Two Bloggers One Series ~ Blackberry Summer (Hopes Crossing #1)

A few months ago I got Barb to try a  book from Haven's Cove from this author and I really enjoyed it but the characters kept mentioning Hopes Crossing so I told Barb we had to read this series before going on anymore in the other series...lol. Check out my thoughts then go see what Barb thought at Booker T's Farm.

Claire Bradford needed a wake-up call.

What she didn't need was a tragic car accident. As a single mom and the owner of a successful bead shop, Claire leads a predictable life in Hope's Crossing, Colorado. So what if she has no time for romance? At least, that's what she tells herself, especially when her best friend's sexy younger brother comes back to town as the new chief of police.

But when the accident forces Claire to slow down and lean on others—especially Riley McKnight—she realizes, for the first time, that things need to change. And not just in her own life. The accident—and the string of robberies committed by teenagers that led up to it—is a wake-up call to the people of Hope's Crossing. The sense of community and togetherness had been lost during those tough years. But with a mysterious "Angel of Hope" working to inspire the town, Riley and Claire will find themselves opening up to love and other possibilities by the end of an extraordinary summer….

I really like this author and even though at times the two Main Characters, especially the male one drove me crazy at times I still enjoyed it. 

Single mom Claire doesn't really like accepting help from anyone and now all of a sudden her shop is broke into and she is in a traffic accident. Now she will most definitly need help and she is pretty stubborn about it. 

Riley is back in town as the new chief of police and not everyone in town is on board with him filling that job. He might not have been the best teen when he lived here and then he left. He has also never gotten over the fact he has been in love with his sisters friend for a very long time. 

With the break in crime spree that is happening around town, Riley is determined to catch the culprits and this leads to a chase on some hazardous roads, though he stops the chase when he sees how bad the snow is, the thiefs end up crashing and so does an oncoming car. This care happens to have Claire and her two kids plus one of their friends. The theives have a tragedy as well which really makes Riley feel bad about what happens and blame himself. It's this and some other things that start to drive me a bit crazy. It was an accident. 

Claire, needs help and Riley is around to help as he feels bad about the accident. This leads to a few moments of some sexual tension. Claire isn't sure about being attracted to her friends brother and figures he probably doesn't feel that way and even when he does she isn't sure. She especially doesn't think he needs to help her all the time. Annoying. 

Over all, I really did enjoy this one even with the characters being dumb at times. So far I have really enjoyed all the books I have read from this author and I hope my streak with her books continue. 

4 stars