Where Winter Finds You: A Caldwell Christmas

The story of Selena and Trez first appeared in Shadows. I love that we get to see it blossom in this Where Winter Finds You: A Caldewell Christmas. This was a short, but easy read. Usual JRWard relationship move fast, this allow me to see how much Trez truly love Selena even he still battle with his grief. It took time to build up. That ending was everything and wowzer their sex session was 🤸‍♀️. Overall a pleasant read

I am sad to say that I did not read the first book with Trey (Shadow) in it. I will be correcting that mistake soon. I have a whole marathon of Black Dagger Brotherhood series on my new year reading for January. I enjoyed the book for what it was and the fact that Trey was really having a hard time not believing that the woman he had meet is not his deceased beloved. I find that not having read book one of his story was frustrating me to no ends. I wanted to stop several times and go pick up The Shadows. I wanted to understand the struggle and trouble that Trey went through. I did find that him meeting Therese to be a kind of meant to happen. They both needed to let go of the past and embrace the present. As the story unfolds you get glimpses of the past and what brought each, Trey and Therese to the point they were at when we meet them. I found the story rich, engaging, intense, and emotional. There was that touch of forever through all times and place kind of love. You had to go through the sad and heartbreaking to get to the other side of what was being offered. I recommend this story to all of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series fans. I also recommend it to those looking for that all encompassing holiday read that will pull at your heart, maybe a few tears, and believer in love for eternity. Caution to read book one of Trey (The Shadows, Black Dagger Brotherhood, #13) first. This addition to the series is most certainly a romance. There are depths of things in the background that are not fully explored but this was a heartbreaking romance that had a hint of sorrow, pain, fate, and forever love. J. R. Ward has done it again. She has her own way of revisiting characters and making things work for them even a second time around. Seeing things work for Trey this time was interesting.

When I read the description of this book, I thought bringing Selena back was invalidating the sacrifices of their previous book. After reading it, I realize this has to be the natural progression of their story as well as Lassiter's. Another amazing author, Nalini Singh, does a similar reincarnation in her vampire/angel books. I appreciate that in both cases the realization when it comes is just accepted and beautifully done! So many of Ward's books have alot of story lines going on, which I do LOVE and think sets her apart from others, but it was nice to have the focus of this whole book be on one couple. After all, Trez does deserve this book!!! I'm so happy for this happy ending and sweet romance! It is also worth noting that Ward's approach to trauma is so so nessessary because we are able to truly empathize with the character's pain- something lacking in today's real world.