I am going to preface this by saying that I found this book in the clearance section at a book store, so while it’s the second book in Erin Hilderbrand’s Winter Series, it’s the only one I’ve read — and it’s going to stay that way. Winter Stroll follows Winter Street Inn owner, Kelley, as he prepares to have the whole family come in for his first granddaughter’s baptism. However, things don’t go as planned when his ex-wife Mitzi, who left him for another man the year before, returns. Not only that but their shared son Bart, a Marine, has been captured by enemy forces in Afghanistan and there is no way for them to know if he is still alive. With a lot of drama and not enough Christmas cheer, this novel is not the ideal read if you're looking for a holly, jolly Christmas novel.
As our December Book of the Month, I thought I was saving the fun — and most festive— book for last. Turns out, I was so wrong. Reading the summary on the inside sleeve, this seemed like it had some merit. An inn in Nantucket during the Christmas season? Sign me up, right? WRONG. Within the first five pages, I knew this was not going to be the heartwarming Christmas novel I was hoping it would be. The small amount of Christmas activities that actually took place during the novel were overshadowed by the amount of drama Hilderbrand managed to squeeze into this story. You’ve got a mother who is very depressed (rightly so) because she has no idea where her son is or if he’s okay, a wife who has slowly become addicted to pills due to her husband’s recent incrimination, and a young woman who doesn’t know how to stand up for herself while being caught in a weird love triangle. Does any of this seem Christmassy to you?
Ava was my least favorite character of this book, but that’s not saying much because I hated almost every character. They’re all really overdramatic and lack a spine when it comes to most of their relationships. Ava, especially, just lets herself get railroaded by her current boyfriend Scott, who has the nerve to act as if he is completely innocent in their relationship after he spends a whole day at the hospital with another woman who is not his family. But that doesn’t stop him from accusing Ava of cheating, does it? Why Ava never calls him out on that managed to piss me off throughout the entire book. Also, I found it super creepy that his friend, who’s also a police officer, was the one to inform him that he saw Ava and her ex hanging out. Did anyone else pick up on that? DUMP HIM, AVA!
The most frustrating part of this novel was not the lack of Christmas cheer or Christmas activities in general, but the ending. It’s as if Hilderbrand was learning how to write a cliffhanger and failed. Seriously, the story ends with Jennifer calling her husband in prison to let him know what’s going on. Not only that but literally nothing gets resolved. I understand that Hilderbrand was planning to continue this story in her next novel, but that is just not how you end a story. Cliffhangers are meant for television, not novels, especially when you’ve created a story that is full of lackluster characters who do nothing but annoy the reader. On another note, the branding for this novel was so misplaced. Again, I judged a book by its cover and paid the price because on the front it reads as a cute Christmas story but as soon as you open it, it’s just melodrama and I’m not here for it. I’m fine if Hilderbrand wants to tell a story about this nutty family, but maybe don’t associate it with the most wonderful time of the year? It just doesn’t fit the brand.
Maybe it’s the fact that the story was not what I was in the mood for, especially during my favorite holiday, or that it was run down with misplaced characters who can’t stand up for themselves or anybody else for that matter, but I was relieved once I finished Winter Stroll. With an inconclusive ending and story that makes you want to pull your hair out, I wouldn’t recommend this book to my greatest enemy. I think it’s best if I just moved on to January’s Book of the Month — The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck. Who’s with me?
What did you think of this novel? Let me know in the comments below!
January’s Book of the Month: The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson.
Click here to get your copy!
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