Luke always thought he and Winter were the perfect couple—until the day Winter announced he was taking a new job and they were uprooting and headed for Germany. No discussion. No debate. For the first time in his life, Winter miscalculated. Badly. Now Luke is trying his best to move on with his life, but Winter is back in town and he’s set on digging their relationship out of the deep freeze.
LB Gregg (Lisabea) writes fun, fast-paced contemporary male/male romances for a variety of publishers including Riptide, Samhain, and Carina Press. Her wildly successful Men of Smithfield books feature hot, hunky men looking for love in small town New England. Find more information about LB, The Men of Smithfield, and her fun series Romano and Albright at www.lbgregg.com.
Seriously, friends, this is some bullshit right here.
L.B. Gregg has made a fool out of me.
The nerve of an author to take everything I love and fit it all into one neatly packaged, beautifully presented little story. How dare you. I have shelves labelled "100-stars", and "favorites" that this short is now on, and they still don't feel like enough. Because seriously, how do I read something else after that? Me--Natasha Snow, disliker of many things, general Bah, Humbugger, and snarky reviewer. It would be like gorging myself on my grandma's famous coffee cake for an entire day, and then having to eat spinach for a week.
You, L.B. Gregg, have created my perfect characters (That's right folks! Not one, but two fantastical main characters!) and paired them together in the scenario I love most, in just the dandiest way. I was prepping myself to leave my home life here in Canada to move to fucking Berlin to be with Winter, a fictional character. While reading Waiting for Winter, IT DIDN'T EVEN SEEM UNREALISTIC TO DO SO. My shit is pretty much packed!
Oh, how I've fallen in love with Winter. We're going to have babies (Don't ruin this for me!) and they're going to be named Winter (jr.) Snow. AW. Adorable and strippery? Maybe. I'm getting sidetracked.
I'm keeping this review spoiler-free because I plan to rec it to friends and buy it for them and suchsuch, but it's difficult to explain the level of wonderful writing, colorful characters, and overall loveliness of this story.
Which is just fucking rude. Because now I'm ruined forever to other stories, and I don't want to read a single one. I'm just going to reread this another time or two or possibly forever. It's just so funny, and so clever, and so damningly romantic.
The length of this story was fantastic. I felt the angst, the love, the loss, the pissiness, the redemption, the sexiness. All of it.
If this is Gregg's most recently published story, I must say she has hit a wonderful stride that has left me very pissy as I await her next story. Because this is great.
Really, honestly, just . . . fantastic.
And damn you for that! I'm ruined! *shakes fist in the air for all of eternity*
Oh my god, I can't even grrrastfwglghjklasfrtyuiwefteowrhgeqor9uteiqudhgpvuqehrfg!!!#$%^&(@%#$&!!!
!Where is my groveling apology? Where is Winter's abject begging for forgiveness?
Winter, you're a dick. Luke, STOP FUCKING TAKING THE BLAME. Stop waiting for Winter and grow a spine. He will never change, no matter how many hand-blown Christmas ornaments he buys WITHOUT YOU.
AND IT'S ALL OKAY BECAUSE HE MARRIES YOU? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?
I had no idea the epilogue would make me hate this book more.
Stoopid book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
3.5 stars The story and the narration were both good. I feel like this would have been great as a companion novella. If there was a full length novel before it, and this was a 'what happened next' kind of thing. Overall, an enjoyable Christmas audio.
Well, if this is the worst book/story I read this week I'll consider myself damn lucky...
That said, I wanted more from this tale; specifically, more of Winter groveling for Luke's forgiveness. Sure, he said he'd do all these awesome things to make it up to Luke, to get him to trust and love him the way he used to...but I'm more of the "actions" not words kind of girl. Show me.
And yeah, okay, there was some fault on Luke's part...but what's a guy to do in his situation? His partner up and makes such a huge decision and just expects Luke to go along with it? Giving him only a couple weeks notice? I'd have tossed the asshole out, too, if only to protect my heart...and do some self-reflection to find out if I picked someone that cared little for what I wanted, or if I'd ceded all the power to someone who made a decision for me thinking that's what I wanted him to do. Either way, yeah, no. Time apart was the right thing.
Kinda wish Luke hadn't caved so quickly to sleeping with Luke during the first visit though as it made him look like a doormat. I get the second bout of weakness...but not the first.
*le sigh*
Anywho, it was still a good listen. If anything Derrick McClain made this so much more enjoyable. I really liked the voices he used for each character and the performance was neither over-the-top or deadly-dull.
While I agree with Emma's sentiment about Winter needing to grovel more, and Luke needing to stop taking the blame, I find I still loved this read.
The descriptions and pacing of story really worked for me, and I liked the spark of these characters. Could have used a little fleshing out--more sorries and showing of change--but nevertheless, great writing. I didn't skim a beat.
My first L.B. Gregg book, I think. Must check out more . . .
I enjoyed the writing, but I wasn't invested in the relationship. Win came across as a dick, and I didn't care enough about him at the end to root for him. I thought Luke deserved better.
Menfolk can be so stubborn sometimes. But, hey, it makes for some good post-breakup-but-still-pining for you sexual tension.
This one has snow blizzards in Vermont and two hard-headed ex-lovers (Luke and Winter) who barely find their way through the snow and hurt to communicate what went wrong in their eight year relationship. They broke up a year ago when Winter (Win) made plans to move to Germany for his work, and Luke got pissed when he wasn’t consulted first. So, a year of hurt feelings and anger ensues. But the easy booty call at the top of this chapter in their story shows that things still run hot with these two.
Win makes a quick stop back in town, and Luke plays cold and hard to get. Until Win (re)charms his pants off. Because, by golly, Winter is too hot (sorry, couldn’t resist), and Luke can’t resist the nookie. It’s true, the sexual tension is undeniable and that works really well in the story.
This starts off well, I really liked that tension built up around hurt and misunderstanding, the wait to see how these two would figure it out… the hope for comfort. But… you can’t look too closely at these characters; they really come off as pretty silly if you think about it too closely. After eight years together (!!!), when a few words of communication would have helped, they go off to their broody corners, licking their wounds. C’mon.
We don’t get Win’s viewpoint, and he comes off as aloof, arrogant, not terribly likable. And, Luke… we don’t get any background at all about who he is, outside of his relationship with Winter. What does he do? How does he occupy his time? (hint: the title says it all) We know what Win does… All we know about Luke is that he was the one to break things off, and he’s pining and bitter and alone. Our image of him is as the lover who gets left behind, and he only gets galvanized when Winter shows up again. (And god help him, Win’s nick for Luke is ‘Lu’) Sorry, but it all just works to diminish (and almost emasculate) Luke in my mind. And the ending only reinforces that.
The short story format doesn’t work as well, here. The anger and tension is dealt with too quickly. We don’t get enough time to really buy the possibility of their getting back together-- with a too-ready neat bow at the end.
Waiting for Winter is part of the Comfort and Joy holiday anthology.
I came to this because I love getting short ABs to fill a couple of hours and though I do like Derrick McClain sometimes he doesn't work for me. I'm thrilled that on this occasion he was excellent because the story deserves it. L.B. Gregg is a "new-to-me" author and I'll definitely try more.
This is the story of Luke and Winter, a case of opposites attract who turned out to be a perfect couple until they weren't. Winter is one of those company fixers, think Richard Gere in Pretty Woman, who travels for his work. Luke, his younger partner, is fine with staying back and keeping the homefires burning until Winter makes a unilateral decision to move to Germany, which Luke isn't having and they separate. The book opens with Winter trying to reconnect after some months of separation and suitably progresses, as befits a Holiday romance, to their reconciliation by Christmas. This summary may sound clinical but I felt that it was beautifully done, but more importantly, believable.
What I loved about this story is a long list, but primarily I liked that it's a story about adults in an established relationship and that neither the author nor the characters shy away from what that might mean. The author doesn't pretty-up a CEO like Winter. He is ruthless, pragmatic, and used to getting his way. Though he comes around and apologizes, beautifully, to Luke for how he's behaved as pertains to their relationship and we, as readers, are confident that Luke will be well loved and taken care of, we're also sure that Winter will continue to be the successful businessman with all that entails. For his part Luke is honest enough to recognize his powerlessness in the presence of a Winter who wants him back, to see where he himself has been at fault, wether by commission or omission, and more importantly to forgive and hold tight to the good thing they have and not dwell on his hurts, perceived or real.
Those are the other BIG themes in this story: forgiveness, true love, and, more importantly, the willingness to alter or modify our dreams and plans because sometimes, that other life is just as good, just as rewarding. It's just different. Sometimes we are so wrapped up in what we thought our life would be or look like that we can't see anything else, any other options, but they ARE there. And they're not bad.
As for the romance between Luke and Winter, to me, it felt real, lived in, and genuine. And still sizzling.
I really really enjoyed this audiobook! Narrator Derrick McClain was really entertaining and totally captured both Winter's and Luke's character nuances. It's a short, quick listen but totally put me in that LET'S ALL LOVE EACH OTHER holiday mood!
Recommended listen!
**************************** Review of full anthology here:
I'm generally not a fan of holiday season stories - I'm not so good with the schmaltz. But I read them anyway. Why? Because Christmas. How do I avoid getting caught up in Christmas? I love it! But I also read them because sometimes, I stumble over a beautifully written, unsentimental gem, like Waiting for Winter. I thought I had already read the best reunion story I was likely to find this year about five or so months ago; I was wrong. This was moving, amazing, and worth every second of my time. I'm so glad I found this one.
L.B. Gregg knows how to write and as usual her story just flows. Good pacing, natural-feeling dialogue, nice story-telling, there's nothing to complain about in writing style here.
So, why the three stars then? Because I kinda hated Winter and it seemed weird how Lu would go from in two seconds flat. Please, just walk all over me. Please.
I wanted to like this book, but unfortunately I couldn`t stand Winter. I didn`t like his personality. He was such an arrogant ass. Luke apologized several times before he got a meager apology from Winter. This was too late, too little to redeem himself.
Usually I like this author, but this story disappointed me.
Sweet story of broken hearts, mended after a year apart, and firmly together again. Short audiobook narrated beautifully by Derrick McClain. Grab this one for your Christmas stocking.
Short, sweet story that started when Winter takes a new job in Berlin, German. Winter expects Luke to just pack up and leave his life behind on a very short notice. He’d taken a job, in another country, with no discussion, no thought to my wishes, or my life, or how I would feel
When 6 months later, in midsummer, Winter is back home and they end up having sex, Luke can not deal with "the talk" and flees his house.
In midwinter, during Christmas, the two are put back together, but this time Winter is not letting Luke slip away.
Unless this story is seen as a cautionary tale, it is a recipe for disaster in healthy long-term relationships. There is at least a 15-year age difference between the two main characters. Normally, I like this arrangement unless the power dynamic between the two is very unbalanced as it is here. Winter feeds off the need to show that Luke is inferior. Winter thrives on being either the corporate raider or the worldly sophisticate. Of course, Luke is not. Worst of all, Winter expects Luke to give up everything he has—his job, home, family, friends, language, nearly everything he is—just to help Winter feel more fulfilled. What about Luke’s fulfillment and needs? They are mentioned nowhere in the story other than Luke’s sexual desire for Winter. Even their nicknames for each other sound like “win” and “lose.”
Sad. Really pathetic. There are worse things in life than being lonely, like having no self-respect. Luke you need to grow up and find out who you are. Also, move to a warmer clime where you know the language, and for God’s sake, stay away from Winter.
I liked the story, despite the fact that I felt Win needed to grovel some more, I mean truly grovel. What he did was uncalled for in committed relationship. And although I thought Luke forgave Winter a bit too quickly, his forgiveness felt very real, human. When someone's miserable and longing for their other half, it's the easiest thing sometimes to just let the bitterness and sadness go and allow themselves to feel happy and complete again. Winter also looked like he learned a valuable lesson by the latter half of the story - took him long enough though. If the story had been longer, I definitely think we would've gotten a better look at Winter and not mostly seen his arrogant side, which would've portrayed him a little less dick'ish and more deserving of Luke.
Yeah, no. This one didn't really work for me. I didn't understand why Winter got off the hook so easily. What was the point to the entire story if Luke took all the blame & all's well that ends well? Because of a pretty tree? Hmm... Nope. Not for me. I am a sucker for nicknames though. So there's that. 2.5 stars.
This is an amazing love story between Luke and Winter. A touching story of misunderstandings but love coming through. It is a story I wish wasn't just a stand alone and was part of a series. The story line was wonderful and great characters.
Winter Kendrick made a huge mistake that hurt his partner and caused a rift that has lasted almost a year. Luke needs to see if holding a grudge and making Winter pay is worth more than forgiving and moving on. This Christmas seems like the right time to do it.
I love L B Gregg’s writing style. It is easy and fluid and engaging. Waiting For Winter was all of that as well as a story about forgiveness. I felt Luke’s conflicting emotions. Part of me resented Winter as much as Luke did, but I also could see Winter’s remorse. The setting was well described, and I felt immersed in the story.
What I didn’t like was the jump to the epilogue a year later. Things happened that needed to be explained as they were contrary to the direction I felt the story was going. We got our happily ever after, but it wasn’t the one I expected.
However, overall it was an enjoyable read, and you may have no problem with the epilogue at all, boosting it to great!
Waiting for Winter grabs by beginning with the middle. The characters have already broken up, and a bitter and left behind Luke allows himself to be wooed for a bit of sex-with-the-ex. He gets his revenge by tearing out immediately after, this time leaving Winter in the dust. Fast forward to six months later when the characters are stranded together in the middle of a romantic Christmas storm. What's comes before is seen through Luke's memory of earlier events. A wonderful scene in which the two protagonists have a short visit with Luke's mentor helps to clear up misunderstandings.
The story works because of the clever structure and breezy but realistic dialogue. I pretty much fell in love with Luke's inner monologue as well. Winter's character will not appeal to all, but I appreciated this leave-no-prisoners, elegant, over-achiever. His eventual apology was enough for me.
A lovely romance that made me want to read more by this author.
So much tension. Luke was a compelling and likable narrator. I laughed out loud and identified at his fury of being treated like a little woman. He deserved better, but I understood why he was waiting on Winter. Or even waiting out Winter, in which time wasn't doing anyone favors. Who can resist those do-no-wrong alpha dicks? There was so much pain and angst on page (mostly Luke's, Winter's remained largely nonverbal cues) that the best things were probably what was hinted at and left off the page.
But you know, marriage and overseas travel are what the bitches go crazy for. Not teary apologies from big, cocksure men. You go Luke, live your little woman dreams!
The story was good but like many others have said I wanted Luke to make Winter work a little harder to get him back. But I'm a sucker for Christmas romances and this one was very enjoyable.
The narrator, Derrick McClain, did a great job. I'll look for more from him in the future.