Carolina Breeze by Denise Hunter {A Book Review}

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thoughts are 100% my own. 

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 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 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.

This Bluebell Inn romance takes us to a quiet North Carolina retreat that holds more secrets than it shares.

Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 25 books, including A December Bride and The Convenient Groom, which have been adapted into original Hallmark Channel movies. She has won The Holt Medallion Award, The Reader's Choice Award, The Carol Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist. When Denise isn't orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking green tea, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband are rapidly approaching an empty nest. To learn more about Denise, visit her website DeniseHunterBooks.com; Facebook: AuthorDeniseHunter; Twitter: @DeniseAHunter; Instagram: deniseahunter.

Last year, I had had the chance to check out the first book in Denise Hunter's Bluebell Inn Romance series- Lake Season. I absolutely loved it--- not only was it one of my favorite reads from 2019, it also pushed Denise Hunter into her rightful place in my top five authors! Needless to say, I was thrilled to check out the second book in the series- Carolina Breeze! If you haven't read the previous book first, I would strongly urge you to do so first... sure, this one can certainly be enjoyed even if you haven't, but it was such a good book that you'll want to read it anyway. Aside from that, it will give you a better understand of the history of the inn and the relationship between the siblings.

In Carolina Breeze, we get to know Levi better. Though certainly not perfect, Levi is the perfect love story leading man... he makes mistakes, but ultimately his primary goal is to protect the women in his life--- including the new woman Mia, an actress seeking solace from tabloid scandal. I loved their love story... so sweet and romantic. Like the previous book, this one featured it's only little mystery too--- this time in the form of a missing diamond necklace. I love the history of old buildings and this idea of things hidden within, and so this aspect really appealed to me as well. I won't give anything away, but it certainly aided in the romance aspect of the story too.

Overall, this was a fantastic book... just as good as the first! The only real downfall was that it had to come to an end. I cannot wait for the next one! If you love a good romance with small town charm, Carolina Breeze is an absolute must read. I loved it!