Christmas in Silver Springs Review | Bookish Bliss and Beauty

Christmas in Silver Springs ( Silver Springs – Book 6) by Brenda Novak

MIRA Books – October 29, 2019

*Book Review copy provided by Harlequin Trade Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This weekend I’m celebrating the end of finals! I’ve just finished my last final and my third semester of graduate school. This, of course, means that I shall be spending the rest of the month getting into the holiday spirit and reading as many books as possible, which includes Brenda Novak’s Christmas in Silver Springs!

Harlequin Trade Publishing's Holiday Blog Tour for Winter 2020.

This fabulous folks at Harlequin reached out to me about their Holiday Blog Tour and while I didn’t have enough time to read all of the titles I knew I needed to read Novak’s holiday romance.

About the Book

CHRISTMAS IN SILVER SPRINGS
Author: Brenda Novak
ISBN: 9780778308256
Publication Date: October 29, 2019
Publisher: MIRA BOOKS

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

So much for forever. When Elle Devlin’s rockstar 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 packages when she crosses paths with Tobias Richardson.

The moment Tobias spots Elle, 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 Elle 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 divulge his ex-con status, let alone the shameful details. So when Elle’s ex shows up in Silver Springs and reveals the truth in a bid to win her back, Tobias is sure he’s lost her for good. But, just maybe, this Christmas he’ll receive the forgiveness—and the love—he deserves.

My Thoughts

I’ll admit I was a tad bit skeptical coming into this book. This is the sixth book in a series. I am still getting used to the idea of reading series out of order! With my background in reading fantasy this is a big no-no, however romance series really lend themselves to reading in any order and this is no exception thankfully!

Besides the series number, I was also a bit skeptical of reading a contemporary romance. While I’ve really delved into romances this year, I’ve rarely been able to get really invested in a contemporary storyline or characters. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this novel and now I need to read more of Novak’s work.

My favorite part of this book was how Novak really tapped into the idea of how love can be redemptive and make us our best selves. Within mere chapters I was rooting for the hero and heroine. I really appreciate when a romance author, or any author really, can get me fully invested in the characters early on. The book is definitely character driven, which I liked because I liked the characters. However, I could see this as a drawback for some readers.

Moreover, while Harper and Tobias might differ from myself and people I know, I felt like their struggles whether it’s recovering from a failed relationship or battling our own self-image, were really relatable. This book made me realize that I need my contemporary romance to be relatable and believable.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it helped to take my mind off the stress finals. If you’re looking for a quick read, with characters that feel read, and second-chance love you’ll love this holiday read! I will definitely be looking to more of Novak’s Silver Springs series!

Author Brend Novak. — Photo Credit: Micah Kandros Photography

Brenda Novak

Brenda Novak, a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author, has penned over sixty novels. She is a six-time nominee for the RITA Award and has won the National Reader’s Choice, the Bookseller’s Best, the Bookbuyer’s Best, and many other awards. She also runs Brenda Novak for the Cure, a charity to raise money for diabetes research (her youngest son has this disease). To date, she’s raised $2.5 million. For more about Brenda, please visit www.brendanovak.com.