Take Me Home For Christmas (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
I love Brenda Novak - her Last stand series (Watch Me, Stop Me, Trust Me) was awesome! when she writes murder mystery romance she is unstoppable - however something is lacking in these "fluffy" stories she is doing lately. Take me Home for Christmas was a page turner in the worst way - meaning that I skipped a lot of it! I felt sorry for the muck that Sophie was in and developed an instant dislike for most of the towns people - especially the sleazy Sheriff. However, the romance part of the story was left to the last chapter and the ending was rushed. I was left shaking my head and hoping that the follow up book (Home to Whiskey Creek) would be better .... but ... well, read my review on that one for my thoughts :) I waffled between a 3 and a 4 on this novel, but ultimately had to give it a 4. I've never read any of the other Whiskey Creek novels before, which left me floundering with characters. Though Novak does an excellent job introducing them and not throwing them at the reader too unkindly, there are other side stories here that are never truly told. That's pretty much the point, because it did whet my appetite to want more of these novels, but at the same time it left me a little lost in what was happening. I'm also someone who hates to backtrack once I've jumped in, so I wouldn't go back to read the stories I've missed, but I would possibly read further stories in this setting.Next, I was hoping for a CHRISTMAS novel. Every year it is my tradition to read a Christmas novel. This one is Christmas in the last 40 pages or so out of nearly 400. Doesn't make it a bad novel, just makes the title a little misleading.Now for the good, and there is plenty of it: this is an atypical romance novel. While Novak does a good job of not focusing too hard on the feelings that could be overwhelming these characters, she also does a good job of throwing things at them I haven't typically read in a romance novel before. I don't want to say too much and give away the plot, but for once the romance felt organic and not forced and the problems seemed... realistic. This was not a fairy tale story while being completely that.
What do You think about Take Me Home For Christmas (2013)?
Reunion romance, with some serious conflict between the hero and heroine. Liked it a lot.
—David
Another good read from Brenda Novak's Whiskey Creek series.
—jake
