One of my favorite things about Denise Hunter's writing is her ability to create palpable tension between her hero and heroine, especially when they already have a past together. So when I read the blurb for this book and realized we were talking about a second chance romance in a BOOKSHOP near the OCEAN, I knew I needed to read it. It's so many of my favorite things.

Sophie is an enneagram 2 if I've ever seen one in my life. She frequently inconveniences herself for the sake of others and wants to be supported without being able to vocalize her need for support. It's a tangled mess of emotional damage Hunter weaves for this character, which is only matched by Aiden's equal need for an emotional overhaul.

But instead of experiencing two train wrecks worthy of all the eye rolls, readers are given two characters who genuinely put in the work to better themselves. Not for the other person, but for the betterment of their own existence. And I'm definitely here for that kind of growth.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The pacing seemed to slack a little in the middle for me, but it recovered well in the end.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. All expressed opinions belong to me.

Sophie Lawson thought that she had moved on from Aiden Maddox until her baby sister gets married and he is the best man. An advancing storm is heading for Piper's Cove and Aiden is stranded.

Sophie was my favorite character, and I and appreciated her issues with abandonment and mourning the loss of her mother. Her dream is a bookshop, and she is well on her way to that perfect little dream until the storm hits and things go awry. Aiden himself had his own abandonment issues, and his solution was to leave. This was a wonderful tale of missed opportunites and second chances that was thoroughly enjoyable.

Denise Hunter is well known for her romance novels, and she has quite the backlist that is absolutely worth perusing. I've been reading her romances for years and I am always happy when a new one is released.

I received a copy of this book from my local public library andI was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

This is a sweet clean romance perfect for summer that will cause readers to swoon, sigh, and smile! I assumed a standard romance trope would form the plot; this uses forced proximity - not once but twice. However, this device was at the beginning of the novel rather than near, increasing my interest in the rest of the story. The focus is main characters Sophie and Aiden (high school sweethearts who broke up 7 years ago) and their careers which made it very down-to-earth, even given the thrill-seeking nature of Aiden's work. As a lover of bookstores, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the creation of Sophie's bookstore.

This is a stand-alone novel with a small nod to Lake Season, first in the Bluebell Inn series. Thank you to Thomas Nelson, NetGalley, and JustRead Publicity Tours for the review copy; all opinions are my own.

My thoughts: Bookshop by by the sea this classic Denise Hunter romance. The pages sizzled with the attraction between the two main characters. I couldn't put this book down and I wanted to sit down and read it again the second time right away. Denise Hunter is one of my favorite romance writers with good reason. If you like romance pick up a copy of Bookshop by the sea. This would be a great Beach read this summer. I was given a copy free whole opinions on my own.

Nobody does emotionally complicated quite like Denise Hunter. :-) Bookshop by the Sea is the kind of romantic read that curls your toes and gives you heart palpitations...along with heartburn from some of the characters' antics! It's a fast, swoony beach read -- hello, bookshop by the sea?! I'd have bought the book just for the title alone.

Sophie and Aiden are buried beneath layers of angst and unresolved hurt. It's been seven years since Aiden walked away. Seven years of harboured hurts and misunderstandings. (Mercy, but Sophie's granny can hold a grudge!) A wedding brings this hero and heroine face to face again and a hurricane keeps them in a holding pattern. Cue the sizzle and sparks from all the crackling energy zipping around these two -- whether they're sparring or...sparking. :-)

Love this small-town setting. Piper Cove is full of good folks who don't hesitate to come together in a time of crisis. Sophie's new to the community, but the inhabitants have her back and some of my favourite scenes are when everyone pitches in when she fears all is lost. Absolutely heartwarming and hopeful. And, sqqqquuuueeeaaallll, surprise cameo and sweet nod to the author's previous Bluebell Inn series. I was fangirling all over the place when that cropped up.

Bookshop by the Sea delivers a richly layered reunion romance fueled with the hope of second chances.