Carolina Breeze (Bluebell Inn Romance #2) by Denise Hunter is about Mia Emerson who is escaping Hollywood following a huge scandal. With her engagement broken, she goes on a solo honeymoon to Bluebell Inn, North Carolina, where ex-project manager and inn keeper Levi helps her stay away from the paparazzi while dealing with his own serious issues.

If you want a holiday read Carolina Breeze (Bluebell Inn Romance #2) by Denise Hunter is a great choice. It is a heartwarming, entertaining and light read which I’m sure will stay with me for a long time. The story is beautifully written, and I particularly appreciate the descriptions of life and nature around the lake.

I find main character, Mia Emerson, to be a very likable and nice person in a vulnerable situation who suffers loneliness, insecurities and heart aches like any other less famous person.
In spite of being a Hollywood celebrity she seems like the girl next door, and I enjoy the parts of the story describing how Mia learns to trust other people again, Levi in particular.

Levi Bennett, ex-construction project manager turned inn keeper, is afraid he will fail his sisters if he doesn’t reach all the goals he has set. His fear makes him overdo things and become controlling. He is a layered and true to life character and my favorite in this story.

I really enjoyed the setting of this story in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. It stood out to me, as I have not read anything set in this region before. I found the writing just beautifully heartwarming, easy flowing and enjoyable with plenty of references to fresh air, pine smell and outdoor living around the lake.

The mystery connected to Mia’s grandparents mixed into the plot I totally loved. It added an extra excitement to the story. Nice to see Mia got something other than the miserable state of her life to focus on when she was going about solving the mystery together with Levi.

In the midst of Mia’s messy life situation, the relationship with Levi got room to develop. I found the writing of the romance part very well done and expertly balanced between clean and intensely romantic.

In the middle of huge personal drama, Mia turned to God. She prayed on and off throughout the story. The faith element seemed to play a background part in this story, which was ok. -It was still there.

Carolina Breeze (Bluebell Inn Romance #2) by Denise Hunter had a light and summery vibe I enjoyed a lot. Mixed with Hollywood celebrity issues and topped with a mystery and a faith element, it all tied together in a nice and easily read little package.

Carolina Breeze (Bluebell Inn Romance #2) by Denise Hunter is the first work I have read by Denise Hunter. While I would have preferred to read Lake Season (Buebell Inn Romance #1) first, I jumped right into installment #2. Carolina Breeze worked perfectly as a standalone, but as I loved it so much I will definitely go back and read Lake Season (Buebell Inn Romance #1) in the Bluebell Inn Romance Series. I want to see what story line I may pick up from the beginning.

Fans of Denise Hunter will love this work, as will readers of contemporary women’s fiction. For similar reads it might be a good idea to check out Jody Hedlund's or Rachel Hauck's work.

Thank you to publisher Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for this eARC, which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions in this review are completely my own.