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BOOKSHOP BY THE SEA - Denise Hunter Piper's Cove, NC - Present Day Sophie Lawson is hoping to finally sit back and enjoy her younger sister's wedding. Having arranged not only the wedding, but the rehearsal dinner, Sophie just wants everything to go well. However, she's been dreading the arrival of the best man, a close friend of Grant's, her future brother-in-law. Aiden Maddox and Sophie had been "an item" seven years ago, when Aiden suddenly announced that he was going into a partnership with a man running an extreme adventures business in South Carolina. Devastated, Sophie wants nothing to do with him. She is surprised by her reaction, and how Aiden's presence still makes her feel. Thankfully, she knows that he will be flying back to Charleston as soon as the wedding is over. Sophie has been the one person that her twin brother, Seth, and sister, Jenna, relied upon after their father left when their mother got sick. As she nursed her mother, she took care of everything for her siblings. And she still does. Sophie's acceptance to Duke University was given up as her mother grew more ill. So now, after their mother's recent death, Sophie has started plans to open a bookstore in the seaside town of Piper's Cove. All her finances are tied up in this endeavor, and, to make things more hectic, she has already booked a grand opening day which will coincide with the publication date of a famous author who has agreed to speak at her shop. What neither Sophie nor Aiden planned on is the hurricane bearing down on the coast. Sophie is staying at a friend's beachfront cottage until the apartment over the book shop can be done up for her. So, when someone is downstairs at the cottage late that night, Sophie is stunned to find Aiden. He had been told by the owners that a key was hidden, and once his flight home had been cancelled and all the local hotels were booked, he headed back to Piper's Cove. Needless to say, Sophie isn't thrilled, and is especially upset at herself for allowing her heart to flutter at his arrival. With the storm delaying everything, Sophie has just days to get the bookshop up and running on time for the scheduled opening. Aiden offers to help, but Sophie wonders if she can trust him not to abandon her again? And Aiden is concerned that his feelings for Sophie seven years ago are still as strong today. Where can all of this go? BOOKSHOP BY THE SEA is my first introduction to Denise Hunter's books, and I enjoyed this story immensely. Sophie and Aiden are both kind, decent people with all too human issues. Sophie is learning to think about herself more, and Aiden is learning that running away from problems doesn't solve anything. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Jani Brooks |
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