A Kindled Winter
by
Rachel L. Demeter
Synopsis
"Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas." - Dale Evans
A week before Christmas, Jeseca Reed sets off for Blue River, Oregon - her childhood home and a vault of tender memories. However, fate takes an unexpected turn when she's left stranded in the mountains' vast, untamed wilderness. Desperate and alone, she seeks shelter at a cottage and finds herself in the arms of a mysterious stranger.
Dr. David Drake was once a renowned cardiovascular surgeon. But a devastating tragedy has left him scarred both inside and out, unable to use his hands to operate again. For the past five years, his Blue River cottage has been his sole escape - a safe haven where he can shut out the world, bury himself in his grief, and reunite with his son's memory.
Together they are summer and winter. Fire and ice. And yet a poignant connection forms between them. Jeseca awakens David and thaws his heart with a romance hot enough to melt snow. But before David and Jeseca can fully embrace each other, they must wade through darkness and confront the ghosts of their pasts ...
A week before Christmas, Jeseca Reed sets off for Blue River, Oregon - her childhood home and a vault of tender memories. However, fate takes an unexpected turn when she's left stranded in the mountains' vast, untamed wilderness. Desperate and alone, she seeks shelter at a cottage and finds herself in the arms of a mysterious stranger.
Dr. David Drake was once a renowned cardiovascular surgeon. But a devastating tragedy has left him scarred both inside and out, unable to use his hands to operate again. For the past five years, his Blue River cottage has been his sole escape - a safe haven where he can shut out the world, bury himself in his grief, and reunite with his son's memory.
Together they are summer and winter. Fire and ice. And yet a poignant connection forms between them. Jeseca awakens David and thaws his heart with a romance hot enough to melt snow. But before David and Jeseca can fully embrace each other, they must wade through darkness and confront the ghosts of their pasts ...
Equal parts steamy and heartfelt, A Kindled Winter brings the spirit of the holidays to life with a passionate story of second chances and healing love.
Review
I was looking for a cozy Christmas book and this came highly recommended. It was a quick, easy read, but didn't really meet my expectations for a good story. Despite good writing and developed characters, the plot was mind-numbingly slow and the hype fell flat.
Hear me out. I wasn't looking for heart pounding action and epic battles, but the whole premise of a cute girl stuck in a flash flood in Oregon during the week of Christmas and just happens to land at the doorstep of a hot, heartbroken bachelor is just too far fetched. And nothing happens - except the obvious romance that slowly blooms between them. The book is very emotional, which is fine, except that I kind of feel as though someone was trying to force me to feel for the characters, in a way.
The characters themselves were very fleshed out with tragic backstories, which for me, happened to be the best part of the book. I would have much rather read more in depth about the tragic events of their pasts rather than just what felt like an epilogue.
But this isn't a bad book. I just don't think it was for me. Check it out if you love tear jerking love stories, but don't expect to find much holiday cheer in this dark romance. The author isn't bad. She also has a historical fiction novel out which I think will suit me better.
3 stars
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