FINAL DECISION: Mixed feelings on this one. I really loved the blue collar romance between Cheyenne and Dylan. I didn’t like almost everything else around the romance. The story of the sister’s drug addiction was over the top. The mystery woman story was only a mystery to Cheyenne so it wasn’t a mystery at all. The friend and other man story wasn’t convincing.

THE STORY: Cheyenne Christensen is struggling caring for her mother who is dying from cancer. Cheyenne also seems to have childhood memories about a caring woman who is not her mother. On top of this, her best friend has decided to ask out the man who Cheyenne has secretly been in love with for years. Determined not to interfere with her friend’s potential romance, Cheyenne finds herself in the company of Dylan Amos, the oldest of the troublemaking brothers. Even the possibility of the man of her dreams can’t seem to get Cheyenne’s mind off the bad boy.

OPINION: This book was made up of so many different plot lines that it felt disjointed to me. I wanted more of the Cheyenne and Dylan romance and less of the 50 other side stories. The first half of the book makes such a big deal of the Cheyenne/Dylan/Joe/Eve plot and then it just dropped.

I really liked the Cheyenne and Dylan romance. It was nice reading a blue collar couple for a change. I really liked how Cheyenne begins to see that Dylan is more than what he did in his past. While I thought the beginning of their romance was strange because it occurred so quickly and without any real connection between the characters, I quickly enjoyed their growing and complicated relationship.

I wanted to like this book more because I liked the romance, but I thought that the book lost focus and kept diverting from a good romance to cover a bunch of other stories that just weren’t that interesting to me.

WORTH MENTIONING: I don’t really like that the heroine keeps secrets from the hero even at the end of the book. It’s not a good start for their marriage.

CONNECTED BOOKS: WHEN SNOW FALLS is the second book in the Whiskey Creek series. Although there are characters from the town in each book, this book can be read as a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3 stars.

FINAL DECISION: An enjoyable novella. I really liked the connection between Olivia and Brandon although I was frustrated by the setup for the story. The execution of the story was well done despite the short length.

THE STORY: Olivia Arnold has returned to Whiskey Creek to plan and attend her sister’s wedding. Unfortunately, the wedding is to Olivia’s ex-boyfriend who ended up getting involved with and impregnating her sister which he wasn’t really her “ex”. Because she owns a wedding planning business, Olivia reluctantly gives in to her parent’s pleas to handle the wedding. While in Whiskey Creek, Olivia runs into her ex’s stepbrother, Brandon who offers her refuge from the family drama.

OPINION: This was an enjoyable novella. The setup is very dramatic and I was really angry at how poorly Olivia is treated by her family. Interestingly, Brandon is also second best in his blended family so the two have something in common. I did think that the dramatic situation with Olivia being forced to organize her sister’s wedding helped focus the story and thus made everything work better. By compressing and pumping up the drama, it allowed Olivia and Brandon’s relationship to work in the compressed time period.  Olivia and Brandon’s relationship was sweet and sexy and I was touched by how everything worked together.

WORTH MENTIONING: This novella introduces many of the characters who appear in the Whiskey Creek series.

CONNECTED BOOKS: WHEN WE TOUCH is the prequel novella to the Whiskey Creek series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3.5 stars.