Blue Ridge Sunrise by Denise Hunter

Blue Ridge Sunrise is the first book I’ve read by Denise Hunter, but it’s certainly not the last. I love the character development, and the well-defined aspects of their lives.

The seamless transitions from present to past, then back to present time, was well done. Kudos to the author!

Romance, intrigue, and plot twists abound in Blue Ridge Sunrise. Just when I thought I had things figured out, I was surprised. This book is a real page turner.

The main character, Zoe, slowly realizes how she has allowed herself to regress from a free-spirited and strong teenager, to a meek, insecure woman. Her personal growth throughout the story is painful, confusing and at times, infuriating. There were several instances where I wanted to shake sense into her. That being said, I adore her as a mother, and I absolutely fell in love with her four-year-old daughter.

Her former love interest, Cruz, is a wounded soul—and it was her that caused his pain, though she is completely unaware of it. Then she ends up adding insult to injury by keeping a secret from him.

In addition, Cruz broke her heart years ago--and, he was unaware he did so.

I kind of rolled my eyes about that whole thing.

Other than that tiny aspect, it really is an enjoyable read. I honestly lost a lot of sleep because I couldn’t put this book down. The fast-paced ending left me breathless. I loved it! The triangle between Zoe, Kyle, and Cruz is full of dramatic action.

The relationship between Zoe and her father is strained. I would have loved to see them work things out. Sadly, that wasn’t the case in this instance. (Talking about relationships, I adore the touching one which develops between Zoe’s daughter and Cruz.)

Zoe’s spiritual growth was subtly beautiful. Blue Ridge Sunrise is a clean read, Though the book deals with adult relationships, love scenes are left to the imagination, and any violence is explicit enough to depict conflict without being overly graphic. All in all, this a well-balanced and tastefully written story.

4 Stars

ARC courtesy of Net Galley. All opinions are my own.