Bookshop by the Sea by Denise Hunter

 336 pages / 7 hrs, 27 mins

"After her mother became bedridden and her father bailed on the family, Sophie found herself serving as a second mother to her twin brother, Seth, and younger sister, Jenna. Sophie supported her siblings through their college years, putting aside her own dream of opening a bookshop in Piper’s Cove—the quaint North Carolina beach town they frequented as children.

"Now it’s finally time for Sophie to follow her own pursuits. Seth has a new job, and Jenna is set to marry her college beau in Piper’s Cove. But the destination wedding reunites Sophie with best man Aiden Maddox, her high school sweetheart who left her without a backward glance.

"When an advancing hurricane strands Aiden in Piper’s Cove after the wedding, he finds the hotels booked to capacity and has to ask Sophie to put him up until the storm passes. As the two ride out the weather, old feelings rise to the surface. The delay also leaves Sophie with mere days to get her bookshop up and running. Can she trust Aiden to stick around? And will he find the courage to risk his heart?" --from the publisher

The book is pretty well written and does a nice job weaving the messiness of interpersonal relationships with the romance. And I would love to open a bookshop by the sea! I give it three out of five stars.

Blue Ridge Sunrise by Denise Hunter

Blue Ridge Sunrise by Denise Hunter
(Blue Ridge Romance #1)
336 pages / 7 hrs, 28 mins

I didn't realize this was a romance novel when I checked it out through Hoopla.  It's not my favorite genre, but this one had enough drama and suspense to keep me entertained.

"Former free spirit Zoe Collins swore she'd never again set foot in Copper Creek or speak to the man who broke he heart. But return she must when her beloved Granny dies, leaving the family legacy to Zoe--a peach orchard nestled at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains."  --from the publisher