When Summer Comes by Brenda Novak

Title: When Summer Comes

Series: Whiskey Creek Books

Author: Brenda Novak

Genre: Contemporary

One day, Callie Vanetta receives devastating news. . .

She needs a liver transplant. But her doctors warn that, in her case, the chances of finding a compatible donor aren’t good.
Determined to spend whatever time she has left on her own terms, she keeps the diagnosis to herself and moves out to her late grandparents’ farm. She’s always wanted to live there. But the farm hasn’t been worked in years and she begins to fear it’s too much, she’ll have to return to town.

One night, a stranger comes knocking at her door…

He’s an attractive and mysterious drifter by the name of Levi McCloud who offers to trade work for a few nights’ shelter. Callie figures she doesn’t have anything to lose. He needs a place to stay until he can fix his motorcycle; she needs an extra pair of hands. The arrangement seems ideal until what was supposed to be temporary starts to look more and more permanent. Then she realizes she does have something to lose — her heart. And, although he doesn’t yet know it, Levi stands to lose even more.

This forth installment of the Whiskey Creek series by bestselling author Brenda Novak has you riding a roller coaster of emotions. As we get to know the close group of friends Gail, Callie, Cheyenne, Kyle, Noah, Ted, Baxter, Kyle, Eve and Riley through the first three books we felt how deep their friendship for each other was but nothing would prepare them for what would be the toughest battle that their dear friend Callie would be facing.

WHEN SUMMER COMES is Callie’s story and how she works through her feelings on the possibility that she may not survive the summer. She moves back to the family farm to be alone, to get it ready to sell and focus on her photography but mainly to keep from her family and close friends at arms length for she didn’t want their pity or their overwhelming need to comfort her. What she didn’t expect was a tall, dark and handsome stranger to land on her doorstep injured after being attacked by two pit bulls. Levi McCloud would make things a little more difficult but would make her will to survive a whole lot stronger.

Levi was fighting some demons of his own and he too wasn’t looking for comfort but rather an escape to help forget the tragedy that almost destroyed him. He closed off his heart because of a tragic loss and didn’t feel he could find that  deep of love again.

As the story unfolds the reader can feel the tension as the feelings Levi and Callie feel about each other builds up especially as they are faced with more repercussions from Levi’s being attacked.

Callie keeps her illness hidden from her family, friends and especially Levi. She didn’t want to see the pity in the eyes of those closest to her nor did she want them to treat her any differently.

Brenda Novak writes the story with such imagery that you are Callie and you are feeling what she is feeling. You are feeling what Levi is feeling. When her friends and family find out you feel what they are feeling.

As the strong emotions between Levi and Callie unfold it is with such passion that your heart breaks because you know that she has this secret.

I read this book in a day because I had to know if there was a “Happily Ever After”. I laughed but mostly I cried.This is definitely a must read but have a box of kleenex. This is Brenda Novak at her best as always.

I give this book a Grade A