Living side-by-side, a fledgling chef and a big-hearted contractor find a delicious attraction.
Trouble is, their chemistry could spoil their dreams.
Spirited PJ McKinley has the touch when it comes to food. Her dream of opening her own restaurant is just one building short of reality. So when a Chapel Springs resident offers her beloved ancestral home to the applicant with the best plan for the house, PJ believes it’s a contest she was meant to win.
Contractor Cole Evans is confident, professional, and swoon-worthy—but this former foster kid knows his life could have turned out very differently. When Cole discovers the contest, he believes his home for foster kids in transition has found its saving grace. All he has to do is convince the owner that an out-of-towner with a not-for-profit enterprise is good for the community.
But when the eccentric philanthropist sees PJ and Cole’s proposals, she makes an unexpected decision: the pair will share the house for a year to show what their ideas are made of. Now, with Cole and the foster kids upstairs and PJ and the restaurant below, day-to-day life has turned into out-and-out competition—with some seriously flirtatious hallway encounters on the side. Turns out in this competition, it’s not just the house on the line, it’s their hearts.
For several years now, Denise Hunter has been one of my must-read authors. Her main characters always have sizzling chemistry, and the stories never fail to entertain. I'm especially enjoying the Chapel Springs series, which revolves around the McKinley family.
Though I've read both of the previous novels and the novella in this series, I went into The Wishing Season without a clear picture of PJ--I just knew she was the baby of the family and was often treated as such. So it was fun to see her spread her wings and try to prove her competence as an adult and business owner.
PJ and Cole have great chemistry from the beginning, and I enjoyed watching their relationship grow and develop. I also became so invested that I wanted to smack Cole upside the head a few times!
I do wish that PJ would have seen more resolution in her relationship with her family, but I suppose the novel ending as it did made things more realistic. And I did greatly enjoy the way PJ and Cole's story ended. Again, realistic.
Also, The Wishing Season is a great set-up to the next Chapel Springs novel, which will focus on McKinley brother Ryan. I'm very anxious to read his story! 5 stars.
Note: Though this is the third novel in a series, it functions completely as a stand-alone novel. I would definitely recommend reading the other novels, though, as they're just so great!
Buy the book.
Read my reviews of the other Chapel Springs books: Barefoot Summer (5 stars), "A December Bride" (4.5 stars), and Dancing with Fireflies (5 stars).
Denise Hunter is an internationally published best-selling author. Her books have won The Holt Medallion Award, The Reader's Choice Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and was a RITA finalist. 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 of her romantic stories, but Denise insists a good imagination helps, too. When Denise isn't writing, she's busy raising three heroes-in-the-making with her husband.
Learn more about Denise at http://www.denisehunterbooks.com.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
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I am reading this book right now! I have read the others and she is one of my favorite authors!
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty great :-) My favorites of hers are Dancing with Fireflies and The Convenient Groom, but this one's a close second!
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