A Star in Winter

by Anita Stansfield

Shayne Brynner has tried everything to make his marriage work. His wife, Margie, only feels well enough to shop incessantly and go to lunch with her friends. Buckling under Margie’s extreme credit-card debt, Shayne is forced to sell their home and move the family into an apartment. Mortified and enraged, Margie leaves the family.

Eight-year-old Scotty Brynner is having a noticeably difficult time coping with the problems at home. When he misses school, Helen Starkey, Scotty's caring and sensitive school teacher, decides to visit the apartment. When she learns of the family's plight and the father's demanding job, she offers to watch the children after school. Shayne is grateful for the help, and a close bond develops quickly between Helen and the children.

When his marriage ends, Shayne’s feelings toward Helen deepen beyond gratitude. Happiness seems certain, but matters of the heart are never as simple as they seem . . .

With an appropriate balance of faith and romance, Anita Stansfield weaves a thoroughly engaging and satisfying tale that will stay with you long after the final page is read

Genres: Lds Fiction, Romance, Lds, Clean Romance, Religion, Christian Romance, Christian Fiction

186 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2000

About the author

Anita Stansfield, the LDS market's #1 best-selling romance novelist, is an imaginative and prolific writer whose romantic stories have captivated her readers.

"With sales approaching a half million, Anita Stansfield has clearly found a niche in this market," said Nicole Martin, Publicist for Covenant Communications. "Her popularity stems from her ability to empathize with and write about the issues that LDS women deal with on a daily basis."

"I always write for women like me. It's through my interaction with other women that I've found there are some personal and emotional struggles that are typical," said Anita Stansfield. "I hope my writing makes women feel better about themselves and shows them these real problems can be solved through gospel principles."

Reviews

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay...a quick LDS fiction book that kept me busy for an afternoon. But I don't really like LDS fiction - it doesn't seem real to me, the characters seem too fictional. And the plot line was mundane.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest, and this is more the fault of whoever wrote the back cover copy rather than the author, I felt like if you read that blurb, you pretty much knew exactly what was going to happen in the story. There wasn't anything that really took me by surprise or drew me in.
That being said, it was a quick, decent read.
2.5 stars
(note that this book is written from a Latter-day Saint worldview which may be of interest to some, but not all)

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sweet story. A little hard to picture things moving as fast as they did in their relationship, or a teacher not being burned out and having the energy to babysit and make dinner and clean house for another family every day. But I still liked it despite how unrealistic it was.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book on love and forgiveness. Also a good reminder on the sacredness of marriage and promises.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story.

Content: clean

[Faith Glover · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s just too cheesy for me personally.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Shayne Brynner has tried everything to make his marriage work. His wife, Margie, only feels well enough to shop incessantly and go to lunch with her friends. Bucking under Margie's extreme credit-card debt, Shayne is forced to sell their home and move the family into an apartment. Mortified and enraged Margie leaves the family.
"Eight-year-old Scotty Brynner is having a noticeably difficult time coping with the problrms at home. When he misses school, Helen Starkey, Scotty's caring and sensitive school teacher, decides to visit the apartment. When she learns of the family's plights and the father's demanding job, she offers to watch the children after school. Shayne grateful for the help, and a closed bond develops quickly between Helen and the children.
"When his marriage ends, Shayne's feelings toward Helen deepen beyond gratitude. Happiness seems certain, but matters of the heart are never as simple as they seem..."
I loved this novel and it definitely shows that all people have struggles no matter their religion. I love her novels and hope that i can read all of them. I recomend this to eveyone and hope that you enjoy it as much as i did.

[Jag Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helen Starkey is a second grade teacher when of her students (Scotty) is doing horribly in class she try to call his parents she doesn't answer she goes to his and his dad is not home, so she babysits Scotty and his Sister and she been doing that ever since. Over time Helen and Shayne (Scotty's dad) and the kids and grow really strong bond with each other. Shayne finally divorces Margie who was to ill to do any thing around the house to do any thing, yet she is well enough to go shopping with her friends making bankrupt. forcing them in a apartment. Then Shayne and Helen fall in love and get married.

Helen is a teaches a second grade class is abscessed with stars and has a cat named twinkle. She is Lds and prays a lot through out the book and she has a really strong testimony. She always looks for the good in people and doesn't and doesn't go making accusations because she doesn't know all the facts.

I really enjoyed this book it has a great story to it. I love how Helen is always looking for the good in people. I like how Anita Stansfield put this whole story together like they show all of Helen's thoughts and and speaks.

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was all right. Totally fluff from beginning to end. Not much mystery. I wanted more kissing and passionately falling in love. Instead, it was a middle aged chubby school teacher who took care of kids for a guy who was going through a divorce and then in one night he proposed. Then it skips to them married and she's pregnant at the end. 100% non thinking, non plot twisting fluff. Sometimes you want that, though. I find myself wanting that approximately 1% of the time. Unfortunately, I started it on a day like that, and then had too finish it in the next few days when I no longer felt like a nothing book. So read it in one day, like maybe a day you are home sick and can't get up to reach anything else on the book shelf.

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like to re-read this around the holidays. Helen is a little older and still single. She teaches 3rd grade and has a student who seems to be struggling. When she fails to reach the parents, she stops by, only to find the two kids home alone. She offers to help with them and watch them after school. Helen is so efficient and so not me, but I still enjoy the tender story. Good recipes are included too!

[Beth Given · Rating 2 out of 5]

Your typical LDS romance: predictable, but more or less enjoyable — and certainly a quick read.

This book was a little different than others I’d seen, though: there was a recipe at the end of every chapter for a dinner or dessert the characters had eaten. The recipes are simple but look pretty good!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first Anita Stansfieled book that I read. Anita came and spoke to our stake, and this was her latest book , so I bought it. I liked it. It's not her bes, but it is a sweet book. I took it with me to hear Anita speak, and I met her, and she signed this book for me. I love Anita Stansfield's books.

[Laney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely an easy read. I think it only took me two hours to finish. It was a good book, but didn't really have any conflict. It reminded me of a fairy tale as it just seemed to be happily-every-after and everything worked out perfectly without more than minor speed bumps. I think it's a good book to read if you just want to sit and enjoy it and not have to think much.

[Phannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really easy read. (most LDS authors are) This was a good book. Not one that I absolutely loved. Good story, but I spent most of my emotional energy disagreeing with things that the main character did.

Anyway, if you want an easy read. Here is one. It took me less than a day to read. And I read pretty slowly.

[Kelsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book about 12 years ago and the story stuck with me. I couldn't remember the full title or who wrote it, but would occasionally look up key words to see if I could find it. I finally did find it a couple weeks ago and immediately went out and got it. The writing wasn't as good as I remembered, but the story was still touching and I'm happy to have been reaquainted with it.

[Coral · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was somewhat predictable, but I loved the characters and the uplifting tone throughout. If you ever need a comfort book that is quick to read, this is a great one! (And there are fun recipes throughout!).

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first book of Several of Anita's where I felt that the story was repeated over and over. If I find one of her books that does this I won't give it as high of a rating. They are still really good stories.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a cute book with normal people, and the romance is sweet and probably more realistic than most romance novels. However, it didn't have any plot twists or interesting climax moments. It was kind of flat. It was just quick and sweet.

[Spring Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my all-time favorite Anita Stansfield book. The characters seemed more down to earth and I liked all the recipes. Plus, I didn't feel like it was just one wrong thing happening in their lives after another. A sweet, little love story.

[Maggie]

This book addresses real issues facing members of the church. And in an appropriate balance of faith and romance. Anita weaves a thoroughly engaging and satisfying tale that will stay with you long after you have finished the book.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a vey easy read and I enjoyed it enough to read it several times. I really like the recipes after every chapter, but i wanted the characters to be a little more believable. It just seemed to me that they took things a little to seriously and thought things through way too much.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Helen Starkey (single, school teacher), falls in love with Shayne Brynner's children Scotty and Tamara. And, just like "The Sound of Music" falls in love with Shayne. I think she'd be my favorite third grade teacher! Oh, and there's recipes included!!

[Shirley Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a story much like her other novels. It is fun to read , and it is a quick read. Not too deep on plot, as her books seems to always end happily every after. She is a safe read for a good clean story.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books. It is one that I can read again and again. I have it if anyone wants to borrow it.

[Mikael · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good LDS fiction read. Very predictable, but romantic all the same.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really really good book, great romance novel

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fun to try the recipes in this book, but it is quite predictable (like many of her books)....but still good!

[Kristilynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

good

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The "heroine" was one I could really identify with, and that made it all the more enjoyable.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of her shorter books. I loved it, I re-read it and I just love the message in it. Even though some familys are different they can still have the same love as anyother family has.