Review by Booklist Review
Hunter's third novel set in Riverbend Gap, a Southern town on the Appalachian Trail, involves a second-chance romance between a divorced couple, Laurel Jenkins and Gavin Robinson, who were named by friends killed in an accident as guardians of their young child, Emma. The story alternates between their high-school sweetheart romance, their marriage and divorce, and the present, when they try to figure out what to do. The two live in different towns but move together into Emma's home to take care of her. Emma's grandparents, who have never met her, have petitioned for custody, but neither Lauren nor Gavin want Emma to go to them. As they work through all this, they realize that they do still love each other and discover that they have to go through a court process to ensure that Emma is theirs. Like Hunter's other titles, this is a sweet, heartwarming romance with mild Christian religious undertones and a lovely, engrossing story with a satisfying if fairly predictable ending. A worthy entry into the Riverbend series, it also reads well as a stand-alone.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A tragic accident gives a divorced couple a second chance at love in the warmhearted third installment of Hunter's Riverbend Romance series (after Mulberry Hollow). After husband and wife Mike and Mallory die in a plane crash, their best friends, Laurel and Gavin Robinson, are shocked to discover the will appoints them as the guardians of Mike and Mallory's two-and-half-year-old daughter Emma. Lauren and Gavin have been divorced for three years, after the death of their young son caused Gavin to retreat into himself and Laurel to crave the emotional support he was too devastated to give her. They are unsure if they are ready to try parenting again, but efforts to place Emma with relatives don't pan out, and Laurel and Gavin acquiesce, asking God for help raising the toddler. As Laurel and Gavin spend time together preparing Mike and Mallory's apple orchard for harvest, Laurel notices how Gavin has changed since their split, from the way he helps around the house to how he's started openly sharing his feelings and dreams with her. They learn to set aside their differences and work together to rebuild their relationship and make a loving home for Emma. Readers looking for an uplifting Christian romance will appreciate how Laurel and Gavin's faith helps dispel their deep-rooted fears so they can find a way to love again. Inspirational fans will find this hard to resist. (Sept.)
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