Bookshop by the Sea by Denise Hunter

 

After her mother became bedridden and her father bailed on the family, Sophie found herself serving as a second mother to her twin brother, Seth, and younger sister, Jenna. Sophie supported her siblings through their college years, putting aside her own dream of opening a bookshop in Piper’s Cove—the quaint North Carolina beach town they frequented as children.

Now it’s finally time for Sophie to follow her own pursuits. Seth has a new job, and Jenna is set to marry her college beau in Piper’s Cove. But the destination wedding reunites Sophie with best man Aiden Maddox, her high school sweetheart who left her without a backward glance.

When an advancing hurricane strands Aiden in Piper’s Cove after the wedding, he finds the hotels booked to capacity and has to ask Sophie to put him up until the storm passes. As the two ride out the weather, old feelings rise to the surface. The delay also leaves Sophie with mere days to get her bookshop up and running. Can she trust Aiden to stick around? And will he find the courage to risk his heart?

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Wow, I sure love this cover and I would sure love to go to this bookshop by the sea.  Actually, I'd love to own a bookshop just like this and be like Sophie.  Books and the beach should always go together.  At least for me.

Sophie and Seth have a history together.  An unresolved, wounded history, at least for Sophie.  I liked Seth's determination to get to the root of it and work it out.  He was really trying to understand and fix things.  Sophie is so soft hearted and had given up so much of her life for her family.  I loved her dream for a bookshop and how hard she worked to achieve that goal.  The characters were real, flawed and easy to like.

I loved watching Seth and Sophie unravel the past and the present together.  It wasn't easy but it was worth it.  For them and for me as a reader.  Very satisfying.  I really enjoyed this one.  4/5 stars

Content:  kissing, 

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.