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raquel46's review against another edition
5.0
I haven’t read any of the other books in this series , but now I think I’m going to have to. Loved this book!?
jbeen21's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to the Goodreads First Reads giveaways program for a copy of Brenda Novak’s “The Heart of Christmas.”
The seventh book in Novak’s “Whiskey Creek” series, “The Heart of Christmas” is a cozy, feel-good holiday romance, set in the small Californian town of Whiskey Creek. After sleeping with an attractive stranger on the night of her thirty-fifth birthday, protagonist Eve Harmon realizes the man is a guest at the Bed and Breakfast Inn she manages. Rex McCready is hiding out at the Inn in the Sierra Nevadan countryside after dark secrets from his past resurface. He doesn’t expect to start a relationship with anyone during his self-imposed sabbatical from the security company he runs, but he can’t resist Eve, or the welcoming small town charm of Whiskey Creek.
The cozy sweetness of the holiday season and small town setting drew me into this story, but I didn’t necessarily like Rex as a character, or feel a strong connection between him and Eve. Also, there were too many characters and insignificant side stories (such as the haunted bed and breakfast) cluttering the pages. “The Heart of Christmas” was my first read by Novak, and while it was light and fun to try before the most-wonderful-time-of-the-year, I don’t think I will seek out any of the earlier stories in this series.
The seventh book in Novak’s “Whiskey Creek” series, “The Heart of Christmas” is a cozy, feel-good holiday romance, set in the small Californian town of Whiskey Creek. After sleeping with an attractive stranger on the night of her thirty-fifth birthday, protagonist Eve Harmon realizes the man is a guest at the Bed and Breakfast Inn she manages. Rex McCready is hiding out at the Inn in the Sierra Nevadan countryside after dark secrets from his past resurface. He doesn’t expect to start a relationship with anyone during his self-imposed sabbatical from the security company he runs, but he can’t resist Eve, or the welcoming small town charm of Whiskey Creek.
The cozy sweetness of the holiday season and small town setting drew me into this story, but I didn’t necessarily like Rex as a character, or feel a strong connection between him and Eve. Also, there were too many characters and insignificant side stories (such as the haunted bed and breakfast) cluttering the pages. “The Heart of Christmas” was my first read by Novak, and while it was light and fun to try before the most-wonderful-time-of-the-year, I don’t think I will seek out any of the earlier stories in this series.
scoutmomskf's review against another edition
4.0
Good book. I liked seeing Eve finally get her story. Eve runs Little Mary's B&B. She's at the local bar celebrating her birthday and feeling sorry for herself. She wants what her friends have - a family of her own, but so far she hasn't found the right man. She wakes up the next morning with a handsome stranger in her bed, and only vague memories of the night. What she can remember is pretty impressive, but she's horrified by her uncharacteristic behavior. Rex is in town trying to keep his past from catching up with him. His night with Eve was amazing, but he should move on. Unfortunately for his peace of mind, he can't seem to pull himself away.
I liked Eve better in this book than I have in previous ones. In those, she frequently seemed judgmental about the decisions her friends were making, or the people they were falling for. In this book, her attitude becomes a little clearer, as she is one to worry about her friends and wants what is best for them. With her sudden attraction to Rex she begins to understand them a little better. There's something about Rex that has her wanting to get closer to him, but at the same time there is a lot of mystery surrounding him. As she gets to know him, she sees a good man who is trying to get past the mistakes he's made. All she has to do is convince him that he's worth loving.
I really liked Rex. He had a family tragedy as a teen that he continues to blame himself for. The guilt he felt then led him to make some poor choices, choices that kept building until he ended up in prison. He's been out for eight years and has made a good life for himself, but the past won't leave him be. The gang that he belonged to as a safety precaution in prison doesn't like that he has left them behind. They are determined to find him and kill him. This has added to Rex's determination to keep an emotional distance from everyone. When he found out that they had tracked him down once again, he hit the road for awhile, ending up in Whiskey Creek. His encounter with Eve filled a need in him he hadn't realized he had. He tries to keep her at a distance, but finds himself unable to resist going back to her time and again. He wants to be able to stay with her, but his fears for her safety have him convinced it's not possible.
It was great to see the various people from previous books and see how things are going for them. There's a reference in this book to something that happened in an earlier book that I still don't agree with. I'm waiting for that decision to come back and cause problems. However, I loved the support that Eve had from her friends. They are all protective of her, and while some go a bit far in their actions, they all want what is best for her. In the end, it was wonderful to see how they banded together to make it possible for Eve and Rex to be together. The solution was pretty clever. I liked the epilogue and seeing Rex take the first steps into a new future.
I liked Eve better in this book than I have in previous ones. In those, she frequently seemed judgmental about the decisions her friends were making, or the people they were falling for. In this book, her attitude becomes a little clearer, as she is one to worry about her friends and wants what is best for them. With her sudden attraction to Rex she begins to understand them a little better. There's something about Rex that has her wanting to get closer to him, but at the same time there is a lot of mystery surrounding him. As she gets to know him, she sees a good man who is trying to get past the mistakes he's made. All she has to do is convince him that he's worth loving.
I really liked Rex. He had a family tragedy as a teen that he continues to blame himself for. The guilt he felt then led him to make some poor choices, choices that kept building until he ended up in prison. He's been out for eight years and has made a good life for himself, but the past won't leave him be. The gang that he belonged to as a safety precaution in prison doesn't like that he has left them behind. They are determined to find him and kill him. This has added to Rex's determination to keep an emotional distance from everyone. When he found out that they had tracked him down once again, he hit the road for awhile, ending up in Whiskey Creek. His encounter with Eve filled a need in him he hadn't realized he had. He tries to keep her at a distance, but finds himself unable to resist going back to her time and again. He wants to be able to stay with her, but his fears for her safety have him convinced it's not possible.
It was great to see the various people from previous books and see how things are going for them. There's a reference in this book to something that happened in an earlier book that I still don't agree with. I'm waiting for that decision to come back and cause problems. However, I loved the support that Eve had from her friends. They are all protective of her, and while some go a bit far in their actions, they all want what is best for her. In the end, it was wonderful to see how they banded together to make it possible for Eve and Rex to be together. The solution was pretty clever. I liked the epilogue and seeing Rex take the first steps into a new future.
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
4.0
*I received a free ARC of The Heart of Christmas from Harlequin MIRA via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review*
Lovely story about Eve, who is one of my few friends in Whiskey Creek still in need of some serious TLC!
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
Lovely story about Eve, who is one of my few friends in Whiskey Creek still in need of some serious TLC!
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
aspygirlsmom_1995's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
katkinney's review against another edition
4.0
This was a cute read about Eve, a bed and breakfast owner who's been down on her luck in love, and Rex, an ex-con and ex-gang member who is on the run from his old life and just needs a second chance. There were lots of things to like about this book. Eve and Rex are characters you want to cheer for, that you want that happily ever after to come around to. You can't help but feel sorry for their lives so far andwant to see them succeed this time. I also liked the way the author built up the town and personalities of all the side characters. It was a richly developed world, particularly with the side stories about .
PLease excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
Spoiler
Mary theghost and Cheyenne and the father of her baby.PLease excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
annika142's review
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
kle105's review against another edition
4.0
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. What I really liked about this book was how it made me feel.
I felt for Eve who was at a crossroads in her small town life. Her broken engagement a year ago, finds her alone when her other friends are married with children. That is the life she wants but managing a B and B is full time work.
Celebrating her birthday a little too hard winds up with her waking up next to a stranger. He may be sexy but she can't figure out who he is, Jared/Rex/Brent, there is no denying though the chemistry. He can't promise her anything other than short term and he seems to be hiding from someone or something. Eve decides to give him a chance but his past may ruin it all.
I felt for Eve who was at a crossroads in her small town life. Her broken engagement a year ago, finds her alone when her other friends are married with children. That is the life she wants but managing a B and B is full time work.
Celebrating her birthday a little too hard winds up with her waking up next to a stranger. He may be sexy but she can't figure out who he is, Jared/Rex/Brent, there is no denying though the chemistry. He can't promise her anything other than short term and he seems to be hiding from someone or something. Eve decides to give him a chance but his past may ruin it all.
nzwijacz18's review against another edition
3.0
http://natashazwijacz.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-heart-of-christmas-by-brenda-novak.html
bookwyrm_lark's review against another edition
3.0
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
The Heart of Christmas is a gritty romance; I wouldn’t call it a Christmas/holiday book, which the cover and blurb led me to expect. It does take place during the holidays, but there’s not a lot of feel-good holiday joy. To begin with, it features a very wounded hero in a very bad situation, and it starts off with a one-night stand (or what was intended to be one night, anyway.) Novak is a good enough writer to make me care about the characters despite my discomfort with his past and with both main characters’ actions in the present (vis-a-vis each other, as in the intended casual nature of their relationship.) However, the ending felt somehow anticlimactic, and much too easy given the tensions and issues earlier in the book.
I also felt as though the plot would have fit better in a more urban romantic suspense novel, as opposed to setting it in Whiskey Creek. To be fair, Novak hasn’t shied away from gritty or painful situations in her other books in this series, at least the few I’ve read. But this particular plot and main character felt over the top for the setting and most of the series’ regular characters. (Incidentally, you don’t have to have read the previous books to make sense of this one; Novak brings you up to speed on the bare minimum you have to know about other characters.)
If you’re fine with this odd mix of gritty romantic-suspense-style plot and charming small-town setting, you’ll probably enjoy The Heart of Christmas. Just don’t go into it expecting warm holiday charm.
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher.
The Heart of Christmas is a gritty romance; I wouldn’t call it a Christmas/holiday book, which the cover and blurb led me to expect. It does take place during the holidays, but there’s not a lot of feel-good holiday joy. To begin with, it features a very wounded hero in a very bad situation, and it starts off with a one-night stand (or what was intended to be one night, anyway.) Novak is a good enough writer to make me care about the characters despite my discomfort with his past and with both main characters’ actions in the present (vis-a-vis each other, as in the intended casual nature of their relationship.) However, the ending felt somehow anticlimactic, and much too easy given the tensions and issues earlier in the book.
I also felt as though the plot would have fit better in a more urban romantic suspense novel, as opposed to setting it in Whiskey Creek. To be fair, Novak hasn’t shied away from gritty or painful situations in her other books in this series, at least the few I’ve read. But this particular plot and main character felt over the top for the setting and most of the series’ regular characters. (Incidentally, you don’t have to have read the previous books to make sense of this one; Novak brings you up to speed on the bare minimum you have to know about other characters.)
If you’re fine with this odd mix of gritty romantic-suspense-style plot and charming small-town setting, you’ll probably enjoy The Heart of Christmas. Just don’t go into it expecting warm holiday charm.
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher.