Eighth book in the Whiskey Creek Series. A book about second chances and trust. We get a chance to meet Phoenix for the first time since she's been released from prison and learn more about Riley, the father of her teenage son. While hearing about Phoenix in the previous stories, I wasn't sure if she would be as likeable as she was this story. Phoenix gets to meet her son for the first time since giving birth in prison and reacquainted with the town she grew up in. There is more than meets the eye with this story. This can be read as a stand alone. If you want to hear more about the "coffee group"of friends, pick up the rest of the Whiskey Creek
Enjoyable read. Great Author. Brenda Novak does great things with "small town" series.

**Complimentary book given to me for honest review. I also purchased it once it was available.**
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Second review: Just as nice the second time around!

I've been waiting a long time for Riley and Phoenix's story. I'm happy to say it was worth the wait. Phoenix was a wonderful character, well written as a woman who didn't let the massive adversity in her life make her bitter. She is just getting out of prison for a crime she didn't commit. Throughout the series we have met Riley but never Phoenix. So we thought all along that she was guilty. She was well written as a woman who would do anything to connect with the son she had while first in prison and had never met. Her son Jake was also stellar as a teenager with an open heart who was willing to meet his mother more than halfway. Riley was a little more problematic. He didn't come off too well in this book. He seemed weak or maybe just that he had been weak as a young man and had let others convince him to break up with Phoenix even though he loved her. He did fall in love again with her pretty rapidly and spend the book helping her, chasing her and protecting her from the disapproval of others. I guess for me, I would have liked a little something in his POV before she came home to see where his head was/had been all those years while she was in prison. I know it was covered later in the book but it would have been more believable as a current feeling that we could watch change rather than just his regretful thoughts later about how he should have done things differently. I think that others might think that Phoenix's continual bending over backwards to accomodate Jake and Riley might get old but I thought it was realistic. After all she had been in prison 17 years. That's a lot to overcome in a couple of months.

All in all I loved it. Now we should be getting Kyle's book. And that scares me because I think he is the last one and I am so not ready to say goodbye to Whiskey Creek! ( )

I honestly do not know how Brenda Novak manages it. Every story I read in the Whiskey Creek series surprises me. I love this series! Every story I read leaves me thinking this one was the best. Then the next book comes out and I find myself glued to the pages, loving it even more than the one before.
In This Heart Of Mine we get the story of Phoenix and Riley. It is emotionally charged with a brutal plot. Phoenix was 18 and pregnant when she went to prison for killing another girl. She claimed she was innocent but still spent 17 years behind bars. Now she is home and trying to form a relationship with her son, who was raised by his father. Small towns are brutal because everyone is connected in some way and everyone knows, (or thinks they do), everyone else's business. Whiskey Creek is no different in that respect. Riley, (the baby daddy), had dumped Phoenix, (not knowing about the baby), and asked out the daughter of his mother's best friend who, you guessed it, turns out to be the girl who is killed. Before you start saying that could never happen..recall it is a small town. Anyone who has spent time in a small town will tell you that the dating scenario is pretty good. Phoenix has such a tragic story. I found her character believable and my heart went out to her. The story has some twist and turns to it. I wasn't positive there would be an ending I would like to this one. Happily I loved the book.
This series amazes me. I love the feeling of friendship and coming home you get when you open the book. I can picture myself rereading the entire series in the future....some cold and snowy week, a fire going, comfy on the sofa with soups going in the crock pot and reading treats for each day. Oh yes, and cocoa...lots of hot cocoa and marshmallows. I think this is the first series, since I read Anne of Green Gables, where I look forward to it wrapping up just so I can visit it again and again. Totally different series but both call to you with down home friendships.

*Thank you to the author, Brenda Novak, for advancing me an electronic copy of This Heart of Mine for review purposes. All thoughts of the book were my honest feelings.* ( )

I received an ARC of this book for an honest review. An emotional story of pain, redemption and forgiveness. This Heart of Mine by: Brenda Novak will leave you rooting for the main characters to overcome all obstacles and find their way back to each other. Must read. ( )

I'm glad this was fiction. The poor h, what a messed up life. Way too much pain for my tastes. ( )