Title: Carolina Breeze
Author: Denise Hunter
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: #2 Bluebell Inn
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release date: 19 May 2020
Pages: 336
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About the Book
A jilted bride. A struggling innkeeper. And a romantic mountain getaway that changes everything
Rising Hollywood star Mia Emerson is looking for a safe place to land in the wake of a public breakup and celebrity scandal, and she finds it in the lake town of Bluebell, North Carolina—the location of her canceled honeymoon. She wants nothing more than to hide and wait for the tabloids to die down.
Soon after her arrival at the Bluebell Inn, Mia meets Levi Bennett, who runs the inn along with his two younger sisters. Drawn to one another from the start, Mia trusts Levi to keep her location from the press, and Levi confides in Mia about the precarious financial state of the inn—a secret he’s been keeping from his sisters.
When Mia and Levi discover an old journal that hints at a rare diamond necklace hidden in the inn, they set off on a treasure hunt to find the long-lost heirloom. What they don’t expect to surface are feelings they thought were safely locked away. Mia and Levi must decide if falling in love again is too big a risk—or if it will uncover a treasure of its own instead.
Excerpt
Mia set the drinks in the cup holders as Sophie pulled out into traffic. A car behind them honked.
“What’s going on?” Dread had leaked into Mia’s bloodstream, causing a rush of adrenaline. She scanned her friend’s face, but other than tightness at the corners of her eyes she looked normal. “What’s happened? Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. It’s not me.”
“Not your mom.” Mia had hired Lettie after her own mother had passed and had seen her moments ago on the way out the door.
“No, she’s fine.” Sophie had the steering wheel in a death grip. “Mia . . . tell me what happened last night. At the wrap party.”
Oh, the wrap party. Someone must’ve seen what Jax did and told Sophie. She had a lot of friends in the business. Mia sighed. “I was going to tell you over coffee. Jax had too much to drink. I went outside to get a ride home, and he followed me. He came out of nowhere and laid one on me. I feel just awful, Soph. I told you I sensed something while we were filming, but he never made a move on me before.”
“So . . . it wasn’t mutual?”
Mia gaped at Sophie. “Of course it wasn’t mutual. He’s a married man. I’d never do that.”
“Sorry. Sorry, I do know that.” She tossed Mia a sheepish look. “But he is Jax Jordan. And he does have that dimpled grin. And that sexy cleft in his chin.”
“Don’t forget the perpetual five o’clock shadow. But he’s married. Anyway, who told you? I didn’t think anyone saw.”
Sophie gave her a look that made her tremble from the inside out. “Oh, Mia. I don’t know how to tell you this.”
“Tell me what? You’re scaring me.”
Sophie turned onto Mia’s street and began the winding uphill drive. She slid Mia a sympathetic look. “Someone snapped a picture, honey, and it’s on a celeb page.”
Mia sucked in a breath. But the kiss had lasted all of one second before she’d pushed him away. It couldn’t be that bad.
Sophie handed Mia her phone, already opened to the Hollywood Reporter website. The headline screamed, “MIA STEALS EMMA’S MAN!”Taken from Carolina Breeze by Denise Hunter
Copyright © 2020 by Denise Hunter
Used by permission of http://www.thomasnelson.com/
Review
Although there wasn’t anything particularly original about the way this story unfolded, reading Carolina Breeze was a pleasant way to spend a few hours. It had several elements I enjoy in contemporary romance—the family dynamic between Levi and his two sisters, an idyllic location, and even a little mystery thrown in. Add in a Hollywood star on the run from scandal and you’ve got a little something extra to add some spice!
Mia and Levi were generally likeable characters, but for me, they were missing that extra something that would have taken them beyond romance book characters to life-like characters. Too, there were aspects of Levi’s character that I felt didn’t quite gel, in particular the way he went about taking on so much responsibility for the success of the inn and his sisters’ futures. The sense of responsibility itself wasn’t my issue so much as the way he acted on that sense of responsibility, which didn’t always feel natural for his character. But I enjoyed the way he and Mia slowly warmed to each other, and there’s plenty in their story to satisfy romance lovers.
For those who have read the first book in the series (I haven’t, but this book stands well on its own), there is a little bit of a continuation to Molly and Adam’s story as well. In theory, I didn’t mind this little sub-plot being woven in, but the way it played out felt contrived for the sake of added drama. Perhaps if I had read the previous book and therefore knew those characters better it would have seemed more believable, but it didn’t work for me.
Still, an enjoyable read overall, sure to satisfy many contemporary romance lovers.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.
About the Author
Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 25 books, including A December Bride and The Convenient Groom, which have been adapted into original Hallmark Channel movies. She has won The Holt Medallion Award, The Reader’s Choice Award, The Carol Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist. When Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking green tea, and playing drums.
Connect with Denise: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
I am enjoying this series and did read the first book. YOu are right, there is some character development in the first book that leads into this one, so I am glad I have read them both, even though this can be read as a standalone. Nice review.