Emery Bliss is a former television anchor who lost her job after her ex-boyfriend, and co-anchor, posted a sex tape of them online. She goes back to her hometown of Silver Springs to stay with a family friend, Aiyana. Aiyana is planning her Christmas wedding, and all of her adoptive sons are coming home for the holiday. Dallas Turner is one of her sons. He’s a professional mountain climber. Now, someone from Dallas’s troubled past has reached out to him. Emery and Dallas are both planning on having a quiet Christmas in Silver Springs, but the problems in their pasts come back into their lives.

I haven’t read any of the other books in the Silver Springs series, but I’m interested in reading the other books now. There were some other characters in the large adoptive family, who were mentioned briefly. It looks like they’re the focus of the other stories. This story mostly focused on Dallas and Emery, but I didn’t feel lost without reading the other books first.

This story had a great combination of suspense and steamy romance. There were some tense scenes, with Dallas’s dark family history and Emery’s devastating sex tape. The romance between Dallas and Emery started quickly and stayed steam my throughout the story. This story had a great balance of tense moments and romance.

I really enjoyed this holiday romance.

Thank you MIRA for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story was beautifully written and will pull at your heart strings.  It's good to go back to Silver Springs.

My heart shattered learning what Dallas went through and witnessed as a child at the hands of someone he should have been able to trust.  Its easy to see and understand why he choses to climb moutains sides without gear.
Emery is hiding away trying to figure out how to go about taking down her ex boyfriend for posting a video of them online that she had no clue was being recorded and her former employer for wrongful termination.  She is staying in Silver Springs not even leaving the place she sees as her safe space.

Dallas comes home to help his mom (adopted him) get ready for her wedding.  Dallas gets Emery to leave the bubble she has been in.  They start hanging out more and feelings fet deeper

Emery gets attacted and told to drop the lawsuit. Dallas finds out and will do anything to find out who is behind it. 
Emery decides to leave and go spend Christmas with her mom before the set up meeting is to happen ending what is happening between her and Dallas.

What will happen?  Will we find out who is behind the attack? Will Dallas just let Emery go and that be the end?

A sweet book where two humans hurt by their past came together to find love and blessed peace with one another. A sex tape released online caused Emery to leave everything and come back home. Dallas too came back for his mother's wedding. Romance ensued 

Brenda Novak was an awesome author and all her books helped to put a smile on my face. This too did its job to make me happy. The writing brought out nuances and emotions. The story held my attention. 

Overall, a sweet read to escape the realities of life.

A California Christmas by Brenda Novak is a wonderful, romantic festive tale set in Silver Springs, California. Even though I'm extremely late to the party, jumping in at book seven, this was still a fabulous read for me, working just fine as an individual story. TV anchor Emery Bliss has returned home, spending time at New Horizons ranch following an embarrassing and humiliating time in Los Angeles when her ex revenge-posted a revealing tape of her online, resulting in her losing her job she adored. Not looking for romance any time soon, she’s thrown back into contact with Dallas Turner, who's home for the Christmas holidays and his adoptive mother’s wedding...

The story is real, tender, and explores some topics not often seen in a romance. A heavenly story with another chance for love, the plot unearths some wonderful, touching moments between Emery and Dallas and I particularly liked Brenda Novak's portrayal of his supportiveness towards Emery. I welcomed the big moment at the end of the tale, and the epilogue was superb. An immensely compelling and engaging Christmas romance that I really enjoyed, I'm looking forward to reading book eight - When I Found You - as well as the rest of the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Harlequin/MIRA via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

So this is my first book by Brenda Novak. It's the seventh book in the Silver Springs series involving a small town with some complicated residents. And a large family who takes in troubled youth. 

Our heroine Emery Bliss, moved to Los Angeles in hopes of being a famous news anchor. All is well until her ex posts a sex tape of her online, which causes her to loose her job and she runs home seeking solace. Since her parents aren't in town due to their impending divorce, she stays with Aiyana, who is the hero's adopted mother.

Dallas, is home helping with his adopted mother's wedding and Looking for ways to cope with his past. An unexpected guest brings up feelings from his childhood. 

They are prompted to help with Aiyana's wedding which starts them down a path that nether one was seeking. Both having their own relationship hang-ups, Dallas helps Emery in a slow and tentative process which brings them closer. Did they find something in each other that they didn't know they wanted? 

It's romance story filled with real topics that are typically raw and emotional to the public and aren't usually discussed in the way that she writes them. The healing process of each character is what will draw you into this story. 

I want to thank Netgalley and the Publisher MIRA.

Let me just say this…Emery + Dallas = va va va voom! This holiday romance has tons of sparks and plenty of substance.  Loveable characters, baggage galore, and small-town living give Novak’s story a big thumbs up from me.  This book is part of a series, but can easily be read as a stand-alone.  I now can’t wait to go back to Silver Springs. I hope you enjoy your visit.

Great holiday story! This is number 7 in the series but I think you could read it as a standalone book. I really enjoyed this heartwarming tale. Recommended!

This was the seventh book in the Silver Springs series. I've only read the one from last Christmas (book 6) and this one. The small town of Silver Springs has its share of troubled characters, especially those involved with the New Horizons school specifically for youth with sketchy pasts. Most of the residents, of course, are completely lovable once you get to know them.

Emery Bliss was from the rich school in town, but after high school she moved to LA to be a famous news anchor. It's going well, til revenge porn is posted by her co-anchor, and she comes back home to nurse her emotional wounds and hide from those who want to talk about her fall from grace. Unfortunately, her parents have left town and are focused on their own bitter divorce. Emery stays with Aiyana's house (just off the campus of New Horizons) and ends up meeting one of Aiyana's adopted sons (Dallas Turner, now an adult) who is just home for the holidays, and to help with Aiyana's wedding. I think we can see where this is going, right? ;)

Dallas wants to save those who have suffered injustice, mostly in private tribute to his inability to save his own sister. But he'll need to learn this before he can work through his own commitment issues and really move on with his life.

There's a lot of trouble in the world, but in Silver Springs we know there will be a happy ending within a few hundred pages, right? I'd give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for readers who like contemporary romance stories.

When up and coming rock climber Dallas Turner heads home for his mother’s wedding, he never thought that his old high school crush would be staying there as well. Emery Bliss had been a morning news host and had been fired and rocked by a scandal when she broke up with her cohost and a sex tape of the pair had been leaked onto the internet. Since it was recorded without her consent, and only she had been fired from the show, she made the tough decision to sue both the station and her ex. Attempting to distance herself from Los Angeles and the fallout, she headed back to her hometown of Silver Springs.
Trying to get her life back is hard, but Dallas is there for her no matter what. When friendship turns into more, neither are prepared for the feelings that come.
This is book 7 of the Silver Springs series, but you don’t have to read the series to enjoy the story. I have read book 6, but none of the others and I never felt that I needed to read the rest. Don’t get me wrong, I WANT to read the rest because I do love this series, but I didn’t need to read the others first.
I do love Dallas, his backstory is one of horror that he hasn’t been able to overcome. Truly, I don’t think one can overcome what happened to his mom and sister when he was only 6, but he has a fierce protective streak when it comes to those he cares about. Even though Emery has been dealing with the loss of her job and the releasing of a tape that she had no knowledge about, she still tries to be there for her mother financially, and she steps in to help wherever she can. The romance that blooms between these two broken people is so beautiful, I was rooting for them right from the beginning. Of course the writing is excellent, Ms. Novak is a master storyteller. There’s a wonderful cast of characters, and the story is great. Perfect Christmas tale full of love and romance. 
**I received an ARC of this story from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A California Christmas is a holiday romance novel about starting over, new beginnings and discovering joy during the festive season.

Going in, I didn't realize this was book 7 but Novak has a great way to writing that you don't have to read a series to feel and love the story. Emery and Dallas are likeable characters, giving the story depth that makes it grab your attention. The only part of this book I didn't like was a plot point felt like a double standard and those are tough for me to forgive as a reader.

This is not the kind of book I'd normally pick up but I really enjoyed the set up and the characters. It was nice to read a love story!

It's been a long time since I picked up a book by Brenda Novak. I adored her Whiskey Creek series, but had yet to try out this Silver Springs one. I couldn't resist A California Christmas' blurb and the fact that it was a holiday novel -- those are some of my favorites from Novak.

A California Christmas ended up being a good read for me, but not great. Dallas and Emery's love story was sweet, but there wasn't as much depth to them as I wanted. That made it harder to connect to them. I wish I had gotten more of their teenage backstory. I also probably shouldn't have jumped into this series so far into it. I just didn't have enough of background information on the many of the characters to make this a completely smooth reading experience for me. 

Another thing that was hard for me was that I was expecting a cute holiday romance. This book cover, title, and blurb screams holiday novel, but it wasn't really a true contemporary holiday romance. It had a big romantic suspense element going on. There were some cute holiday moments peppered in, but I wanted more.

Even though this book wasn't quite what I was expecting, it was an entertaining read. I have a feeling fans who have read the entire series will enjoy it much more than I did.

For fans of Lifetime Christmas movies, this book is for you.   When Emory, a news broadcaster, loses her boyfriend and job, she seeks refuge at the home of an old friend.  While at the home of her friend  Emory connects with Dallas. 


Emory and Dallas are attracted to each other,but will their complicated pasts get in the way of what they both want. 

Told from the point of view  of both Emory and Dallas.  It was an interesting plot with romance, mystery and family drama intertwining.

If there is an author I can depend on its Brenda Novak, I really needed a Christmas story right now and this was so it. While this one didn’t technically have a lot of Christmas romance hallmark moments it still hit the spot.

Both characters were going through hard times and were learning how to preserve. I’m not sure who’s journey was harder but I definitely related more towards Emery than Dallas, I think maybe more because she was female and I would be horrified if that happened to me.

I loved Emery’s care taker nature even though she has been through a lot she wants to be there for everyone else. She really wanted Dallas to lean on her, but he just wouldn’t open up. Her relationships that she built in this small town are more blood than some of the blood relationships she has. I may have to go back and read some of the previous books because I’m jumping in the middle here but the love of this little family shines through.

Dallas is holding so much pain in and I just wanted him to let it out so much. His family rallies around one another and you can see that from the beginning. He doesn’t think he needs it but he does. I adored his commitment to keeping Emery safe and sound. I wished his character had developed more throughout the book instead of kind of all at once. However he is such a good guy I’ll forgive him for it.

Thank you to Brenda Novak, and Harlequin, for a copy in lieu of my honest review.

*** I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***

I LOVED A California Christmas!  I mean it kept me up to like 4 AM a couple nights!  Brenda Novak has a gift of really drawing the reader into the story and relating to the characters.  This is the story of Emery and Dallas as they are reconnected in Silver Springs over the holiday season.  I adore the characters in this series (though I've only read #1, #2, and now #7 so far).  Overall, this is a story of perseverance, family, friends, and love.  I would highly recommend this book if you're looking for a sweet, engaging holiday read!

I really enjoy Novak's books but this one just didn't hit it for me as I found myself hesitating to continue to pick it up. Overall it was a cute story,  but not exactly what I hoped. Thank you netgalley for this arc

A California Christmas is the 7th book in the Silver Springs series by Brenda Novak. I've really enjoyed reading many of Novak's hoiday tales in the past but A California Christmas fell flate for me. Generally, when a holiday tale comes along in the series the author gives you enough back story about others surrounding the main characters, or even the main characters themselves. I found myself getting annoyed because the author assumed I knew things that I did not SO, with that said, I wouldn't recommend this book unless you've read the others in the series. That said, and this is such a personal quirk, I cannot read and engage with any character named "Dallas." Seriously, that's a great name for a city and it's a great porn name but it is not a great name for a character who doesn't work for the Chippendales. This one was not for me.

Emery is invited to live with a friend's family while she is decompressing from being the target of revenge by a former boyfriend.  He releases a video that destroys her career and self-esteem.  Dallas is back home for his foster mom's wedding and the holiday.  He is an up and coming solo climber that uses his career as a means to survivor's guilt.  He finds himself drawn to Emery and wanting to fight for her. Emery just wants it all to go away, but with his encouragement decides to go ahead with the wrongful termination suit. The sparks fly despite each of them trying to hold them back.  Will this trust they find in each other bring them the second chance they deserve or will old wounds disrupt this fragile new beginning?

I loved this book!! Great story!! Love this series!! Hope she writes more books to this series!! One of my favorite books by this author!! She is one of my favorite author's