We’ve seen Rachel’s historical story Finding Gabriel before, but this time she brings us a touching contemporary story of two troubled souls finding each other – perfect for a cozy winter night.

*****

A Kindled Winter

Author: Rachel L. Demeter

Release Date: November 1, 2015

Publisher: Black Lyon Publishing, LLC

Genre: Contemporary Holiday Romance

Blurb:

“Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas.” — Dale Evans

A week before Christmas, Jeseca Reed sets off for Blue River, Oregon—her childhood home and a vault of tender memories. However, fate takes an unexpected turn when she’s left stranded in the mountains’ vast, untamed wilderness. Desperate and alone, she seeks shelter at a cottage and finds herself in the arms of a mysterious stranger.

Dr. David Drake was once a renowned cardiovascular surgeon. But a devastating tragedy has left him scarred both inside and out, unable to use his hands to operate again. For the past five years, his Blue River cottage has been his sole escape—a safe haven where he can shut out the world, bury himself in his grief, and reunite with his son’s memory.

Together they are summer and winter. Fire and ice. And yet a poignant connection forms between them. Jeseca awakens David and thaws his heart with a romance hot enough to melt snow. But before David and Jeseca can fully embrace each other, they must wade through darkness and confront the ghosts of their pasts …

Equal parts steamy and heartfelt, A Kindled Winter brings the spirit of the holidays to life with a passionate story of second chances and healing love.

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1WmeoNm

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1WkTJyA

 

Book Trailer: http://bit.ly/1N3X8uO

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26221419-a-kindled-winter

*****

Excerpt:

David’s enchanting voice swelled the darkness, surrounding Jeseca, gripping onto her senses with a thousand beckoning fingers. They held her captive—and she readily surrendered her freedom.

“We’re like day and night. Summer and winter. Fire and ice. And yet something about you whispers my name and echoes inside me …” His mouth found her pulse point. Damp, hot lips nibbled on her skin and sent her wits reeling. “You should have never come in here. It was a mistake.”

“Then tell me to leave and I’ll go,” she replied through a breathy whisper. Her voice sounded thick with desire, hoarse … she hardly recognized it as her own. “And I don’t believe we’re complete opposites,” she said, her words husky and guttural. “I think the real you is hiding.”

Impenetrable silence took hold. Only the howling wind and David’s heavy breathing breached the quiet.

“Should I leave?”

More silence. “No. I need you … I need you to stay with me.” The words emerged from the darkness and wrapped around Jeseca’s heart with the force of a lasso.

He plunged a hand beneath the bathrobe, which had fallen halfway open, and a jarring whoosh of air slammed against her skin. His tongue swirled along her collarbone, branding her flesh with slick, wet shapes. Her heart hammered, and she clutched at the bedsheet as his mouth ventured lower … lower … skirting across the V-line of her plush pajama top. Then his fingers were working the buttons, quickly undoing them and sweeping the soft material aside. Cold air tightened her naked breasts, causing gooseflesh to prickle her skin.

“Stop me if I’m going too fast,” he breathed against her.

Yes, she should stop him. This was wrong. Totally wrong. Instead, all rational thought melted away and she found herself arching against his mouth and tongue. She wanted more—not less. And she wanted him to go faster—not slower …

*****

Review:

I think that this one will require a certain kind of reader to truly appreciate it – don’t get me wrong, the story is good and the characters & their troubles are interesting, but the writing style is detailed and kinda flowery.  It reminded me of old school romances like Pride & Prejudice, with a lot of attention given to the description (there’s a glimpse of what I mean in the excerpt above).  You definitely feel like you are there, which I enjoyed, but I know that some prefer a more concise story so it may not appeal to all.

That said, I found these two and their pasts fascinating.  Both of them had tragedy change the way they view the world, but in different ways.  I really enjoyed how Jeseca worked to bring David out of his exile.  I get the idea that she’s younger than him, although I’m not sure if that is ever specified, which I think helps some as well.  She has so much energy about her that you can’t help be caught up in it, and neither can he.

David comes across as a bit of an old soul anyway – a calm and methodical man, perfect for a surgeon.  And a loving father & husband.  Unfortunately the horrible loss of both his family and his career made him even older spiritually.  Spending time with Jeseca, though, starts bringing him back to his old self.

I did have a couple of things in the plot that I probably would have done a little differently – I’m not a writer so 🙂 – but they didn’t interfere with how much I enjoyed being there with these two as they fall in love and come to terms with their pasts.  Again, the feel of the book isn’t going to be for everyone.  (It’s gotten a ton of great reviews on Goodreads, mostly 4s and 5s, but there is that single 1 star review and it is for the style.)  If you read the excerpt and think a whole book like that isn’t your thing, no biggie.  But if it is then I think you’ll enjoy David and Jeseca’s journey to their HEA.

*****

Author Info:

Rachel L. Demeter lives in the beautiful hills of Anaheim, California with Teddy, her goofy lowland sheepdog, and her high school sweetheart of eleven years. She enjoys writing poignant romances that challenge the reader’s emotions and explore the redeeming power of love.

Imagining dynamic worlds and characters has been Rachel’s passion for longer than she can remember. Before learning how to read or write, she would dictate stories while her mother would record them for her. She holds a special affinity for the tortured hero and unconventional romances. Whether crafting the protagonist or antagonist, she ensures every character is given a soul.

Her dream is to move readers and leave an emotional impact through her words.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | Newsletter

*****

Also by Rachel L. Demeter:

Finding Gabriel, a historical romance.

Colonel Gabriel de Laurent departed for the war intending to die.

After a decade of bloodstained battlegrounds while fighting in Napoleon’s army, Gabriel returns to the streets of Paris a shattered and haunted soul. Plagued by inner demons, he swallows the barrel of his flintlock pistol and pulls the trigger.

But fate has a different plan.

Ariah Larochelle is a survivor. Orphaned at twelve and victim to a devastating crime, she has learned to keep her back to walls and to trust no one. But when she finds a gravely injured soldier washed up on the River Seine, she’s moved by compassion. In spite of her reservations, she rescues him from the icy water and brings him into her home.

Now scarred inside and out, Gabriel discovers a kindred spirit in Ariah—and feelings he imagined lost forever reawaken as he observes her strength in the face of adversity. But when Ariah’s own lethal secrets unfold, their new love is threatened by ancient ghosts. Can Gabriel and Ariah find hope in the wreckage of their pasts—or will the cycle of history repeat again?

Perfect for fans of Gaelen Foley’s Lord of Ice and Judith James’s Broken Wing, Finding Gabriel features all the dark romance, searing passion, and historical intrigue of The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

*****

Giveaway:

$5 Amazon Gift Card [INTERNATIONAL]

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/81df7f18603/

*****