Take Me Home for Christmas

I love this story best so far. So much of this story hit me so personally. Sophie's story touched me so deeply. I am a DV survivor. There were so many times when I read that story that I had to take a breath. The author describes what it is like to feel you deserve to be mistreated accurately. People always say why don't they just leave and it is so complicated. The reasons vary so much and many times there are more than one reason. I think the common one most have, is the silent one addressed in this book. We take it because we feel, for whatever reasons, we deserve it. It is the one I say is silent because rarely do you hear someone admit that. Part of it is shame, (we are admitting that we have done something that we believe was show more bad), and part of it is we know it will not be accepted. You need not say the words before you hear, it's not your fault. You didn't deserve it. I respect that and I understand the need for it. But for the longest time I just wished someone would validate my feelings, whether right or wrong, just allow me to acknowledge them. Finally, this author has and I thank her for it. There were so many twist to the plot, much like life. I think that is why I love this series so much. The author has done an awesome job with fantasy plots that feel realistic and characters you love, hate, change your mind about as you get to know them. Can you read this series as stand alones or out of order? Yes, though you will no doubt, want to read the others. Your curiosity will demand it. I am reading it out of order and even though I know some of who is with who, I am still breathless while I read. I am captivated by the story. I recommend this book to get you in the Christmas mode. It will make you laugh, be angry, cry, cheer and ultimately feel good about the journey. show less

Take Me Home For Christmas
Brenda Novak
★☆★☆★

OMG! Just when you thought this series couldn't get any better, Brenda Novak Throws the Rod and Hooks you with this installment.

I LOVE it. Its kinda like A romantic whiskey creek version of Ebenezer Scrooge and I Adore it. Of course Ted is The Scrooge towards Sophia. in this novel he has to reflect on the past present and future that all involves her. At the beginning of the series we Learn how Sophia broke off their relationship and married Skip. He was very angry and resentful towards her (who wouldnt be) and he didnt let up even 14yrs later. Well she went through the Major Crisis with what Skip did (cant give away too much) and he helped her ecen though he didnt want to. He learned show more of what her marriage was really like and saw how his resement and anger and non acceptance REALLY affected her. (I wont go into too much detail I def dont want to give too much away)

The one con in the book is Sophia NEVER explained to Ted why she left him for Skip and he never pressured for an answer. I kniw he asked once. I would have liked to know more of what drove her to him.

My favorite part about this book was the Build up in this novel. I like how the story was intense you got to really sympathize with Sophia. Novak didnt rush her into anything and didnt make her seem so needy. There was just a great balance in this book. I know im being super vague but I dont want to give up any spoilers!

All I can say is Brenda Novak you REALLY out did yourself I have to say of all the novels this one is my favorite! I def recommend :)

cant wait for Aaron and Preselys story show less

First off, this is my first ever Brenda Novak novel and let me just say that after I finished Take Me Home for Christmas I went and added all of her books to my TBR list. Take Me Home for Christmas is such a wonderful story. I know everyone that is a Whiskey Creek Series fan has been looking forward to Ted and Sophia's story and now I know why. This story completely warmed my heart at some parts and almost broke it in others. We start with Sophia's husband having disappeared. As a single mother left penniless and alone Sophia struggles to make ends meet while the townspeople continue to make her life hell at every turn. There are a few exceptions. Even though some of his friends invested money with Sophia's ex and lost everything they show more invested, Ted and his close group of friends refuse to hold Sophia responsible for for her husband's crimes. And while the townspeople are demanding their slice of the pie back Sophia is struggling to hold on to anything that she has left. I was so outraged at the way Sophia was treated, I understand the hurt these people went through but Sophia graciously offered them anything she had to help repay them and they still demanded more. Villain of the Year award goes to Chief Stacy. He was the ring leader of the backlash against Sophia and I was so wishing that he would get a taste of his own medicine. Meanwhile, Ted reaches out a helping hand to Sophia, and while she would love to refuse, she had to swallow her pride and think logically. The exchanges between Ted and Sophia made me laugh with their banter and ache with their sadness. These two have such a complicated past to work out and it takes some time amidst all of the other current drama surrounding them.

This book gave me so many mixed emotions. There were times when I could completely understand Ted and his decisions and other times where I just wanted to shake him or slap him upside the head. Same goes for Sophia. She started out rocky but, with the help of Eve she got back on track. However, she is dealing with much more than the loss and betrayal of her husband and the hatred of the town. Sophia has a secret that not too many people know about. She thought she had her situation under control, until the stress begins to wear on her and her demons find her in a moment of weakness. I really felt for Sophia, and her daughter, Alexa. They have been through so much and are still able to hold their heads up and push through. Ted is a big helping factor in Sophia's ability to turn her life around. Ted on the other hand is confused up one side and down the other. He can't fathom how he got into his current predicament and he begins to act rash. In my opinion, total human reaction. He can't control a part of his life, so he goes and potentially screws up another part of it. Eventually, he is able to work it all through but, it takes some understanding and trust from the people in his life.

As a whole I absolutely loved this book. It is gut-wrenching, and heart-warming. Hilarious and devastating. It is a romance but, it tells a much bigger and grander story than a couple finding love. It's a story of a second chance at love, a woman righting her wrongs, a man learning to trust and love again, a woman becoming her own person again and so much more. Take Me Home for Christmas engaged and hypnotized me and I am so thrilled to have read it. Trust me when I say you will not regret reading this book. Brenda Novak wrote a beautiful story and I cannot wait to return to Whiskey Creek. Side note to Whiskey Creek Lovers: You do get quite a few glimpses of your favorite characters from past books in Take Me Home for Christmas. For Whiskey Creek Newbies: This is #5 in a series, but I didn't feel lost a bit. Ms. Novak gives you just enough information about the other couples to entice you to go read their stories but, I don't believe there are any major spoilers. I also want to thank Brenda for reaching out to me and asking me to review this book, it was truly wonderful and has been added to my favorites for 2013!

Happy Reading!
*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review* show less

3.5/5 stars. I feel like I repeat myself in my Christmas and Holiday romance reviews and that's because I do. I have requirements for this sort of reading, and this book fulfilled those requirements. It gave me redemption through doing the hard work, sprawling friends and family groups, and a happily ever after.

This book's candidate for redemption was Sophia, who has to face the town of Whiskey Creek (a book series I now plan to read) after her husband the investment banker defrauded most of them. He died while trying to run away and few people believe that Sophia wasn't involved. They're wrong, but since Sophia grew up in a life of privilege, married into the same, and was a horrid bitch to people in between, she understands. But that show more isn't Sophia anymore, at least she doesn't want it to be. A recovering alcoholic, newly out of rehab, Sophia finds herself battling urges to drink and a tremendous depression after all of this. She wants to get up and care for her teen daughter but can't quite fight off the depression to make that happen. She's saved by the intervention of someone she never thought was a friend and someone she never thought would love her again.

Sophia works hard to change herself thoughout the course of this book. Some people are on her side, some aren't, and she learns that the most important people are herself and her daughter. The romance was slow and required a great deal of getting to know and learn each other again, and some forgiveness. By the time everyone got to their holiday happily ever after I was satisfied they deserved it.

(Provided by publisher) show less

I was looking forward to spending Christmas with the folks of Whiskey Creek. However, this is not the typical Merry and Bright holiday tale – it is filled with lots of desolate, angst-filled moments. The author does an outstanding job of depicting Sophia’s dual lives. Everyone in Whiskey Creek believes the distorted image she presents to the world, a life of a pampered housewife. The reality of her life is much darker; she is a recovering alcoholic with an abusive husband. In previous books, Sophia was considered a villain. I felt that the author did an incredibly realistic job of redeeming her while still providing vindication to those she mistreated. Redemption of a character is very difficult task, yet I was not surprised that show more the author handled it flawlessly.

Ted’s character has always been portrayed as impeccable. I was disappointed that the author chose to damage his reputation. I understood that it made for a more convincing story but, I felt cheated. Not to mention the negative repercussions it caused.

The writing was spectacular! I recommend it to small-town contemporary romance fans.

Disclosure: This ebook was provided to me free of charge for the sole purpose of an honest review. All thoughts, comments, and ratings are my own. show less

I loved this book! I think it is a special delight of the Whiskey Creek Series but the story can definitely be enjoyed as a stand-alone title. In fact, I think the story is so special that I wish I could personally publicize the book as this year’s best novel to enjoy during the holiday season and a story so special that it can be enjoyed during any season of the year – not just at Christmas. It would be such fun to become one of Santa’s elves and add a copy of “Take Me Home for Christmas” to Christmas stockings around the world.

It is a timeless story of star-crossed lovers, Ted Dixon and Sophia DeBussi – a universal theme of many romance stories in fiction and in real life but only one author, Brenda Novak can tell a story show more that is this compelling with twists and turns not only for the star-crossed lovers but the entire cast of characters.

One of my sheer delights as a reviewer is to share that this romance novel may truly be enjoyed by women and men. Brenda Novak provides the reader with glimpses throughout the story of the feelings that Ted and Sophia have developed due to their shared past history and the influences of their personal experiences that has guided their steps as they meet again. The author is one of those unique writers who is able to give readers a glimpse from each main character’s perspective into the depth of thoughts and emotions shared by men and women as they try to go forward in a positive way and for some as they put the pieces of their lives back together after personal struggles.

My enchantment with this book is that it is not merely a romance title but a novel that has multi-dimensional layers and conveys many meaningful lessons all of which are so pertinent to today’s headlines: Spousal Abuse; Alcoholism; Bullying; The true meaning of friendship (both for children and adults) – giving, receiving, forgiving, trusting, loving; Mother-Daughter relationships; Intervention with a friend or parent; Grief after a parent’s death; and Developing a relationship with a teenager as a potential step-father. The special luxury for the reader is to understand as one finishes the last chapter that this was all accomplished without interruption to the storyline as the chapters flowed from one to another, the settings described so vividly that one’s imagination was rich with images, and each conversation so natural to life and fluid to the storyline and the path forward.

I was lucky enough to receive a pre-publication copy of this title from the author to read and review. show less

This was a very emotional story. Sophia has been a secondary character throughout the series. Everyone remembers her as the spoiled snob who broke their friend Ted's heart. Then she married the richest man in town and seemed to delight in rubbing it in. There have been hints that all is not right with the marriage but no one has pursued it. When her husband dies while running from the law, having stolen money from his investment firm, most people think she got what was coming to her. She's not coping well with everything that happens until her daughter and Eve snap her out it. Sophia has no training of any kind and desperately needs a job to support herself and her daughter. Though he still feels a lot of resentment over their past he show more can't stand to see her suffer so he hires her to be his housekeeper. He doesn't expect her to be any good at it, but he'll give it a shot. One thing he won't do is allow himself to get involved with her.

I really liked Sophia. I've always felt like there was more to her than people gave her credit for. She was terribly abused by her husband but hid it very well. Her daughter was everything to her and she would put up with anything to keep Alexa safe. She ended up with a drinking problem that she was just starting to beat when everything happened. Once she got past the initial depression, thanks to help from Eve, she started showing an amazing amount of strength of character. I loved the fact that she didn't whine and complain. When Ted offered her the job as his housekeeper she was determined to do it well. She had always regretted the way she treated him and this gave her a chance to make it up to him. She had never forgotten her feelings for him and his kindness to her has brought those feelings back to the surface. I also really liked how good she was as a mother. Alexa is her whole world and she will do anything and put up with anything to keep her safe. The slow buildup of the rekindled romance between Sophia and Ted was perfect for them. I really enjoyed seeing what they did with her wedding ring at the end of the book.

Ted has never really gotten over his feelings for Sophia. His attitude toward her has been borderline cruel but he's been doing it to protect himself. When her life falls apart he tries to stay out of it, but he just can't keep from helping her. He keeps fighting his feelings but he can't win. He doesn't expect much from her when she starts working for him and is pleasantly surprised to see how well she does. His attitude toward her undergoes a gradual change as he sees how different she is than what he expected. One of the things I really liked about him was the way he supported her when Alexa had problems at school. I lost some of my respect for him when he started a relationship with Eve because he knew he was doing it for all the wrong reasons. I loved seeing him try to protect Sophia at various points in the story. It was great seeing him finally admit to his feelings and do something about it.

This is another book where Eve irritated me. I had high hopes for her when she stood up for Sophia among her friends and helped her get the job with Ted. She was the one among all of them who actually got truly involved in trying to help Sophia. I loved the "intervention" that she and Alexa did. Then she turned around and put the moves on Ted. Her desperation to find a man really made her look pathetic and her subsequent bitchiness about Sophia was beneath her.

I was really disappointed in the attitudes and actions of the people of Whiskey Creek. I understood their anger at Sophia's husband. But the way they treated Sophia and Alexa was really not what I expected from them. The scene at her house was simply heartbreaking. I have had a real problem with the police chief in earlier books and this one was even worse. I loved seeing what Ted did at the end. show less