"dancing with fireflies" by denise hunter

About the book (from Litfuse): A Chapel Springs Romance

Jade returns home to Chapel Springs after years of protecting her fragile heart. Then along comes Daniel, making her long to dance again.

Creative and complicated, Jade McKinley felt like a weed in a rose garden growing up in Chapel Springs. When she left, she thought she'd never look back. But now, pregnant, alone, and broke, she has no other choice but to return.

The mayor of Chapel Springs, Daniel Dawson, has been an honorary member of the McKinley family for years. While his own home life was almost non-existent, Daniel fit right into the boisterous McKinley family. He's loved Jade for years, but she always saw him as a big brother. Now that she's back, his feelings are stronger than ever.

As Jade attempts to settle in, nothing feels right. God seems far away, she's hiding secrets from her family, and she's strangely attracted to the man who's always called her "squirt." Finding her way home may prove more difficult than she imagined.

My take: I finished reading this book a week ago, but I wanted to wait to write the review. Why? Because I was afraid I would gush too much if I wrote the review right away. Well, I think I'm still going to gush, even with a week's perspective ...

Dancing with Fireflies is the second (sort of third, as there's a novella about secondary characters) installment in Denise Hunter's Chapel Springs series. It's the story of Jade, the McKinley family free spirit, and Daniel, Chapel Springs mayor and honorary McKinley. These two characters are incredibly likable, and I actually thought at one point as I was reading, "Lord, I need a Daniel."

As I got close to the end, I actually contemplated putting the book down for a while ... simply because I wasn't ready for the story to end! I have always enjoyed Denise Hunter's novels, but the more recent ones haven't captivated me as much as The Convenient Groom, the first Hunter novel I read. That book set the bar high—and I'm happy to report that Dancing with Fireflies is just as good as, if not better than, The Convenient Groom. That's high praise, let me tell you!

I read a lot of books (obviously). Most of the books I read, I enjoy. But rarely do I encounter a book that keeps me from realizing that it's time for dinner ... or for a favorite TV show. And that's exactly what Dancing with Fireflies did—it sucked me into its world and held on until I'd read the last page. It's a book I could see myself rereading (which I very rarely do). It's a book I'll highly recommend whenever a "real life" friend asks if I've read any good books lately. It's a book that will undoubtedly make my yearly "Top 10" list. It's a book I'm glad I had the opportunity to read.

My rating: 5 stars (If I had more than 5 stars to give, I would!)

See what others are saying.
Buy the book.
Read my reviews of the other Chapel Springs books: Barefoot Summer and "A December Bride."

About the author: 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.

About the giveaway: Don't miss Denise Hunter's latest Chapel Springs Romance, Dancing with Fireflies. Reviewers have already labeled Dancing with Fireflies "swoon-worthy" and "the perfect love story." 

Join Denise in celebrating the release of her new book by entering her Kindle HDX giveaway and RSVPing for her April 10th Facebook party.

One winner will receive:

• A brand new Kindle Fire HDX
• Dancing with Fireflies and Barefoot Summer by Denise Hunter

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 10th. Winner will be announced at the Dancing with Fireflies Facebook Party on April 10th. Connect with Denise for an evening of prizes, book chat, and an exclusive look at the next book in the series.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by clicking JOIN on the event page. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 10th!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. 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."