When Snow Falls (Whiskey Creek Book 2)

My MusingsI decided to read this second book in the Whiskey Creek Series because it was on sale, and I could get the audio for a very reasonable price. When Lightning Strikes was a mixed bag for me, so I did hesitate for a moment before downloading this next one in the series, but I love Brenda Novak’s historicals and thought I would give this series another chance. One thing I know about her books—expect the unexpected!Cheyenne Christensen has a memory of herself as a very young child, in a pretty party dress and shiny black shoes in a room full of toys, but that memory has no place in the reality of her life. Her mother has dragged her and her sister from place to place until they end up in Whiskey Creek when her mother develops cancer.Her mother beats cancer the first time, but now it is back and most of her care falls on Cheyenne’s shoulders since her sister is always partying, using drugs and associating with unsavory characters of the male variety.Cheyenne longs for stability and peace, of which she has had little, and wants to find out why she has that nagging memory. No matter how many times she tries to talk to her mom about it, she never gets any answers and now it is almost too late.To add to her confusion, the man she has crushed on since high school is showing interest, a man that will give her the stability she craves. There is one problem though; she is too attracted to bad boy, Dylan. What should she do? Choose the security Joe has to offer, or follow her heart and choose Dylan, a man with a less than stellar past?There is a great deal to love about When Snows Falls. Ms. Novak does an amazing job in bringing me in and getting me fully vested in the story from the first page, but some of what happens in this book was uncomfortable. However, I could not put this one down and read/listened practically non-stop from beginning to end. It is such a compelling story that I had to keep reading to find out what direction it would take.This is not a light-hearted read. There are lots of mixed up emotions for both the hero and the heroine. The plot is extremely complicated since it involves a love triangle for Cheyenne and Dylan with Joe thrown into the mix. In the beginning, the book seemed very straight forward. Girl from the wrong part of town with a totally mixed up family and the boy next door, a good ‘Joe’, no pun intended—I wonder if Ms. Novak chose that character’s name on purpose—fall in love and live ‘happily ever after’. However, that is not the case!This is a messy love story with a confused, very immature heroine and a hero with a great deal of baggage as well. I could really get why Cheyenne wants to have a man to love who is stable and reliable, everything she has never had in her life. Joe represents respectability and acceptance. Dylan, on the other hand, will give her the exact opposite, or so she thinks, at least when they first come together.This story kept me guessing which man she would choose throughout much of the book. I think that is what makes it such a fascinating read. At times I wanted to throw my Kindle against the wall and at other times, hug it close at the decisions Cheyenne makes. It is definitely a rollercoaster ride to say the least.I do want to mention, I listened to the audio version narrated by Tara Sands. While Ms. Sands read with a great deal of expressions and I could easily distinguish between the character's, her voice tone made the females sound more like teenagers than mature women. That could have contributed to my feelings that Cheyenne came across as very immature.I could go on and on about the complexity of the story and the characters, but I do not want to give anything away, so I will just say, this is a book you will want to read, if you enjoy flawed characters with deep-seated self-esteem issues, learning to cope and come to together in spite of all that is stacked against them. I suggest you give it a try. Happy reading!

This work by Brenda Novak made an impact on me. What I believe to be the main thrust and message of the book was when the author wrote: "She'd been so infatuated with him. She'd thought it was love, but she'd merely been in love with what he represented." I raised up off my bed when I read those lines!The character Cheyenne had been so emotionally abused and suppressed during childhood that she almost lost her identity. Yet, those early childhood memories that she held onto gave her a very narrow, key-hole view of who she really was and she hung onto them. They sustained her even though she was infatuated with Joe and thought he was the love of her life. There are millions of people on the other end of the spectrum--not emotionally abused or suppressed--just not developed or coached into becoming the person they know on the inside that they should have become. It makes for many not completely satisfied people in life because of not getting the development they should have received. Many women fall into the trap of becoming infatuated with an uncommon man and cannot stop thinking of him. They hold him up on a pedestal, measuring all other men against him. I've done this as well.It was only when I read those lines (she'd merely been in love with what he represented) that my understanding opened up like a fast-blooming flower. I don't need to put any man on a pedestal for what he represents. I understand now that I need to work at becoming those very same things that I admire regardless of whether I received development or coaching to awaken those things that have always been on the inside of me and suppressed. I need to do the work! I still admire the person I placed on a pedestal, but this book greatly altered my inner focus. It gave me a release, and I cannot thank Ms. Novak enough. When you can identify with someone else's pain and see the answer to the dilemma, it makes you lift right up off your bed. You have an epiphany.I am free now to realize that one day the right man will say to me, "You fit me perfectly. I've known you would for a long time." The character Dylan was so much in touch with who he was that he knew Cheyenne belonged in his life when she didn't know or understand it. But she was able (became able) to grab hold of the vision, get fresh perspective by reaching deep down inside herself to find what was real versus what was imaginary infatuation. This was just incredible. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, Brenda Novak!!! And thanx again. I could cry, but I don't much like crying. :)

I absolutely loved this book. So much so that having started this book slightly after midnight I couldn't put the book down to go to sleep. I kept telling myself 'just one more page', but in the end I finished the book in one sitting.Brenda has a knack of narrating the emotions to an extent that you really feel them. I felt for Chayenne and her hard life. I loved Dylan and his honestly and the way he stepped up to keep and protect his family.They make a wonderful couple, both are strong people and have overcome a lot in their lives.I can't wait to see who the others end up with.

A sweet, tragic romance. You'll fall in love with the characters very quickly and as usual the storyline makes it difficult to put the book down. I'm addicted to Brenda's writing. Thankfully there are a whole lot more in this series alone.

Bought 1 year ago. Tried off and on to read as first part quite slow. have completed it now. It's a pleasant book with some heat.

I love Brenda Novak,s books but would like a follow up to some of them Rex for example his follow up would be good

Really good from start to finish the characters were interesting and the story they told were intriguing. At times I put it down