Review: Sweetbriar Cottage by Denise Hunter

About the book:

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 rating:
5 stars
(View my rating system)

My thoughts:

Sweetbriar Cottage was so much better than I expected! After seeing some not-so-positive comments on the book prior to starting, I was a little anxious about whether or not I would enjoy it...but it didn't take long before I started loving the story and couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

I love second chance romance stories and Sweetbriar Cottage had a great one. I loved the unconditional love aspect of the book and the moments of danger made the book nearly unputdownable towards the end.

All in all, I loved the book and definitely recommend it if you have enjoyed previous Denise Hunter novels. It was amazing and I'm a little sad that it is a standalone, because I would like to see more of the characters...can't wait for Hunter's next novel!


*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

Find the book on:
Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

***Check out the complete TLC Tour list here: http://tlcbooktours.com/2017/05/denise-hunter-author-of-sweetbriar-cottage-on-tour-julyaugust-2017/

This post may contain “affiliate links.” This means if you click on a link with my affiliate code and purchase an item(s), I will receive an affiliate commission. You won't be charged extra, I'll just receive a small percentage of the purchase price. See my disclosure page here.