Home to Whiskey Creek

Addy Davies suffered a horrific, life altering event when she attended a graduation party for an older crowd. Addy chose to keep it hidden, but it forever changed her. After her own graduation, she left Whiskey Creek far behind to try to move on with her life.

Addy's grandmother basically raised her though, and now that she is getting older and needs help, Addy is back in Whiskey Creek. Leaving her job as a chef in Davis, she has returned to help her grandmother run her restaurant, but hoping her Grandmother will agree to sell it so that Addy can be safely on her way again. Addy has no intention of catching up with anyone in Whiskey Creek except for her Grandmother. She has purposely severed as many ties as she could to Whiskey Creek, and wants to keep it that way.

But someone who doesn't want the past to be revealed is worried...and shortly after Addy arrives in Whiskey Creek she is abducted from her bed, beaten and thrown in an abandoned mine. Addy has no idea what her abductor planned for her, because Noah Rackham, former high school crush, current super star racer, and notorious womanizer, happens upon her and saves her from an uncertain fate. Noah initially has no idea who Addy is when he first pulls her out of that mine...he also has no idea his deceased twin brother was one of the vicious attackers years ago. Noah doesn't know why Addy is so evasive about what happened, but he knows he is inexplicably drawn to the woman she has turned into. The more Addy tries to push Noah away, the more determined he that she should give him a chance.

Addy is determined to keep her secret from all those years ago. She holds onto a lot of guilt, not of the attack, but what happened afterwards. As much as it pains her to know her attackers have gone unpunished and have moved on so well with their lives, she is unable to face the past. Now that she has been attacked again and her grandmother threatened, she feels she has to keep her secret forever. This is affecting every aspect of Addy's life though. She is frightened, feels guilty, is not being honest about the recent attack with anyone, and despite years of therapy is unable to maintain a relationship. Noah keeps turning up though, and she is finding herself more and more drawn to him as well. She feels it is wrong though, nothing can possibly come of a relationship with Noah without too many other people getting hurt. Slowly Noah breaks down some of Addy's walls, but he is still in the dark about her past and present. He does know he wants to be with her and can't understand why she is fighting a mutual attraction.

With the threats continuing, Addy's mother showing up unexpectedly, things with Noah heating up, and the past creeping up on Addy and others, will Addy have the strength to finally open up? Instead will she run from Whiskey Creek, once again broken? Or will the people whose lives she can shatter apart do anything to stop her?

Brenda brings us a very heart felt, emotional romance with Home to Whiskey Creek. Brenda manages to write about a horrific issue with sensitivity, drawing the reader in and making you feel a multitude of emotions. Often it hard to understand why victims act or don't act. With honest, real feelings on the pages of Home to Whiskey Creek, I felt like I really got inside Addy's head and could understand. She is an independent, beautiful young woman who has tried hard to move on from the assault she suffered as a 16 year old, but has never quite been able to. I also think she is brave. Coming back to Whiskey Creek opens up so many old wounds, but Addy does her best to carry on and cope. I really hoped that she could find someone to open up to. When she finds herself falling in love with Noah but denies her feelings, she is trying to protect everyone, including herself. That doesn't always work though, and maybe true love is what Addy needs to finally start healing.

Noah is an honest, caring man who feels he doesn't deserve the womanizing reputation he has. We've met him and his friends in previous Whiskey Creek books, and there are a lot of different dynamics happening in that friendship circle that form part of the secondary story in Home to Whiskey Creek. How Noah handles an unexpected discovery really gives his character strength. When he finally finds a woman he feels like he could be with forever, it is both challenging and frustrating for him. As he and Addy move forward, if the truth comes out, will he still be able to love her?

Home to Whiskey Creek gives us so much! Noah and Addy's romance is filled with suspenseful moments...and the more of their story you read the more you have no idea how their story will end or if it's even possible to have a happy ending when there is so many secrets and such tragedy. Brenda keeps you hoping for the best as you read along with Addy and Noah's story.

I highly recommend Home to Whiskey Creek and all of the Whiskey Creek stories Brenda Novak has written!

5/5 stars

Island Road

In the final Billionaire novella, "Miles Harrington stared at his two younger brothers and wondered where the hell he went wrong. Although, come to think of it, Miles knew the exact spot where his family had collectively lost its mind. Sanctuary Island."

We are back on Sanctuary Island, where Miles has flown from New York to talk sense into his younger brother and stop him from marrying Penny. Miles is convinced Penny must be after Dylan for his money. Up until now, Dylan has been a stereotypical rich playboy...no matter how hard Miles has tried to bring out the responsible side in Dylan. Now that Dylan has found where he wants to be and with who, Miles is convinced he is making a huge mistake.

Since the death of their parents, all of the Harrington brothers have felt a bit lost...and they have each reacted differently to life as they grew into adults without their parents. Matt suffers from incredible guilt about leaving Dylan with their grandparents while he went off to college, and he has been determined to make up for that, whether or not Dylan holds it against him. Miles is all business, working hard to maintain the family business, and he has no time or inclination for relationships. He doesn't even seem to understand them!

When he gets to Sanctuary Island though, he meets his match in Greta...as well as the magic of the island. Greta is Penny's best friend and she is determined not to let Miles ruin Penny's happiness and the upcoming wedding. She is definitely no impressed with the take charge, my way or the highway Miles! Both Miles and Greta are determined though. Greta is determined to make Miles realize Penny and Dylan are truly in love and Penny is not a gold digger. Miles wants to figure out a way to use Greta and Penny's friendship to find out the truth about Penny. 

In the span of a few days, Penny and Miles spend a lot of time together, revealing confidences and getting to know each other. Miles helps Greta overcome her insecurities and fear of leaving Sanctuary Island, and Greta teaches Miles how to have fun again. They have an unforgettable time together...but neither of them expects to fall in love. When Greta accidentally sees emails and texts meant for Miles, her trust in him is shattered and her heart is broken. Can Miles convince her he is a changed man and that he really does love her? Do they have a chance at a future together? "From here on out, Miles would be honest and open with her. He wanted a relationship, a future, a chance to make Greta fall in love with him for real." Can Greta take a chance on Miles?

I loved this conclusion to the Billionaire Brothers trilogy! Miles and Greta are both strong people, trying desperately to protect the people they love. They are opposites, but complement each other in so many ways. Greta is able to make Miles trust in love and open himself up to her as well as his brothers. He is finally able to start coming to terms with the grief and guilt still engulfing him after his parent's deaths, and finally really talk to his brothers. Greta makes Miles see his world does not have to be all work and no play! She opens his eyes to love and he realizes just what good thing Dylan might have on Sanctuary Island. Miles fell hard and fast for Greta, and he was as good for her as she was for him. He does a wonderful, romantic thing for her, helping her see there is a whole world to be explored outside of Sanctuary Island, and it's ok for her to follow her dreams. Despite his doubts about love at first sight, it's definitely happening!

I am one of those believers in love at first sight...sometimes things do move whirl wind fast! I'd recommend this whole series to anyone looking for sweet, fun romance with some great surprises thrown in!

5/5 stars!

Hot Summer Nights anthology is a perfect summer read! In fact I read most of this while lying on the beach…Read More

4/5 stars

Dark Waters

Anna has a safe, somewhat comfortable life as a school teacher. Some days though she feels like she's just going through the motions with her nice little house, trying to date and be 'normal'.

Anna's father Davis, now out of prison and working as an accountant, has discovered a lot of money being moved through and out of the company he's working for. The biggest problem is that whoever is doing it is using his passwords and his name. On the surface it looks like he's been the one taking the money.

Anna's life is soon turned upside down when she finds out her father, an ex convict, has died and she's received a voice message from him shortly before his death warning her of danger...and telling her to go to the only other person he trusts. Brent Carver, now on parole, was her father's friend and cell mate in prison. When he finds Anna on his doorstep in the middle of the night, they are both scared. Neither of them knows what to think or who to trust. Brent knew Davis very well though. He believes he was innocent the first time, and he believes he is innocent this time too, no matter how things look initially. Anna has a harder time believing in her father's innocence. She is convinced he was guilty the first time, so in her mind it's very possible he's not innocent this time either.

Together, as danger gets closer and closer, they embark on a journey to discover the truth about the money and Davis' death. Davis hid the money and sent Anna documents before his death, but they can find neither. The people who want this information and the money will stop at nothing to get it, even if it means killing anyone in their way. Soon Davis and Anna must ask for help, Davis does not want to end up in prison again and neither of them want to end up dead. He seeks help from his brother Finn (ex-military) and Finn's fiancée, who just happens to be an RCMP officer, but they still run, not quite trusting anyone but each other.

As they search for the truth and the money, taking us on an adventure from Vancouver Island to Chicago, Anna and Brent are also drawn closer and closer to each other. Between the action and the terror, they are fighting an unexpected attraction to each other. Both of them have a past they are hiding from that have prevented them from getting close to anyone else, and make them fight their feelings towards each other. But as the chase gets closer, so does the attraction, and soon they can no longer fight it. Can they trust each other enough? Will they have anything left for each other when and if this is all over?

Anna was at times hard to understand. When her father went to prison her life fell apart in more ways than one, and as much as she's tried, she's never quite recovered from it or moved on. I'd have liked a bit more background on her family before her father's conviction, because it sounded like they had a happy, loving family and I couldn't understand why Anna didn't believe her father's proclamations of innocence at all. She maintained as much of a relationship with him as she could, but she always believed he was guilty. That was the only area of Dark Waters I'd have liked a bit more of.

Brent is an ex-con who just wants to be left alone. He's big, scary, and oh, hot! Anna does see the good in him though, and she is not scared of him. She sees past the walls he's build and even manages to get over them! Brent has hidden parts of him too, if only he can trust Anna with them. If they can survive, I think they'll be a great couple together. They're not quite as different as they think.

There are a lot of other people involved in Dark Waters, from the dangerous ex-mercenaries to Brent's brother and Anna's mother that kept the pages flowing, adding unexpected twists to Dark Waters.

Toni awed me with Dark Waters! Dark Waters is an intense, high energy romantic thriller. Toni had me at times wanting to turn the page, and at times scared to turn the page!Watching Anna and Brent's characters develop and evolve was fascinating! People are seldom what you expect them to be at first impression, and these two proved no different. The way they were and the stories behind them that came out as Dark Waters progressed really made me come to love them both.

I admit part of why I love this book is the setting! I am an island girl, and Toni's descriptions of the east coast (and other parts) of Vancouver Island were perfect and how I know it to be. She will take you there and you will hear those waves pounding and smell the salt water.

The journey to the conclusion of Dark Waters was intriguing both romantic and full of action. Toni will take you where you never expected to go, leaving you with a mix of emotions. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who loves romance with a lot of suspense and action, you won't be disappointed!

5/5 stars

Medium Well

Medium Well by Meg Benjamin is a perfect blend of romance and nerve wracking suspense!

Danny is a 'house whisperer' who has great success selling historical houses. When he's given the carriage house to sell at the Steadman estate though, this house not only comes with a history, it's a history that becomes so frightening even Danny is not sure he wants to know. As soon as he enters the carriage house he feels things he shouldn't feel...then he sees things he shouldn't be seeing. Danny is afraid he is losing his mind, and he might lose his job if he can't sell the carriage house.Read More

4.5 starts/5

Italian Affair

Italian Affair by Annie Seaton: Brianna, adopted at birth, has never felt like she truly fit in with her family. She has searched for her birth mother to no avail, much to her disappointment. Italian Affair begins when Brianna has made her way to Australia from her homeland Scotland, to finish writing her sex therapy book. She has just got there when she receives a letter from her birth mother's lawyer...it has bounced around the post following her. When she finally receives it she has just days to get to the island of Lipari in Italy to IAclaim the inheritance left to her. Read More

4/5 stars

Wild Child

Jackson is mayor of small town Bishop...a town that is getting closer and closer to becoming a ghost town. Jackson is determined to save the town though...mostly so he can leave it behind without any guilt. He left once before, but when tragedy struck he had to put his dreams on hold to return and raise his younger sister Gwen. Now that she is graduating and will be heading to university, Jackson is ready to leave once again. To do so with a clear conscious though, he really wants to help Bishop back on it's feet economically. When he finds out about a contest a cookie company is having to move it's production to a struggling small USA town, he is determined that this is the answer he is looking for, this is what can save Bishop.

Monica is a former bad girl wild child who briefly lived in Bishop as a child. Now she is back to relive the past for the book she is writing. She is the last person Jackson wants in town when the media comes looking for a small wholesome American town. But Monica isn't going anywhere! With the promise to be discreet, she plans to carry on with her work and Jackson can carry on with his. But in small town Bishop nothing stays secret for long, and it's even harder to avoid anyone! It gets even harder to ignore the sparks that flare between Monica and Jackson either. They are two people struggling with their past, their present, and their future who find themselves attracted to each to one another despite their differences.

Are they really so different though? Both of them have a past that has significantly affected who they are today and their inability to have lasting relationships. What starts out as annoyance with each other soon becomes a lust that can't be denied, and Jackson and Monica can really heat the pages of Wild Child up! Neither of them plans to have anything that will last beyond the time they are in Bishop...but their hearts might tell them differently. It's not just the blossoming relationship between Monica and Jackson that are the heart of Wild Child though. There is Monica's relationship, or lack of one, with her mother...and the walls Monica has erected around her heart are going to take a pretty strong person to break through them. Does Jackson have it in him to do that? Can he take the time for himself, to make himself happy, instead of always trying to keep everyone else happy? We also have an indepth look at the relationship between Jackson and his sister Gwen. It's so complicated and heartbreaking at times, I really hoped it was not beyond repair! We meet a lot of the residents and non residents of Bishop, and their stories all tie together nicely in Wild Child. 

Molly gives us much more than romance in Wild Child. There is a community trying to pull together to save itself and each other...and broken and breaking families trying to heal. We also meet some people who we definitely want to learn more about like Shelby and Cora! But this is Monica and Jackson's story, their struggles, the conflicts, and the growing they are going to have to do separately and hopefully as a couple if they can start healing from the past and make a relationship work. Monica and Jackson are both strong characters that I really liked. Monica has a bit of a tortured past and I felt sorry for the little girl she was and what she went through. I could completely understand her reactions and how her past shaped who she is today. Jackson had tragedy in his past too when his parents died, and he has done the best he can even if at times I wanted to shake him!! 

Wild Child was very well written. There are a lot of different plot twists, you never knew what was going to happen and Molly manages to weave everyone's stories together perfectly. I admit in the first few pages of Wild Child I wasn't too sure if I'd be able to get into the story, but it didn't take long and I was hooked! At times Wild Child was an emotional roller coaster, one I was happy to ride!