The Book Review: Brenda Novak "When Snow Falls"

When Snow Falls (Whiskey Creek)

Brenda Novak

Published by Harlequin Mira; October 2012

Paperback.

Listed $7.99, I borrowed it from the Library.

Book Description
Series: Whiskey Creek (Book 2)

After growing up in cheap motels, moving from town to town with her sister and mother, Cheyenne Christensen is grateful to be on her own. She's grateful, too, for the friends she found once her family settled in California. But she's troubled by the mystery of her earliest memories, most of which feature a smiling blonde woman. A woman who isn't her mother.

Although Cheyenne has repeatedly asked for explanations, the people who could help aren't talking. Cheyenne is set on finding answers, but without so much as a birth certificate, it won't be easy.

Things get even more complicated when her closest friend is attracted to the man Cheyenne has secretly loved for years. For Eve's sake, she decides to step aside—which lands her right in the arms of Dylan Amos, oldest and baddest of the hell-raising Amos brothers. He's the kind of guy she's sworn to avoid. She can't afford to make a mistake, not when she finally has a chance to learn who she really is and change her life for the better. But…maybe there's more to Dylan than she thought. Maybe letting him go would be a bigger mistake.

Review

I have said before that I love Brenda Novak's series books and this is no exception. I actually liked this one better than the first, which surprised me. The premise seemed promising but the booked moved slowly at first, and seemed very depressing... Her "mother" was dying of cancer (awful business), it's Christmas and all her friends are leaving town for a group cruise. Her business (she works with her best friend at a B&B) is being renovated so she has a lot of time on her hands and not a lot of people to spend it with. Her "sister" is troubled but I didn't hate her. The "mother," however, was horrible. A villain in retrospect, mostly. 

At first I was confused by the Joe (secret love)/Dylan struggle but that becomes clearer over time. The most awesome thing about this book for me was that Cheyenne refuses to date Joe, under any circumstances, until her BFF, Eve, gives her blessing. That was beautiful. Having had a similar thing happen to me in the past I was pleased with how this was handled; as if "loyalty" to a friend is more important than "true love." Yay! Some might not agree with me but this was huge for me and made me love Cheyenne even though for the most part she seemed a little more self-deprecating than I like for a heroine.

The reader learns early on what the heroine does not until the very end which is okay because the mystery is real and doesn't make her look like a paranoid, schizo-freak for questioning her upbringing. She really should be questioning it. That part of the story is fine. Also, I liked that the "bad boy," Dylan, was more about reputation than reality. It says a lot about small towns and rumor. It was very believable and because her friends loved her so much they were SPOILER: eventually okay with him.

I also liked the way the "triangle" is portrayed. It is honest and realistic. The reader likes both guys, for different reasons. I don't know what the author has in mind for the one Cheyenne "didn't pick" so we can find out more about him. ;) (No SPOILER there! haha!)

This was a satisfying read --and no blatant sexuality (Yay!-- about love and relationships; romance, parental and sibling. Not too high-brow, but enjoyable and engaging. I am looking forward to returning to Whiskey Creek in the next book, "When Summer Comes," which comes out January 29th.

Next up: Eloisa James "A Wild Pursuit" (Book 3 in the Duchess Quartet)