The Heart of Christmas (Whiskey Creek)

I've enjoyed previous whiskey Creek books but I just couldn't finish this one. The hero is too flawed for my taste and the relationship is based on sex and lies . I couldn't feel any kind of emotional connection between the couple and that's what a good romance is based on for me.

Sophomoric, unrealistic, far fetched and just plain confusing. Too many over involved friends with questionable motives and a weird interplay. Our hero has too many issues to count. Oh yeah, and what besides sex was this relationship based on.

This was so disappointing.....Eve deserved better than this and more time developing her "forever" relationship. I felt this novel to be rushed not nearly the quality of the other books in this series and will be careful when purchasing another.

After reading Take Me Home For Christmas last year, I couldn't wait to read Eve's story. This holiday season, The Heart Of Christmas takes us back to Whiskey Creek, with a feel good story about Eve Harmon. Eve is a good girl, who runs Little Mary's, the family B&B. She is turning 35, and sees all of her friends happily married, and wonders if she will ever have that. Feeling sorry for herself, she goes to Sexy Sadie's (the local bar), gets drunk and wakes up the next morning with a stranger in her bed.

The stranger, Rex McCready, uses several aliases, because of people from his past that are trying to kill him. Rex was only passing through town, but the problems from his past and the chemistry with Eve, keeps him in town through the holidays.

Meanwhile, Ted Dixon the local suspense author, is trying to solve the mystery of who killed the real Little Mary back in 1871. Cheyenne has her baby, too. This book is full of Christmas magic, characters we have known from Whiskey Creek, and suspense. It is a perfect addition to the Whiskey Creek Series. I think you will love this book, I know I did!

The Heart of Christmas takes another single member of the Friday Coffee group and gives them their own happy ending. Eve has been a featured character in each of the previous Whiskey Creek books. Once it looked like she might finally find her own HEA but it was not to be. Now she is 35 and feeling like she will never find that special person. I have always liked Eve. She is very caring and very strong. Seeing her down as she is in The Heart of Christmas was very sad. I just knew someone would show up to be her very special person. What I did not expect was a man with a very mysterious and dangerous past.

Brenda Novak does a great job with that mysterious man. Why no name? (small spoiler) Because his name has been changed several times for his own protection. He does not want anything to happen to Eve so it looks like no HEA for Eve again. Then the Friday Coffee group decides to help and comes up with a winning solution.

I have to admit both the mysterious man and how he and Eve came to have their own HEA surprised me. The Heart of Christmas has a much darker tone than previous Whiskey Creek books. I think the slight change of pace strengthens the series and helps keep it from being predictable.

Received from author in exchange for a honest review.

I am torn by the characters in this book. The story is wonderful and a perfect Christmas love story about forgiveness and helping out fellow man and trying to change. The two primary characters Eve and Rex are amazing. I love the animal magnetism they have to each other. The raw desire and need to be in each others presence that causes total accepting of each other even when they don't know each other. Even when one is not forthcoming and in trouble. That magnetism draws you in and keeps you reading.

Rex's torn guilt and loneliness grabs your heart. He is trying to be a better man but is ladled with misplaced guilt. Guilt that has eaten away at him and has him as a teen make bad choices. Choices that change his path. Choices that now effect his time with Eve. These are also the choices that bring him in the path of Eve as well. He is a good man at heart. Kind caring and gentle but misguided and hurt. He tries so hard to protect Eve he almost loses her.

Eve is so open and understanding. accepting of Rex even when she knows he is hiding something. Defends him to friends and cares for him unconditionally. Her kindness knows no bounds and she falls madly in love with this stranger who has her doing uncharacteristically odd things like thinking about her life and her unsettledness. He has her standing up for herself and facing her feelings of restlessness. He also her showing us the adage you love someone set them free if they come back they are truly yours if not they never were. She helps REx gain freedom freedom from the past and does this knowing he must go away to be safe. Rex gives her his trust and heart when he reveals all of himself to her. They love each other but he is in a tough situation one that her friends and her help him out of. Gain his freedom and peace. Again the adage if you love someone set them free comes to mind because Eve does this and is rewarded ten fold.

Now where I had the trouble. Past characters I loved really really ticked me off. Ted is one of them. First you are a insensitive ass Ted. I mean you dump Eve who fell for you for Sophia who you always loved so really you were toying with Eve's emotions. You want to stay best friends with her while kind of flaunting your new relationship in her face especially when you have her in your wedding. That truly is insensitive. Than she does something like a one night stand that turns into more and you have the audacity to butt in give opinions and tell her what she should do. You even have the guy looked at. What right do you have dude? Just back off. Your only saving grace that helps you in the end is that you helped Eve and Rex. If it wasn't for that you would totally be on my poop list. And even that was done because you wanted Eve to forgive you for dumping her. So it wasn't done in the goodness of the season like Eve would hope for.

Kiley loved him so willing to help and accept rex. I hope he gets his HEA soon. Him and Blake who is wonderful to see in this book deserve them. Dylan does show understanding after hesitation towards Rex. Cheyenne meh. She has a huge secret and than berates Rex to Eve about his secrets. Not happening chick pot calling kettle black.

I love also how the mystery of the murder of little mary is in the book and how it is solved as well. Really great to see a side story that links to Eve's inn in there.

This is Eve and Rex's story. A story of forgiveness, love, freedom from guilt and the past. A story of kindness and compassion, friendship and faith. A story of good will towards men and really shows the meaning of if you love someone set them free if they come back they are yours if not than they never were. A wonderfully written, beautifully faithful love story that shows all the good qualities of people. A story with action, heat, magnetism that draws you in and keeps you reading.

OMG I LOVED this story! The Heart of Christmas is Eve's story. After Ted broke her heart by walking away so he could be with Sophia, his first love, Eve is finally getting her chance at true love. The story starts off with Eve waking up in her bed with a naked man lying next her. She starts remembering the previous night and remembers bringing him home. This is so unlike Eve but she was feeling down since it was her 35th birthday and her friends weren't taking her out until the next day to celebrate, so Eve went to Sexy Sadie's and ended up getting drunk. Now Eve is freaking out because "what will people think", "did they use protection", "does he have STD's"? Eve asks him who he is because she has never seen him before and he says he is visiting Whiskey Creek and it doesn't matter his name. Now Eve is really worried. What neither of them understands is the pull they have towards each other. They just can't get each other out of their minds. Eve knows something is off about "Jared" but doesn't have a clue as to what it is.

Eve goes into work that morning and takes breakfast up to one of the rooms. Guess whose room it is! Brent "Jared" Taylor's! Oh, boy! I just loved how these two couldn't help finding their way back to each other after everything that happens between them. As Eve starts to find out more and more about Brent, her friends are getting worried. They don't want her with some dangerous person who keeps telling lies and hiding things. Eve knows deep down Brent is a good guy.

As more of Brent's background starts to get exposed, Eve is starting to fall in love with him and he is developing strong feelings for her. These two just can't stay away from each and decide for the few weeks Brent is in town, they will be together.

I loved how Eve's friends all rallied around her to help with the Brent situation. I just adored Mrs. Higgins! Everyone needs a Mrs. Higgins in their life.

I love the happy ending, with all the happy surprises! I cannot believe the epilogue ended how it did! You are killing me here Brenda Novak! I want, no I need to know what happens next!

Another great Whiskey Creek story. I loved the love story but I also really enjoyed the suspenseful parts with Brent and the ghost Mary. I laughed, cried and swooned and just could not put this book down. Thanks!

Sometimes, you really, really want to like a book. A book called The Heart of Christmas seemed so up my alley for this time of year. The holiday season is when I go for the ‘candy’ – the sweet, emotional holiday romances, especially if there is some suspense/action mixed in. As such, I had high hopes for this book when I received it from Netgalley. Sigh.

OK, some of you are going to completely disagree with this review, and that is perfectly fine. I write my reviews based on my own feelings about a book, not what other’s think, and apparently a lot of people enjoy them as well, so that makes it more fun, right? Be that as it may, I don’t know if I was more disappointed or irritated by the main character in this book. Both? Probably. So, here goes. Eve wakes up the morning after her birthday to find a man in her bed. Thirty-five, to her, is the end of her life apparently, she will never do or be anyone now that she has hit the big 3-5 and her friends are married off and most expecting kids. So, the guy she falls into bed with, Brent, (or maybe it is another name, he seems to have several) is very upfront that it’s a one-night-stand. And that is what she wanted as well, right? I mean, living in a small town in the mountains you don’t go sleeping with every guy that comes through your B&B if you want to keep your reputation. But, they do the nasty and he intends for them to go their separate ways, everything was upfront from the get-go, and everything should be cool. Right? Right? Well, not so much.

Had she crossed the line? Was she acting like a stalker?

Uh. Duh. You immediately start hounding your ONS with personal questions, go through his things, try to break into his computer . . . the list goes on and on. I pretty much wanted to bean her over the head with a baseball bat. Needy, whiny stalker? Check. Of course, he is coming back around for the under the covers exercise, so that is most definitely HIS fault. He contributes by coming back for more, so it isn’t all on her. He has good reason for doing what he does as far as not telling her anything – and besides, it’s not meant to be long-term, and he is never anything but upfront about that. He is a very dangerous man, with very dangerous enemies, and he doesn’t hide that from her. Then there is the trite ‘maybe baby’ routine that just, well, hum… And after one night he gives her a crud-ton of money, just in case? Wow. Uh, hmm again….. You bop a woman, she shows up the next day saying she might be preggers and you just fork over the cash? Wow. Do that a few times a year and you never have to work at all. Just sayin’.

I suppose when it comes down to it, you may not find her as absolutely and unutterably irritating as I did. Realistically, if you strip out the needy stalker traits I could see myself giving this book a lot better review than I am giving it. The situation Rex (his real name) is in is heartbreaking, and I have a lot of sympathy for him and for his friends who are in the same leaky boat with him. There is suspense and action, and of course the two make that whole Christmas thing happen in the end, which is the whole point of a Christmas romance, right? Part of me can sort of feel for her. She is in this tiny town, surrounded by a tight group of friends who have all married one another, and she is the odd-bird-out. Be that as it may, read it for yourself. Love Eve or hate her, I wasn’t really able to get over not liking her personally, but the book itself is well written and the ‘not-the-personal-relationship’ portions were really good. Maybe you will understand her neediness a lot better than I do. I can be incredibly compassionate, but I also don’t have a lot of patience with women (or men!) who agree to one thing, then . . .

I received this book from the publisher in return for a realistic review. All thoughts are my own.

The Heart of Christmas is a Whisky Creek novel by Brenda Novak. It is set in Whiskey Creek, a small Gold Country town. The characters are well developed and are very realistic. The plot is twisted and exciting. The ongoing mystery of the murder of little Mary at the B&B run by Eve just adds to the excitement.
Eve is turning thirty five and is all alone. Her last lover, Ted, discovered his ongoing love for Sophie and married her. Eve knew in her heart that this was best; but her pride was still bruised even after a year. Everyone was married in her group but her. There was a dearth of eligible men in Whiskey Creek so she would have to go elsewhere to find her true love. Could she leave the B & B and her family? What is she going to do? These questions and others haunt her as she heads for Sexy Sadies and a drink or two and a dance or two. She ended up taking a total stranger home with her and into her bed. Now she has to face reality. What is she going to do with this man?
Rex McCready wakes up in the bed of a gorgeous woman. Who is she and how did he get here? However startled he is, he feels at home, a feeling that worries him. He quickly tells the woman not to expect anything from him. He loved sleeping with her; but he was not one for commitments. This is apparent to Eve as he stated his name is Jared. He is not one for a long term relationship. At least she won’t have to see him again.
When she arrives at the B&B later that morning, she helps deliver breakfast trays to the rooms that requested it. To her shock and horror, the door to Room 1 opens with Jared in the doorway. She suggests he find another place to stay and goes on her way. When she cleans his room later, she notices his luggage says Taylor Jackson and his room is rented to Brent Taylor, Who is this guy and why is she still attracted to him?
The mystery of who this man is and why he is in Whiskey Creek continues to play out as her friends and family rally around her. Everyone feels something about him that worries them; but they trust Eve not to lose her head. The tension mounts when Eve discovers she could be pregnant by Jared or Brent or whomever he is. Can the town and Eve figure out the truth and help Rex?

After reading Take Me Home For Christmas last year, I couldn't wait to read Eve's story. This holiday season, The Heart Of Christmas takes us back to Whiskey Creek, with a feel good story about Eve Harmon. Eve is a good girl, who runs Little Mary's, the family B&B. She is turning 35, and sees all of her friends happily married, and wonders if she will ever have that. Feeling sorry for herself, she goes to Sexy Sadie's (the local bar), gets drunk and wakes up the next morning with a stranger in her bed.

The stranger, Rex McCready, uses several aliases, because of people from his past that are trying to kill him. Rex was only passing through town, but the problems from his past and the chemistry with Eve, keeps him in town through the holidays.

Meanwhile, Ted Dixon the local suspense author, is trying to solve the mystery of who killed the real Little Mary back in 1871. Cheyenne has her baby, too. This book is full of Christmas magic, characters we have known from Whiskey Creek, and suspense. It is a perfect addition to the Whiskey Creek Series. I think you will love this book, I know I did!

The Heart of Christmas takes another single member of the Friday Coffee group and gives them their own happy ending. Eve has been a featured character in each of the previous Whiskey Creek books. Once it looked like she might finally find her own HEA but it was not to be. Now she is 35 and feeling like she will never find that special person. I have always liked Eve. She is very caring and very strong. Seeing her down as she is in The Heart of Christmas was very sad. I just knew someone would show up to be her very special person. What I did not expect was a man with a very mysterious and dangerous past.

Brenda Novak does a great job with that mysterious man. Why no name? (small spoiler) Because his name has been changed several times for his own protection. He does not want anything to happen to Eve so it looks like no HEA for Eve again. Then the Friday Coffee group decides to help and comes up with a winning solution.

I have to admit both the mysterious man and how he and Eve came to have their own HEA surprised me. The Heart of Christmas has a much darker tone than previous Whiskey Creek books. I think the slight change of pace strengthens the series and helps keep it from being predictable.

Received from author in exchange for a honest review.

I am torn by the characters in this book. The story is wonderful and a perfect Christmas love story about forgiveness and helping out fellow man and trying to change. The two primary characters Eve and Rex are amazing. I love the animal magnetism they have to each other. The raw desire and need to be in each others presence that causes total accepting of each other even when they don't know each other. Even when one is not forthcoming and in trouble. That magnetism draws you in and keeps you reading.

Rex's torn guilt and loneliness grabs your heart. He is trying to be a better man but is ladled with misplaced guilt. Guilt that has eaten away at him and has him as a teen make bad choices. Choices that change his path. Choices that now effect his time with Eve. These are also the choices that bring him in the path of Eve as well. He is a good man at heart. Kind caring and gentle but misguided and hurt. He tries so hard to protect Eve he almost loses her.

Eve is so open and understanding. accepting of Rex even when she knows he is hiding something. Defends him to friends and cares for him unconditionally. Her kindness knows no bounds and she falls madly in love with this stranger who has her doing uncharacteristically odd things like thinking about her life and her unsettledness. He has her standing up for herself and facing her feelings of restlessness. He also her showing us the adage you love someone set them free if they come back they are truly yours if not they never were. She helps REx gain freedom freedom from the past and does this knowing he must go away to be safe. Rex gives her his trust and heart when he reveals all of himself to her. They love each other but he is in a tough situation one that her friends and her help him out of. Gain his freedom and peace. Again the adage if you love someone set them free comes to mind because Eve does this and is rewarded ten fold.

Now where I had the trouble. Past characters I loved really really ticked me off. Ted is one of them. First you are a insensitive ass Ted. I mean you dump Eve who fell for you for Sophia who you always loved so really you were toying with Eve's emotions. You want to stay best friends with her while kind of flaunting your new relationship in her face especially when you have her in your wedding. That truly is insensitive. Than she does something like a one night stand that turns into more and you have the audacity to butt in give opinions and tell her what she should do. You even have the guy looked at. What right do you have dude? Just back off. Your only saving grace that helps you in the end is that you helped Eve and Rex. If it wasn't for that you would totally be on my poop list. And even that was done because you wanted Eve to forgive you for dumping her. So it wasn't done in the goodness of the season like Eve would hope for.

Kiley loved him so willing to help and accept rex. I hope he gets his HEA soon. Him and Blake who is wonderful to see in this book deserve them. Dylan does show understanding after hesitation towards Rex. Cheyenne meh. She has a huge secret and than berates Rex to Eve about his secrets. Not happening chick pot calling kettle black.

I love also how the mystery of the murder of little mary is in the book and how it is solved as well. Really great to see a side story that links to Eve's inn in there.

This is Eve and Rex's story. A story of forgiveness, love, freedom from guilt and the past. A story of kindness and compassion, friendship and faith. A story of good will towards men and really shows the meaning of if you love someone set them free if they come back they are yours if not than they never were. A wonderfully written, beautifully faithful love story that shows all the good qualities of people. A story with action, heat, magnetism that draws you in and keeps you reading.

OMG I LOVED this story! The Heart of Christmas is Eve's story. After Ted broke her heart by walking away so he could be with Sophia, his first love, Eve is finally getting her chance at true love. The story starts off with Eve waking up in her bed with a naked man lying next her. She starts remembering the previous night and remembers bringing him home. This is so unlike Eve but she was feeling down since it was her 35th birthday and her friends weren't taking her out until the next day to celebrate, so Eve went to Sexy Sadie's and ended up getting drunk. Now Eve is freaking out because "what will people think", "did they use protection", "does he have STD's"? Eve asks him who he is because she has never seen him before and he says he is visiting Whiskey Creek and it doesn't matter his name. Now Eve is really worried. What neither of them understands is the pull they have towards each other. They just can't get each other out of their minds. Eve knows something is off about "Jared" but doesn't have a clue as to what it is.

Eve goes into work that morning and takes breakfast up to one of the rooms. Guess whose room it is! Brent "Jared" Taylor's! Oh, boy! I just loved how these two couldn't help finding their way back to each other after everything that happens between them. As Eve starts to find out more and more about Brent, her friends are getting worried. They don't want her with some dangerous person who keeps telling lies and hiding things. Eve knows deep down Brent is a good guy.

As more of Brent's background starts to get exposed, Eve is starting to fall in love with him and he is developing strong feelings for her. These two just can't stay away from each and decide for the few weeks Brent is in town, they will be together.

I loved how Eve's friends all rallied around her to help with the Brent situation. I just adored Mrs. Higgins! Everyone needs a Mrs. Higgins in their life.

I love the happy ending, with all the happy surprises! I cannot believe the epilogue ended how it did! You are killing me here Brenda Novak! I want, no I need to know what happens next!

Another great Whiskey Creek story. I loved the love story but I also really enjoyed the suspenseful parts with Brent and the ghost Mary. I laughed, cried and swooned and just could not put this book down. Thanks!

Sometimes, you really, really want to like a book. A book called The Heart of Christmas seemed so up my alley for this time of year. The holiday season is when I go for the ‘candy’ – the sweet, emotional holiday romances, especially if there is some suspense/action mixed in. As such, I had high hopes for this book when I received it from Netgalley. Sigh.

OK, some of you are going to completely disagree with this review, and that is perfectly fine. I write my reviews based on my own feelings about a book, not what other’s think, and apparently a lot of people enjoy them as well, so that makes it more fun, right? Be that as it may, I don’t know if I was more disappointed or irritated by the main character in this book. Both? Probably. So, here goes. Eve wakes up the morning after her birthday to find a man in her bed. Thirty-five, to her, is the end of her life apparently, she will never do or be anyone now that she has hit the big 3-5 and her friends are married off and most expecting kids. So, the guy she falls into bed with, Brent, (or maybe it is another name, he seems to have several) is very upfront that it’s a one-night-stand. And that is what she wanted as well, right? I mean, living in a small town in the mountains you don’t go sleeping with every guy that comes through your B&B if you want to keep your reputation. But, they do the nasty and he intends for them to go their separate ways, everything was upfront from the get-go, and everything should be cool. Right? Right? Well, not so much.

Had she crossed the line? Was she acting like a stalker?

Uh. Duh. You immediately start hounding your ONS with personal questions, go through his things, try to break into his computer . . . the list goes on and on. I pretty much wanted to bean her over the head with a baseball bat. Needy, whiny stalker? Check. Of course, he is coming back around for the under the covers exercise, so that is most definitely HIS fault. He contributes by coming back for more, so it isn’t all on her. He has good reason for doing what he does as far as not telling her anything – and besides, it’s not meant to be long-term, and he is never anything but upfront about that. He is a very dangerous man, with very dangerous enemies, and he doesn’t hide that from her. Then there is the trite ‘maybe baby’ routine that just, well, hum… And after one night he gives her a crud-ton of money, just in case? Wow. Uh, hmm again….. You bop a woman, she shows up the next day saying she might be preggers and you just fork over the cash? Wow. Do that a few times a year and you never have to work at all. Just sayin’.

I suppose when it comes down to it, you may not find her as absolutely and unutterably irritating as I did. Realistically, if you strip out the needy stalker traits I could see myself giving this book a lot better review than I am giving it. The situation Rex (his real name) is in is heartbreaking, and I have a lot of sympathy for him and for his friends who are in the same leaky boat with him. There is suspense and action, and of course the two make that whole Christmas thing happen in the end, which is the whole point of a Christmas romance, right? Part of me can sort of feel for her. She is in this tiny town, surrounded by a tight group of friends who have all married one another, and she is the odd-bird-out. Be that as it may, read it for yourself. Love Eve or hate her, I wasn’t really able to get over not liking her personally, but the book itself is well written and the ‘not-the-personal-relationship’ portions were really good. Maybe you will understand her neediness a lot better than I do. I can be incredibly compassionate, but I also don’t have a lot of patience with women (or men!) who agree to one thing, then . . .

I received this book from the publisher in return for a realistic review. All thoughts are my own.

The Heart of Christmas is a Whisky Creek novel by Brenda Novak. It is set in Whiskey Creek, a small Gold Country town. The characters are well developed and are very realistic. The plot is twisted and exciting. The ongoing mystery of the murder of little Mary at the B&B run by Eve just adds to the excitement.
Eve is turning thirty five and is all alone. Her last lover, Ted, discovered his ongoing love for Sophie and married her. Eve knew in her heart that this was best; but her pride was still bruised even after a year. Everyone was married in her group but her. There was a dearth of eligible men in Whiskey Creek so she would have to go elsewhere to find her true love. Could she leave the B & B and her family? What is she going to do? These questions and others haunt her as she heads for Sexy Sadies and a drink or two and a dance or two. She ended up taking a total stranger home with her and into her bed. Now she has to face reality. What is she going to do with this man?
Rex McCready wakes up in the bed of a gorgeous woman. Who is she and how did he get here? However startled he is, he feels at home, a feeling that worries him. He quickly tells the woman not to expect anything from him. He loved sleeping with her; but he was not one for commitments. This is apparent to Eve as he stated his name is Jared. He is not one for a long term relationship. At least she won’t have to see him again.
When she arrives at the B&B later that morning, she helps deliver breakfast trays to the rooms that requested it. To her shock and horror, the door to Room 1 opens with Jared in the doorway. She suggests he find another place to stay and goes on her way. When she cleans his room later, she notices his luggage says Taylor Jackson and his room is rented to Brent Taylor, Who is this guy and why is she still attracted to him?
The mystery of who this man is and why he is in Whiskey Creek continues to play out as her friends and family rally around her. Everyone feels something about him that worries them; but they trust Eve not to lose her head. The tension mounts when Eve discovers she could be pregnant by Jared or Brent or whomever he is. Can the town and Eve figure out the truth and help Rex?

Just when I think I’ve figured out author Brenda Novak’s tricks, she completely throws me for a loop. Half the fun of reading THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS is seeing how Novak will create a happy ending for Eve and her mystery man. Certainly wasn’t how I expected it to resolve, but WOW — it makes perfect sense!

Eve is one of the original from Whiskey Creek’s Friday morning coffee group. These now adults went through high school together and we’ve come to know them through the Whiskey Creek series. It’s OK if you haven’t read the earlier books first, but I guarantee you’ll want to after finishing THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS.

As THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS opens, Eve is celebrating her birthday. Because her single friends in the coffee group have been paired off in the earlier books, Eve’s birthday celebration isn’t the big party she’d like. But her life takes an interesting turn when she meets a sexy stranger.

This stranger, however, is only in Whiskey Creek to hide out for a bit. Even though he comes to care for Eve, he has solid reasons why he can’t get involved.

As always, Eve’s friends are there for her — some supporting her decisions, others worried and trying to protect her. Those lasting friendships are the key to the success of the Whiskey Creek series. Novak has always written strong, interesting characters that are the backbone for all the plot twists.

I’ve loved all the Whiskey Creek books (as well as the first book in which we see Eve’s stranger — make sure you look up that book after reading this one). THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS is Novak’s most complex Whiskey Creek title to date. Don’t miss it!

The Heart of Christmas is seventh in Brenda Novak’s Whiskey Creek series and a story of particular interest to this reader because it tells the continuing story of a character from her Bulletproof trilogy: that of ex-con and protection specialist Rex McCready.
Eve Harmon is facing thirty-five. All her friends are married and starting families, and the warm, welcoming town of Whiskey Creek suddenly seems confining. Moving away for a time sounds promising, after all, maybe she needs to make a fresh start, but when the lovely B and B owner finds a gorgeous man in her bed following a night of partying and too much alcohol, it shakes her conservative world. What’s worse, she finds herself attracted to the stranger, and she senses he likes her, too, even though he pretends not to care. However, the two can’t seem to stay away from each other, even though Rex, using an assumed name, knows he’d be the worst mistake Eve could possibly make.
A tip-off that the Crew may have found him makes Rex decide he cannot endanger Eve, no matter how strong the attraction. Some unexpected news throws a wrench into their plans, and Rex must rethink his priorities.
I loved Rex in the first two Bulletproof books and welcomed him back in this Whiskey Creek story along with the other series characters who’ve become old friends. Ms. Novak is a born storyteller and The Heart of Christmas met my expectations, even if the ending was a bit predictable.

THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS

Brenda Novak

It is Christmas time in Whiskey Creek, California. Normally Christmas is Eve's favorite time of the year but this year she is having a hard time. She is one of the last single members of her group of friends and is frustrated about that. She feels alone and would like to have a special someone with whom to share her life. She thought that she had found that someone when she was dating her friend Ted Dixon but unfortunately that relationship ended when an old flame, Sophia DeBussi, came back to town and Ted realized that he still had feelings for her. Eve celebrated her thirty-fifth birthday by going out to Sexy Sadie's bar alone but wakes up the next morning to find a handsome stranger in her bed. This is not the normal behavior for Eve. She wanted to celebrate her birthday in a big way, just not this way. Eve gradually remembers that Noelle Arnold, a waitress at the bar, gave them a ride to Eve's house. Noelle has a big mouth and soon the news that Eve took a stranger home will be all over Whiskey Creek. On top of everything else, Eve doesn't remember if they used birth control. This is not how she wants to start a family. What if he has a sexually transmitted disease? Worries pile up. She is glad her parents, whose home is next to hers, is out of town. The stranger won't tell Eve his name but she thinks he said his name is Jared. Later his name keeps changing to Rex, Taylor, Brent. When she asked where he is staying he tells her he is in town for a short time and is staying at a B & B but he doesn't remember the name of the place. Eve runs Little Mary's B & B, and she is hoping that he is staying at another B & B in town. As luck would have it, she later sees that he is staying at Little Mary's. She confronted him and asked him to leave. While both Eve and Jared (Rex or whoever) want to avoid each other, they are attracted to each other. He is running from some bad people and can't stay in one place for very long. He and Eve have a wild time that involves Ted, Sophia, Eve's parents and the others in the Whiskey Creek gang. I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend that you read it to see how it all turns out! 9/23/14

Read on October 20, 2014

Book Info
Paperback, 400 pages
Expected publication: October 28th 2014 by Harlequin MIRA
ISBN 0778316394 (ISBN13: 9780778316398)
URL
series Whiskey Creek #7
other editions (1)
Source:Netgalley EARC

Book Buy Links
the store
B&N

BOOK 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!

My Thoughts

You can tell this book most definitely is part of a series, but even though it is the 7th this could probably pass the stand alone book test if one is like me and just went with the flow of Eve and Rex's story.

Celebrating her 35th birthday alone Eve Harmon breaks with her lifelong record of “good girl” behavior and picks up a strange man at the local bar, no excuse that they are both three sheets to the wind drunk but that one night starts a chain of events that end up involving her entire group of friends before a satisfactory resolution is found.

That handsome stranger Eve finds herself so strongly drawn to is actually a man on the run from mistakes he made in his past, mistakes that continue to endanger his life and the life of anyone he gets involved with in any way.

Despite several instances where the boundaries of acceptable realistic actions are pushed aside this was a great romantic suspense which aptly captured what Christmas is truly meant to represent!

[EArc from Netgalley in exchange for honest review]

My Review:
Everything about the romance story in this book worked for me. I like that both Eve and Rex were really too drunk to remember what happened when they hooked up. As the story evolves, we find out just how out of character that was for BOTH of them, which made it feel even more like fate.

Rex is everything that Whiskey Creek is not. He's an ex-con, ex-gang member, used to using violence if the situation warrants, and on the run for his life. Eve is a 35 yo with the life of a grandmother...she runs the local B&B and is everyone's friend. But because she's so incredibly sweet and everyone's friend, they all feel very protective of her especially with things with her new guy just don't add up. Something isn't right with him. It served for a great dichotomy in their relationship which I just loved. I also really loved that I could NOT figure out how Brenda Novak was going to write herself out of this conflict. With only 10% left in the book, I just couldn't see how it could possibly end up happy for everyone. But she did it and she did it beautifully with everything that Whiskey Creek and this group of friends symbolize. I loved that it kept me guessing, but ended exactly in the best way for this couple with the help of Eve's friends

What didn't work for me in this book were a couple of the side stories. Teddy's attitude toward Eve's new romance felt over the top. If I was the love of his life, Sophia (who he threw Eve over for), I would have been calling him on it big-time. His reactions felt more like the reactions from a jealous lover, not a friend. I hate the whole baby story line with the two brothers. It feels so soap-opera-ish, it almost makes me want to stop reading the books because I know that's going to blow up soon.

There aren't very many friends left unattached, but I want to beg for Bax to get his own story. I love him and really, really want him to find his HEA. Come on Harlequin...you can do this, right? I want to see Bax happy. I know that Harlequin doesn't normally do GLBT romance, but with Brenda Novak at the helm, you can't go wrong on this one.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This is the seventh installment in the Whiskey Creek series. I think it could be easily enjoyed as a stand-alone but you’ll get more out of it by reading the entire series to understand the other characters and sub plots.

Eve is the uber polite and loveable owner of the local B&B. She’s a core part of the group of friends, but is now finding herself feeling like an outsider with the rest marrying and having children. Small town life proves to be challenging but her own expectations of where her life should be at 35 are even more stringent. Since she doesn’t have anything to do on the actual night of her birthday but throw a pity party, she heads over to Sexy Sadie’s and gets a little—okay, a lot inebriated. And to further her 1/3rd life crisis, she takes home a man she doesn’t know. Talk about living on the edge…well, her edge.

Upon waking up from her one night stand, she immediately begins trying to make him the urban legend of a one-nighter to happily ever after. Her biological clock is ticking and she has to head down the aisle first. Only she quickly realizes that the drunken night with Jared—or er, Brent—may get her more than she expects.

While some of Eve’s laser focus on marriage and kids can be a little overbearing, it is understandable relative to the small town mentality of Whiskey Creek. It’s an enjoyable journey to read about her mini midlife crisis. Her entanglement with the stranger just passing through establishes confirms they have both been missing out on something and that perhaps it’s each other, however, there are many roadblocks in the way and not just emotional but physical danger too. The poignant back and forth between Eve and Brent is superb and leaves you hoping it can all work out but not know if it actually can and will. It is sweet to see how meddlesome her friends are but also the extent they will go to ensure her happiness.

Rating: 4.25 Stars

To see more reviews like this, go to <a href="http://www.smutandbonbons.com">Smut and Bonbons.</a>

~Complimentary copy received in exchange for honest review.~

Eve is feeling lost. All of her friends are getting married and having kids and as she approaches her 35 birthday, she is beginning to think this will never happen for her. One night at the local bar and several shots later, she finds herself tangled up with Rex the next morning. Yikes, a one-night stand, so not Eve's style. Rex has his own issues and being attracted to Eve is not allowed to be on this list. Of course, Eve and Rex seem to keep crossing paths and are unable to deny their attraction to each … what a fun ride it is for us when they cave in! Can Rex let Eve in? or will he lose the best thing he has found?

Here’s another fabulous author/writer who takes great pleasure in keeping her readers entertained with her varied genre of books, from romance to suspense. Brenda Novak’s been one of my favorite writers/authors for a while and her Whiskey Creek Series infamous for giving us plenty of stories.

“The Heart Of Christmas” holds Eve Harmon close to heart as the people of Whiskey Creek, CA keeps their own protected and safe. Eve runs a B&B and has a very strong and loyal support of friends, friends who are almost all married and some with children. Her thirty fifth birthday brings melancholy and sadness as she feels that her life is what is now, not able to find the right guy; have a family and kids like her friends. And this birthday she wakes with a stranger in her bed!

Brent Taylor ( aks Rex and other names) is passing through Whiskey Creek, running away from ghosts that refuse to leave him alone. One night with Eve and he is more than attracted to her. But with a dangerous past on his heels, all he can give Eve is lies and love, but no commitment. As he falls more and more into Eve’s love and understanding, his lies catch up to the truth and he has not choice but confess to Eve, risking all that he has come to treasure.

As Eve tries to come to grips with Rex’s reality, her whole team of coffee-friends rallies around her with support and love. Another great story from Brenda Novak, as she pens the pain, frustration and anguish of Rex, to the emotions of loneliness and love of Eve. The Heart Of Christmas takes us on a journey of love and passion, pain and guilt, support and solidarity of a small town, that believes in the magic of Christmas and miracles.

www.alimalivzletlivz.com
Received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley fro an honest review

The Heart of Christmas is once again a fine example of the spectacular story telling abilities of Brenda Novak. It's been almost a year since I "visited" Whiskey Creek, and right from the beginning, it felt like I was coming home to my favorite group of friends.

This was Eve's story, and long overdue in my opinion. All of her friends are married and have children or in the process of having children. It's her 35th birthday, and feeling sorry for herself, does something totally out of character and wakes up the next morning next to a strange man. My first thoughts were - "you go girl!" This man is a mystery at first....so many aliases to keep up with, but I'm going to just stick with Rex (his real name) for the sake of this review. Rex has a very interesting history, and as luck would have it, he brings the trouble to Whiskey Creek. I really liked Rex despite his past. Despite everything he has to dodge, he is a really good guy....and a sexy one at that.

With a title "The Heart of Christmas", one might think that the story totally revolves around Christmas, but it really doesn't . There is so much drama and suspense with this story, I could not help but become totally immersed in the story and the drama. The ending left me with a big smile and I am already waiting for the next installment of this series so that I can visit Whiskey Creek once more.

If you are looking for a light hearted romance filled with drama and suspense that will keep you turning each page wanting to know more, then look no further than The Heart of Christmas.

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Another book of Whiskey Creek series, with all the Christmas feelings.
In a town with only 2000 inhabitants, and if you lived in it all your life, it is normal that you know everyone, right?
Exactly this happens with Eve Harmon.
About to turn 35, she decides that she will celebrate her birthday anyway, even if it is alone.

So imagine her surprise when it happens

"There was a naked man in her bed"

A mysterious and gorgeous man, scarred, was with her in bed.
Even having an intense night of sex - which she couldn't remember - the connection between them was there, latent.
Rex was just passing through town. He did not want to have any relationship. The fewer people realize his presence, the easier it was when he needed to disappear. But Eve happened in his life. And she conveyed him a security and a peace he didn't feel in years.

Of course I will not tell you what haunted in Rex's past, but believe, it was something extremely dangerous for him and for anyone who is involved with him.
But this brief relationship between Rex and Eve, something else would come up. Would there be the possibility of them start over somewhere else?

I love this series because it has the issue of the small town. Everyone knows everybody, everything is connected.
Then, the form of Brenda's writing holding the reader. It is light, it is fluid, engaging.
The characters are recurring from previous books, then the reader that reads the series already has some knowledge about them.
And the end? Awwwww... the end brings a worthy HEA Christmas.

4,5 stars

4.5 stars

The Heart of Christmas by Brenda Novak is a story about second chances, new love, and forgiveness.

Eve Harmon is the owner of Little Mary’s one of two B & B’s in Whiskey Creek. She’s single, has a great group of friends, and is suffering from the “turning 35 and still not married blues”. She’s a straight and narrow kind of girl that decides to have a pity party at Sexy Sadies, Whiskey Creek’s local bar. Fueled by one too many drinks, Eve has a temporary lapse in judgment and a one night stand turns into something more. No one is more surprised about the changes that this one night brings into her life, than Eve.

I really enjoyed Eve’s character. She’s a good person, owns up to her mistakes, and doesn’t hide behind excuses. It was great following her as she learns to accept that life seldom goes as planned.

The Heart of Christmas works well as a stand-alone. The characters and the story line are very easy to connect with. As a matter of fact, I was certain that I’d read other books in this series and was more than a little surprised to discover that this was the first book by Brenda Novak that I’d read…. it won’t be my last.

Whiskey Creek is a great town full of wonderful characters. There is a combination of mystery, suspense, and a big dose of romance mixed into a heart-warming tale of love and new beginnings.

Lies upon lies have filled her head but no matter what she can’t stay away from him and he can’t stand away from her.

I have really enjoyed the Whiskey Creek Series and when Eva was introduction in Sophia and Ted’s story I really liked her. She was a strong woman that ran a B&B but she was looking for love and she thought she could be happy with Ted. I felt so bad for her for what happened but someone would come her way and steal her heart and she would steal his she just needed to wait. The only thing I never would have thought that the man she would fall in love with would be running for his life.

Eve Harmon is a smart woman that hasn’t been able to find love and all she wanted to do was have fun for her thirty-fifth birthday. She felt attracted to a man and she ended up with him at her home. She had never done that before but there was something about him and she had never had that type of attraction. There was just something about him that didn’t add up not only that he said his name was Jared the night she met him but then later on she found out that his name was Brent. But that was not the only thing her friends believed that he was a dangerous person.

When Brent Taylor came to Whiskey Creek he was running away from someone but I never would have thought that he was running for his life. When his story came out I felt so bad for him because he had been living with guilt for so long and he needed to forgive himself because it was not his fault. He was estranged from his family and he hadn’t seen them for so long and I wanted for him to reach out to them. Brent didn’t want to get attached to Eve but he couldn’t stay away, he tried but it didn’t work.

Eve and Brent know that they only have three weeks to be together then after that he will be gone. I didn’t think Eve had it in her but she wanted to spend as much time as she could with him but then another bomb hits and she finds out that his name might be Rex. I could not believe the amount of fake names he had but what totally blind sighted me was when her friends took it into their hands to run his name. I knew they wanted to protect her but she was a big girl and knew what she was doing. But when he ends up leaving and does not come back she knows it’s over but then he comes back and he is pale as a ghost and all the truth is revealed.

The Heart of Christmas was a well written story that elicited strong emotions and tested so many friendships. The two main characters had a hard time ahead of them but if they were meant to be they would be at the end. I experienced moments where I laughed but then there were times that tears would run down my cheeks and at times I didn’t even notice. Ms. Novak’s writing was flawless and clear but also very descriptive. I was enthralled and couldn’t stop reading this story because I wanted to know how in the world they would be together. They had so many things against them. The passion between them is steaming hot and I was felt in Ms. Novak’s writing. The pace of this story was perfect.

I truly recommend this read. I was so happy for one of the couple of the Whiskey Creek couples and that was for Cheyenne and Dylan but there are still lots of what if’s in their relationship but I want the best for them.

Another great Whiskey Creek book! I can't say enough good things about this series. This book was a little different than the others but still amazing! This story is about Eve and a mystery man named Rex that comes to town and stays at her B&B. The way they meet and their "encounters" are laugh out loud, roll on the floor funny.

Eve I think is one of the sweetest most wonderful people in the little group they have going, I am so glad that she finally got her story. The man that she finds interest in though is a little scary at first, especially once you find out who he really is.

I can't say to much about Rex or I will say to much but he is a bad boy and he is so good at it. He has a tough past that he can't seem to forgive himself for and a past that wont leave him alone. He has people after him so he can't stay in one place to long. Finding the unexpected love though makes it hard to want to be with her but also need to leave to keep her safe.

You get to catch up with all the other friends in the group, as well as meet some new ones. A baby is born, a new one created and wait till you find out Cheyennes babies name! OMG!

So glad I was able to read this great story and am anxious for more. Brenda Novak has some great talent!

When I saw there was another Whiskey Creek book coming out, I couldn't wait to read it! I was definitely not disappointed!

The Heart of Christmas is Eve Harmon's story. Eve was "dumped" last year by Ted and had all but given up hope of finding her happy ending. Being part of a pretty big group of friends and sitting on the sidelines watching as they all get married and start families really has her feeling down. She's turning 35 and seriously thinking about taking off and seeing what life is like outside of Whiskey Creek. Determined to not sit at home on her birthday, she decides to go out and have a drink. When she wakes up the next morning with a stranger in her bed she has no idea how much her life is about to change!

I haven't read all of the Whiskey Creek series yet (I think I started at book 4), but I absolutely love this series! Brenda Novak does a great job with pulling you into the story and making you feel a part of it. Yes, it is a series but she also does a great job explaining the characters and pulling in enough of the history so that you don't feel like you missed anything. This book was a bit different from the previous few in the series because it brings a stranger into town and he definitely has a story to tell!

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.

A pleasant story set during the Christmas season brings us back to the town of Whiskey Creek and we get to catch up on various inhabitants that many faithful readers love. Now it is Eve’s turn to find true love, albeit she takes a very different route with an unknown man that has many of her friends worried.

Eve Harmon has lived in Whiskey Creek all her life; her family has owned and managed Little Mary’s Bed and Breakfast for years. Eve is currently running the place and for the most part is happy with her life, but wonders if she is missing something. She has watched most of her friends get married and start families in the last few years and is distressed, she is not only facing her 35th birthday but it also looks like she will be spending another Christmas season single. On her birthday she decides to have a few drinks alone at the local bar and is surprised to wake up to a gorgeous stranger the next morning.

Rex McCready is hiding and although he spent an enjoyable night with Eve, he tells her nothing about himself, even his name. He is running from a past he can’t shake and is unsure of when he will be able to resume his own life again. He decides to stay in the area believing no one will find him and seems to gravitate toward Eve at every chance he gets, worrying both Eve and her close friends as they wonder what type of trouble he will bring to their lives.

I always look forward to the books that come out toward the holidays, I love the heartwarming stories that have all the fun and excitement of the season included. I am not sure what I missed in this book, but I did not get these warm feelings.

This is the seventh book in the Whiskey Creek series and there are many characters with back stories that appear. This is the first book I have read in this series so I had to read carefully to piece the relationships together, the author does a fairly good job of catching the reader up but there were a few times I wish I had read someone’s story. I did enjoy reading about the close relationships between the friends and enjoyed the small town feelings that are portrayed.

Eve is a likeable person; she has good friends and a wonderful family she adores, she just gets a little down on herself because she is still single while most of her friends have found someone to share their lives with, and although she does not admit it, I felt she was still upset with her ex-boyfriend Ted for marrying someone else last year, they have an interesting relationship. I also questioned her feelings for Rex, she is understandably angry in the morning especially when he refuses to give her his name but things get complicated soon after and she does not help things when stories change, and truths come out.

Rex is a conundrum, he is in hiding because his past has come back to haunt him but for some reason I could not bond with him and never felt the connection between Eve and him. Sometimes I think her biological clock was ticking so loud and was her decision maker.

The side stories were also unusual; Eve’s ex-boyfriend is writing a book about the B&B she owns, many believe it is haunted by a young girl that was murdered in the basement in 1814. They never found the murderer and Ted is doing research for the book, but the relationship between Eve and Ted is so complicated that I had a hard time with it. There is also the updated story about Cheyenne and Dylan and the baby they are having, I was amazed at what I was reading and had to look at past reviews to see if I was correct, wow that will be an emotional story one day.

I enjoyed the small amount of Christmas celebrations that surround the many relationship complications going on; I also like how Rex reconnects with his family and how the Whiskey Creek community rallies around him, true small town family and friends. This is a good read for those following this series as you get caught up with some favorite characters and there are some special holiday moments.

Review also posted at Ramblings from a Chaotic Mind

Copy from publisher for an honest review

The book opens with sweet, lonely Eve waking up after her 35th birthday celebration with a man in her bed. A man she doesn't know. And just like that we're off on the fun and adventures of Eve and Rex in the seventh book in Brenda Novak's Whiskey Creek series. Eve owns a bed-and-breakfast in the small town, and she has recently overcome direct competition from another B&B, but things are still tight and she's worried. She's also single and very much alone with no prospects, until the handsome stranger lands in her bed.

Eve has always been a good girl, but a night of drinking a little too much, and thinking sad thoughts a little too much, have led her to a one-night stand with Jared, aka Rex. Jared, or Rex, however, is not a good boy and is running from dark secrets that come from a past full of mistakes. The evidence of the danger he's in are in the scars and healed wounds on his body. It's not over yet, and not only is Rex's life in danger, so is anyone found with him.

It's going to take Eve's small-town gossipy friends to help Eve find that this is the man she's been looking for, and for Rex to realize that he may have found the peace he's been seeking.

It's a great story, full of suspense, good friends, sexy encounters and a story ending that you wanted but had to take quite a ride to get to. I love Ms. Novak's romantic love stories, and this is a really good one, with Christmas and what the holiday truly means taking a prominent role. A recommended Christmas romance, for sure.

The Heart of Christmas opens with Eve waking up to find a naked man in her bed and very little memory of how he got there. From that point on I was unable to put my kindle down. As Eve's memory starts to return we find out that she decided to celebrate her 35th birthday alone (her friends were not available until the next night)at Sexy Sadie's and she does something totally out of character by getting drunk and picking up a stranger,Jared. Slowly as Eve starts to put things together she not sure if they used a condom everytime. They didn't! They part with both them thinking it was going to be the one time thing but still they are very intrigued with each other. Eve later finds out that Jared is really Brent or is he. Brent/Rex/Jared has a past that he is trying to hide/run from. People are after him so his answer is to not get involve with or have feelings for anyone. Eve and Brent can not stay away from each other even though her friends have questions about him. This is not your typically Christmas story but it shows us how the spirit of the season will bring people together even when not everyone( Eve's friends) trust Brent. Love the ending but want want another Whiskey Creek story so I can keep up with everyone.
The back stories of Cheyenne and Dylan left me wanting more. Does Dylan find out about the baby and how is he going to react?
As usual Brenda's characters are so well written. Mrs. Higgins is a doll.
As I was reading the story I felt I knew Brent/Rex, Virgil and Laurel. I do, they are in the Bulletproof Trilogy. Virgil's story is "Inside" and Laurel's story is "In Seconds". Both books will give you more insight into Brent/Rex.
I was given an arc of this book for an honest review but I would have gladly have bought the book.

Eve Harmon lives in Whiskey Creek. She is alone on her birthday and decides to go to a bar and celebrate by herself. She wakes up the next morning with a man she doesn't know. Since Whiskey Creek is a small town, word gets out pretty fast about what has happened to her. The man doesn't want to give his true identity due to a gang the "CREW" that is out to get him. The "CREW" is a gang from his prison days. Eventually Eve learns his name is Rex McCready. Rex has tried to make a life for himself after prison and has started a security business. He is estranged from his family and pretty much is a loner.
Eve finds out she is pregnant from their encounter and Rex agrees to help her financially but is unwilling to commit emotionally.
There is a group of friends that Eve has that are her support and try to help her out. They also help Rex avert the "CREW" when they come to Whiskey Creek in search of him.
This is a story about how love and friendship can change person and how new beginnings are possible. This was not my favorite Whiskey Creek book but ranks in the top 3. A very good read.

Eve seems to have lost the heart of Christmas this year. She’s going through the motions but her heart isn’t in it.
To prove her point – she does something she’s never done before. She got plastered and went home with a complete stranger! She wasn’t even discrete about it! Now, now, he’s everywhere and she doesn’t even know his name! He gave her one, but then he registered under a different one at the B&B, and a completely different one on his luggage.

Rex is running, again. He’s tired of starting over. He just wants a life. He’d also like to spend some more time with that B&B owner who makes him want things he knows he can’t have.

Run, Rex, Run….

Hott Review:

The Heart of Christmas was a cute book. It wasn’t enthralling or very Christmassy but it was fun and had a bit of suspense thrown in.
What I liked: I really enjoyed Rex. His personality really made this book for me. I just wanted to hug him and take him home. He reminded me of a hurt teen.
I also liked that although there was a lot of intimacy mentioned there were few details or graphic scenes.
What I didn’t like: I didn’t love the culmination of the intrigue. It was just missing something & didn’t feel real enough.

More…

Author: Brenda Novak
Source: Harlequin MIRA via Netgalley
Grade: B
Ages: 16+
Steam: YA — unless you prefer there to be nada ;)
Setting: Whiskey Creek, CA
Series: Whiskey Creek, 7