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    Lake Season
    Lake Season
    Lake Season
    Audiobook10 hours

    Lake Season

    Written by Denise Hunter

    Narrated by Nan Kelley

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    A young innkeeper falls in love with a reclusive novelist in a small North Carolina lake town. Past and present collide and old secrets beckon in this first installment of the Bluebell Inn Romance series.

    When her parents die in a tragic accident, Molly Bennett and her siblings pull together to fulfill their parents’ dream of turning their historic Bluebell, North Carolina, home back into an inn. Staying in town would be temporary—three years at most—then they plan to sell the inn, and Molly can get back to chasing her own dreams.

    Adam Bradford (aka bestselling author Nathaniel Quinn) is a reclusive novelist with a bad case of writer’s block. Desperate for inspiration as his deadline approaches, he travels to the setting of his next book, a North Carolina lake town. There, he meets his muse, a young innkeeper who fancies herself in love with his alter ego.

    Molly and Adam strike up an instant friendship. When Molly finds a long-lost letter in the walls of her inn, she and Adam embark on a mission to find the star-crossed lovers and bring them the closure they deserve. But Adam has secrets he isn’t ready to share. Past and present collide as truths surface, and Molly and Adam will have to decide if love is worth trusting.

    Praise for Lake Season:

    “Nobody does summer romance better than Denise Hunter.” —Julie Lessman, award-winning author

    • Full-length romance novel
    • First book in the Bluebell Inn Romance series
      • Book 1: Lake Season
      • Book 2: Carolina Breeze
      • Book 3: Autumn Skies
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThomas Nelson
    Release dateNov 12, 2019
    ISBN9780785222767
    Lake Season
    Author

    Denise Hunter

    Denise Hunter is the internationally published, bestselling author of more than forty books, three of 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 chai lattes, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana, where she and her husband raised three boys and are now enjoying an empty nest and three beautiful grandchildren. DeniseHunterBooks.com; Facebook: @AuthorDeniseHunter; Twitter: @DeniseAHunter; Instagram: @deniseahunter.

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    Reviews for Lake Season

    4.5/5

    55 ratings16 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Pleasant, interesting, well narrated...I will listen to everything this author writes.
    • 5/5
      There was a storyline that I couldn’t understand why it continued when it look like it had ended… But I love the surprise ending.
    • 5/5
      I loved this! The story grabbed me right away and got better and better as I neared the end. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!! Highly recommend.
    • 4/5
      Excellent book. Good character development with a happily ever after ending.
    • 4/5
      Molly and Adam are both reluctant to trust their growing feelings - plus there are secrets between them. There's a little mystery and some interesting coincidences that tie things up in the end. I feel like the faith aspect actually made the ending more believable and less "Deus ex machina".
    • 5/5
      Lake Season, by Denise Hunter, is the first book in A Bluebell Inn Romance series. The story focuses on three siblings that lose their parents. To allow the youngest child, Grace, to finish school with her friends, Levi leaves his job and Molly turns down her dream internship. The siblings work together to turn their family home into the bed and breakfast her parents planned.Their first guest, Adam, is researching for his new book. During the remodel, an unmailed letter is found and Molly asks Adam to help her research and find the person who attempted to mail it and the person is was intended to go to.This is a great story. It is a wonderful, inspirational dual story that takes place in modern day as well as the 1960's. The story is so well written it is easy to envision the transformation the home goes through and the surroundings. The story points out how the family works together for the sake of the family. The story also shows the changes Adam goes through when he discloses his secret. I really enjoyed the character of Grace. I enjoyed how she teased her sister about having a crush on an author. I also enjoyed the mystery surrounding the unmailed letter as well. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
    • 5/5
      I have never met a Denise Hunter book that I didn't absolutely fall in love with and Lake Season is no exception to that rule. This book is the first in her newest series titled the Bluebell Inn Romance. An added bonus for me is the story takes place in North Carolina, the state I call home.After losing their parents in a car accident, three siblings continue their parents dream of turning their home into an inn. This book centers around the middle daughter of the family, Molly. The inn is about to open and now enters their first guest, Adam Bradford. Unknown to Molly, Adam is really her favorite author who writes under the pen name Nathaniel Gray and has come to Bluebell looking for inspiration for his next novel. During the time Adam is staying at the inn, Molly finds a mysterious love letter in the wall of the inn because the building used to be the town post office. Molly and Adam set off on a mission of tracking down the author and recipient of that letter while getting closer to each other in the process.I can't say too much more for fear of giving away too much information, but this is a must read for lovers of a fun contemporary romance. Somehow I just loved that Molly is an avid reader who is falling in love with an author that she doesn't know is an author. That as well as many other surprises are in store for readers of this novel.Carolina Breeze, the second in the series, is due for release in May of 2020. The next installment centers around Levi, the oldest sibling. Can't wait to read that one!I received a complimentary copy of this book from Net Galley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
    • 5/5
      Lake Season by Denise Hunter is so good! When I found out that Ms. Hunter would be setting her newest series in North Carolina, I knew I needed to read it. I connected with the story right away and, honestly, it got better and better the further I read. I loved the ending.Adam has come to Bluebell, NC to find the perfect setting for his newest novel. He writes under a pseudonym (Nathanial Grey) and has been wildly successful in his writing career. Nobody knows his true identity, including one of his biggest fans, who happens to be Innkeeper at the Bluebell Inn. Adam came to Bluebell Inn to book a room for an extended stay during the summer so he could do research and work on his next manuscript. When he and Molly strike up conversation, and then become good friends, he knows that he really needs to tell her his true identity. Especially since Molly is such a big fan of Nathanial Grey’s books.The way that Adam and Molly become closer is so sweet and great to read. There are also other things at play in their relationship, including a mystery involving a long lost letter, some interference by Adam’s agent, and lingering fear from events that happened to both Adam and Molly in their individual pasts. I loved watching these two working to solve the mystery around the letter while working through their past hurts, but it was sometimes a little bit torturous to watch them wrestle with their complicated feelings. My own emotions related to this story intensified as I got closer to the end. I love the way Ms. Hunter weaved the present-day storyline in with the one from the past, and I love that these two stories had some common themes. There were a couple of twists thrown in that I didn’t see coming, and I was overjoyed at the way everything worked out. One scene near the end of the story was quite emotional and made my eyes sting with tears.This is a strong start to the Bluebell Inn series, and I am impatient for the release of the next book. It seems to me that the next book will focus on Molly’s brother, and I’m excited to know more about him in (hopefully) this same Inn setting.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. Thank you, Thomas Nelson!
    • 4/5
      4.5 stars.

      The first installment in the Bluebell Inn series, Lake Season by Denise Hunter is a bittersweet novel of love and healing.

      Molly Bennett and her siblings, Grace and Levi, decide to follow through with their deceased parents' dream of turning their home into an inn.  With Grace finishing high school, the majority of the work falls to Molly and Levi.  Most of the renovation is almost complete as the summer tourist season is approaching when visitor Adam Bradford stops in hoping to reserve a room. Molly bends the rules a little since the inn has not undergone their inspection when she allows Adam to stay with them. After she discovers a lost letter within the inn's walls, Molly and Adam team up and attempt to locate the letter writer and recipient. An unexpected friendship springs up between them but as their feelings for one another deepen, will their respective issues prevent Adam and Molly from giving love a chance to bloom into a lasting relationship?

      Molly is a very outgoing, cheerful young woman who does not think twice about abandoning her dreams after her parents' tragic deaths.  With one failed relationship behind her, she is not in any hurry to take a chance on another man deceiving her like her previous boyfriend.  After finding the lost letter, Molly becomes quite invested in trying to locate what appears to be a star-crossed couple.

      Adam is a popular, best-selling author who guards closely guards his privacy and writes under a pseudonym. He is a quite intelligent and a little shy. Adam  has an extensive backlist but he still struggles with insecurities and low self-worth.  With a looming deadline on the horizon, he is struggling with writer's block for the first time in his career. Since his research is not spurring his creativity, Adam instead offers to help Molly track down the author of the letter and addressee.

      Chapters which flash back to the events leading up to the lost letter are interspersed with events playing out in the present.  In 1962, a local young woman and a visitor unexpectedly fall in love over the course of the summer.  Just as they are planning their future together, outside forces tear  them apart.  Is there any chance Molly and Adam will find the couple after so many years?

      Lake Season is a delightful novel with a slight undercurrent of faith. Molly and Adam are charming characters whose strengths, self-doubts and shortcomings are realistically depicted. The main storyline is well-developed and will resonate with readers. The secondary story arc is poignant and tugs at the heartstrings.  I absolutely loved and highly recommend this uplifting and engaging novel by Denise Hunter.
    • 5/5
      The Bluebell Inn brings innkeeper Molly Bennett and writer Adam Bradford together for a summer that has the potential to change their lives—only, do they have enough courage to accept the changes?Lake Season delivers a delightful start to Denise Hunter’s Bluebell Inn Romance series. Though they have plenty of growing to do, Molly and Adam move through their story with a likeable chemistry, making them an easy pair to cheer on (especially with their love of reading!). They uncover secrets long hidden and confront truths hard to believe, and as they do so, everything begins to fit together in an immensely satisfying way.Having loved almost everything I have read by Denise Hunter, it comes as no surprise that I loved Lake Season. I definitely recommend it to readers of contemporary romance and cannot wait to revisit the inn for Levi’s story.I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.
    • 4/5
      I haven't read many books by this author but based on this book, I am going to add her to my list of favorites. This was a nice, light fun romance with several additional plots going on. It was a quick read with interesting characters and a happily ever after ending. Basically this book has everything - a little romance, some mystery, a supportive family and a beautiful setting in North Carolina.The Bennett parents were renovating an inn in their hometown of Bluebell, NC, when they were killed in a car accident. Their three children -Levi, 26 years old; Molly, 23 years old; and Grace, 18 years old decide to finish the renovation and open the inn to fulfill their parents' dream. Lake Season is the first book in a new series and it is Molly's story. Molly quit her last year in college to help renovate the inn with her brother and sister. She loves reading and there are lots of references to authors - both classical and current - but she has a crush on a never-met romance writer who writes under a pseudonym and she reads his books over and over. Adam shows up at the inn before the renovations are done and asks if there is a room available because his booking at a lake house had been cancelled and he wants to spend some time in town doing some research. Adam is a very solitary person who has a really poor self image but he decides quickly that Molly will be his 'muse' on his current project. When a letter is found from the 1960s during the renovation, he agrees to help Molly find out more about the person who wrote the love letter. The more time Adam and Molly spend together, the closer they become but they both have significant baggage from their past that is keeping their possible romance at a stand-still. Will they be able to get beyond their past hurts and disappointments and find their happily ever after?I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to future books in this series. I'm ready to go back to Bluebell Inn and spend more time getting to know the Bennett family.
    • 5/5
      In Lake Season, siblings Molly, Levi, and Grace Bennett decide to fulfill their parents dream of renovating their large, old home and turning it into an inn after their parents’ untimely deaths. During the renovation, Molly finds an old letter stuck in the wall where the mail slot used to be when the building was a post office. When she opens and reads it, she discovers a beautiful letter written by a woman who was sorry for a falling out she had with the man she loved, asking for his forgiveness and for him to return to her. Molly is instantly drawn in, and she enlists the aid of Adam Bradford, a man staying at the inn who she has begun a friendship with, to help her try to track down the woman who wrote the letter and the man who never received it. As they work together on this project, their friendship begins to develop into something deeper, but Adam has a secret that might destroy what he’s built with Molly.I really enjoyed reading Lake Season. Once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down. I had to know what was going to happen next. I appreciated that both Molly and Adam struggled with issues that a lot of people really do struggle with — trust issues due to being hurt by people’s lies in the past and feelings of inadequacy, feeling that your just not good enough due to not getting the acceptance you need from a parent. I could so easily identify with both characters. The story line was also exciting, jumping back in time to give us insight into the lives of the letter writer and intended recipient. And I loved the way Molly and Adam’s search ended. It was a twist that I didn’t see coming. Overall, I thought Lake Season was an interesting, exciting story full of hope and love.*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
    • 5/5
      The beginning of the book got me right away. I felt a sense of anxiety as the siblings tried to do what was best for the inn and everyone involved. Losing their parents was a shock, but now they had an eighteen year old sister to consider. As they work to reopen the inn they find themselves drawing closer as a family. I loved how they decided that the best way to honor their parents was to work together and allow God to heal their wounds.Getting to know Molly was a wonderful treat. She has carried around so much guilt since her parents died unexpectedly. We are not guaranteed one moment on this earth and Molly now has to live with the regrets about her relationship with her parents. Her breakup with Dominic has caused her to keep people at arms length. It is as though she has built a wall up so she can't get hurt. The fear she has of getting close to someone could cost her finding true love.Adam was my favorite character because he is a humble man who values life and friendship. I loved how the author included how much Molly and Adam both loved to read. They had many interesting conversations that developed into a real friendship. He has always felt like his dad was not proud of him and carries around the feeling that he is not good enough. The emotions in the story are so well written I could feel the pain and self doubt both characters had.The story is a time slip where we encounter two people hopelessly in love. These characters bring a depth to the story and a romance that digs deep into the soul. A lost letter that is discovered will change lives and give hope, peace and closure to some. I have to say that this is one of the best books written by this author. She captures human feelings and expands on how our emotions can dictate wrong decisions. I loved going back and forth in time and couldn't wait to find out the ending of the story.Fear plays a big part in the story as well as secrets. We think that if we hide something, it will never be found out. The funny thing is God knows just when to have those secrets revealed and is waiting to heal the wounds from fear and doubt. Trust is a big issue for many of us and I loved how the author shows us to always trust God and he will direct our path. The ending of the story is everything I hoped for yet still took my breath away. This is one story you will not forget as the author brings the past to the present in an unforgettable story of love and forgiveness.I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
    • 5/5
      Lake Season by Denise Hunter is the first book in her A Bluebell Inn Romance series. When Molly Bennett’s parents are killed in an accident the three kids put their lives on hold, to fulfill their parents’ dream of opening an inn in Bluebell, North Carolina. Adam Bradford is their first guest. He and Molly strike up a friendship, and together they embark on a summer filled with love, heart-ache, old and new secrets and a journey to finding lasting peace, contentment, joy and love. Molly was such a delightful character. Nothing kept her down for long except her fear of losing those close to her. Adam’s ability to overcome his father’s rejection showed an inner strength and courage not many people find. I loved the plot twist at the end! Didn’t quite see that one coming. I can’t wait for the next installment. I received this book from Celebrate-Lit for my honest review.
    • 5/5
      "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 NIVThere are so many things to like about a book that often mentions this Bible verse. Three siblings determined to fulfill the dream of their recently deceased parents. A highly successful author who keeps his identity a secret because he has never been able to live up to his father's expectations. A love affair that occurred over fifty years ago and recently discovered when a letter is found in a wall of an inn that is being renovated. As Molly Bennett and Adam Bradford try to find how Ben and Lizzie's lives turned out, they themselves begin to see each other as more than an innkeeper and her guest. But there are so many obstacles! Can Molly escape her grief and get over the hurt caused by her boyfriend? Would her trust be further damaged if she knew that Adam is the author that she adores? Will Adam ever feel worthy? Did Ben and Lizzie find happiness?Denise Hunter has written a wonderful story filled with romance, faith, mystery, and a reminder that God orchestrates every part of our lives.These two romances, past and present, share a similar theme and I was especially moved by the ending. I look forward to following Molly and her siblings Levi and Grace as they continue managing the Bluebell Inn.I highly recommend Lake Season to all who enjoy contemporary romantic fiction.I received a copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
    • 5/5
      What a wonderful book to get lost in, and that I did, and I sure wasn’t disappointed.If you love a good mystery, this one will keep your attention, and this one is not the usual, more like putting together a puzzle with missing pieces.Your heart will go out to these siblings, two of them put their lives on hold to help finish raising their youngest sister, and in turn they help fulfill their parents dream.See how a love of reading and a dream of living in Italy, solve one part of the puzzle.Is it a mistake we are at a certain place at a certain time, I find that a God thing, and so do these characters as amazing facts begin to unfold, you won’t be able to put this one down!I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.