Winter Hopes

Winter Hopes, Seasons of Love: Book Two, Jennifer Gracen Genre: Contemporary Romance Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews I loved the first part of this trilogy and was keen to find out what happens next.

Sam and Lydia are dating – long distance, meeting every other weekend with Sam staying in a hotel. Slowly Lydia is beginning to trust Sam and let him into her and Andy's lives. Andy’s dad and her parents aren’t happy about her new relationship, for different reasons, but it all hits at her fragile self confidence....thankfully her sister is a tower of support as ever. Sam too isn’t getting support from his family, they fear he’s being used as a rebound. Even though they only want the best for him, I can’t help feeling they treat him as a child rather than a man of 35 who’s intelligent and perfectly able to look after himself. Then Sam does something that really shocks me, just after they first start dating. Major, huge, disastrous mistake in my eyes!! I was waiting for some kind of back lash from it, it hasn’t happened in this part, but I can’t feel something so huge, so major, so potentially damaging to their fragile beginning will just pass unnoticed..
Its a great read again, and I enjoyed seeing them move forward, progressing in their relationship. Lydia has some tough times with Andy, both in and out of school when his speech problems frustrate him. I mentioned my granddaughter had similar problems. She had severe verbal dyspraxia, and spoke using only vowels and gestures to make herself understood, and as you can imagine it was very tiring and frustrating. She too was beginning to get into problems at school because of it, when thankfully she got her place in a specialist language school. Class of 9 pupils, two teachers, both qualified speech therapists. Lydia says to Andy when he comes out with a new word “ good talking”, and that is exactly what we were taught to say to Beth. She was scheduled for up to four years there, but progressed so fast that from having virtually no speech she was back in mainstream school after only one year, and leaping ahead as under that speech prob she’s incredibly bright. I feel Jennifer displays a personal knowledge of Andy’s problems, as so much of his behaviour rings true to me having been through it. That makes it feel so real, and I need that to enjoy a book. Too often big health issues are brought in and just glossed over, sorted in a very unrealistic simplistic way, and that just means I can’t take the whole book seriously, and thankfully that definitely not the case here. What I missed though was the sense of real drama. The part that has me doubting they can make it, where I get so sad for them, and am on edge of seat hoping they can work things out. There were some hiccups, some small setbacks, but I didn’t feel anything major and I do need that for a five star. Hopefully book three will have some – never the less its been a great read gain. Stars: Four, a great read not quite enough drama for five from me though. ARC provided by Netgalley and publishers.

I enjoyed this book far more than the first one. I thought it was slow at the beginning but it really picked up. This book certainly seems to have more drama so I liked it more. I also liked the fact that their relationship seems genuine at this point.

The second book in a series of four. Interesting premise, and a nice building and continuation of the relationship of Lydia and Sam. The reader is shown more the interaction of each character with their families, and the growing love between each other. Nice overall., but felt it could have been combined easily with the first book to make a stronger impact on the storyline. I would recommend the series, but wish it would have been a bit more tighter in the storyline.

A most wonderful love story! A must read!

Jennifer Gracen has done it again. She kept me glued to my recliner as I followed the roller coaster ride that is falling in love. How clever Gracen is to coincide each stage of a new relationship with the changing of seasons. I really like Lydia which is why this story works for me. Lydia does not feel sorry herself, she is no one's door mat and puts her son above all else. If she was a damsel in distress I couldn't stomach another story, let alone four. And Sam? Sure he's a great guy but not perfect.

Another reviewer once said these books make you want to call an old friend. That couldn't be more true. This series is so much more than a romantic novel. It's about family, friendship, parenting, and holding on to each other as life throws you for a loop.

With witty dialogue and a cast of SMART women, I highly recommend you read these books.

Watch out Women's Fiction authors, there is a new girl in town and she's armed to teeth with talent.

It was lovely to be able to jump straight into the second book in this series- which follows directly on from Lydia and Sam leaving the hotel after their friends wedding. It was lovely to follow the romance through phone calls and their first meeting. I admit that I was a little disappointed in Sam at the beginning of the book and sure when you read it- you'll know why. He just seems like this model of perfection and he does something that doesn't fit with that role!

They are both really keen to get to know each other better and their families (apart from certain obvious members) also see that they make each other very happy. I love the gifts they'd chosen for each other and loved the exchange between Lydia and Sam's mum.

You feel that you could just slot into Lydia's life as her sister and best friend are so lovely. The characters are so well drawn that you really feel like you are making new friends and spending special family time over the festivities. I think I'd rather socialise with Lydia's family than Sam's- but he seems to more than make up for his brother.

I have already started the third book and starting to panic that the last one hasn't been released yet!

Winter Hopes is book 2 in the Seasons of Love series. It is a great addition to the series. You follow Sam and Lydia as they try to maintain a long distance relationship while balancing life on a daily basis. I look forward to book 3.

Jennifer Gracen has gone with steamy and sexy in this novel, Winter Hopes. Sam and Lydia are just starting a relationship and they need to choose whether long distance is going to work or not. They try it, and find that they need each other more than they knew. They also find that they need to be more open in their relationship. You get to go on a journey with Sam and Lydia as they find out what works for them. It is a delightful read.

An addictive romantic series that reminds me of Susan Mallery and Kristan Higgins! Can't put them down. Love watching the relationship between Sam and Lydia grow! Looking forward to book #3!

Winter Hopes is a continuation of the characters’ lives from Autumn Getaway. As I stated in an earlier review, I did not realized that this is a series concerning Lydia and Sam for the first year of their relationship. This book like the first provides some closure to the story so far without a major cliffhanger. I really like that it doesn’t leaving you hanging.

There is a lot of drama in this book with family and friends. All of it sound and read plausible and probable in the life of a real life Lydia. Winter Hopes starts off with providing the direct opposite of Sam with an interaction between Lydia and her ex-husband, Matt. For every step that Lydia and Matt take to get along for their son, Andy’s sake, they seem to then take two steps back. Wow, is this realistic or what. My only complaint is that we see it only from Lydia’s perspective. Even when we hear Matt’s words, we don’t see into his mind to understand his thinking. On top of her hostile (even when there is a cease fire) relationship with her ex-husband she is dealing with her dysfunctional family. I had thought when I read Autumn Getaway that Sam has a dislikable brother. Against Lydia’s father, Alex may have met his match for having an obnoxious personality.

Speaking of Sam, he fell off his shining knight horse in this novel. Not by his past marriage but by his actions once returning home after the great wedding weekend. Yes, he is still likeable but now his flaws are showing too. Still glad that this entry ends on a positive note.

I’m finding that Jennifer Gracen is a wonderful observer of human nature and behavior. Which makes this series like watching a favorite drama on TV and having to wait a week to see what happens next. I can hardly wait to start reading Spring Shadows.

NetGalley provided a copy.

This one was such a four star, except Sam had some very unsavory moments in the book that made me hate him sooo much.

That being said, in book two we have Sam and Lydia doing the long distance dating and trying to find their place in each other's lives.

The story is enjoyable because the relationship continues to develop in a realistic way; no rainbows and shooting stars, but real people who sometimes make bad choices and have realistic obstacles to overcome.

At first I though, oh Lydia's ex is way too villainy but I've see worse, so I was like yup can totally buy this.

A lovely read flows very well loved all the characters very well written

This is another chapter in the dare I say "courtship" of Lydia and Sam. The wedding is over and Lydia and Sam are now separated by a relatively huge geographic area. That does not stop Sam from flying in to visit New York and continue to sweep Lydia off her feet. This book delves more into their relationship - good and bad. Again, I liked the realistic dialog and the storyline immensely.

Thank you NetGalley and Booktrope for allowing me to read and review this great romance. I love watching the story unfold.