Title: When Lightening Strikes
Series: Whiskey Creek bk 1
Author: Brenda Novak
Genre: Contemporary
Welcome to Whiskey Creek- Heart of the Gold Country! Simon O’Neal’s causing trouble again. And it’s up to Gail DeMarco to stop him. Gail DeMarco left Whiskey Creek, California, to make a name for herself in Los Angeles. Her PR firm has accumulated a roster of A-list clients, including the biggest box office hit of all- sexy and unpredictable Simon O’Neal. But Simon, who’s just been through a turbulent divorce, is so busy self-destructing he won’t listen to anything she says. She drops him from her list-and he retaliates by taking the rest of her clients with him. Desperate to save her company, Gail has to humble herself by making a deal with Simon. The one thing he wants is custody of his son, but that’s going to require a whole new image. He needs to marry some squeaky-clean girl who’ll drag him off to some small, obscure place like Whiskey Creek…. Gail’s the only one he can trust. She agrees to become his wife-reluctantly. But she isn’t reluctant because he’s too hard to like. It’s because he’s too hard not to love!
Brenda Novak is a hit and miss author for me. Some books of her’s I’ve loved and other’s were DNF’s for me. I read the prequel novel When We Touch and fell in love with the series.
Simon and Gail are the two least likely people you would ever think would get together and be happy. That is until you get to know them together and separately.
From the moment Simon showed up I loved him. There was just something about him that pulled at me. It was if he screamed love me please, and not because I’m a famous actor. And boy did I. I mean whats not to love about a guy who will do anything to get his son back and is being tortured by his crazy ex-wife. When he’s dragged to Whiskey Creek he’s sure he’s gonna hate it. What he never expected to discover was that it was exactly what he needed.
When Gail comes up with the plan to salvage her business and save Simon in the process she had no idea just how much he would change her life. Dragging him to her her home town she gets to know the real Simon, not Hollywood Simon. Along the way she discovers what really happened to make him suddenly have a personality shift and self destruct. The more she comes to know the real Simon the harder it is for her to keep her distance.
I have to say that I liked this story the connection between Simon and Gail was very real and heartwarming.
There was only one thing I didn’t like and I think it was more a personal thing and may not bother others. When I read a series I like the fact that I get to see the other people in the series throughout the books. In the prequel we’re introduced to one of Gail’s best friends Kyle and his story, and other than vague references to him and a divorce we don’t get anymore information. After the prequel this really bugged because, especially when Gail has a conversation with him about his upcoming marriage.
Other than this I liked the story.
Grade B+
