was in college, she jumped from one adventure to the next, leaving her a single mom who currently manages a coffee shop. Jenna who never wanted kids has two and Betsy who yearns for kids has none. As the days with the girls continue, things begin to get strained in her and Ty’s marriage. As hurricane season approaches, they must prepare the farm for the storm but may face one even greater in their relationship.

This book really stirred up my emotions. My heart yearned for Betsy as she went through her life often defeated because she couldn’t have kids. The things she felt and some of her actions really hit home hard because we all struggle and do things that don’t make sense to anyone but ourselves. Then in retrospect, we can look back and question why we even did those things in the first place. It was this attribute that really brought Betsy to life for me. Ty came alive quickly as well. His loving heart towards his wife was wonderful, but he still got frustrated with her and would just shut down at times because he didn’t know what to do or what to say. It was like this was based on a real life marriage. In many instances, I understood how each character felt thinking through my own marriage. Jenna reminds me of a few women in my life. Doing what she did seems completely abnormal to me, but I know a few people that wouldn’t think otherwise. It was easy to put faces to the characters and see the whole book acted out in front of me.

This book could easily be a case study for groups to read about and reflect on the behavior. I recommend it to all who love a good story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the honor of reading such a good book.

This is one of the very best books ever. Set in AL on a dairy farm.
Ty and Betsy have been in love since they both went to Auburn University in AL. Her parents had different plans for her but love won. He is a dairy farmer who takes over his grandfathers farm even though his dad wanted him to follow in his footsteps. They have a very nice farm and home but no children. There is no medical reason for them not having a child. They both want children, it’s just not in the stars for them. Ty finally makes Betsy understand that although having a child would be great, he loves her and always will.

Jenna is Betsy’s younger sister. She has two adorable girls, Walsh who is 3 and Addie who is 5. Jenna works hard as a barista and spends all of her free time with her girls. She has coffee each day that she works, except weekends, with Sam. Sam is just a guy who’s coffee pot stopped working and decided to stop in for coffee. He was attracted to Jenna so started coming for coffee each morning. They spend all of 10 minutes together each day. Her girls are her reason for everything good in her life. She loves them unconditionally and is a very good mother. She gets a chance to go to a retreat in FL called Halcyon to be mentored by another photographer. He’s done lots of work for big time magazines and helps her more than she thought possible.

Jenna calls Betsy to see if she will keep the girls for 2 weeks, which turns into 2 months. Ty is upset at first that Betsy didn’t consult him first but he also loves the girls and will do anything for Betsy. He’s only trying to protect her from being hurt.

This is a book about self discovery, hope, love, understanding, patience, photography, farming, children, neighbors and family. One that will keep you turning the pages until the very end. It’s about a hurricane that comes through and how family and neighbors stick together. Help each other. I hated so bad for it to end. It was one that sure will make you stop and think about life. Appreciate the life you have. It’s a love story but not one that is just about a couple, it’s about lots of people who work together for the sake of friendship. It will touch your heart in ways you won’t see coming. I wish there would be a sequel in a way. I’d love to read more about Jenna and also Betsy and Ty. I believe Jenna and Sam end up together. I also believed Betsy and Ty have that child they both deserve and want to bad. This book will make you believe in life. The good parts of life.

I loved it and highly recommend it. I had to give it a 5 star rating and will read more books by this author.

this was a book I finished in multiple sittings because I couldn't put it down! Once again, Lauren brngs us a story that grabs the reader from the first page and keeps you hoked. I admit, I had a feeling where the ending was going, and had hopes for a different take, off the normal path, but that wasn't to be. Lauren's books are like modern fairy tales for adults, and as such require a traditional type ending. In my head I had another one I could see unfold, and that is part of the magic of books- you get so hooke don the characters, that you can see different paths for them! This is the perfect book for Spring break, or to take on vacation, so make sure you grab a copy and read it! It will restore your faith in sisterhood and love!

Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. A truly wonderful read about family, sisters, and hopes and dreams! Sisters and their families looking for happiness as they struggle with what is possible, what to fight for and what to let go of. A great family drama plays out all while Hurricane Ingrid aims to possibly cause great destruction.

An endearing read , perfect for a peaceful weekend !!. The basis of this story is 2 sisters Betsy and Jenna who mean everything to each other growing up and the sisters couldn't be closer but life steps in and without realising they grow distant and by not talking about the unspoken hurts they feel it pushes them even further apart. Betsy's husband Ty and Jenna.s adorable children Addie and Walsh only add to make this book more even more enchanting. 100% recommend !!