Review: The Wishing Season by Denise Hunter

Book Description :

"She daydreams of whipping up sauces and soufflés in her own restaurant. His heart is set on helping foster children. Both dreams are at stake. So are their hearts. With grand plans to open her own bed & breakfast in Chapel Springs, PJ McKinley can't afford the most crucial part: the brick and mortar. But when the owner of a local historic home announces a contest and promises her property to the worthiest candidate, PJ makes a fervent wish and tosses her name into the hat. Cole Evans is cool, confident, and successful, but he'll never forget his roots. He's thankful for how far he's come and knows his life could have turned out drastically different. If he can win the stately old mansion, he'll turn it into a home for children aging out of the foster system. When the eccentric house owner narrows the entries down to only two applicants, she extends the contest, giving PJ and Cole one year to prove which one of them can make the best use of her beloved home. As the pair competes in close proximity, something deeper than rivalry sparks between PJ and Cole. And in this battle, they're likely to lose their hearts.

 About the Author-  Bestselling novelist Denise Hunter has received the Holt Medallion Award, Reader's Choice Award, Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist. She lives in Indiana with her husband and their three sons.

The Wishing Season is the third book in the Chapel Springs Romance series by Denise Hunter.  Each of the books feature a different member of the McKinley family and the author also wrote a novella in the Year of Weddings series that is also set in Chapel Springs. This book features PJ McKinley who is going after her dream of opening her own restaurant and bed and breakfast.  The only thing standing in her way is Cole Evans who is chasing his dream of opening a home for children who have aged out of foster care but have not yet graduated high school or gotten on their feet.

Even though The Wishing Season is a romance.  It is not just a light hearted easy to read romance. The main characters in this story, especially Cole, are dealing with some pretty  traumatic events both in the past and ongoing in the story.  There is a depth to the story that goes beyond a simple romance and the story is at times heart breaking.  It does give a wonderful message of letting go of the guilt from mistakes of the past and having hope for the future.  It does have a very predictable outcome, but it nonetheless was a worthwhile read.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of The Wishing Season for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review.  I received no other compensation and all opinions are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance to FTC regulations.