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tessisreading2's review against another edition
4.0
I tend to associate Rosamunde Pilcher with soothing novels about women in their early or middle years finding love and solace in a sweet little cottage on the coast somewhere, but Winter Solstice, while retaining the soothing feeling and the emphasis on quaint real estate as emotional healer, pulls in characters of all ages, thankfully putting the emphasis on the sixty-something Elfrida and Oscar with only slightly more than head-nods to the thirty-something Carrie and Sam; and managing not to let adolescent Lucy become too twee. Very soothing and pleasant and Christmasy, exactly the sort of book to break a not-reading streak.
annels789's review
4.0
A cozy, heart-warming escape to snowy, northern Scotland. I had forgotten how much I enjoy Rosamunde Pilcher.
deecreatenola's review
4.0
Combine a Jane Eyre novel with a Hallmark holiday movie, set in close to present day, and you'd come close to arriving at Winter Solstice. This is not my normal reading fare, yet its hard not to love and appreciate it, especially as a seasonal read.
I've not normally been one for seasonal reads, but after a satisfying October of creepy reads, finding winter/holiday reads seemed like a great idea. It was especially appropriate when I had a week in the mountains for Thanksgiving.
This novel begins in an English town and is told in five different points of view, five loosely connected individuals who ultimately come together in the Scotland somewhere along the coast near Inverness. The story takes its time and is as descriptive as a Dickens novel. You feel as though you are in that quaint, bustling English town and that you travel along the firths of the Scottish coast. Everything is charming and proper, or nearly so. Everything is very, very British. I practically wore out my Kindle dictionary looking up words I could basically define from context clues, but I enjoyed looking them up, all British-isms that were fun to read about.
There are no villains in this story, which hums along despite some sadness, including the death of the wife and daughter of one of the main characters. In fact, everyone in this story has their own sadness and it's through connection to people that they overcome that sadness. It's a story of found family and being open to change.
One thing I have to note: Oscar, the man who loses his family, starts of a relationship with Elfrida pretty darn quickly afterwards. It completely works, but it also seems unrealistic, in particular after the loss of his daughter. It doesn't spoil the story at all, however.
I'm not an Anglophile, but this story had me wanted to escape to the Cotswolds or an English cottage. I also loved Horace, Elfrida's dog, and the opening begins with her adoption of him, which drew me right in.
I've not normally been one for seasonal reads, but after a satisfying October of creepy reads, finding winter/holiday reads seemed like a great idea. It was especially appropriate when I had a week in the mountains for Thanksgiving.
This novel begins in an English town and is told in five different points of view, five loosely connected individuals who ultimately come together in the Scotland somewhere along the coast near Inverness. The story takes its time and is as descriptive as a Dickens novel. You feel as though you are in that quaint, bustling English town and that you travel along the firths of the Scottish coast. Everything is charming and proper, or nearly so. Everything is very, very British. I practically wore out my Kindle dictionary looking up words I could basically define from context clues, but I enjoyed looking them up, all British-isms that were fun to read about.
There are no villains in this story, which hums along despite some sadness, including the death of the wife and daughter of one of the main characters. In fact, everyone in this story has their own sadness and it's through connection to people that they overcome that sadness. It's a story of found family and being open to change.
One thing I have to note: Oscar, the man who loses his family, starts of a relationship with Elfrida pretty darn quickly afterwards. It completely works, but it also seems unrealistic, in particular after the loss of his daughter. It doesn't spoil the story at all, however.
I'm not an Anglophile, but this story had me wanted to escape to the Cotswolds or an English cottage. I also loved Horace, Elfrida's dog, and the opening begins with her adoption of him, which drew me right in.
Before Elfrida Phipps left London for good and moved to the country, she made a trip to the Battersea Dogs' Home, and returned with a canine companion. It took a good-and heart-rending-half-hour of searching, but as soon as she saw him, sitting very close to the bars of his kennel and gazing up at her with dark and melting eyes, she knew that he was the one. She did not want a large animal, nor did she relish the idea of a yapping lap-dog. This one was exactly the right size. Dog size.
He had a lot of soft hair, some of which fell over his eyes, ears that could prick or droop, and a triumphant plume of a tail. His colouring was irregularly patched brown and white. The brown bits were the exact shade of milky cocoa. When asked his ancestry, the kennel maid said she thought there was Border collie there, and a bit of bearded collie, as well as a few other unidentified breeds. Elfrida didn't care. She liked the expression on his gentle face. She left a donation for the Battersea Dogs' Home, and her new companion travelled away with her, sitting in the passenger seat of her old car and gazing from the window in a satisfied fashion, as though this were the life to which he was happy to become accustomed.
The next day, she took him to the local Poodle Parlour for a cut, shampoo, and blow-dry. He returned to her fluffy and fresh and smelling sweetly of lemonade. His response to all this sybaritic attention was a show of faithful, grateful, and loving devotion. He was a shy, even a timid, dog, but brave as well. If the doorbell rang, or he thought he spied an intruder, he barked his head off for a moment and then retreated to his basket, or to Elfrida's lap. It took some time to decide on a name for him, but in the end she christened him Horace.
caro_bujold71's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
5.0
What a delight! Found family story with characters of different generations, set mostly in Scotland. I lived every minute of the narration.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Child death
avisreadsandreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Fatphobia, Grief, Abandonment, Car accident, Death, Child death, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Cancer, Terminal illness, Medical content, Bullying, and Suicide
cameojane's review
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Abandonment, and Child death
kmccolgan's review
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
ashleyjean6's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
An all time favorite read many times in December and or January. It's got amazing character development and gorgeous descriptive writing making for a very atmospheric read. It's definitely cozy and ambling (aka. slow paced) and best enjoyed with hot tea or your favorite glass of wine by the fire.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Car accident, and Death
mslagle's review against another edition
5.0
Such a cozy cozy cozy amazing read i loved this maybe even more than the shell seekers
julesanne's review against another edition
3.0
I lovely book to read over a winter weekend. Written in 2000.