Romance and old secrets beckon in this small North Carolina lake town. When her parents die in a tragic accident, Molly Bennett and her siblings pull together to fulfill their parents’ dream of turning their historic Bluebell, North Carolina, home back into an inn. Staying in town would be temporary–three years at most–then they plan to sell the inn, and Molly can get back to chasing her own … chasing her own dreams.
Adam Bradford (aka bestselling author Nathaniel Quinn) is a reclusive novelist with a bad case of writer’s block. Desperate for inspiration as his deadline approaches, he travels to the setting of his next book, a North Carolina lake town. There, he meets his muse, a young innkeeper who fancies herself in love with his alter ego.
Molly and Adam strike up an instant friendship. When Molly finds a long-lost letter in the walls of her inn, she and Adam embark on a mission to find the star-crossed lovers and bring them the closure they deserve. But Adam has secrets he isn’t ready to share. Past and present collide as truths surface, and Molly and Adam will have to decide if love is worth trusting.
“Nobody does summer romance better than Denise Hunter.” –JULIE LESSMAN, award-winning author
- Full-length romance novel
- Includes Discussion Questions for Book Clubs
- First book in the Bluebell Inn Romance series
- Book One: Lake Season
- Book Two: Carolina Breeze (available May 2020)
- Book Three: Autumn Skies (available October 2020)
more
I have never met a Denise Hunter book that I didn’t absolutely fall in love with and Lake Season is no exception to that rule. This book is the first in her newest series titled the Bluebell Inn Romance. An added bonus for me is the story takes place in North Carolina, the state I call home.
After losing their parents in a car accident, three siblings continue their parents dream of turning their home into an inn. This book centers around the middle daughter of the family, Molly. The inn is about to open and now enters their first guest, Adam Bradford. Unknown to Molly, Adam is really her favorite author who writes under the pen name Nathaniel Gray and has come to Bluebell looking for inspiration for his next novel. During the time Adam is staying at the inn, Molly finds a mysterious love letter in the wall of the inn because the building used to be the town post office. Molly and Adam set off on a mission of tracking down the author and recipient of that letter while getting closer to each other in the process.
I can’t say too much more for fear of giving away too much information, but this is a must read for lovers of a fun contemporary romance. Somehow I just loved that Molly is an avid reader who is falling in love with an author that she doesn’t know is an author. That as well as many other surprises are in store for readers of this novel.
Carolina Breeze, the second in the series, is due for release in May of 2020. The next installment centers around Levi, the oldest sibling. Can’t wait to read that one!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Net Galley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
This was a great story to begin Denise Hunter‘s new Series. The characters were well defined and very likable. The story deals with sudden loss of loved ones, betrayal of former beau, secret identities, and feeling of unworthiness. All through love, forgiveness and faith. The element of finding a long list love letter was a great part of the story. Working together to solve the mystery, helps everyone come to an understanding of their own insecurities. So many life lessons to be learned. I love reading the uplifting books Denise Hunter writes and this one is a good one!!
Finishing the book last night, I felt as if I had said goodbye to friends, living in a community I could picture so well. I have read several of Denise Hunter’s books and find her plot development so interesting, with delightful twists and turns, and wonderful character development. I would definitely recommend this book.
Enjoyed the North Carolina lake setting. Plot had a good twist.
Lake Season is Denise Hunter at her best! It is a faith-based, inspiring, sweet and sometimes bitter-sweet story. It is actually two love stories—one present (Molly and Adam) and one past (Lizzie and Ben)—with some of the same struggles including self-worth, insecurity, and trust. I am usually not a fan of a “going back to the past” story within a present day story and most times find this format distracting and confusing; however, Ms. Hunter has flawlessly executed both stories into an easy to read, flowing narrative. All the characters are engaging, real, and well-developed. You can feel their emotions! Descriptive details transport the reader to the Bluebell Inn and the North Carolina lake area. This book kept my interest from beginning to end. The major plot twist toward the end was delightful. I highly recommend this book.
Well done dual time line story. Fortunately, the Lizzie and Ben past portions were kept somewhat brief, adding to the overall story. I loved that Adam was relatable and not perfect (which he kind of was especially with his insecurities). I liked that God was part of their lives but the story was not at all preachy. And of course, it was a well done romance between Adam and Molly.
I want to start by saying that Thomas Nelson addicted me to Christian Romances. I want to read every book from them …. LOL
Lake Season became my favorite in the genre this year, first because I loved Denise HUnter’s writing and second because the story is so sweet and smooth and made me (after years not doing this) turning the night on reading. I went to sleep at 3 am today so anxious to know how the story of Molly and Adam would end.
Molly is starting a new phase of her life with her siblings, a phase she would prefer to be quite different for sure. By losing their parents in a car accident, they will drop all their plans to put their parents’ dream of turning the house into a inn.
The renovation work was great as it helped Molly focus on something other than mourning. Her first guest arrives at a time when they were not yet open but because of the high season she pities him and agrees to help until he can rent a house on the lake.
The He in question is Adam a famous writer who hides under the pseudonym Nathaniel Quinn and who after talking to his mother about a creative block, she suggests he go to the idyllic city of Bluebell. But he didn’t know how his life will change after that.
Molly and Adam engage in a beautiful friendship quickly, but their insecurity and her trsut issues can shake what could be a great love. Together they start a project of finding the protagonists from a love letter that she found during the renovation. I confess that sometimes I wanted to go into the book and shake Molly a lot, but in the end she redeems herself wonderfully. Adam in return is so perfectly flawed, so cuddly, so kind and devoted that I almost steal him for me.
This book completely dredged me, I couldn’t let go until I saw Happily Ever After happen, and I was amazed at everything that happens until this magical moment really comes. A book about forgiveness, second chances, about finding your strength, about enjoying every moment with people that you love, and about not letting small issues get in the way of happiness.
I already want the books of Molly’s siblings, especially Levi, maybe their friends too Skye and Jordan. Please, Denise!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
This is a magical romance and family drama. Molly, Levi and Grace Bennett have lost their parents in a tragic accident and resolve to fulfill their dream of turning their historic old house into an inn. Adam Bradford arrives in North Carolina hoping to reawaken the inner talent that he as a writer that seems to be escaping him. Little does Molly know that he is an author whom she greatly admires since he keeps his other identity hidden. As the renovations continue, Molly finds an old letter in the walls of the house and she and Adam partner up to find the lovers involved in the letter. There is plenty of family drama and romance and a tad of mystery surrounding the letter. What I found most intriguing was the development of the love story between Molly and Adam. The characters were realistic, the setting was wonderful and the entire book was a quick read that pulled on my heartstrings. Fans of romance will enjoy this book for sure!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Lake Season by Denise Hunter is so sweet and romantic. When the hero spoke Italian to the heroine without knowing she understood, I swooned right then and there. I loved everything about this book, the story, the adorable characters, the hop back in time, but mostly the sweet romance. Sigh. The ending was amazing and I can’t wait until the next book.
*I was given a copy of this book by Thomas Nelson and this is my honest opinion.
This was an amazing story with a plot that is a puzzle until all the pieces fit together perfectly. It is in present time and scenes from the past. Denise Hunter has great skills in writing to pull the reader in immediately and keep their interest high throughout the book. Her characters are very well developed and I cared about them deeply. The setting is described in such detail that I felt like I was actually visiting Bluebell, North Carolina.
The story has many themes running throughout. The one I think that stands out the most is people pulling together for a common goal, knowing that life is precious and can change with a blink of an eye.
I enjoyed this book so much! It is the first in a new series and I am looking forward to the future books.
I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas Nelson – Fiction, for allowing me the great pleasure of reading this book. This is another deeply moving story to add to Denise Hunter’s collection. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I enjoyed this sweet, heartwarming first book in series centering around a trio of siblings who tragically lose both parents and step up to open an inn in NC that was their parent’s dream.
This is Molly’s love story but also includes a second love story dating back to 1962. As Molly and Adam work together to locate the intended recipient of a lost letter discovered at the inn (previously post office), they slowly begin to lower their defenses and learn to trust and love again.
Would definitely read the next in series.
Thanks to #ThomasNelson and #NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.
3.5 stars
“Mi piacerebbe molto discutere di libri con te. ”
“I would very much like to discuss books with you”. . . . “He said the sweetest things”, even though Adam Bradford had no idea that Molly was actually quite fluent in Italian and understand every single thing that he was supposedly telling himself. The more time that she spent with the reclusive researcher who was residing in her family’s inn for the duration of the summer, the more endearing he became. Especially when he turned his full attention on a little research project of their own.
“He found her gift of gab charming and was envious of her easy way with people.”
Molly Bennett had become his muse. Author Adam Bradford had travelled to the small lake town of Bluebell, North Carolina hoping to escape a serious attack of writer’s block and his publisher’s impending deadlines. After all, it was the area where his mother had enjoyed staying while researching her ancestry. Since his best selling novels were written under a pseudonym, he knew it would be tricky to hide his true identity from the gregarious, and quite lovely innkeeper, (who just so happened to love his books) but Adam was totally unprepared for the price he would have to pay to bare open his heart.
What a lovely story! The setting is quaint, but believable and the characters practically jump off the page, they are so appealing. The strength of this story though is in the full realization that God, in fact does, work all things together for good. . . . . .even when the truth hurts.
In Lake Season, siblings Molly, Levi, and Grace Bennett decide to fulfill their parents dream of renovating their large, old home and turning it into an inn after their parents’ untimely deaths. During the renovation, Molly finds an old letter stuck in the wall where the mail slot used to be when the building was a post office. When she opens and reads it, she discovers a beautiful letter written by a woman who was sorry for a falling out she had with the man she loved, asking for his forgiveness and for him to return to her. Molly is instantly drawn in, and she enlists the aid of Adam Bradford, a man staying at the inn who she has begun a friendship with, to help her try to track down the woman who wrote the letter and the man who never received it. As they work together on this project, their friendship begins to develop into something deeper, but Adam has a secret that might destroy what he’s built with Molly.
I really enjoyed reading Lake Season. Once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down. I had to know what was going to happen next. I appreciated that both Molly and Adam struggled with issues that a lot of people really do struggle with — trust issues due to being hurt by people’s lies in the past and feelings of inadequacy, feeling that your just not good enough due to not getting the acceptance you need from a parent. I could so easily identify with both characters. The story line was also exciting, jumping back in time to give us insight into the lives of the letter writer and intended recipient. And I loved the way Molly and Adam’s search ended. It was a twist that I didn’t see coming. Overall, I thought Lake Season was an interesting, exciting story full of hope and love.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Searching for love and belonging:
Lake Season is a delightful book that combines mystery, intrigue, heartache and of course love. I liked the dual time frames and the unraveling of the mystery behind the lost letter. What an amazing coincidence the ending turned out to be – yet there are never actually any coincidences with God, are there? I also enjoyed reading about the author’s personal connection of a surprise find when they renovated their own lakeside home!
The depth of emotions explored were complex, authentic and totally relatable. One of the main themes of the book is about how fear can hold you back and having courage to overcome this in order to follow the path the Lord has laid out. How sometimes you just have to trust another person so that you can find true love.
I look forward to reading forthcoming books in the series in order to discover the remaining Bennett sibling’s stories.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
Lake Season by Denise Hunter has a little bit of backflash to show the story that Molly and Adam are trying to find dealing with the letter. The romance was cute. What girl wouldn’t want to meet her favorite author, especially if it is a guy writing romantic heroes worth swooning over? Molly and Adam’s romance had its up and downs. But they stuck it out and earned their happily ever after. As for the plot, the idea of hunting for a missing letters owner to try to figure out if Benjamin ever heard how LIzzie really felt about him was interesting to see. The story worked itself out by the end of the pages. The idea of grief from losing parents suddenly really hit home for me. I really enjoyed the scene where Molly was crying in her parents’ bedroom. The hurt doesn’t go away like many authors portray in their novels. We, who have lost a parent suddenly, lost learn how to cope with every day. Not that we don’t think of them and miss them all the time. Overall, Lake Season was a fun read that I think fans of contemporary romances will love. It was well-written and a nice way to spend a couple of hours.
I received complimentary copy of Lake Season by Denise Hunter from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.
I’ve come to realize that I love nerdy heroes and Adam is certainly that!
Another great read by Denise Hunter!
Awwwwwww
That’s what I did when I read the last word. It was a beautiful one.
It takes God’s help and great skill to weave a couple of topics into a beautiful story. That was what Denise did.
She was able to weave insecurities like lack of acceptance especially from parents to fear taking deep roots in a person’s life and influencing their every decision, to reunion, to love and most especially a book inside a book. Ahhhh! It was thrilling and beautiful.
Okay here is it.
Molly! The delightful, fearful Molly. Well we couldn’t blame her after all she had gone through fear was bound to take roots in her life but I blew out of proportions when she met the nerdy Adam. He came with his own baggage that pushed him into a life of insecurities and isolation until events both of them never saw happening changed everything.
The most beautiful part of this story was the both of the individually coming to a place of sincerity, and the decision to trust God over what they see and feel. Yes, that was the defining moments for the both of them to believe that “All things work together for the good of those who love God…” The good, the hurtful, the bad, the lies, the ugly… All things.
It took a lot of prayers, God’s word, friends and God’s Providence but it happened.
One other thing I loved about the book was the staggering effects actions have to change the whole course of a life.
Lake Season is not a book you should read in a hurry. It is a book you take your time and read while taking notes.
Here’s what I want everyone who reads my review to know. It’s okay that they left, it’s okay to feel that pain of death or separation, it’s okay that you both are apart or broken up, it’s okay when things go wrong and you can’t control them. It’s okay because you are in God and now in your confusion, complications and pain, more than ever All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose. He has a plan. His Providence is still at work. It’s okay to wait for, on and in Him. It is okay!
I received a copy of the book and this is my honest opinion.
Who doesn’t love a story with an unconventional hero? Lake Season has one of those and so much more to enjoy.
Denise Hunter takes a popular romance trope or two—mistaken identity and a search for information about the writer of a found letter—and turns it into something completely unique.
Molly is such a likable character with her love of reading and propensity to ramble and overshare. Adam is quiet and reserved but kind and caring (as evidenced by his interactions with his friend, his mother, and Molly).
There’s also an additional storyline centered around the letter, making Lake Season a split time read. And the way it all comes together, in the end, left me sighing contentedly.
I’m already looking forward to catching up with Adam, Molly, the other Bennett siblings, and what’s happening at the Bluebell Inn in the next book in Hunter’s series.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
The beginning of the book got me right away. I felt a sense of anxiety as the siblings tried to do what was best for the inn and everyone involved. Losing their parents was a shock, but now they had an eighteen year old sister to consider. As they work to reopen the inn they find themselves drawing closer as a family. I loved how they decided that the best way to honor their parents was to work together and allow God to heal their wounds.
Getting to know Molly was a wonderful treat. She has carried around so much guilt since her parents died unexpectedly. We are not guaranteed one moment on this earth and Molly now has to live with the regrets about her relationship with her parents. Her breakup with Dominic has caused her to keep people at arms length. It is as though she has built a wall up so she can’t get hurt. The fear she has of getting close to someone could cost her finding true love.
Adam was my favorite character because he is a humble man who values life and friendship. I loved how the author included how much Molly and Adam both loved to read. They had many interesting conversations that developed into a real friendship. He has always felt like his dad was not proud of him and carries around the feeling that he is not good enough. The emotions in the story are so well written I could feel the pain and self doubt both characters had.
The story is a time slip where we encounter two people hopelessly in love. These characters bring a depth to the story and a romance that digs deep into the soul. A lost letter that is discovered will change lives and give hope, peace and closure to some. I have to say that this is one of the best books written by this author. She captures human feelings and expands on how our emotions can dictate wrong decisions. I loved going back and forth in time and couldn’t wait to find out the ending of the story.
Fear plays a big part in the story as well as secrets. We think that if we hide something, it will never be found out. The funny thing is God knows just when to have those secrets revealed and is waiting to heal the wounds from fear and doubt. Trust is a big issue for many of us and I loved how the author shows us to always trust God and he will direct our path. The ending of the story is everything I hoped for yet still took my breath away. This is one story you will not forget as the author brings the past to the present in an unforgettable story of love and forgiveness.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
What I think you should know:
Lake Season is the first book in the Bluebell Inn Romance series. It is a contemporary romance with snippets of a minor story set in the 1960s woven into the story. When Molly’s parents tragically die she and her siblings fulfill their dream of reopening Bluebell Inn as a bed breakfast. Adam Bradford is a reclusive author who hides his identity to all but a few friends.
What you might want to know:
If you haven’t fallen in love with Denise Hunter’s work it is only because you have not read it yet. For me each book I read of her seems better than the last and this is no exception. From the opening pages when the Bennett siblings decide to stick together I was hooked. Molly was such a wonderful and realistic character who was struggling with regret over choices in her past. I enjoyed watching her grow and evolve. Adam was a reminder for me to always encourage my sons in their talents, to remind them that God gave everyone a different gift . I can’t wait to read the next book in the series and look forward to reading more about the Bennett Family.
I received a complimentary copy for this book from Celebrate Lit, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.