Carolina Breeze by Denise Hunter
Series: Bluebell Inn #2
Published by Thomas Nelson on May 19, 2020
Source: the publisher
Buy from Amazon|Buy from Barnes & Noble|Buy from Book Depository
Goodreads

A jilted bride. A struggling innkeeper. And a romantic mountain getaway that changes everything

Rising Hollywood star Mia Emerson is looking for a safe place to land in the wake of a public breakup and celebrity scandal, and she finds it in the lake town of Bluebell, North Carolina—the location of her canceled honeymoon. She wants nothing more than to hide and wait for the tabloids to die down.

Soon after her arrival at the Bluebell Inn, Mia meets Levi Bennett, who runs the inn along with his two younger sisters. Drawn to one another from the start, Mia trusts Levi to keep her location from the press, and Levi confides in Mia about the precarious financial state of the inn—a secret he’s been keeping from his sisters.

When Mia and Levi discover an old journal that hints at a rare diamond necklace hidden in the inn, they set off on a treasure hunt to find the long-lost heirloom. What they don’t expect to surface are feelings they thought were safely locked away. Mia and Levi must decide if falling in love again is too big a risk—or if it will uncover a treasure of its own instead.

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

REVIEW:

I have loved every single thing I’ve ever read by Denise Hunter. Carolina Breeze is the second book in her Bluebell Inn series. This series follows the Bennett siblings who are operating the newly-opened Bluebell Inn in memory of their parents, who were killed just before the events of the previous book, Lake Season. The previous book featured Molly Bennett and Adam Bradford, a reclusive author who came to the Inn hoping to find inspiration to write his next book. 

This story features older brother Levi Bennett, who is struggling with the cost of starting up a business like Bluebell Inn. He has tried to spare his sisters from the growing financial stress, but the weight of that secret is getting harder and harder.  Things take an interesting turn when famous actress Mia Emerson comes to stay at Bluebird Inn for what was supposed to be her honeymoon. Unfortunately, her engagement has recently been broken off, and Mia’s stay at Bluebird Inn has more to do with avoiding a huge tabloid scandal involving her married costar than it does her own nonexistent marriage.  

I would have been just like the Bennett siblings and seen Mia’s stay as an opportunity to draw up some excellent publicity. Imagine how exciting it would be to own a small business that is noticed by a celebrity? I love the way the Bennett siblings work to keep Mia’s stay absolutely private. I feel like they balanced their excitement over her celebrity status well with their desire to keep her safe and protected and happy. I was overjoyed to see that  Levi and Mia got along so well together, even going so far as developing feelings for one another. 

I loved the scenes involving Levi and Mia. Levi’s decision to be her personal chauffeur means that the two have plenty of on-page time together without any other characters, and it was during these times that their relationship began. I especially loved it when Mia would go hiking and Levi would drive her or even hike with her. And just like the previous story in this series, a little mystery pops up involving a journal and some old jewelry. Levi and Mia continue their page-time by working together to solve the mystery. Ms. Hunter is really great at establishing a lovely relationship between her characters, and I always find myself super emotionally invested by the end of the story. 

The Bluebell Inn series is a strong one and I’ve enjoyed every page of the two books that have been published so far. I only wish I already had the next book in my greedy little hands!! I’m eager to find out more about Grace, the remaining Bennett sibling.

 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million