Customer Reviews

Winter's End (Love Inspired)

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Winter's End is full of wisdom and sass. Debut author Ruth Logan Herne tackles a really tough subject, hospice care, with such a strong flare for comedy and such a heart for people who struggle with the loss of a loved one.
It is only afterward that you realize what great wisdom fills the pages of this book. I didn't notice it while I read because I was having so much fun watching Kayla and Marc fall in love despite their best intentions not to.
I highly recommend it.

Ruth Logan Herne's debut Winter's End is emotion-packed romance at its best! Hospice nurse Kayla Doherty and Marc DeHollander come together to care for Marc's dying father, a man who defines the meaning of unconditional love. This touching story of two wounded people drawn to one another yet determined to walk different paths kept me turning pages to see they overcome the obstacles between them. A wonderful story of hope and new beginnings. Don't miss Winter's End.

Ruth Logan Herne's debut novel is a touching story of hope and healing. Hospice nurse Kayla Doherty is tender yet tough, her own heart bruised by a painful past. Facing the imminent death of his father from lung cancer, Marc DeHollander must come to terms with unpleasant truths about the mother who deserted them and its effects on what's left of his family. The story is told with a depth and grace not often found in series romance. Expect more endearing stories of love, hope, perseverance, and faith from this outstanding debut author.

"Winter's End" is written with such power and honesty that it would be my first choice as required reading in an English Lit class. "Winter's End" is relevant for today's student. It deals thoughtfully with HIV, child abuse, mental illness, hospice, prostitution, adultery, and it does all this in a deeply inspirational manner.

"Winter's End" is almost Biblical in nature because like, Job, the characters' suffering is not brought on by anything the characters have done to deserve it. This fact multiplies the emotional impact well beyond the norm for a romance.

The author also never loses focus on the fact that this is a story about two people who are falling in love. The gradual process of falling in love is as insightful as any romance I've read.

If I had not already read this book, I would have said that it would be impossible to write "Winter's End" as a romance. To have an adequate idea of the full potential of the romance genre, one needs to read "Winter's End". It's unique. There is not a 'generic' substitute out there that can take its place.

As a former college professor, "Winter's End" is the kind of book I always sought to put in the hands of my students.

English teachers: read this book.

Vince

Winter's End was such an absorbing novel. Ruth Logan Herne is a visual writer; it's as if she writes for the screen, so every scene comes to life. Kayla, the female lead, is so relatable, with her sass. And her strength makes her someone you'd want to sit down and have a chat with. An enjoyable read, from start to finish!

Winter's End is a must read for anyone who enjoys romance novels! The story is amazing and the book is beautifully written. The characters are thoroughly developed and so easy to relate to, especially if you grew up in a small town. When you are reading the book you really start to think that you know these people. Ruth Logan Herne, I am a big fan, and will definitely keep an eye out for your next book!

This story enveloped me from the beginning and I certainly didn't want it to end. "I laughed, I cried, I ran the full gamut of emotion" sums up how this story touched my life. Ruth Logan Herne has a way of making her characters so real and the story so vivid in the mind's eye. I would love to see this story as a Hallmark Hall of Fame. It's just that good, that real, and that enticing!

I am anxiously awaiting Ms. Herne's next release.

I can't remember the last time I read a book this fast - a testament to the fact that I couldn't put it down and I didn't want it to end!!

"Winter's End" is my first Ruth Logan Herne book and I was blown away by what I found between its pages! Funny and light, yet heartfelt and gripping, this book has everything you'd want in romantic fiction and then some.

Kayla Doherty is a warm, sassy, fun-loving, visiting nurse who hides her past away, trying to forget the horrors she faced in her childhood. She has accepted Christ into her heart, but doesn't think herself worthy to accept the fullness of the forgiveness He offers. Hiding behind a mask of confidence and quick wit, she tries to make the best of her life while ignoring her broken pieces.

Marc DeHollander is a strong, handsome, no-nonsense, North Country rancher who wears his past like a shield, allowing it to cloud every decision he makes. He has no faith in God and forgiveness isn't a word easily found in his vocabulary. His life of hard work and closed-off emotions isn't fooling anyone and the more he dwells on his broken pieces the more his life seems to fall apart.

These two butt heads when Kayla is assigned to care for Marc's dying father. Never intending to get so close to this family, Kayla becomes more than just a nurse. Never wanting to get so close to this nurse, Marc becomes captivated by her. But, too much stands in their way. Broken pieces plus broken pieces don't make a person whole and certainly aren't the groundwork for a lasting relationship. Besides, how does one even begin to build a relationship on such rubble when only a foundation of faith, poured by the loving, nail-scarred hands of Forgiveness, will do? Will Marc and Kayla allow God to heal, repair, and restore their lives and bring forth His fruit in due season? Or will they let old expectations and no expectations at all threaten what could be?

"Winter's End" is a must read book destined for the keeper shelf. I HIGHLY recommend it!

Debut Novel? Impossible! Ruth Logan Herne is a master storyteller who wields her pen with the same power and pull of a seasoned writer, hooking the reader with a slice-of-life story penned in an easy, natural style that boasts enough humor, romantic tension and tugs of the heart to defy the term "debut novel."

And yet this is Ms. Logan Herne's debut, a status that I quickly expect to change to "award-winning debut novel" before all is said and done. Because anyone who can bring me to tears three times in a 212-page novel, keep me up late at night, and steal precious time during my work day, is an author who truly deserves all the accolades sure to come her way. Bravo, Ms. Logan Herne--I am a fan for life!

Winter's end is an inspirational novel that really gave me an appreciation for all of the good things in my life. Each character has a unique personality that is very easy to relate to. From Marc Dehollander's country charm to Kayla's witty sass, Winter's End will make you laugh and cry all at once. I am anxiously awaiting the release of Ruth Logan Herne's next book with a hot chocolate in hand. Two thumbs way up!!