When Summer Comes

Whiskey Creek #3

by Brenda Novak

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 she can’t manage it, that 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, and he 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.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Fiction, Adult, Ebooks

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 29, 2013

About the author

It was a shocking experience that jump-started Brenda Novak’s bestselling author career.

“I caught my day-care provider drugging my children with cough syrup and Tylenol to get them to sleep while I was away,” Brenda says. “It was then that I decided that I needed to do something from home.”

However, writing was the last profession she expected to undertake. In fact, Brenda swears she didn’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.

“When I first got the idea to become a novelist, it took me five years to teach myself the craft and finish my first book,” Brenda admits. “I learned how to write by reading what others have written. The best advice for any would-be author: read, read, read….”

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 children—three girls and two boys. Now that they are empty-nesters, she spends her free time babysitting her two grandchildren.

When she’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!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-...

Reviews

[Belinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,75 sterren -Nederlandse paperback🦋🦋🦋
Heerlijke start van het jaar. Ik lees altijd een paar boeken te gelijk. Hierbij zorg ik wel dat het heel verschillende boeken zijn zodat de verhaallijnen van elk boek niet door elkaar lopen. Met dit boek had ik het gevoel dat ik aan de rivier zat in het zonnetje. Een heerlijk gevoel als je verkouden bent en buiten is de temperatuur 2 graden is. Wat ik aan deze schrijfster waardeer is dat het een romantisch verhaal is met karakters die door het verleden een achtergrond hebben. De zware onderwerpen maken het niet onaangenaam om te lezen, juist integendeel. Het geeft meer diepgang aan het verhaal. Zo wordt hier mishandeling, uitzending naar oorlogsgebied, eerwraak en transplantatie verweven in het boek. Het is een deel van een serie maar kan los gelezen worden. 🌹🌹🌹

[Keri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now obviously since I read this book in one sitting, the book was compelling. But I got mad at both Callie and Levi. For Callie's part, withholding what was going on with her from her parents I thought was criminal. Then Levi blowing hot and cold with Callie, deserved a swift kick. I mean I can understand what he was going through, but blowing cold one night and then the very next night coming right back...didn't make sense. BN writes very gritty real world contemporaries, so that is where I find them compelling. She has set us up nicely with future couples that are already dealing with real world issues. I though even a gay couple, but after reading the synopsis for the next book, now I am not sure where Baxter is going to go from here.

[Linda (un)Conventional Bookworms · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review*

ARC received on November 30, 2012

I loved every word of Callie's story! So tender, and so heart-breaking in many ways. And the friendship between the characters is absolutely perfect!

This and other reviews can also be found on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews.

When Summer Comes is the third book in the Whiskey Creek series, and it is just as sweet, romantic and filled with friendship and ‘real’ people as the prior books in the series.

Cally is a character who stayed pretty much in the background in the other Whiskey Creek books (When We Touch, When Lightning Strikes and When Snow Falls), but she really deserved her own book and her own romance! Her situation is extremely complicated, though, because she doesn’t want anyone to know that she is sick. When she takes time off from her photo studio, everybody thinks it’s because she wants to get her grand-parents’ farmhouse ready for sale. They realize she isn’t around as often as she used to, of course, but they all make up their own reasons as to why that is.

[Els · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely story.

[Lisa - (Aussie Girl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An emotional book that is also very satisfying. Both Callie and Levi are characters that seem very real. Callie is coping with the diagnosis of liver disease and the fact that unless she gets a transplant she will likely die by the end of the summer. She doesn't tell her family or her friends about any of this because she doesn't want to deal with the emotional fallout. Having turned most of her photography business over to her assistant she moves to her grandparents' farm where she is supposedly getting it ready to sell. One night she's awakened by someone pounding on her door. Levi has been drifting since his return from Afghanistan and was attacked by a couple dogs near Callie's house. She takes him in and offers him a place to stay in exchange for his help. She doesn't expect him to be there for long, but is determined to enjoy his company while he's there.

I really understood Callie's decision not to tell anyone about her illness. She knew that people would treat her differently and she didn't want that. But in her efforts to keep her secret she also pushed away the very people who could provide her with the emotional support she needs. She's wary of Levi when she first meets him but soon recognizes a fellow wounded soul. Levi's attentions to her make her feel normal, but he's determined to keep his distance. She doesn't really pester him for details but she's there to listen when he wants to talk. She's pretty much resigned herself to her fate, but as she and Levi get closer she'd love to have a chance at a future with him. She still refuses to tell him about her secret because she expects he'll be leaving soon. She wants him to have good memories of her and not feel like he has to stay until the end. I liked the realistic portrayal of the challenges she is facing with her disease, but also that she was able to laugh and love. There were some wonderfully tender moments between her and Levi that made me ache for what might not happen. I loved the fact that despite her own troubles Callie is always interested in her friends' lives and wants to help them with their problems.

Levi has plenty of demons of his own. Trained as a fighter by his father, he escaped that life by joining the army. During his last deployment he fell in love with an Afghani woman who was killed by her family when they discovered she was pregnant with his child. Levi is consumed by his guilt over her death. He has been traveling around the country doing odd jobs to survive. He is also using an assumed name because he got into trouble with a couple cops and is trying to avoid arrest. When he's attacked by a couple dogs near Callie's home he ends up there looking for help. Despite how scary he can be, Levi is at heart a kind and honorable man. He accepts Callie's offer of help because he sees that she needs him too. He's also attracted to her, but his guilty feelings won't let him pursue the attraction. It becomes a real battle for him and one that he soon loses. His growing closeness to her starts to heal his heart but he also senses that there is something very wrong that she is hiding. When he discovers what it is he is devastated and runs, but soon has to decide whether to pursue what he really wants. He also has to face his past before he can look at a future.

I love the small town feeling and the closeness among Callie and her friends. It's not a perfect relationship among them as there are various issues between characters that are very realistic. I liked the fact that they noticed something was up with Callie, but I have to say that there were some things that bugged me. Once again the group of friends gets rather judgmental. Some of them make comments about Levi without ever having met him. I also got irritated with Eve's determination to bust in on Callie and demand to know what's going on. I kind of hope that when it comes time for her book she gets a taste of her own medicine. I did like the support they gave Callie once they knew the truth of what was going on. Another character that irritated me was the police chief. I really didn't like his attitude toward Levi and thought that he was going too far in threatening him.

I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the Whiskey Creek books.

[S a n d r a · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tengo sentimientos encontrados con esta entrega. Por un lado mantiene la frescura y dulzura de las anteriores, pero por otro la química entre Levi (adoro su nombre) y Calli me ha parecido del todo insuficiente... Por otro lado, la historia de Callie ha aportado un interés extra a la historia que, a mi parecer, es lo que ha mantenido la historia emocionante a lo largo de todo el libro.

[Seyma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Callie'nin ne de olsa gidiciyim (spoiler değil) diyerek tanımadığı bir adam için yaptıklarını pek onaylamasam da ikisi de çok tatlıydı oraya takılmayacağım. Bir de serinin üçüncü kitabına geldim ama beni gıcık eden bir şey var yazar neden şöyle güzel bir son yazmıyor? Hepsinde bir yarım kalmışlık hissediyorum :(

[Lily (Night Owl Book Cafe) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book from Harlequin through Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

Solid 3.5 Stars!

The story takes places in Whiskey Creek – the Heart of Gold Country, and is the third installment in the Whiskey Creek series. I didn't have to read the other two books to be able to keep up with it, but I am interested in revisiting the other two due to the fact that a lot of the characters have been mentioned in this book that I am curious about.

Callie Vanetta receives very devastation news when her doctor informs her that she has a failing liver and needs a transplant. Unfortunately in Callie's cases, the chances aren't that great and she would be lucky enough to survive the entire summer. But then Levi McCloud comes knocking on her door in the middle of the night in need of help, and her world just becomes that much more complicated.

I decided to split this review in what I liked and didn't like to express my feelings about it.

What I liked:

I liked that it was a small town romance and you can definitely get the small town feel from it. Callie is only one of the characters from this big group of friends, all of whom have their own little issues and we get a glimpse of that here and there in this book. There are a couple of them that I am very curious about, Sophia for example, that I am looking forward to seeing their happy ending. Callie also temporary lived on a farm that she was helping her parents fix up so she can sell it, but it was also her getaway as no one, not even her parents knew that she was dying from sarcoma of the liver.
Levi, he was just as damaged as Callie and came with his own issues. At the beginning of the book he is attacked by dogs, and gets these nasty bites on his arms that Callie ends up calling a doctor for to take care of them. Levi is also on the run from the law because of what his hot temper did back home after he came back from the war and lost someone special. Levi's story was touching and sad, and I couldn't help but feel bad for him. So it made it much more realistic when he couldn't jump into bed with Callie when she wanted him.
I liked the feel good slow romance. There was a lot that was going on in the book, but the romance wasn't rushed. If anything, I found it lacking attraction. A little ironic that Callie just happens to be dying and Levi had lost the last woman he was in love with. Both are just trying to put themselves back together and are somewhat decent companions through the book.

What I didn't like:

The fact that Callie had a hard time telling people around her that she was dying, especially since her doctor told her that she might have the summer left. If someone I loved was dying, I would want to know as soon as I can so I can at least spend the remaining time with them that I have left. She didn't tell her parents until later when she got even sicker and her time was cut, and she only told one of her friends – which became a big burden to carry. After Levi shared his past with her, Callie wouldn't even tell him about her condition. Which in turn made it worse... I understand not wanting a lot of sympathy or people fretting over her, but really...every second was precious.
The whole dog incident was a lot. Callie kept pushing for both of the dogs to be put down. Both of who were pit bulls. Now I grew up in NYC were some of my neighbors with questionable and bad life styles had pit bulls that they had raised wrong, so it made me reflect back to those days. I can understand the danger of having lose pit bulls and how it would have been even worse if it was a child they attacked. I was scared to go home because they would let the dogs loose in this fence right outside my apartment building and when you walked by it to go inside, the dog would chase you around on the inside of the fence, snarling, snapping and barking at you with their owners no where to be seen. If the dog got out, he would most definitely cause a lot of damage so a lot of people would scream at the owners of the dog – and they would just curse you out and turn their backs all over again. So I didn't even want to think about if I was in Callie's situation, would I also push for these dogs to be put down in hopes that they would never harm anyone else again.
The ending was predictable and left me angry with everyone. The sheriff of the town was annoying and the way he was treating Levi was uncalled for. I was angry with Callie for not telling Levi. I was angry at Levi for what he had done. And who burned down the barn I think went a little unanswered...or maybe I missed something?
The way Callie and Levi were acting toward each other at the beginning I didn't see any attraction or sparks until later on when they started sleeping together did their romance blossom as something sweet.

Overall, I did enjoy the book. The storyline was still interesting and left me with a lot of complicated feelings, which I guess is a good job for a book that accomplishes that. I am looking forward to finding out what happens to the rest of her friends and their little sideline stories as well as seeing how Callie and Levi had fared :)

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Summer Comes by Brenda Novak

This was a wonderful and gloriously romantic book and one that I would have expected to have me to be in tears for most of it due to the subject matter. However, Ms Novaks has a way of taking what could/should be heart wrenching and blending it in with her characters to create the perfect recipe of tears and laughter. In this latest of the Whiskey Creek novels, we meet Callie Vanetta. She is the glorious bombshell blond who owns the photography store downtown. She is blond, blue eyed and stacked. She is also dying from a rare liver disease and if she does not receive a transplant, she will die in a few weeks.
One night her dogs barking, growls and a knocking at her door awaken her. After a lot of back and forth Callie decides to help Levi McCloud who has attacked and badly been bitten badly by dogs. He is a vagrant, a drifter with a difficult past. Levi trades his labor for Callie’s help and shelter. Levi is not telling Callie the entire truth about himself, but then – but then, neither is Callie.


Determined to go through the possible end of her life with the least amount of fuss for her friends she tries to do it all by herself. Somehow, that plan seems to get screwed up when Callie finds herself caring more than she most likely should, about Levi.
Ain’t love grand?!?

----------------------SPOILER<------------------------------

And yes even though Ms Novak makes us wait until the last very second, we DO get a ‘happily ever after’ no matter what it feels like when you are reading this book. I couldn’t believe that I was at more than 90 something percent and things still hadn’t been resolved the whole way.

[Yvonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
I liked this book and read it in one sitting. Levi and Callie were great, I really enjoyed it when they were both on the page together. What didn't work for me were all of the heroine's meddling friends, namely Kyle and Eve. I felt like too much time was spent dealing with the all the friends and their reaction to the H/h.
I still had fun reading and will pick up the next in the series.

[Ⓐlleskelle - That ranting lady ッ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4 STARS⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Gmc · Rating 3 out of 5]

B- (B minus)

The following review is full of spoilers so I don't suggest reading any further if you don't want to spoil your fun reading the book.

I had read the previous books in the series and I was really excited about this one - I really wanted to like it. An I didn't hate it, but I guess it fell a little flat for me.
The blurb sounded great so based on that premise I thought I would really like this; but while I didn't hate it, there were several sticking points that stopped me from really enjoying the book.
For example when Levi finds out about her condition his reaction was kind of disappointing. He blasts out of town without even saying goodbye. I mean I understand making peace with his father and all, but maybe while she was on her deathbed wasn't exactly the best time for it.
Two weeks is not a lot of time to take to get your head straight but when every second counts and the love of your life is DYING I would think he would hurry up and get back sooner.
Also there were these interludes in the plot - probably to whet the readers appetite for the next book in the series. Now I understand that the author felt she needed to do that to tie them in with the series, but somehow they felt disruptive and irrelevant to the current book. Personally I just fast forwarded a little there...
About the liver thing. I know it's tricky and risky, but the liver is regenerable. So with a slew of healthy, young friends and a lover to boot, NONE of them thought to get tested to see if donating half of theirs could be the answer... I thought that was kind of strange. I mean, not when she had months to go, but when she was literally on her deathbed, and that liver came in the nick of time... Yeah, I thought at least one of that trusty group of sidekicks would consider it before the transplant became available in the nick of time, no? (I googled this one to be sure: liver transplants come in three categories: one dead to one living, one dead split to two living and half of a living donor liver to one recipient. Not without risks but doable.)
To top it off the legal side of things is unrealistic in my admittedly inexpert opinion. He has no ID, no registration, and he does't get booked and processed ONCE, not for vagrancy but for well, having no way to prove who he is. The dogs get impounded but there is no investigation of the alleged site of the attack. The two prospectors - let's call them Dumb and Dumber with a pit bull twist - they don't get investigated at all. But one day they just go poof. The typical stereotype of a small town sheriff just threatens them and they're gone, just like that. Do not pass go do not collect 200$. The way those two were profiled I would have thought they wouldn't be that easy to get rid of.
The loveable, damaged, needy but standoffish ex-military badass on a motorcycle with a shady past and a pending conviction, now where have I read that one before, let me see... Ah yes! I have it! Beautiful DIsaster (Beautiful Disaster by Laura Spinella -not Jamie McGuire - highly recommended and very well written in my opinion). Only in that one, not only is his record worse but he's the one with the medical crisis (in a coma). For me this felt like a bad ripoff of Beautiful Disaster with a twist.
All in all it felt formulaic to me. I mean the story line wasn't bad but the execution was poor.
That being said, the writing was good, the book flowed, but since the other books were also quite well written that's not surprise.

[Océano de libros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Callie Vanetta no pasa por su mejor momento, está esperando un transplante de hígado, quizás ese sea su último verano en la granja. Su vida mejorará cuando aparezca en la granja Levi McCloud, un motorista de paso que trabajará para ella por un tiempo, quizás este sea el momento en el que Callie disfrute de sus últimos días.
Primer libro de Brenda Novak que leo y que me ha gustado, no es nada para echar cohetes, pero es bastante aceptable. También debo reconocer que tiene un estilo narrativo que me gusta más que nada por la sencillez y porque incorpora no solo la historia de los personajes principales sino otras muchas más de otros personajes (bastantes) que le dan mucho más sentido, lo hacen más interesante. La historia de Callie es bastante dura y la autora nos mete de lleno en ese momento por el que pasa la protagonista, no deja ningún detalle, nos explica muy bien la enfermedad y su proceso.
La gran cantidad de personajes tiene su explicación y gracias al bendito Goodreads descubrí que éste es el tercero de los libros de la serie Whiskey Creek, pues yo pensaba que era un único tomo. Así me hacía un lío con tal cantidad de personajes y tramas que quedan por descubrir porque por lo visto son diez o más libros.
Los personajes son bastante interesantes y reales, por ejemplo Callie es una joven optimista y fuerte y esas cualidades son importantes en su situación. Me impresionó esa panda de amigos tan unida (bueno, no todos) que están en lo bueno y en lo malo.
Levi también es un personaje interesante y lo iremos conociendo muy poquito a poco y más que nada es atractivo por ese secreto que tiene. La relación entre Levi y Callie me pasó un poco desapercibida quizás le faltó un punto de intensidad, casi que el final fue bastante rápido con respecto a todo el desarrollo anterior. Creo que este fue el punto que le resto porque no supo crear esa emoción que se suponía todo se desarrolló con bastante facilidad.
En conclusión, yo diría que este libro es entrañable, creo que es el calificativo que mejor le va.

[♡PıNaR DeğiRmeNci ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ve üçüncü kitapta bitti
Kitapla ilgili düşüncelerim belirsiz bende ikinci kitabın etkisini vermedi ikinci kitap gerçekten çok hoştu bana göre burada duyguyu göremedim ben yani o sıcacık sevgiyi
Ama bazı yerlerinden etkilendim özelikle arkadaşlar ile konuşma yerinden sonrası ise akıcıydi ama bana göre eksikti son yüz sayfa iyiydi
Birde anlamadigim her kitapta mutlaka bir aynı cins hoşlanma durumu var sanki bilerek yapılıyor gibi geldi bana Hayır ters düşünme konusu değilde bilerek öylece ekleniyor gibi bu ara okuduğum çoğu kitapta öyleydi
Neyse kitap hostu ama favorim ikinci kitap

[Jacqueline J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice read about a woman dying of liver disease and an ex-military drifter whom she hires to help her around her farm. This was well written and moved right along. The heroine's diseased was obviously well researched. The hero had emotional issues and some interesting angsty stuff going on in his past.

[Katherine 黄爱芬 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Callie sedang sekarat krn penyakit hati (lever) yg akut dgn perkiraan masa hidupnya paling lama 2 minggu. Datanglah Levi McCloud, orang asing yg terluka krn digigit anjing ganas. Awalnya Callie curiga Levi adalah buronan krn menghindar terus dr petugas berwajib. Dan kecurigaan tsb terbukti belakangan, tetapi sesudah Levi memukau Callie dgn perbuatan baiknya.

Andaikan ceritanya gak berputar-putar cuma seputar Callie yg sedang nestapa akan berumur pendek, dan jika Levi gak konyol dgn tidak bisa melupakan mantan kekasihnya di Afghanistan yg sudah meninggal, mungkin novel ini jauh lebih bisa dinikmati. Loyalitas Levi ini sebenarnya gak salah, yg salah cuma diucapkan pd waktu yg salah yaitu saat mereka mau bercinta pertama kali. Kalau saya jadi Callie, saya sarankan Levi utk introspeksi dulu aja dah, kalau blm bisa move on ya gak usah buru-buru meloncat ke tempat tidur wanita lain.

Yang saya suka dari novel ini adalah persahabatan lintas jenis antara Callie dan Baxter yg pria gay. Baxter ini mengingatkan saya pd Betrand Onsu pd saat Julia Perez sedang sakit keras. Baxter sangat setia menemani Callie, duh baper pengen punya teman sejati spt ini.

Oya, saya juga kurang suka Callie menyimpan rahasianya ini, bukan berarti penyakitnya hrs diproklamirkan juga sih. Tapi gara-gara dia menyimpan rapat-rapat rahasia itu malah bikin heboh juga diantara teman-temannya. Menurut saya lebih baik diberitahukan pd teman-temannya tsb tetapi minta dgn sangat mereka utk tidak disiarkan kemana-mana. Ini sih cuma saran!!!

Walau menurut saya novel ini rada dipaksakan juga spy HEA, yasudahlah.... novel ini juga termasuk panjang dan bertele-tele. Novel author kebanyakan not my cup of tea tetapi bisa diambil pelajarannya bhw teman-teman/masyarakat bisa sangat judgmental terutama di kota kecil spt Whiskey Creek ini.

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,25 sterren Nederlandse paperback

Een vlot boek waarin het dilemma wie je wel - of niet - kan vertrouwen aan de kaak wordt gesteld, dit ondanks de gevoelens van liefde. Een verhaal waaruit blijkt dat geheimen een wankele basis zijn voor een relatie. Een relatie die moet berusten op vertrouwen. Mede door de onverwachte wendingen in het plot is dit weer een mooi verhaal geworden. Hier en daar zelfs zo spannend dat je blijft doorlezen.

[Ana Martínez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este tercer libro me ha durado un día. Aunque los libros que tienen como protagonistas a personas enfermas no me atraen especialmente, la vida de Callie y su relación con Levi, te atrapa y no puedes parar de leer hasta conocer el final

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Summer Comes by Brenda Novak
5 STARS
when Summer Comes is a Whiskey Creek book. It took me longer to read this book because I got so emotional and had to wipe the tears.
Thier are few in my family & friends who are dealing with kidney transplant, so it hit close. Plus I like the characters in Whiskey Creek.I look forward to coming back and visiting them again.
Callie Vanetta heard her door knock loudly in the middle of the night. She lives alone at a family farm. The voice on the porch demanded help and asked if a man was thier to help him. He needed a first aid kit.
Callie knew it was a stranger than because pretty much the whole town knows she is staying thier to fix up the place to sell it.
Callie dialed 911 and told them someone was banging on her door saying he needed help.
She told the man that she had called the cops. The stranger had said why did you call them it will only make things worse. He took off.
The cops did not find him and the blood trail ended. After they left Callie went back to bed. She is really sick and if she does not get a liver transplant by end of summer she will die. Callie is hiding it from everyone.
Callie wakes up to noise in her bathroom. Levi McCloud is in her bathroom trying to find first aid kit. He fell in the bathtub. Levi has bite marks all over him and has lost a lot of blood. He won't go to emergency room and makes her promise to not call the cops again.
So Callie calls her neighbor a retired vet. They both fix him up. Levi has been back from war for two years traveling around the country on his motorcycle. He broke down up the road from Callie and while pushing his motorcycle was attacked by two dogs and he fought them off. All he owns is his bike and backpack.
Callie makes him a deal he can stay in the room in the barn and help fix it and paint it and she will toss in food and money to fix the bike.
Because Callie is facing death she is acting different. She is not to worried about him hurting her. Since noone knows about her illness they want her to be careful and get rid of him.
Thier were so many places that got my tears flowing. This book made me feel so much.
Thier is so much drama in the book besides what Callie is facing. Her friends have different problems, Levi has lots of issues, someone tries to kill Levi. I only put the book down to wipe my eyes. Thier is one love scene.
I was given this ebook to read in exchange for honest review from Netgalley
01/29/2013 PUB Harlequin Imprint Harlequin Mira 400 pages ISBN-13: 978-0778314233

[Jonetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the things that I love so dearly about this series is the messiness of the characters’ situations. A conflict may begin fairly simply but then wind its way naturally through all the various threads of a character’s relationships. And, they’re pretty appealing. This story is no exception. We’ve seen Callie Vanetta show up in previous stories but always on the sidelines, in the background or as a pretty quiet member of the Friday morning group that meets at Black Gold, the town’s coffee shop. Her story begins with the devastating news of her need for a liver transplant. Callie’s life span won’t go beyond the end of the summer without one and she’s determined to keep her condition a secret as long as she can to avoid being pitied. When drifter Levi McCloud shows up on her front porch in the middle of the night, severely injured, he alters the course of Callie’s life from that point on.

Levi is obviously keeping secrets so he and Callie share that between them. Her friends, particularly Kyle Houseman, who she’s had a “friends with benefits” relationship with recently, are completely in the dark about her illness. They don’t understand why she’s drawn to him, sexiness and all, and why she’s now keeping them at arm’s length. Callie has never been in a relationship where she’s been in love or been loved so Levi represents her last opportunity as she’s facing her mortality. It’s not the only reason she’s drawn to him but it’s a factor. She hires him and of course he lives with her on the farm, helping to prepare it for sale and protect her from some menacing tenants living on a neighboring property. Levi wants to keep his distance and resist his growing feelings for Callie but it’s a lost cause. Both of them find new life in each other in addition to love. It’s a compelling story of two people trying to find a way to keep living under extraordinary circumstances. You’ll need some tissues so be prepared.

Quite a few of the secondary characters appear in the story and several have subplots that are just as complicated and emotionally charged as Callie’s. They’re left unresolved, a perfect set up for the next few books. That’s great news as this series is too good to even think about establishing an end date.

I loved Callie and Levi’s story and cannot wait for the next book as each seems to just get better.

(I received an ARC from NetGalley)

[Lisa Filipe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Whiskey Creek series is becoming one of my absolute favorites. Each book is just as good as the last. Novak brings endearing relationships between life-long friends, power-packed emotion between lovers and chemistry that sparks off the pages. She has done something really special here!

I remember doing something so mundane the other day, maybe folding laundry, and it hit me, Brenda Novak is my New Nora Roberts. Not that Nora isn't still rocking the romance genre, it's just that Brenda is so diverse in her writing with going from Romance Suspense to Contemporary and now Historical, but especially with the Whiskey Creek Series, I feel like she has taken her writing to a whole new level. I don't know what it is, all I know is that I want her to keep doing it, cause I am in LOVE with this series. *Footnote: Sorry Levi McCloud, yes, you are very hot and have the whole Renegade thing going for you, but my heart still belongs to Dylan Amos...*swoon*

When Summer Comes, is the third book in the Whiskey Creek Series, and if you have not read the last two, When Lightening Strikes and When Snow Falls, plus the novella which introduced the series, When We Touch, well what can I say...You are SOOOO MISSING OUT! When Summer Comes joins the rest of the series on A Tasty Reads Keeper Shelf, they just steal my heart and never let go. The group of friends we meet throughout the series become your best friends, almost as if you're right there in the coffee shop with them on Friday, sitting at the corner table, chatting about life. You almost become a part of them.

Which is why, when you meet Callie, and you start to understand what is going on with her disease, you feel helpless, and as she and Levi begin to fall for each other, oh boy, you just know it's gonna hurt to get through the rest of the book. I absolutely fell in love with Callie and Levi, the hidden secrets, the pain they both tried to hide and the solitude they found in each others arms...blows you away!!

You don't HAVE TO read the complete series, but I highly recommend it. Getting to know this group of friends has been so much fun and I can't wait to see what will happen next!!

[Cherise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Callie has a liver disease. She is deteriorating fast and if she doesn’t get a donor liver soon she will be dead. She hasn’t told anyone what is ailing her. She hasn’t told her friends, or even her parents. She wants to enjoy her last days; she doesn’t want to be surrounded by sadness or pity. So she moves into her grandparents’ farm where she spent so many happy days and begins her slow goodbye.

Levi shows up on Callie’s doorstep battered and bloodied. He has his own demons and secrets so the last thing he expects is to be taken in and trusted by this sweet woman. They create a tentative friendship and soon find themselves fighting their attraction to one another.

I fell in love with this story from page one. Callie and Levi are characters you instantly bond with and want the best for. I started this book yesterday morning and found it impossible to put down… I just didn’t want to leave Whiskey Creek and I needed to know what was happening next. The characters rang true, their struggles were heartbreaking and their approach to life and how to deal with things only made them more real.

To say that this story is emotional is an understatement. I cried about a zillion times while reading this book. Sometimes I was crying because things were sad, but a lot of the times I found myself crying because I was just that moved or touched by Levi, Cassie and her pals. It really is a beautiful story. This is one of those books you love so much you want everyone to read, but at the same time you don’t want to share your copy. You want your copy to remain safely on your bookshelf where you know you can grab it and reread it at anytime.

This is my favorite book in the Whiskey Creek series, so far. I can’t wait for the next one!

Cherise Everhard, January 2013
Book provided by and reviewed for the Amazon Vine Program

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Holy moly there are a lot of characters in these books...barely enough room to tell the story of the main characters.

This is the third in this series. I liked the first one so I have kept reading, but I think my interest in these people is limited.

So this is Callie and Levi's story. Callie is part of a group of friends from a small town that all still hang out together, and that's cool. I still have ties to my high school friends.

Callie is sick, maybe dying, and doesn't confide in any of these people...really?! Levi is a drifter who shows up on her porch in the middle of the night dripping blood...and that isn't crazy scary?!

And then there is the thread of Baxter being in love with Noah but Noah is straight and doesn't realize his best friend is gay and crushing on him (this is talked about in all the books, but more so here). And then I think Ted hates Sophia, but she is getting knocked around by her husband and hiding out at home, but no one really like her so they don't care so much that she isn't around. There is also the writer friend and the friend who is raising his son whose mom ran over and killed her rival when they were teens. And the angry guy that married the girl he didn't like because he cheated on his then girlfriend, got the other girl knocked up, did the right thing, but the knocked up girl had an abortion and then spurned girlfriend married the other guys step brother. I think...it's very convoluted, and I'm pretty sure a character name changed in there somewhere due to poor editing. It's more difficult keeping these people straight then it was reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy. But I already have book for waiting, so I will forge on...

[sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mi fe en Brenda Novak se ha restaurado.



Algo me decía que la historia de Callie y Levi me iba a encantar y no ha sido menos de lo que esperaba. Tanto ella como él me han atrapado, desde la página uno me tenían metida de lleno en la historia. Si es cierto que a veces me exasperaba Levi, pero bueno, una vez que conseguimos la historia entera (y no solo cachitos de información, que en vez de aclararme me confundían aún más) es más comprensible todo. Callie me ha parecido una protagonista fantástica y excepcional: su bondad, su generosidad, su gratitud por vivir cada día, la admiración por las pequeñas cosas de la vida, su fuerza... No sé, como que la he llegado a admirar.

Por otro lado, tenemos a los amigos de Callie. En Cuando llegue el verano he llegado a apreciar la amistad que tienen (no como en Placeres robados ughhh), sobre todo el personaje de Baxter me ha encantado muchísimo: la lealtad que tiene hacia Callie es admirable. Kyle al principio me resultaba insoportable y un celoso de niveles estratoféricos, y todo porque se había acostado un par de veces con Callie. Menos mal que al final llega a un acuerdo con sí mismo sobre la relación que tiene con ella. Y gracias a Dios que Eve no sale mucho

Y el final ha sido precioso *-* Así que definitivamente, Cuando llegue el verano se lleva directamente las 5 estrellas. Y el siguiente libro es sobre Noah ¡qué ganitas! pero que pena me va a dar por el pobre Baxter... jo.

[Paula Legate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an emotional book. I loved the cast of characters, the story line, it was just an excellent book. Callie found out she needed a liver transplant or she would die. Being faced with death made her see things differently than she did before. I loved her compassion, and her huge heart. She did have a hard time finding a way to tell her friends, and family what was going on. There is no easy way to say, hey by the way I'm dying.

Callie got woke up by someone pounding on her door. Levi had been attacked by dogs, and needed help. After he got back from Afghanistan he felt lost. He got on his bike, and just rode from town to town just drifting through life. He had no choice but to stay in this small town. Callie invited him to stay with her. She paid to have his bike fixed, if he would stay and fix her barn.
(Here is a small sample from chapter 8 - They barely knew each other, but here they were - one with a damaged body, and the other, from all indications, with a wounded soul, offering each other solace)

I loved how protective Callie's group of friends were. They did not like the fact that Callie was letting a drifter stay with her. The book felt real, with real emotions, and a believable story line. This is a book worth reading. If you tend to cry easily make sure you have your tissues near-by.

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brenda takes us back to Whiskey Creek & old friends.

Callie has received bad news. She needs a liver transplant or she only has a few months to live. Keeping her secret in order to protect herself from the pity of her friends is hard for her. She decides to move to her grandparents farm for the last few months, a place where remembers always being happy.

Levi was just riding through Whiskey Creek when his motorcycle breaks down and he is attacked by dogs. He goes to the closest place looking for help. Callie is unsure about opening the door to a stranger, until she see's the injuries.

She needs help at the farm and Levi needs to repair his motorcycle, so they strike a deal he will do chores around the farm to help Callie, and she will front the money for repairs.

The one problem is that they are both keeping secrets, and after finding out some of Levi's past she doesn't want him knowing about her illness. Secrets and all they can't help their feeling for each other.

Brenda takes us back to how it is living in a small town and having your best friends around. When Summer Comes is a great homey read. It will keep you turning the pages hoping and waiting and praying for friendships & miracles.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was excited to read When Summer Comes by Brenda Novak. I love these small town series books and I just can't seem to read enough. I had read the previous books and was really looking forward to this one. It lived up to my expectation.

I bonded quickly with both characters Callie & Levi. Callie is such a strong willed woman with quite a battle to fight with her failing liver. She doesn't want her friends and family to suffer with her illness and keeps it quite for a while.

Levi is a very unexpected presents in Callie's life and the attraction between these two is amazing from the start.

Levi is a gentleman with a past, part of which he would rather keep to himself. He's had a rough few years and is just trying to cope with life.

Callie & Levi make such a wonderful couple because they are both in need of support neither is willing to ask for it. However, in each of their own ways they help the other heal along the way.

I really enjoyed this visit to Whiskey Creek and anxiously await the next in the series to visit again.

I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys small town series or is a fan of Brenda Novak. I think you'll enjoy it.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gut wrenching emotional read. I am in book sub-space after finishing.

The two main characters - Callie and Levi - were two lost souls that just happened to find each other in the middle of the night. One whose body is failing her and one who is dying emotionally.

Since the first book in this series with Olivia and Brandon I have fallen in love with this series. The author's writing is such that you come to care about these friends in Whiskey Creek and you feel every pain with them whether is emotional or physical.

I love that with each book we get to find out more about another in the circle of close friends. We got to learn so much more about Kyle and Baxter in this book. But on the downside we are still being strung along with Ted and Sofia and Baxter and Noah. By downside I mean I want there stories NOW - stop with the teasing already :)

My only warning with this book is keep a Kleenex handy for the last couple of chapters. Great addition to the series and looking forward to many more books in it.

[Tia · Rating 3 out of 5]

At times this novel was an emotional read. When the hero found out about the heroine dying, he freaked and left her. I couldn't believe he just took off, so I guess this novel offered some surprises as well. Overall it was a good read.