Today is a very special day. On Magnolia Lane by Denise Hunter officially released today, and I had the honor of reading it! A couple of years ago, I got to interview this author, and finally I made the time to read one of her books. And I tell you, this is one book that everyone who loves a good romance will want to own and read. And reread. And…you get the picture!

A Blue Ridge Romance
From the bestselling author of The Convenient Groom (now a beloved Hallmark Original movie) comes the final book in Hunter’s Blue Ridge Romance series.

Pastor Jack McReady has secretly carried a torch for Daisy for two long years. She’s a member of his congregation, after all, and she’ll never see him as more than a trusted counselor. Jack’s best friend Noah has taken every opportunity to encourage his lovesick friend, but when Noah catches wind that Daisy has joined an online dating site, he takes matters into his own hands and orchestrates a meet-cute of the most unconventional kind.

Owner of the local flower shop, Daisy Pendleton is content with her small-town life, but she’d sure like someone to share it with. After several disastrous first dates, she’s about to give up—and then she finds a seemingly wonderful man online. Daisy gets to know TJ through a series of messages but finds herself spending more time with Pastor Jack outside of the church at the same time. What she doesn’t know is that her online prospect and Jack are one and the same.

Just as Daisy’s love life starts to look promising, a mysterious woman appears in town. Daisy is faced with a revelation about her family that turns her world upside down, and she looks to both TJ and Jack for help.

Jack must find a way to reveal himself as her online suitor without breaking her heart and losing her trust. As Daisy faces Jack’s betrayal, she’ll have to learn to extend grace to herself, her family, and the man she’s grown to love.

On Magnolia Lane by Denise Hunter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was sent a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

I first discovered Denise Hunter as a result of the Hallmark Channel. Two of her books were made into popular movies, and I made it a point to reach out to her and interview her (which I did). I always intended to read one of her books, but until I actually had the opportunity to review one, that did not happen. And I couldn’t think of a better book than this one to begin my “Denise Hunter journey”!

First of all, even though this is the third book in a series, I had no problem jumping in and getting right into the action. The characters were engaging, easily relatable, and loads of fun. Additionally, there were no issues with anything offensive. And on the flip side, the Christian faith of the characters was expertly woven into the framework of the story. There is no “preaching” or “proselytizing” in this book. The faith of the characters is essential to the overall storyline and the way in which the characters behave, and that, for me, is the ideal Christian book!

The romance in this book was just the right amount–not over-the-top nor underwhelming. The insertion of a mystery and a serious issue that was handled delicately by the author caused this book to jump to a higher plane, in my opinion. I found the book realistic, current, and a load of fun! It is a heartwarming tale that delivers exactly the kind of story the reader is expecting and then some!

Finally, I couldn’t help but think that this book would be an exceptional Hallmark movie. While it may have to go on the Movies & Mysteries network due to the serious topic that is discussed, I truly don’t see that as a problem. The story follows the Hallmark paradigm, and yet it finds a new way to tell it that hits the “sweet spot.” If I were pitching potential books to Hallmark for a potential movie adaptation, I would definitely consider this one!

View all my reviews

Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 30 books, including “The Convenient Groom” and “A December Bride” which have been made into Hallmark movies. She has appeared on the The 700 club and won awards such as The Holt Medallion Award, The Carol Award, The Reader’s Choice Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist.

Denise writes heartwarming, small-town love stories. Her readers enjoy the experience of falling in love vicariously through her characters and can expect a happily-ever-after sigh as they close the pages of her books.

In 1996, inspired by the death of her grandfather, Denise began her first book, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she’s been writing ever since. Her husband says he inspires all her romantic stories, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

When Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking coffee, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband are currently enjoying an empty nest.

You can learn more about Denise by visiting her FaceBook page.

(Bio and book description taken from her official website)

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