Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  A Springful of Winters

AUTHOR:  Dawn Sister

PUBLISHER:  Beaten Track Publishing

LENGTH:  120 pages

RELEASE DATE:  July 28, 2018

BLURB:

Kit is a bit socially awkward. In fact, the rules of social encounters are mostly a bit of a mystery to him, but he gets by, with lots of lists and contingency plans. He doesn’t have any plans in place for when he first meets Stephan, however, and he keeps bumping into the man in the most embarrassing situations. The trouble is, Stephan keeps turning up in unexpected places, arousing suspicion that this gorgeous man might just have some contingency plans of his own where Kit is concerned.

REVIEW:

A Springful of Winters could very well be the most heartwarming romance I’ve read. I have immense love for this sweet novella in which Stephan allows himself to see the beauty and humanity within Kit, a man who is so often cast aside by others because of his atypical behavior.

Twenty-four-year-old Kit Winters has autism and navigates life with fully detailed, written out contingency plans that he carries with him for when things don’t go as planned. He manages a bookstore for his landlady and dear friend, Yenta, a kind octogenarian who saved Kit when his life fell apart in the past. Yenta’s guidance and love are instrumental – I can’t imagine Kit without her in his corner.

Kit has no contingency plan in place when it unexpectedly snows on the first day of spring. Kit doesn’t like change; he functions best when his days are well-planned in advance and filled with certainty. So, he’s already grumpy and discombobulated when he takes his support beagle, Bessie, for her evening walk in the snow. She goes berserk in the fluffy, white stuff and Kit is beside himself with panic when she takes off and runs into a hotel, disturbing a wedding. The subsequent encounter with gorgeous hotel employee, Stephan, is the first of several serendipitous – and quite comical – meetings that mortify poor Kit and leave him unsettled, to say the least.

Mr. Spring, as Kit calls Stephan, is possibly the sweetest book character ever. He’s not bothered in the least by Kit’s mannerisms; in fact, he’s enchanted by him. Stephan is gentle, sensitive, and patient. He’s preternaturally intuitive about Kit’s special needs to the point where Kit frequently asks himself, “how does he know?” Importantly, he doesn’t see Kit as someone who needs to be protected or controlled, rather a man to be cherished and loved deeply as an equal partner. He’s absolutely – utterly – perfect for Kit, and thinks Kit is perfect for him.

As the parent of a young man in his twenties with autism, I’m drawn to books with a main character on the spectrum. Kit’s life experiences fully resonate with me. His inability to go with the flow, difficulty reading social cues and understanding sarcasm, need for structure, and sensory sensitivities all ring true and provide a very accurate representation of an individual with autism.

Kit and Stephan are head over heels infatuated with each other, and I’m head over heels in love with this delightful story. I applaud Dawn Sister for her lovely portrayal of Kit and how he’s able to love and be loved like anyone else.

This is the third fabulous book by Ms. Sister I’ve recently reviewed. I urge you to check out  Not a Word and Eagle Man and Mr Hawk, as well.

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

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