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Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'
Winter's Eve Then, Now, & Always: A Three Kings Novel by A.E. Valdez
5 reviews
bookcookshoprepeat's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Death of parent
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Child abuse
booksandcurlz's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Here I am thinking that Snow and Elle’s story was cute… Winter & Eve’s story said hold my beer.
This book is long and the burn is slowwwwww for a second chance romance.
I’m not going to complain because the character development was impeccable. Winter’s grief healing journey was incredible even when I felt so sad for him.
As for Eve, well I kind of had it out for her. She was driving me up a wall for the most part just because she was just so oblivious to other people’s feelings.
There is a lot to unpack in this book but the friendships and relationships formed and repaired throughout the book were amazing. 👀 I can’t wait for more stories in this universe.
This book is long and the burn is slowwwwww for a second chance romance.
I’m not going to complain because the character development was impeccable. Winter’s grief healing journey was incredible even when I felt so sad for him.
As for Eve, well I kind of had it out for her. She was driving me up a wall for the most part just because she was just so oblivious to other people’s feelings.
There is a lot to unpack in this book but the friendships and relationships formed and repaired throughout the book were amazing. 👀 I can’t wait for more stories in this universe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcohol, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Death of parent, and Cursing
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
jaz_gets_literary's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Death of parent, Sexual content, Drug abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
dawnstrickland's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Then, Now, & Always.
We were first introduced to Winter and Eve in Snow King Catches His Snowflake. I was definitely intrigued by Winter and wanted his backstory. Then we learned the Winter and Eve were engaged until Winter left her. That ramped up my excitement for this book.
Winter's grief drove him to a dark place. It shook his foundation, and he was still trying to find his footing. Winter's journey to self-discovery and self-love was beautifully written. The focus on his mental health was raw and vulnerable and inspiring. He never stopped loving Eve, but he knew he needed to forgive himself if he ever expected her to do the same. He put in the work. He showed Eve through his actions that he loved and cherished her, but he wouldn't let her walk all over him.
Eve was so reluctant to let herself love Winter due to what she perceived as abandonment. However, she started to realize that Winter was different from the man she knew and fell in love with long ago. He was still funny and devoted and supportive, but he learned to set boundaries for his own peace.
Winter and Eve had great chemistry. The tension and then playfulness felt vital to their reunion. I loved the gradual thawing between them. Their journey felt hard fought and won. Once they came back together, their bond was solid. Their commitment to one another, as well as Reign, was a thing of beauty. A.E. Valdez has done it again! Her books feature found family and soul searing love. My heart is always filled with joy by the end of her stories. I can’t wait to revisit this world!
We were first introduced to Winter and Eve in Snow King Catches His Snowflake. I was definitely intrigued by Winter and wanted his backstory. Then we learned the Winter and Eve were engaged until Winter left her. That ramped up my excitement for this book.
Winter's grief drove him to a dark place. It shook his foundation, and he was still trying to find his footing. Winter's journey to self-discovery and self-love was beautifully written. The focus on his mental health was raw and vulnerable and inspiring. He never stopped loving Eve, but he knew he needed to forgive himself if he ever expected her to do the same. He put in the work. He showed Eve through his actions that he loved and cherished her, but he wouldn't let her walk all over him.
Eve was so reluctant to let herself love Winter due to what she perceived as abandonment. However, she started to realize that Winter was different from the man she knew and fell in love with long ago. He was still funny and devoted and supportive, but he learned to set boundaries for his own peace.
Winter and Eve had great chemistry. The tension and then playfulness felt vital to their reunion. I loved the gradual thawing between them. Their journey felt hard fought and won. Once they came back together, their bond was solid. Their commitment to one another, as well as Reign, was a thing of beauty. A.E. Valdez has done it again! Her books feature found family and soul searing love. My heart is always filled with joy by the end of her stories. I can’t wait to revisit this world!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent and Emotional abuse
Minor: Abandonment and Physical abuse
what_karla_reads's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
5/5 stars
3/5 spice
The roller coaster of emotions I had reading this book still has me in a chokehold. I loved everything about this story and loved how it came together in the end.
Tropes:
Second chance romance
Billionaire MMC
Close proximity
Soulmates
Found family
Slow burn
Trauma/healing
Mental health rep
No 3rd act break up
Dual POV
Winter & Eve are true soulmates. You could see in every flashback how much they loved each other. But grief is a tricky thing. Not everyone processes grief the same or in healthy ways. I really appreciated how well the author handled this topic. Since this is the 2nd book in a series, it is not the first time the grief is mentioned, but you can see how it affects family members differently.
I also loved how the author created two loving and strong MCs that were clearly flawed. No one was unrealistically perfect. They were so relatable and real. I found myself siding with both characters and yelling at both when they were being ridiculously stubborn 😅
And OMG, the spice... even though this read as a slow burn for the MCs, the tension and chemistry were through the roof. Did someone say, "Good girl?".... yes... yes, he did 🥵
Overall, I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves second chance romance. This is filled with examples of healthy communication, boundaries, and relationships but also tackles heavy topics that can be triggering. Mental health plays a huge part in this, so please check trigger warnings before starting.
Thank you to the author for giving me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.
Trigger/Content warnings:
Death of parent, grief, depression, mentions addiction, and unhealthy coping mechanisms. Child abuse and neglect. Explicit sexual content and language.
3/5 spice
The roller coaster of emotions I had reading this book still has me in a chokehold. I loved everything about this story and loved how it came together in the end.
Tropes:
Second chance romance
Billionaire MMC
Close proximity
Soulmates
Found family
Slow burn
Trauma/healing
Mental health rep
No 3rd act break up
Dual POV
Winter & Eve are true soulmates. You could see in every flashback how much they loved each other. But grief is a tricky thing. Not everyone processes grief the same or in healthy ways. I really appreciated how well the author handled this topic. Since this is the 2nd book in a series, it is not the first time the grief is mentioned, but you can see how it affects family members differently.
I also loved how the author created two loving and strong MCs that were clearly flawed. No one was unrealistically perfect. They were so relatable and real. I found myself siding with both characters and yelling at both when they were being ridiculously stubborn 😅
And OMG, the spice... even though this read as a slow burn for the MCs, the tension and chemistry were through the roof. Did someone say, "Good girl?".... yes... yes, he did 🥵
Overall, I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves second chance romance. This is filled with examples of healthy communication, boundaries, and relationships but also tackles heavy topics that can be triggering. Mental health plays a huge part in this, so please check trigger warnings before starting.
Thank you to the author for giving me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.
Trigger/Content warnings:
Death of parent, grief, depression, mentions addiction, and unhealthy coping mechanisms. Child abuse and neglect. Explicit sexual content and language.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Minor: Addiction and Death of parent
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