Customer Reviews

A Kiss in Winter (Warner Forever)

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Susan Crandall brings her heartfelt emotions and depth of character to her newest novel A Kiss In Winter.

Caroline Rogers has had to put her life on hold after the tragic death of her adoptive parents. She has raised her siblings Sam and Macie and she is just a few months away from them being on their own. Caroline is shaken when the old family farm is sold to hometown returnee Dr. Mick Larsen. Caroline is deeply attracted to Mick but feels she doesn't want to be tied down now that her life is just beginning to blossom.

Dr. Mick Larsen returned home to Redbud Mill in his eyes a failure. When one of his psychiatric patients commits an unforgivable act, Mick doubts his abilities to practice. He comes home to be a farmer and hopefully to raise a family. Mick would like that woman to be Caroline.

Caroline has received local acclaim as a photographer. She hopes to expand her focus to the world. But someone is out to stop her. When local landmarks are being vandalized that she had photographed she turns to Mick for help,

A Kiss In Winter is Susan Crandall at her best. Caroline and Mick have such deep layers of feelings and issues from their pasts. They don't fall in love easily and it makes this story all that much richer. The element of suspense is just the right touch to keep this story in your heart and mind long after you finish.

Her mother committed suicide on Christmas Eve
when Caroline was eight years old. A woman
from social services took Caroline to the Rogers'
home. The Rogers had no children of their own
and were happy to take Caroline. On Christmas day,
the Rogers gave Caroline a camera, film, and a
photo album, which pleased her. Mr. Rogers told
Caroline to "use up your films and we'll go and
have them developed tomorrow."

Caroline was adopted by the Rogers, who subsequently
had two children of their own, Sam and Marcie. After
Mr. and Mrs. Rogers passed away, Caroline had to give
up her scholarship to Washington University in order
to raise Sam and Marcie.

Unable to maintain the farmhouse, Caroline was forced
to sell it. Dr Mick Larsen, a psychiatrist went from
doctor to a farmer, against his demanding father's
wishes. Caroline and Mick had an instant attraction
when they first met and became close friends.

A successful photographer, Caroline published a
calendar featuring different historical sites,
including the farmhouse. Progressively violent
events began happening with each passing month
which were linked to scenes in Caroline's calendar.

Local and State Police believed there might be a
Connection between the violence and the calendar,
but were unable to solve the puzzle. Caroline felt
that time was running out, because her sister Marcie
is in the December photo.

A Kiss in Winter is more of a mystery than romantic
novel. The deep feelings that Mick and Caroline shared
are not revealed until the reader is three quarters
into the book. The novel contained an element of
surprise. Until the last three chapters, I was totally
clueless as to who had turned Caroline's calendar
into a roadmap of violence.

I recommend A Kiss in Winter "Susan Crandall"

Wonderfully written. I appreciate a book that leaves me wanting more of the story even when it is brought to an end as only Susan Crandall can do. When is the next book coming out?

Caroline Rogers gave up her dreams to raise her brother and sister after her adopted parents died within days of each other. She sold the family farm and got a job photographing special occasions and freelance work like a state calendar. When she sees someone move into the Rogers' farm Caroline wants to know who it is and if he will keep the spread in good condition because some of her happiest memories happened there.

Dr. Mick Larsen, a psychiatrist turned farmer, informs Caroline that he is going to work the land. He is running from his past because he realized he never wanted to be a doctor and only did so to please his father. A tragedy convinced him he was not a good doctor. Mick and Caroline feel an immediate chemistry between them but she wants to travel for national Geographic when her sister goes to college and he wants a partner who will love him and give him children, something Caroline is afraid to do. They are drawn closer together when they realize Caroline has a stalker who is escalating in violence and his targets are tied to the pictures on the calendar she photographed. Yet a relationship for these two star-crossed lovers seems impossible.

This is a fetching and moving romantic family drama that is well written and focuses on characters that are very realistic and likeable. The heroine is afraid to love after she has seen what it did to her biological mother and the hero needs love of which he never got from his father. Susan Crandall is so talented that readers will want to read her backlist because A KISS IN WINTER is everything a contemporary romance reader wants in a book.

Harriet Klausner

This was an interesting story with a little bit of everything, namely lots of family drama, a hint of romance and a psychopath on the loose. Although I enjoyed it, so many things were going on that loose ends weren't wrapped up and the ending did not leave me particularly satisfied.

Caroline Rogers has had a very hard time in her short 26 years. At age 8, her mother committed suicide, but she is happily placed, and eventually adopted by the loving Roger's family, however at the age of 20, both her adoptive parents die within weeks of one another, and Caroline is left as guardian to her 12 year old sister, Macie, and 13 year old brother, Sam. To make sure Macie and Sam grow up with as much stability as possible, she decides to sell their high maintenance farm and takes up her passion of photography as a career, meanwhile putting her personal dreams of college and national geographic on hold. As a troubled Sam is finally tucked away at college and Macie is entering her senior year of high school with great prospects for college, Caroline is finally putting her plans together to make her own dreams come true, however she's never given up the hope that she may one day be able to purchase back the farm as part of Sam and Macie's family legacy. When she sees a moving van at the farm, she finds out that it's been sold without her knowledge and she decides to check in on the new owner, finding Mick Larsen.

Mick Larsen is a psychiatrist trying to start his life over. With a family of doctor's, he's never wanted to be part of the profession, but chooses what he considers the easiest path to make his father happy. When tradgedy strikes involving one of his patients, he believes he's completely unqualified and purchases the Roger's farm to start again, where he meets Caroline. Dealing with borderline depression, he's completely comfortable and smitten with Caroline and begins to hope that she'll be part of his new world. Because Caroline is planning on leaving as soon as Macie starts college, she doesn't want to start anything serious, so Mick and Caroline start a tentative friendship, but when Caroline discovers a pattern that someone is vandalzing or destroying the subjects of her published calendar with the violence escalating, Mick will stop at nothing to protect her.

As I mentioned before, there are a lot of things going on. Sam is constantly getting into trouble and getting arrested, but when he starts school, everything is automatically better. Macie is the well adjusted perfectionist who meets the boy of her dreams, but that causes Caroline much angst. Macie also turns into a bulemic, but for some reason, it's never caught or resolved. Because of the tension and dispproval between Mick and his dad, Mick's mom becomes something of an alcoholic, but again that is something that isn't wrapped up. Mick doesn't feel he's good enough for anyone and of course, because Caroline's birth mother killed herself over another broken heart when she doesn't find a man, Caroline won't give her independence to any man. In a nutshell, too much is going on and there is absolutely no heat between Caroline and Mick. If you're looking for a little spice in your romance, you won't find it here and if you're looking for a dreamy happily ever after, that's not here either. It's still an entertaining read overall.

Book arrived in a timely manner and in perfect condition; thanks!