Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Winter Waites
SERIES: Aster Valley Prequel Novella
AUTHOR: Lucy Lennox
NARRATOR: Michael Dean
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 2 hours and 25 mins
RELEASE DATE: January 26, 2021
BLURB:
Gentry Kane is a rock star I’ve been half in love with my whole life. And now he’s my patient.
When Winter Waites knocks on the door to the snowy cabin where his next physical therapy patient awaits him, he has no idea his dream celebrity is on the other side. Gentry Kane is everything Winter has always fantasized about.
But it was only a fantasy. What happens when Winter is faced with the flesh and blood man who wants more than physical therapy? Can one night in a cozy cabin lead to more? And how will that affect Winter’s growing career in the tiny, charming town of Aster Valley?
Winter Waites is a 25,000-word stand-alone novella.
REVIEW:
This brief but potent infusion of joy delivered via the pen (or keyboard) of Lucy Lennox exhibits a story aptly summed up by its title: Winter Waites. The eponymous main character of this novella, Winter Waites, does exactly that. He waits. For love. For happiness. For Gentry Kane, the famous rock star Winter’s crushed on seemingly forever. Of course Winter doesn’t realize he’s been waiting all his life for Gentry. Although given that his signature relationship to date is with his cat, maybe that should have been a clue that the right man hadn’t yet arrived.
Winter Waites depicts instalove at its finest. Winter and Gentry lock onto each other like magnets when their eyes first meet across the room at one of Gentry’s concerts. Improbably, their paths cross again and that time, they click and refuse to part thereafter.
In short order, the story displays the beautiful depth and character of the love between them. Despite the speed, Ms. Lennox creates an utterly authentic and realistic portrayal of two kind, deserving men finally getting their HEA. Everything about Winter Waites works in harmony to hold you in its thrall.
The theme of waiting continues even after Winter and Gentry meet. They may fall for each other fast and hard but real life still throws some obstacles at them (like Gentry’s concert tour) that keep them apart, at least in the short term. Gentry asks Winter to wait for him. Winter waits.
“Swoon-worthy” is what comes to mind when I think about the loveliness of Winter and Gentry’s romance, but I feel like that’s an understatement. Winter and Gentry’s story is sweet, sexy, striking and subsuming and you don’t want to miss out on experiencing it.
Winter Waites in ebook form was initially released as part of the Prolific Works New Year’s Winter Wonderland giveaway and I read it then and loved it. I read it again while listening to the fabulous audiobook narrated by Michael Dean. I didn’t think the story could get better. Well, I was wrong.
I really should no longer be surprised by this. Michael Dean is one of my “phone book” narrators – you know, the narrators who can captivate you even while reading a phone book, dictionary or the like. When he’s on the byline of an audiobook, you know you are receiving a vocal performance. His command of dynamics and pacing is impressive, as is his versatility and vocal range.
He distinguishes the characters through subtleties you don’t even consciously recognize. Variations in pitch, tone and vocal texture create readily identifiable voices we associate with the characters. His choice of voice is not arbitrary either. He’s thoughtful about how a character would sound, how he’d communicate, what inflections he’d use, all to reflect the emotional content Ms. Lennox has packed into the words on the page.
Lucy Lennox and Michael Dean are my “dynamic duo” of audiobooks. His narration perfectly pairs with her storytelling style. They’ve worked together on so many books (he’s narrated her whole backlist), that they are completely in sync. Here, as per usual, he got the voices just right. He then went on to fill out the story with apropos dynamics and mood.
Winter Waites is a must-read introduction to the new Aster Valley series. The first full-length installment in that series, Right as Raine, has already been released and it is a-maz-ing. Winter and Gentry appear in Right as Raine so read/listen to this first so you can meet this loveable couple and absorb backstory important to the main series’ events.
Michael Dean’s narration is not to be missed, and since he also narrated Right as Raine, you can fluidly roll right from one into the other. That audiobook is next in my queue. I’ll report back on my takeaways from that one, but I expect nothing less than the enjoyment provided here.
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