Lake Season – Denise Hunter – Bluebell Inn Romance #1 – Thomas Nelson – Published 12 November 2019

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Synopsis

When their parents die in a tragic accident, Molly Bennett and her siblings pull together to fulfill their parents’ dream: turning their historic home back into an inn.

Adam Bradford (a.k.a. bestselling author Nathanial Grey) is a reclusive author with a bad case of writer’s block. Desperate for inspiration as his deadline approaches, he travels to a North Carolina lake town, the setting of his next novel. There he immediately meets his muse, a young innkeeper who fancies herself in love with his alter ego.

When Molly finds an old letter in the walls of her inn she embarks on a mission with Adam to find the star-crossed lovers and bring them the closure they deserve. But the guest she invites along has secrets of his own. Past and present collide as truths are revealed, and Molly and Adam will have to decide if love is worth trusting.

My thoughts

Lake Season is the latest romantic novel by Denise Hunter. It is the first book in a new series, and this one starts the series off with a good helping of romance, history, and family. It’s a sweet story and well worth enjoying.

When Molly’s parents die in a car crash, she and her two siblings commit to finishing their parents’ dream — the refurbishment of their home as an inn. In the midst of final preparations, an unexpected guest arrives and Molly doesn’t have the heart to turn him away. Little does she know that the shy, unassuming Adam Bradford is actually Molly’s favourite author, Nathaniel Quinn. When they find a 50-year-old letter hidden in the walls, Molly recruits Adam to help her track down the intended recipient.

Lake Season has a lot of sweet layers and details that make this a really heartwarming story. The letter itself and the story that unfolds after its discovery is one of summer love, missed chances, prejudice and broken dreams. Along with the letter and clues Adam and Molly discover, readers are treated to a number of sections that take them back to the letter writer’s time, giving more detail to the story.

Molly and her siblings are dealing with a whole lot of grief in the wake of their parents’ unexpected deaths. The three siblings bicker and nag, support and love and work well together. As well as grief, Molly is still struggling with resentment, fear and disappointment from a previous relationship. As she starts to develop feelings for Adam, it is her fear that leads her to pull back.

Adam is a bestselling writer, but in his father’s eyes, he will always be a disappointment. Adam really struggles with feelings of inadequacy, which cause him to misjudge some situations and prevent him from acting on his growing attachment to Molly.

As Molly and Adam search for the letter’s recipient, they must face their fears or risk losing their chance to be together. I enjoyed their halting romance and the very real emotions they were dealing with. The surprise twist at the end was also a nice touch.

Lake Season is the perfect lazy weekend afternoon read and I look forward to continuing the series.

More information

Category: Adult fiction

Genre: Christian – contemporary.

Themes: Family, romance, mystery, inns, refurbishment, writing, authors, letters, secret identities, siblings, grief, trust.

Published: 12 November 2019 by Thomas Nelson

Format: Paperback, ebook, audiobook. 352 pages.

ISBN: 9780785222729

Find it on Goodreads