Honeysuckle Dreams by Denise Hunter

Honeysuckle Dreams by Denise Hunter

I enjoy keeping up with Denise’s books, so let’s get to it!

Here’s the summary:

After Brady Collins’ ex-wife dies, he receives devastating news—his nine-month-old son Sam isn’t his son at all. And Sam’s wealthy maternal grandparents want custody of the child. Brady knows he’s in for the fight of his life. But regardless of what any blood test says, Sam is his son, and Brady will go to any lengths to keep him.

Brady’s attorney tips him off that one major life change would virtually assure him of winning guardianship of baby Sam at the final hearing: an impending marriage. And his friend Hope is willing to step in as the loving and devoted fiancée.

Local radio celebrity Hope Daniels has been driven by a solitary goal her entire life, and after a happy accident she’s finally offered her dream job. But if the truth comes out about her arrangement with Brady, she may miss the chance of a lifetime and stand in the way of a dear friend’s dreams.

As Brady and Hope make sacrifices to help each other in their times of need, they risk uncovering a truth neither of them expects to find.

And now, my review:

Brady is a single father with a slew of trouble headed his way. He’s been friends with Hope forever, but they’ve stayed just that—friends. This is a modern-day “marriage of convenience” story that for the most part, worked. There were a few missed opportunities—an implied plot direction that didn’t pan out, but overall, I enjoyed this story. It held my interest the entire novel. 

Hope is a likable character. I sympathized with her. Just when her life started going very well, when her dreams were coming true, the past came up to haunt her. Some of the elements in this book that released the same day as my latest novel were the same. Hope needs therapy, but she isn’t willing to get it. Instead, she suffers and hopes things will get better, which of course, they won’t until she takes the big step. This psychological aspect was very familiar as I read (because of my own novel). I’m glad our books came out at the same time since they shared some aspects.

I liked that the hero and heroine were married already (by a short ways into the story). That meant that the romance could happen without the usual road blocks. But in some ways that meant this book sometimes felt like women’s fiction, which is fine. Themes included believing that our old coping mechanisms can still carry us through current trials. How friendship can turn to love. And sacrificing for those you love is difficult, but rewarding and heroic.

The way these characters sacrificed for each other was beautiful, a welcome example in a sometimes-selfish world.