Title:  An Affair in Winter
Series:  Seasons #1
Author:  Jess Michaels
Genre:  Regency Romance
Published:  July 12, 2016
Publisher:  The Passionate Pen
My Rating:  4 stars
Source:  NetGalley
Cover Description:

Widow Rosalinde Wilde is on her way to her beloved sister’s wedding when an unexpected storm waylays her at an overcrowded inn. There she meets a tempting stranger who sweeps her into a night of unforgettable passion.

Grayson Danford never expected a night with the irresistible Mrs. Wilde, but she was a welcome distraction from the unpleasant duty of breaking up his brother’s impending nuptials. He’s shocked when he discovers his passionate lover is none other than the sister of his brother’s intended.

Now Rosalinde and Gray will butt heads, even as their simmering desire for each other threatens to boil over. Who will win? And who might lose it all?

Read on for my thoughts on An Affair in Winter.  No true spoilers, promise.

Two strangers, stranded at an inn during an unforgiving snowstorm.  One indescribable night of passion.  A morning after with no regrets.  After all, they’ll never set eyes on each other again, a shame but life moves onward.  And then reality rears it’s annoying head.  Things are about to get deliciously interesting now.

An Affair in Winter is the first story in a new series.  If you are a fan of Regency Romance (as I definitely am) then perhaps you should be aware that this story is steamy and sizzling hot enough to melt your Kindle.  It’s not a story of virginal young misses who dare to show off an ankle to turn on their intended.  Not every reader enjoys the hot and passionate, near erotic style of the hotter Regency Romance.  But for those of us who do – this one is sinfully delicious.

Rosalinde and Gray are both heading to the same location where each of their siblings are about to be wed.  One will do everything in their power to stop this marriage.  The other will stop at nothing to allow the marriage to go forward.  Although somewhat of a marriage of convenience in that there is a definite exchange of a dowry for a title arranged by the sisters’ nasty grandfather, everything isn’t always as it seems on the surface.  Lucien and Celia each have their reasons for going forward with the marriage – yet an unexpected reveal may change everything… for everyone.

I enjoyed Gray and Rosalinde.  They each love their sibling and at the heart of it all, simply want them to be happy.  There are secrets to be revealed.  Love to be fought for, and it won’t be an easy fight.  Yet Rosalinde and Gray do honestly love each other, even if it takes Gray a bit longer to get with the program on his emotions.

With interesting world building, a cast of secondary characters that we shall, without doubt, be seeing some of them in the rest of the series, and a steamy love between two people that shouldn’t work, but definitely does An Affair in Winter is an excellent beginning to the Seasons series.  I have enjoyed everything that I’ve read by Jess Michaels, and this newest series starting novel is no exception.  If you love Regency Romance, a bit on the steamier side, then this is definitely a story you’ll want to pick up.

*I received an e-ARC of An Affair in Winter from the publisher, The Passionate Pen and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

Available for the Kindle