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A review by crystalleighwrites
Wildest Winter by Alaina Rose
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Wildest Winter by Alaina Rose is the third novel in her Starling Hills series of connected, but independent small town romances. It's also the third (and presumably last) novel based around the Callaghan siblings, where baby of the family Ari is center stage and a Christmas-set destination wedding has her discovering feelings for her long-time best friend, Gideon, at a time when she needs a friend more than ever.
An aspect of Alaina's writing that's shone through these three books is her ability to balance lighthearted romance with the intense "real-world" problems these characters face without spilling over into overwrought melodrama. Ari's struggles as she approaches the one year anniversary of the death of her father are written sensitively and honestly. I would have liked a little more development of Gid's parental issues as those felt kind of abrupt to me.
The friendship between Ari and Gid is funny, charming, and feels lived-in, like all good long time friendships. While they jump a little quickly to sex for my tastes (maybe I'm reading too much slow burn lately), their choice to do so makes sense and makes for an abundance of well-written sex scenes between them.
Wildest Winter is a lovely finale to the romances of the Callaghan siblings, bringing some stories full circle while planting its own new seeds. I look forward to running into them like old friends as we venture outside the family and into the lives of the other charming residents of Starling Hills in the future.
This is a review of an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) - some specifics may have changed before publication. This review also shared on other sites.
An aspect of Alaina's writing that's shone through these three books is her ability to balance lighthearted romance with the intense "real-world" problems these characters face without spilling over into overwrought melodrama. Ari's struggles as she approaches the one year anniversary of the death of her father are written sensitively and honestly. I would have liked a little more development of Gid's parental issues as those felt kind of abrupt to me.
The friendship between Ari and Gid is funny, charming, and feels lived-in, like all good long time friendships. While they jump a little quickly to sex for my tastes (maybe I'm reading too much slow burn lately), their choice to do so makes sense and makes for an abundance of well-written sex scenes between them.
Wildest Winter is a lovely finale to the romances of the Callaghan siblings, bringing some stories full circle while planting its own new seeds. I look forward to running into them like old friends as we venture outside the family and into the lives of the other charming residents of Starling Hills in the future.
This is a review of an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) - some specifics may have changed before publication. This review also shared on other sites.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Alcohol, and Sexual content
Moderate: Grief