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A Winter Love Song
A Winter Love Song is a heartwarming and moving story of survival and love from bestselling author Rita Bradshaw.Bonnie Lindsay is born into a travelling fair community in the north-east in 1918, and when her mother dies just months later, Bonnie’s beloved father becomes everything to her. Then at the tender age of ten years old, disaster strikes. Heartbroken, Bonnie’s left at the mercy of her embittered grandmother and her lecherous step-grandfather.Five years later, the events of one terrible night cause Bonnie to flee to London where she starts to earn her living as a singer. She changes her name and cuts all links with the past. Time passes. Bonnie falls in love, but just when she dares to hope for a rosy future, the Second World War is declared. She does her bit for the war effort, singing for the troops and travelling to Burma to boost morale, but heartache and pain are just around the corner, and she begins to ask herself if she will ever find happiness again?
321 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 16, 2017
55 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
Rita Bradshaw
48 books112 followersRita Bradshaw was born on 1949 in Northampton, England, where she was educated as a good Christian. She met Clive, her husband, at the age of 16 andnow the magic is still there. They have three lovely children, Cara, Faye, and Benjamin, and have always had a menagerie of animals in the house, whichat the present is confined to two endearing and very comical dogs who wouldmake a great double act on TV! The children, friends, and pets all keep thehouse buzzing and the food cupboards empty but Helen wouldn't have it anyother way. She still lives today in Northampton with her family. Althoughhaving enjoyed some wonderful holidays abroad she has never been tempted tolive anywhere else, although she rather likes the idea of a holiday homeclose to the sea one day.
Being a committed Christian and fervent animal lover she finds spare time is always at a premium, but long walks in the countryside with her husband and dogs, meals out followed by the cinema or theatre, reading, swimming,and having friends over for dinner are all fitted in somehow. She also enjoys sitting in her wonderfully therapeutic, rambling old garden in thesun with a glass of red wine, (under the guise of resting while thinking ofcourse!)
For years, she was a secretary. She began writing in 1990 as sheapproached that milestone of a birthday 40! She realized her two teenage ambitions (writing a novel and learning to drive) had been lost amid babiesand hectic family life, so set about resurrecting them.
Her first novel was for Mills and Boon and was accepted after one rewrite in 1992 as Helen Brooks, and she passed her driving test (the former was a joy and the latteran unmitigated nightmare!) She has written 50 novels as well as several sagas as Rita Bradshaw.
Since becoming a full-time writer she has found her occupation one of purejoy and often surprised when her characters develop a mind of their own bu tshe loves exploring what makes people tick and finds the old adage "truth isstranger than fiction" to be absolutely true. She would love to hear from any readers care of Mills & Boon.
Being a committed Christian and fervent animal lover she finds spare time is always at a premium, but long walks in the countryside with her husband and dogs, meals out followed by the cinema or theatre, reading, swimming,and having friends over for dinner are all fitted in somehow. She also enjoys sitting in her wonderfully therapeutic, rambling old garden in thesun with a glass of red wine, (under the guise of resting while thinking ofcourse!)
For years, she was a secretary. She began writing in 1990 as sheapproached that milestone of a birthday 40! She realized her two teenage ambitions (writing a novel and learning to drive) had been lost amid babiesand hectic family life, so set about resurrecting them.
Her first novel was for Mills and Boon and was accepted after one rewrite in 1992 as Helen Brooks, and she passed her driving test (the former was a joy and the latteran unmitigated nightmare!) She has written 50 novels as well as several sagas as Rita Bradshaw.
Since becoming a full-time writer she has found her occupation one of purejoy and often surprised when her characters develop a mind of their own bu tshe loves exploring what makes people tick and finds the old adage "truth isstranger than fiction" to be absolutely true. She would love to hear from any readers care of Mills & Boon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
April 9, 2018
Absolutely brilliant. Loved the story and I just couldn't put this book down. I would give more than five stars if I could. Highly recommended.
May 11, 2018
Another great read by Rita Bradshaw. A saga following the story of Bonnie spanning the years from 1928 to 1950. Bonnie's mother dies when she is only a baby leaving her to be brought up by her father, John. They live and work as part of a travelling fair touring the north of England. But Bonnie is also under the watchful eye of her grandmother, who treats her with scorn. A story with lots of drama and also full of charm.
October 19, 2025
Another enjoyable read by Rita Bradshaw. A family saga following the story of Bonnie Lindsay spanning the years from 1928 to 1950. It is a story which is full of drama and charm. The character of Bonnie stays with you after you have finished reading the novel. This is now a favourite of mine.
July 1, 2018
A really lovely story of a little girl and her life with her fairground family,a grandmother who dislikes her,friends who look out for her and her father who loves so much.Bonnie' story is hard but she grows into a beautiful young woman and her life can only change for the better.I won't put spoilers but it is a fabulous book.5*
December 21, 2019
Love conquers all 😍
I enjoyed the story and just the right amount of characters in it so I felt as if I got to know them well
Page 1 (preface) had me hooked,
'He wasn't going to be able to fight his way out of this.'
'It was the thought of leaving his little lass that was crucifying as he waited for them to make their move'
I enjoyed the story and just the right amount of characters in it so I felt as if I got to know them well
Page 1 (preface) had me hooked,
'He wasn't going to be able to fight his way out of this.'
'It was the thought of leaving his little lass that was crucifying as he waited for them to make their move'
March 15, 2019
This book is honestly just an unremarkable, forgettable story in a market of 1234565432345 more like it. It was so cliched??? The characters were boring and somehow everything just 'worked out' for Bonnie. Her career was easy, obviously she managed to 'tame' the 'town Lothario' because she was 'strong willed but kind, beautiful but natural', etc etc all the mary sue, easy peasy perfect women characters that exist. All of her story lines were wrapped up SO EASILY, and everything turned out PERFECT. I could honestly tell how this book was going to end, and it ended exactly as I predicted.
December 13, 2017
This Ginger Book Geek loves reading a saga set in the early to mid Twentieth century and so when I was offered the chance to read and review the new book (‘A Winter Love Song’) by the amazing Rita Bradshaw, I jumped at it. Okay confession time, I do actually have a few of Rita’s books in my ever increasing ‘To Be Read Pile’ but I haven’t actually sat down and read one. After finishing this book all I can say is that I have realised just what it is that I have been missing all these years. This is an amazing book by an amazing lady and I loved it but more about that in a bit.
Bonnie Lindsay is one amazing young lady. At the start of the book aged 10, we find Bonnie living in a caravan with her beloved Da on a travelling fair. Bonnie’s mother died some time before. Bonnie and her Da adore each other. Bonnie’s grandmother (and I use that term loosely for reasons that will become clear as the book continues) and her husband live on the fair too but they keep their distance from each other. One day Bonnie’s Da disappears and Bonnie is left on the travelling fair on her own. Bonnie is taken in by her grandmother and her stepfather but things do not go well. Bonnie is one tough cookie, but then she has had to be, and feisty with it. Bonnie is an excellent singer and leaves the travelling fair for reasons which will become apparent as you read on, to travel to London to carve out a new life for herself. Bonnie leaves the fair behind but that doesn’t stop her suffering flashbacks to what happened in the run up to her leaving. There were times that I just wished that I could have jumped into the pages of the book to give her a hug and reassure her that things would get better. Bonnie never gets over the disappearance of her beloved Da. Bonnie is such a strong character and even though she suffers several knock downs, she gets up, dusts herself down and then carries on. She certainly isn’t down for long. I so wanted her to find happiness, success and have a great personal life. I am not going to tell you whether or not she does find happiness and success so you are just going to have to read it for yourselves to find out. There was one character in particular that really got under my skin and if I could have leapt into the pages of the book to chase after the individual concerned with a pair of rusty and blunt scissors then I would have done. That should give you a clue as to the gender of the individual concerned but as for the reasons why, you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves.
In my opinion, ‘A Winter Love Song’ is superbly written and very addictive too. I was hooked from the very first word on the very first page and because I was enjoying the book so much, I lost track of time. Before I knew it I had read the first part of the book and the pages had turned that quick that it was almost as if they had been turning themselves. The book came everywhere with me as I just couldn’t seem to put the book down. The author clearly cares about her characters and this shines through in her writing. Even the most hard hearted person (and I am one of those apparently) will find it hard to avoid caring about Bonnie and what happens to her. The book is written in 5 parts and cover different stages in Bonnie’s life. This works really well as we see her mature from a little girl to an adult woman and we see how the character develops. I really did feel as though I had been on an emotional rollercoaster after finishing this book with all the ups, downs, twists, turns and stomach churning moments. There were certain times when I felt hope, despair, happiness, sadness, anger and well you get the picture. I totally immersed myself in the book and I felt as though I was an invisible bystander witnessing this story take place in front of my very eyes, which I was if you think about it. I also loved the setting of the first part of the book in the North East England, which is where I live. There were so many place names and places talked about that I was familiar with and I felt as though I had gone on a mini tour of the North East.
In short, I totally and utterly ADORED this book and I can’t wait to read more from the very talented brain of Rita Bradshaw. Whilst I wait for the next book, I will content myself with tackling my ‘To Be Read’ mountain for any books of hers (wish me luck as I am going to need it) and also by buying those books that I am missing. I would certainly recommend this book to others. I award this book 5* out of 5*.
Bonnie Lindsay is one amazing young lady. At the start of the book aged 10, we find Bonnie living in a caravan with her beloved Da on a travelling fair. Bonnie’s mother died some time before. Bonnie and her Da adore each other. Bonnie’s grandmother (and I use that term loosely for reasons that will become clear as the book continues) and her husband live on the fair too but they keep their distance from each other. One day Bonnie’s Da disappears and Bonnie is left on the travelling fair on her own. Bonnie is taken in by her grandmother and her stepfather but things do not go well. Bonnie is one tough cookie, but then she has had to be, and feisty with it. Bonnie is an excellent singer and leaves the travelling fair for reasons which will become apparent as you read on, to travel to London to carve out a new life for herself. Bonnie leaves the fair behind but that doesn’t stop her suffering flashbacks to what happened in the run up to her leaving. There were times that I just wished that I could have jumped into the pages of the book to give her a hug and reassure her that things would get better. Bonnie never gets over the disappearance of her beloved Da. Bonnie is such a strong character and even though she suffers several knock downs, she gets up, dusts herself down and then carries on. She certainly isn’t down for long. I so wanted her to find happiness, success and have a great personal life. I am not going to tell you whether or not she does find happiness and success so you are just going to have to read it for yourselves to find out. There was one character in particular that really got under my skin and if I could have leapt into the pages of the book to chase after the individual concerned with a pair of rusty and blunt scissors then I would have done. That should give you a clue as to the gender of the individual concerned but as for the reasons why, you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves.
In my opinion, ‘A Winter Love Song’ is superbly written and very addictive too. I was hooked from the very first word on the very first page and because I was enjoying the book so much, I lost track of time. Before I knew it I had read the first part of the book and the pages had turned that quick that it was almost as if they had been turning themselves. The book came everywhere with me as I just couldn’t seem to put the book down. The author clearly cares about her characters and this shines through in her writing. Even the most hard hearted person (and I am one of those apparently) will find it hard to avoid caring about Bonnie and what happens to her. The book is written in 5 parts and cover different stages in Bonnie’s life. This works really well as we see her mature from a little girl to an adult woman and we see how the character develops. I really did feel as though I had been on an emotional rollercoaster after finishing this book with all the ups, downs, twists, turns and stomach churning moments. There were certain times when I felt hope, despair, happiness, sadness, anger and well you get the picture. I totally immersed myself in the book and I felt as though I was an invisible bystander witnessing this story take place in front of my very eyes, which I was if you think about it. I also loved the setting of the first part of the book in the North East England, which is where I live. There were so many place names and places talked about that I was familiar with and I felt as though I had gone on a mini tour of the North East.
In short, I totally and utterly ADORED this book and I can’t wait to read more from the very talented brain of Rita Bradshaw. Whilst I wait for the next book, I will content myself with tackling my ‘To Be Read’ mountain for any books of hers (wish me luck as I am going to need it) and also by buying those books that I am missing. I would certainly recommend this book to others. I award this book 5* out of 5*.
November 18, 2017
All reviews can be found on my blog at https://thewritinggarnet.wordpress.com
Without sounding too macabre, I absolutely love read a saga which is set during war time. Obviously I don't find other people's misfortune entertaining at all, it's just the whole vibe of a wartime setting mixed with fictional characters and fictional stories, all inspired by a real life situation, makes me feel as though I can sink my teeth into the storyline without too much of an issue. I have always been fascinated with history so to then mix an interest of mine into novel reading - I'm sure you can see why I get so excited about this genre!
Anyway, back to the book.
Bonnie has had her own fair share of heartache over the years. Not only did Bonnie lose her mother at a young age, she was then faced with the devastating situation of then losing her last remaining parent. Nobody understood Bonnie like her father did. Nobody wanted to understand Bonnie. Instead, she's left misunderstood with a knee-jerk reaction to flee. Will Bonnie ever get her happy every after? Will Bonnie finally be loved for who she is and everything she stands for?
I felt so sorry for Bonnie as it was like she constantly got the short end of the stick. Everywhere she turned there seemed to be something bad about to happen, or she would end up faced with memories of the bad times past. I had my fingers crossed that she would find true happiness, but without sounding too pessimistic, I wasn't entirely convinced that she would. I felt that Bonnie was exceptionally hard on herself in a lot of ways, which unfortunately made it harder for me to gel with her as a character as I couldn't find a way to get through to her.
As the story progresses we see Bonnie's life take a very different turn, although the feeling of sadness was waiting around every corner, ready to strike again.
I felt that the historic nature of the storyline shone through really well, which in turn made me able to see various characters in very different lights.
I am being really vague with this review as the storyline is rather complex and I would hate to give anything away. Even though I felt that the complexity was definitely a positive, I did find myself becoming a little bogged down by the overall heaviness of the novel itself. Don't get me wrong 'A Winter Love Song' really is a lovely read, but the fact I had trouble keeping up with every situation in the book meant that I couldn't enjoy the storyline as much as I would have liked.
Overall I did enjoy 'A Winter Love Song' - it ignited multiple emotions from deep within whilst also keeping the historic element poignant all the way through.
Thanks Pacmacmillan.
Without sounding too macabre, I absolutely love read a saga which is set during war time. Obviously I don't find other people's misfortune entertaining at all, it's just the whole vibe of a wartime setting mixed with fictional characters and fictional stories, all inspired by a real life situation, makes me feel as though I can sink my teeth into the storyline without too much of an issue. I have always been fascinated with history so to then mix an interest of mine into novel reading - I'm sure you can see why I get so excited about this genre!
Anyway, back to the book.
Bonnie has had her own fair share of heartache over the years. Not only did Bonnie lose her mother at a young age, she was then faced with the devastating situation of then losing her last remaining parent. Nobody understood Bonnie like her father did. Nobody wanted to understand Bonnie. Instead, she's left misunderstood with a knee-jerk reaction to flee. Will Bonnie ever get her happy every after? Will Bonnie finally be loved for who she is and everything she stands for?
I felt so sorry for Bonnie as it was like she constantly got the short end of the stick. Everywhere she turned there seemed to be something bad about to happen, or she would end up faced with memories of the bad times past. I had my fingers crossed that she would find true happiness, but without sounding too pessimistic, I wasn't entirely convinced that she would. I felt that Bonnie was exceptionally hard on herself in a lot of ways, which unfortunately made it harder for me to gel with her as a character as I couldn't find a way to get through to her.
As the story progresses we see Bonnie's life take a very different turn, although the feeling of sadness was waiting around every corner, ready to strike again.
I felt that the historic nature of the storyline shone through really well, which in turn made me able to see various characters in very different lights.
I am being really vague with this review as the storyline is rather complex and I would hate to give anything away. Even though I felt that the complexity was definitely a positive, I did find myself becoming a little bogged down by the overall heaviness of the novel itself. Don't get me wrong 'A Winter Love Song' really is a lovely read, but the fact I had trouble keeping up with every situation in the book meant that I couldn't enjoy the storyline as much as I would have liked.
Overall I did enjoy 'A Winter Love Song' - it ignited multiple emotions from deep within whilst also keeping the historic element poignant all the way through.
Thanks Pacmacmillan.
February 18, 2025
Bonnie Lindsay is a child of the fair, born of an English father and Spanish mother.
She is happy with the fair folk even though her mother died soon after her birth she has her beloved father.
But when he leaves one day and doesn't come back due to circumstances she is left at the mercy of her vile grandmother and lecherous step grandfather.
When events escalate Bonnie flees her childhood home for the bright lights of London to sing on the stage.
There she struggles to reach the top and experiences all life has to offer, heartbreak, tragedy, even fame and success yet in her heart she isn't happy and wonders if she will ever find love or a family of her own.
A touching tale of the war years and the travelling folk woven around the story of a young girl finding her way in the world.
She is happy with the fair folk even though her mother died soon after her birth she has her beloved father.
But when he leaves one day and doesn't come back due to circumstances she is left at the mercy of her vile grandmother and lecherous step grandfather.
When events escalate Bonnie flees her childhood home for the bright lights of London to sing on the stage.
There she struggles to reach the top and experiences all life has to offer, heartbreak, tragedy, even fame and success yet in her heart she isn't happy and wonders if she will ever find love or a family of her own.
A touching tale of the war years and the travelling folk woven around the story of a young girl finding her way in the world.
November 21, 2017
Bonnie Lindsay is a character that will stay with you long after you close the last page. Her life’s journey from a wee baby to a young woman is a path filled with tragedy and heartache.
At the novels, very core is the message of never giving up and no matter what life throws at you we have to try, try again. With poignant heartfelt moments scattered throughout the story, Rita Bradshaw brings Bonnie to life on the pages.
The cover is stunning and very appropriate for this time of year. Fans of Maureen Lee and Beryl Kingston will adore A Winter Love Song.
I thoroughly recommend this corker of a read from Ria Bradshaw.
At the novels, very core is the message of never giving up and no matter what life throws at you we have to try, try again. With poignant heartfelt moments scattered throughout the story, Rita Bradshaw brings Bonnie to life on the pages.
The cover is stunning and very appropriate for this time of year. Fans of Maureen Lee and Beryl Kingston will adore A Winter Love Song.
I thoroughly recommend this corker of a read from Ria Bradshaw.
November 25, 2017
Just beautiful
I choose a big five for this book but if there was a ten it would have been rewarded. The story really pulled at my heartstrings from start to finish. The story of Connie a strong determine woman, what she aims for out of life she fights for it all. It really is an emotional story to read, that in places put tears in my eyes. This author has done a fantastic job again of giving me another brilliant read, so love reading all of them.
I choose a big five for this book but if there was a ten it would have been rewarded. The story really pulled at my heartstrings from start to finish. The story of Connie a strong determine woman, what she aims for out of life she fights for it all. It really is an emotional story to read, that in places put tears in my eyes. This author has done a fantastic job again of giving me another brilliant read, so love reading all of them.
September 12, 2021
I grabbed this book from the library bookshelves and wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy it. It was really good. It made me google some things which I didn’t think were historically correct. The IRA attacks in London in the 1930’s for example, which was accurate. The timing of the Appeasement and the take over of the Sudetenland. They were correct. However, it would have been easier to follow if more year headings would have been in place. That said, an excellent read. Loved the story.
January 15, 2020
This is by no means a good book, intellectually. I would also say that the plot was predictable, and the characters not very well developed. That being said, I read it in under a week, it was easy to read, and didn't get boring. I wouldn't read another of Bradshaw's book, but if you enjoy simple historical sagas it is an enjoyable read.
March 7, 2023
I couldn’t finish it bcoz of how unnecessarily detailed it is. The story line was fine till I read it but I just could not read another chapter of just details about things that don’t matter. The emotions of Bonnie were so outright exaggerated and it was quite obvious how things will turn out for her. Good thing a put the book down after part 1
December 19, 2017
I was looking forward to reading this as I enjoyed a previous book by Rita Bradshaw. I was very disappointed there was a lot of repetition in the book and parts of the story were totally unbelievable.
I wouldn't recommend this book.
I wouldn't recommend this book.
October 23, 2018
A good, interesting, easy read.
September 10, 2019
Good
I felt reading this book that it was very similar in places to another of Rita Bradshaw's books, it contains a lot of details about the war, which at times seemed endless,.
I felt reading this book that it was very similar in places to another of Rita Bradshaw's books, it contains a lot of details about the war, which at times seemed endless,.
November 6, 2019
This is not a page turner. I found it interesting - the historical side of it but overall it didn't really impress me.
November 7, 2019
Not a very believable story. The first four parts of the book were ok but after that I ended up skip reading and completely lost interest.
December 11, 2019
Another absolutely amazing story from Rita Bradshaw. Highly recommend
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August 31, 2020My daughter is 12 and wants to read this book. Is this book for young readers?
January 16, 2021
Seriously wonderful writing and narration. Love these wartime romances.
May 21, 2023
Heartbreakingly beautiful
July 16, 2023
Extra pages in my large print version of this book enjoyable
April 3, 2024
A lovely read, a good book to relax into
November 14, 2024
Great read
Loved this book, love this author not found a book of hers that I haven’t enjoyed so far, amazing heartwarming
Loved this book, love this author not found a book of hers that I haven’t enjoyed so far, amazing heartwarming
May 2, 2025
Enjoy Rita's books , and enjoying this one...except feel that a little bit too much is focused on WW 2 war, almost finished it and can't think what more there is to offer , but just a little moan.
October 26, 2021
***SPOILERS***
While I was reading the book, I wasn't appreciating it, if that makes sense, and while re-reading some parts of this novel, I realise this is my favourite Rita Bradshaw book of ALL time, I just love that the protagonist-Bonnie- actually gets married in the book, not just as some epilogue. I loved the problems faced by the characters and how their stories were all intertwined with one another. However the grandma felt too evil to be real, and Franco murdering her was not a real shock but quite unrealistic, but I liked that he did it rather than letting Margerita spoil everything for Bonnie. I loved the characters ambitions and her singing career, and when the end of the book destroyed her dream (which she achieved, but still) it was heartbreaking. I am astonished at how great this book is, and how I could've thought it was missing something. This book is my favourite that Bradshaw has written to date.
December 16, 2017
When the story opens in 1928, Bonnie Lindsay is ten years old and living with her father as part of a travelling-fair community in the north-east of England. Life is really tough for Bonnie, and when things start to go badly wrong for her, she relies on her wits and her ability to sing to see her through the worst of what life throws at her. When Bonnie is fifteen she is forced to flee the travelling community in order to make her own way in life. However, this is not an easy decision and Bonnie soon finds that if she is to put aside the memories of her past she must make some tough choices.
The shifting time frames and locations are written with fine attention to detail and throughout the novel there is a real sense of time and place. I especially enjoyed watching how Bonnie progressed during the years of the Second World War when the story takes her to Burma and her life there as an musical entertainer.
At times the story is quite an emotional read as it covers some heart rending topics, particularly in Bonnie's early years when she lives with her maternal grandmother. However, ultimately the story is about the power of redemption and how, even in the most desperate of circumstances, the human spirit rises above adversity.
The shifting time frames and locations are written with fine attention to detail and throughout the novel there is a real sense of time and place. I especially enjoyed watching how Bonnie progressed during the years of the Second World War when the story takes her to Burma and her life there as an musical entertainer.
At times the story is quite an emotional read as it covers some heart rending topics, particularly in Bonnie's early years when she lives with her maternal grandmother. However, ultimately the story is about the power of redemption and how, even in the most desperate of circumstances, the human spirit rises above adversity.
July 10, 2022
Bonnie was born in 1918 into a travelling fair community in north east England. Her mother died shortly after her birth and when her father disappears, she is left in the care of her embittered grandmother and her lecherous second husband.
As Bonnie grows up, she escapes to London to make a living as a singer- a role that brings friendship and romance and takes her to Burma in the Second World War as part of a concert party.
I was slow to get into the book, but in the end it was a heartwarming story and an easy read.
As Bonnie grows up, she escapes to London to make a living as a singer- a role that brings friendship and romance and takes her to Burma in the Second World War as part of a concert party.
I was slow to get into the book, but in the end it was a heartwarming story and an easy read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews