Not your typical romance. Has some good suspense but also some very cheesy romance scenes. Was a decent read but definitely not a favorite.

Once again one of the graduates from the New Horizons Boys Ranch is at the center of the story. Darson Reed needs help but while he was acquitted of the murder of his parents people still think he did it and finding someone to work for him seems impossible. Enter Sadie Harris who has problems of her own. I liked how Novak worked innocent until proven guilty and the danger posted by stalkers into the story line. Both Darson and Sadie have to find an inner strength as they work to make a home for Darson's special needs sister. The danger to Sadie by her ex-husband brings extra tension to the story. Another good story with interesting characters. Silver Springs and New Horizons Boys Ranch look like a great place for interesting stories and characters.

Another one to add to the books by Novak, I've read a few books by Novak and again she never disappoints

The cover is a little misleading here, it denotes a cheery romance story, with all its brightness and cute boots... it is far from. Gruesome murder, a woman desperate to escape a verbally abusive ex-husband, that despite all the reminders he's an ex, the divorce is actually NOT finalized yet. I was a little disturbed that, for all intents and purposes his demand for intimacy even tho she has left him and also that she is afraid of him, its pretty much rape. Though the author doesn't go there with the character - she doesn't view it as such. With a little boy to care for, and the ex-husband on the town's police force she feels trapped. Can't leave town, but with little child support is not earning enough to survive. A new opportunity arises, working for a man who has recently been acquitted in the court system for the brutal murder of his parents. Did he or didn't he do it? She doesn't know if he is innocent or guilty, and putting all her faith in the fact that a jury found him innocent and released him from prison. The town on the other hand all believe he is guilty.

The main characters are likeable, both desperate to prove their value and worth in society. Both looking for a bit of happiness and peace. They are well suited to each other, though keep their relationship strictly business in the beginning. The ex-husband gets more and more creepy, and things start to get dangerous.

I enjoyed the story, but the cover is a complete failure. It does not accurately portray this book.

Thanks to Harlequin & Netgalley for the complimentary digital copy. This is my honest review.

A brave heroine and a wounded bad boy hero may find healing in a small town if they aren't killed first. Sadie needs more work or better paying work to be free of her controlling and dangerous ex so she can protect her young son. Dawson may have been acquitted by a jury but the folks of Silver Springs still see him as guilty in the gruesome murders of his adoptive parents. He needs to get the farm going again and clean up the mess made when vandals trashed the house while he was in jail and on trial so he can bring his developmentally disabled sister home from the institution she has been in since his arrest. Sadie applies for the job which puts her bullying ex-husband, a town cop, into high gear and increasingly dangerous harassment. Appealing characters, gripping suspense, and believable romance make this a great reading choice.

Brenda Novak knows what I like as evident in her writing. I find a book by Novak and it immediately lands on my must read list. Like a savory piece of chocolate any story by this engaging author is to be treated with respect and enjoyed page by amazing page. This series has all the earmarks of being one of Brenda Novak’s best and that’s saying a lot since her booklist is stocked to the gills with incredible tales involving some of the most endearing characters. NO ONE BUT YOU is book two in the Silver Springs series that has at its core a ranch devoted toward helping disadvantaged young boys find themselves and move past history of any bad deeds.

Little or no expectations and yet Aiyana the owner of New Horizons in Silver Springs gives troubled boys support and hope for a much better future than what they currently face.

Dawson was a perfect example of a kid who needed help to get his act together – paired with New Horizons and his adopted parents the Reeds this young man rose out of the gutters, went to college putting his feelings of anger and frustration behind him – or so he thought.

Ah the court of public opinion – alive and well in Silver Springs. Tough nut to crack and even more difficult to change. Once a bad kid always one at least in their narrow minded vision.

Brenda Novak immediately throws us into what is a harsh story about the reality of living in an environment that is ripe with bullying. One character can’t get past the fact that he was charged with an awful violent crime against the very people who took a chance on him. He is candidly ostracized. The other leading character is waiting for the next shoe to drop as she works against the odds of getting out of a marriage that grows more dangerous every day. She is also feeling somewhat ostracized because of the decisions she had to make. The very people who are sworn to protect are those that seem to turn their back on these very vulnerable people. These characters have to face down these judgmental folk, friend and foe but they have something important in common, inner strength to gain control over their lives while safeguarding those that are most important to them.

Dawson is acquitted of his crime but the locals keep their distance, firmly convinced that he killed his adopted parents. Dawson has to come back to Silver Springs knowing he faces a backlash of monumental proportions. He needs to continue the work done by the Reeds on their farm and more important bring their daughter Angela home where she belongs. Getting that done means facing stringent investigation by the authorities to prove him capable of providing a good home for Angela. That also means acquiring someone to help. Angela has the mental capacity of a young child. She needs a woman to help care for her. And that’s how Sadie and her little boy Jayden got somehow caught up in Dawson’s very complicated life.

Sadie needed the job as much as Dawson needed her help. Sadie was living under a scary cloud. Her soon to be ex-husband Sly wasn’t letting go too easily. He enjoyed having control over Sadie his behavior becoming more threatening with time. He was stalking her. Making sure her attempts for independence were stymied. But one of the most perilous details was the fact that Sly was a policeman. The odds were stacked in his behalf. He coyly explained away any issues that surfaced. And as far as the police were concerned Sadie was the one at fault.

There are several important characters in NO ONE BUT YOU but to mention them would in fact give away too much of the plot of what is an important story told by Brenda Novak. Suffice it to say that NO ONE BUT YOU is jam packed with action that keeps building to the very end. Midway through NO ONE BUT YOU the reader will candidly find it difficult to put it down. Looking for an engaging page turner than look no further than NO ONE BUT YOU.

I usually love her books but the romance on this book took til 57% . I got there was an attraction and that he was taking his time with her. This book felt like a bad lifetime movie. I love the slow attraction but in my humble opinion that this romance also happened pretty fast from working with the hero to falling into bed. Granted there was some out side issues with the heroine's ex husband. This is a local author to me and I enjoyed the vegetable mentioned of artichokes :) Granted this series is whiskey Creek but it seems a much harder of hero's and heroine's. I like that this is taking place in central California , but not quite southern California.

Sadie Harris is going they a divorce from an extremely manipulative and vindictive ex. He also happens to be a police officer. Sadie is afraid of her ex and tries not to rock the boat for fear of how he will retaliate. She needs to find a job paying more then her current job but her ex has been sabotaging her efforts. She ends up working for Dawson, a man who has spent a year in jail. He was just acquitted of murdering his adoptive parents. Most of the town, including the police and her ex, believe he got away with murder.

I loved this story. I loved watching the relationship between Dawson and Sadie develop. This is the second book in a series but it could be read on its own. This book has suspense and romance and will hold your interest all the way thru the book. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

I enjoyed this book but it was a little slow in places and you knew who was causing the problems and why.

Although this is a series it does not have to be read in order. It is about a town and its people. This is the second novel and my first of the series. Dawson Reed has just been release from jail after a year. He was accused of killing his adopted parents with a hatchet. Although he claims innocence the town and the police force does not believe him. Sadie Harris is separated from her husband and want it to be final but he keeps dragging it out. Sadie feels emotionally drained from her soon to be ex husband Sly who comes close many times to physically abusing her that she knows she will never go back to him. Sly has made it difficult for her to have jobs because of him being a police officer he uses his clout in the community to have indviduals not hire her and she has to resort to working in a diner only a few days. She sees for hire sign in the papers put there by the alleged killer of his parents Dawson Reed and felt this is her last hope. Although she's scared and not sure of working for him she eventually does and begins to see another side of him that those who are accuse him do not see. What transpires are two people who have been beaten down by life trying to hopefully start over. . Did Dawson really kill his parents or did the hitchhiker he claims really killed his parents. Will Sly lose it knowing that his soon to be ex wife is working for Dawson and will he stop stalking her before it he ends up losing his job?This novel had it all suspense, intrigue and lastly some romance. This novel was very believable and had tremendous depth. I thoroughly enjoyed. Review can be found on goodreads and amazon.

Brenda Novak has written several series of books set in small towns. No One But You is the second book in the Silver Springs series, something I didn't realize until after I finished it. Needless to say, it stood on its own and unlike many other series romances, I didn't see any obvious next couple for the next book.

Sadie has left her controlling police-officer husband. They live in a small town and everyone likes her ex--or at least they don't want to get on the bad side of one of the town's lawmen. Every time she applies for a job, he sees to it that she isn't hired, so her only income is from a waitressing job she had before they split. She finally finds someone to hire her--the town outcast. He's the adopted son of a couple who was brutally murdered. While he was found "not guilty", as my boss, a criminal defense attorney, will tell you, "not guilty" and "innocent" are not synonyms, and most people in town believe Dawson got away with murder.

The strength of Brenda Novak's writing is her characters. I loved watching Dawson and Sadie get to know each other and heal the hurts each had suffered. The weakness of her writing is the climax scenes and this one is very unrealistic.

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley. Grade: B-.

I really enjoyed Dawson and Sadie. There was a whole lot of tension coming from the evil ex / policeofficer situation. I had to put the book down and breath for a while reading this book.
I enjoyed the happy endind but it wasn't an easy one to get !

I have read all of Brenda Novak's books thus far. I always enjoy them and recommend to my romance readers.

Sadie Harris is desperate to find a job that makes more money than her current job of waiting on tables. She is going through a messy divorce from a controlling and manipulative man who happens to be a police officer in town. She is willing to take any job so that she can better support her young son who she is hoping to get primary custody.

Dawson Reed is desperate to start his life over. He just spent one year in prison for his parents murder. He didn't commit the crime, but the town does not care, in their eyes he is guilty. He returns home with a desire to farm the land and bring his developmentally disabled sister home and enjoy their lives.

Sadie accepts a job from Dawson. Her duties will be cleaning the house, cooking meals and helping to look out for his sister once she moves back home. Sadie faces backlash from her soon to be ex-husband or taking the job.

As Sadie and Dawson begin to get comfortable with each other and get to know each other, the story takes off. Obviously this book is a romance but there are also other themes to this book as well - starting over, love, fear, crime, emotional abuse bordering on domestic violence, violence, etc.

I really enjoyed this story. It was a very fast and engaging read. There was a little "meat" to this story as it dealt with various issues.. I found it hard to put this book down as I wanted to know more about both of these characters individually and as a couple. I liked how they began with a tentative employer/employee relationship to a friendship that grew into romance. The story was very believable and the pacing of the book was spot on.

Received from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very different book than I expected. Its more suspense and womens fiction than it is romance and light reading. I am a fan of the authors previous' series and so that is what I was expecting. A light, fun, romantic read. But that is not this book. It is a good story just not what I expected.

Dawson has been accused of murdering his adoptive parents. He is not found innocent, his case was dismissed as not having enough evidence to convict him in his jury trial. If it is not him, well the killer is out there. His theory is its this hitchhiker he picked up that went to his home and murdered the parents while robbing them. Meanwhile his sister who is mentally ill, accused him at first and then claimed she was confused. I would have found him guilty too because his story is very flimsy.

That said he comes home from prison with a mission, bringing his sister home and fixing up their home. He needs help and that brings him and Sadie together. Sadie has a crappy life. Seriously crappy. Hence why this book seemed more chick lit. Her ex is a cop and he is stalking her and stopping her from providing for her 5 yr old so she runs back to him. While he has not physically hurt her, well he really scares her and he scares me too. Dawson is the only one willing to hire her and that is how they get to know each other.

It is definitely not lust at first sight but it is two desperate people who come to work together to survive and make things work for the family members they love, In no way was this a fun read. It is very desperate and sad with a mystery thrown into the mix and some scary cops. It was very heavy on suspense and it was a definite nail biter. I mean SUPER intense.

In the end I enjoyed it. The book had romance, it just was not the focus. Its more about how Dawson and Saidie partner up to help get her free from her ex. Along the way I felt the police chief well he stole the show. He was totally my favorite character in this story.