Showing posts with label Brenda Novak. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brenda Novak. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Book Review & Blog Tour ~ The Secret Sister (Fairham Island #1) by Brenda Novak {Giveaway}


The Secret Sister
(Fairham Island #1)
by Brenda Novak

Did she once have a sister? Has her mother lied all these years? Why?

After a painful divorce, Maisey Lazarow returns to Fairham, the small island off the North Carolina coast where she grew up. She goes there to heal—and to help her brother, Keith, a deeply troubled man who's asked her to come home. But she refuses to stay in the family house. The last person she wants to see is the wealthy, controlling mother she escaped years ago.

Instead, she finds herself living next door to someone else she'd prefer to avoid—Rafe Romero, the wild, reckless boy to whom she lost her virginity at sixteen. He's back on the island, and to her surprise, he's raising a young daughter alone. Maisey's still attracted to him, but her heart's too broken to risk…

Then something even more disturbing happens. She discovers a box of photographs that evoke distant memories of a little girl, a child Keith remembers, too. Maisey believes the girl must've been their sister, but their mother claims there was no sister.

Maisey's convinced that child existed. So where is she now?

Click HERE to add to Goodreads

In this first installment of the Fairham Island Series, Brenda Novak has once again crafted a romantic and suspenseful masterpiece that had me glued to the pages as the story unfolded.  I loved the romantic aspect of the story, but the mystery surrounding the secret sister is what really held my interest. The story itself gave me the chills knowing that Ms. Novak based this story on a real life event she had heard about.  It’s a complex story with suspense, intrigue and mystery, but it is also a story of a family dealing with a loss and grief.  I loved the characters and really connected with them.

Ms. Novak gives the reader just enough information to keep us guessing and with an ending I didn’t see coming, this story will indeed keep you interested throughout with its unique and surprising twists and turns.  This well-written novel is a compelling read that could definitely be read as a stand-alone, but Ms. Novak left the door open for future installments by introducing several of the Island residents.  The Secret Sister is a great start to what appears will be an exciting and thrilling series and I can’t wait to see what Ms. Novak has in store for us.

4 stars


New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Brenda Novak has penned over 45 novels. A two-time Rita nominee, she’s won The National Reader’s Choice, The Bookseller’s Best, The Bookbuyer’s Best and many other awards. She runs an annual online auction for diabetes research every May at www.brendanovak.com. To date, she’s raised over $2 million. Brenda considers herself lucky to be a mother of five and married to the love of her life.



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Thursday, March 5, 2015

Book Review ~ This Heart of Mine by Brenda Novak



This Heart of Mine
(Whiskey Creek #8)
by Brenda Novak


First love. Second chance? 

As the daughter of a hoarder, Phoenix Fuller had a tough childhood. So when the handsome, popular Riley Stinson became her boyfriend in high school, she finally felt as though she had something to be proud of. Phoenix was desperate not to lose him especially once she found out she was pregnant. Yes, she might have acted a bit obsessive when he broke up with her. But she did not run down the girl he started dating next.

Unfortunately, there was no way to prove her innocence. Now, after serving her time in prison, Phoenix has been released. All she wants to do is return to Whiskey Creek and get to know her son. But Jacob's father isn't exactly welcoming.

Riley doesn't trust Phoenix, doesn't want her in Jacob's life. He is, however, ready to find someone to love. And he wants a good mother for his son. He has no idea that he's about to find both! 

Click HERE to add to Goodreads

This Heart of Mine is Phoenix and Riley's story, which starts out with Phoenix getting released from jail after spending 17 years behind bars for a crime she did not commit.  While incarcerated, she gave birth to Riley's son, Jacob, but was never able to hold her baby, so when she gets released, that is her top priority -  getting to know her son.  Riley is hesitant to let Phoenix into Jacobs life, but being the great father that he is, allows it to happen.  As Riley spends time with Phoenix, he realizes that the love he had for her in high school is still as strong as ever, but can he convince Phoenix of that?

Also, we get to see another side of Whiskey Creek and its citizens, and quite frankly, it made me angry and upset on how some of them treated Phoenix.  She has not always had an easy life, with her murder conviction and her mother's hoarding problem, but even after serving her time, Phoenix is still judged by the town folk.  Phoenix does not let this deter her though from getting her life back order and I really admired her for the actions she took.  She is a very strong woman that I instantly liked and cheered on as the story progressed.

Although there is not a ton of romance in This Heart of Mine, it is still a lovely story that kept me turning each page hoping for the best, not only with Phoenix and Riley's relationship, but that Whiskey Creek would give Phoenix the second chance she so deserved.

Brenda Novak has done it once again by giving us, the readers, an amazing story of love, sacrifice and second chances.  But most of all, she has given us a story that is relatable and realistic.  What I really like about the Whiskey Creek series, is that you don't have to read them in order or necessarily any of the previous stories to know what is going on during the current book. 

If you want to read a story of love, second chances and forgiveness, then I would recommend This Heart of Mine.

4 stars



It was a shocking experience that jump-started Brenda Novak’s bestselling author career.

“I caught my day-care provider drugging my children with cough syrup and Tylenol to get them to sleep while I was away,” Brenda says. “It was then that I decided that I needed to do something from home.”

However, writing was the last profession she expected to undertake. In fact, Brenda swears she didn’t have a creative bone in her body. In school, math and science were her best subjects, and when it came time to pick a major in college, she chose business.

Abandoning her academic scholarship to Brigham Young University at the age of 20 in order to get married and start a family, Brenda dabbled in commercial real estate, then became a loan officer.

“When I first got the idea to become a novelist, it took me five years to teach myself the craft and finish my first book,” Brenda admits. “I learned how to write by reading what others have written. The best advice for any would-be author: read, read, read….”

Brenda sold her first book, and the rest is history. Many of her novels have won or placed in contests such as the National Reader's Choice, the Bookseller's Best, the Write Touch, the Award of Excellence and the Beacon Award for Published Authors.

Brenda and her husband, Ted, live in Sacramento and are the proud parents of five children—three girls and two boys. She juggles her writing career with her children’s softball and soccer games, field trips, carpool runs and homework sessions.

When she’s not spending time with her family or writing, Brenda is usually working on her annual fundraiser for diabetes research—an on-line auction held at her website May 1st – May 31st. Her youngest son, Thad, has diabetes, and Brenda is determined to help him and others like him. She also enjoys traveling, watching sporting events and biking--she rides an amazing 20 miles every day!




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Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Book Review ~ The Heart of Christmas (Whiskey Creek #7) by Brenda Novak

The Heart of Christmas
(Whiskey Creek #7)
by Brenda Novak


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!

Click HERE to add The Heart of Christmas to Goodreads

My Thoughts
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.

My rating:  4 out of 5 stars


About the Author
It was a shocking experience that jump-started Brenda Novak’s bestselling author career.

“I caught my day-care provider drugging my children with cough syrup and Tylenol to get them to sleep while I was away,” Brenda says. “It was then that I decided that I needed to do something from home.”

However, writing was the last profession she expected to undertake. In fact, Brenda swears she didn’t have a creative bone in her body. In school, math and science were her best subjects, and when it came time to pick a major in college, she chose business. 

Abandoning her academic scholarship to Brigham Young University at the age of 20 in order to get married and start a family, Brenda dabbled in commercial real estate, then became a loan officer. 

“When I first got the idea to become a novelist, it took me five years to teach myself the craft and finish my first book,” Brenda admits. “I learned how to write by reading what others have written. The best advice for any would-be author: read, read, read….”

Brenda sold her first book, and the rest is history. Many of her novels have won or placed in contests such as the National Reader's Choice, the Bookseller's Best, the Write Touch, the Award of Excellence and the Beacon Award for Published Authors. 

Brenda and her husband, Ted, live in Sacramento and are the proud parents of five children—three girls and two boys. She juggles her writing career with her children’s softball and soccer games, field trips, carpool runs and homework sessions.

When she’s not spending time with her family or writing, Brenda is usually working on her annual fundraiser for diabetes research—an on-line auction held at her website May 1st – May 31st. Her youngest son, Thad, has diabetes, and Brenda is determined to help him and others like him. She also enjoys traveling, watching sporting events and biking--she rides an amazing 20 miles every day! 
Author Links


Purchase Links


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Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Book Blast & Giveaway ~ A Matter of Grave Concern by Brenda Novak



A Matter of Grave Concern
by Brenda Novak


Blurb

When Maximillian Wilder joins the notorious body snatchers known as the London Supply Company, the last thing on his mind is love. He’s worried about Madeline, his vanished half sister, who was last seen in the company of Jack Hurtsill, the gang’s conscienceless leader. Raiding graveyards, stealing corpses, and selling them to medical colleges as dissection material is dirty work, but he has to gain Jack’s trust. He’s determined to find out what happened to Madeline—and to bring Jack to justice if she was murdered for the coin her body could bring.

Beautiful, spirited Abigail Hale, daughter of the surgeon at Aldersgate School of Medicine, detests the challenging, hard-bargaining Max. But she must procure the necessary specimens if she is to save the college and her father’s career. She believes she is going to be successful—until Jack double-crosses her. Then she’s swept into a plot of danger and intrigue, one where Max must intervene and protect her, no matter the risk to his plan . . . or his heart.

Excerpt

It was a perfect specimen. Almost.

Abigail Hale took a steadying breath and stooped into the cool, dark alley to examine the bloodless gash on the cadaver’s high forehead. The injury was a minor flaw, really. Nothing to worry about, although she intended to use that imperfection to best advantage when haggling over price.

Straightening, she opened the door wide and motioned the five figures surrounding the body inside. “Quickly!”

Three men followed as two, their features distorted by the flickering light of her lamp, hefted the sack containing the corpse into her father’s office and dropped it with a thud as solid as though it contained nothing more than so many rocks.

Abigail squared her shoulders and crossed to the desk adjacent to her father’s. Although she had dealt with resurrection men during the last school year, thrice, she had never done business with this particular gang. The sheer number of them took her off guard. Usually a couple of gravediggers or sextons showed up, regular men who didn’t look nearly so unsavory.

Hoping to keep the “sack ’em up” men from seeing how badly her hands were shaking, she clasped them behind her back.

A behemoth of a man, marked with the smallpox and dressed all in black, stepped forward. “When I saw the name on your letter, I assumed we were dealin’ with the good surgeon himself,” he said with a thick Cockney accent. “So who the bloody hell are you?”

“Who I am doesn’t matter so long as you get paid. Am I correct, Mr.…Hurtsill?” She was guessing at his name. This was the first time she had ever met him, but he seemed in charge and had referenced her letter.

“This is some risky business we’ve got going here, little lady. I have to trust you and you have to trust me. And that means who you are matters more than you might think.”

Since he didn’t correct her, she assumed she had accurately identified him. “Fine. I am steward of the household accounts here, if you must know.”

He picked a piece of food out of his teeth. “The surgeon’s daughter, eh?”

Apparently, he knew more about the school than she had expected.

“Does your father know you’re doin’ this?” he asked.

If they didn’t get on with it, he would find out. And she couldn’t have that. “Time is money, Mr. Hurtsill. How—”

“Big Jack,” he interrupted.

“I’m sorry?

“Call me Big Jack.”

“Fine. Mr…er…Jack, then. How much do you want for…um…” Abigail nodded toward the sack.


Purchase Link

About the Author
 New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Brenda Novak is the author of more than fifty books. A four-time Rita nominee, she has won many awards, including the National Reader’s Choice, the Bookseller’s Best, the Book Buyer’s Best, the Daphne, and the Holt Medallion. She also runs an annual on-line auction for diabetes research every May at www.brendanovak.com (her youngest son has this disease). To date, she’s raised over $2 million. For more about Brenda, please visit www.brendanovak.com.

Author Links 


Giveaway
Brenda will be awarding a $100 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Thursday, February 13, 2014

Review ~ Come Home to Me by Brenda Novak

Come Home to Me (Whiskey Creek #6)

In Come Home to Me, Presley has come back to Whiskey Creek to start up her own Yoga/Massage business with the assurance that Aaron has moved away so she won’t have to worry about seeing him.  She has straightened out her life and this is the chance she has been waiting for to start over.  With her son Wyatt, she has become a better person and she hopes she can give Wyatt the best life possible.  But Presley is harboring a secret – Wyatt is Aaron’s son and when she finds out that Aaron has not moved away, well….her life just got a little more complicated.  

I really enjoyed reading Come Home to Me.  Brenda Novak has a way of making her characters realistic and the reader can really connect with them.  As in life, her characters aren’t perfect, and you can totally imagine this story happening in real life.  Although this book can be read separately from the rest of the series, I would recommend reading the previous books so you can get some back history on Presley and Aaron.  There are so many twists and turns in this story, it will keep you turning the page to find out what happens.  I loved the ending and can’t wait to read future stories written by this wonderful author.

5 out of 5 stars  
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Home is where her heart is...

When Presley Christensen returns to Whiskey Creek with her little boy after two years away, she has completely changed her life. She's made peace with her past and overcome the negative behavior that resulted from her difficult childhood. Now she's back in the small town that was the closest thing to home she ever knew;the town where she can be with the sister who's her only family.

There's just one catch. Aaron Amos still lives in Whiskey Creek, at least until he moves to Placerville to open a branch of the Amos brothers' auto body shop. And no matter how hard she's tried, Presley hasn't been able to get over him. Seeing him again makes the longing so much worse. But she hopes she can get through the next few months, because she can't fall back into his arms;or his bed. She's come too far to backslide now. And there's a secret she's been guarding;a secret she'll do anything to protect. ~ Goodreads



Series: Whiskey Creek (Book 6)
Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA (March 25, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0778315916
ISBN-13: 978-0778315919









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