Today’s book review features
Autumn Skies by Denise Hunter.
Book Blurb
Facing the past is easier if you don’t have to face it alone.
The Bluebell Inn is turning a profit, and it’s time for the Bennett siblings to sell it and move on. Only Grace has plans to stay in the small lake town of Bluebell, North Carolina, where she hopes her growing outfitters business will save her from the loneliness of her siblings’ departure and the persistent sense of unworthiness in her life.
A gunshot wound resurrects the past for Secret Service agent Wyatt Jennings, and a mandatory leave of absence lands him in Bluebell. There he must come to grips with the tragedy that altered his life fourteen years ago.
When Wyatt books a room at the Bluebell Inn, sparks fly between him and Grace. She volunteers to be his mountain guide, and he soon opens up to her, drawn to her strength and sense of humor. But both are reticent to talk about the survivor’s guilt they each carry, and when their pasts finally collide, their budding romance might not survive the truth.
From the bestselling author of The Convenient Groom and A December Bride (now beloved Hallmark Original movies) comes the third and final novel in the Bluebell Inn series.
From Goodreads
Author Information
Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 35 novels, three of which have been made into Hallmark movies. She has appeared on the The 700 club and won awards such as The Holt Medallion Award, The Carol Award, The Reader’s Choice Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist.
Denise writes heartwarming, small-town love stories, peopled with layered characters who struggle with real-life issues. Her readers enjoy the experience of falling in love vicariously through her characters and can expect a happily-ever-after sigh as they close the pages of her books.
In 1996, inspired by the death of her grandfather, Denise began her first book, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she’s been writing ever since. Her husband says he inspires all her romantic stories, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!
When Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking coffee, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband are currently enjoying an empty nest.
From Author Website
Danielle’s Review
Autumn Skies is the third book in Denise Hunter’s Bluebell Inn Romance series. This contemporary romance can stand alone, though the characters from the previous two books make significant appearances. In Autumn Skies, Grace and Wyatt work together to find a location from Wyatt’s past only to discover the past holds more secrets than they realized.
Grace is the youngest Bennett and her siblings want to sell the inn they own. Grace has her own business, so she’s determined to use her shares of the sale to buy her own building and embark as a full fledged small business owner. Wyatt is a Secret Service Agent who is recovering from a gunshot wound and the psychological baggage it unearthed.
I was rooting for the characters from the start, especially with Grace’s sunny disposition. The hiking parts were especially fun to read. I found the story majored more on the physical attraction than I generally care for in a book, but the emotional depth was there, too, which I especially loved. I think that made the ending more satisfying.
If you’re looking for a contemporary romance set in a small town with a fallish setting, try Autumn Skies.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. 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 | Indiebound
Goodreads | Bookbub