I love all of Harlequin Manga's titles and Long Cold Winter was one of my favourites so far and I can't wait to read more from this publisher.

I just can't seem to get enough of the romance mangas. Love them. Love the artwork and love that they are adapted from some truly excellent stories. This one is no exception. Beautiful. Romantic. Captivating. And pardon the similar reviews for all the books. I'm catching up and have loved all of them.

Our heroine, Autumn was married to a millionaire businessman named Yorke Laing in her teens. As she was so insecure and she felt that Yorke did not love her, she decided to leave him. She then worked as a secretary at a private holiday resort. The owner of this resort liked her but things have changed when he told Autumn that there was an investor coming. He needed Au's hands to support him yet Autumn was finally left with a huge surprise knowing that the investor was none but her husband Yorke.

Yorke wanted Au to come back and promised her a quick divorced if she managed to stay with him for four months. Au hated him to gut but our hero blackmailed her saying that he was not going to invest any single penny if she did not do what he asked her to do. That was when all the things started...the old flame lit...and the long-lost-love returned.

I have always loved Junko Okada's works of art for the reason I do not know. Her illustrations seem alive tho. Add Penny Jordan, my favourite author and those made a perfect combo for a sweet romance to read.

Copy provided via Netgalley by Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.

Autumn ran away from her husband, Yorke, as she doesn't think he feels the same way about her.

I think from all the Harlequin manga's I read, this is the book I least liked as I don't like their relationship very much. But the last scene when Yorke is ill and out in the cold, is the bit that really hit me.

Enticing story.

Both characters are beautifully drawn and share a great passion that is obvious from the art. She leaves her husband because there was nothing for her in terms of feelings and love. I found that duality exciting. He's a dominant but aloof man who tries to control his wife through lust. We get to learn why he cannot express himself in any other way later on. He claims her again after two years of estrangement with a cold proposal.

I got all caught up in this stormy couple's relationship. It's sensual, yet underneath the desire there are emotional issues of abandonment, yearning for love, maturing, and admitting need for each other. He is a hard man to be moved because of his upbringing and she's afraid to become dependent again.

i loved the very romantic and luxurious atmosphere of the art and the intimacy of the plot that is based solely on this couple's struggle. The ending is very emotional, and I'd have wanted a little more to bask in the happy reconciliation.

Autumn had barely come of age when she married Yorke Laing, but was fully aware of her actions when she decided to leave him after she realised she was just a home pet for him. But was she? Yorke never granted her a divorce and now he wants her back in his life to resume the role of his wife. It’s just for four months he says, unless he secretly hopes to win her back forever… a romance on second chances that will warm your heart and give you hope beyond hope that love can outlive the most challenging times.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

A new Harlequin Manga, it was hard to select one out of the ones I still had. This one sounded the most interesting, though the blurb also confused me. So, this girl married a guy years ago, then left him, never divorced him, and now he wants her as an emergency wife or else he won't allow her to divorce him? Whut? I guess I will just have to read and see what the hell is going on.

Ah, she wanted to divorce him but couldn't due to the law. What a shitty law. Sorry, but really? What if a girl is in an abuse relationship? She needs to wait 5 years before she can dump the guy officially if she can't get his permission to divorce? Whut? OK, now the blurb makes more sense.

"Good sex doesn't equal a good marriage." Truth!
And then Yorke: "No. You always had a strong reaction when you were underneath me. I'm a man. Your body understands better than you do." Urghhhh. Yorke. Please.
And then he proceeds to force kiss her and throw her on the couch/bed... what the hell? No. Just no. I am glad that she is able to move away from this and tell him no.

Oh, you never needed your girl until now because you have some fancysmancy work thingie and it looks better if you have a wife? Whut? And then you only give her until morning to pack and come with you. What a prick. But then again, I can see her and him getting back together, it is Harlequin Manga. *sighs*

We read about their relationship how it started, how she ran away the first time, how Yorke is more into it for the sex (he just ravishes her and then leaves again). Dang.

And so their two month thing starts, and it isn't until much later that he touches her and does things with her, while she is not into it at all. Or at least not entirely.
Oh, classic Yorke: "I'm not the sort of disgusting person who would rape a woman." OH no, you are not, you are worse. She is clearly not wanting you and you are touching her, kissing her, forcing her down. That is just as bad as rape mister.

I am now halfway and I am just not liking this story or the characters. Yorke is terrible, Autumn is just boring and should just walk away. This is not worth it.

Ewwwww, dude. You promised you would leave her alone, and just because she was assertive towards a dreadful sticky girl you barge into the bathroom while she is naked. What the fuck? She says she doesn't want to, she says to stay away, she hates you, but then yes, she said yes. You broke her, congrats. What a terrible shitty thing this is.

"Yet despite that, I'm still in love with Yorke." Yup......

Aww, and now we get Yorke's sad sad backstory. Sorry, after so many pages of him abusing the fuck out of this girl, not listening to her, being a dick, we have to feel sorry for him because his past was hard? HA. NO. Sorry, he keeps pushing, grabbing our MC at her wrist in a very strong way, being rude. NOPE. JUST NOPE. >.<

She also meets up with Alan, what a coincidence.... but Alan decides that Autumn loves Yorke (really?) and leaves her. OK.

I am happy that she finally got those papers, but we still have 20 pages to go so I can still expect drama and them having a happy ending... sadly. Oh, *snorts* So she is going away with her car and you immediately think she is leaving you? I know she left you twice, but do you really think she would just go now? She was taking care of you. And so much drama after that with some confessions here and there, but sorry I just wasn't feeling it after all the crap that Yorke did. I am willing to forgive, but I won't forget the crap he pulled.

But hey, the art was pretty OK. Though at times with the sex scenes or sexy scenes (though they weren't that sexy due to how things were done) it looked like the characters melted together. :P

So yeah, not my favourite, not at all, I had tons of issues with this, and I still can't see the attraction between the two characters. :|

Autumn was married to Yorke Laing, a millionaire businessman. She married him when she was just in her teens. One year after their marriage Autumn left because she felt Yorke didn't love her.

Autumn makes a life for herself working as a secretary at a private holiday resort. She gets on well with the resort owner who likes her, but has promised not to pry into her private life. When he tells her a potential investor is coming to the resort Autumn is on hand to support her boss as best she can but she is horrified when she realises that the potential investor is none other than Yorke Laing, her estranged husband.

Yorke wants Autumn to come back home and he promises that if she stays with him for four months he will give her a quick divorce. Autumn hates being coerced like this but York also threatens not to invest in the resort and so Autumn returns home and that is where the drama starts because Yorke has always loved her, he has just been very bad at showing this.

Autumn is no longer the naive teenager she was when they first married. She is nowable to hold her own even when it appears other women are out to get Yorke. She slips into the role of dutiful wife in public but in private she battles with her feelings for Yorke. Autumn and Yorke have a lot of difficulties between them, much of which is due to miscommunication and assumption, but in the end true love wins through.

I don't really like stories which are based on misunderstandings but this one was overflowing with drama and Autumn was such a feisty character that it made it enjoyable to read.

As with all Harlequin mangas once again the artwork was brilliant bringing the story to life and enhancing the drama and so this was a surprisingly enjoyable book.

Copy provided via Netgalley by Harlequin in exchange for an unbiased review.