Mulberry Hollow

Denise Hunter sets Mulberry Hollow in her Riverbend Romance series, a small Tennessee town she has been building out over multiple books. Avery is the local doctor, running a clinic that mostly handles minor injuries from the nearby Appalachian Trail. Wes shows up needing medical attention and ends up staying longer than he planned.

The trail setting gives the book a specific texture. There are real conversations about thru-hiker culture, gear, and the kind of grief that drives people to walk for months.

Hunter writes inspirational romance, so the faith element is present but not forced. The romance builds slowly, and the underlying conflict has real stakes rather than the manufactured kind.

Readers who follow Becky Wade or Carolyn Brown’s softer titles will find this comfortable. Newcomers can read it on its own without needing the earlier books.