When Noah and Josephine Mitchell discover their divorce was never actually finalized, their lives are turned upside down.
Following his divorce, Noah gave up his dream job, settling at a remote horse ranch in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northern Georgia, putting much-needed distance between himself and the former love of his life. But then Noah gets a letter from the IRS claiming he and Josephine are still married. When he confronts Josephine for the first time in months, they discover that she missed the final step in filing the paperwork and they are, in fact, still married.
Josephine is no happier about the news than Noah. Maybe the failed marriage—and okay, the botched divorce—was her fault, but her heart was shattered right alongside his, more than he would ever believe. The sooner they put this marriage behind them, the better for both of their sakes.
But when Josephine delivers the final paperwork to his ranch, the two become stranded in his cottage during the worst spring snowstorm in a decade. Being trapped with Josephine is a test of Noah’s endurance. He wrestles with resentment and an unmistakable pull to his wife—still beautiful, still brave, and still more intriguing than any woman he’s ever known.
As they find themselves confronted with each other and their shared past, old wounds surface and tempers flare. But when they are forced out into the storm, they must rely on each other in a way they never have before. Josephine finally opens up about her tragic past, and Noah realizes she’s never been loved unconditionally by anyone—including him. Will Noah accept the challenge to pursue Josephine’s heart? And can she finally find the courage to trust Noah?
My review:
I have never read a book by Denise Hunter before. Nothing against her, but I just rarely read a book that is just romance. If there is mystery and suspense thrown in, I can handle some romance, but a book that is only romance isn't on my usual reading list. However, I had a friend suggest her books to me, so I decided to review this one when it came up.
In a day when so many marriages are falling apart, even among Christians, it is refreshing to read a book where the couple gets back together. Yeah, that is a spoiler, but one would assume that happens by reading the back cover. This book was also a bit unusual in the fact that it was the woman who cheated and caused the breakup of the marriage, instead of the man. The man in this story was a Christian who remained faithful.
Onto the review: I liked the author's writing style, and the main characters she came up with. She did a great job on the chemistry between them, and the awkwardness that would exist when two people are stuck together who are no longer together as a couple.
The book went back and forth between the past and the present, and I am pretty sure they messed up on the time frame a couple of times, so I was bit confused a couple of times. Even though I assumed Noah and Josephine were going to patch up their differences, it was still enjoyable seeing them get to that point.
All in all, this confirmed bachelor enjoyed this romance book a lot, and plan on reading more from this author.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
About the author:
Denise Hunter is the award-winning author of 30 novels, including The Convenient Groom and A December Bride, which have been made into Hallmark movies.
Denise writes heartwarming, small-town romances. Her readers enjoy the vicarious thrill of falling in love and the promise of a happily-ever-after sigh as they savor the final pages of her books.
Denise lives in Indiana with her husband Kevin and their three sons. In 1996, Denise began her first book, a Christian romance novel, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her books often contain a strong romantic element, and her husband Kevin says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!
Check out her website at DeniseHunterbooks.com.
Sweetbriar Cottage is available from Thomas Nelson Publishing.
Thanks to Booklook Bloggers for the review copy.
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