REVIEW: Discovering You by Brenda Novak

In Discovering You  (Whiskey Creek #10) by Brenda Novak, Widow India Sommers moved to Whiskey Creek to start over a year after her husband was murdered by her ex-boyfriend. While her her five-year-old daughter Cassia is staying with her in-laws, she’s stunned to find out the police have let her ex go after his trial ended with a hung jury. When her next door neighbor, gorgeous bad boy Rod Amos finds out, his willingness to protect her has India torn. She’s hugely attracted to him but she can use the help. Can she keep her heart from entering the equation and focus on stopping her ex from doing them harm instead?

‘Was she succumbing to her own foolishness once again? Welcoming the wrong type of guy into her life? Perhaps. But temptation had never been presented to her in a more appealing package…’

Rod noticed his new next door neighbor right away. Her good looks and polished appearance spoke of class, putting her out of his league. Although he’s proud of what he and his brothers have accomplished at Amos Auto Body, he can’t compete with the memory of India’s late husband, the heart surgeon. When she admits that the killer who destroyed her family is free and may be coming after her, Rod takes matters into his own hands. But as the threats become real, his feelings for India start to become too intense and he knows it’s too late to turn back.

“I want you,” she murmured. “I’ve wanted you from the moment I laid eyes on you, bloody knuckles and all. I’ve never experienced that with anyone else.”
That statement set him apart from every other man, even her dead husband. And being taken seriously by her was all he’d ever asked.

Discovering You brought us back to Whiskey Creek, one of my favorite places to be. This time we got the story behind Rod Amos’s tumultuous family history and the heartrending tale of what brought newcomer India Sommers to town. And both stories will steal your heart.

I have to say that I love those Amos brothers. They’re wild and sexy bad boys, every one of them, but with hearts of gold. And beginning with the first scene Rod proved his worthiness by standing up and fighting for someone he cared about. That theme continued throughout the story as he jumped in to help keep India safe and she herself also stepped up to clear his name. I loved how they worked together, making such a great team. Rod and India may have made some bold choices I wouldn’t have made, but I could see why they made those decisions and liked that they supported each other through their ordeal.

I think Brenda Novak not only excels at writing believable romance but she definitely puts her characters through their paces before getting their HEA which makes it all that much sweeter. Maybe that’s what makes it realistic to me, to see them have to work for their dreams to come true. In this case, the nightmare that India had to live through made her a much stronger woman who became determined to stop her husband’s killer and keep her daughter safe. Rod saw what a lovely person India was and became drawn to her, knowing there was no one else to help. I loved that honor and loyalty. They both had it in spades and it made them so easy to like and empathize with.

We also had a sub-story winding through here of Rod’s younger brother Mack and their step-sister Natasha. I know, I know. The whole taboo of step-sibling romance is popular these days. The way this was written, though, was very down-to-earth and felt real. Not like it was just keeping up with trends. There was a bit of angst for both Mack and Natasha to work through but I ended up liking both characters (Natasha’s background could’ve made me weep) and I could easily feel their frustration over their awkward predicament.

There was definitely some heart-stopping action this time in addition to the wonderful romance as India and Rod’s relationship got hotter and her past haunted her. I think fans will breeze through this page-turner, holding their breath at all of the emotions and the events that unfold.

Book Info:

Publication: May 24th 2016 | MIRA | Whiskey Creek #10

Can she ever trust another “bad boy”?

India Sommers once had the perfect family—until an ex-boyfriend broke in and shot her husband. Not only did that cost her the man she loved, a respected heart surgeon and the father of her child, but she also feels responsible. Charlie died because of the people she hung out with before she had the strength to change her life.

Just after moving to Whiskey Creek with her little girl, Cassia, to start over, she’s learned that her ex-boyfriend’s trial ended in a hung jury. He’s getting out of jail; he could try to find her again. And that’s not all that scares her. She’s extremely attracted to her next-door neighbor, but Rod Amos is the handsome “bad boy” type that’s given her so much trouble in the past. If she got involved with him, her in-laws would sue for custody of Cassia.

India has to keep her distance from Rod—but the more she gets to know him, the more difficult that becomes.