"A Widwinter Match" was a fantastic book that got me thinking and was kind of perfect to my summery adventures, since it has a winter setting but still a romance and friendship growth that got me all happy. It was a good balanced book for me, and what I needed to read.

We follow Ruby and Zac as they became rivals thanks to the merge of the companies they worked for. That enemies kind of element to the plot was interesting and it made me wonder what would really happen in the end with them.

The characters felt realistic and I had a connection to them. We are taken with them in this journey. We see the characters struggles, their wishes and needs, their thoughts, and of course their pasts. I loved to read about Ruby, I kind of felt like I was her friend and I wanted to help her out. And Zac was quite full of surprises for me. They both were imperfect characters, they had issues they had been dealing with and that was something that also connected with me.

Overall, I enjoyed it. Because of the context of their professions, I found that it was a thought provoking story. It allowed for some moments of reflection and with the added mental health theme, it felt real. I felt as I was part of the characters life, work and personal lives.

[I want to thank Rachel, at Rachel’s Random Resources, Jane Lovering and Boldwood Books for the eCopy of this book, via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.]

Book Review “A Midwinter Match” by Jane Lovering
AUGUST 23, 2021 ~ NIKIPRESTON
ISBN 9781800482487

Synopsis

A Midwinter Match

Ruby Oldbridge needs to learn to take her own advice.
A brilliant counsellor at work in York, she is however floundering in her own life. Her romantic track record is woeful, her finances are in a pickle, and she’s back in a house-share after splitting up with her useless ex.

Happy-go-lucky, Mr Positivity, Zac Drewe also loves his job – the trouble is, it’s the same as Ruby’s, and the management have decided to ‘rationalise’ their department. There’s only room for one of them.

As the snow and winter close in on York, Ruby and Zac have everything to lose, and Ruby starts to wonder if the happy face Zac shows the world, might be disguising a sadder secret.

But one thing Ruby is brilliant at, is helping other people find a way through their problems, and she excels at the job she loves, doing just that.

Set against one another, they are unlikely friends. But perhaps, if they could take the time to understand each other, they might discover that rather than rivals, they could be the best thing that ever happened to one another…

REVIEW BY NIKI PRESTON

4 stars

A Midwinter Match is a glorious read that starts out with the two protagonists, Ruby and Zac seemingly set to hate each other whilst they fight for the same job. A company merger forces them to work together and they certainly do not get off to a good start. Ruby lets her anxiety, which stems from her previous, horrendous break up get the better of her. She judges Zac by his handsome appearance, he seems a bit arrogant to her and she decides immediately that she doesn’t like him or his style of counselling. Zac comes across as somewhat stand offish yet whenever Ruby finds herself in need of help he is always there to offer her a helping hand.

I enjoyed how the relationship between Ruby and Zac grows and changes slowly throughout the book, as the reader you really urge them to see the good in each other. Topics touched upon like anxiety, dementia and loss are dealt with sympathetically and gives a view into how hard and at times heart-breaking these issues can be. These topics are dealt with in a sensitive manner that serves to bring you closer to each character.

Each of the main characters back stories are revealed gradually yet in a timely manner that only makes Ruby and Zac more likeable. The readers empathy slowly builds along with the plotline which definitely works well throughout the book.

I would highly recommend A Midwinter Match to anyone who enjoys a romantic slow build with plenty of hiccups along the way. Jane Lovering is a new author to me but she now has a new fan.

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/34LSbpq

Author Bio –


Jane Lovering is the bestselling and award-winning romantic comedy writer who won the RNA Novel of the Year Award in 2012 with Please Don’t Stop the Music. She lives in Yorkshire and has a cat and a bonkers terrier, as well as five children who have now left home. Her first title for Boldwood will be published in September 2020.

Social Media Links –.

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Jane-Lovering-Author-106404969412833/

Twitter https://twitter.com/janelovering

Newsletter Sign Up Link https://bit.ly/JaneLoveringNewsletter

Bookbub profile https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jane-lovering

Review blog page https://www.nikipreston.com

This story introduces us to Ruby and Zac, two individuals who are thrown together when their respective companies are merged together and they find themselves competing for the same job. Ruby is reluctant to get to know the man who could potentially take away the job she has worked hard at over the years, but as fate would have it, she is forced towards Zac and before long a tentative friendship begins to form between them.

Set in the beautiful town of York at Christmas time, this book certainly brings a bit of magic into your life. Jane Lovering has such a wonderful way of combining romance with some much deeper issues, and in this book we find ourselves exploring the topics of anxiety and depression that our lead characters have experienced in either the past or present tense.

Ruby and Zac are both fascinating characters who become relatable to the reader from the start. I adore how these lead characters are flawed and far from perfect, something that makes them all the more relatable to the reader and allows you to connect with them on a whole new level.

Despite the harder topics that this book tackles in such a sensitive and understanding way, the romance that blossoms between Ruby and Zac is so beautiful to follow. After them being thrown together in the most awkward of circumstances, they somehow manage to forget about the expected rivalry that should be present between them and instead allow their walls down as they get to know one another properly.

This is another breathtakingly beautiful story by the wonderful Jane Lovering that will stay in my mind for a long time to come.

Here we have two contrasting characters to get to know, Ruby and Zac and it is clear that they both have their own back stories. As you learn more about them, you also begin to see what they might have in common. Family is an important part of the story and there are some dark themes woven into the story. Dementia, unemployment, mental health issues all give it a grounded feel. Zac's story is particularly affecting and the contrast between his childhood and Ruby's is stark. Nevertheless, it is a warm and uplifting tale and one I enjoyed very much.
There are also some quirky and amusing secondary characters who liven up the story. The people who Zac and Ruby advise are varied and add to the story so much, as do their co-workers. The humour is always gentle and never at the expense of the characters. I wasn't too sure how the situation Ruby and Zac find themselves in was going to be resolved and certainly, the ending took me by surprise.
Thanks to the author for a copy of the book

5 Word Review: Work, friendship, family, belonging, winter.

This book? Read it. From the very first chapter there was the usual Jane Lovering dry humour that I love so much,

One of my favourite things about this book was Jane Lovering writing about York. It's something they do so well, they truly bring the city to life and their love for it is evident in the way their characters interact with the setting. A Midwinter Match brought Vampire State of Mind right back to the front of my thoughts, even if the books couldn't be more different. It's a bit like a love letter to York hidden away behind the story.

Ruby could be one of my all time favourite characters - I just freaking loved her. She has such a good heart and she is so generous and understanding with her clients, yet short with those she may consider enemies. She's very much a stark contrast to Zac, who is short with his clients and sunny with everyone else.

The build of the relationship between Ruby and Zac was excellent. They were definitely enemies, pushed together in the most unfair and cruel way. Seeing that melt into a tentative friendship was lovely.

I have to say that the portrayal of anxiety in this book was outstanding. It was so realistic that I as much as I wanted to rush through the story, I had to step away and do my own grounding.

I loved the exploration of different family dynamics - families are messy, and found families can be even messier. It was beautiful to read.

I will absolutely be reading A Midwinter Match by Jane Lovering again this year, closer to Christmas. Whether it was the cold of the North or the crowded festive pubs, I loved being immersed in winter in this story. I fell in love with the characters and with York.

I listened to a bit of the audiobook (because yep, I already had it pre-ordered) and Rose Robinson again does a wonderful voice voicing Jane Lovering's characters.

I absolutely flew through this story, and managed to read cover to cover in one sitting! I don’t usually read books that are set around Christmas until November/December time but I’m glad I opted for a place on this book tour. This is much more than your usual romantic tale set in the snow!

This is the first book I’ve read by Jane Lovering, but it most definitely isn’t going to be the last. Her writing style drew me in and made me feel close to the characters. Ruby was written and created incredibly well, and this book had me laughing and crying in equal measures. Emotionally, this took me on a huge journey and I found myself forgetting Ruby was fictional, as she felt more like a friend by the time I had finished reading.

Anyone looking for a feel good, heart warming, easy to read, romance - this definitely needs to be on your list this year. I predict this is going to be a huge success, so might be worth getting that order in now!

Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for a gifted copy of this book and a place on the book tour in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Christmas read of 2021, and I have to say- Jane Lovering is setting the bar high. The book is set at Christmas- it isn't specifically about the holiday season, but there were enough "holiday hints" for me to feel festive. Ruby, our protagonist, has gone through a LOT in the last year and a half, and Lovering doesn't shy away from that. A horrible break up, crushing anxiety, and work stress are not an easy hand of cards to be dealt, and Lovering treated it thoughtfully. Zac, one of Ruby's new coworkers and love interest, has also got a fairly heavy plate. I think that this book is thoughtful and heartfelt and charming, and is a wonderful book to curl up with on a chilly evening!

This book will be featured in my round-up of 2021 Christmas Chick Lit- link will be added when the post goes live in October!

Favorite Quotes:

The meeting room was a swirl of people, all milling about on the static-filled carpet like restless wild ponies before the roping started.

Although office gossip has it that Zac is fancied by over half the female staff, and his going may cause a backwash of oestrogen and eyeliner that carries us to the brink of destruction.

‘I hope he gets syphilis and his willy rots off!’ Sophie called back cheerily, and went back to her phone call.

It gave me a chilly feeling in the pit of my stomach. As though we were being picked off, one by one, vanishing one day never to be seen again. It was either a ruthless management style at work or ritual sacrifice.

Unresolved sexual tension. The air was so thick with it in here that I could only get in with scissors.

You disappoint me. I thought I was going to have to fight off hordes of disappointed women, I was going to buy a special stick.


My Review:

I adored this cleverly perceptive and wittily written tale. I guffawed and chortled as I dove between the pages laced with Ms. Lovering’s smirk-worthy levity, sharp comedic visuals, and head-nod inducing snark. I was totally engaged and fully present with them in the midst of their office chaos, clearly hearing the shuffling of papers and squeaking of office chairs over the drone of Christmas carols. The characters were endearingly quirky and struggling to do their best while in a difficult squeeze whilst in competition with each other for the same desperately needed job. The storylines were relatable as well as entertaining while striking all the feels and eventually igniting an unexpected fledgling romance. I reveled in the perfection of the epilogue.

What a totally endearing book by Jane Lovering. With 'feel good' characters that I warmed to. The book has a mental health theme which is very prevalent subject at the moment. Although this is set in winter, this did not detract from the storyline

It had to happen sometime didn’t it? The first winter themed book of the year for me to review! We are introduced to the main character of Ruby immediately the story begins, as Ruby discovers her job as a counsellor is under threat due to a company merger and she has to compete against another colleague, Zac, who is also a counsellor. Forced to work together as a team, Ruby and Zac start seeing each other in a different way. There is less of the competitive side of their relationship, as they become a lot more friendly with each other.

Ruby has experienced a lot of heartache and is still recovering from a relationship break down and the fact that she has lost her home. As the reader, we get to witness Ruby’s struggles with her mental health, which makes you really feel for everything that she is going through. We also discover that although Zac appears confident and outgoing, he is also experiencing some difficult personal circumstances.

To the backdrop of the beautifully described backdrop of York, we watch Ruby and Zac’s relationship change from competing work colleagues to . . . well, you will just have to read the book to find out, won’t you!? A Midwinter Match is a beautifully written story packed full of everything you could want from a winter read – love, laughter, fun and most importantly, for me, characters who are so real and so relatable. Characters who experience anxiety and mental health concerns, like all of us do at some point in life – this for me just makes the characters in this story so much more believable.

A nice story, though it’s nearly gave up as I struggled to get into it - takes a while for it to really get going.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

This book was not for me and I gave up at around 20%. I did try to like it but found I just kept putting it down. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood books for access to this arc.

While I was hoping for a follow up to “Home on Holly Farm,” this turned out to be a book that is both funny and emotionally moving without turning into an angst drama. I laughed and madly flipped the pages on my ereader to discover what would happen next. I also have to say that I totally agree with what Ruby and Zac decide to watch in the end as it is definitely a Christmas film.

After a disastrous break up with her boyfriend, Ruby is piecing her life back together. Loaded with debt, living in a tiny room in a rented flat with three flatmates, and driving a ten year old car, she’s not exactly living the dream. But with techniques to help her and prescription pills, she’s better than she was. That is until she arrives at her employment counseling job to discover that her company is being merged with a similar one and some people will need to compete for their jobs. Ruby really needs this job as she has debts to pay and freezes at the thought of the stress she’d go through finding and applying for another. There has to be something bad about the man who is now sharing her office and eyeing the same job.

Except that Zac seems to be a genuinely good guy. He plays his cards close to his vest but is competent, hard working, and is in early and stays late. Ruby can’t let her past issues with her breakdown become common knowledge as she just knows that the two manager “aliens” (as she calls them) from the other firm will jump on that and pressure her boss to let her go. Pasting on a manic smile, she’s determined to come out on top. If only Zac hadn’t offered to drive Ruby 60 miles round trip to see her mother in the casualty department (US emergency room) who then jumped all over the wrong impression she got of Ruby and Zac’s “relationship.”


Then cracks begin to show in Zac’s façade. He tells her that his life is “complicated” and she hears his muttered aside that he needs this job, too. Ruby doesn’t want to know why as that will make Zac more than a competitor to her. But she’s also starting to wonder if she wants to keep working for a firm willing to be unethical and if she’s trapped herself in a job she no longer feels is enough.

I loved so much about this book. It honestly portrays a heroine with (at times) debilitating anxiety issues who has gone to counseling, takes medication, and who acknowledges that this might be something she will deal with for the rest of her life. She’s also shown as being good at her job, enjoying helping people, and pulling her life back together. One trope I’m a little tired of is the heroine who loses everything at the start of the novel and I did worry that this might be one of those but Ruby is on the upswing, has centered herself, and is moving forward with her life. As the book continues, she has recognized that her ex is a prat and no longer wants him back but later she does some serious thinking about how that situation developed. Ruby displays a lot of personal growth.

I adored Ruby’s work bestie Priya (though I’m with Zac – what exactly does Priya do there?) and the flip on the Gay Best Friend becoming the Lesbian Best Friend who mocks that trope and does more than just offer fashion advice. And I cackled hysterically when Zac likens meeting one of Ruby’s roommates, who is eerily obsessed with bikes, as something out of “What We Do In the Shadows.”

Since this is a first person book, Zac’s complications remain hidden for a while before a scene that shows he is as weighted down by them as Ruby is by her concerns. Even then he still tries to hide them before the two of them begin to compare notes about their jobs and the company. Booyah that a potential Big Misunderstanding is quickly diffused because [gosh!] they talk to each other. Imagine that – like adults and everything. Even before Ruby finally admitted her feelings, I was agreeing with Priya about Zac.

As the pressure built over who would keep their job and be able to meet their unbreakable obligations, I thought about how things might be resolved. There are some light hints that set me on the correct course and when the rubber met the road, I totally enjoyed the outcome. But then what? A nice wrap up that makes wonderful sense, plays to Ruby’s and Zac’s strengths, and lets them keep doing what else they must. Oh, and a bit of “just desserts” got served up that was well warranted.

I’m not usually one for epilogues but I did like this one as it shows the outcome of some of Ruby and Zac’s clients. Both had been almost written off as slackers by so many before “ah-ha” connections were made and appropriate skills classes were found for them. You don’t shy away from making characters difficult at times but you also make them believable.

This is a lovely, slow burn romance that includes realistic problems that aren’t piled onto Ruby and Zac to the “you’ve got to be kidding me” stage. They are allowed to slowly show their true characters to us and to each other before taking deep breaths and going for what they want and deserve in life. I still hope for more life on a Yorkshire sheep farm but I enjoyed this [wow, there’s a lot of snow in York in December] early Christmas present. B+

Despite the promise of a familiar York setting (and in the snow – how perfect!), I will admit that the premise of this book did worry me a little. I’m just not particularly enthusiastic about books set in the workplace (somewhere I’ve long left behind) and I rather hoped the focus would be on the characters rather than the day-to-day detail of their working days. But of course, I really needn’t have worried at all – I entirely loved this book, including all the office-based shenanigans (oh, those team building exercises…), and really should have known that the author was incapable of disappointing me in any possible way.

Ruby was a character I simply adored. She’s had a pretty hard time at home, her hopes for a future with Gareth in the home of her dreams cruelly dashed, and she now finds herself sharing a house with enigmatic Ed, bike-obsessed Cav, and Lucy with her high levels of exuberance and penchant for tuneless high-volume singing. After falling apart for a while, work has always been the place where she’s been comfortable, good at what she does – counselling those struggling to return to the world of work – always able to summon and plaster on a convincing smile. News of a merger (and losing her parking place) is only the beginning of a whole new set of issues sent to try her – she finds herself sharing an office with the relentlessly cheerful Zac, and then learns that they are in competition for the one job that will remain available.

At first, she treads carefully around him, taking turns in the interviewing room, Ruby continuing to show her particularly special touch with the more difficult clients – and she can’t help growing to like Zac, friendly and smart, reminding her of a Border Collie. But Zac, of course, has much more depth than it at first appears – a particularly heartbreaking back story, summed up by the pile of small size hand-knitted jumpers on the back seat of his flashy 4×4. It becomes an entirely convincing enemies (or maybe “uneasy friends”) to lovers story, with more than a few twists and secrets revealed along the way – and I really loved every moment.

As always, one of the greatest strengths of this book is in the characterisation – the whole cast, at the office and at home, are just so superbly drawn. At work, I particularly loved Priya, Ruby’s “Gay Best Friend”, and so enjoyed their interactions – and then there’s out-of-his-depth manager Michael, and the threatening presence of the Grey Man and Beehive Woman and all that baffling and annoying work-speak jargon. Ruby’s home set-up is wonderfully drawn too – those lovely touches of kindness from a group of real eccentrics, every one of them never anything but entirely real and recognisable. And then there are those wonderful clients – Miriam is a particular tour-de-force, a challenge for any counsellor (she certainly frightened Zac…), but with an excellent and touching back story all of her own.

There is a particular focus on mental health issues throughout the book, along with their impact on job security and the problems of getting on with life – never heavy, and extremely well-handled. And “heavy” is never really a word you can use in relation to Jane Lovering’s books – the humour, of course, is as sparkling as ever, from the set pieces to the wonderful one-liners that always have me laughing out loud. And if you’ve ever read any of the author’s books before, you’ll already know she has the quite perfect touch with the emotional content – and there’s plenty of that, along with the developing romance I entirely believed in. The setting, of course, is simply perfect – the office in the shadow of the Minster, the familiar surrounding streets with their covering of snow, all beautifully described… as the author says, “like a Christmas card, pleasingly Dickensian but with proper plumbing and fewer urchins”.

I know I have the tendency to say “her best yet” about every one of Jane Lovering’s wonderful books – and I think I can only say it again. This book was wonderful, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment – I recommend it really highly.

Ruby and Zac both work as counsellors in job centres. When two branches are combined, one of them is going to lose their job. They end up sharing an office and competing for the the same job. Ruby is doing her best to keep her Generalised Anxiety Disorder a secret and to keep up a smiling face. Zac seems to completely at ease with the world. At least that's how it looks until Ruby starts to realise that he has secrets of his own.

I liked Ruby and her struggle with anxiety. I can relate. [The is an on-page panic attack, which was handled very well]. I really liked the mental health representation. Zac is a really nice guy - Caring in every sense of the word. The secondary characters are fun too. Especially Priya - the gay best friend, who has a confectionery drawer in her desk.

Despite the serious topics that it deals with, this book is very funny in places and made me laugh out loud a few times. It's Christmassy, but with the usual realism that you'd expect from Jane Lovering's books.

A lovely festive read. My heart is so full of joy after reading this book. This book will have you laughing one minute (Peita is friendship goals) and breaking your heart the next, Zac's personal life was so heartbreakingly sad. It also deals with issues like mental health and working in a toxic environment due to management. Definately a worthwhile read for the festive season.

This book was not for me. I really wanted to complete this book but I had to stop at the 25% mark, because of some reasons.
One main reason was that I just couldn't feel the characters at all. I couldn't relate to them. And the run-on sentences made me feel lost. I found myself zoning out but still it felt like I could follow the story because there were just so many filler words.
Another reason was that there seemed to be a lot of unnecessary chivalry. It felt like Zac was trying to say Ruby when she didn't need to be saved. There were a couple of instances where that happened and it rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe these would be addressed by the author later on, but combined with the other issues, I felt that this might just not be my type of book
Thank You Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book early

This is my first winter-themed book of the year and gives the reader so much more than a cosy winter read. Ruby and Zac are counsellors who find they both have to compete for the same job after a company merger. Told from Ruby's viewpoint, we realise she is recovering from a bad break-up, being in debt and losing her home. Zac is outwardly positive and self-assured, but as the two are drawn into forced proximity, they begin to see the true person behind the facade and become friends.

The setting in a wintry York is wonderfully described and immerses the reader in this festive setting. The characters are flawed and relatable, all with stories to relate that add to the book's authenticity. The story has a strong focus on mental health and its triggers which make it contemporary and relevant. There is a balance of humour and poignancy. The reader wants the characters to have what they deserve in life in this engaging story.

I received a copy of this book from Boldwood Books via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Ruby and Zac find themselves competing for the same job after a merger of their respective companies. They become friends rather than rivals.
I could relate to them a little as a friend and I suddenly found ourselves suddenly competing for the same job. Luckily it ended well for us and we still remained very good friends. I won't give away the ending of this book though!
It had some hard hitting themes with Mental Health and Dementia featuring heavily. There was plenty of humour and friendship though. There was plenty to smile about.
This was a lovely enjoyable read. I liked the characters a lot. It was a nice festive read.
Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for my ARC.

This book is not for me.
Found it really hard to get any feeling for the characters and situations
Gave up after 25% as just not into it
Sorry
Won't be reviewing as I didn't read the whole book
Thanks for the opportunity to read early NetGalley