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A Kiss in Winter
Six years ago tragedy struck and Caroline Rogers had to make tough decisions to sell the family farm and put her life on hold to raise her younger siblings. Now that they're entering adulthood and her long-delayed photography career is taking off, she can almost taste the freedom.
Shaken by self-doubt, Dr. Mick Larsen turns his back on his big-city psychiatric practice and settles for the small-town quiet of Redbud Mill, where he can hide his past successes and failures. To Caroline, he shows only a man who wants to put down roots and start a family--good reasons for her to stay away. Then someone starts vandalizing local landmarks she has photographed. Now Caroline must convince a man with little faith in his own abilities that he can help her find the disturbed mind in their midst. But even as she teaches him to trust himself, she must fight the temptation to trust him with her future and her heart.
Shaken by self-doubt, Dr. Mick Larsen turns his back on his big-city psychiatric practice and settles for the small-town quiet of Redbud Mill, where he can hide his past successes and failures. To Caroline, he shows only a man who wants to put down roots and start a family--good reasons for her to stay away. Then someone starts vandalizing local landmarks she has photographed. Now Caroline must convince a man with little faith in his own abilities that he can help her find the disturbed mind in their midst. But even as she teaches him to trust himself, she must fight the temptation to trust him with her future and her heart.
381 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
27 people are currently reading
223 people want to read
About the author
Susan Crandall
19 books825 followersAlas, the rumor is true, Susan was a dental hygienist in her previous career. However, she "retired" from that profession many years ago and has been a full-time author ever since--thanks to all of you fabulous readers.
Susan grew up in a small Indiana town, married a guy from that town, and then moved to Chicago for a while. She is pleased to say that she has been back in her hometown for many years and plans to stay.
She's received a RITA, two National Reader's Choice Awards and a SIBA Award for Fiction. Her books include an Indie Next Pick, Okra Picks, a Target Book Club pick, and are popular with book clubs.
THE MYTH OF PERPETUAL SUMMER will be released June 19, 2018.
Join her newsletter for new release announcements. http://susancrandall.net/newsletter/
Susan grew up in a small Indiana town, married a guy from that town, and then moved to Chicago for a while. She is pleased to say that she has been back in her hometown for many years and plans to stay.
She's received a RITA, two National Reader's Choice Awards and a SIBA Award for Fiction. Her books include an Indie Next Pick, Okra Picks, a Target Book Club pick, and are popular with book clubs.
THE MYTH OF PERPETUAL SUMMER will be released June 19, 2018.
Join her newsletter for new release announcements. http://susancrandall.net/newsletter/
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 16, 2016
I expected this book to be an easy read but it wasn't. The story didn't hook me the way I thought it would, even though the characters all interesting. Caroline Rogers lived through eight years of neglect before finding an adoptive home with the Rogers family. When her adoptive parents die, she is left to finish raising her younger two siblings. But now they are nearly launched and she is ready to start her own life as a photographer. Meanwhile, Mick Larsen, psychiatrist, has bought her old homestead and has given up his medical practice to become a farmer. This is unheard of in the Larsen family but Mick is tired of living up to expectations that are not his own. Caroline "rescues" Mick from the farm's mischievous raccoon and the two discover a lot in common. Including the fact that Mick likes her work. He has one of her calendars. Lots of local landmarks photographed at perfect moments. Is it a coincidence when vandals start striking at them in order of the calendar? Each month bringing something new? Or is someone trying to hurt Caroline and if so, why? It was pretty easy to figure out the mystery and some of the other conflicts such as those between herself and her siblings weren't given enough room to grow. It was enjoyable but not great.
September 1, 2014
Liked the mystery, and that the ending wasn't completely predictable. A good rainy holiday read!!
January 7, 2017
Too small town Mayberry for me.
March 5, 2018
enjoyable tho somewhat predictable.
September 29, 2019
This one kept me reading first time reading the Souther, and I must say a pleasant surprise. I won’t give anything away except to say you surprised me.
February 25, 2020
I really enjoyed reading this book.
July 26, 2022
Good rainy day easy read. Interesting, combo of mystery/suspense and romance.
March 25, 2011
A Kiss in Winter brings two people with haunted pasts together, who teach each other how to move onward and live. Just as they are entering the fragile new stage of their relationship, an intruder threatens to take away their happiness. They will either be thrown further apart or form a bond that will enable them to make a life together.
Caroline Rogers has dealt with more tragedies than any person should ever have to endure in a lifetime. Dealing with a less than idyllic childhood with a neglected mother, then later grieving the death of her mother, and being fostered away to the Rogerses who soon adopts her. For an interlude Caroline found herself belonging to a family, being cared for and loved, but much too much another tragedy strikes. In a tragic turn of events Caroline loses both her foster parents and once again she is alone. Not completely alone, taking on the role of guardian to her siblings Macie and Sam. This meant put aside her dreams of photography in order to raise them. Five years later she finally sees the fruits of her labour. She hss raised them as best as she could. It is finally time to let them go and she is ready to take on the world.
Someone else is ready to take her on. An unknown threat; no face, no identity, no motive.
Enter Dr. Mick Larsen, a psychiatrist who has moved into Caroline's former home. He has forgone his practice for a life on a farm. He has his own demons to tackle but from the moment they meet he feels connected to Caroline. There is an instant attraction that is both intriguing, but also unwelcoming. He nor Caroline is ready to be in a relationship. She is headed for bigger things, and he is content to forget his former life and start anew, alone and anonymous.
Yet, fate keeps bringing them together, or rather the deliberate acts of vandalisms to the subjects of Caroline's photographs. Someone wants her attention and with each act, it gets more brazen and figuring out the intruder's identity is a mind game. Mick has the capability to do so but it is his self-doubt that keeps him at bay.
Teenage angst is also key in this story. While Sam is off to college, his independence worries Caroline, probably because he doesn't deal so well with freedom. His outlet is graffiti art; he is gifted but expresses it illegally. Then there is Macie, dependable and responsible but who is breaking free from that mold. She and Caroline are frequently at odds with what she wants out of life; they are at an impasse but the mysterious threats on Caroline's life will also bring them closer.
With such an interesting I really wanted to like this story. The beginning started off slowly and yet it never built into anything substantial. Although, the story is a sensitive one that really makes you feel, I couldn't connect with the characters. The teenage angst had such a presence that it overshadowed Caroline and Mick's relationship, and even it was never quite resolved. I couldn't sympathize with Caroline and found Mick too meek. It takes patience to get into the story and as it unfolded it did get better. I did like the end when things were finally happening.
Caroline Rogers has dealt with more tragedies than any person should ever have to endure in a lifetime. Dealing with a less than idyllic childhood with a neglected mother, then later grieving the death of her mother, and being fostered away to the Rogerses who soon adopts her. For an interlude Caroline found herself belonging to a family, being cared for and loved, but much too much another tragedy strikes. In a tragic turn of events Caroline loses both her foster parents and once again she is alone. Not completely alone, taking on the role of guardian to her siblings Macie and Sam. This meant put aside her dreams of photography in order to raise them. Five years later she finally sees the fruits of her labour. She hss raised them as best as she could. It is finally time to let them go and she is ready to take on the world.
Someone else is ready to take her on. An unknown threat; no face, no identity, no motive.
Enter Dr. Mick Larsen, a psychiatrist who has moved into Caroline's former home. He has forgone his practice for a life on a farm. He has his own demons to tackle but from the moment they meet he feels connected to Caroline. There is an instant attraction that is both intriguing, but also unwelcoming. He nor Caroline is ready to be in a relationship. She is headed for bigger things, and he is content to forget his former life and start anew, alone and anonymous.
Yet, fate keeps bringing them together, or rather the deliberate acts of vandalisms to the subjects of Caroline's photographs. Someone wants her attention and with each act, it gets more brazen and figuring out the intruder's identity is a mind game. Mick has the capability to do so but it is his self-doubt that keeps him at bay.
Teenage angst is also key in this story. While Sam is off to college, his independence worries Caroline, probably because he doesn't deal so well with freedom. His outlet is graffiti art; he is gifted but expresses it illegally. Then there is Macie, dependable and responsible but who is breaking free from that mold. She and Caroline are frequently at odds with what she wants out of life; they are at an impasse but the mysterious threats on Caroline's life will also bring them closer.
With such an interesting I really wanted to like this story. The beginning started off slowly and yet it never built into anything substantial. Although, the story is a sensitive one that really makes you feel, I couldn't connect with the characters. The teenage angst had such a presence that it overshadowed Caroline and Mick's relationship, and even it was never quite resolved. I couldn't sympathize with Caroline and found Mick too meek. It takes patience to get into the story and as it unfolded it did get better. I did like the end when things were finally happening.
May 4, 2010
Caroline Rogers was forced to put her life on hold six years ago, when her adoptive parents died and she took guardianship of her two younger siblings. Now, her brother is off to college and she has only one more year to wait until her sister joins him...Then, Caroline will be finally free to pursue her dream of being a photographer. No strings attached, not teenagers to look after, no man to break her heart. Especially not Mick Larsen, a psychiatrist that decided to be a farmer that poses way too much of a threat to Caroline's peace of mind.
Then, someone starts to vandalize landmarks she photographed for a calendar, and the "pranks" start escalating. Could it be something personal?
Not having particularly liked Ms. Crandall's Sleep No More, I was pleasantly surprised with how this book started. The lovely feeling didn't last, though, because the story itself was once again lost in the mire of inner monologues, pseudo-psych evaluations (yes, the hero is once again a psychiatrist, though Mick doesn't practice anymore), and the heroine's indecision and inconsistencies.
God, Caroline was so obnoxiously annoying it would be laughable if it didn't make this book a rather painful experience to read. She had no idea what she wanted, nothing seemed to please her, whether things went according to plan or not, she was so emotionally handicapped it made my teeth hurt, and I simply wished someone would slap the chick silly. Sadly, it didn't happen.
So, the heroine in general, hero's family and work-related issues, the heroine's younger sister (a teenager all over the place because of a guy), the heroine's severe dislike (for no apparent reason, beside his sex) of her younger sister's boyfriend and intimacy and emotional issues, clogged this story so much that when finally time came for some suspense, I was too exhausted to care. Besides, the villain became apparent as soon as the subject was breached (before the characters figured it out), and the whole idea of a photographer and a psychiatrist taking on a demented stalker/villain, uncovering clues instead of the police and actually going to the sheriff in preacher mode struck me as a tad too unbelievable.
Annoying, arrhythmic in its pacing, and with a volatile heroine perfect for a stray bullet to hit her.
Then, someone starts to vandalize landmarks she photographed for a calendar, and the "pranks" start escalating. Could it be something personal?
Not having particularly liked Ms. Crandall's Sleep No More, I was pleasantly surprised with how this book started. The lovely feeling didn't last, though, because the story itself was once again lost in the mire of inner monologues, pseudo-psych evaluations (yes, the hero is once again a psychiatrist, though Mick doesn't practice anymore), and the heroine's indecision and inconsistencies.
God, Caroline was so obnoxiously annoying it would be laughable if it didn't make this book a rather painful experience to read. She had no idea what she wanted, nothing seemed to please her, whether things went according to plan or not, she was so emotionally handicapped it made my teeth hurt, and I simply wished someone would slap the chick silly. Sadly, it didn't happen.
So, the heroine in general, hero's family and work-related issues, the heroine's younger sister (a teenager all over the place because of a guy), the heroine's severe dislike (for no apparent reason, beside his sex) of her younger sister's boyfriend and intimacy and emotional issues, clogged this story so much that when finally time came for some suspense, I was too exhausted to care. Besides, the villain became apparent as soon as the subject was breached (before the characters figured it out), and the whole idea of a photographer and a psychiatrist taking on a demented stalker/villain, uncovering clues instead of the police and actually going to the sheriff in preacher mode struck me as a tad too unbelievable.
Annoying, arrhythmic in its pacing, and with a volatile heroine perfect for a stray bullet to hit her.
June 6, 2008
i had also really enjoyed this book. the characters are well written and the story line is very enjoyable. the woman was adopted and her adoptive parents had two of their own. the parents get killed and she is left raising her sibs. she sells the property and 6 years later is bought by someone else. she goes to the property for the first time in 6 years since moving out andmeets him. she has plans for her future and he enters her feeling and than all sort of things happen that have to do with her work. the guy she fell in love with helps her to figure out what is going on with the vandalism, damaage and people getting hurt at places that reflect her work. they fall in love and find the culprit. and it has a happy ending. i love the characters becuase in alot of stories who get the love dovey stuff that can only be made up. with this author, i feel she is like nora roberts and jude deceruax. it is written in the sence of not being true, but yet the characters are writeen with a storyline that can be true enough that it leaves you wanting to know what happened.
February 5, 2016
As romance/mystery stories go, A Kiss in Winter was adequate. In all fairness I'm not a fan of either genre but have enjoyed other books by Susan Crandall. This one was okay, an interesting premise of the hometown boy turned failed psychiatrist who returns to Redbud Hill and immediately falls for a local young woman who has an important tie to the farm he buys. I thought the reason for the landmark vandalism that fuels the story was good, but the way the perpetrator of the acts was fleshed out was simply dumb. Which for me meant the saving of the heroine by the hero was dumb. The epilogue is satisfying but not surprising. If you enjoy romantic mysteries, A Kiss in Winter will fill the bill. It's not great literature but it is entertaining reading on a winter day.
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June 29, 2009Not what I'm used to reading. I love the mystery of finding out who it was, I was also satisified with who the culprit was, because it's better to read a mystery when it's someone you least expect. Recommend for a light romantic read. 1.5/5 stars.
September 9, 2008
Excellent story
April 4, 2010
A wonderful suspenseful story of healing and finding true love.
January 13, 2013
Good read, enjoyed characters & plot, also a romance
November 29, 2013
Rating 3.25 stars
The romance was lack-luster and I didn't warm up to the heroine so much, who was so cold and controlled.
The romance was lack-luster and I didn't warm up to the heroine so much, who was so cold and controlled.
September 14, 2014
I'm making my way through all of Susan Crandall's novels. A decent story with a dash of suspense and a hunky psychiatrist turned farmer. Moving on...
January 11, 2016
Took this book on courier trip because it was small. It was not the quality of writing I enjoy. I read well over half then skimmed to the end. I would not recommend this book.
November 14, 2019
great book - now i want to read the rest of her books!
September 12, 2012
I love this book. If you like Robin Carr, here is a new author to try!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews