Blue Ridge Sunrise (2017)

About the Book

Book: Blue Ridge Sunrise

Series: Blue Ridge #1

Author: Denise Hunter

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: November 7, 2017

Former free spirit Zoe Collins swore she’d never again set foot in Copper Creek or speak to the man who broke her heart. But return she must when her beloved Granny dies, leaving the family legacy to Zoe—a peach orchard nestled at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

When Zoe returns home with her daughter and boyfriend Kyle, she finds that she’s the only person in town who doesn’t expect her to give up the life she’s established far away from Copper Creek. Everyone believes she was born to run the orchard, but how can she make it her home after so many years?

Cruz Huntley never quite got over his first love, Zoe Collins, the little sister of his best friend Brady. Not when she cheated on him during their “break,” not when she took off to parts unknown with good-for-nothing Kyle Jenkins, and not even now—five years later.

As life-changing decisions and a history with Cruz hang over Zoe’s head, tensions rise between her and Kyle. Even as she comes to terms with the shifting relationships in her life, Zoe still isn’t sure if she can remain in Copper Creek with her new responsibilities . . . and her first love.

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My Thoughts

Blue Ridge Sunrise by Denise Hunter is a good story. Like all Hunter novels, the pacing is super fast — pages flew by! I enjoyed the small-town setting, and found the camaraderie and support of the characters as a community heartwarming. The premise of the story is good, as all Hunter stories are. There is a perfect blend of romance, character growth, and suspense. As far as the characters go, they are relatable and quite realistic. Cruz is a good man. He didn’t get the best cards dealt to him as a child and teen, but Cruz didn’t let that get him down. He is a really hard worker, he’s incredibly loyal, and he is uber protective (in a good way, not a clingy, ick way). Cruz is exactly the man Zoe needs in her life. Gracie, Zoe’s 4-year old daughter, is absolutely precious. She is my favorite character in this story. I loved every moment she is on scene because she is sunshine and sweetness and innocence and hope. She genuinely made me smile every time she showed up in the storyline. Zoe, the heroine, is complicated. I liked her, but I also really struggled with her. As a teen/young adult, she is a rebellious, selfish girl. As a 24-year old, single mother, she is still oddly immature and self-focused. I say oddly because the last four years of her life were rough. Usually people tend to grow up a bit because of the toughness. But Zoe doesn’t seem to do that. She is still impulsive. She still makes knee-jerk reactions. And she does something that is SO dangerous and utterly stupid it’s more the actions of a sheltered teen than a grown-up woman. These things made it really difficult for me to like her. My feelings about Zoe aside, I still really enjoyed this story and highly recommend it. I am very excited to get my hands on book 2 to see how things work out for Hope and Zoe’s brother, Brady.

As with all Denise Hunter novels, I did enjoy my time with Blue Ridge Sunrise and I do highly recommend this read. If you are a fan of page-turning Contemporary Romances with relatable characters and themes, then this is definitely a story for you.

I purchased a copy of this novel in eBook form from Amazon.com on July 22, 2021, in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.