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Parish Orphans of Devon #4
The Winter Companion
She needed to be seen...
As a lady's companion, Clara Hartwright never receives much attention from anyone. And that's precisely how she likes it. With a stormy past, and an unconventional plan for her future, it's far safer to remain invisible. But when her new employer is invited to a monthlong holiday at a remote coastal abbey, Clara discovers that she may not be as invisible as she'd hoped. At least, not as far as one gentleman is concerned.
He wanted to be heard...
Neville Cross has always been more comfortable with animals than people. An accident in his youth has left him with a brain injury that affects his speech. Forming the words to speak to his childhood friends is difficult enough. Finding the right things to say to a lovely young lady's companion seems downright impossible. But Miss Hartwright is no ordinary companion. In fact, there may not be anything ordinary about her at all.
During a bleak Devon winter, two sensitive souls forge an unexpected friendship. But when Clara needs him most, will Neville find the courage to face his fears? Or is saying goodbye to her the most heroic thing he can do?
As a lady's companion, Clara Hartwright never receives much attention from anyone. And that's precisely how she likes it. With a stormy past, and an unconventional plan for her future, it's far safer to remain invisible. But when her new employer is invited to a monthlong holiday at a remote coastal abbey, Clara discovers that she may not be as invisible as she'd hoped. At least, not as far as one gentleman is concerned.
He wanted to be heard...
Neville Cross has always been more comfortable with animals than people. An accident in his youth has left him with a brain injury that affects his speech. Forming the words to speak to his childhood friends is difficult enough. Finding the right things to say to a lovely young lady's companion seems downright impossible. But Miss Hartwright is no ordinary companion. In fact, there may not be anything ordinary about her at all.
During a bleak Devon winter, two sensitive souls forge an unexpected friendship. But when Clara needs him most, will Neville find the courage to face his fears? Or is saying goodbye to her the most heroic thing he can do?
316 pages, Paperback
First published February 11, 2020
712 people are currently reading
1912 people want to read
About the author
Mimi Matthews
24 books4,412 followersUSA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning historical romance, including Rules for Ruin, a Kirkus, NYPL, NPR, Library Journal, BookPage, and Marie Claire Best Book of 2025; The Siren of Sussex, a 2023 RUSA Reading List shortlist pick for Best Romance; Fair as a Star, a Library Journal Best Romance of 2020; Gentleman Jim, a Kirkus Best Book of 2020; and The Work of Art, winner of the 2020 HOLT Medallion and a 2021 Daphne du Maurier Award nominee. Her novels have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, BookPage, and Shelf Awareness, and her articles have been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and in syndication at BUST Magazine.
In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes an Andalusian dressage horse, a miniature poodle, a Sheltie, and two Siamese cats.
**I only rate the books I love.**
In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes an Andalusian dressage horse, a miniature poodle, a Sheltie, and two Siamese cats.
**I only rate the books I love.**
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 624 reviews
March 10, 2024
A story about a noble pug who overcame a life of being underestimated and coddled to find his true place in a pack of mastiffs.
Also there was a romance between two humans that was pretty good too.
Also there was a romance between two humans that was pretty good too.
February 17, 2023
A sweet, clean historical romance. I didn’t feel as emotionally connected to this couple as I had in other books by this author. I liked books 1 and 3 in this series better (I haven’t read book 2), but Fair as a Star is still my overall favorite by Mimi Matthews.
January 12, 2020
GUESS WHAT it is Neville's turn!! Oh Neville, you bunny rabbit. Anyone who has followed the Parish Orphans of Devon quartet knows that Neville has played a strong and present role in each. Unofficial ward/friend/brother to Justin, a tragic accident has left him with a speech impediment despite the sharpness of his mind and ( most importantly) the tenderness of his heart.
Neville's strong, silent and stable presence since book 1 has been a balm amidst the four very different childhood friends and sometimes presumed enemies who sew up this little world.
And of course, Neville deserves a perfect romantic counterpart much as Alex found Laura, Tom found Jenny and Justin, Helena. Clara is a perfect addition. It is the way in which these two are able to see each other's strength, worth and value that makes it a perfectly contained romance. Neville, for one, delights in how he sees Clara --as if no one else can peel back the curtain of her unique special beauty in the same way "He had the queerest feeling that he was the only one who was privileged to see just how beautiful she as. As if it were a secret, locked up tight, to which only he held the key."
Much as Clara knows that Neville is not a boy. That his sweetness does not emasculate him, rather that he is a man whose honour and courage exist in his steadfast loyalty and kindness. Her Galahad does not swing a a sword, nor stride like a Lord of the Manor late to war as Justin does. His armour is his compassion, his battle gear is his ability to tame and converse with animals.
And his strength is in recognizing that the man he needs to be for Clara requires him not to dash after a man from her past who wronged her, rather to right the slight of other men in her life by encouraging her dreams, her passion and her education. Matthews' backlist supports similar women who are trying to live out their independence from the abject structure of their patriarchal world ( Jenny Finchley stands out as a perfect example). While Jenny and Tom travel the world, Neville offers Clara the world of imagination, of gardens and stable and all the books she wants.
In this, he is far more a knight than the Tennyson that so lovingly sews up and enhances the book's themes of chivalry and pure romance:
Each of Matthews' heroes embodies masculine characteristics that champion and differ from merely the alpha archetype. They are not shadows of an ideal model so renowned in fiction of this time period, rather rendered heroic and worthy because of the many small, distinguishing parts that sew up their heroism as a whole. Tom's inward scars to Justin's outward scars, Neville's counterbalance to Alex's staggering and rakish first impression. Matthews' series disseminates and advocates for a healthy masculinity of deep characterization and nuanced empathy so different from the archetype often pursued in the genre and the romanticism of her time period.
The sense of forged family is a strong link in the chain of the four novels and readers will be delighted to see all of the characters together. This story can be read as a standalone in that it perfectly paints Neville and Clara's story independently, however the true brilliance of the quartet is the continued emotional resonance as well as the deft ways in which Matthews slowly sews up the mysteries and secrets of the past in order to embellish this carefully rendered tapestry.
I would be remiss in my love of her deep art of characterization if I did not mention how brilliantly she paints her settings with enough descriptives to immerse the reader without overwhelming them. In short, the perfect balance of giving us just enough so that we can use our imagination to colour in the rest. The grand abbeys, the stone cottages and stables, the blurred line between horizon and sea reflect the poetry Neville and Clara steal into and that Lady Helena loves.
This series is, in short, an ode to the Victorian era from all corners, stations and predicaments. While Matthews clearly owns this period as her home and romanticizes it for its humanity, charity, fashion and custom, she is not against pulling out the limitations especially in regards to the treatment of women. Matthews adores the period, but doesn't shy away from its restrictions. Perhaps it is her ability to paint it so wholly ---for all its good and bad--- that make the series one of the most addictive offerings in the genre in years.
And of course I plan to read them all from the beginning...
again and again and again
Neville's strong, silent and stable presence since book 1 has been a balm amidst the four very different childhood friends and sometimes presumed enemies who sew up this little world.
And of course, Neville deserves a perfect romantic counterpart much as Alex found Laura, Tom found Jenny and Justin, Helena. Clara is a perfect addition. It is the way in which these two are able to see each other's strength, worth and value that makes it a perfectly contained romance. Neville, for one, delights in how he sees Clara --as if no one else can peel back the curtain of her unique special beauty in the same way "He had the queerest feeling that he was the only one who was privileged to see just how beautiful she as. As if it were a secret, locked up tight, to which only he held the key."
Much as Clara knows that Neville is not a boy. That his sweetness does not emasculate him, rather that he is a man whose honour and courage exist in his steadfast loyalty and kindness. Her Galahad does not swing a a sword, nor stride like a Lord of the Manor late to war as Justin does. His armour is his compassion, his battle gear is his ability to tame and converse with animals.
And his strength is in recognizing that the man he needs to be for Clara requires him not to dash after a man from her past who wronged her, rather to right the slight of other men in her life by encouraging her dreams, her passion and her education. Matthews' backlist supports similar women who are trying to live out their independence from the abject structure of their patriarchal world ( Jenny Finchley stands out as a perfect example). While Jenny and Tom travel the world, Neville offers Clara the world of imagination, of gardens and stable and all the books she wants.
In this, he is far more a knight than the Tennyson that so lovingly sews up and enhances the book's themes of chivalry and pure romance:
Each of Matthews' heroes embodies masculine characteristics that champion and differ from merely the alpha archetype. They are not shadows of an ideal model so renowned in fiction of this time period, rather rendered heroic and worthy because of the many small, distinguishing parts that sew up their heroism as a whole. Tom's inward scars to Justin's outward scars, Neville's counterbalance to Alex's staggering and rakish first impression. Matthews' series disseminates and advocates for a healthy masculinity of deep characterization and nuanced empathy so different from the archetype often pursued in the genre and the romanticism of her time period.
The sense of forged family is a strong link in the chain of the four novels and readers will be delighted to see all of the characters together. This story can be read as a standalone in that it perfectly paints Neville and Clara's story independently, however the true brilliance of the quartet is the continued emotional resonance as well as the deft ways in which Matthews slowly sews up the mysteries and secrets of the past in order to embellish this carefully rendered tapestry.
I would be remiss in my love of her deep art of characterization if I did not mention how brilliantly she paints her settings with enough descriptives to immerse the reader without overwhelming them. In short, the perfect balance of giving us just enough so that we can use our imagination to colour in the rest. The grand abbeys, the stone cottages and stables, the blurred line between horizon and sea reflect the poetry Neville and Clara steal into and that Lady Helena loves.
This series is, in short, an ode to the Victorian era from all corners, stations and predicaments. While Matthews clearly owns this period as her home and romanticizes it for its humanity, charity, fashion and custom, she is not against pulling out the limitations especially in regards to the treatment of women. Matthews adores the period, but doesn't shy away from its restrictions. Perhaps it is her ability to paint it so wholly ---for all its good and bad--- that make the series one of the most addictive offerings in the genre in years.
And of course I plan to read them all from the beginning...
again and again and again
June 10, 2020
Audiobook update: I love this story even more upon a reread! It's the perfect conclusion to the series and a sweet romance in itself. It's wonderful to see Neville's side of things and his quiet intelligence shine through as he meets his match in Clara, a smart and caring heroine herself.
I was grinning at the epilogue, once again!
I was grinning at the epilogue, once again!
February 11, 2020
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was so excited to get this because she tells the most wonderful romantic tales!
This was quite different from her others in the sense that, Mr Cross is a different man than the rest. Physically he’s big and beautifully handsome and probably the kindest of the four men, but he’s suffered a brain injury. Neville ended up being one of my favorites of the men. I swooned over his looks and kindness. The story was wonderful.
I really enjoyed the fact that none of the “couples” could keep their hands off each other. It was so sweet.
Things I loved:
• The chemistry
• The romance
• Their love of animals and books
• Neville and his letter
• The Christmas parts
I just preordered Gentleman Jim! ♥️
This was a NETGALLEY gift and I already purchased this book on Amazon weeks ago and all opinions are my own.
I was so excited to get this because she tells the most wonderful romantic tales!
This was quite different from her others in the sense that, Mr Cross is a different man than the rest. Physically he’s big and beautifully handsome and probably the kindest of the four men, but he’s suffered a brain injury. Neville ended up being one of my favorites of the men. I swooned over his looks and kindness. The story was wonderful.
I really enjoyed the fact that none of the “couples” could keep their hands off each other. It was so sweet.
Things I loved:
• The chemistry
• The romance
• Their love of animals and books
• Neville and his letter
• The Christmas parts
I just preordered Gentleman Jim! ♥️
This was a NETGALLEY gift and I already purchased this book on Amazon weeks ago and all opinions are my own.
January 13, 2020
If you need me, I’ll be in a pile of mush over here. I knew from the previous Parrish Orphans book that I would love Neville and I was not wrong. I honestly don’t think Matthews can write a hero that I don’t love, but Neville is special guys. You HAVE to meet him for yourself. That being said, I can’t believe the series is over. What am I going to do now? Need. More. Books.
June 23, 2023
What do you expect from a book with the word winter in the title?
Snow, right? Magical white landscapes, fresh, untouched blankets of snow in the morning, a real-life snow globe behind the window…
You know what did I get? Freezing cold, horizontal rain and wind that chills you to the bone. And mud. So much mud!!! How could you Mimi Matthews? It was supposed to be a fairytale 😭😭😭
I was curious how Neville’s story would play out. He had suffered a brain injury as a child and has been struggling with his speech ever since. It was not clear to me from the previous books that he was otherwise healthy and very intelligent. As it turns out he was also a perfect match for Clara.
I enjoyed this story but it may have been my least favorite of the series. Clara and Neville had a lot in common and their story was satisfying to read, but it just wasn’t as captivating as the previous books.
The Christmas story of all orphans and their families was a beautiful closure to the series though. I loved watching my favorite characters living their hea🥹
Snow, right? Magical white landscapes, fresh, untouched blankets of snow in the morning, a real-life snow globe behind the window…
You know what did I get? Freezing cold, horizontal rain and wind that chills you to the bone. And mud. So much mud!!! How could you Mimi Matthews? It was supposed to be a fairytale 😭😭😭
I was curious how Neville’s story would play out. He had suffered a brain injury as a child and has been struggling with his speech ever since. It was not clear to me from the previous books that he was otherwise healthy and very intelligent. As it turns out he was also a perfect match for Clara.
I enjoyed this story but it may have been my least favorite of the series. Clara and Neville had a lot in common and their story was satisfying to read, but it just wasn’t as captivating as the previous books.
The Christmas story of all orphans and their families was a beautiful closure to the series though. I loved watching my favorite characters living their hea🥹
June 19, 2025
My 5-star rating is a bit soft; there was nothing about this story I disliked, no little flaw I could point to as a reason for lowering the rating, but I was left wanting more in a vague way. Perhaps more time between Neville and Clara, and more words, difficult as that might have been for Neville.
Due to a childhood accident, Neville has trouble with speech. He thinks clearly but struggles to put together words to express his thoughts, and he stutters. As a result, he’s spent two decades working with horses and other animals and being outdoors, work he enjoys. Back at the Abbey with his friend Justin, he dreads an upcoming Christmas house party and being with so many people, including strangers.
One of those strangers, Clara, a lady’s companion, stops at the stables en route to the main house to ask a favor: could she please leave her dog there until she’s given permission to take him into the house? Lady’s companions aren’t supposed to have dogs, you see, but the ancient little pug she pulls from under her cloak was owned by her last employer, who died, and the dog was going to be put down until Clara claimed him. Neville, of course, finds the pug a comfortable temporary home.
Well. Worthy hero + soft-hearted heroine + ancient dog named Bertie + Christmas festivities + entire house of series characters + skilled author. How could it go wrong? It didn’t.
It went by too fast, though. Neville and Clara didn’t get enough time together, but they made the time they had count. I bought their feelings, sudden as they were. And when Clara had to leave the party early for a family emergency, I felt Neville’s panic and despair.
The most effective section of the book, for me, This is a couple who deserved a happy ending, and who deserved for their revised dreams of the future to find the perfect place to land.
A very pleasant note on which to end the series.
Due to a childhood accident, Neville has trouble with speech. He thinks clearly but struggles to put together words to express his thoughts, and he stutters. As a result, he’s spent two decades working with horses and other animals and being outdoors, work he enjoys. Back at the Abbey with his friend Justin, he dreads an upcoming Christmas house party and being with so many people, including strangers.
One of those strangers, Clara, a lady’s companion, stops at the stables en route to the main house to ask a favor: could she please leave her dog there until she’s given permission to take him into the house? Lady’s companions aren’t supposed to have dogs, you see, but the ancient little pug she pulls from under her cloak was owned by her last employer, who died, and the dog was going to be put down until Clara claimed him. Neville, of course, finds the pug a comfortable temporary home.
Well. Worthy hero + soft-hearted heroine + ancient dog named Bertie + Christmas festivities + entire house of series characters + skilled author. How could it go wrong? It didn’t.
It went by too fast, though. Neville and Clara didn’t get enough time together, but they made the time they had count. I bought their feelings, sudden as they were. And when Clara had to leave the party early for a family emergency, I felt Neville’s panic and despair.
The most effective section of the book, for me, This is a couple who deserved a happy ending, and who deserved for their revised dreams of the future to find the perfect place to land.
A very pleasant note on which to end the series.
August 8, 2022
This sweet, uplifting and heart-warming love story was an enchanting finale to Mimi Matthews’s best-selling
Parish Orphans of Devon
series
While I loved all the previous heroes in this series, there is just something special about Neville that captured my heart. At times, I wanted to reach into the book and hug him so tight. Through his thoughts and feelings, Ms. Matthews gives the reader an insight into how the effects of Neville’s injury have shaped his life.
Ever since Justin had provided a home for him at Greyfriars Abbey, it has been a place where Neville felt safe and secure, and happy working with the animals. It was sad to realise how his speech impediment had defined his life choices.
Ambitions required aptitude. The ability to learn and grow. And there was no fixing his speech. No remedy to the fact that it made him seem slow and stupid.
I had a lot of sympathy for Clara, a romantic at heart, whose youthful indiscretion had such an impact on her life. Not only did she lose her own teaching job, but her brother, Simon, lost his tutors and the local squire’s patronage too. Taking responsibility for the damage she had caused to her family’s reputation and her brother’s prospects, she has taken a position as a companion to help pay for Simon’s school fees.
It was her own cross to bear. Her secret shame.
As a companion, she is expected to fade into the background, but I admire her for having ambitions beyond society’s normal expectations for a woman.
Ms. Matthews beautifully nuanced and eloquent writing made this one of the loveliest romances I have ever read. I loved how the focus of the story was on Neville and Clara’s developing relationship, showing their feelings for each other gradually evolving and allowing the romance to flourish in a natural way. It’s a journey of discovery for them as individuals and as a couple.
I love how Clara is just perfect for Neville. She understands his struggle in a way that no one else does - how frustrating and painful it must be for someone as intelligent as Neville to struggle with forming even a simple sentence.
A flicker of sympathy stirred in her breast. What must it be like? To be thoughtful and intelligent and unable to express it? To have to struggle for every word?
She also sees how capable, strong, honest, kind and gentle he is.
Neville sees not only Clara’s outward beauty but also her inner beauty, something he feels that only he is privileged to see. I love how he encouraged her to read poetry and novels again, something she hasn’t done for many years.
My heart went out to Neville when Clara in forced to leave and he believes he will never see her again, but it makes him realise that he wants what his friends have...a life of his own and a chance at happiness with Clara.
He did want more. He wanted a life of his own choosing.
He wanted her
I loved Neville’s determination to help Clara. It took at lot of courage, knowing that he would have to face his fears and insecurities head on, but it showed the depth of his love for her.
There are so many lovely moments in this book that it was difficult to pick just two.
He rested his forehead gently against hers. And the emotion imbued in that single gesture was so sweet, so tender, she felt she might drown in it. That she might lose herself entirely.
His heart clenched. Having her on his arm, bright and beautiful, and singing so sweetly. There was a rightness to it that was almost painful. He wanted to keep it close. To save the moment forever, like a winter flower pressed between the pages of a book.
I was pleased to see Clara eventually cleared of the stain on her reputation, and I enjoyed seeing how she handled her selfish, ungrateful brother, Simon.
I always appreciate the historical details and social commentary Ms. Matthews brings to her books. Here it is the month-long Christmas celebrations at Greyfriars Abbey with the freshly cut Christmas tree, pine boughs, holly, mistletoe, and the delicious Christmas feast. Ms. Matthews also highlights the inequality in education where women were excluded from going to university.
The Epilogue provided the perfect end to both this book and the series. I sighed, knowing that all four of the orphaned friends had now found love, acceptance and happiness.
”There’s happiness.” Clara rested her head on his shoulder. “There’s this. Every day. With you. For the rest of our lives. The stuff of dreams.”
I can highly recommend not only this book but the whole series.
While I loved all the previous heroes in this series, there is just something special about Neville that captured my heart. At times, I wanted to reach into the book and hug him so tight. Through his thoughts and feelings, Ms. Matthews gives the reader an insight into how the effects of Neville’s injury have shaped his life.
Ever since Justin had provided a home for him at Greyfriars Abbey, it has been a place where Neville felt safe and secure, and happy working with the animals. It was sad to realise how his speech impediment had defined his life choices.
Ambitions required aptitude. The ability to learn and grow. And there was no fixing his speech. No remedy to the fact that it made him seem slow and stupid.
I had a lot of sympathy for Clara, a romantic at heart, whose youthful indiscretion had such an impact on her life. Not only did she lose her own teaching job, but her brother, Simon, lost his tutors and the local squire’s patronage too. Taking responsibility for the damage she had caused to her family’s reputation and her brother’s prospects, she has taken a position as a companion to help pay for Simon’s school fees.
It was her own cross to bear. Her secret shame.
As a companion, she is expected to fade into the background, but I admire her for having ambitions beyond society’s normal expectations for a woman.
Ms. Matthews beautifully nuanced and eloquent writing made this one of the loveliest romances I have ever read. I loved how the focus of the story was on Neville and Clara’s developing relationship, showing their feelings for each other gradually evolving and allowing the romance to flourish in a natural way. It’s a journey of discovery for them as individuals and as a couple.
I love how Clara is just perfect for Neville. She understands his struggle in a way that no one else does - how frustrating and painful it must be for someone as intelligent as Neville to struggle with forming even a simple sentence.
A flicker of sympathy stirred in her breast. What must it be like? To be thoughtful and intelligent and unable to express it? To have to struggle for every word?
She also sees how capable, strong, honest, kind and gentle he is.
Neville sees not only Clara’s outward beauty but also her inner beauty, something he feels that only he is privileged to see. I love how he encouraged her to read poetry and novels again, something she hasn’t done for many years.
My heart went out to Neville when Clara in forced to leave and he believes he will never see her again, but it makes him realise that he wants what his friends have...a life of his own and a chance at happiness with Clara.
He did want more. He wanted a life of his own choosing.
He wanted her
I loved Neville’s determination to help Clara. It took at lot of courage, knowing that he would have to face his fears and insecurities head on, but it showed the depth of his love for her.
There are so many lovely moments in this book that it was difficult to pick just two.
He rested his forehead gently against hers. And the emotion imbued in that single gesture was so sweet, so tender, she felt she might drown in it. That she might lose herself entirely.
His heart clenched. Having her on his arm, bright and beautiful, and singing so sweetly. There was a rightness to it that was almost painful. He wanted to keep it close. To save the moment forever, like a winter flower pressed between the pages of a book.
I was pleased to see Clara eventually cleared of the stain on her reputation, and I enjoyed seeing how she handled her selfish, ungrateful brother, Simon.
I always appreciate the historical details and social commentary Ms. Matthews brings to her books. Here it is the month-long Christmas celebrations at Greyfriars Abbey with the freshly cut Christmas tree, pine boughs, holly, mistletoe, and the delicious Christmas feast. Ms. Matthews also highlights the inequality in education where women were excluded from going to university.
The Epilogue provided the perfect end to both this book and the series. I sighed, knowing that all four of the orphaned friends had now found love, acceptance and happiness.
”There’s happiness.” Clara rested her head on his shoulder. “There’s this. Every day. With you. For the rest of our lives. The stuff of dreams.”
I can highly recommend not only this book but the whole series.
February 12, 2020
(3.5 stars) I suppose a reader could jump right in to this story about Neville Cross, the last entry in Matthews' Victorian HR series about four men who grew up as parish orphans in Devon. Each one took a different path in life: Justin (of the first book) became a soldier; Tom, a lawyer; Alex, a world-traveling gambler/grifter. But Neville, who, when very young, suffered a traumatic brain injury when out playing by the cliffs with the other three, has a different kind of story.
As I said, you could just jump right in here and enjoy this book as a standalone, but the backdrop provided by the previous three gives you more insight into Neville's issues and into the relationship of all four men. And you wouldn't have developed an acquaintance and fondness for all the couples as they gather here to celebrate Christmas at Justin's home.
This has a slow-moving plot, with kind and thoughtful characters, and lots of interactions of family and friends. It's quite similar to the type of story Mary Balogh writes, even having a character with a disability, which is something Balogh often includes in her stories, whether it be a physical or emotional problem. Fortunately, this Matthews book does not have any of that awkward sex between H and h that Balogh somehow feels obligated to include and Matthews' story is all the better for it. Neville is such a gentle, kind, sweet man that it would have felt intrusive to see how he comports himself in bed.
Neville's brain injury years ago has left him with what seems to be speech dyspraxia. His brain is normal, his thoughts are normal, even insightful, but the thoughts don't transfer smoothly into spoken words. And when he is nervous or stressed, his speech problem becomes even more severe. This causes some people (not his friends) to think his intelligence is subnormal and he is very self-conscious and has come to think of himself as less of a person. He is content to live at Justin's estate, taking outstanding care of the horses and other animals and training to take over as estate manager when the older man who serves now retires. He does his job well but interacts as little as possible with others.
And then we have our heroine, Clara. She also suffers from feelings of low self-worth and the lack of a voice. The lack of a voice, in her case, is caused by circumstances in her past and her lowly place as a woman in Victorian society, not by any physical impediment. Something that happened to her as a young adult, which had repercussions on her family's reputation and welfare and which she was forced to take all responsibility for, changed her life dramatically, forcing her to seek employment as a lady's companion. And, as everyone knows, companions "were meant to be good listeners, not talkers. And they certainly weren't paid to speak their mind."
So Clara is voiceless by force majeure but inside her soul she is looking forward to the day she can say what she thinks and feels, can be who she would like to be, can belong and not be alone. With Neville, she feels safe and at home. And Neville feels the same around her. But each has his/her own hangups and the feeling that they cannot have a future together. That's all I'll say. The plot is slight so it would be an unkindness to reveal more. Other than to note that if you are an animal lover, you'll have dogs and horses to your heart's content. And if you are a romance lover, this is a satisfying one.
This is not a 5-star read for me because I found everyone to be too earnest and serious almost all the time. I would have appreciated a few more moments of humor and some snappier dialogue at times. Still, it's a feel-good story and something I appreciate at the moment.
As I said, you could just jump right in here and enjoy this book as a standalone, but the backdrop provided by the previous three gives you more insight into Neville's issues and into the relationship of all four men. And you wouldn't have developed an acquaintance and fondness for all the couples as they gather here to celebrate Christmas at Justin's home.
This has a slow-moving plot, with kind and thoughtful characters, and lots of interactions of family and friends. It's quite similar to the type of story Mary Balogh writes, even having a character with a disability, which is something Balogh often includes in her stories, whether it be a physical or emotional problem. Fortunately, this Matthews book does not have any of that awkward sex between H and h that Balogh somehow feels obligated to include and Matthews' story is all the better for it. Neville is such a gentle, kind, sweet man that it would have felt intrusive to see how he comports himself in bed.
Neville's brain injury years ago has left him with what seems to be speech dyspraxia. His brain is normal, his thoughts are normal, even insightful, but the thoughts don't transfer smoothly into spoken words. And when he is nervous or stressed, his speech problem becomes even more severe. This causes some people (not his friends) to think his intelligence is subnormal and he is very self-conscious and has come to think of himself as less of a person. He is content to live at Justin's estate, taking outstanding care of the horses and other animals and training to take over as estate manager when the older man who serves now retires. He does his job well but interacts as little as possible with others.
And then we have our heroine, Clara. She also suffers from feelings of low self-worth and the lack of a voice. The lack of a voice, in her case, is caused by circumstances in her past and her lowly place as a woman in Victorian society, not by any physical impediment. Something that happened to her as a young adult, which had repercussions on her family's reputation and welfare and which she was forced to take all responsibility for, changed her life dramatically, forcing her to seek employment as a lady's companion. And, as everyone knows, companions "were meant to be good listeners, not talkers. And they certainly weren't paid to speak their mind."
So Clara is voiceless by force majeure but inside her soul she is looking forward to the day she can say what she thinks and feels, can be who she would like to be, can belong and not be alone. With Neville, she feels safe and at home. And Neville feels the same around her. But each has his/her own hangups and the feeling that they cannot have a future together. That's all I'll say. The plot is slight so it would be an unkindness to reveal more. Other than to note that if you are an animal lover, you'll have dogs and horses to your heart's content. And if you are a romance lover, this is a satisfying one.
This is not a 5-star read for me because I found everyone to be too earnest and serious almost all the time. I would have appreciated a few more moments of humor and some snappier dialogue at times. Still, it's a feel-good story and something I appreciate at the moment.
August 3, 2020
5 stars – Historical Romance
Every once in a while, a wonderful, deeply affecting book like The Winter Companion comes along and reminds me why I love reading romances so much. It’s a simple, tender, touching, heartwarming, and beautifully written story of two lonely people wanting to be known and understood for who they are and longing for respect, acceptance, connection, friendship, and affection.
Neville is one of the sweetest, kindest heroes I’ve ever read about. He’s such a gentle giant and the true knight that Clara deserves. Neville and Clara’s tentative, considerate, emotive, and reverent slow-burn friendship to love romance is genuine and soul-stirring. This is one of the best books I’ve enjoyed reading this year. I loved it! Big 5 stars!
“You’ve done more than most would. More than anyone I’ve ever known. It’s easy to see an injustice and to feel grieved by it, but most people pass on. To actually do something—to speak out against a wrong and make an effort to right it—is a rarity. How many gentlemen would have cared for the plight of an injured wild pony? Most don’t even care for the plight of a poor injured child.”
If you remember me down the years, I hope it will be as a man who was honored to know you, and to be in your company. And who might have loved you all of your days if things had been different.
He had the queerest feeling that he was the only one who was privileged to see just how beautiful she was. As if it were a secret, locked up tight, to which only he held the key.
Every once in a while, a wonderful, deeply affecting book like The Winter Companion comes along and reminds me why I love reading romances so much. It’s a simple, tender, touching, heartwarming, and beautifully written story of two lonely people wanting to be known and understood for who they are and longing for respect, acceptance, connection, friendship, and affection.
Neville is one of the sweetest, kindest heroes I’ve ever read about. He’s such a gentle giant and the true knight that Clara deserves. Neville and Clara’s tentative, considerate, emotive, and reverent slow-burn friendship to love romance is genuine and soul-stirring. This is one of the best books I’ve enjoyed reading this year. I loved it! Big 5 stars!
“You’ve done more than most would. More than anyone I’ve ever known. It’s easy to see an injustice and to feel grieved by it, but most people pass on. To actually do something—to speak out against a wrong and make an effort to right it—is a rarity. How many gentlemen would have cared for the plight of an injured wild pony? Most don’t even care for the plight of a poor injured child.”
If you remember me down the years, I hope it will be as a man who was honored to know you, and to be in your company. And who might have loved you all of your days if things had been different.
He had the queerest feeling that he was the only one who was privileged to see just how beautiful she was. As if it were a secret, locked up tight, to which only he held the key.
May 30, 2025
2'5 ⭐
Reseña completa: https://masromance.blogspot.com/2025/...
Esperaba más de Neville y creo que la autora ha desaprovechado unos personajes interesantes en una historia bonita pero poco destacable.
Me da reparo admitir que en algunas partes se me ha hecho aburrida y me costaba avanzar... una reunión navideña con la aparición de todos las parejas anteriores es el escenario en el que se conoce esta pareja.
Bonita y muy bien ambientada y escrita, pero creo que la historia daba mucho más de sí
Reseña completa: https://masromance.blogspot.com/2025/...
Esperaba más de Neville y creo que la autora ha desaprovechado unos personajes interesantes en una historia bonita pero poco destacable.
Me da reparo admitir que en algunas partes se me ha hecho aburrida y me costaba avanzar... una reunión navideña con la aparición de todos las parejas anteriores es el escenario en el que se conoce esta pareja.
Bonita y muy bien ambientada y escrita, pero creo que la historia daba mucho más de sí
Read
February 23, 20205 STARS
Oh... what a beautiful ending to this incredible series. I'm so filled up with emotion for these characters. And I'm so happy that Ms. Matthews gave us this glimpse into Neville's world. His hopes and dreams, his tender affection. I'm all choked up. And the way she weaved the landscape of Devon itself into the story, was truly artfully done. (yes that was too many "ly's" but they were well deserved!)
I loved the entire series. All of the characters and the gothic story that brought them all together. Matthews has captured my heart with her enchanting stories, her intriguing characters, and her writing in general. I'll read anything she she writes.
PS- If you are thinking of reading this series, I must insist that you read them in order. The story is much more meaningful that way. Also, if you're a fan of audiobooks, I just heard that Alex Wyndham will be narrating this one... 🥰
Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’-Tennyson, Ulysses
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
Oh... what a beautiful ending to this incredible series. I'm so filled up with emotion for these characters. And I'm so happy that Ms. Matthews gave us this glimpse into Neville's world. His hopes and dreams, his tender affection. I'm all choked up. And the way she weaved the landscape of Devon itself into the story, was truly artfully done. (yes that was too many "ly's" but they were well deserved!)
I loved the entire series. All of the characters and the gothic story that brought them all together. Matthews has captured my heart with her enchanting stories, her intriguing characters, and her writing in general. I'll read anything she she writes.
PS- If you are thinking of reading this series, I must insist that you read them in order. The story is much more meaningful that way. Also, if you're a fan of audiobooks, I just heard that Alex Wyndham will be narrating this one... 🥰
Read
October 6, 2020It sounds like a sweet romance, but I made the mistake of skimming and just could not get over the ungrateful brother and condemning mother. Out of guilt,
November 13, 2020
This author has such a skill at bringing her characters to life! I always pitied Neville in the previous books because of his limitations, but what he really needed was a champion- Clara sees him for who he really is and knows that he is capable. I loved being able to get into his head and seeing just how much he comprehends and what the effects of his head injury really were. Their friendship and romance is just so, so sweet! I have a soft spot for the strong silent type, and Clara's individuality and acceptance of him made them a perfect match. There is a bit of a mysterious subplot throughout the book that provides the impetus for the climax, and it was just right for this gentle romance with three-dimensional characters. It was also fun to revisit the couples from the previous books in the series, and it was an absolute joy to end this wonderful series with such a strong finish. Highly recommend all the books in the Parish Orphans of Devon series!
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions expressed in this review are my own)
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions expressed in this review are my own)
June 21, 2025
4 Estrellitas. Un bonito broche para los Desamparados de Devon, aunque lejos de pensar que es el final, pues en la serie de las Londinenses los personajes siguen saliendo, de modo que ha sido un final dulce.
No sabía cómo iba a enfocar Mimi Matthews la historia de Neville, o mas bien su condición. En libros anteriores, los protagonistas nos contaron como Neville tuvo el accidente y este afectó a su vida. Una lesión cerebral que le impide hablar o razonar de una manera normal. Quizás en los primeros libros pensé que la lesión de Neville le había provocado algún tipo de retraso, pero éste libro deja evidencia de que no ha sido así.
Neville Cross es el único de los Desamparados de Devon que se quedó en el pueblo. Mientras que Alex desapareció y Tom se fue con el abogado a Londres, solo quedó Justin hasta que se unió al ejército, mientras que Neville, una vez se recuperó de la lesión, lo acogieron las monjas de un convento mientras trabajaba el jardín y los animales. Y ésta es la pasión de Neville, los animales. Lejos de poder comportarse como un adulto normal, Neville ha estrechado un vínculo único con los animales, y ahora en la abadía de Greyfriar, el hogar de Justin y Helena, Neville trabaja para ganarse el pan en los establos de la abadía.
Cuando empieza el libro se acerca la Navidad de 1860, y los Thornhill han invitado a sus amigos a pasar las navidades en la abadía. Allí acuden Jenny y Tom, y Alex Archer y su reciente esposa, Laura, junto con su hermano paralítico, Teddy, y su anciana tía, quien ha traído a Clara Hartwright, su nueva dama de compañía.
Al igual que Neville, Clara es una persona solitaria que no ha tenido muy buena suerte en la vida. Durante su juventud fue feliz en su pueblo de Hertfordshire, pero un escándalo tambaleó su mundo y el de su familia. Su madre tuvo que buscarse otro empleo, y Clara también, pasando de ser maestra rural, a dama de compañía. A cambio, todo lo que gana Clara deberá ir para su hermano, que está estudiando en Cambridge.
Ésta no es la vida que Clara tenía pensada. Era feliz soñando y leyendo novelas románticas, pero le jugaron una mala pasada y ahora no se permite soñar, simplemente vivir el día a día, y ayudar a su hermano para que el día de mañana la convierta en su asistente o secretaria. Mientras tanto, se emplea como dama de compañía, y ahora debe ir con su jefa a pasar la Navidad en Devon.
Los protagonistas no se habrían conocido de otra manera. La suya es una historia sencilla y tierna, donde el amor, la paciencia, la comprensión y el respeto está a la orden del día. Clara y Neville no esperaban enamorarse, ella es una joven hermosa y pasional y Neville se encandila de ella desde el principio, mientras que la timidez y ternura de Neville, así como su delicadeza y el trato que tiene para con ella, será lo que avive la chispa.
Quizás éste libro no tiene tantos giros como los otros, pero no le hace falta. Es más cortito que los anteriores, y si es cierto que Mimi Matthews me ha parecido que cortaba la historia muy pronto y podía haber metido otros dos a tres capítulos más. Esta vez sí puedo decir que el libro tiene muy buenos ingredientes, y cuando llega al momento álgido, la autora lo deshincha, pues no ha sabido darle mayor profundidad. Es por eso que el libro no se ha ganado las 5 Estrellas, porque prometía mucho y se queda en poco.
Pese a ello ha sido una historia muy bonita y con momentos muy tiernos. Es cierto que lo que más me ha gustado es cuando Neville decide salir de su zona de confort y buscar a Clara, digamos que es el momento de mayor madurez y amor.
Por tanto, me quedo con un final de serie precioso, y unos maravillosos protagonistas, además, hemos tenido de nuevo reunidos a los cuatro desamparados y sus familias, lo que le añade un plus. Lo mejor es saber que esto no es un final, pues en las Londinenses seguimos viendo a los protagonistas de ésta serie, pero sí, Mimi Matthews ha escrito una serie muy bonita e inolvidable, y sigo leyéndola en sus siguientes obras.
No sabía cómo iba a enfocar Mimi Matthews la historia de Neville, o mas bien su condición. En libros anteriores, los protagonistas nos contaron como Neville tuvo el accidente y este afectó a su vida. Una lesión cerebral que le impide hablar o razonar de una manera normal. Quizás en los primeros libros pensé que la lesión de Neville le había provocado algún tipo de retraso, pero éste libro deja evidencia de que no ha sido así.
Neville Cross es el único de los Desamparados de Devon que se quedó en el pueblo. Mientras que Alex desapareció y Tom se fue con el abogado a Londres, solo quedó Justin hasta que se unió al ejército, mientras que Neville, una vez se recuperó de la lesión, lo acogieron las monjas de un convento mientras trabajaba el jardín y los animales. Y ésta es la pasión de Neville, los animales. Lejos de poder comportarse como un adulto normal, Neville ha estrechado un vínculo único con los animales, y ahora en la abadía de Greyfriar, el hogar de Justin y Helena, Neville trabaja para ganarse el pan en los establos de la abadía.
Cuando empieza el libro se acerca la Navidad de 1860, y los Thornhill han invitado a sus amigos a pasar las navidades en la abadía. Allí acuden Jenny y Tom, y Alex Archer y su reciente esposa, Laura, junto con su hermano paralítico, Teddy, y su anciana tía, quien ha traído a Clara Hartwright, su nueva dama de compañía.
Al igual que Neville, Clara es una persona solitaria que no ha tenido muy buena suerte en la vida. Durante su juventud fue feliz en su pueblo de Hertfordshire, pero un escándalo tambaleó su mundo y el de su familia. Su madre tuvo que buscarse otro empleo, y Clara también, pasando de ser maestra rural, a dama de compañía. A cambio, todo lo que gana Clara deberá ir para su hermano, que está estudiando en Cambridge.
Ésta no es la vida que Clara tenía pensada. Era feliz soñando y leyendo novelas románticas, pero le jugaron una mala pasada y ahora no se permite soñar, simplemente vivir el día a día, y ayudar a su hermano para que el día de mañana la convierta en su asistente o secretaria. Mientras tanto, se emplea como dama de compañía, y ahora debe ir con su jefa a pasar la Navidad en Devon.
Los protagonistas no se habrían conocido de otra manera. La suya es una historia sencilla y tierna, donde el amor, la paciencia, la comprensión y el respeto está a la orden del día. Clara y Neville no esperaban enamorarse, ella es una joven hermosa y pasional y Neville se encandila de ella desde el principio, mientras que la timidez y ternura de Neville, así como su delicadeza y el trato que tiene para con ella, será lo que avive la chispa.
Quizás éste libro no tiene tantos giros como los otros, pero no le hace falta. Es más cortito que los anteriores, y si es cierto que Mimi Matthews me ha parecido que cortaba la historia muy pronto y podía haber metido otros dos a tres capítulos más. Esta vez sí puedo decir que el libro tiene muy buenos ingredientes, y cuando llega al momento álgido, la autora lo deshincha, pues no ha sabido darle mayor profundidad. Es por eso que el libro no se ha ganado las 5 Estrellas, porque prometía mucho y se queda en poco.
Pese a ello ha sido una historia muy bonita y con momentos muy tiernos. Es cierto que lo que más me ha gustado es cuando Neville decide salir de su zona de confort y buscar a Clara, digamos que es el momento de mayor madurez y amor.
Por tanto, me quedo con un final de serie precioso, y unos maravillosos protagonistas, además, hemos tenido de nuevo reunidos a los cuatro desamparados y sus familias, lo que le añade un plus. Lo mejor es saber que esto no es un final, pues en las Londinenses seguimos viendo a los protagonistas de ésta serie, pero sí, Mimi Matthews ha escrito una serie muy bonita e inolvidable, y sigo leyéndola en sus siguientes obras.
November 26, 2024
Such a perfect, tender closing to the series. Neville is such a soothing, adorable hero. His insta-connection with Clara and how it nudges forward his journey was wonderful to see. I felt like a fellow parish orphan, brimming with joy at witness our Neville getting his happily-ever-after too. Loved it!
January 18, 2020
It was a terrible thing to be alone in the world. To be dismissed and discarded. To never belong anywhere. What was a dog to do in his old age if no one wanted him? More to the point, what was a woman to do?
She becomes a lady's companion. Well actually, Clara is not quite over the hill yet, but she is certainly quite alone without a home to call her own and she knows how it feels to be dismissed and discarded. Arriving at an isolated abbey with her new employer for a winter house party, she is armed with only a few modest belongings and a geriatric dog, rejected by its previous owner. Seeking shelter for her pet, she encounters the reticent and enigmatic Mr. Cross, who resides above the stables, but has the appearance of a gentleman and who is treated as a respected intimate friend of the owner of the abbey.
For Neville, it is pretty much love at first sight. Much that Clara tries to practise the art of invisibility, he immediately sees the beauty dressed in modest, plain garments. Moreover, he is fascinated by her warmth and generosity of spirit and her immediate acceptance of him without judgement. His reserved manners and social avoidance stems from his childhood head injury which resulted in expressive language impairment. Where others might dismiss him as being slow in the head, Clara has no difficulty ascertaining his communication disability and differentiating it from his other sound intellectual capabilities.
Language went to the heart of a person's humanity. It was the dividing line between men and beasts.
Theirs is a slow and tentative friendship over the course of several weeks. The attraction is there from the beginning, and the respect and feelings soon follow. However, much stands in the way of a possible future for them both - her past transgression and ongoing penitence for this and his perceived lack of future.
Mimi Matthews is a wonderful writer, making the most of two less glamorous protagonists. Her attention to historical details is quite remarkable and the language appears very authentic. Neville is a sweetheart, a true beta-hero who gradually grows in confidence as Clara encourages him to realise his full potentials beyond the boundaries of the abbey. Clara is likeable enough, but I must say her aspiration is a bit foolish to say the least. I can understand if she helped her brother out of misguided guilt and a sense of responsibility, but to do so in expectation of learning by secondary means in order to ultimately become his secretary, well that is just silly and neither here nor there. She thought herself his intellectual equal by learning alongside him, then why settle for being his secretary? And yes anything higher is unrealistic, but then to be an educated female secretary was not really realistic in those days, and if we're going to be ambitious, why not go all the way and work alongside her brother as his equal? Still it is a minor point and does not detract from the overall enjoyment of a well-told story.
This is an ARC provided by NetGalley for an unbiased opinion.
She becomes a lady's companion. Well actually, Clara is not quite over the hill yet, but she is certainly quite alone without a home to call her own and she knows how it feels to be dismissed and discarded. Arriving at an isolated abbey with her new employer for a winter house party, she is armed with only a few modest belongings and a geriatric dog, rejected by its previous owner. Seeking shelter for her pet, she encounters the reticent and enigmatic Mr. Cross, who resides above the stables, but has the appearance of a gentleman and who is treated as a respected intimate friend of the owner of the abbey.
For Neville, it is pretty much love at first sight. Much that Clara tries to practise the art of invisibility, he immediately sees the beauty dressed in modest, plain garments. Moreover, he is fascinated by her warmth and generosity of spirit and her immediate acceptance of him without judgement. His reserved manners and social avoidance stems from his childhood head injury which resulted in expressive language impairment. Where others might dismiss him as being slow in the head, Clara has no difficulty ascertaining his communication disability and differentiating it from his other sound intellectual capabilities.
Language went to the heart of a person's humanity. It was the dividing line between men and beasts.
Theirs is a slow and tentative friendship over the course of several weeks. The attraction is there from the beginning, and the respect and feelings soon follow. However, much stands in the way of a possible future for them both - her past transgression and ongoing penitence for this and his perceived lack of future.
Mimi Matthews is a wonderful writer, making the most of two less glamorous protagonists. Her attention to historical details is quite remarkable and the language appears very authentic. Neville is a sweetheart, a true beta-hero who gradually grows in confidence as Clara encourages him to realise his full potentials beyond the boundaries of the abbey. Clara is likeable enough, but I must say her aspiration is a bit foolish to say the least. I can understand if she helped her brother out of misguided guilt and a sense of responsibility, but to do so in expectation of learning by secondary means in order to ultimately become his secretary, well that is just silly and neither here nor there. She thought herself his intellectual equal by learning alongside him, then why settle for being his secretary? And yes anything higher is unrealistic, but then to be an educated female secretary was not really realistic in those days, and if we're going to be ambitious, why not go all the way and work alongside her brother as his equal? Still it is a minor point and does not detract from the overall enjoyment of a well-told story.
This is an ARC provided by NetGalley for an unbiased opinion.
February 28, 2020
I have thoroughly enjoyed this series. I loved Justin’s story as I did Tom’s and Alex’s. But I have to say that it was brilliant that Mimi Matthews saved Neville’s story for last. With each tidbit we got of Neville along the way you couldn’t help but fall in love with the guy.
Neville was always the quiet one though he was big and bold. You never quite knew what was going on in his head. In The Winter Companion MM gave him his voice. And it was wonderful. ❤
These orphan boys, now men, share something that could never be broken. They along with the women they have come to love have forged an imperishable bond.
Neville deserved his happiness even though he himself doubted it was possible. But with a stroke of fate sweet Clara Hartwright along with Bertie showed up at the Grey Friar’s Abbey stable. From there their journey begins.
Loved every minute of this book and I hope you do too!
November 16, 2024
I almost rating this four stars just because it was over too quickly. To finally see Neville get his happily ever after was wonderful. I wish there was a touch more angst, which I’m used to in this series, but the story was a tightly plotted, beautiful romance.
January 14, 2020
Following an accident as a child, Neville Cross is speech impaired and that holds him back from fulfilling his dreams of a good life. When he meets Clara Hartwright, lady’s companion with a shockingly unladylike secret, he feels forced to challenge his low self-esteem to forge an independent life.
In the Parish Orphans of Devon Series we follow the orphan boys Justin Thornhill, Tom Finchley, Alex Archer and Neville Cross. Installment #4 is featuring Neville Cross, who is apprentice steward at Greyfriar’s Abby owned by his friend Justin. He finds it hard to do the paper work part of the position and prefers to work outside, particularly tending to the horses. Having had a troubled background, Neville is grateful to Justin for the opportunity to work and live on the estate. He doesn’t think he is able to do anything else and is afraid to venture out among people. He expects to be ridiculed for his trouble expressing himself. The parts of the story where we get a glimpse into his thoughts about himself and his life are heartbreaking. Neville’s confidence and outlook on life has really taken a toll. He is convinced he has to isolate himself at the Abbey for the rest of his life. There is not really anybody in his surroundings who challenges him to make a change until he meets Clara.
Clara Hartwright, comes for a Christmas visit together with her employer Mrs Bainbright. She needs her position to save enough money, so she tries to be as good a lady’s companion as she can be. She doesn’t feel she has the knack for staying silent and acting like a living ghost, but she has this shockingly unladylike project that needs funding and be kept an absolute secret. Clara seems an assertive and outspoken young woman, so slowly but surely she manages to challenge Neville’s preconceptions. With her help his mind is opened to dreams and opportunities he previously believed was out of his reach.
I really appreciated Clara’s desire to rid herself of some of the feminine constraints of the time, and there certainly were a lot of them to deal with and find creative ways around. I found it refreshing that the plot includes a mix of what might have been forward thinking or even revolutionary ideas at the time. Darwinistic ideas are balanced out with, to us, very old fashioned views.
Neville loves horses and the knowledge and interest in horses and dogs shines through in this work, which I find very enjoyable. Clara rescues old pug Bertie from being put down and secretly takes him with her to her new position. He seems to find a new and happier life in the country playing with his two new mastiff friends. I found him an enjoyable and funny supporting character in his own right.
There seems to have been thorough research ahead of writing this story into how Christmas decorations were made and what games and activities were played at the time. Some of the activities I even recognize as being done today as part of pre Christmas crafting or Christmas Workshops. As the plot is set at a Christmas gathering of friends and family in Devon, I found this part of the story entertaining and enjoyable adding to the Christmas vibe.
I read A Winter Companion (Parish Orphans of Devon #4) as a standalone. It worked well, but I think I would recommend reading the series starting with #1, gradually getting up to speed with characters and events. I found this to be a sweet, entertaining read and I would recommend it to fans of Mimi Matthews other works and readers of historical romance fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for this ARC in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
My rating: 4 stars / 5
In the Parish Orphans of Devon Series we follow the orphan boys Justin Thornhill, Tom Finchley, Alex Archer and Neville Cross. Installment #4 is featuring Neville Cross, who is apprentice steward at Greyfriar’s Abby owned by his friend Justin. He finds it hard to do the paper work part of the position and prefers to work outside, particularly tending to the horses. Having had a troubled background, Neville is grateful to Justin for the opportunity to work and live on the estate. He doesn’t think he is able to do anything else and is afraid to venture out among people. He expects to be ridiculed for his trouble expressing himself. The parts of the story where we get a glimpse into his thoughts about himself and his life are heartbreaking. Neville’s confidence and outlook on life has really taken a toll. He is convinced he has to isolate himself at the Abbey for the rest of his life. There is not really anybody in his surroundings who challenges him to make a change until he meets Clara.
Clara Hartwright, comes for a Christmas visit together with her employer Mrs Bainbright. She needs her position to save enough money, so she tries to be as good a lady’s companion as she can be. She doesn’t feel she has the knack for staying silent and acting like a living ghost, but she has this shockingly unladylike project that needs funding and be kept an absolute secret. Clara seems an assertive and outspoken young woman, so slowly but surely she manages to challenge Neville’s preconceptions. With her help his mind is opened to dreams and opportunities he previously believed was out of his reach.
I really appreciated Clara’s desire to rid herself of some of the feminine constraints of the time, and there certainly were a lot of them to deal with and find creative ways around. I found it refreshing that the plot includes a mix of what might have been forward thinking or even revolutionary ideas at the time. Darwinistic ideas are balanced out with, to us, very old fashioned views.
Neville loves horses and the knowledge and interest in horses and dogs shines through in this work, which I find very enjoyable. Clara rescues old pug Bertie from being put down and secretly takes him with her to her new position. He seems to find a new and happier life in the country playing with his two new mastiff friends. I found him an enjoyable and funny supporting character in his own right.
There seems to have been thorough research ahead of writing this story into how Christmas decorations were made and what games and activities were played at the time. Some of the activities I even recognize as being done today as part of pre Christmas crafting or Christmas Workshops. As the plot is set at a Christmas gathering of friends and family in Devon, I found this part of the story entertaining and enjoyable adding to the Christmas vibe.
I read A Winter Companion (Parish Orphans of Devon #4) as a standalone. It worked well, but I think I would recommend reading the series starting with #1, gradually getting up to speed with characters and events. I found this to be a sweet, entertaining read and I would recommend it to fans of Mimi Matthews other works and readers of historical romance fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for this ARC in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
My rating: 4 stars / 5
February 11, 2020
Clara Hartwright has spent the last few years working as a lady's companion, sending her wages to support her brother's education at Cambridge. But a life of keeping her opinions and observations to herself is not a position to which she is well suited. Clara wants a life spent enriching her education and feeling useful. In fact her greatest dream is to work as her brother's secretary when he begins his career as a natural scientist.
Neville's life has been one of routine. A childhood head injury has left him with a speech impediment that makes it difficult to converse easily with others. As a result he feels most comfortable in the company of animals and since moving from the convent to Greyfrair's Abbey with Justin four years ago he has filled his days by caring for the horses annd the dogs. And while Neville's life has remained very much the same, everyone dear to him has moved on to find love and happiness with their new wives.
The two unexpectedly meet during the Christmas gathering at Greyfrair's and find a connection and friendship in one another that will prompt changes in both of the plans for the furture.
___________________________
The Winter Companion is the fourth and final book in Mimi Matthews' Parish Orphans of Devon series. Although I am sad to see this series end, it was such a sweet book that I truly think it was the perfect way for the series to end. I am also very much looking forward to the novella(s) connected to this series that will be following.
Mimi Matthews has a real talent for depicting her characters in a way that they are very human and relatable whilst we simply get to know them over the course of just few days of their daily life.
But they display so much depth and heart that you forge a connection with the characters right at the start of each book.
I just loved Clara and Neville, individually and together. Another gorgeous cover. I've said it about every book in the series, but I loved this book. I think this might actually be my favorite in the series. It's a toss up between this one and A Convenient Fiction for me.
Simon absolutely infuriated me. I know that his views are not exacty novel for the time period, but to have to little appreciation for the work and sacrifice of others. He shocked me because he was not what I was expecting. I give her so much credit for keeping her composure. What an ungrateful and arrogant young man. Poor Clara! But I won't say anymore on that account because I don't wish to spoil.
I love that neither of their dreams were compromised for a life with the other, but instead they morphed and grew into a dream that they could both realize together.
I cannot express enough how much I recommend this series. This book, as well as the three that preceeed it, can serve as a stand-alone, but the series as a whole is best. As with the other books in this series, this is a clean romance.
_____
I would like to thank the author, Mimi Matthews, for sending me an eARC of The Winter Companion. This is my honest opinion.
Neville's life has been one of routine. A childhood head injury has left him with a speech impediment that makes it difficult to converse easily with others. As a result he feels most comfortable in the company of animals and since moving from the convent to Greyfrair's Abbey with Justin four years ago he has filled his days by caring for the horses annd the dogs. And while Neville's life has remained very much the same, everyone dear to him has moved on to find love and happiness with their new wives.
The two unexpectedly meet during the Christmas gathering at Greyfrair's and find a connection and friendship in one another that will prompt changes in both of the plans for the furture.
___________________________
The Winter Companion is the fourth and final book in Mimi Matthews' Parish Orphans of Devon series. Although I am sad to see this series end, it was such a sweet book that I truly think it was the perfect way for the series to end. I am also very much looking forward to the novella(s) connected to this series that will be following.
Mimi Matthews has a real talent for depicting her characters in a way that they are very human and relatable whilst we simply get to know them over the course of just few days of their daily life.
But they display so much depth and heart that you forge a connection with the characters right at the start of each book.
I just loved Clara and Neville, individually and together. Another gorgeous cover. I've said it about every book in the series, but I loved this book. I think this might actually be my favorite in the series. It's a toss up between this one and A Convenient Fiction for me.
Simon absolutely infuriated me. I know that his views are not exacty novel for the time period, but to have to little appreciation for the work and sacrifice of others. He shocked me because he was not what I was expecting. I give her so much credit for keeping her composure. What an ungrateful and arrogant young man. Poor Clara! But I won't say anymore on that account because I don't wish to spoil.
I love that neither of their dreams were compromised for a life with the other, but instead they morphed and grew into a dream that they could both realize together.
I cannot express enough how much I recommend this series. This book, as well as the three that preceeed it, can serve as a stand-alone, but the series as a whole is best. As with the other books in this series, this is a clean romance.
_____
I would like to thank the author, Mimi Matthews, for sending me an eARC of The Winter Companion. This is my honest opinion.
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June 13, 2020I finally finished The Parish Orphans of Devon series! I love how each of these grown-up orphan heroes and their journeys were so distinct from one another. In this book, Neville is portrayed so beautifully, it's heart-rending. It was easy to root for his happiness. The end of the book was satisfying not just for this volume, but for the series as a whole.
I listened to the audio for each one and loved the narrators, too. (The Kindle books are really inexpensive, and then adding the audio is cheap too! I highly recommend doing it this way for this series.)
I listened to the audio for each one and loved the narrators, too. (The Kindle books are really inexpensive, and then adding the audio is cheap too! I highly recommend doing it this way for this series.)
January 9, 2025
This was a top tier audiobook experience. There was something magical in the performance, capturing how sweetly sensitive and softly spoken these characters are with each other, that highlighted their quiet chemistry.
I adored the slice of life regular working folk feel. The atmosphere and setting of all the characters from the series around the Abbey at Christmastime was wonderful. I especially love that all the animal characters felt just as important as the human ones.
I adored the slice of life regular working folk feel. The atmosphere and setting of all the characters from the series around the Abbey at Christmastime was wonderful. I especially love that all the animal characters felt just as important as the human ones.
January 21, 2020
If you are following me on Facebook, Instagram or Goodreads, you will know that Mimi Matthews is my new author obsession. I started with the first book in this series and then worked my way forward and back. I have loved all the books. Did you know that this author does a serial novel- releasing a chapter at a time- in her newsletter? It's SO good and it's also driving me nuts because one chapter per month is a horrible way to read a novel by this author!! I lack patience.
This is the fourth book in this series. I would recommend reading them in order for your best reading enjoyment. The characters from previous books play a large role in each book so it has a building feel to it. This book especially. All four friends are together for the Christmas holiday and knowing their backstories will really help.
I've been waiting and dreaming of Neville's story. I knew there would be so much to learn with him. We've been getting bits and pieces of his childhood accident through the other characters and their stories but it was so nice to actually get the story from Neville himself. Neville is the most kind and gentle human. I found him utterly charming and endearing. I loved how Clara and Neville bond over the animals, each filling a need for the other in the most gentle and easy way. I also loved the quiet of the barn and how crucial that peace was for Neville as opposed to the gathering inside the house which was louder, more jovial and consequently more oppressive to Neville. Neville really stretches himself to be with Clara and wow, it is ever satisfying to read.
I loved this book. I loved Neville. I love this series. I love this author. 💙 Don't hate me for using the L word too much.
Content: there may have been a few instances of mild swearing and profanity (using God or Jesus as an exclamation) but I cannot remember exactly. There were in previous books so there's a good chance.
This is the fourth book in this series. I would recommend reading them in order for your best reading enjoyment. The characters from previous books play a large role in each book so it has a building feel to it. This book especially. All four friends are together for the Christmas holiday and knowing their backstories will really help.
I've been waiting and dreaming of Neville's story. I knew there would be so much to learn with him. We've been getting bits and pieces of his childhood accident through the other characters and their stories but it was so nice to actually get the story from Neville himself. Neville is the most kind and gentle human. I found him utterly charming and endearing. I loved how Clara and Neville bond over the animals, each filling a need for the other in the most gentle and easy way. I also loved the quiet of the barn and how crucial that peace was for Neville as opposed to the gathering inside the house which was louder, more jovial and consequently more oppressive to Neville. Neville really stretches himself to be with Clara and wow, it is ever satisfying to read.
I loved this book. I loved Neville. I love this series. I love this author. 💙 Don't hate me for using the L word too much.
Content: there may have been a few instances of mild swearing and profanity (using God or Jesus as an exclamation) but I cannot remember exactly. There were in previous books so there's a good chance.
February 16, 2020
Reading the last book in a series you love is always bittersweet. On one hand I am so sad to leave the world that Mimi Matthews created but I am grateful to have had the chance to experience it,and I know I will never forget them.
I have loved every book in the Parish Orphans of Devon but this one is extra special to me because Neville finally gets his day in the sun.
The clan is all together at Greyfriar's Abbey for Christmas. Tom, Alex, and Justin are all there with their wives and are preparing the holiday festivities. After an injury as a youth Neville has a speech impediment and feels more comfortable among the animals in the stables than he does around people.
Clara, a lady's maid to one of the guests, joins them for the month long celebration, along with her adorable but very old pup, Bertie. She would rather be away at school but women at that time weren't allowed to attend, so she tries to educate herself via her brother's school lessens that he sends to her. It's not ideal but it's all that is available to her.
Neville and Clara both feel invisible to the world and find a kindred spirit in each other. I don't think I've come across two people in a fictional book that have ever deserved love more! I adored both of them and rooted for them the entire book!
I will never stop shouting about this series. It's absolute perfection and I thank Mimi for the many hours of entertainment she provided to me. They are the perfect books to escape life and remind us that there is love and hope and good things in this world.
Highly, highly recommended.
I have loved every book in the Parish Orphans of Devon but this one is extra special to me because Neville finally gets his day in the sun.
The clan is all together at Greyfriar's Abbey for Christmas. Tom, Alex, and Justin are all there with their wives and are preparing the holiday festivities. After an injury as a youth Neville has a speech impediment and feels more comfortable among the animals in the stables than he does around people.
Clara, a lady's maid to one of the guests, joins them for the month long celebration, along with her adorable but very old pup, Bertie. She would rather be away at school but women at that time weren't allowed to attend, so she tries to educate herself via her brother's school lessens that he sends to her. It's not ideal but it's all that is available to her.
Neville and Clara both feel invisible to the world and find a kindred spirit in each other. I don't think I've come across two people in a fictional book that have ever deserved love more! I adored both of them and rooted for them the entire book!
I will never stop shouting about this series. It's absolute perfection and I thank Mimi for the many hours of entertainment she provided to me. They are the perfect books to escape life and remind us that there is love and hope and good things in this world.
Highly, highly recommended.
February 11, 2020
My review is posted at: https://austenprose.com/2020/02/10/th...
June 11, 2020
For anyone who is a fan of pure, classic historical romance on the level of Georgette Heyer, this story and this series is complete sigh-worthy perfection.
February 17, 2020
Fourth and last instalment in this series, this time focusing on Neville Cross. Matthews always writes excellent historical romances, full of correct contemporary details that make the setting come to life. And of course, the excellent characters, which here take on an extra level.
I always wondered how the author would deal with Neville and his ‘speech impediment’, caused by the accident he had in his youth that nearly killed him. His brain is functioning fine and you can see he is an intelligent person, with needs and hopes like all of us - he just can’t get the words out. The narration deals with this extremely well, showing the frustrating condition and its effects on how the world sees him, and how he sees himself. And then, you have Clara, who is the perfect addition, with her thirst for education and knowledge. Both are looking for the same thing - a worthy self-fulfilment - and through their sense of kindness, they find it :O)
I always wondered how the author would deal with Neville and his ‘speech impediment’, caused by the accident he had in his youth that nearly killed him. His brain is functioning fine and you can see he is an intelligent person, with needs and hopes like all of us - he just can’t get the words out. The narration deals with this extremely well, showing the frustrating condition and its effects on how the world sees him, and how he sees himself. And then, you have Clara, who is the perfect addition, with her thirst for education and knowledge. Both are looking for the same thing - a worthy self-fulfilment - and through their sense of kindness, they find it :O)
April 10, 2024
I've given this a B for narration and a C for content at AudioGals, so 3.5 stars
The Winter Companion is the fourth and final book in Mimi Matthews’ Parish Orphans of Devon series, which follows four young men who formed strong bonds of friendship as boys and who remain close friends in adulthood. This story takes place over the Christmas period and during a ‘family’ reunion as Justin, Tom and Alex (heroes of books 1-3) and their wives gather to celebrate the festive season at Justin’s North Devon home, which is where the fourth member of their group, Neville Cross, lives and works with the animals on the estate while also training to take over from Justin’s steward when he retires.
Unlike the other men – Justin went into the army, Tom moved to London and became a lawyer and Alex left England to make a living gambling and grifting – Neville never left Devon and doesn’t believe he ever will. An accident when he was younger left him with a brain injury which has affected his ability to transfer his thoughts into words. His thought processes and mental capacities are unaffected, but his difficulty in finding the right words – a situation which worsens whenever he’s nervous – has caused many to believe him to be lacking in intelligence. His friends know differently of course, but Neville is very self-conscious about it and prefers to have as little contact with other people as possible, instead spending most of his time with the horses and other animals in his care.
Lady’s companion Clara Hartwright accompanies her employer Mrs. Bainbridge (the widowed aunt of Laura, heroine of A Convenient Fiction ) to Greyfriars Abbey for the Christmas season, and meets Neville when she asks if he will help to care for the elderly pug she has ‘inherited’ from her previous employer. Clara is working as a companion in order to help fund her brother Simon’s education at Cambridge, but she has plans for her future that do not include spending days fetching and carrying for others. When Simon, who is studying the natural sciences, has finished his education and strikes out in the world as a naturalist, he has promised to employ Clara as his secretary, and she longs for the day when she will be able to take up her pen to catalogue and describe all his findings and ideas. Simon has been sending Clara his lecture notes, which she has been eagerly studying and devouring, feeling that even though she cannot attend university herself, she is studying the course through Simon’s correspondence.
The Winter Companion is a gently moving, character-driven story that builds slowly, allowing time for Neville and Clara to become friends before they consider that there might be the possibility of their becoming anything else. Clara is quickly able to see beyond Neville’s speech impediment and recognise the caring, compassionate, shy man behind it, while Neville sees past the drab companion to the vibrant young woman with hopes and dreams he longs to know. They’re perfectly nice, perfectly decent people – but I didn’t find either of them particularly memorable, and their romance is fairly tepid. I said something similar in my review of A Convenient Fiction; I’m not talking about the fact that Ms. Matthews writes ‘closed door’ romances, I just never felt any real spark or strong emotional connection between them. The conflict in the story is mostly born of Neville’s low self-esteem and his tendency to play safe; I think the author may have been trying to intrigue listeners with hints about Clara’s backstory, which is one of the reasons she feels it incumbent on her to help support her brother, but it was easy to guess and ultimately, the whole thing was rather dull. I did feel for Clara late on in the book, when she realises that the life she’d envisaged for herself was never going to be, but otherwise, the plot is very slight. It’s also almost completely devoid of humour.
I appreciated the author’s attention to period detail; her descriptions of the Christmas traditions at Greyfriars is evocative and her characters always behave and speak in a manner that befits the time at which the books are set – and that’s not something I can say very often about the majority of historical romances being published at the moment.
Alex Wyndham has always been a go-to narrator for me, although when I reviewed his performance in the previous book in the series, I remarked upon the fact that while his overall performance was good, he’d adopted an odd sort of half-whisper for most of the narrative and some of the dialogue I didn’t recall hearing before and that I didn’t particularly care for. His voice is deep and rich with lots of ‘tone-colour’ to it, and I found it a real shame that he seemed to have decided to stick with a limited palette (for want of a better comparison!) rather than to use the full range of the tones and timbres he has available to him. I picked up The Winter Companion in the hope of discovering that what I’d previously noted was an anomaly, but sadly, I can’t really say that it was, and I hope it’s not a permanent change. In every other respect, his performance is every bit as accomplished as I’ve come to expect from him; well-paced, clearly differentiated and emotionally nuanced. He does an especially good job with Neville’s speech, not injecting overly long pauses or over-exaggerating his hesitancy. The character’s frustration at not being able to express himself as he wishes to comes through clearly as well. All the heroes of the previous books appear here and are clearly delineated and easy to identify, and the softer, higher-pitch Mr. Wyndham adopts to portray the ladies is appropriately feminine. I particularly enjoyed his interpretation of Mrs. Bainbridge as a bit of an Edith Evans-esque grande dame.
While The Winter Companion is the fourth in a series, it works perfectly well as a standalone, as enough information is given about the relationship between the four former orphans for a listener new to the series to be able to make sense of the story. That said, I’ve read and/or listened to three of the books in the series, and I think this is the weakest; it’s nice, the characters are nice… but not much happens. As I said in my review of A Convenient Fiction, I seem to be in a minority – Ms. Matthews has many fans, but three books I’ve individually rated no higher than a B- would indicate that this author is not for me.
In the end, I can’t recommend The Winter Companion. The narration, even with the issues I’ve noted, is good, but the story is dull and uneventful, and the characters are unmemorable.
This review originally appeared at AudioGals .
The Winter Companion is the fourth and final book in Mimi Matthews’ Parish Orphans of Devon series, which follows four young men who formed strong bonds of friendship as boys and who remain close friends in adulthood. This story takes place over the Christmas period and during a ‘family’ reunion as Justin, Tom and Alex (heroes of books 1-3) and their wives gather to celebrate the festive season at Justin’s North Devon home, which is where the fourth member of their group, Neville Cross, lives and works with the animals on the estate while also training to take over from Justin’s steward when he retires.
Unlike the other men – Justin went into the army, Tom moved to London and became a lawyer and Alex left England to make a living gambling and grifting – Neville never left Devon and doesn’t believe he ever will. An accident when he was younger left him with a brain injury which has affected his ability to transfer his thoughts into words. His thought processes and mental capacities are unaffected, but his difficulty in finding the right words – a situation which worsens whenever he’s nervous – has caused many to believe him to be lacking in intelligence. His friends know differently of course, but Neville is very self-conscious about it and prefers to have as little contact with other people as possible, instead spending most of his time with the horses and other animals in his care.
Lady’s companion Clara Hartwright accompanies her employer Mrs. Bainbridge (the widowed aunt of Laura, heroine of A Convenient Fiction ) to Greyfriars Abbey for the Christmas season, and meets Neville when she asks if he will help to care for the elderly pug she has ‘inherited’ from her previous employer. Clara is working as a companion in order to help fund her brother Simon’s education at Cambridge, but she has plans for her future that do not include spending days fetching and carrying for others. When Simon, who is studying the natural sciences, has finished his education and strikes out in the world as a naturalist, he has promised to employ Clara as his secretary, and she longs for the day when she will be able to take up her pen to catalogue and describe all his findings and ideas. Simon has been sending Clara his lecture notes, which she has been eagerly studying and devouring, feeling that even though she cannot attend university herself, she is studying the course through Simon’s correspondence.
The Winter Companion is a gently moving, character-driven story that builds slowly, allowing time for Neville and Clara to become friends before they consider that there might be the possibility of their becoming anything else. Clara is quickly able to see beyond Neville’s speech impediment and recognise the caring, compassionate, shy man behind it, while Neville sees past the drab companion to the vibrant young woman with hopes and dreams he longs to know. They’re perfectly nice, perfectly decent people – but I didn’t find either of them particularly memorable, and their romance is fairly tepid. I said something similar in my review of A Convenient Fiction; I’m not talking about the fact that Ms. Matthews writes ‘closed door’ romances, I just never felt any real spark or strong emotional connection between them. The conflict in the story is mostly born of Neville’s low self-esteem and his tendency to play safe; I think the author may have been trying to intrigue listeners with hints about Clara’s backstory, which is one of the reasons she feels it incumbent on her to help support her brother, but it was easy to guess and ultimately, the whole thing was rather dull. I did feel for Clara late on in the book, when she realises that the life she’d envisaged for herself was never going to be, but otherwise, the plot is very slight. It’s also almost completely devoid of humour.
I appreciated the author’s attention to period detail; her descriptions of the Christmas traditions at Greyfriars is evocative and her characters always behave and speak in a manner that befits the time at which the books are set – and that’s not something I can say very often about the majority of historical romances being published at the moment.
Alex Wyndham has always been a go-to narrator for me, although when I reviewed his performance in the previous book in the series, I remarked upon the fact that while his overall performance was good, he’d adopted an odd sort of half-whisper for most of the narrative and some of the dialogue I didn’t recall hearing before and that I didn’t particularly care for. His voice is deep and rich with lots of ‘tone-colour’ to it, and I found it a real shame that he seemed to have decided to stick with a limited palette (for want of a better comparison!) rather than to use the full range of the tones and timbres he has available to him. I picked up The Winter Companion in the hope of discovering that what I’d previously noted was an anomaly, but sadly, I can’t really say that it was, and I hope it’s not a permanent change. In every other respect, his performance is every bit as accomplished as I’ve come to expect from him; well-paced, clearly differentiated and emotionally nuanced. He does an especially good job with Neville’s speech, not injecting overly long pauses or over-exaggerating his hesitancy. The character’s frustration at not being able to express himself as he wishes to comes through clearly as well. All the heroes of the previous books appear here and are clearly delineated and easy to identify, and the softer, higher-pitch Mr. Wyndham adopts to portray the ladies is appropriately feminine. I particularly enjoyed his interpretation of Mrs. Bainbridge as a bit of an Edith Evans-esque grande dame.
While The Winter Companion is the fourth in a series, it works perfectly well as a standalone, as enough information is given about the relationship between the four former orphans for a listener new to the series to be able to make sense of the story. That said, I’ve read and/or listened to three of the books in the series, and I think this is the weakest; it’s nice, the characters are nice… but not much happens. As I said in my review of A Convenient Fiction, I seem to be in a minority – Ms. Matthews has many fans, but three books I’ve individually rated no higher than a B- would indicate that this author is not for me.
In the end, I can’t recommend The Winter Companion. The narration, even with the issues I’ve noted, is good, but the story is dull and uneventful, and the characters are unmemorable.
This review originally appeared at AudioGals .
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