This Heart of Mine (Whiskey Creek)

This story needed to be told so Phoenix and Riley can move on a raise Jacob. The animosity towards Phoenix when she returns is unfair but necessary until the truth is brought to light. Good reading. Phoenix was not the person everyone thought she was and proved to be a valuable member of society.

I enjoyed this book. I love the Whiskey Creek series, but several of the books were very disappointing. I was hesitant in buying this one due to the last two in the series. I took a chance and am glad I did.

Phoenix is certainly the perfect name for the female protagonist in this novel. The story begins with her rising anew from the ashes of her former life, returning to her small home town after having served a prison term for a crime she didn't commit as well as losing out on seventeen years of seeing her son grow into a young man. The story chronicles her ups and downs with the resentment of the murdered girl's relatives, her own house-bound mother with hoarding tendencies and her complicated relationship with her son's father, who was her first love and as she has come to realize she still loves. Distrustful of others and feeling unworthy of love, it was heartwarming to follow her journey to a happy-ever-after despite the many obstacles in the way. What I didn't like was that the book became tedious in presenting obstacle after obstacle to the point where it became hard to believe she could persevere - it would have been better as just a novella in my opinion. The ending seemed rushed as well and a little unbelievable. If this had been my first Brenda Novak book, I would have been disappointed as this wasn't my favorite of hers. I do, however, enjoy the Whiskey Creek series as a whole.

I absolutely loved this book, it took me two days to read it. I just couldn't put it down. I have almost all of Brenda Novak books and can't wait for the next one. Whiskey Creek is one of my favorite series.

The author's incessant use of italics in dialogue to force us to hear the characters speak the way the author wishes drove me nuts, to the point where I had to give up about half way through. I found the heroine, Phoenix, an insipid wimpy female, totally unworthy of her name. The pacing crawled along with far too many of Phoenix' inner thoughts/emotions and kowtowing, with little action that advanced any plot. Admittedly, I'm an old time romance reader and fan of Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Julie Garwood, and others, so this author has some competition. Still, if she'd edit this, pick up the pace, and turn Phoenix into the tough cookie she should be after spending so many years in prison, wrongfully accused, this novel might sing.

Started strong.
Ends terrible.
Had such a good premise but the ending was the most unresearched junk and lazy wrap up. Like "it's all forgoven" was an easy out for explaining. No recompense, no expunged record, a criminal walk free and chick takes the blame... but it's all good because chick gets to marry a man who treated her terribly for 18 years.

Yeah... it so far fetched, just skip it.