REVIEW: Christmas in Silver Springs by Brenda Novak

In Christmas in Silver Springs (Silver Springs #6) by Brenda Novak, Harper Devlin hopes that bringing her two daughters to Silver Springs and spending time with family this holiday season will help them push aside the fact that she and their dad are getting divorced. There was a time when Harper and the girls were everything to Axel. But that was before he made it big with his rock band Pulse. Him filing for divorce blindsided her. Although, if she’s honest, things had been going downhill for a while. It’s not until Harper meets a kind stranger, Tobias Richardson, who understands her grief, that she realizes she now has a whole new life ahead of her. And an ex-husband who won’t quit meddling. As her feelings for Tobias grow, she realizes that if she wants to take things from casual to something potentially more serious, Harper will have to figure out exactly where she stands with Axel.

‘That was pretty ironic. That she’d feel more loyal to a man she’d met only a couple of weeks ago than the one she’d been married to for ten years. But she got the feeling that Tobias was more loyal to *her*.
That meant something.’

Adjusting to life outside of prison has been tough for Tobias. He’s still grappling with regret over his actions as a teenager that led him to go to prison in the first place. And he’s worried how people in Silver Springs will treat his brother and sister-in-law now that he’s out. But Tobias will admit he’s got some great people in his corner. When he has the chance to show some compassion to a lovely woman dealing with a very public divorce, he jumps at the chance to show her things will get better. Although Tobias never dreamed that Harper would feel the same chemistry between them that he did from the start. She’s way out of his league. And she’d likely run for the hills if he told her he’s an ex-con. Tobias can’t help but hope, though, that if he puts his heart on the line and opens up to Harper, that she’ll give him–and them–a chance.

‘He’d never asked for much from life, never felt he deserved it… But he’d never wanted something quite as badly as he wanted Harper.’

Christmas in Silver Springs was everything you could wish for in a holiday-themed story–and everything wonderful I would expect from Brenda Novak. Full of healing, redemption, triumph and love, this romance will surely warm your heart.

“I keep telling myself that we just met, that I’m on the rebound. But when I’m with you–I can’t describe how good it feels. And when I’m not with you, I want to be.”
“I have no defense against you,” he said simply.

Since the first book I picked up by Brenda Novak, I’ve always thought she has a clear, genuine writing voice that focuses equally on the characters and emotions without losing anything in the plot. That was quite evident in Christmas in Silver Springs. We had three POVs: Harper, Tobias, and Axel, which for me covered all the bases and showed every side to the confusing mess they found themselves in. It was sort of a love triangle, but without any cheating where Axel and Harper were newly divorced at the beginning of the story. I was once again surprised that Novak could make me interested in seeing things from the view of our protagonist (Axel) even if I didn’t agree with his methods. An element I’ve encountered in her other books that has always worked well.

Tobias and Harper. *sigh* They were a match made in heaven, in my humble opinion. Both were kindhearted, loyal, giving, and unfortunately…broken. It might have seemed like a rebound romance for Harper after her divorce, but I like to think that she and Tobias were drawn together because of the things they’d conquered on their own, knowing they could finish healing emotionally together.

I was so knocked out with how Tobias changed since prison. What a terrific swoon-worthy hero he made. His brother Maddox was no slouch in book 5, Unforgettable You, of course and I think Tobias certainly looked up to his big brother here as he always had. Especially given their troubled childhood, which was *so* heartwrenching. But Tobias was a gentle giant who just wanted to do good and to find a way to redeem himself for what had happened over a decade ago–which I think he definitely did! The ending will have readers smiling through their tears, let me tell you. *sniffle*

Harper’s part of the story was to me the messiest emotionally. She was torn between her loyalty to her (no-good) ex-husband who wouldn’t let things go, and the attraction she felt towards Tobias. I really did like Harper. She was a good mom, a caring sister and friend. She was simply lost. Which was understandable. Even Harper’s waffling over Axel and Tobias, and how it would affect her daughters seemed believable so it didn’t frustrate me like it can in some romances. But that’s the beauty of Novak’s writing skills: she makes each situation realistic and full of emotional depth.

Who doesn’t love a touching story of two people helping each other forge a new path after overcoming personal tragedy, right? Particularly at Christmastime. I think romance fans will rejoice over Christmas in Silver Springs and will add it to their keeper shelves to re-read for years to come.

Book Info:

Publication: October 29th 2019 | MIRA | Silver Springs #6

Come home to Silver Springs for the holidays, where broken hearts learn to love again…together.

So much for forever. When Harper Devlin’s rock star husband ditches her on his way to the top, she takes her two daughters to her sister’s place in Silver Springs for the holidays, hoping family can heal her broken heart. But comfort comes in unexpected places when she crosses paths with local Tobias Richardson.

The moment Tobias spots Harper, he recognizes a sadness he knows all too well. After spending thirteen years in prison paying for his regretful past, Tobias is ready to make amends, and maybe helping Harper is the way to do it. But offering her a shoulder to cry on ignites a powerful attraction and a desire neither saw coming.

Fearing her reaction, Tobias doesn’t reveal his checkered past. He’s falling hard, and if Harper finds out, he’ll lose her for good, especially because her famous ex is now trying to win her back. Secrets have a way of coming out, but maybe this Christmas will bring Tobias the forgiveness–and the love–he deserves.