Book Blurb:
All she wants for Christmas . . . is an end to this terrible year.
Silver bells are ringing, but family drama and flaky finances have Nadine Notaro wrung out. The only bright spots this holiday season are her job at the Blissford Historical Society and her cheery, dependable co-worker, Chase Garren—until the City Council cuts their funding. The lost income will be bad enough, but what about Chase? Though quick to remind everyone they’re just friends, she can’t stomach losing him, too.
While packing up the Society’s record collections, Chase and Nadine discover a journalist’s cache of negatives pointing to a decades-old scandal and cover-up. Entanglements with the City’s biggest power players pull their strings, but every clue brings them closer to the truth—and each other—until Nadine finds evidence of a betrayal she never thought possible.
Casting light on the lies may ruin Christmas and their friendship, but it stands to cost them much more.
Because in Blissford, it’s beginning to look a lot like murder.
His Review:
Men can be so obtuse! Blissford’s Historical Society is being closed and the building sold. Nadine is tired of the struggle to keep the town’s heritage intact. The harder she tries the further she slides back. Why don’t the city fathers understand the necessity of keeping the area’s historical records available?
Chase Garren is a faithful volunteer helping her to pack up the museum. He is dependable and always quick with an encouraging quip. Nadine keeps her heart and emotions bottled up, however, because the last thing she wants is to have her heart broken again! Chase is kept at a respectably safe distance.
This story contrasts the difference between a man’s approach to relationships and a woman’s approach. Throughout the book the author delineates the necessity for caution and restraint to avoid a heartbreak. I found it confusing and at times aggravating to see the effort the protagonist expended to keep herself from disappointment and heartbreak.
I also enjoyed the battle between the haves and have-nots. The wealthy city fathers used the city and its’ resources as a personal chess game with the rest of the city merely pawns. The ending was a little rushed and disappointing and might have benefitted by expanding the storyline for additional explanation-clarification. 4 stars – CE Williams
We received an ARC copy of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are his honest opinions.
Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars 
Book Details:
Genre: Historical Christmas Romance Fiction, Christian Mystery & Suspense Romance
ASIN: B09K6Y317R
Print Length: 140 pages
Publication Date: November 1, 2021
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link: Last to Know [Amazon]
The Author: BRANDY HEINEMAN writes stories seasoned with secrets from the past and mysteries of the faith. She’s a graduate of Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia with a degree in Business Administration and Communication, and has worked in financial services and marketing. When she’s not writing, she divides her free time between reading, scrapbooking, and genealogy sleuthing. Brandy and her husband, Michael, live in metro Atlanta. Whispers in the Branches is her first novel.
©2021 CE Williams – V Williams 
Rosepoint Publishing 