I do enjoy the Whiskey Creek series don't you? Like all romance series worth talking about, this has a Christmas offering. THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS by popular author Brenda Novak has a lot to live up to, given her usual standard.

Eve Harmon finds a new man in her bed after celebrating her thirty-fifth birthday. She wishes she could recall his name. Careful of her reputation in the small town where she runs her parents' B&B, she doesn't usually bring men home. So who is this attractive guy, and why doesn't she know him? With the holiday season approaching she'd been going to spend the time alone. She's actually been thinking of leaving and trying somewhere new. But her parents are retired, and could not cope.

Rex McCready dresses and leaves, refusing to give the pretty girl his name. Even in December he keeps moving, because anyone who comes close to him is in danger from unsavoury characters. Pity, because he is genuinely attracted to Eve, and the quiet life here would be restful. A long time ago when he was a troubled kid, he'd fallen in with a gang. He and a friend turned them over to the authorities, and went to jail themselves; now the gang members are after his blood. He runs a security business by phone. A lady called Scarlet has been getting stalked, and Rex makes a snap decision that she could come to Whiskey Creek for safety.

Matters quickly get complicated, with plenty of bedroom scenes as Eve makes up for lost time with a man who seems to be right for her - or is he? She doesn't even know his real name. To calm down matters we see her helping an old friend Ted to assemble material for a factual history book. Eve has another issue on her mind, and with ruthless people homing in on her new boyfriend, Christmas won't be the same festive occasion as usual.

I felt that this story was perhaps too complicated, and the history book sections seemed to be padding. Eve is representative of many young women who find themselves at a crossroads in life and have to make decisions. With all her friends getting paired off I can understand how a newcomer would strike her as a good partner but I wouldn't plan on a relationship with someone who treated me the way Rex treats her in the opening chapter. I've liked other Whiskey Creek men a lot better. Overall THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS is a step away from the ordinary in terms of holiday reading, and the tension mounts without a complete resolution, so Brenda Novak may have to keep us updated in the books still to come. As an adult romantic suspense, of course, it's an involving read.