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Winter's Magic #3
Winter's Mother 1
The past isn’t just behind her—it’s growing up in front of her.
Following the birth of her daughter, Alannah Winters didn’t just sink into a deep depression—she fell into a haunting. Every time she looks at her child, she sees the man who broke her. After years spent drowning her grief in whiskey and the hollow comfort of a doppelgänger's arms, Alannah is finally sober and clawing her way back to the light.
Then the devil himself walks back into her life.
Brendan Winters has survived the horrors of slavery to become the master of his own universe. As the boss of the Unseelie underground, he dictates the terms of the magical black market with a ruthless hand. When a high-stakes meeting and whispers of competition draw him back to Gaeilge Shores, he returns to protect his empire—only to discover the daughter he never knew existed.
As old wounds reopen, the reunion they never wanted becomes the only thing that might save them. Amidst a rising apocalyptic threat, Brendan and Alannah must decide if they can mend their fractured hearts in time to face the end of the world. Can they find a second chance at love, or will the weight of their past finally crush them both?
About the Series: Winter’s Mother 1 is the third instalment of the Winter’s Magic saga, an epic romantic fantasy journey that follows the evolution of power, sacrifice, and soul-bound love.
The series is structured through the three stages of the goddess—Maiden, Mother, and Crone—mapping Alannah’s transformation from a girl discovering her hidden inheritance into a woman capable of commanding the elements themselves. While each duology captures a distinct era of her life and can be enjoyed as a self-contained arc, the true depth of the magic is found in the sequence.
Suggested Reading Order:
Phase I: The Maiden Duology (The Awakening)
• Book 1: Winter’s Maiden 1
• Book 2: Winter’s Maiden 2
• Book 2.5: Winter’s Thrall (Brendan’s dark descent)
Phase II: The Mother Duology (The Ascendance)
• Book 3: Winter’s Mother 1
• Book 4: Winter’s Mother 2
• Book 4.5: Winter’s Bride (In Development)
Phase III: The Crone Duology (The Reckoning)
• Book 5: Winter’s Crone 1 (Future Release)
• Book 6: Winter’s Crone 2 (Future Release)
General Series Content Warnings: Across the saga, you can expect:
• Coarse Language: High-frequency use of profanity throughout all volumes.
• Explicit Content: Graphic and detailed sexual descriptions.
• Violence: Depictions of occult-related violence and physical peril.
Book-Specific Warnings
Phase I: The Maiden Duology
• Winter’s Maiden 1: Includes depictions of sexual violence.
• Winter’s Maiden 2: Features sexual violence and minor BDSM themes. Note: Includes a partial cliffhanger resolved in Winter’s Thrall.
• Winter’s Thrall: A dark paranormal romance that blurs the lines of consent. Contains graphic M/M content, BDSM, and themes of incest.
Note: Readers sensitive to these themes may skip ahead to Winter’s Mother 1 without losing the primary series thread.
Phase II: The Mother Duology
• Winter’s Mother 1: Themes of adultery within a failing marriage. Features explicit M/F/F content. Ends on a cliffhanger.
• Winter’s Mother 2: Includes explicit M/M/F and M/F/F content.
Following the birth of her daughter, Alannah Winters didn’t just sink into a deep depression—she fell into a haunting. Every time she looks at her child, she sees the man who broke her. After years spent drowning her grief in whiskey and the hollow comfort of a doppelgänger's arms, Alannah is finally sober and clawing her way back to the light.
Then the devil himself walks back into her life.
Brendan Winters has survived the horrors of slavery to become the master of his own universe. As the boss of the Unseelie underground, he dictates the terms of the magical black market with a ruthless hand. When a high-stakes meeting and whispers of competition draw him back to Gaeilge Shores, he returns to protect his empire—only to discover the daughter he never knew existed.
As old wounds reopen, the reunion they never wanted becomes the only thing that might save them. Amidst a rising apocalyptic threat, Brendan and Alannah must decide if they can mend their fractured hearts in time to face the end of the world. Can they find a second chance at love, or will the weight of their past finally crush them both?
About the Series: Winter’s Mother 1 is the third instalment of the Winter’s Magic saga, an epic romantic fantasy journey that follows the evolution of power, sacrifice, and soul-bound love.
The series is structured through the three stages of the goddess—Maiden, Mother, and Crone—mapping Alannah’s transformation from a girl discovering her hidden inheritance into a woman capable of commanding the elements themselves. While each duology captures a distinct era of her life and can be enjoyed as a self-contained arc, the true depth of the magic is found in the sequence.
Suggested Reading Order:
Phase I: The Maiden Duology (The Awakening)
• Book 1: Winter’s Maiden 1
• Book 2: Winter’s Maiden 2
• Book 2.5: Winter’s Thrall (Brendan’s dark descent)
Phase II: The Mother Duology (The Ascendance)
• Book 3: Winter’s Mother 1
• Book 4: Winter’s Mother 2
• Book 4.5: Winter’s Bride (In Development)
Phase III: The Crone Duology (The Reckoning)
• Book 5: Winter’s Crone 1 (Future Release)
• Book 6: Winter’s Crone 2 (Future Release)
General Series Content Warnings: Across the saga, you can expect:
• Coarse Language: High-frequency use of profanity throughout all volumes.
• Explicit Content: Graphic and detailed sexual descriptions.
• Violence: Depictions of occult-related violence and physical peril.
Book-Specific Warnings
Phase I: The Maiden Duology
• Winter’s Maiden 1: Includes depictions of sexual violence.
• Winter’s Maiden 2: Features sexual violence and minor BDSM themes. Note: Includes a partial cliffhanger resolved in Winter’s Thrall.
• Winter’s Thrall: A dark paranormal romance that blurs the lines of consent. Contains graphic M/M content, BDSM, and themes of incest.
Note: Readers sensitive to these themes may skip ahead to Winter’s Mother 1 without losing the primary series thread.
Phase II: The Mother Duology
• Winter’s Mother 1: Themes of adultery within a failing marriage. Features explicit M/F/F content. Ends on a cliffhanger.
• Winter’s Mother 2: Includes explicit M/M/F and M/F/F content.
365 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 19, 2022
About the author
L. Starla
17 books227 followersFind all of my links at: https://linktr.ee/L.Starla
L. Starla is an Australian author who realized early on that "happily ever after" is much more interesting when it’s preceded by a bloodbath or a deal with a demon.
She crafts worlds where the heroes are questionable and the heroines are worse. Whether readers are looking for the ancient magic of the Winter’s Magic Saga or the forbidden psychological tension of The Phoebe Braddock books, they will find stories built on visceral passion, lethal secrets, and the heavy price of desire.
When she isn’t weaving tales of shadows and steam, she’s likely dominating a tabletop board game or losing herself in a dark RPG—proving that her competitive streak is just as lethal as her plot twists.
L. Starla is an Australian author who realized early on that "happily ever after" is much more interesting when it’s preceded by a bloodbath or a deal with a demon.
She crafts worlds where the heroes are questionable and the heroines are worse. Whether readers are looking for the ancient magic of the Winter’s Magic Saga or the forbidden psychological tension of The Phoebe Braddock books, they will find stories built on visceral passion, lethal secrets, and the heavy price of desire.
When she isn’t weaving tales of shadows and steam, she’s likely dominating a tabletop board game or losing herself in a dark RPG—proving that her competitive streak is just as lethal as her plot twists.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 22, 2022
Alannah was left by Brendon, found out she was pregnant and after having the baby, realizes she looks exactly like the man who broke her heart. She spirals into a depression, turning to alcohol and Brendon's doppleganger to ease the pain. Now she's sober and doing much better, until Brendon comes back into her life. Neve, Alannah's daughter, ruled the school as the most powerful mage, and had everyone interested in her. But now two new kids are coming with her to high school and she may lose the popularity she earned.
The author does a great job building their characters and getting them to be believable. The world building was done well, and has been consistent over the series. I connected with Alannah pretty easily, and felt bad for her after everything she had been through.
I did not connect to Neve as much, and didnt really like her character as well as I did Alannah's. She felt a little stuck up and like everyone had to pay more attention to her. I also didnt feel like her story needed to be told in conjuction with Alannah's. I wouldve rather had the two stories separated in different books, so that we had more detail to both.
Overall rating
3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The author does a great job building their characters and getting them to be believable. The world building was done well, and has been consistent over the series. I connected with Alannah pretty easily, and felt bad for her after everything she had been through.
I did not connect to Neve as much, and didnt really like her character as well as I did Alannah's. She felt a little stuck up and like everyone had to pay more attention to her. I also didnt feel like her story needed to be told in conjuction with Alannah's. I wouldve rather had the two stories separated in different books, so that we had more detail to both.
Overall rating
3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
March 16, 2022
It has been sixteen years since Brendan shattered her soul. The same night that they became soulmates and he promised to never leave her...he left...for another woman. And now he has returned.
Brendan had left tortured by Alanna's deceit and sold his soul to the she-devil, Bridie, if she removed his soul link to Alanna. Becoming a sex slave was worth getting rid of the torturous pain that was crushing his soul.
Even after his servitude was over he kept away because Alanna had married his nemesis after Brendan left. His hated brother Liam. But, quite by accident, he found out a secret that his lovers Bridie and Caleb had deliberately kept from him. Alanna had a baby. But, not just any baby...a Beltane child...fathered by him.
After the birth of her daughter, Alanna went into a deep depression which led to alcohol addiction and completely shut down her emotions. Her depression had nothing to do with childbirth and everything to do with Neve being the spitting image of the man who shattered her heart.
Neve is sixteen and just entering her senior year of high school, but there are new kids in town and they are determined to claim her as their own and will destroy anyone who stands in their way.
This is book three of the Winter's Magic Series and is just as action-packed as books one and two. This story is very well written and the extensive cast of characters is fully developed and totally relatable.
This is a paranormal fantasy romance full of twists and turns and danger from multiple directions that put both the Winter women and the whole mage community at risk. We have deceit, misunderstandings, soul-shattering pain, manipulations, suspense, intrigue and smoking sexual scenes. The perfect combination to keep you glued to the story.
I love Laelia's writing style and although these characters are mages, faeries, mermaids, doppelgangers, and other mythical shifters she pulls you into their world as if you were part of their story. This story is told from the POV of multiple main and secondary characters giving you a deeper connection with both the characters and the storyline.
This is a continuing series so you do need to begin with Winter's Maiden 1, but you will not be disappointed in these shifting mythical characters hiding behind glamour so they blend in the human world. Beware this book does have a cliffhanger that leads to more mysteries and of what is to come.
Highly recommend this series!
Brendan had left tortured by Alanna's deceit and sold his soul to the she-devil, Bridie, if she removed his soul link to Alanna. Becoming a sex slave was worth getting rid of the torturous pain that was crushing his soul.
Even after his servitude was over he kept away because Alanna had married his nemesis after Brendan left. His hated brother Liam. But, quite by accident, he found out a secret that his lovers Bridie and Caleb had deliberately kept from him. Alanna had a baby. But, not just any baby...a Beltane child...fathered by him.
After the birth of her daughter, Alanna went into a deep depression which led to alcohol addiction and completely shut down her emotions. Her depression had nothing to do with childbirth and everything to do with Neve being the spitting image of the man who shattered her heart.
Neve is sixteen and just entering her senior year of high school, but there are new kids in town and they are determined to claim her as their own and will destroy anyone who stands in their way.
This is book three of the Winter's Magic Series and is just as action-packed as books one and two. This story is very well written and the extensive cast of characters is fully developed and totally relatable.
This is a paranormal fantasy romance full of twists and turns and danger from multiple directions that put both the Winter women and the whole mage community at risk. We have deceit, misunderstandings, soul-shattering pain, manipulations, suspense, intrigue and smoking sexual scenes. The perfect combination to keep you glued to the story.
I love Laelia's writing style and although these characters are mages, faeries, mermaids, doppelgangers, and other mythical shifters she pulls you into their world as if you were part of their story. This story is told from the POV of multiple main and secondary characters giving you a deeper connection with both the characters and the storyline.
This is a continuing series so you do need to begin with Winter's Maiden 1, but you will not be disappointed in these shifting mythical characters hiding behind glamour so they blend in the human world. Beware this book does have a cliffhanger that leads to more mysteries and of what is to come.
Highly recommend this series!
November 9, 2022
In Winter’s Mother 1, we follow the journey of two generations of Winters mages, Alannah and Neve, who struggle with love while battling other issues—like volcanoes erupting all over the world.
Despite having a blessed child and being married to her childhood crush, Alannah’s life has been plagued with depression and marital problems. When her soulmate Brendan returns to become part of his daughter’s life, he rouses long forgotten feelings in her. Will they finally reunite after all this time?
Neve Winters had ruled middle school as one of the most powerful mages of her generation. Now, high school’s about to start and even her crush seems interested in her. But when two new kids enroll in school, everything changes. Will she reclaim her place as one of the popular girls or ruin her reputation trying?
Once again, L. Starla has created a fascinating world of magic, introducing even more magical creatures than before. I really loved the humor in this book—the sassy characters had me laughing out loudly several times.
Since the book ended on one or rather several cliffhangers, I can’t wait to see how the story unfolds in Winter’s Mother 2.
Despite having a blessed child and being married to her childhood crush, Alannah’s life has been plagued with depression and marital problems. When her soulmate Brendan returns to become part of his daughter’s life, he rouses long forgotten feelings in her. Will they finally reunite after all this time?
Neve Winters had ruled middle school as one of the most powerful mages of her generation. Now, high school’s about to start and even her crush seems interested in her. But when two new kids enroll in school, everything changes. Will she reclaim her place as one of the popular girls or ruin her reputation trying?
Once again, L. Starla has created a fascinating world of magic, introducing even more magical creatures than before. I really loved the humor in this book—the sassy characters had me laughing out loudly several times.
Since the book ended on one or rather several cliffhangers, I can’t wait to see how the story unfolds in Winter’s Mother 2.
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July 24, 2022Pre-order at early bird pricing.
Most mistakes have consequences. This one has a legacy.
Following the birth of her daughter, Alannah slipped into a deep depression. Many blamed it on the hormones, but they did not know the truth: this precious baby girl was the spitting image of her father, a man who broke Alannah’s heart and shattered her soul.
After years of escaping her grief, either at the bottom of a whiskey bottle or in the arms of Brendan’s doppelganger, Alannah is finally sober and on the road to recovery when the devil himself walks back into her life. Will his return spell her ultimate destruction, or will they find a way to reconciliation and a second chance at love?
Having escaped sexual slavery, Brendan has become the master of his own universe and Boss of the unseelie underground. Everything is good until work takes him back to Gaeilge Shores where he discovers the daughter he never knew existed.
Old wounds reopen and priorities change when he throws himself back into Alannah’s life. And all this family drama takes place amidst an apocalyptic threat. Can Brendan help the Council save the world, and reunite with his soulmate?
Most mistakes have consequences. This one has a legacy.
Following the birth of her daughter, Alannah slipped into a deep depression. Many blamed it on the hormones, but they did not know the truth: this precious baby girl was the spitting image of her father, a man who broke Alannah’s heart and shattered her soul.
After years of escaping her grief, either at the bottom of a whiskey bottle or in the arms of Brendan’s doppelganger, Alannah is finally sober and on the road to recovery when the devil himself walks back into her life. Will his return spell her ultimate destruction, or will they find a way to reconciliation and a second chance at love?
Having escaped sexual slavery, Brendan has become the master of his own universe and Boss of the unseelie underground. Everything is good until work takes him back to Gaeilge Shores where he discovers the daughter he never knew existed.
Old wounds reopen and priorities change when he throws himself back into Alannah’s life. And all this family drama takes place amidst an apocalyptic threat. Can Brendan help the Council save the world, and reunite with his soulmate?
January 13, 2023
Loved reading this book mostly because it was intriguing, romantic & action packed. Loved the plot twists & turns.
I loved how this author incorporated the secondary characters especially the daughter Neve.
Can't wait to read again & recommend.
Look forward to the next book in the series
Thanks L. Starla.
I loved how this author incorporated the secondary characters especially the daughter Neve.
Can't wait to read again & recommend.
Look forward to the next book in the series
Thanks L. Starla.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews