Book Review | Bookshop by the Sea

Books Review, Novels, Romance, Writing Spot

Today’s book review features

Bookshop by the Sea by Denise Hunter.

Book Blurb

Sophie Lawson should be enjoying her sister’s wedding day. But nothing could have prepared her to see the best man again.

After her mother became bedridden and her father bailed on the family, Sophie found herself serving as a second mother to her twin brother, Seth, and younger sister, Jenna. Sophie supported her siblings through their college years, putting aside her own dream of opening a bookshop in Piper’s Cove—the quaint North Carolina beach town they frequented as children.

Now it’s finally time for Sophie to follow her own pursuits. Seth has a new job, and Jenna is set to marry her college beau in Piper’s Cove. But the destination wedding reunites Sophie with best man Aiden Maddox, her high school sweetheart who left her without a backward glance.

When an advancing hurricane strands Aiden in Piper’s Cove after the wedding, he finds the hotels booked to capacity and has to ask Sophie to put him up until the storm passes. As the two ride out the weather, old feelings rise to the surface. The delay also leaves Sophie with mere days to get her bookshop up and running. Can she trust Aiden to stick around? And will he find the courage to risk his heart?

From Goodreads

Author Information

Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 35 books, three of which have been adapted into Hallmark movies. When Denise isn’t orchestrating love on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, playing drums, and reading as much as humanly possible. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband have raised three boys and are currently enjoying an empty nest.

From Author Website

Danielle’s Review

Bookshop by the Sea by Denise Hunter caught my attention based on the title alone. I haven’t read many if any books by this author, so I wanted to give this book a try.

It was an entertaining read even though the two characters—Sophia and Aiden—have a past filled with misunderstanding and a lack of considering the other. It did seem to have more focus on the physical side of romance than I usually prefer. In fact, it seemed physical attraction was the only thing tying these two together. I’m not overly fond of those types of romances, so this book wasn’t quite for me.

The hurricane and bookstore aspects I loved. The ending, unfortunately, felt contrived and rushed. It just seemed like the two characters didn’t fit together. There was so much potential in this story, it just didn’t quite reach to what I hoped for in reading it. Perhaps it will fit your reading preferences better than mine.


I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and JustRead Publicity Tours. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC guidelines.

Retail Links

*Affiliate links, I may receive a commission based on purchases

Amazon* | BN.com


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *