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Red and Blue Chronicles #4
A Purple Winter
Sequel to Split Derek O'Reilly was never good at reality. After twenty years of adulthood, he's disenchanted with his life but his husband, Chef Nick Lund, is still chasing success. Then a near-fatal motorcycle accident brings everything to a halt and opens a door to a time Derek thought he'd never experience again. As Derek sinks into a coma, his mind returns to the winter he first fell for Nick, the bad boy with arctic blue eyes. But in this coma-fantasy, Derek isn't a helpless child anymore. No -- this time, he's older and making Nick Lund stutter and swoon for a change. While Derek slips away, Nick sits by him in the hospital, devastated. To pull his lover back from the land of dreams, he must say what he's never said before. Derek has a choice -- remain lost in his imagined world, or return to Nick in the here and now where forever truly exists.
- GenresM M Romance
259 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 16, 2017
1 person is currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Mel Bossa
31 books219 followersI think I've written and changed my bio on here a hundred times in the last decade. See, that's why I don't have tattoos!
I've been a GR for over ten years and I still use it daily to keep up with my reading and to learn about books, old and new ones, but more importantly, because as I grow older and hopefully wiser, I realize that readers are my favorite type of people. They seem to be a little more empathetic and open-minded, and generally more cultivated.
If you look at my shelves, you'll see that I used to read about 70 books a year but in the last years, I've grown more selective and take my time with my lovers, ahem, books.
Yes, I am also a LGBTQ writer and Francophone Montrealer.
I cherish my readers, and want to take this space here to thank you all personally for reading and reviewing my books. You make reality tolerable like a good class of wine.
May your life be blessed.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 12, 2021
4.5 Stars
Before we get started, I want to warn you that this is a sequel to the book Split. It isn’t intended to be a standalone… even though that’s what I did. *shrug* I read this without reading the first one. Although my enjoyment of the story wasn’t hindered by skipping the first, I would have had more clarity on different characters if I had read the first. Click here to check out Cupcake’s review of the first book.
Ok, so I seriously enjoyed this. I was drawn in right away and it kept me going until the end. It was angsty and deep with a complicated love between MCs.
Derek and Nick were neighbors growing up. Nick being older, became the secret object of Derek’s fantasies. He's infatuated with Nick and was devastated when Nick moved away. In the first book they reunite and eventually marry. However, not all is wedded bliss in this one. Derek is insecure and hasn’t spoken to Nick about his insecurities. Nick is driven to reach for the next best thing which unfortunately is at the cost of Derek’s security within their relationship and acceptance of himself. Derek gets into an accident and wastes away the days in a coma with Nick by his side. Well, he isn’t fully wasting away because his subconscious takes a trip back like the Ghost of Christmas Past to a time where he was Nick’s neighbor again and there wasn’t an age difference. The connection is instant and complicated between Nick and Derek. David is another character that holds a large role in this book. He and Nick are really close friends and provide outlets for each other. Derek was extremely jealous when it came to Nick’s relationship with David. It became crystal clear during his visit to the past and Derek gets a chance to understand the relationship and even “bonds” with David. All the relationships between Nick, Derek and David were dysfunctional. They were also full of love, fear, jealousy and acceptance
My heart broke and was put back together throughout even though I knew that Derek was dreaming. It was as if he found the peace he needed; to release the jealousy and insecurities where David was concerned. After a life time of feeling left behind, Nick was able to appreciate David and the place he holds in his heart all the more.
The secondary characters were fully realized as well and added a lot to the story. I wish David was getting a story of his own. He was extremely complex and had a lot to tell. *sad face*
I’m a fan of Mel Bossa’s writing. It's a testament to her writing that I didn't care about the missing pieces (from not reading the first book). I was drawn in all the same and still felt like I went on the journey with them as they finally came together in a way that was meant to be.
Before we get started, I want to warn you that this is a sequel to the book Split. It isn’t intended to be a standalone… even though that’s what I did. *shrug* I read this without reading the first one. Although my enjoyment of the story wasn’t hindered by skipping the first, I would have had more clarity on different characters if I had read the first. Click here to check out Cupcake’s review of the first book.
Ok, so I seriously enjoyed this. I was drawn in right away and it kept me going until the end. It was angsty and deep with a complicated love between MCs.
Derek and Nick were neighbors growing up. Nick being older, became the secret object of Derek’s fantasies. He's infatuated with Nick and was devastated when Nick moved away. In the first book they reunite and eventually marry. However, not all is wedded bliss in this one. Derek is insecure and hasn’t spoken to Nick about his insecurities. Nick is driven to reach for the next best thing which unfortunately is at the cost of Derek’s security within their relationship and acceptance of himself. Derek gets into an accident and wastes away the days in a coma with Nick by his side. Well, he isn’t fully wasting away because his subconscious takes a trip back like the Ghost of Christmas Past to a time where he was Nick’s neighbor again and there wasn’t an age difference. The connection is instant and complicated between Nick and Derek. David is another character that holds a large role in this book. He and Nick are really close friends and provide outlets for each other. Derek was extremely jealous when it came to Nick’s relationship with David. It became crystal clear during his visit to the past and Derek gets a chance to understand the relationship and even “bonds” with David. All the relationships between Nick, Derek and David were dysfunctional. They were also full of love, fear, jealousy and acceptance
My heart broke and was put back together throughout even though I knew that Derek was dreaming. It was as if he found the peace he needed; to release the jealousy and insecurities where David was concerned. After a life time of feeling left behind, Nick was able to appreciate David and the place he holds in his heart all the more.
The secondary characters were fully realized as well and added a lot to the story. I wish David was getting a story of his own. He was extremely complex and had a lot to tell. *sad face*
I’m a fan of Mel Bossa’s writing. It's a testament to her writing that I didn't care about the missing pieces (from not reading the first book). I was drawn in all the same and still felt like I went on the journey with them as they finally came together in a way that was meant to be.
May 7, 2018
This review has had me thwarted since I finished the book in March. I feel for the author who has been trying to recapture the success of her first book that introduced Nick and Derek. The results haven't come close to the magic of Split, and I wish I hadn't invested so much hope for the fourth book in the series.
Honestly, maybe this time it was me. I'm confused by stories that play with time when I don't see why. This book's structure gave me a headache, and I believe less and less in this couple.
You give it a try, though. I bet you're a whiz at past, present, diaries and comas. It might just make you happy.
Honestly, maybe this time it was me. I'm confused by stories that play with time when I don't see why. This book's structure gave me a headache, and I believe less and less in this couple.
You give it a try, though. I bet you're a whiz at past, present, diaries and comas. It might just make you happy.
Read
December 14, 2017So this comes out on Saturday. A new sequel to Split! No cheating or bad ending but a lot of angst. And... we get to see a lot more of Nick. Get in his head a little. Hope it lives up to your expectations!
January 4, 2018
I’ve been a fan of Mel Bossa’s writing since I read Split four years ago! Time flies guys! Split is supposed to be the prequel to this book but I think this book has enough background info that you could read it and take it as the story of an established couple that faces new adversity.
This book uses an interesting plot device to both go over these guy’s growing up together and also to explore a “could have been AU.” It makes for an engaging story.
Now, if you read Split and wanted to know whatever happened to Derek and Nick you don’t want to miss this book. I’ll be honest and say if you want to avoid some grief skip the middle two stories. Personally they give me food for thought every now and then (because I still sometimes think of them) but you have been warned. I did not reread Split before reading this even though I read it four years ago. I was able to pick the story up with no problem which is why I think it can easily be read as a stand-alone too.
This book uses an interesting plot device to both go over these guy’s growing up together and also to explore a “could have been AU.” It makes for an engaging story.
Now, if you read Split and wanted to know whatever happened to Derek and Nick you don’t want to miss this book. I’ll be honest and say if you want to avoid some grief skip the middle two stories. Personally they give me food for thought every now and then (because I still sometimes think of them) but you have been warned. I did not reread Split before reading this even though I read it four years ago. I was able to pick the story up with no problem which is why I think it can easily be read as a stand-alone too.
October 12, 2020
After reading the re-release of Blue Awakenings an Red Dreams this one really stands out as the jewel in the crown. It's a subtle nudge that works so well in conjunction with the other two.
The use of the alternate universe allows us to see and really get to know Davey. Nick is so protective of his memory even years later and never gives any information away so we have only caught glimpses of him and never really understood why Nick loved him as he did. But here we get to see the Davey Nick loved and more importantly so does Derek and that helps him move forward and maybe opens the door to another person in the relationship.
Very good
4.25 stars
This worked for me.
I was apprehensive before starting this one that I was going to be disappointed, but the whole alternate/ dream universe sucked me in and really worked for me. I don’t want to say to much about it as you need to read it to experience it, but I will say I enjoyed getting to know David a bit and can’t wait to see him through Nick’s eyes and learn more about their friendship.
I find Nick a bit of an enigma and while we got to know him a bit more here, I’m not sure how much was Derek’s dream and how much was real Nick just transferred. I want to know more about Helga and her issues with Nick.
Derek is still quiet and that’s his personality but it must also be hard for his loved ones when he clams up and doesn’t talk. There are still issues in the relationship and later in the book we find out the issues but they are only mentioned quickly. I did like Derek remembering his promise to himself and sticking by it.
Looking forward to continuing on with this series, but I’m going to wait for the new ones to be release first.
The use of the alternate universe allows us to see and really get to know Davey. Nick is so protective of his memory even years later and never gives any information away so we have only caught glimpses of him and never really understood why Nick loved him as he did. But here we get to see the Davey Nick loved and more importantly so does Derek and that helps him move forward and maybe opens the door to another person in the relationship.
Very good
4.25 stars
This worked for me.
I was apprehensive before starting this one that I was going to be disappointed, but the whole alternate/ dream universe sucked me in and really worked for me. I don’t want to say to much about it as you need to read it to experience it, but I will say I enjoyed getting to know David a bit and can’t wait to see him through Nick’s eyes and learn more about their friendship.
I find Nick a bit of an enigma and while we got to know him a bit more here, I’m not sure how much was Derek’s dream and how much was real Nick just transferred. I want to know more about Helga and her issues with Nick.
Derek is still quiet and that’s his personality but it must also be hard for his loved ones when he clams up and doesn’t talk. There are still issues in the relationship and later in the book we find out the issues but they are only mentioned quickly. I did like Derek remembering his promise to himself and sticking by it.
Looking forward to continuing on with this series, but I’m going to wait for the new ones to be release first.
January 2, 2018
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.25 stars
Okay! First things first: I have intentionally summarized the book to eschew a significant plot device. This same plot device is clearly explained in the blurb available on Amazon, so if you’re interested, you can read up there. I read the blurb when I chose this book to review and now, having read the book, I think I would have liked the book a little MORE if I had walked into it totally blind, NOT having read the blurb and being clued in about said plot device. My summary above and my review below are written in such a way as to avoid any discussion of this should you, dear reader, wish to read the story blind (maybe kind of hard with the blurb available all over the place, but *shrugs*).
Second things second: this is the second Mel Bossa story I’ve reviewed. The first one didn’t do much for me (Owner of A Lonely Heart) and when I realized this story was by the same author, I sort of prepared myself to be a bit underwhelmed. Perhaps that allowed me to enjoy the story more, or maybe this is just a better developed story…but for whatever reason, I really liked this book.
Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.
4.25 stars
Okay! First things first: I have intentionally summarized the book to eschew a significant plot device. This same plot device is clearly explained in the blurb available on Amazon, so if you’re interested, you can read up there. I read the blurb when I chose this book to review and now, having read the book, I think I would have liked the book a little MORE if I had walked into it totally blind, NOT having read the blurb and being clued in about said plot device. My summary above and my review below are written in such a way as to avoid any discussion of this should you, dear reader, wish to read the story blind (maybe kind of hard with the blurb available all over the place, but *shrugs*).
Second things second: this is the second Mel Bossa story I’ve reviewed. The first one didn’t do much for me (Owner of A Lonely Heart) and when I realized this story was by the same author, I sort of prepared myself to be a bit underwhelmed. Perhaps that allowed me to enjoy the story more, or maybe this is just a better developed story…but for whatever reason, I really liked this book.
Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.
April 5, 2018
4.25 stars
I had the privilege of reading a beta version of this wonderful story last fall. Since I was on my way to surgery followed by a long recovery, I never took the opportunity to rate the book.
Most of the story is revealed through a series of "dreams" while one of three main MCs is in a coma. It's a heartbreaking yet hopeful story and I hope our odd-man-out David gets a book of his own someday.
With reference to the four books listed as part of the "Nick & Derek" series....it's a mess on Goodreads and makes no sense.
Stick to Split and A Purple Winter. You can most assuredly read them in any order. Highly recommended!
I had the privilege of reading a beta version of this wonderful story last fall. Since I was on my way to surgery followed by a long recovery, I never took the opportunity to rate the book.
Most of the story is revealed through a series of "dreams" while one of three main MCs is in a coma. It's a heartbreaking yet hopeful story and I hope our odd-man-out David gets a book of his own someday.
With reference to the four books listed as part of the "Nick & Derek" series....it's a mess on Goodreads and makes no sense.
Stick to Split and A Purple Winter. You can most assuredly read them in any order. Highly recommended!
May 1, 2019
3.5 stars.
Honestly, I don't know what to make of this. It was definitely a good book and it was nice to revisit Nick and Derek again. But it was also confusing. Not the story or writing per se, but the series owerall storyline and character development.
I've read Split, but because of the disastrously bad reviews of book #2 & #3, I chose to skip them. And I definitely missed some things and plot points. But I don't know Mel Bossa's owerall plan for the series. I guess she's taken the bad reviews to her, because I read on her blog, that she intens to rewrite 2 and 3.
But where does this book fit in? And what about the online, free "book" she's writing on her blog? I simply cannot figure out the chronology. Some of it out definitely my own fault, because I skipped those books. But alas, because - besides the bad reviews, it seems as though book number 2, 3 and "5?" has themes I don't like. I don't want my image of Red & Blue spoiled by menagé with weird cousins. Normally, I wouldn't have started this series if I had known there would be triple-, four- or whatever-somes in it. But I thought Split was a solitary book. And because of the mess about books and the storylines, I will not feel bad about disrespecting the author's vision. Instead I chose to stop here, where the story makes somewhat sense to me.
P.S. Sorry about the mess of my non-review.
Honestly, I don't know what to make of this. It was definitely a good book and it was nice to revisit Nick and Derek again. But it was also confusing. Not the story or writing per se, but the series owerall storyline and character development.
I've read Split, but because of the disastrously bad reviews of book #2 & #3, I chose to skip them. And I definitely missed some things and plot points. But I don't know Mel Bossa's owerall plan for the series. I guess she's taken the bad reviews to her, because I read on her blog, that she intens to rewrite 2 and 3.
But where does this book fit in? And what about the online, free "book" she's writing on her blog? I simply cannot figure out the chronology. Some of it out definitely my own fault, because I skipped those books. But alas, because - besides the bad reviews, it seems as though book number 2, 3 and "5?" has themes I don't like. I don't want my image of Red & Blue spoiled by menagé with weird cousins. Normally, I wouldn't have started this series if I had known there would be triple-, four- or whatever-somes in it. But I thought Split was a solitary book. And because of the mess about books and the storylines, I will not feel bad about disrespecting the author's vision. Instead I chose to stop here, where the story makes somewhat sense to me.
P.S. Sorry about the mess of my non-review.
July 19, 2019
What saved this book from getting less than 3 stars is the fact I read Book 1 in the series - Split soo long ago that I can barely recall the salient plotline and character arcs for Derek, Nick, David, Boone, Aunt Rose etc. I don't even think David the character was that highlighted in that first book but anyways .... The entire rambunctious and larger than life Lund family is still a delight to read.
There are actually 2 books in between this one and Split and judging by other reviews of those - I'm glad I did not read them. I'm not sure the Sliding Doors via accident-induced coma works all that well - I'd suggest Amor En Retrogrado .
There are actually 2 books in between this one and Split and judging by other reviews of those - I'm glad I did not read them. I'm not sure the Sliding Doors via accident-induced coma works all that well - I'd suggest Amor En Retrogrado .
June 1, 2019
I don’t know how we went from Split, a contemporary M/M romance, to this supernatural/paranormal mess of a book.
Damn, I really don’t know what the fuck I just read. It felt like the author was high on something while writing this book, the storyline and characters were very inconsistent, every dialogue went from normal to WTF to semi normal in one page. It was truly nuts and didn’t make any sense AT ALL!
Damn, I really don’t know what the fuck I just read. It felt like the author was high on something while writing this book, the storyline and characters were very inconsistent, every dialogue went from normal to WTF to semi normal in one page. It was truly nuts and didn’t make any sense AT ALL!
December 18, 2020
Purple Winter? What does that even mean, I wondered. "Red and Blue. Mixed together. Past and present mixed together. Reality and imagination." Nick and Derek. A winter in the late 1980s that changed everything. How each of us creates reality. A Purple Winter is also a clever story-telling method.
This is a sequel to Split ; it stands alone, but there is a deepening element of the full story that is missed for readers who haven't experienced the previous tale.
I was nervous as I began this book. Stories that rework or cancel out a story I am already in love with make me angry. No! Do not want! Let my boys be, I think! But Bossa doesn't do that; she achieves something unusual with A Purple Winter: she doesn’t rewrite Derek and Nick’s history; she continues their story by showing me their present situation, mired in a bog of Nick and Derek's believable, established personality differences, and then she uses the tool of looking at the past from a creative, new perspective in order to convince both the characters and me how their future can move forward successfully, happily. I had the HEA in Split, and now I get the reality that is so much more fulfilling, so real.
Derek’s a caretaker, a devoted partner. He doesn’t want anything more than Nick. But he’s also fed up with Nick, a man who is driven by a passionate, impulsive need to attain more, to achieve more, to be more; crisis looms.
It’s a reflective story, a story that deepens Derek’s understanding of himself and those he loves. People are complicated, aren’t they? That’s why we have stories. Gratitude is a strong theme, as well as being aware of self-love and love shared: it's enough.
There’s a gentle supernatural element, a magical realism, that gives me the shivery-tingles. Most of the action takes place in the “dreamscape” of Derek’s head. A Purple Winter carries the guardian angel feel of Fran forward, and deepens it with David, a complicated secondary character. I also love the emotional flashes presented from Nick's and his brother Boone's point of view.
There is great sadness in this book, but not hopelessness. Deep grief paired with a beautiful, heart-filling solace. And there is honouring. Honouring of a community that was largely misunderstood by both itself and by those outside it: a community that grew up in an era where young men sought and never found love and acceptance. And died trying.
At times, the story is weighed down a bit too heavily with seriousness, but it’s a story to be read slowly. It made me rethink some of my own choices, and how I live my life today, what I want to change and what I can change. It also fills me with compassion for others, as they do the best they know how.
I recommend this story--perfect to warm your soul on a cold winter day.
In the mood for something else? How about a historical prison romance? I, with my whole goddamn beating heart, recommend Bossa’s moving and exciting tale of kindness and cruelty: Linhart’s Beautiful Beast.
Thank you, Mel Bossa, for giving me the opportunity to beta read A Purple Winter.
This is a sequel to Split ; it stands alone, but there is a deepening element of the full story that is missed for readers who haven't experienced the previous tale.
I was nervous as I began this book. Stories that rework or cancel out a story I am already in love with make me angry. No! Do not want! Let my boys be, I think! But Bossa doesn't do that; she achieves something unusual with A Purple Winter: she doesn’t rewrite Derek and Nick’s history; she continues their story by showing me their present situation, mired in a bog of Nick and Derek's believable, established personality differences, and then she uses the tool of looking at the past from a creative, new perspective in order to convince both the characters and me how their future can move forward successfully, happily. I had the HEA in Split, and now I get the reality that is so much more fulfilling, so real.
Derek’s a caretaker, a devoted partner. He doesn’t want anything more than Nick. But he’s also fed up with Nick, a man who is driven by a passionate, impulsive need to attain more, to achieve more, to be more; crisis looms.
It’s a reflective story, a story that deepens Derek’s understanding of himself and those he loves. People are complicated, aren’t they? That’s why we have stories. Gratitude is a strong theme, as well as being aware of self-love and love shared: it's enough.
There’s a gentle supernatural element, a magical realism, that gives me the shivery-tingles. Most of the action takes place in the “dreamscape” of Derek’s head. A Purple Winter carries the guardian angel feel of Fran forward, and deepens it with David, a complicated secondary character. I also love the emotional flashes presented from Nick's and his brother Boone's point of view.
There is great sadness in this book, but not hopelessness. Deep grief paired with a beautiful, heart-filling solace. And there is honouring. Honouring of a community that was largely misunderstood by both itself and by those outside it: a community that grew up in an era where young men sought and never found love and acceptance. And died trying.
At times, the story is weighed down a bit too heavily with seriousness, but it’s a story to be read slowly. It made me rethink some of my own choices, and how I live my life today, what I want to change and what I can change. It also fills me with compassion for others, as they do the best they know how.
I recommend this story--perfect to warm your soul on a cold winter day.
In the mood for something else? How about a historical prison romance? I, with my whole goddamn beating heart, recommend Bossa’s moving and exciting tale of kindness and cruelty: Linhart’s Beautiful Beast.
Thank you, Mel Bossa, for giving me the opportunity to beta read A Purple Winter.
May 15, 2023
I've got so many mixed feelings about this "saga" that it's just wild.
Let it be clear that there's nothing like "Split" the first book is of what master pieces are made of, the way it portraits love is something I've never read again, the need the loneliness and the want it's just perfect.
But I really think that if the first book could have a proper sequel then this would be it, by first hand we know that Nick was never fully Derek's, that David is a part we know so little of and that meant too much for him a part that keeps him aloof and a part he doesn't allow himself to share with his only one, that a part of him will always value more the past than he really does Derek.
Then we have David's story, his tragic life and his tragic end and this new constructed relationship with Derek, this friendship and companionship between them, this mutual agreement that they are both very important parts of Nicks life though in very different ways, David as his best friend and companion of so many adventures, and Derek as the love of his life, "The only one he can't escape".
This book added to the trama and close it all beautifully.
I really think is important for creators to know when to stop, when it is finished. And this is something that is very obvious in this saga. Because "Split" only needed "A Purple Winter" to be complete, there's nothing more to add, there's no need to add more people to Derek and Nick's relationship because they're complete with one another. There's no need to add more to something perfectly done.
Every creator is in charge of his work and I respect that, but in my opinion you don't need to read more of Derek and Nick's story beyond "Split" and "A Purple Winter".
For me their beautiful story ends there, no need to add more.
Let it be clear that there's nothing like "Split" the first book is of what master pieces are made of, the way it portraits love is something I've never read again, the need the loneliness and the want it's just perfect.
But I really think that if the first book could have a proper sequel then this would be it, by first hand we know that Nick was never fully Derek's, that David is a part we know so little of and that meant too much for him a part that keeps him aloof and a part he doesn't allow himself to share with his only one, that a part of him will always value more the past than he really does Derek.
Then we have David's story, his tragic life and his tragic end and this new constructed relationship with Derek, this friendship and companionship between them, this mutual agreement that they are both very important parts of Nicks life though in very different ways, David as his best friend and companion of so many adventures, and Derek as the love of his life, "The only one he can't escape".
This book added to the trama and close it all beautifully.
I really think is important for creators to know when to stop, when it is finished. And this is something that is very obvious in this saga. Because "Split" only needed "A Purple Winter" to be complete, there's nothing more to add, there's no need to add more people to Derek and Nick's relationship because they're complete with one another. There's no need to add more to something perfectly done.
Every creator is in charge of his work and I respect that, but in my opinion you don't need to read more of Derek and Nick's story beyond "Split" and "A Purple Winter".
For me their beautiful story ends there, no need to add more.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews