Amazon.ca:Customer reviews: Five Winters: A Novel

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on January 3, 2023

Beth Bailey has been in love with her best friend’s brother, Mark, since she was a child. It isn’t until Mark’s wedding day, when she is 35 years old, that Beth finally accepts that they were not meant to be.

Following this realization, Beth turns her attention to her other dream - becoming a mother. Having lost her own parents very young, there’s nothing Beth wants more in life, and she’ll stop at nothing to make her wish come true.

The book spans the five years following Mark’s wedding and chronicles Beth’s efforts to find love and begin building her family. Although classed as a romance, this book is so much more than that. It deals with issues of love, loss, family and independence. It is a beautiful book and, although it is not my standard genre, I really enjoyed it and read it in one sitting. Definitely worth a read (and it’s currently included on Kindle Unlimited).

Helpful

Rebeccamareeclarke

A good book club book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 5, 2023

Verified Purchase

This was a good book, not one that i couldn't put down.
But i really enjoyed the characters.
I think it would be a good book to discuss in a book club.

Tina

A tale over 5 winters!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 8, 2023

Verified Purchase

I purchased this book from the first reads selection looking for something that would be a nice easy read over the holiday period.

The main character, Beth, is a likeable person, who has had a quite a few tragedies in her life. The book starts with Beth attending the love of her life’s wedding to another woman.

The book is set over five winters with the story of how Beth got to this particular point in the year enfolding. I did love this concept.

The story shows Beth’s vulnerabilities and struggles. It was sad but it was also funny which made it perfect for the read I was looking for. I did predict a few things a long the way but that isn’t such a bad thing.

2 people found this helpful

KiKi - @kiki.reads.stuff

Proper little winter warmer - really enjoyed it!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 8, 2022

Verified Purchase

The story takes us on a journey through 5 winters of Beth’s life. Beth was a really well fleshed out character and you really felt like you were on the journey alongside her, for all the ‘don’t do that’ moments as well as the ones where you just wanted to give her a hug.

All the characters were so well written and interesting (even Jaimie and his naturist ways 🙃). It made for a compelling and addictive read. The plot and writing style were lovely and it had me devouring the whole book in no time at all.

The plot, characters and emotions they gave you all felt very raw and real, especially Beth’s struggles of knowing what she wants and not being able to/knowing how to get it. After reading the acknowledgements at the end, it’s easy to see why. Johnson has bravely used her own emotions and experiences in such a beautiful way and it came across so well.

For a deep and emotional read with lots of feel good vibes and laugh out loud bits - where you’re rooting for the character all the way through - this is the one for you. A proper little winter warmer which I’d definitely recommend!

6 people found this helpful

Sports Family

Pretty Good. Worth the time

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 15, 2023

Verified Purchase

I liked the style of writing...skipping ahead a few months, etc. There were times that the writing style changed a little, like someone else jumped in for a bit. Maybe that was the editor. It was an enjoyable read. I liked the characters and that there weren't "giveaways" about certain characters which made it more believable. The last chapter of the book contained 2 vulgarities that were not only unnecessary but weirdly timed...like that movie that throws in one f-bomb to get an R rating. The worst was a character dropping an f-bomb inside a church. Who would do that???

One person found this helpful

Kiran Sharma

A very different read compared to what I expected. Definitely recommend it 👌

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 5, 2023

Verified Purchase

Generally the story went well as family stories go.i thought the author overdone the story around Xmas every year rather than throughput the year. A good book all around.

Mari R

Five Winters of an Emotional Journey

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 6, 2022

Verified Purchase

From the first winter, I had the feeling that I was going to like the heroine, Beth, who in a sweet, fumbling Bridget Jones kind of way is trying to make sense of what she sees as her limited options.

Orphaned at a young age, Beth was taken in first by an aunt who cared about her but with whom she did not relate and then by Richard and Sylvia, who had been close friends of her parents.

Her new family loves her unreservedly, especially Richard and daughter Rosie. Sylvia and son Mark also love Beth as daughter and sister. So what's the problem? Beth secretly loves Mark romantically.

But does Mark have any of the same feelings for her? He is wonderfully compatible with Beth but clearly sees her as a sister. Over the years, Mark has many girlfriends and finally marries one of them.

That is how the five winters start--with Beth in her 30s learning of Mark's impending marriage. The next four are about her trying to come to come to terms with her now unmoored life and maternal hopes.

We learn about all her stumbles in a relationship that we know can't be good for her, and yet it is obvious she is doing the best she can with what life seems to have handed to her.

Every Christmas over the next four winters, she reconnects with her family, including Mark, even though it is painful for her to know that in spite of her efforts, she really has not been able to "move on" from him.

But those five winters eventually culminate in Beth knowing the steps she wants to take for herself, to make her life what she wants it to be. Beth's decision to take the reins of her life is a turning point.

As philosophers say, life is all about the journey and this one, although riddled with wrong turns, culminates in the best destination for sweet but determined Beth and we happily celebrate with her.

62 people found this helpful

wendywooness

A heartwarming and funny tale

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 24, 2023

Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed this book. I cried at it, laughed at it and found myself nodding my head, totally understanding what the protagonist went through.
A lovely read.

Bookreader

Sweetly predictable

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 5, 2023

Verified Purchase

Gentle read with an obvious outcome but entertaining as a quick and light book.

One person found this helpful

Claire Carruthers

An emotional ride

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 22, 2022

Verified Purchase

Beth has been through a lot in her life. Over the course of five winters we learn about her losses, her loves, her desires and her unrequited love. It's a rollercoaster of emotion that I empathised with greatly.

Five Winters is well constructed story that kept me engaged, with characters that felt very real & a world I could relate to. Ultimately, this is a cosy feel good story, perfect for reading snuggled under a blanket.

2 people found this helpful

5 star		46%
4 star		35%
3 star		14%
2 star		3%
1 star		1%

Amazon Music Stream millions of songs	Amazon Advertising Find, attract, and engage customers	Amazon Business Everything for your business	Amazon Drive Cloud storage from Amazon	Amazon Web Services Scalable Cloud Computing Services

Book Depository Books With Free Delivery Worldwide	Goodreads Book reviews & recommendations	IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities	Amazon Photos Unlimited Photo Storage Free With Prime	Shopbop Designer Fashion Brands

Warehouse Deals Open-Box Discounts	Whole Foods Market We Believe in Real Food	Amazon Renewed Like-new products you can trust	Blink Smart Security for Every Home

Five Winters: A Novel

›

Customer reviews

Customer reviews

Five Winters: A Novel

Filtered by

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From Canada

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

From other countries

Five Winters: A Novel › Customer reviews

Customer reviews

Five Winters: A Novel

Filtered by

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From Canada

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

From other countries

Five Winters: A Novel

›

Customer reviews