A fun, sweet story! I loved this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

If you’re looking for a light, easy romance then you don’t need to look any further. This gorgeous, uplifting story has a wonderful community at its heart. With fantastic friendships and many a blossoming romance, the beautiful Wishington Bay seems to be the perfect place for a fresh start.

This is exactly what has happened to Sophia and Nate. Sophia stumbled upon Wishington Bay and found it a welcome reprive from her usual life with her cheating husband and controlling mother. Nate similarly is escaping heartbreak and his pending divorce by moving into his brother’s home in Wishington Bay for a writing retreat and all-round escape.

This is a great story to escape into with plenty of light-hearted drama and a slow-burn romance. I love this series and definitely need to read more by this author!

My thoughts



Narrative and Plot



Winter at Wishington Bay is told from the main character Sophia's perspective. The narrative is mostly her thoughts and reactions to her surroundings. The plot is basically a second chance love story between two heart broken people. They find their new beginning at Wishington Bay.

The plot is not too complicated. It is kind of predictable and a bit slow paced in the middle. None the less the cozy small town vibe and an ensemble of characters is definitely enjoyable.







Characters and Conflicts


Sophia and Nate are the main characters in the book. The book mainly shows Sophia and her view of Nate. Still from what we receive, he has been hurt a lot in the past.

I am not sure if I would go along with the antagonists or the so called "villains" in the story. Both Serena and Corrine felt two dimensional vile characters. It would have been interesting if there was a bit more conversation or layers to these characters who for the most didn't get much screen time as far as I am concerned.

That being said, the rest of the village had that charming characters who are strong and have the weight of experience on their side even if they don't get to say a lot. Holly was another passive character but I guess that is understandable.












Conclusion



This is a slow paced romance with a beautiful village in the backdrop. There is this aspect of finding your true happiness which I enjoyed reading. The romance is built up and kind of laid back which seems genuine since it is a second chance for both the main characters.
Overall, this was a one time cozy read for me.

I wanted to love this story but it didn't keep my attention and it fell flat.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A fabulous follow up book to the original Wishington Bay novel (which I adored). I love Max's writing it always sweeps me away and this Christmassy read was exactly what I needed.

I really enjoyed this book. At first it was a little confusing because so many people are being introduced but once you start getting into it starts to all make sense on who is who. I literally could not stand Corinne!!!! Like seriously someone needs to put her in her place!!! How low do you have to be to treat people that way! 

I'm glad it ended well for everyone. I almost thought Nate was going to go back to his horrific ex wife. If your looking for a cute read with a little bit of a twist I highly recommend this one!

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this!

Some of these holiday books, I expected to like more than I actually did. This one though? Was the exact opposite - the secret of Sophia's real identity is kept a secret in such a way that, while you may anticipate partially why she "went into hiding", so to say, the moment the reveal is made? Well, at the very least I didn't see it coming.

Beyond the fact, though, that this story actually intrigued me, that I found myself genuinely liking all  of these characters - and wanting to know more about most of them. This is just a genuinely fun story to read. It had great pacing, an excellent narrative style, and just the right amount of holiday- and winter-vibes to make for a great cosy read. Now if only I could go on and read the story of all the other couples in this setting!

This was a cute winter story, it is definitely more of a winter read than a christmas read if that is what you are looking for. It was very sweet cosy and had some really good characters and relationships.

Overall nothing too new but very cute and well written.

It is great to return to Wishington Bay which is a lovely little community with such a range of characters. This time, we are focussing on Sophia and Nate, who have different reasons for being there, but issues in their past to resolve. You really get the feeling that this is a warm, healing place which enables people to find a sense of belonging. Nate has a close family but he is escaping a disastrous failure of a marriage. Sophia's background is a mystery but you realise that she has a lot of courage and determination.
Second chances, friendship and a sense of belonging all are threads which run through the storyline. It is a comforting read for those Winter evenings and a great escape. I do hope that Maxine Morrey visits Wishington Bay again. There is so much potential in this lovely place.
In short: Second chances- if you dare
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book

I was so excited when I heard that Maxine Morrey was returning to Wishington Bay - I loved her first foray into the bay in Coming Home to Wishington Bay and I knew that Winter in Wishington Bay would be no different.  I should however state that whilst we do revisit Wishington Bay, these are both standalone books.  Whilst there is mention of previous characters, Winter in Wishington Bay is very much focussed on Sophia Jones and Nate McKinley.

Sophia and Nate have both escaped to Wishington Bay.  Both are running from their marriages, attempting to rebuild themselves in the chilly but welcoming Bay.  Sophia alludes to the secrets she keeps about her old life, and although we are able to make assumptions about her, the big reveal doesn't happen early on.  She is escaping a life of unhappiness with a cheating ex.

Nate's wife has left him, and it is clear that their relationship has had a negative impact on his for quite some time.  He feels worthless and certainly lacks in confidence.  Despite a rocky start, Sophia's straight talking starts to bring him back to himself, and their friendship deepens.

This is a wintery story full of second chances and I loved it.  Both Sophia and Nate are definitely flawed characters, but it makes them both all the more relatable.  They are keen to protect themselves from more hurt, in Sophia's case by keeping secrets, but they are both ultimately seeking a happiness that they each once thought would not be possible.  This is such a lovely novel, perfect for reading as our nights draw in.  So grab yourself a hot chocolate (or glass of wine!), a cosy blanket and curl up in your armchair with a copy of Winter at Wishington Bay - you won't regret it.

Wishington Bay was lovely in summer and it's just as atmospheric at Christmastime.  Sadly there's no return appearance for Holly and Gabe but Gabe's brother Nate makes an appearance.  Another newcomer to the town is Sophia and, after a rocky start, the two become friends.  Both are involved in acrimonious divorces and Sophia is hiding from her past life.  As unhelpful colleagues intervene, secrets come out and the future looks uncertain.

Maxine Morrey always tells a good story and, although I might have wished for a bit more action, I enjoyed my second stay in the town and with the people there.  This is another very enjoyable read from one of my new favourite authors.

Honestly, my track record with contemporary romances lately has been really spotty and I was wondering if my Grinchy heart was beyond hope. But along came this cozy romance set in an adorable small English seaside village, and my Grinchy heart grew at least two sizes! Wishington Bay gave me everything I was looking for in Moose Springs and didn’t find: 

An utterly charming setting
Likeable characters
A “mostly-sausage dog” named Bryan
British accents
Holiday vibes
All the warm cozy feels

After starting the book, I did quickly realize that this was a sequel (Coming Home to Wishington Bay, set in the summer, is about another couple), but that didn’t stop me enjoying this warm hug of a book. With events taking place in December, the book has a wintery feel rather than a full-on Christmas theme, but there are some Yuletide touches such as a Christmas faire.

Bit dull. 

I was in need of a book that would feel like a warm hug. This was not it for me.

It needed a bit more conflict between the two main characters.

In this book we return to the very picturesque village of Wishington Bay for the winter. 
This book focuses on the lives of Sophia and Nate, both of whom have found themselves in living in Wishington Bay. 
Sophia found herself living in Wishington Bay after the breakdown of her marriage. She was offered a job as a housekeeper while her friend was away and she she jumped at the chance for more money so she could stretch her budget further. 
Nate has been offered the house to stay in by his brother Gabe while he is away. Nate is not keen at first as he just wants to be left alone. He is also getting over a broken marriage and trying to write book. 
At first it seems that Sophia and Nate are not going to get on as they are both so different but as time wears on the two of them strike up a friendship and they both feel like they can be themselves with each other. Nate is especially enjoying getting to know Sophia as she seems to be so different for all of the girls he has known. 
But what Nate doesn't know is that Sophie has a secret from her past that she is trying to keep hidden, but someone is desperate to reveal the truth. 
Will Sophia ever get her happy ever after?
This was such a wonderful book to read and I could not put it down. 
Winter seems to be such a lovely time in Wishington Bay and I definitely would love to be able to pay it a visit. 
I enjoyed getting to know both Sophia and Nate. It is obvious the pair of them have both been incredibly hurt in the past and this makes you understand the decisions they both make. 
This is book filled with romance which will lift your heart. There is also a twist in it which I did not see coming but really does add to the storyline. 
This book is perfect reading for a cosy winter evening.

Sophia Jones has just gone through a difficult divorce, and she isn’t financially stable. So she is open to accept any job offer she can get. This is the reason why she has agreed for a housekeeping job. She now works as a waitress and a cleaner.

And then there is Nate, a quiet and reserved writer. Although at the beginning it is mentioned that Nate is a quiet and reserved kind of guy, it is not true at all. He has agreed to stay at his brother, Gabe’s house in Wishington Bay while Gabe is away. Nate is trying to write a book while trying to cope with his recently broken marriage.

It is obvious from the beginning that Sophia is hiding something from her past which can potentially destroy everything she has achieved by living in Wishington Bay. The secret is not revealed until the end. And this kept me reading more and more.

The characters in this book are very likeable (except for a few), they have their own flaws and secrets. They are not perfect. And this makes them even more realistic. It is been 18 months since Sophie started to work as a waitress in Wishington Bay. She is hard-working, friendly, helpful. Everyone loves her except Corinne (a fellow waitress of Sophie, whom I happen to hate sooo much). I loved the conversations between Nate and Sophia. Now, Nate and Sophie get to know each other, as Sophie brought him meals and cleaned his house once per week as instructed by Gabe. And very soon they start to fall for each other. The characters have transformed positively throughout the book. And the ending proves it.

Overall, Winter at Washington Bay is a nice cosy and heart-warming story with friendship, love, second chances along with a dash of secrets which makes it even more interesting.

You can also view my review at -  https://damselinthebookland.wordpress.com/2020/11/09/winter-at-wishington-bay/

I’ve read a book by this author before and loved it. I also particularly enjoy Wintery stories. This was just lovely and a very enjoyable read. The characters were great.

It's all happening in this 2nd book by Maxine Morrey set in the charming village of Wishington Bay. With events taking place in December the novel has a winter feel rather than.a full on Christmas theme but there are some Yuletide touches such as a Crimbo fair. The main characters are Sophia, the protagonist and Nate. Sophia is harbouring a rather large secret and brooding Nate, an Australian searching for solace in Wishington Bay is staying in a house where Sophia works as a cleaner. As time passes, the two develop feelings for each other. Winter at Wishington Bay is a lovely, easy to read novel which is perfect for reading on a dark, chilly night, sitting by a roaring fire. Very highly recommended. 😊

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my own unbiased opinion.

Seaside, romance - I'm sold. This book almost had me browsing eastate agent's websites to see where I could move to and be near the sea. I wanted my own coastline to saunter along and my own seaside community to be a part of.

This was a proper little fairytale book and a bit too much for me.
Nothing wrong wit it, it just wasn't for me

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for an early review copy. 

A stunning location for a book, one where you I can't help but want to live their yourself. 

In her 18 months living in the bay, Sophia has forged a really lovely, low key life.  She works as a waitress and a cleaner, but neither of her employers has a clue about from her previous life. 

So, it’s obvious that this the whole time Sophia is hiding something, that she’s not ready to reveal from her old life.  

On the other hand there is Nate, someone who just wants to hide himself away and write his book. 

You could relate to the characters in this book and they were very believable.

The way the various secrets were revealed I loved and also the way Sophia transformed her life. 

Although it’s set in the winter, it’s not specifically a Christmas book, rather one that can be read with a mug of hot chocolate in front of a fire on a cold wintery night. It has many funny moments, 

Sophia is rather accident prone - especially the scene with the Christmas tree, which was hilarious. So,Christmas does feature in it, but it’s not the prime focus. 

Recommend it.