Sweetbriar Cottage gives us an introduction into Denise Hunter's Copper Creek Series. Although it's not your typical romance novel, it has some rough parts. I believe it is a great introduction to the series and will have you hooked from the start.
Josephine had a traumatic childhood to say the least. Raised by her alcoholic stepfather and basically ostracized by the kids in school, Josephine becomes a chameleon of sorts. She learns to be whatever people want her to be in the moment, to play the part. She has walls that she built up years ago and they serve her well, that is until Noah. Noah is able to break down her walls and see straight into her soul. She doesn't know why or how she falls for him so fast, but she does, he makes her feel safe. But, when people feel safe sometimes they do stupid things.
I like Josephine, it took me a little bit to understand why she was the way she was. I've heard that people with traumatic experiences find it hard to relate to others. It's like they assume everyone is out to get them, and I get it. What threw me for a loop though was the dialogue. Sometimes when Josephine spoke her phrases were dated, meaning they reminded me of something my grandmother would say. So in my head, I had her pictured older than what she was. It was really distracting for me at times, I had to keep reminding myself that she really isn't much older than me.
I admired Josephine because she was able to overcome so much. I don't want to spoil it for you, but let's just say what Josephine endured would break most people. Yet, she was able to make a life for herself and start her own salon in a new town. That takes gumption. Most towns aren't welcoming of new people especially those with a checkered past, yet they genuinely seem to like her and want her to succeed.
Noah is everything I expected him to be. He's a little rough around the edges, but he has a good heart. He was willing to give Josephine a chance and even love her when others warned him that she was bad news. When he loves, he does so with his whole heart and that's why it hurt so when he is betrayed. He wants nothing more than to stay on his mountain. He doesn't even want the memories that sometimes haunt him. When a routine trip to town leads to the revelation that he had not thought of, Noah is livid. He is determined to end the marriage and move on with his life but what if God has other plans?
I truly enjoyed this book. I don't want you to get the impression it's dark and gloomy because it's not. It's just not all roses and sunshine, and life is like that. We have to take the good with the bad. This story is about redemption and hope. That when you truly love someone you love all of them, not just the easy parts. It's about learning that God is in control and not mater what your plans are He has final say. As long as we hope and trust in Him and His leading we will find our happily ever after and we will know what it is to be loved and loved unconditionally.
*I was provided a free copy of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.
You can grab a copy here: Sweetbriar Cottage
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