Title: Bookshop by the Sea by Denise Hunter
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Contemporary, Christian, Romance
Length: 335 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
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?
Review:
Bookshop by the Sea by Denise Hunter is a sweet second chance at love romance.
Sophie Lawson stepped up and took charge of her twin brother, Seth and their younger sister Jenna after their mother’s illness worsened. Now all of them are in their twenties, Jenna is marrying her fiancé and Seth has his first post-college job. Sophie is on the verge of opening her much dreamed about bookshop in cozy, seaside town Piper’s Cove. She has no regrets about everything she sacrificed for her family and she is eager for this next stage in her life. When she comes face to face with her former high school sweetheart, Aiden Maxwell, her hurt and anger rise to the surface. But their meeting also stirs her old feelings about him too. Is Sophie willing to risk her heart on Aiden again?
Aiden has never really taken a hard look at the reasons he ended their relationship. The risk he took when he was offered the chance of a lifetime back then has paid off. But after seeing Sophie again, Aiden realizes that he has never gotten over her. While helping her get her bookshop ready for grand opening, he would like to give their relationship a second chance. But their past seems to playing out all over again in the present. Will they resolve their issues now they are adults?
Both Sophie and Aiden have issues arising from their childhoods that they have yet to resolve. While Sophie is slow to realize the changes she needs to make, once she becomes aware of them, she takes much needed action. Aiden’s kneejerk reaction stems from his need to protect himself from getting hurt. Will their respective baggage prevent them from finding their happily ever after?
Piper’s Cove is a beautiful setting and the town springs vividly to life. It is a close-knit community and Sophie is delighted at the friendships she is forging. But she comes to truly appreciate the town when the residents rally around her and give her assistance when she needs it most.
Bookshop by the Sea is a heartwarming romance with a storyline that deals with true to life issues. Sophie and Aiden are wonderfully drawn, incredibly likable characters. Their reticence to become involved again is understandable. Despite the passage of time, their feelings for one another in the present are believable. Piper’s Cove is easy to visualize and its residents are very easy to like. The heartfelt conclusion is very uplifting and the epilogue is an absolute joy.
Old and new fans of Denise Hunter are going to absolutely love Sophie and Aiden’s story.
