Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Blue Ridge Sunrise
    Blue Ridge Sunrise
    Blue Ridge Sunrise
    Audiobook7 hours

    Blue Ridge Sunrise

    Written by Denise Hunter

    Narrated by Julie Lyles Carr

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Former free spirit Zoe Collins swore she'd never again set foot in Copper Creek or speak to the man who broke her heart. But return she must when she inherits a peach orchard nestled at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

    When Zoe returns home with her young daughter and boyfriend Kyle, she finds that she's the only person in town who doesn't expect her to give up the life she's established far away from Copper Creek. Everyone believes she was born to run the orchard, but how can she make it her home after so many years?

    Cruz Huntley never quite got over his first love, Zoe Collins, the little sister of his best friend Brady. Not when she cheated on him during their "break," not when she took off to parts unknown with good-for-nothing Kyle Jenkins, and not even now—five years later.

    As life-changing decisions and a history with Cruz hang over Zoe's head, tensions rise between her and Kyle. Even as she comes to terms with the shifting relationships in her life, Zoe still isn't sure if she can remain in Copper Creek with her new responsibilities . . . and her first love.

    • Sweet contemporary romance
    • Part of the Blue Ridge Romance series, but can be read in any order
      • Book 1: Blue Ridge Sunrise
      • Book 2: Honeysuckle Dreams
      • Book 3: On Magnolia Lane
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThomas Nelson
    Release dateNov 7, 2017
    ISBN9780785219552
    Blue Ridge Sunrise
    Author

    Denise Hunter

    Denise Hunter is the internationally published, bestselling author of more than forty books, three of which have been adapted into original Hallmark Channel movies. She has won the Holt Medallion Award, the Reader’s Choice Award, the Carol Award, the Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist. When Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking chai lattes, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana, where she and her husband raised three boys and are now enjoying an empty nest and three beautiful grandchildren. DeniseHunterBooks.com; Facebook: @AuthorDeniseHunter; Twitter: @DeniseAHunter; Instagram: @deniseahunter.

    More audiobooks from Denise Hunter

    Related to Blue Ridge Sunrise

    Titles in the series (3)

    View More
    View More

    Related audiobooks

    Christian Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      The talking TREMAYNES

      Jul 12, 2023

      The talking TREMAYNES
      9 min read

    • Article

      Drawn to THE MOORS

      Feb 8, 2022

      Drawn to THE MOORS
      11 min read

    • Article

      Summer at BEACON BAY HEIGHTS

      Aug 16, 2023

      Summer at BEACON BAY HEIGHTS
      9 min read

    • Article

      Australia Reads At Home

      May 18, 2020

      Australia Reads At Home
      7 min read

    • Article

      Flirting with DANGER

      May 17, 2023

      Flirting with DANGER
      2 min read

    • Article

      Who Knew?

      Feb 12, 2021

      Who Knew?
      5 min read

    • Article

      Freedom

      Aug 6, 2020

      Freedom
      7 min read

    • Article

      STEPPING Out

      Feb 26, 2020

      STEPPING Out
      10 min read

    • Article

      Goodwill TO ALL

      Nov 15, 2022

      Goodwill TO ALL
      5 min read

    • Article

      Birdie

      Jan 14, 2020

      Birdie
      24 min read

    • Article

      This Family Saga Finds Grace And Beauty In Ordinary Lives, Fully Lived

      Jun 10, 2021

      Simon Van Booy's new novel Night Came With Many Stars follows several generations of a Kentucky family, their crossroads and choices, their curses and hard memories, their luck and their chances.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Aug 20, 2021

      ‘Brood’ is such a multi-layered word: thinking deeply about something, a group of young animals, something to do with longed-for motherhood… and this beautiful, spare book is about all of those, and more. The protagonist (she’s never named) and her h

      4 min read

    • Article

      Summer Reading Guide

      Jan 2, 2022

      Summer Reading Guide
      6 min read

    • Article

      A Gentle STIRRING

      Mar 13, 2024

      A Gentle STIRRING
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Only Rule

      Jul 13, 2020

      There is only one rule in polite English society, but it is iron clad. Of course, polite English society is a fiction. For one thing, its members are rarely polite. Politeness is for the middle classes rather than those who live off ancestral acres o

      5 min read

    • Article

      A Double Life

      Feb 6, 2020

      A Double Life
      10 min read

    • Article

      Suspicious Minds

      Apr 7, 2022

      Suspicious Minds
      5 min read

    • Article

      Blue Stars In THE OCEAN

      Aug 3, 2022

      Blue Stars In THE OCEAN
      6 min read

    • Article

      Lost for WORDS

      Sep 23, 2020

      Lost for WORDS
      6 min read

    • Article

      Planof Action

      Oct 5, 2021

      Planof Action
      6 min read

    • Article

      Four Of A Kind

      May 3, 2023

      Four Of A Kind
      4 min read

    • Article

      Slanted & enchanted

      May 30, 2021

      MIRRORLAND, by Carole Johnstone (HarperCollins, $32.99), is the imaginary place identical twins Cat and El have created in the basement of the strange house near Edinburgh they share with their neurotic mother and frightening grandfather. They have m

      3 min read

    • Article

      Starting OVER

      May 24, 2023

      Starting OVER
      6 min read

    • Article

      The talking TREMAYNES

      Aug 2, 2023

      The talking TREMAYNES
      9 min read

    • Article

      The talking TREMAYNES

      Jul 26, 2023

      The talking TREMAYNES
      9 min read

    • Article

      Summer at BEACON BAY HEIGHTS

      Aug 30, 2023

      Summer at BEACON BAY HEIGHTS
      9 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Jan 6, 2021

      REVIEWS ANNABEL LAWSON It’s only January but this will surely be my best novel of 2021, and it’s Alderton’s first. Nina has a dream job, owns a bijou flat in North London. She had a good relationship which lasted seven years. Her ex lost no time in m

      2 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Blue Ridge Sunrise

    4/5

    38 ratings7 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      This was a sweet book, but unfortunately the reader was too monotone for my liking. I can't say that I enjoyed the plot of the book either as Zoe, the protagonist kept making the most ridiculous mistakes. The romance was probably a bit too cringey for me. There were a few suspenseful bits and I'm glad that I percenter persevered till the end, but it wasn't the most enjoyable read.
    • 4/5
      Blue Ridge Sunrise by Denise Hunter is a heartwarming novel with an underlying theme of second chances. With more than just a second chance at love romance, this first installment in the Blue Ridge series is also a lovely story of new beginnings and healing.

      Five years ago, Zoe Collins and Cruz Huntley's relationship ended due to lack of communication, immaturity, insecurities and family disapproval. Zoe impetuously fled town with Kyle in order to pursue her dreams of becoming a musician. Cruz remained in town where he repaired his friendship with Zoe's brother Brady while trying to get over losing his first love. Now, five years and many, many regrets later, Zoe returns for her beloved grandmother's funeral and finds the courage to leave Kyle who has become increasingly controlling. Zoe also knows she needs to reveal the secret she has been keeping from Cruz but will it destroy any chance she has at possibly reconciling with the man who still holds her heart?

      Zoe is one of the those characters readers might find difficult to like. When she was young she comes across as more impetuous and immature than "free spirited". It is also difficult to forgive her choice to not tell Cruz the truth before she runs off with Kyle. Despite not being particularly likable, it is all too easy to understand how easy it was for her to allow Kyle to manipulate and control her.  After finally breaking free from her abusive relationship, Zoe initially remains a little timid and unsure but she gradually regains her self-confidence and sass.  Despite these changes, she is a little slow to own up to her terrible choice regarding keeping quiet about a MAJOR decision she made before leaving town, and Zoe is forced to deal with the consequences once Cruz stumbles onto the truth.

      While Zoe is impetuous and a little thoughtless, Cruz is steadfast and loyal.  He reluctantly agreed to keep their relationship under wraps in the past and wtheir romance was discovered, her family's reaction fed into his doubts and insecurities.  Zoe did not help the situation by her rash decisions and it was rather easy for external forces to take advantage of his uncertainties. In the intervening years, Cruz conquered his demons with the help of Zoe's grandmother and his insecurities and lack of self-esteem are now a thing of the past.  Cruz still harbors feelings for Zoe, but once he stumbles onto her secret, will he forgive her for her lie of omission?

      With a slight element of suspense and a gentle undercurrent of faith,  Blue Ridge Sunrise is an engaging romance with endearing characters. While Zoe does not always make the best choices, she does undergo believable growth throughout the story. Cruz has already come to terms with his emotional baggage but he must decide whether or not to absolve Zoe for not being honest with him. Although it takes a backseat to Zoe's struggles to move past her mistakes, their renewed romance is quite sweet. Despite some of the predictable elements of the storyline, this first installment in Denise Hunter's Blue Ridge series is an enjoyable read with interesting characters that readers will relate to.
    • 4/5
      This novel illustrates quite well what lies and fear can do in ones life... Even lies we tell ourselves. Once Zoe began to face up to all those lies, she was able to make a better, happier life for herself. The romance element was a nice distraction.
    • 3/5
      From the cover I was expecting a fun, cute romance. Instead, "Blue Ridge Sunrise" by Denise Hunter is a romance with a lot of deeper issues being explored; such as family drama and dealing with past mistakes. The first half of the book is dealing more with Zoe, our main female protagonist, returning home and facing her past. Because of this there are flashbacks to Zoe’s past; a lot of which were bad decisions she had made. I didn’t enjoy the first half as much because there is more mature content and I was really frustrated with Zoe. The second half is where I started to like the book a lot more and I give Ms. Hunter kudos for the transformation Zoe goes through and her character arc. In the end, Zoe and Cruz (the hero of the book), learn a lot of lessons. Zoe’s friend reminds her to find her identity in God and not any man. Zoe realizes she has been trying to control things when God should be in control and she should pass things by God before acting. Cruz’s faith also grows throughout the novel. The only thing that is a little troublesome is that Zoe and Cruz made mistakes in the past, but I don’t really see them acknowledging specifically that what they did is wrong. Of course, I love the romance! Cruz is a great guy and it’s so sweet how he is so protective of Zoe and never stops loving her. Ms. Hunter is an amazing writer and her style is easy to read. Overall, I liked the book. I think fans of contemporary novels and romance with some depth will really enjoy this book!Content: This book definitely falls in the category of edgy Christian fiction with a PG-13 rating. Some examples of the content are: the word hell is used; a couple shares a hotel room and sleep together when they aren’t married; people are at a bar and drink alcohol; a man is physically and emotionally abusive towards his girlfriend; a man calls a woman a derogatory name, but the word isn’t written; reference to someone being a drug addict. Rating: I give this book 3 stars.Genre: Contemporary; Christian fiction; Romance.I want to thank Denise Hunter, The Fiction Guild and Thomas Nelson for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.
    • 3/5
      Zoe Collins has less than no interest in returning to her small hometown in Georgia after leaving in her teens to join a band as a backup singer. However, after her grandmother passes away and leaves Zoe the family peach farm in her will, Zoe finds herself wanting to try on a different life. The added bonus of this new life is the stability it will offer her and her young daughter. Of course, with the benefits also comes the painful reality of once again being in close proximity to Cruz Huntley, the man who broke her heart and was a major factor in her decision to leave in the first place. When life pushes the former flames back into close proximity, sparks fly once again.A solid inspirational romance. Denise Hunter creates a cast of charming and flawed characters who struggle as much in their spiritual and personal relationships and allows everyone to grow. While nothing about the novel was particularly surprising, it was a perfectly enjoyable way to spend a few hours. Recommended for readers who enjoy contemporary Christian romances in a Southern setting.
    • 4/5
      3.5 StarsA contemporary second-chance romance that includes a couple of brief Christian references mixed in. The novel also has a theme of overcoming controlling relationships and the romance part is pretty clean. The female MC deals with her choices and the male MC is a nice guy. I love the settings, a Georgia peach orchard, a small town, and a little bit of Nashville. The MCs' friends are likeable and I hope their story continues in the next book. For younger contemporary romance fans, especially new adults.Net Galley Feedback
    • 4/5
      I was sent this book from BookLookBloggers. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review. This was beautifully written. I started this at night thinking I was only going to read a few pages. Next thing I knew I was over 50 pages in. I was lost in the story and wanted to learn more about the characters. This is written in parts and does goes between past and present (only once). I am just not a huge fan of this in books, but it worked within this story, since it was in parts and not just a chapter or two going back and forth. I found myself loving both the present and past story about the characters. I actually enjoyed learning how Zoe and Cruz meet and how they were separated. I love seeing them come back together in this second chance romance.This is a very emotional read. This deals with domestic abuse, loss, losing and finding yourself, and of course love. You will shed some tears while reading this, but you will also be smiling at times. I loved every second of this and I am so sad it is over. Overall, this was a fast read and I really enjoyed it. I want to read more from Denise Hunter.