Today, I’m hosting bestselling author Mindy Hardwick’s latest release, Sweetheart Wedding, book five in the Cranberry Bay series, a small-town, contemporary romance. Be sure to read my review. And don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway.
“In the heart of a small town, love finds its home.”
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Title: Sweetheart Wedding
Series: Cranberry Bay Book 5
Author: Mindy Hardwick
Genre: Contemporary Small Town Romance
Determined to start her life over after a failed engagement, Gracie has built her boutique inn into a successful Cranberry Bay business.
Meanwhile, the youngest Shuster brother, Adam, loves helping his friends and family while working as a park ranger.
Devastated after a tragic accident, Adam guards his heart and is happy to have Gracie’s friendship. Both swear off love. But when Adam and Gracie are tossed together to help plan a Cranberry Bay wedding, they find their resolve not to fall in love crumbling.
And when Adam loses his Oregon State Parks job and takes a new job in Montana, both will have to decide whether to make the commitment to love each other and leave Cranberry Bay behind for a new life.
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**DON’T MISS THE REST OF THE CRANBERRY BAY BOOKS!**
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I liked the sound of the blurb, and since I can read all romance heat levels from sweet to steamy, I was looking forward to reading something on the sweet side.
As the blurb says, Gracie runs a B&B in a small town in Oregon. Even though all seems well to her friends, she’s hiding something, something she’s ashamed about regarding her first marriage that went to pieces. Then there is Adam, a man also haunted by his past who’s also sworn off love. But the two connect and are great friends, and that friendship is building…
I must say I really enjoyed the issues the author tackled in this book. We deal with domestic violence and alcoholism. Even in sweet small towns, all is not perfect. The people carry scars, and Adam and Gracie aren’t any different. It’s a matter of whether they can overcome their fears to get what they truly want.
The town is lively and wonderful. The author introduces us to everyone. But sometimes it does get heavy with backstory, I mean very heavy, with too many explanations happening that could have been used to further Gracie and Adam’s story since this is a short read. Now, some readers might enjoy the backstories, especially those who are readers of the series, but as for me, I prefer to focus on the main couple.
Still, with that quibble aside, I adored the characters, especially Gracie’s aunt, whom I thought could have had a chance to shine if the author didn’t use so much page time giving me an overview of every character’s backstory. There was something special about this aunt that could have really added something to Gracie and Adam’s story.
The writing is wonderful. I enjoyed the descriptions of the town. And the main characters are two great people who are easy to root for. I liked that they knew each other for a while, and how the slow-burn romance for them began to take off during the story.
This novel is part of a series, but you can read it as a standalone. I recommend this read because the two characters are good people, and their romance is as sweet as the small town of Cranberry Bay.
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Mindy Hardwick holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. Her published contemporary small-town heartwarming romance includes her Cranberry Bay Series: Sweetheart Cottage, Sweetheart Summer, Sweetheart Christmas and Sweetheart Santa. She has also published a young adult romance, Weaving Magic and a young adult novella, Erin’s Choice. Mindy’s middle grade books include: The World is a Sniff, Stained Glass Summer, Some Stories Are Not Seen, and Seymour’s Secret.
Mindy facilitated a poetry workshop for teens at Denney Juvenile Justice Center and wrote about the experience in her memoir, Kids in Orange: Voices from Juvenile Detention. Mindy can often be found walking on the north Oregon Coast beaches.
Follow Mindy: Website | Facebook | X | Bookbub | Amazon | Goodreads
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Maggie Blackbird 
I would enjoy reading this one. Sounds great.
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Boutique hotels are incredible. This book sounds wonderful.
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