Mulberry Hollow: A Riverbend Romance, Book 2

I LOVED this book. This author is fantastic! I am starting the next one now!!! The housework can wait until tomorrow.

wonderful continuation of this series!

A very interesting and delightful book. A lonely Dr. with an over protective family and a man, with no family, who hikes the trails meet in a unique way. A story of loneliness, fear, and loyalty all combined into one great book!

Thirty-year-old Avery is a go-getter, devoted to her medical clinic in Riverbend Gap, near the Smokies along the Appalachian Trail on the French Broad River. Mulberry Hollow is her neighborhood. The clinic is on the first floor of her house. She has a great staff but is looking for another doctor to help shoulder the patient load. Unfortunately, she has a 50% chance of inheriting the horrific genetic disease her mother died from. Thus, her motto “plan for the worst, hope for the best.” What she’s not looking for is love. Neither is Wes Garrett. He has debts to pay, in more ways than one. But after he collapses on Avery’s doorstep and she nurses him back to health, he owes another debt. The arrangement? As a contractor, he lives in and renovates her carriage house in preparation for the new doctor she hopes to hire. That takes time, of course. Several weeks. Just enough time to inadvertently ignite a romantic fire between them. One they resist.Wes, an honorable man, is determined to finish hiking the trail in memory of his deceased friend, and get to Albany, New York to fulfill an obligation to his friend’s sister.So any sparks between Avery and Wes must be squelched immediately. Which isn’t easy even with plenty of hurdles to jump through.Avery wants to avoid rejection in case she she gets ill. She has made peace with remaining single. Wes works hard to not be like his deadbeat father, so he overcompensates in the responsibility department. Bearing more burdens than he needs to, in my opinion. These characters have real wounds and fears. Responses to their respective plights are believable. In a very engaging and satisfying story, the true nature of love shines, through empathy and sacrifice.

I have enjoyed all the Riverbend Romance series. However, I must say that Mulberry Hollow is by far my favorite!!!!

Another great book by Ms. Hunter!! Avery Robinson lives in the little town of Riverbend, at a through crossing of the Applachain Trail. A bit of an over achiever, she has finished med school, internship and residency, and opened her own small clinic in town, before her 30th birthday. When Wes Garrett, who is hiking the trail in honor of his late friend, ends up shivering and ill on her doorstep, she doesn't hesitate to take him in and let him stay while he heals (he refuses to go to the hospital, no money) and then allows him to stay and work off his debt. Wes agrees, even though he needs to get to Albany, NY, where his friends' sister lives. He told his buddy he would take care of her, and in Wes's mind, that means marrying her.Of course, since this is a romance, Wes and Avery are attracted to each other, but they both have reasons to avoid an encounter and to remain JUST FRIENDS. Watching love sneak up on them , and seeing how they deal with it, made for a very enjoyable story!! Can't wait for the next one in the series!

Denise Hunter has written another sweet romance that pulls you into the story right from the start. I really enjoyed Avery and Wes’ love story. They were fun, relatable, and likable characters with very compelling personal stories. Avery faces an unknown future and Wes fears he’ll turn out like his dad and stubbornly sticks to a self-imposed duty to fulfill a promise. As their romance blossoms, it’s clear they need to face their fears in order to have a future together. Avery’s story is very heavy, and Hunter did a great job of making me feel the tension within her and to live the angst of not knowing. And Wes is such a decent guy, I wanted to have a conversation with him to tell him to stop worrying about becoming his dad. I think you can say I was invested in the story, which is always a good thing. I’m a huge fan of Denise Hunter and Mulberry Hollow doesn’t disappoint. Five stars all the way.

I enjoyed reading this story. I thought that God took a back seat on this Christian fiction novel that is why I gave it 4 stars. Otherwise I would have given it 5 stars.

This was such a great read the romance between Avery and Wes was sweet and tender. They both had things they had to deal with pasts that shaped who they were. But learning from each other they began to see a future and one together.