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A review by slavicreader
A Winter Kiss on Rochester Mews by Annie Darling
4.0
Me and this book have had quite an on again, off again relationship ever since I picked it up last Christmas. After Christmas passed and I still haven't come to have read it, I put it in my unhaul pile, taking it with me to at least two carboot sales and offering it to anyone who looked as much interested in it. Alas, come next Christmas, it had still not left my unhaul pile. And since I had no other Christmas romances on hand, I decided to pick it up two days ago. Which turned out to be the right decision.
I went into this with minimal expectations besides a feel-good romance with perhaps a dash of comedy. But it turned out to be a lovely, slow-burn enemies to lovers romance. Very much underrated actually. I don't see why this series isn't more popular, seeing how solid this installment alone was. However, I haven't read the first three books, so there's that too. In some ways I think that worked out better, as Mattie was my type of protagonist, and both Posy and Nina were moreso typical romance book heroines - so not sure if I would have gotten on with reading from their POVs.
Tom's character was a bit there then gone, if I had to be honest. His treatment of women? Great stuff. His subtle gaslighting of his male friends? Not so much. I'm surprised Mattie didn't find it as bad as I did, given how the whole topic of gaslighting was raised and discussed. On another note, Steven got what he deserved, although I would have liked to see him suffer more.
This book isn't super cliche, nor is it cringey. And when I say slow-burn, I really mean it. Like, 90% of this book is them bickering, bonding, getting to know eachother etc. In terms of spice, there really isn't any, but that was completely fine by me. All in all, it was a great feel-good romance that was seasonally appropriate too!
I went into this with minimal expectations besides a feel-good romance with perhaps a dash of comedy. But it turned out to be a lovely, slow-burn enemies to lovers romance. Very much underrated actually. I don't see why this series isn't more popular, seeing how solid this installment alone was. However, I haven't read the first three books, so there's that too. In some ways I think that worked out better, as Mattie was my type of protagonist, and both Posy and Nina were moreso typical romance book heroines - so not sure if I would have gotten on with reading from their POVs.
Tom's character was a bit there then gone, if I had to be honest. His treatment of women? Great stuff. His subtle gaslighting of his male friends? Not so much. I'm surprised Mattie didn't find it as bad as I did, given how the whole topic of gaslighting was raised and discussed. On another note, Steven got what he deserved, although I would have liked to see him suffer more.
This book isn't super cliche, nor is it cringey. And when I say slow-burn, I really mean it. Like, 90% of this book is them bickering, bonding, getting to know eachother etc. In terms of spice, there really isn't any, but that was completely fine by me. All in all, it was a great feel-good romance that was seasonally appropriate too!