Christmas in Silver Spring by Brenda Novak

Christmas in Silver Spring

Posted on December 17, 2019 by Nadene @ Totally Addicted to Reading in 2019 New Release Challenge, COYER Winter, Reviews / 7 Comments

Christmas in Silver Spring by Brenda Novak is the sixth book in the Silver Spring series. I did not read the previous books in the series; however, I had no issues jumping into this installment. However, it featured characters from the previous book. As this was not my first time reading the authorโ€™s work, I expected to have a good time with this story and she did not disappoint.

Tobias Richardson spent thirteen years of his life in prison. It has been five months since his release, and it will be his first Christmas as a free man. His time spent in prison was because of a horrible mistake he made when he was seventeen years old. Due to the seriousness of the incident, they tried him as an adult. Since his release, he has managed to get his life on track with the help of his family and friends. However, the guilt of his past weighs heavily on him, especially when he sees the victim of his actions regularly.

He grappled with loneliness, but avoided relationships, as he believed he was not worthy. Then one night he laid eyes on a beautiful and sad woman. Despite his attraction towards her, he knew he was not the right man for her. However, she appeared in need of a friend, and there was no law against friendship.

Harper Devlin is in the midst of a divorce after her husband of ten years decided that their marriage was no longer working. This was after she dedicated her life to help him achieve his goal of being a famous rock star. Now that he has the fame, money, and women, his wife and daughters have become a liability. As a result,ย Harper came to spend Christmas with her sister in Silver Springs and in the processย tried to come to grips with the changes in her life. Then she meets Tobias, a meeting that will forever change her life.

I found Christmas in Silver Spring to be an emotional read. I felt Tobiasโ€™s guilt and insecurities throughout the story. He kept blaming himself even when others did not. I loved how the author gave readers a glimpse into his struggles while in prison, which made his pain more realistic.

My heart broke for Harper. It could not have been easy for her watching the man whomย she dedicated her life to for ten years push her aside for fame, money and groupies.ย ย A man who did not care one iota about his family.

I was skeptical at first about Harper and Tobias forming a relationship. After all, she was going through a divorce and not in a good place for any relationship. However, their time spent together proved therapeutic for Harper, and as time went, they proved to be good for each other. She came to recognize that she deserved better.ย  Harperย knew nothing of Tobiasโ€™s past and he kept it secret out of fear. I was nervous the wholeย time knowing his secret would come to light and the impact it would have on his and Harperโ€™s relationship.

One of the things that made this story so emotional for me was healing and forgiveness Tobias received from persons whom his actions affected directly and indirectly thirteen years ago.

Conclusion/Recommendation.

Christmas in Silver Spring was great read and one I would recommend to persons looking for a Christmas romance with all the feels.

 

 

HOLIDAY BLOG TOUR Q&A

Is it more (or less) challenging to write your book with the holiday element?ย  If so, what are those challenges?

Brenda Novak: For me, itโ€™s more challenging. Themes of love conquering all and redemption appear in many of my books, which fit nicely at Christmas, so that partโ€™s easy. Trying to weave in the celebration while the characters work through their individual conflicts is what can be tricky. I compare it to a juggler who adds just one more ball. ๐Ÿ™‚

Do you lean more toward humorous or poignant when youโ€™re writing a holiday romance?

Brenda Novak: I definitely lean toward poignant. Iโ€™ve had a lot of my readers write me to say they teared up while reading CHRISTMAS IN SILVER SPRINGS. I think it might be a new reader favorite!

Whatโ€™s your favorite holiday cookie or dessert?

Brenda Novak: My motherโ€™s homemade cheesecake with sour cream topping is absolutely divine! (You even have to crush graham crackers to make your own crust.) Iโ€™ll never forget the first time I tasted it. I was only about ten years old, and itโ€™s been my favorite ever since.

Tell us about your favorite Holiday tradition.

Brenda Novak: I have five children. Each year I enjoy trying to figure out which book I will buy each oneโ€“and whether I can get an autographed copy (I get very excited when I can). They get to open their new book on Christmas Eve, which puts it separate from their other gifts. I hope none of them will see this, but Iโ€™m all set for this year, and they are all signed! I got George R.R. Martinโ€™s A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS, Malcolm Gladwellโ€™s TALKING TO STRANGERS, Mitch Albomโ€™s FINDING CHIKA, Lee Childโ€™s BLUE MOON and Louise Pennyโ€™s A BETTER MAN.

What Holiday treat is on your must-make, or must-eat, December to-do list?

Brenda Novak: Iโ€™m huge on hot chocolate, and I love mint hot chocolate best. I also love peppermint ice cream! A friend makes a delicious baked Alaska with hot fudge and peppermint ice cream, and itโ€™s amazing! These are all things on my must-have list!

Whatโ€™s the most memorable Holiday gift youโ€™ve ever received or given?

Brenda Novak: I just moved, so while I was sorting through boxes in the attic, I came across a box Iโ€™ve kept for most of my life. It contains a โ€œBaby, Alive!โ€ and some handmade clothes for the doll that my mother had someone sewโ€“a gift I received from Santa when I was only six or seven. The clothes are so well made, and they came in the cutest little suitcase, which I also still have. Thatโ€™s my most memorable Christmas, and I canโ€™t wait until my granddaughter is old enough to inherit my most beloved baby doll, which is still in near perfect shape, despite the many hours I played with her.

What are some of your favorite novels? What do you like the most when writing Christmas/Holiday-themed books?

Brenda Novak: Iโ€™m such an eclectic reader, and yet I donโ€™t read Christmas books. Iโ€™m not sure whyโ€“except that writing one seems to fulfill that need. As far as favorite books, I absolutely devoured WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING, THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ and THE NIGHTINGALE, so I would name them as a few of my recent favs.

What inspired you to start writing novels? What do you hope are some of the key takeaways from of your latest holiday novel?

Brenda Novak: I caught my daycare provider drugging my children with cough syrup and Tylenol while I was working as a loan officer more than twenty years ago and was so freaked out I quit my job to stay home with them myself. But I needed to figure out a way to make a living. I was searching for something I could do from home when my sister sent me Jude Devereuxโ€™s KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR, telling me I would love it. She was right. It also gave me the idea to become a novelist. I remember closing that book and thinking, โ€œI wonder if I could do this.โ€ I started the next day!

CHRISTMAS IN SILVER SPRINGS is a touching and poignant story about a man whoโ€™s recently been released from prison for a mistake he made just before he turned eighteen, so itโ€™s definitely a redemption story. I would hope that readers take away the fact that love and understanding can change lives.

When did you start writing Christmas/Holiday-themed stories? What was your inspiration for your latest holiday novel?

Brenda Novak: Iโ€™ve been doing them for a number of years now. My first was WHEN SNOW FALLS, which I think is still one of my best.

The inspiration for CHRISTMAS IN SILVER SPRINGS came from the book before itโ€“UNFORGETTABLE YOU. In that book, the hero had a brother in prison. I wanted to explore what Tobias might be like after the life heโ€™s lived so far. My fascination with Dan Reynolds and Imagine Dragons (Iโ€™m a huge fan!) supplied the rest of the inspiration, although the rock star in this book wasnโ€™t portrayed in the most positive light, I have nothing but respect for Dan Reynolds, so I had to twist a few things to make a good story.

 

 

CHAPTER ONE

Friday, December 6

Tobias Richardson couldnโ€™t help noticing the petite blonde sitting at the old-fashioned counter of the dinerโ€”and not just because she was pretty. He was sure heโ€™d never seen her before. With a population of seven thousand, Silver Springs wasnโ€™t small enough that heโ€™d recognize everybody, especially because heโ€™d only been living here for five months. The town seemed to have gotten a lot smaller since the weather turned, though. It didnโ€™t snow in this part of California, but it was the rainy season and the region was experiencing colder than normal temperatures. Tourists werenโ€™t interested in visiting when it was chill and damp, and the same went for the many residents of LA, ninety minutes to the southeast, who had vacation homes here. This month, and probably for the next two or three, he guessed Silver Springs would be limited to the locals.

He blew on his hands, trying to warm them while waiting for the coffee heโ€™d ordered when he first sat down. Heโ€™d managed to squeeze in a hike after work. He didnโ€™t care that it was dark and wet by the time he was on his way back. He had a

headlight to guide him to the trailhead and was willing to put up with the rain. But he was chilled to the bone. After such an arduous hike, he was starving, too, and craving a hot shower.

Again, he glanced toward the counter. He didnโ€™t want the woman to catch him staring, but something about herโ€”besides her looksโ€”drew his attention.

She didnโ€™t seem happyโ€ฆ

โ€œHere you go.โ€ Willow Sanhurst, the barely eighteen-year-old girl who worked evenings at the Eatery, stepped between him and the woman who intrigued him, smiled broadly and put his cup on the table with a flourish. โ€œWarming up yet?โ€

โ€œStarting to.โ€

โ€œI canโ€™t believe youโ€™ve been out hiking. Itโ€™s December!โ€

โ€œLittle bit of rain never hurt anybody.โ€

Heโ€™d traded out his muddy hiking books for a pair of clean shoes before coming into the restaurant. Other than that, he was only a little damp, so he wasnโ€™t sure why she was making such a big deal of it.

โ€œYou must really like the outdoors.โ€

โ€œI do,โ€ he said.

โ€œSo do I.โ€

He got the impression he was supposed to follow that up with an invitation to go hiking with him sometime, but he didnโ€™t.

Even though theyโ€™d already discussed his hike when heโ€™d sat down and sheโ€™d brought him water, and the diner was full of people waiting for a chance to order, she didnโ€™t move away as most waitresses would.

Before bringing the coffee to his lips, he looked up to see if there was something she needed.

As soon as their eyes met, she blushed a deep red, wiped her hands on her ruffled white apron and mumbled some remark about being careful not to burn himselfโ€”that the coffee was hotโ€”before hurrying away.

Damn it. She had a crush on him. Sheโ€™d clearly wanted to say something but hadnโ€™t been able to gather the nerve, and that made him distinctly uncomfortable. After being released from prison in July he was committed to making better choices, to building a productive life. He couldnโ€™t have some high school girl staring at him with the longing he saw shining in her eyes. If she started seriously pursuing him, he was afraid heโ€™d end up in a bad situation just because he was so damn lonely.

With a sigh, he took a tentative sip of his coffee. This was his favorite place to eatโ€”the comfort food and Norman Rockwell vibe reminded him of the wholesome existence heโ€™d always secretly admired. But heโ€™d have to quit coming here. He wouldnโ€™t allow himself to be tempted. His brother, Maddox, said over and over that his first year out of prison would be the hardest, and although Tobias acted as though he was doing fine, that he had his life under control, his journey was not as sure-footed as he let on. Sometimes, especially late at night, he felt as though heโ€™d been cast adrift on a vast ocean and might never find safe harbor. And that sense of being so small and insignificant made him crave the substances that had gotten him into trouble in the first place.

Willow kept looking over at him, obviously hoping to catch his eye. While he poured a dash of cream into his coffee, he considered canceling his meal. He could eat somewhere elseโ€”grab something to go and head home to shower. But just as he was about to slide out of the booth, his phone dinged with a text from Maddox, asking if heโ€™d like to come over for dinner.

Already ate. Enjoy your night. See you at work tomorrow, he wrote back.

He knew his brother worried about him, was trying to help him adjust to life outside prison and didnโ€™t want him to backslide and become like their mother. But Maddox had recently married the girl heโ€™d loved since high school. He deserved to be alone with Jada, his new wife, who was now pregnant, and Maya, their daughter. The last thing Tobias wanted to do was get in the way of their relationshipโ€”again. It was because of him they hadnโ€™t gotten together the first time around, and that had cost Maddox the first twelve years of Mayaโ€™s life.

As he slid his phone in his coat pocket, he saw that it was too late to cancel his food. Willow was once again coming toward him, this time carrying a plate.

โ€œYou texting your girlfriend?โ€ she asked, flirting with him as she put down his meat loaf and mashed potatoes.

He allowed himself another glance at the blonde sitting at the counter. Her meal had come, too, and yet she held her fork, turning it over and over in one hand, staring at her food without taking a bite.

โ€œDid you hear me?โ€ Willow asked.

Putting his napkin in his lap, he picked up his fork. โ€œIโ€™m sorry. Whatโ€™d you say?โ€

She looked over her shoulder in the direction heโ€™d been looking and lowered her voice. โ€œI see youโ€™ve noticed Harper.โ€

โ€œHarper?โ€ he repeated.

โ€œYeah, Harper Devlinโ€”Axel Devlinโ€™s wife. Sheโ€™s been in here before.โ€

โ€œWhoโ€™s Axel Devlin?โ€

โ€œAre you kidding me? Heโ€™s the lead singer of Pulse. Theyโ€™re, likeโ€ฆthe biggest band on the planet!โ€

Heโ€™d heard of Pulse, was familiar with their music and liked it. Heโ€™d also heard the name of the bandโ€™s lead singer many times. Heโ€™d just never dreamed Willow could be referring to that Axel Devlinโ€”although there was no good reason why she couldnโ€™t be. A lot of celebrities came to artsy, spiritually focused Silver Springs. Quite a few, especially movie people, retired here. And he often interacted with Hudson King, a professional football player, at New Horizons Boys Ranch, where he worked doing grounds and building maintenance. Hudson did a lot to help the troubled teens who attended the boarding schoolโ€”both the boysโ€™ side and the recently built girlsโ€™ school on the same property. Heโ€™d donated the money to buy an ice-skating rink both sides could use. โ€œDo they live in the area?โ€

โ€œNo. She and her two kids are staying with her sister for the holidays. I overheard her talking to the owner.โ€

โ€œShe looks a littleโ€ฆโ€ When he let his words trail off, Willow jumped in to finish the sentence.

โ€œDepressed?โ€

โ€œI was going to say โ€˜lost.โ€™โ€

โ€œProbably is. I watched an interview with Axel a few months ago. He said they were splitting up. Maybe thatโ€™s why.โ€

It was none of his business, but Tobias couldnโ€™t help asking, โ€œDid he give a reason?โ€

She seemed to like that theyโ€™d found something to talk about that wasnโ€™t so strained and awkward for her. โ€œBlamed it on the travel. He has to be gone too much. Yada, yada. What else is he going to say? That heโ€™s cheating with a different girl every night?โ€ she added with a laugh.

Tobias felt bad for Harper. It couldnโ€™t be easy to be married to a rock star. She wasnโ€™t that old, likely hadnโ€™t been prepared for that kind of life. If Tobias remembered correctly, Axel was from a small town in Idaho, and he and his band had become famous almost overnight. Now he was sitting on top of the world.

But where did that leave her?

โ€œYou said they have kids?โ€ he asked.

โ€œYeah. Two little girls. I donโ€™t remember their agesโ€”maybe eight and six? Something like that.โ€

So Harper had married Axel before heโ€™d become a big success, and theyโ€™d started a family. That indicated sheโ€™d married for love. โ€œWhere are the kids?โ€

โ€œWith her sister, I guess.โ€ Willow lowered her voice. โ€œIt would suck to be her, right? I mean, she has to see his name and his face everywhere, canโ€™t escape the constant reminder.โ€

Now that he wasnโ€™t paying as much attention to Willowโ€™s hopeful smiles and nervousness when she was around him, Tobias could see others in the restaurant nudging their companions and pointing to Harper. Apparently a lot of people knew who she wasโ€”or word was spreading fast.

Poor thing. He understood what it was like to be the talk of the town. Heโ€™d been only seventeen when heโ€™d been prosecuted as an adult and jailed for thirteen years. Returning to Silver Springs after his release this past summer had been like being put under a microscope. Suffering privately was one thing. Suffering publicly was something else entirely. That took what she was going through to a whole new level.

โ€œShouldnโ€™t be too hard for her to find someone else.โ€ He said it as though he wasnโ€™t particularly invested, but Harper had caught his eye, hadnโ€™t she?

โ€œAre you kidding me?โ€ Willow responded again. โ€œHow will anyone else ever compare?โ€

She had a point. It would be tough for a regular guy to match Axel, financially and otherwise. โ€œTrue.โ€

โ€œYouโ€™re not interested in her, are you?โ€ Willow looked slightly crestfallen.

Apparently he hadnโ€™t been as careful to hide his feelings as heโ€™d thought. But he was an ex-con, making a modest wage working for a correctional school. Heโ€™d never known his father, and his mother was a meth addict, constantly in and out of rehab. He knew when he was out of his league. โ€œNo.โ€

โ€œGood.โ€ A relieved smile curved her lips. โ€œBecause Iโ€™ve been watching you for a while andโ€ฆwellโ€ฆ I hope thereโ€™s someone else in this restaurant you might be interested in.โ€ She finished in a rush, couldnโ€™t quite look at him and then hurried awayโ€”only to return with a slip of paper that had her number on it when she brought the check.

Harper shoved her garlic mashed potatoes from one side of her plate to the other as she listened to the hum of voices in the diner. Although surrounded by people, sheโ€™d never felt so alone.

โ€œIโ€™ve got a number five,โ€ the cook barked out for the waitresses.

Harper checked the menu, which sheโ€™d left open at her elbow so sheโ€™d have something to look at. It was difficult to go out in public right now. After the documentary she did with Axel last year, trying to remove the stigma of depression and using a therapist when necessary, people often recognized her, so she had little privacy.

A number five was a chicken breast with lemon-dill sauce, steamed vegetables and a gluten-free corn muffin. Sheโ€™d ordered a number sevenโ€”peppercorn steak, garlic mashed potatoes and green beans, which had sounded good at first, but the only thing sheโ€™d been able to make herself eat was part of the dinner roll. She doubted it was gluten-free. Axel had made a big deal about staying away from gluten, but he was allergic to it, not her. And although she thought it was probably wise to avoid it, she didnโ€™t care about her diet right now. She didnโ€™t care about much of anything since her marriage had unraveled. Itโ€™d been all she could do just to hold herself together for the sake of her kids, and now Christmas would be here in only three weeks. It would be her and the girlsโ€™ first Christmas without Axel. He was touring Europe and wouldnโ€™t be back until after the first of the year, since his last big concert was scheduled for New Yearโ€™s Eve.

Now that everything had changed between them, they wouldnโ€™t have spent the holidays as they had in the past, anyway.

He mightโ€™ve asked to take the girls, however.

She could only imagine how lonely she would have felt with them gone, and yetโ€ฆshe sort of wished he had taken them. She didnโ€™t feel capable of holding up her end, of putting on a brave face and telling their children that everything was going to be okay when it felt as though the ground had given way beneath her feet. She had no interest in decorating, putting up a tree or buying presents, which was why her sister had insisted she come

for an extended visit, even if it meant having the girls transfer schools for a couple of months. Piper and Everly were at a church Christmas party tonight with their cousinsโ€”twin girls who were older than Everly by four years. But Harper needed to be ready to face them with a smile when they came home.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket, but she didnโ€™t bother to get it out. No doubt it was her sister. Theyโ€™d had an argument before Harper stormed out of the house. Karoline had grown angry when Harper told her how little she was getting for child support. According to her sister, she was letting Axel off far too easy.

He was making a fortune, but Harper didnโ€™t want to fight. She was still in love with him. As soon as heโ€™d made it clear that he didnโ€™t want to be married to her anymore, that he was no longer willing to try to work through their differences, sheโ€™d settled for the first figure his lawyer had thrown out. Otherwise, she was afraid the media would start to claim they were going through a โ€œbitterโ€ divorce. As sheโ€™d told Karoline, sheโ€™d make it on her own somehow, even though she hadnโ€™t worked in an official capacity since the first three years of her marriage, when Axel was trying so hard to get a start in show business and heโ€™d needed her to cover their basic living expenses.

Maybe she was a fool to be so accommodating. But she couldnโ€™t imagine Axel would consider keeping the family together if she turned into a bitch. Besides, she didnโ€™t even know who he was anymore, heโ€™d changed so much. She couldnโ€™t decide what she had a right to demand. Had she let Axel down? Or had he let her down? Heโ€™d always suffered from anxiety and depression. Maybe she hadnโ€™t done enough to help himโ€”

โ€œIs everything okay?โ€

She forced herself to look up. The waitress working the counter had paused in front of her, obviously wondering if there was something wrong with the food.

โ€œFine,โ€ Harper mumbled. She hadnโ€™t really come to eat. She just needed some time alone, couldnโ€™t face going back to her

sisterโ€™s quite yet. As nice as it was of Karoline to provide a refuge during this difficult month, being with her only sibling wasnโ€™t much easier than being alone, because now she had to constantly explain and justify her actions. And with her emotions zinging all over the place, she wasnโ€™t being consistent, couldnโ€™t be consistent. Most of the time, she wasnโ€™t even making a whole lot of sense.

Elvisโ€™s โ€œBlue Christmasโ€ came on the sound system as the waitress moved on to her other customers.

Harper took a sip of her coffee and braved a quick glance around. Although she liked this restaurant, she didnโ€™t feel she belonged in Silver Springs. Why wasnโ€™t she in Denver, where she and Axel had lived after their college days at Boise State?

Because as much as she and Axel had once believed that theyโ€™d be the exception to the rule, that nothing could come between them, theyโ€™d been wrong. Slowly but surely, Axel had lost all perspective and started caring more about his work than he did his family. Fame had destroyed their relationship like so many celebrities before them.

With a sigh, she took the bill the waitress had put near her plate and paid at the register. She owed her sister more respect than to make her worry. She had to go back and face Karoline whether she wanted to or not.

Harper hadnโ€™t put on makeup for weeks, hadnโ€™t done anything with her hair, either, other than to pile it in a messy bun on her head, so it didnโ€™t bother her that it was raining. She was cold, though; couldnโ€™t seem to get warm. Tightening her oversize coatโ€”a castoff of Axelโ€™s from the good old days when they were first marriedโ€”she pushed out of the warm cafรฉ into the bad weather.

Putting her head down, she stared at her feet, bracing against the gusts of wind that whipped at her hair and clothes while stepping over two or three puddles to reach the Range Rover

Axel had let her keep when they split. If she got desperate, she supposed she could sell it. It had cost a pretty penny.

She was opening the driverโ€™s door when she noticed a tall, lanky man with longish dark hair crossing the lot toward her.

โ€œDonโ€™t be frightened,โ€ he said, lifting one hand in a gesture intended to show he wasnโ€™t being aggressive. โ€œI justโ€ฆ I saw you inside andโ€ฆโ€

Prepared to rebuff him, she set her jaw. She was not in the mood to be hit on. But when she met his eyes, something about his expression told her that wasnโ€™t what this was about. Taking a long-stemmed white rose from inside his coat, he stepped forward to give it to her.

โ€œHang in there. Itโ€™ll get easier,โ€ he said. Then he walked off before she could even ask for his name.

About Brenda Novak

It was a shocking experience that jump-started Brenda Novakโ€™s bestselling author career. โ€œI caught my day-care provider drugging my children with cough syrup and Tylenol to get them to sleep while I was away,โ€ Brenda says. โ€œIt was then that I decided that I needed to do something from home.โ€ However, writing was the last profession she expected to undertake. In fact, Brenda swears she didnโ€™t have a creative bone in her body. In school, math and science were her best subjects, and when it came time to pick a major in college, she chose business. Abandoning her academic scholarship to Brigham Young University at the age of 20 in order to get married and start a family, Brenda dabbled in commercial real estate, then became a loan officer. โ€œWhen I first got the idea to become a novelist, it took me five years to teach myself the craft and finish my first book,โ€ Brenda admits. โ€œI learned how to write by reading what others have written. The best advice for any would-be author: read, read, readโ€ฆ.โ€ Brenda sold her first book, and the rest is history. Now a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, she continues to publish two or three novels a year, in a variety of genres. Brenda and her husband, Ted, live in Sacramento and are the proud parents of five childrenโ€”three girls and two boys. Now that they are empty-nesters, she spends her free time babysitting her two grandchildren. When sheโ€™s not with her family or writing, Brenda is usually raising money for diabetes research. To date, she’s raised almost $2.6 million. Her youngest son, Thad, has diabetes, and Brenda is determined to help him and others like him. She also enjoys traveling, watching sporting events and biking–she rides an amazing 20 miles every day!

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