Publication Date: 10/28/2014
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Mira
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 384
ISBN-10: 0778316394
ISBN-13: 978-0778316398
(Received for an honest review from Harlequin Mira)
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound, itunes
Brenda Novak on the WEB: website, twitter, facebook, goodreads
Books in the series:
Whiskey Creek
0.5. When We Touch
1. When Lightening Strikes
2. When Snow Falls
3. When Summer Comes
4. Home to Whiskey Creek
5. Take Me Home for Christmas
6. Come Home to Me
7. The Heart of Christmas
Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.
Excerpt from, The Heart of Christmas, courtesy of the author's website.
Synopsis:
Just call her Christmas Eve…
Eve Harmon has always enjoyed Christmas, but this year it reminds her of everything she doesn't have. Almost all her friends are married now, and that's what Eve wants, too. Love. A husband and kids of her own. But the B and B she manages, and even Whiskey Creek, the small Gold Country town where she was born and raised, suddenly seem…confining.
Eve's worried that her future will simply be a reflection of her past. There's no one in the area she could even imagine as a husband—until a handsome stranger comes to town. Eve's definitely attracted to him, and he seems to have the same reaction to her. But his darkly mysterious past could ruin Eve's happily ever after—just when it finally seems within reach. And just when she's counting on the best Christmas of her life!
Thoughts:
The Heart of Christmas is the seventh book in Brenda Novak's Whiskey Creek series and it arrives in time for Christmas. This is a great story of love and the Christmas Spirit. Novak has a knack for writing her stories with a bit of an edge to them and this one certainly has that. Reader's who are fans of the series, won't want to miss it. If it's your first in the series, don't worry, you'll be dropping by your favorite bookstore for the rest in short order.
What I liked:
I love a good Christmas romance and The Heart of Christmas provided that for me. I have to admit this one of the first Brenda Novak books I have read. But after this one, I am most definitely a fan. Novak's Whiskey Creek series has been very popular and when I was looking for good Christmas reads I couldn't resist it even though I hadn't read the other books in the series. Something I shall be fixing very soon. I didn't have a huge amount of trouble coming in late, but I did find myself wanting to know more about the different characters that showed up in this one. I know that several of them have already had their stories and I can't wait to see how it all goes into this one.
Eve is the manager of Little Mary's Bed and Breakfast in Whiskey Creek and she's having a bit of a hard time with her 35th birthday. Too much sadness and too much alcohol ends up with Eve in bed with an unknown man. But this one night stand is anything but. Eve and her mystery man have some real attraction. But there are tons of secrets standing in their way. I loved the way that Novak gives this story a good edge. The mysterious man turns out to be someone reader's might remember from some of Novak's previous writing. It was great to see Rex here and I think it gave the direction of this series some punch to it. I look forward to seeing where Novak takes it.
Jared, Brent, Rex... this guy has a ton of names and a ton of secrets. He made some bad choices and now he's in a real mess. His attraction to Eve is forceful, and intense and I loved the way Novak makes it seem like they just can't stay away from each other. That's the kind of attraction reader's wish they could have in their own lives. That raw, passionate experience we all crave. It's a shame that doesn't happen too often in real life, but Novak makes you believe it can.
I liked all of the secondary characters that I got to meet in this book as well. Ted seems like a bit of a stinker she trifled with Eve's feelings in the past, but he does come through and helps her and Rex out when they really need him in this one. There are plenty of other characters who are keeping secrets of their own, like Cheyenne. Not sure where that's going but it's bound to be a great addition to the series, when it all comes out. Whiskey Creek just has all kinds of interesting avenues to pursue. I really thought Novak had it all together with these characters. Rex and Eve were amazing, but there's a lot more going on in this little town than meets the eye.
Bottom Line:
I can't wait to go out and read the rest of these books. Whiskey Creek reads like a perfect little town but there is a bit of mystery in just about everyone's relationships and pasts. I liked the angle of finding out who killed Little Mary as well as the mysteriousness surrounding Rex and what he was really trying to protect Eve from. The steamy parts were very enjoyable and that intense connection between the hero and heroine made for some serious tension. I loved this one and the Christmas setting just made it all the better.
The Heart of Christmas is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.
I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
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