Blue Hollow Falls: Volume 1

A fantastic story to kick-off what should be an exceptional new series. The setting is a small mountain town in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The town is full of delightful quirky characters with a determination to bring the town back to life. The author's writing brought the place to life in my mind. The main characters in this story are Sunny Goodwin and Sawyer Hartwell. Sunny is a strong independent woman who after caring for her mother for many years now finds herself with a small inheritance from a father she never knew, a ten year old half sister from said father, and a family she never realized she wanted. Sawyer is a war vet who has found his place in Blue Hollow Falls. He has a vision for the old mill Sunny has inherited and he wants to share that vision with Sunny. An excellent book and one I would recommend to everyone.

I loved Blue Hollow Falls by Donna Kaufman. Sunshine, “Sunny”, Goodwin is a botanist at USBG, living in Arlington, Virginia, alone since the recent death of the mother she was caretaker for, when she discovers she’s inherited one-third of an old mill from a father she never knew about. Sawyer was adopted by Doyle Bart Hartwell and his former wife Addie as a young child. Neither Addie nor Sawyer knew about Sunny and another sister, ten-year old Bailey, who also inherited a share of the mill. Bailey was abandoned by her mother and lived in foster care until Addie took over that position. The mill is not the only building on the land, there is also a run-down glass greenhouse, over one hundred years old, and that has been left to the elements. Sawyer and Sunny have an attraction that makes both of them glad not to be related by blood. I highly recommend this outstanding book to other readers. It was difficult for me to put this book down. Ms. Kaufman is a wonderful story teller drawing me into her books, making me forget the world around me. I could visualize the town and its surrounding beauty of the mountains and hills of Blue Hollow Falls through her written word. She created a place where I would love to live, seeing the restoration of the mill. I could even work as a crafter selling the baby blankets (quilts) I sew. This is the first book in a new series and I can’t wait for the next one to be published. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Kauffman’s newest is just as much women’s fiction as it is romance, which works so-very-well.  While Sunny and Sawyer dance around their attraction, there is an entire group of adorable characters who are finding their way in a new family dynamic.  Shortly after losing her mother and finding herself pretty much alone in the world, Sunny discovers that she actually has a family and inherited a share of an old silk mill.  She’s spent most of her life being a care-giver to her mother and now she’s finally (and guiltily) exploring her freedom.  With the addition of siblings and assorted non-blood family, though, she’s got to decide whether she’s ready to get involved again.  Sawyer may find himself drawn to Sunny but she’s dealing with so much and her life is a few hours away.  Getting involved can only lead to complications … but he’s finding her hard to resist.  As appealing as these two are, though, it’s the secondary characters that tend to steal the show.  I love seeing Bailey, Sunny’s half-sister, reveal her too cute middle-aged woman in a little girl’s body personality.  And it’s obvious that both Sawyer’s and Sunny’s delightful best friends are due for their own story (not sure yet if it is together or separate).  As the start of a new series there is a good amount of description and quite a few characters introduced, which may be a bit much for some.  But those who enjoy stories with small-town romances and family-dynamics will appreciate the world that Kauffman creates and look forward to what comes next. *** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***