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Wynter #2
Taking Liberty
A victim of a massive corporate downsize, Liberty Faulkner suddenly finds herself without a job, without a home, and without a plan. Though certainly not part of her vision, Libby decides that the familiar is the safest path back to her life goals. In this case, the devil she knows is home: the tiny mountain town of Wynter, Colorado, a close-knit place where everybody knows everybody and everybody’s business. Seems like the perfect place for the twenty-five-year-old to start over and figure out who she is without being noticed…not.
Sergeant Grace Montez escaped her dead-end job and toxic relationship in New Mexico and moved to Wynter to help build their police department from scratch. Now an established figurehead in the community, she’s got her professional life dialed in and even mentors new recruits on the force. After a challenging childhood and lifetime of abandonment and disappointment, Grace hasn’t been interested in another relationship—especially because no one has caught her eye since a certain quirky college student who used to make her caramel macchiato at the local coffee shop moved away three years ago.
Now that quirky college student has returned as the beautiful, mature woman Libby has become. Can Grace keep her distance, or will she finally take liberties with what is being offered?
Sergeant Grace Montez escaped her dead-end job and toxic relationship in New Mexico and moved to Wynter to help build their police department from scratch. Now an established figurehead in the community, she’s got her professional life dialed in and even mentors new recruits on the force. After a challenging childhood and lifetime of abandonment and disappointment, Grace hasn’t been interested in another relationship—especially because no one has caught her eye since a certain quirky college student who used to make her caramel macchiato at the local coffee shop moved away three years ago.
Now that quirky college student has returned as the beautiful, mature woman Libby has become. Can Grace keep her distance, or will she finally take liberties with what is being offered?
291 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 15, 2021
44 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
About the author
Kim Pritekel
72 books153 followersKim Pritekel is a published author living in Denver, Colorado. She is also a very popular online author of many novels, novellas and short stories. She is the Royal Academy of Bards 2005 Hall of Fame Author.
Her love of writing began at age 9, and she wrote her first novel at age 12, wishing to follow in the footsteps of childhood idol, S.E. Hinton. She was published for the first time at age 24 with her novel, First.
Kim has followed her dreams right into the film industry, writing screenplays for production companies in Los Angeles, as well as for her own production company, Asp Films with business partner, Kelly Neal. Their first feature film, Self Portrait – written, directed and co-produced by Kim – premiered in Denver in June of 2013.
She enjoys spending time with her family, friends and her beloved cats. She is always adding to her ever-growing collection of swords and historic memorabilia. She is a huge fan of music, including musical theater. The "musical" love of her life is Sarah Brightman, who she tosses a mention of in every book she can.
Kim is a writing machine, so come back often to see what she's working on next!
Her love of writing began at age 9, and she wrote her first novel at age 12, wishing to follow in the footsteps of childhood idol, S.E. Hinton. She was published for the first time at age 24 with her novel, First.
Kim has followed her dreams right into the film industry, writing screenplays for production companies in Los Angeles, as well as for her own production company, Asp Films with business partner, Kelly Neal. Their first feature film, Self Portrait – written, directed and co-produced by Kim – premiered in Denver in June of 2013.
She enjoys spending time with her family, friends and her beloved cats. She is always adding to her ever-growing collection of swords and historic memorabilia. She is a huge fan of music, including musical theater. The "musical" love of her life is Sarah Brightman, who she tosses a mention of in every book she can.
Kim is a writing machine, so come back often to see what she's working on next!
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 13, 2021
Another entertaining romantic tale. Glad someone came to her senses but the wait was just a torture...I was at the brink of recreating an imaginary character to pull her ears or operate on her eyes incase 😀.
July 1, 2023
I really enjoyed Taking Liberty. It was wonderful to watch Grace and Liberty connect and to see their feelings for one another grow. I loved both characters in Finding Faith, so to was fantastic to now get their story and to have them fall in love. It was a treat to see Liberty’s own self discovery of who she really is. She has always been so accepting and inviting. Grace is always protecting others. I loved seeing her open up and finally giving her precious heart to Liberty.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2021
Excellent.
I loved Taking Liberty. A great continuation of the Wynter series. It’s great seeing all the characters grow , change and expand their families.
I loved Taking Liberty. A great continuation of the Wynter series. It’s great seeing all the characters grow , change and expand their families.
October 8, 2022
It's just so bad... How does this have a rating of 4+!?
The characters are laughably clueless, there is 0 chemistry between the two leads, the writing is absolutely terrible and most of it is just filler.
So Libby, apparently, thinks she's straight. She doesn't enjoy kissing men or sex, she thinks women are attractive, has multiple sexual dreams involving a woman, she has a bunch of gay friends and a super nice and accepting family. And yet, for some reason, she can't even comprehend the idea that she might not be straight. Yeah, I don't get it either. Her weird refusal to even think about her sexuality isn't explained at all - she didn't grow up in a religious household, her family isn't homophobic, she's been exposed to lots of other gay people, her town is very accepting too... so why exactly does she have an issue with being gay at all, except to create artificial conflict? There's nothing... whatsoever.
Adding to Libby's cluelessness: she goes out with a guy who is obviously interested in her - which she takes notice of - and kisses him multiple times, despite not being interested in him (...and him making a bunch of pretty gross homophobic comments.) Then she's surprised the guy thinks they are dating!? Apparently, she thinks she has an "obligation" to kiss him. Again: where does this come from? There is no religious upbringing, no overly patriarchal family structure or really anything that should realistically result in Libby thinking this way, except to create artificial conflict. She goes on and on about how she isn't interested in the guy and how annoying she thinks he is, and yet she lets him think they are dating for multiple weeks!? WHAT!?
There are so many things like that in "Taking Liberty". It's like the author read a bunch of romance novels and made a collection of tropes they liked to put into their own book. The only issue is, that none of them work together or make any sense. Like the out of nowhere neighbor love triangle misunderstanding.
And then there's the atrocious filler sections... I appreciate that romance always consists of a good amount of filler, but holy hell does Taking Liberty take it about 100 steps too far. There are so many scenes that go absolutely nowhere. The author introduces characters, gives them elaborate backstories and descriptions (eg. the old man with the trans ancestor), and it goes absolutely nowhere. The characters usually don't serve a purpose, their backstory has no connection to this story and the entire thing feels like I'm wasting my time. This should've been a novella at best.
The author commonly completely over describes what their characters do (I really don't need a description of exactly how Libby makes a freaking coffee...), but when there is an actually interesting scene, they constantly just cut away from them right when they get to the point of the matter - it's jarring. Some authors are really good at this technique: find a good way to cut somewhere in a conversation when the content has stopped being relevant - cut to one week later or something. It really sucks though if you just cut off important pieces of dialogue.
Like Libby in her conversation with her mother, right when they start the topic of her sexuality: CUT - TWO WEEKS LATER. It's almost as if the author noticed that there was no natural way to end the conversation now without at least partially resolving the issue of Libby's sexuality - so as a means to stretch the plot out even further, they just placed a super jarring cut.
I mentioned that the leads don't have any chemistry, right? That part is pretty simple to explain: they barely talk. For most of the story, they're just off doing their own thing, meanwhile somehow I'm expected to believe they fall in love with each other in that time. They rarely even have a conversation at all, and when they do, it's mostly surface level stuff. It doesn't help that the characters, apparently, met before the start of the book.
They have a bit of cheap instant attraction, but they make an abysmal couple. At some point, around the 85% mark, I just so desperately wanted them not to end up together... at which point I decided to call it quits.
Spoilers:
Also, can we please stop having characters act like assholes only then to be conveniently shot by somebody so their love interest instantly forgets about their fight? It's so cheap... If you don't have a realistic way for the characters to resolve their dispute, maybe think about whether they make a believable couple in the first place.
And did I mention that entire part of Libby being present for a brutal, bloody shootout/knife fight and being super traumatized for 5 seconds only to forget about the entire thing 20 pages later? If you really want to bring in gunfights, death and PTSD: please, for the love of god at least make an attempt to see it through properly.
The characters are laughably clueless, there is 0 chemistry between the two leads, the writing is absolutely terrible and most of it is just filler.
So Libby, apparently, thinks she's straight. She doesn't enjoy kissing men or sex, she thinks women are attractive, has multiple sexual dreams involving a woman, she has a bunch of gay friends and a super nice and accepting family. And yet, for some reason, she can't even comprehend the idea that she might not be straight. Yeah, I don't get it either. Her weird refusal to even think about her sexuality isn't explained at all - she didn't grow up in a religious household, her family isn't homophobic, she's been exposed to lots of other gay people, her town is very accepting too... so why exactly does she have an issue with being gay at all, except to create artificial conflict? There's nothing... whatsoever.
Adding to Libby's cluelessness: she goes out with a guy who is obviously interested in her - which she takes notice of - and kisses him multiple times, despite not being interested in him (...and him making a bunch of pretty gross homophobic comments.) Then she's surprised the guy thinks they are dating!? Apparently, she thinks she has an "obligation" to kiss him. Again: where does this come from? There is no religious upbringing, no overly patriarchal family structure or really anything that should realistically result in Libby thinking this way, except to create artificial conflict. She goes on and on about how she isn't interested in the guy and how annoying she thinks he is, and yet she lets him think they are dating for multiple weeks!? WHAT!?
There are so many things like that in "Taking Liberty". It's like the author read a bunch of romance novels and made a collection of tropes they liked to put into their own book. The only issue is, that none of them work together or make any sense. Like the out of nowhere neighbor love triangle misunderstanding.
And then there's the atrocious filler sections... I appreciate that romance always consists of a good amount of filler, but holy hell does Taking Liberty take it about 100 steps too far. There are so many scenes that go absolutely nowhere. The author introduces characters, gives them elaborate backstories and descriptions (eg. the old man with the trans ancestor), and it goes absolutely nowhere. The characters usually don't serve a purpose, their backstory has no connection to this story and the entire thing feels like I'm wasting my time. This should've been a novella at best.
The author commonly completely over describes what their characters do (I really don't need a description of exactly how Libby makes a freaking coffee...), but when there is an actually interesting scene, they constantly just cut away from them right when they get to the point of the matter - it's jarring. Some authors are really good at this technique: find a good way to cut somewhere in a conversation when the content has stopped being relevant - cut to one week later or something. It really sucks though if you just cut off important pieces of dialogue.
Like Libby in her conversation with her mother, right when they start the topic of her sexuality: CUT - TWO WEEKS LATER. It's almost as if the author noticed that there was no natural way to end the conversation now without at least partially resolving the issue of Libby's sexuality - so as a means to stretch the plot out even further, they just placed a super jarring cut.
I mentioned that the leads don't have any chemistry, right? That part is pretty simple to explain: they barely talk. For most of the story, they're just off doing their own thing, meanwhile somehow I'm expected to believe they fall in love with each other in that time. They rarely even have a conversation at all, and when they do, it's mostly surface level stuff. It doesn't help that the characters, apparently, met before the start of the book.
They have a bit of cheap instant attraction, but they make an abysmal couple. At some point, around the 85% mark, I just so desperately wanted them not to end up together... at which point I decided to call it quits.
Spoilers:
Also, can we please stop having characters act like assholes only then to be conveniently shot by somebody so their love interest instantly forgets about their fight? It's so cheap... If you don't have a realistic way for the characters to resolve their dispute, maybe think about whether they make a believable couple in the first place.
And did I mention that entire part of Libby being present for a brutal, bloody shootout/knife fight and being super traumatized for 5 seconds only to forget about the entire thing 20 pages later? If you really want to bring in gunfights, death and PTSD: please, for the love of god at least make an attempt to see it through properly.
October 30, 2024
as a romance, 1 star. as a coming to terms with your sexuality story, 2.2 stars.
Review breakdown:
Writing: it wasn't bad, but there was something about it that seemed off. scene transitions were confusing (as an audiobook listener) and the last few chapters felt like it was a whole different book.
Characters: Grace must have had some serious trauma to explain her ridiculous behavior, although we were never brought in on what it might be. and Libby...how are you going to break up with someone you aren't dating and had like 3 conversations with? the build up of the relationship was lacking for me, and the final straw was the thing that convinced libby of her feelings was apparently something that happened between them before the story even begins and we, the readers, don't get to be a part of. I wasn't rooting for them.
Plot: um. two women who have known each other casually for years up and decide this time you chat over coffee will be the time you suddenly develop feelings. there's a shootout and a car chase and a home birth, but the relationship between these two is practically non-existent and boring.
What would make this an extra star read for me: i think i was fairly turned away when grace got jealous and acted worse than the misogynistic asshat about it. also, the misogynistic asshat doesn't get an HEA.
Vibes: frustrating in a bad way
Review breakdown:
Writing: it wasn't bad, but there was something about it that seemed off. scene transitions were confusing (as an audiobook listener) and the last few chapters felt like it was a whole different book.
Characters: Grace must have had some serious trauma to explain her ridiculous behavior, although we were never brought in on what it might be. and Libby...how are you going to break up with someone you aren't dating and had like 3 conversations with? the build up of the relationship was lacking for me, and the final straw was the thing that convinced libby of her feelings was apparently something that happened between them before the story even begins and we, the readers, don't get to be a part of. I wasn't rooting for them.
Plot: um. two women who have known each other casually for years up and decide this time you chat over coffee will be the time you suddenly develop feelings. there's a shootout and a car chase and a home birth, but the relationship between these two is practically non-existent and boring.
What would make this an extra star read for me: i think i was fairly turned away when grace got jealous and acted worse than the misogynistic asshat about it. also, the misogynistic asshat doesn't get an HEA.
Vibes: frustrating in a bad way
October 24, 2022
Wynter's Grit and Heart...
What a wonderful series of a small town being brought back to life along with its long time residents and newcomers including one story taking you back to Wynter's beginnings. The challenges are realistic causing you to shed tears while holding your breath, at times, wondering how things will turn out. And there are twists that will surprise you keeping you turning pages.
Kim Pritekel is a good storyteller who crafts captivating and compelling stories that will hold your interest until the very end. Still there are minor issues where somethings were glossed over and you're left to wonder about how things played out or how something came about but don't distract from the overall story and a few cheap political shots that have nothing to do with the story and are distracting momentarily.
Yet within, the pages are filled with complex well drawn characters overcoming overwhelming odds where the love interests are not certain they'll make it. However they're surrounded by supportive friends, on occasion family, and often newly acquired chosen family who help them.
Now that I've finished the first four books of this series, I miss the growing mountain town of Wynter, Colorado and its colorful cast of interesting, enterprising, and caring people and sure hope there will be more stories coming.
What a wonderful series of a small town being brought back to life along with its long time residents and newcomers including one story taking you back to Wynter's beginnings. The challenges are realistic causing you to shed tears while holding your breath, at times, wondering how things will turn out. And there are twists that will surprise you keeping you turning pages.
Kim Pritekel is a good storyteller who crafts captivating and compelling stories that will hold your interest until the very end. Still there are minor issues where somethings were glossed over and you're left to wonder about how things played out or how something came about but don't distract from the overall story and a few cheap political shots that have nothing to do with the story and are distracting momentarily.
Yet within, the pages are filled with complex well drawn characters overcoming overwhelming odds where the love interests are not certain they'll make it. However they're surrounded by supportive friends, on occasion family, and often newly acquired chosen family who help them.
Now that I've finished the first four books of this series, I miss the growing mountain town of Wynter, Colorado and its colorful cast of interesting, enterprising, and caring people and sure hope there will be more stories coming.
November 18, 2023
DNF
Had high hopes as I have read another two books by the author but this is just uninteresting. I cannot get behind the lead because she chose to lead on a guy she knew she had no interest in at all. And the guy is just pathetic. I'm sorry I don't understand how people got behind the lead feeling sorry for this guy and understanding him when he chose to think that his former relationship ended because a lesbian came in and seduced the ex. He was very homophobic going by his comments, territorial after they had gone for a single date. Why can't the lead say no to a date? She's acting like she doesn't have any other choice. And because the lead thought she was straight I could have gotten behind her trying to initiate a relationship with a better man or at least for the drama, a man good at pretending. He was just not a good person, so I can't even act like he is a reasonable suitor. And I can't pretend I'm okay with the homophobic comments that are probably just going to slide by the end of the book. Anyway this was just like a third of the book and I fill the book should have been near it's end because I cannot fathom why one would be in an accepting family, community, have lots of gay friends, know they are attracted to a woman and REFUSE to give it a chance and I won't use my time reading all that.
Had high hopes as I have read another two books by the author but this is just uninteresting. I cannot get behind the lead because she chose to lead on a guy she knew she had no interest in at all. And the guy is just pathetic. I'm sorry I don't understand how people got behind the lead feeling sorry for this guy and understanding him when he chose to think that his former relationship ended because a lesbian came in and seduced the ex. He was very homophobic going by his comments, territorial after they had gone for a single date. Why can't the lead say no to a date? She's acting like she doesn't have any other choice. And because the lead thought she was straight I could have gotten behind her trying to initiate a relationship with a better man or at least for the drama, a man good at pretending. He was just not a good person, so I can't even act like he is a reasonable suitor. And I can't pretend I'm okay with the homophobic comments that are probably just going to slide by the end of the book. Anyway this was just like a third of the book and I fill the book should have been near it's end because I cannot fathom why one would be in an accepting family, community, have lots of gay friends, know they are attracted to a woman and REFUSE to give it a chance and I won't use my time reading all that.
July 11, 2022
Satusfying
In the world of Winter, Colorado, already created by the author, and peopled with a score of characters that is very easy to care about, we get a story about a love that struggles to burst into flame between Liberty and the stunningly beautiful sergeant of the city police. Libby isn't sure that she's ready to accept that she's falling for a woman; the sergeant is struggling with being attracted to a woman nine years younger. Others are lusting over Libby as well.
A little more than the heavy use of millennial lingo is jarring here. It could really use the services of a careful editor, one who could weed out mechanical errors, but still preserve the freshness of the language.
In the world of Winter, Colorado, already created by the author, and peopled with a score of characters that is very easy to care about, we get a story about a love that struggles to burst into flame between Liberty and the stunningly beautiful sergeant of the city police. Libby isn't sure that she's ready to accept that she's falling for a woman; the sergeant is struggling with being attracted to a woman nine years younger. Others are lusting over Libby as well.
A little more than the heavy use of millennial lingo is jarring here. It could really use the services of a careful editor, one who could weed out mechanical errors, but still preserve the freshness of the language.
October 18, 2022
Between Libby's growing realization regarding her sexuality and Grace's resistance to an emotional commitment it takes a while for these two to make progress with their developing relationship. The varied supporting cast both helps and hinders with this. Most of the angst is consistent with events, though at times the story arc does fall into melodrama. Overall, a decent tale with a satisfying conclusion.
November 22, 2024
It was a very enjoyable read until it was running out of pages and had to wrap things up. A dual POV novel (in contrast to Finding Faith's only one), the last few chapters were pretty much all from Libby's perspective despite the ball being completely in Grace's court.
Still a good book if you're a journey-is-more-important-than-the-destination kind of reader. Won't stop me from reading the rest of the series (eventually).
Still a good book if you're a journey-is-more-important-than-the-destination kind of reader. Won't stop me from reading the rest of the series (eventually).
April 21, 2021
The second in the Wynter series can be read alone but reading the first book will help you understand the town which is a character in itself. I really enjoyed the second book and getting to know the two MC's.
The themes of developing self -awareness around sexuality will probably resonate for a lot of people.
The themes of developing self -awareness around sexuality will probably resonate for a lot of people.
March 25, 2022
Fantastic
What a great follow up. Meeting everyone again new great cast of main character. I love when you love the first book and the follow up more than meets high expectations.Highly recommend.I
What a great follow up. Meeting everyone again new great cast of main character. I love when you love the first book and the follow up more than meets high expectations.Highly recommend.I
December 2, 2022
The second book in the Wynter series and as good as the first. Loved it.
April 19, 2023
Loved this book, think I fell a little in love with Grace Montez.
January 1, 2024
4.5⭐️
This is another of the Wynter stories and it is as compelling as the others.
This is another of the Wynter stories and it is as compelling as the others.
January 10, 2024
last 20% of this book serves no purpose what so ever
August 9, 2024
Nice story. Not as engaging as the first book in the series, Finding Faith. I did understand Liberty as she worked to process who she is. Very caring person.
April 26, 2025
The Wynter series by Kim Pritekel holds such a special place in my heart. I’ve reread it multiple times, and every time, it feels like coming home. It's a beautiful, slow-burn romance set in the fictional Colorado town of Wynter — a place so vivid and comforting that I honestly wish it existed in real life. (If it did, I would move there in a heartbeat!)
Kim Pritekel has created a world that's cozy, full of heart, and incredibly real. The characters are what truly make this series shine: layered, genuine, and impossible not to love. Watching the relationships unfold slowly and naturally made the emotional payoff even more satisfying. It’s the kind of story that lingers with you, long after you close the book.
If you’re someone who loves small-town settings, characters that feel like family, and a romance that takes its time (in the best way), this is great series!
Kim Pritekel has created a world that's cozy, full of heart, and incredibly real. The characters are what truly make this series shine: layered, genuine, and impossible not to love. Watching the relationships unfold slowly and naturally made the emotional payoff even more satisfying. It’s the kind of story that lingers with you, long after you close the book.
If you’re someone who loves small-town settings, characters that feel like family, and a romance that takes its time (in the best way), this is great series!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews