Sweetbriar Cottage 

Paperback, ebook, audio,  

June 13, 2017

by Denise Hunter

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• ISBN-13: 978-0718090487

“Sweetbriar Cottage is a story to fall in love with. True-to-life characters, high stakes, and powerful chemistry blend to tell an emotional story of reconciliation.” —Brenda Novak, New York Times bestselling author

When Noah and Josephine discover their divorce was never actually finalized, their lives are turned upside down.

Following his divorce, Noah gave up his dream job and settled at a remote horse ranch in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northern Georgia, putting much-needed distance between himself and the former love of his life. But then Noah gets a letter from the IRS claiming he and Josephine are still married. When he confronts Josephine, they discover that she missed the final step in filing the paperwork and they are, in fact, still married.

Josephine is no happier about the news than Noah. Maybe the failed marriage—and botched divorce—was her fault, but her heart was shattered right alongside his, more than he would ever believe. The sooner they put this marriage behind them, the better for both of their sakes.

But when Josephine delivers the final paperwork to his ranch, the two become stranded in his cottage during the worst spring snowstorm in a decade. Being trapped with Josephine is a test of Noah’s endurance. He wrestles with resentment and an unmistakable pull to his wife—still beautiful, still brave, and still more intriguing than any woman he’s ever known.

As they find themselves confronted with each other and their shared past, old wounds surface and tempers flare. But when they are forced out into the storm, they must rely on each other in a way they never have before. Josephine finally opens up about her tragic past, and Noah realizes she’s never been loved unconditionally by anyone—including him. Will Noah accept the challenge to pursue Josephine’s heart? And can she finally find the courage to trust Noah?

“Sweetbriar Cottage is a wonderful story, full of emotional tension and evocative prose.” —Francine Rivers, New York Times bestselling author of Redeeming Love

My thoughts:  SWEETBRIAR COTTAGE isn't my favorite Denise Hunter book, sadly, and I did so look forward to reading it. It is filled with sexual tension, a strong faith message, and redeeming grace, but wow. Josephine.... 

All I can say is it opened my eyes as to why the girls I went to school with who had her reputation might have gotten it. Made me wish I had been a little kinder to them, instead of keeping my distance--as all the good girls did. I never thought of things like what happened to Josephine happened back then. But maybe it did.  

I warned my fifteen year old that it is a bit graphic is places but if she wanted to read it, it would be an eye-opener. More conservative readers might be offended by some drinking, "soft" swear words, and more blatantly described scenes than most Christian writers use. But the faith message is strong. Tearfully strong. And even though I had serious trouble with Josie (though I 'get' her) I loved Noah, and understood his anger when he lost control. He is a manly man, and so wonderfully kind.  

A good book, even though it is rough, gritty, and has some parts that were offensive to me (a conservative reader).  I received a copy of this book free. My opinion is my own.