Denise Hunter's "Honeysuckle Dreams"

In the wake of his ex-wife's death, Brady Collins discovers that his 9-month-old son may not be his, and the child's grandparents want to take custody. When his lawyer mistakes his best friend Hope Daniels for his fiancee and mentions that an impending marriage could sway the judge in his favor, he asks Hope to be his fiancee to help him keep his son. After consideration, Hope  agrees, even if it means possibly putting aside her dream job to help her friend in need. Of course, an engagement is no guarantee they'll win the case, nor a guarantee their hearts will be safe.

The author put serious thought into this book to keep the story believable, especially between two Christians of this day and age. I really appreciated the thought Brady and Hope put into getting married before they make the final decision; they act like intelligent adults!* And they're upfront and honest right away with the people who'd catch them out. What really makes it for me is that they go into it with the expectation that it will be for life, regardless of whether Brady actually wins the custody case or not. It isn't some grand deception that they're trying to pull over the judge; they are fully committing to a marriage. Which includes premarital counseling! Not just with some pastor they barely know, but a friend.

This is all not to say that things don't go wrong, but I feel a lot better about it when it isn't because they didn't use their heads to start start with.

Even in fiction, child custody cases are not for the faint of heart. I was reminded of a custody case a friend of mine was a witness for, and it was hard for me to read about the trial, simply because I had heard so much about the real-life case. But it is a well-written and emotional story.


*If you're going to do something that you worry might be incredibly stupid, you should at least do it with forethought and intelligence. This will impress the people you're trying to convince (including yourself), and you just might get away with it. Unless you live in fiction.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Blue Ridge Romance
1. Blue Ridge Sunrise
2. Honeysuckle Dreams
3. On Magnolia Lane (Nov 2018)