Sweetbriar Cottage

When Noah and Josephine Mitchell discover their divorce was never actually finalized, their lives are turned upside down.

Following his divorce, Noah gave up his dream job, settling at a remote horse ranch in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northern Georgia, putting much-needed distance between himself and the former love of his life. But then Noah gets a letter from the IRS claiming he and Josephine are still married. When he confronts Josephine for the first time in months, they discover that she missed the final step in filing the paperwork and they are, in fact, still married.

Josephine is no happier about the news than Noah. Maybe the failed marriage—and okay, the botched divorce—was her fault, but her heart was shattered right alongside his, more than he would ever believe. The sooner they put this marriage behind them, the better for both of their sakes.

But when Josephine delivers the final paperwork to his ranch, the two become stranded in his cottage during the worst spring snowstorm in a decade. Being trapped with Josephine is a test of Noah’s endurance. He wrestles with resentment and an unmistakable pull to his wife—still beautiful, still brave, and still more intriguing than any woman he’s ever known.

As they find themselves confronted with each other and their shared past, old wounds surface and tempers flare. But when they are forced out into the storm, they must rely on each other in a way they never have before. Josephine finally opens up about her tragic past, and Noah realizes she’s never been loved unconditionally by anyone—including him. Will Noah accept the challenge to pursue Josephine’s heart? And can she finally find the courage to trust Noah?

"In Sweetbriar Cottage, Denise Hunter has written one of the best stories about emotional healing and forgiveness that I've read in ages. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to reach the resolution. Suspenseful, heartbreaking, and ultimately sigh-worthy, you don't want to miss this one."

~Robin Lee Hatcher, RITA and Christy Award winning author of You'll Think of Me and You're Gonna Love Me

"Sweetbriar Cottage is a wonderful story, full of emotional tension and evocative prose. Josephine and Noah, though deeply wounded, are easy to love in this story of second chances and unconditional love. Terrific read. I thoroughly enjoyed it." 

~Francine Rivers, author of Redeeming Love

"Denise Hunter's newest novel, Sweetbriar Cottage, is a story to fall in love with. True-to-life characters, high stakes, and powerful chemistry blend to tell an emotional story of reconciliation."

~Brenda Novak, NYT best-selling author

"Denise Hunter is, hands down, the best romance writer out there and never disappoints. Layered with likeable characters, rich setting, and a compelling plot, Sweetbriar Cottage is unputdownable. Highly recommended!" 

~Colleen Coble, USAToday best-selling author