What do you think?
Rate this book
Winter's Embrace
Ten years ago Winter’s heart was broken beyond repair by Stone McCoy. Now she is a travel agent ready to lead an Alaskan Cruise and to her surprise Stone McCoy is on her tour. A long ago phone call shattered her trust and her self-confidence. She never planned to see Stone again.
While at college, Stone McCoy woke up, after a fraternity party, to find a girl in his bed. Weeks later she told him she’s pregnant. Calling Winter to break things off was the worst night of his life. Now he’s hoping for a second chance at happiness.
The chemistry is electrifying but old issues lead these two on a merry chase. Can they put old hurts aside and begin again? Join Rancher Stone McCoy and Winter James as they try to find happiness from Alaska to Texas and finally on his Montana Ranch.
While at college, Stone McCoy woke up, after a fraternity party, to find a girl in his bed. Weeks later she told him she’s pregnant. Calling Winter to break things off was the worst night of his life. Now he’s hoping for a second chance at happiness.
The chemistry is electrifying but old issues lead these two on a merry chase. Can they put old hurts aside and begin again? Join Rancher Stone McCoy and Winter James as they try to find happiness from Alaska to Texas and finally on his Montana Ranch.
160 pages, ebook
First published April 27, 2014
137 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
About the author
Kathleen Ball
123 books682 followersUSA Today Best Selling Author of
Contemporary Western Romance and Sweet Historical Western Romance.
Writing is my bliss and I try to write every day. I started with two publishers who I learned a lot from. Now I self publish. I like the control it gives me over release dates and book covers.
Sign up for my newsletter
https://www.kathleenballromance.com
Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/kathleenball...
Feel free to friend me!!
Contemporary Western Romance and Sweet Historical Western Romance.
Writing is my bliss and I try to write every day. I started with two publishers who I learned a lot from. Now I self publish. I like the control it gives me over release dates and book covers.
Sign up for my newsletter
https://www.kathleenballromance.com
Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/kathleenball...
Feel free to friend me!!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
May 4, 2014
Resenha em Português e Inglês / Review in Portuguese and English.
A história é legal, mas já foi contada muitas vezes antes.
O herói trai a nossa heroína com uma mulher que supostamente fica grávida e ele casa com a vadia.
Passados 10 anos eles se reencontram.
A heroína fica destruída após a traição e nunca se recuperou. O herói move a vida dele em frente e tenta fazer o casamento dele funcionar.
No fim a outra mulher era uma vagabunda e deixa nosso herói com uma filha para criar. Os dois se divorciam.
Eu achei o cara muito fraco e um mentiroso. Ele engana nossa heroína e esconde a verdade dela. Ele imagina que ele vai reencontrar ela e ela vai cair nos braços dele como se nada tivesse acontecido. É muito idiota isso.
Os dois seguem se desentendendo até o final e se unem por causa da filha dele.
No fim os dois alcançam o final feliz deles.
------------------
The story is nice, but this story has been told many times before.
The hero betrays our heroine with a woman who supposedly becomes pregnant and he marries that bitch.
After 10 years they are reunited.
Heroin is destroyed after the betrayal and never recovered. The hero moves his life ahead and tries to make his marriage work.
In the end the other woman was a slut and lets our hero with a daughter to raise. The two get divorced.
I found the guy too weak and a liar. He deceives our heroine and hides the truth from her. He imagines that he will find her and she falls into his arms as if nothing had happened. It's really stupid.
The two continue arguing until the end and unite for the sake of his daughter.
In the end the two reach the happy ending.
A história é legal, mas já foi contada muitas vezes antes.
O herói trai a nossa heroína com uma mulher que supostamente fica grávida e ele casa com a vadia.
Passados 10 anos eles se reencontram.
A heroína fica destruída após a traição e nunca se recuperou. O herói move a vida dele em frente e tenta fazer o casamento dele funcionar.
No fim a outra mulher era uma vagabunda e deixa nosso herói com uma filha para criar. Os dois se divorciam.
Eu achei o cara muito fraco e um mentiroso. Ele engana nossa heroína e esconde a verdade dela. Ele imagina que ele vai reencontrar ela e ela vai cair nos braços dele como se nada tivesse acontecido. É muito idiota isso.
Os dois seguem se desentendendo até o final e se unem por causa da filha dele.
No fim os dois alcançam o final feliz deles.
------------------
The story is nice, but this story has been told many times before.
The hero betrays our heroine with a woman who supposedly becomes pregnant and he marries that bitch.
After 10 years they are reunited.
Heroin is destroyed after the betrayal and never recovered. The hero moves his life ahead and tries to make his marriage work.
In the end the other woman was a slut and lets our hero with a daughter to raise. The two get divorced.
I found the guy too weak and a liar. He deceives our heroine and hides the truth from her. He imagines that he will find her and she falls into his arms as if nothing had happened. It's really stupid.
The two continue arguing until the end and unite for the sake of his daughter.
In the end the two reach the happy ending.
April 12, 2020
dnf@40%. This give it a go read didn't work out so well. The writing jumped around a fair bit and the storyline wasn't developed enough to give it any depth.
June 20, 2023
TRYING AGAIN FOR RACHAEL
The story’s two main characters are Winter James of Texas and Stone McCoy, formerly of Texas and now in Montana. Sadly, I can’t say that I like Stone McCoy at all, he is reprehensible in how he handles things, especially with Winter. But then, Winter doesn’t make me care for her either, she alters her life because Stone dumped her when they were in college.
The story’s plot will have Winter working for a travel agency in her hometown in Texas. She had gone to college, her dream to be an architect, and when Stone breaks up with her, she basically gives up her dream, and instead, becomes a travel agent. She will be taking a different tour group this time, a trip to Alaska with only ten people. What a shock when one of the guests is none other than Stone McCoy. But this tour is doomed with one troublemaker in the group—Mimi. And then Winter finds herself without a job—no one willing to hire her—and she feels everyone has abandoned her. When Stone shows up at her door with a job offer—she accepts it—but it is all a lie. He needs her for his own gain and doesn’t care about how he gets his way. He has been keeping secrets—a daughter named Rachel.
Rachael: Can I be the flower girl?
Winter: For what, sweetheart?
Rachael: For your and Daddy’s wedding. You’ll wear white and I can wear pink. Daddy said it was a done deal. We’ll make cookies together, you can read me bedtime stories, and the best part of all is that I’ll have a mommy just like the other girls.
Yet—Stone sees her as the bad guy when she doesn’t just jump aboard his idea. Any other man look at her, talk to her, and he gets all angry again. The man has major issues and thinks he is right about everything and she is the one in the wrong—no matter what it is.
Winter: I don’t love you, Stone. I love the memory of you, the memory of us. And that’s my own fault—it has nothing to do with you. I do want to make a new life. The one you offered me on Halloween. I want a job and my own house, and I have a feeling that if you wanted, you could have that house ready right after Christmas. But—I love Rachael and I couldn’t leave her.
Stone: And me?
Winter: I already told you. I don’t love you, mainly because I don’t even know you. I’m attracted to you, and whenever I look at you, I want you to kiss me senseless, but I need to get to know you as the man you are, not the boy you were.
“She wished she could automatically give him the benefit of the doubt, but trust once broken needed to be earned again. She wanted to be more confident in his ability to change but she was afraid of being hurt again.”
“No matter what she did, it was wrong. She’d had a lifetime of wrong choices, choices made for her. How dare he suggest that she was bailing on him? It was going to be a long, lonely night and in the morning, she had to act happy for Rachael’s sake.”
“Listen, Winter, I know this isn’t how you pictured our life to be, but now, it is what it is.”
“Setting Winter straight on a few things was first on his list. Oh, who was he kidding? He had a lot of making up to do. The whole mess was his fault. He’d hurt Winter with his jealousy, lies, and overbearing behavior and he needed to make things right. How, he had no idea.”
I wish I could say I enjoyed the story but it was one step forward and four steps back in this twisted relationship. Some angst in a story makes it interesting, but for the entire story to be that way left me with no good feelings for the characters and their actions.
Winter has felt sorry for herself for ten years, never moved on, and no other relationship is just unbelievable. She is a glutton for punishment. While there is no physical abuse, his treatment of her is abusive and disturbing. Stone is a piece of work, he messed up but it is her fault. He lies, is deceitful, and acts like it is acceptable because he has an agenda.
The story’s two main characters are Winter James of Texas and Stone McCoy, formerly of Texas and now in Montana. Sadly, I can’t say that I like Stone McCoy at all, he is reprehensible in how he handles things, especially with Winter. But then, Winter doesn’t make me care for her either, she alters her life because Stone dumped her when they were in college.
The story’s plot will have Winter working for a travel agency in her hometown in Texas. She had gone to college, her dream to be an architect, and when Stone breaks up with her, she basically gives up her dream, and instead, becomes a travel agent. She will be taking a different tour group this time, a trip to Alaska with only ten people. What a shock when one of the guests is none other than Stone McCoy. But this tour is doomed with one troublemaker in the group—Mimi. And then Winter finds herself without a job—no one willing to hire her—and she feels everyone has abandoned her. When Stone shows up at her door with a job offer—she accepts it—but it is all a lie. He needs her for his own gain and doesn’t care about how he gets his way. He has been keeping secrets—a daughter named Rachel.
Rachael: Can I be the flower girl?
Winter: For what, sweetheart?
Rachael: For your and Daddy’s wedding. You’ll wear white and I can wear pink. Daddy said it was a done deal. We’ll make cookies together, you can read me bedtime stories, and the best part of all is that I’ll have a mommy just like the other girls.
Yet—Stone sees her as the bad guy when she doesn’t just jump aboard his idea. Any other man look at her, talk to her, and he gets all angry again. The man has major issues and thinks he is right about everything and she is the one in the wrong—no matter what it is.
Winter: I don’t love you, Stone. I love the memory of you, the memory of us. And that’s my own fault—it has nothing to do with you. I do want to make a new life. The one you offered me on Halloween. I want a job and my own house, and I have a feeling that if you wanted, you could have that house ready right after Christmas. But—I love Rachael and I couldn’t leave her.
Stone: And me?
Winter: I already told you. I don’t love you, mainly because I don’t even know you. I’m attracted to you, and whenever I look at you, I want you to kiss me senseless, but I need to get to know you as the man you are, not the boy you were.
“She wished she could automatically give him the benefit of the doubt, but trust once broken needed to be earned again. She wanted to be more confident in his ability to change but she was afraid of being hurt again.”
“No matter what she did, it was wrong. She’d had a lifetime of wrong choices, choices made for her. How dare he suggest that she was bailing on him? It was going to be a long, lonely night and in the morning, she had to act happy for Rachael’s sake.”
“Listen, Winter, I know this isn’t how you pictured our life to be, but now, it is what it is.”
“Setting Winter straight on a few things was first on his list. Oh, who was he kidding? He had a lot of making up to do. The whole mess was his fault. He’d hurt Winter with his jealousy, lies, and overbearing behavior and he needed to make things right. How, he had no idea.”
I wish I could say I enjoyed the story but it was one step forward and four steps back in this twisted relationship. Some angst in a story makes it interesting, but for the entire story to be that way left me with no good feelings for the characters and their actions.
Winter has felt sorry for herself for ten years, never moved on, and no other relationship is just unbelievable. She is a glutton for punishment. While there is no physical abuse, his treatment of her is abusive and disturbing. Stone is a piece of work, he messed up but it is her fault. He lies, is deceitful, and acts like it is acceptable because he has an agenda.
August 9, 2016
Oh the excitement of a western romance! The sexy cowboys and the innocent, lovable yet fiery heroines? What’s not to love, right? Right! Kathleen Ball captures the very essence of a second-chance western romance with Winter’s embrace.
All the character’s are well-rounded and nicely developed not only the main leads. I was rooting for Winter and Stone all the way and hoped they would look past their stubbornness about having ‘ the talk ‘ and finally realize how much they loved each other. Rachel was like the BEST daughter anyone could ever get! She was so cute and lovable! I normally like a closure to the story and hate open-ended ones but I loved this one mainly because there is a sense of closure, of finality even though the story has been left open. I did notice few typos here and there and that may have dampened the otherwise 5 starts experience a little.
Ball has a very distinct writing style and it comes across in this attempt. I would give this 4 stars and I’m sure to recommend this western romance to everybody.
All the character’s are well-rounded and nicely developed not only the main leads. I was rooting for Winter and Stone all the way and hoped they would look past their stubbornness about having ‘ the talk ‘ and finally realize how much they loved each other. Rachel was like the BEST daughter anyone could ever get! She was so cute and lovable! I normally like a closure to the story and hate open-ended ones but I loved this one mainly because there is a sense of closure, of finality even though the story has been left open. I did notice few typos here and there and that may have dampened the otherwise 5 starts experience a little.
Ball has a very distinct writing style and it comes across in this attempt. I would give this 4 stars and I’m sure to recommend this western romance to everybody.
May 15, 2014
I admit I'm a fan of Kathleen Ball's westerns. Like her other stories, this one sucked me in right away and wouldn't let go. The writing was so smooth and the story flowed logically. There were ups and downs, but nothing extreme, totally believable characters. Who wouldn't be attracted to sexy Stone, though I did want to smack him from time to time. And Winter's sad heart reminded me of down days of my own. Rachael was the most winning child, bubbly, funny and totally loving. The story will grab your heart and not let go. Smokin' hot cowboys who care about their women -- does it get better than that? My only complaint is that work goes begging when I start a book by Kathleen Ball, because I can't put it down.
November 1, 2015
Sorry, I just couldn't like this book. I think the storyline could have been good but I just didn't connect with the characters. Winter was a depressive heroine who couldn't move on from the past--at all. Stone was, well, kind of mean. He lied repeatedly to Winter, and treated her like property. He also used his daughter as a way to connect with Winter. Truthfully, I was hoping Winter would end up with Stone's friend and ranch hand. He was much nicer to her than Stone was. Maybe it's just me, but I was hoping for a sweeter love story than this. I do like the other Cowboy Season's books by this author.
June 20, 2023
TRYING AGAIN FOR RACHAEL
The story’s two main characters are Winter James of Texas and Stone McCoy, formerly of Texas and now in Montana. Sadly, I can’t say that I like Stone McCoy at all, he is reprehensible in how he handles things, especially with Winter. But then, Winter doesn’t make me care for her either, she alters her life because Stone dumped her when they were in college.
The story’s plot will have Winter working for a travel agency in her hometown in Texas. She had gone to college, her dream to be an architect, and when Stone breaks up with her, she basically gives up her dream, and instead, becomes a travel agent. She will be taking a different tour group this time, a trip to Alaska with only ten people. What a shock when one of the guests is none other than Stone McCoy. But this tour is doomed with one troublemaker in the group—Mimi. And then Winter finds herself without a job—no one willing to hire her—and she feels everyone has abandoned her. When Stone shows up at her door with a job offer—she accepts it—but it is all a lie. He needs her for his own gain and doesn’t care about how he gets his way. He has been keeping secrets—a daughter named Rachel.
Rachael: Can I be the flower girl?
Winter: For what, sweetheart?
Rachael: For your and Daddy’s wedding. You’ll wear white and I can wear pink. Daddy said it was a done deal. We’ll make cookies together, you can read me bedtime stories, and the best part of all is that I’ll have a mommy just like the other girls.
Yet—Stone sees her as the bad guy when she doesn’t just jump aboard his idea. Any other man look at her, talk to her, and he gets all angry again. The man has major issues and thinks he is right about everything and she is the one in the wrong—no matter what it is.
Winter: I don’t love you, Stone. I love the memory of you, the memory of us. And that’s my own fault—it has nothing to do with you. I do want to make a new life. The one you offered me on Halloween. I want a job and my own house, and I have a feeling that if you wanted, you could have that house ready right after Christmas. But—I love Rachael and I couldn’t leave her.
Stone: And me?
Winter: I already told you. I don’t love you, mainly because I don’t even know you. I’m attracted to you, and whenever I look at you, I want you to kiss me senseless, but I need to get to know you as the man you are, not the boy you were.
“She wished she could automatically give him the benefit of the doubt, but trust once broken needed to be earned again. She wanted to be more confident in his ability to change but she was afraid of being hurt again.”
“No matter what she did, it was wrong. She’d had a lifetime of wrong choices, choices made for her. How dare he suggest that she was bailing on him? It was going to be a long, lonely night and in the morning, she had to act happy for Rachael’s sake.”
“Listen, Winter, I know this isn’t how you pictured our life to be, but now, it is what it is.”
“Setting Winter straight on a few things was first on his list. Oh, who was he kidding? He had a lot of making up to do. The whole mess was his fault. He’d hurt Winter with his jealousy, lies, and overbearing behavior and he needed to make things right. How, he had no idea.”
I wish I could say I enjoyed the story but it was one step forward and four steps back in this twisted relationship. Some angst in a story makes it interesting, but for the entire story to be that way left me with no good feelings for the characters and their actions.
Winter has felt sorry for herself for ten years, never moved on, and no other relationship is just unbelievable. She is a glutton for punishment. While there is no physical abuse, his treatment of her is abusive and disturbing. Stone is a piece of work, he messed up but it is her fault. He lies, is deceitful, and acts like it is acceptable because he has an agenda.
The story’s two main characters are Winter James of Texas and Stone McCoy, formerly of Texas and now in Montana. Sadly, I can’t say that I like Stone McCoy at all, he is reprehensible in how he handles things, especially with Winter. But then, Winter doesn’t make me care for her either, she alters her life because Stone dumped her when they were in college.
The story’s plot will have Winter working for a travel agency in her hometown in Texas. She had gone to college, her dream to be an architect, and when Stone breaks up with her, she basically gives up her dream, and instead, becomes a travel agent. She will be taking a different tour group this time, a trip to Alaska with only ten people. What a shock when one of the guests is none other than Stone McCoy. But this tour is doomed with one troublemaker in the group—Mimi. And then Winter finds herself without a job—no one willing to hire her—and she feels everyone has abandoned her. When Stone shows up at her door with a job offer—she accepts it—but it is all a lie. He needs her for his own gain and doesn’t care about how he gets his way. He has been keeping secrets—a daughter named Rachel.
Rachael: Can I be the flower girl?
Winter: For what, sweetheart?
Rachael: For your and Daddy’s wedding. You’ll wear white and I can wear pink. Daddy said it was a done deal. We’ll make cookies together, you can read me bedtime stories, and the best part of all is that I’ll have a mommy just like the other girls.
Yet—Stone sees her as the bad guy when she doesn’t just jump aboard his idea. Any other man look at her, talk to her, and he gets all angry again. The man has major issues and thinks he is right about everything and she is the one in the wrong—no matter what it is.
Winter: I don’t love you, Stone. I love the memory of you, the memory of us. And that’s my own fault—it has nothing to do with you. I do want to make a new life. The one you offered me on Halloween. I want a job and my own house, and I have a feeling that if you wanted, you could have that house ready right after Christmas. But—I love Rachael and I couldn’t leave her.
Stone: And me?
Winter: I already told you. I don’t love you, mainly because I don’t even know you. I’m attracted to you, and whenever I look at you, I want you to kiss me senseless, but I need to get to know you as the man you are, not the boy you were.
“She wished she could automatically give him the benefit of the doubt, but trust once broken needed to be earned again. She wanted to be more confident in his ability to change but she was afraid of being hurt again.”
“No matter what she did, it was wrong. She’d had a lifetime of wrong choices, choices made for her. How dare he suggest that she was bailing on him? It was going to be a long, lonely night and in the morning, she had to act happy for Rachael’s sake.”
“Listen, Winter, I know this isn’t how you pictured our life to be, but now, it is what it is.”
“Setting Winter straight on a few things was first on his list. Oh, who was he kidding? He had a lot of making up to do. The whole mess was his fault. He’d hurt Winter with his jealousy, lies, and overbearing behavior and he needed to make things right. How, he had no idea.”
I wish I could say I enjoyed the story but it was one step forward and four steps back in this twisted relationship. Some angst in a story makes it interesting, but for the entire story to be that way left me with no good feelings for the characters and their actions.
Winter has felt sorry for herself for ten years, never moved on, and no other relationship is just unbelievable. She is a glutton for punishment. While there is no physical abuse, his treatment of her is abusive and disturbing. Stone is a piece of work, he messed up but it is her fault. He lies, is deceitful, and acts like it is acceptable because he has an agenda.
May 29, 2017
Sharing a lifetime of love
After ten years of a broken relationship. Stone discovers Winter, works as a cruise director. He purchased an Alaskan cruise, to meet up again. Both have feelings, full of resentment. Winter try's her best, Mimi makes accusations gets her fired. Stone takes Winter home. Tells her that she has home and job. Flabbergasted comes running, a little girl saying daddy you're home. Rachel sweet toddler full of life, ask are my mommy? Things tenses between Winter and Stone. Later she finds out Stu is the father, Stone cousin. Clare does not care for Rachel. Stone and Winter marry. Rachel happy she can be now has a mommy. Stu comes to see Rachel, Stone is mad tells Stu to talk with Clare. Winter and Stone scared of losing Rachel. Finally Clare and Stu sign off parental rights. Rachel is adopted by Stone and Winter. And Rachel adopts Spot her pony. Lots misunderstandings in this book, good clean character's worth reading.
After ten years of a broken relationship. Stone discovers Winter, works as a cruise director. He purchased an Alaskan cruise, to meet up again. Both have feelings, full of resentment. Winter try's her best, Mimi makes accusations gets her fired. Stone takes Winter home. Tells her that she has home and job. Flabbergasted comes running, a little girl saying daddy you're home. Rachel sweet toddler full of life, ask are my mommy? Things tenses between Winter and Stone. Later she finds out Stu is the father, Stone cousin. Clare does not care for Rachel. Stone and Winter marry. Rachel happy she can be now has a mommy. Stu comes to see Rachel, Stone is mad tells Stu to talk with Clare. Winter and Stone scared of losing Rachel. Finally Clare and Stu sign off parental rights. Rachel is adopted by Stone and Winter. And Rachel adopts Spot her pony. Lots misunderstandings in this book, good clean character's worth reading.
July 17, 2023
This is a well written Western romance with strong characters in Winter and Stone. It's a second chance romance with the two once being high school sweethearts until someone came between them. Now he's back and trying to win back her trust and love. It's a story of pain and forgiveness. The author does a beautiful job painting her scenes as she brings them together. I enjoyed reading their story.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
August 30, 2017
This book was okay. I felt the other books in the series were better. I felt that Stonee was mean and a bit pushy and Winter was stuck in the past. I had a hard time connecting with the characters , I really liked Rachael. The writing was good it was just the characters that were hard to connect with .
August 23, 2020
Meh. Didn't like the male character, Stone. He kept giving mixed signals. Also didn't like Stone & Winter as a couple. One of them would say something that would tick the other off and they wouldn't speak for 2 days even though living under the same roof. Stupid.
Didn't like the little girl either. I would like to see her melt down when someone finally says "no" to her.
Didn't like the little girl either. I would like to see her melt down when someone finally says "no" to her.
February 17, 2025
DNF.
The h doesn’t make sense. She’s not over the H but still mad at him. So mad that she went to his house and agreed to take care of his daughter. She sends so many mixed signals not just to the H but to everyone, including herself. Seems like the author can’t make up her mind about the h too. Never read an h so wishy-washy as she is.
The h doesn’t make sense. She’s not over the H but still mad at him. So mad that she went to his house and agreed to take care of his daughter. She sends so many mixed signals not just to the H but to everyone, including herself. Seems like the author can’t make up her mind about the h too. Never read an h so wishy-washy as she is.
February 2, 2017
I enjoyed the other season's books, but man this one just would not end. She kept going on and on about how he had hurt her. It got really old and annoying. I muddled through, but I did not like it at all.
May 28, 2017
Book 3 rachel has issues, old love, breakup, a cruise, tust issues and does she find love at last?
February 10, 2018
I struggled with this one. Lie after lie then all wrapped up in a happy ending
Read
August 20, 2020Great story. Loved both main characters. Hated foggy it to end.
October 7, 2020
Juvenile, unnecessary drama, choppy storyline, weak female lead.
May 12, 2022
I couldn’t finish this book, even after reading 50+%. The main characters were shallow and pretty ridiculous, stupid and self-entered.
February 25, 2017
If I could give less than 1 star I would. Awful in every way!
September 2, 2016
This was a pretty good book. The first I've read by Kathleen, and it kept me interested in what was happening to the characters. I really liked both Winter and Stone, but man are they both hard-headed. Stone comes back into Winter's life 10 years after dumping her over the phone. I understand why she doesn't trust him, and am confused as to why he would think that she would just automatically fall into his arms after what he did. Yes, he did come back and declare that he still loved her, but he didn't explain for a long time why he had done what he did. Winter, for her part, kind of pissed me off. I think she truly didn't know what or who she wanted, and being around Stone only made things worse, in my opinion. Granted, he was there to offer her a job and a place to live after she lost everything. By the time these two actually sat down and talked about what had happened in the past and tried to deal with that, I was glad that Winter finally said that she needed time. Stone wanted to give her that time, but he also didn't. He wanted her right now, and wasn't afraid of staking claim to her, even though she hadn't said what she wanted. I did like the ending, and loved the way that Winter treated Rachel from the beginning. When Stone finally realized that he hadn't been asking Winter all that time, but telling her - that's when he finally got somewhere. I really wanted to slap both of them upside the head a few times. I would be interested in reading more books by Kathleen, and I am interested in going back and reading the beginning of this series to see what's happened in the past, and how the other characters connect.
May 29, 2014
I ‘ve read Summer’s Desire, Autumn’s Hope and Winter’s Embrace—I’ve become a Kathleen Ball fan! Like the other books, Winter’s Embrace doesn’t hinge on the “will he get the girl, will she get her man” line. She creates a depth to her characters that makes you relate to the fact that they have lived; and often their lives haven’t always been happy or satisfactory. They are flawed, but feel realistic which is important to me.
Winter and Stone aren’t strangers—they loved each other years ago. Stone left her without giving her a valid explanation, leaving her shattered and broken hearted. When he comes back into her life, she almost immediately finds herself out of a job. He offers her employment looking after Rachel, who is his little girl. Rachel is a bubbly, happy, wonderful little girl who steals Winters heart.
Stone still loves Winter, but time and again she learns that he has deceived her once more. Even though she has never gotten over her love for him, she comes to believe she cannot trust him, and without trust a broken heart will surely be her lot.
Rachel desperately wants a mother, and she wants Winter to make her family complete, but Winter can’t take the chance of being so deeply hurt again.
Stone is constantly taking two steps forward and one back. He has his work cut out for him. Like many men, he can only see what he wants and his desperation makes him do things that push her even further away.
Don’t miss Winters Embrace.
Winter and Stone aren’t strangers—they loved each other years ago. Stone left her without giving her a valid explanation, leaving her shattered and broken hearted. When he comes back into her life, she almost immediately finds herself out of a job. He offers her employment looking after Rachel, who is his little girl. Rachel is a bubbly, happy, wonderful little girl who steals Winters heart.
Stone still loves Winter, but time and again she learns that he has deceived her once more. Even though she has never gotten over her love for him, she comes to believe she cannot trust him, and without trust a broken heart will surely be her lot.
Rachel desperately wants a mother, and she wants Winter to make her family complete, but Winter can’t take the chance of being so deeply hurt again.
Stone is constantly taking two steps forward and one back. He has his work cut out for him. Like many men, he can only see what he wants and his desperation makes him do things that push her even further away.
Don’t miss Winters Embrace.
May 26, 2014
What a nice, enjoyable read. Ball develops her world in a quiet, low key manner that lets her readers focus on the storyline while they can also picture their surroundings. While Ball incorporates the elements traditionally found in a contemporary romance she also tells a story that stands out on its own. There are so many unique elements to this story that you can’t help but appreciate it. I also appreciate the fact that the lives of the characters were left open at the end while the story had a sense of completeness and no loose ends.
The characters in this novel were quite well developed, both the main characters and the supporting ones. I quite enjoyed getting to know everyone in such a natural setting. Nothing ever seemed forced. I’ve got to admit, however, that there were many times where I wanted to beat the two main characters on the head with a pillow. The number of times that they said they needed to talk and then refused to talk was bordering on ridiculous.
And now for the important questions: Is this my first novel by this author? Yes. Will I be reading more? Yes, can’t wait to read the rest of this series & her other writing. And finally. Would I recommend this to others? Most definitely.
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
The characters in this novel were quite well developed, both the main characters and the supporting ones. I quite enjoyed getting to know everyone in such a natural setting. Nothing ever seemed forced. I’ve got to admit, however, that there were many times where I wanted to beat the two main characters on the head with a pillow. The number of times that they said they needed to talk and then refused to talk was bordering on ridiculous.
And now for the important questions: Is this my first novel by this author? Yes. Will I be reading more? Yes, can’t wait to read the rest of this series & her other writing. And finally. Would I recommend this to others? Most definitely.
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
June 4, 2014
Winter’s Embrace is a romance between Winter and Stone. Stone broke Winter’s heart ten years ago, but now he wants her back. I had a hard time connecting with Winter’s character. Winter shut her life down after Stone broke her heart and just stopped living. Now that she can finally have him back, she’s not sure what to do. She goes back and forth so much it was like reading a tennis match. Stone wasn’t much better. Between his lack of communication skills and inability to say I’m sorry and Winter’s wishwashiness, it read like an immature high school romance.
The story idea for Winter’s Embrace is very appealing. Unfortunately, Ball fell into the writer’s trap of telling us the story instead of showing us. Putting Winter’s Romance in the Western Romance genre is a bit misleading. Although the second half of the novel does take place on a ranch, the action centers on the two characters and could have happened at any remote location.
I recommend this book for lovers of old-fashioned romance stories.
The story idea for Winter’s Embrace is very appealing. Unfortunately, Ball fell into the writer’s trap of telling us the story instead of showing us. Putting Winter’s Romance in the Western Romance genre is a bit misleading. Although the second half of the novel does take place on a ranch, the action centers on the two characters and could have happened at any remote location.
I recommend this book for lovers of old-fashioned romance stories.
October 16, 2014
Lost Love Found!
Enjoyed this story of lost love between old high school sweethearts although I found it a little frustrating that the two of them could not talk to each other. Stone would have been a more likeable character if he would have opened up a little more. Same as Winter. But I loved little Rachael, the only one in the book that had any sense. And after saying that, the storyline was very good and I really did like Stone and Winter even though they needed a good talking to! Wonderful secondary characters played their parts well. Looking forward to the next one. JudyE
Enjoyed this story of lost love between old high school sweethearts although I found it a little frustrating that the two of them could not talk to each other. Stone would have been a more likeable character if he would have opened up a little more. Same as Winter. But I loved little Rachael, the only one in the book that had any sense. And after saying that, the storyline was very good and I really did like Stone and Winter even though they needed a good talking to! Wonderful secondary characters played their parts well. Looking forward to the next one. JudyE
December 3, 2016
I honestly am surprised how many people rate this book highly. I'm glad it was part of a free download because if I had paid for this I'd be mad. The overall premise of the book is decent (hence 2 stars instead of 1) but the characters are simply unbelievable. If they had an actual conversation the book would be maybe 3 chapters long.
I barely made it to the end of the book. I read it as third in the 4 book set. The writing has steadily gone downhill with each book, and at this point I'm wondering if I'll be able to complete the fourth.
I barely made it to the end of the book. I read it as third in the 4 book set. The writing has steadily gone downhill with each book, and at this point I'm wondering if I'll be able to complete the fourth.
December 12, 2015
Winter meets her one love ten years after he broke her heart. Stone finally looks Winter up after a mistake years ago. You know the one...where he wakes up with another woman in his bed, and later she claims she pregnant. All does not go smoothly for them. He kept saying the wrong things and she kept getting hurt. She didn't have enough backbone to stay away from him. I have the first book in this series to read by Kathleen Ball. WILL go read that one next.
November 18, 2016
I believe that this was my favorite of the Cowboy Seasons collection. I enjoyed the characters and the plot was very realistic. I found Winter was a character that I could relate to easily. The descriptions of Montana during the Winter were so beautiful. The little cherub and joy of the story, Rachael was so heartwarming.
November 19, 2015
Good book
This was a good book to read. I liked the characters and their story line. I loved Rachel. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.
This was a good book to read. I liked the characters and their story line. I loved Rachel. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.
November 12, 2016
My least favorite book of all the series. I wanted to punch Stone in the face.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews