Winterblaze

Kristen Callihan

Feb 2013 · Darkest London Book 3 · Hachette Audio · Narrated by Moira Quirk

About this audiobook

Once blissfully in love . . .
Poppy Lane is keeping secrets. Her powerful gift has earned her membership in the Society for the Suppression of Supernaturals, but she must keep both her ability and her alliance with the Society from her husband, Winston. Yet when Winston is brutally attacked by a werewolf, Poppy's secrets are revealed, leaving Winston's trust in her as broken as his body. Now Poppy will do anything to win back his affections . . .

Their relationship is now put to the ultimate test.
Winston Lane soon regains his physical strength but his face and heart still bear the scars of the vicious attack. Drawn into the darkest depths of London, Winston must fight an evil demon that wants to take away the last hope of reconciliation with his wife. As a former police inspector, Winston has intelligence and logic on his side. But it will take the strength of Poppy's love for him to defeat the forces that threaten to tear them apart.

Ratings and reviews

AudioBook Review: Stars: Overall 5 Narration: 5 Story 5 Poppy and Winston have been married for fourteen years, without many hitches. Well, a big one if you count lying (by omission) about your true nature and the fact that you aren’t simply the owner of a bookshop. At the end of Moonglow, Winston was attacked and nearly killed, and now Poppy’s secrets are coming out and her marriage is in jeopardy. Winston won’t look, talk or stay longer in the same room with her than is absolutely necessary –and the camaraderie, their trust and the partnership that has sustained her in her life full of secrets is fractured. There are many things to attend to as a member of SOS (Society for Suppression of Supernaturals) she’s got plenty on her plate. But that all goes south when she receives information that a demon is hunting for her husband, and she’s determined that no further harm will come to him. On discovering the secrets his wife had concealed, Winston took leave from his work with the police and headed off to the south of France for a holiday and to regroup, deciding on his next move Both he and Poppy are remembering their relationship through a series of flashbacks which show just how well suited (and sweet) they are – but Poppy is unwilling to leave him in danger, without giving their marriage another try. So off she heads to France in the company of Mary Chase, who will soon be facing off (and partnering with) Win’s valet Jack. While the threats to Winston are important, this really is a story of connections and repairing them, with twists, turns and revelations galore for both Poppy and Win – as well as some serious tension from dangers known and unknown: even as the story manages to feel solidly romantic and intimate throughout. Callihan managed to create an emotional intimacy that fairly burns with longing and desire, and even with things feeling near hopeless, the story twists to open up new possibilities and options. Best if explored in order, this story was my favorite of the three so far with the stories finding a way to interconnect, open new horizons and provide more information on the world and our characters. Moira Quirk again narrates this story and manages to present each character with a sense of knowing who they are and allowing listeners those little audible clues that point to emotional states, longing and even fears. With true joy and wonder expressed in the flashbacks from their early days in their relationship, to the sense of knowing one another, the fierce protectiveness and even the budding back and forth between Mary and Jack, the listen presents the story with a sense of ‘awareness’ that allows important moments to speak for themselves, bringing a fuller recognition of the elements that will be needed as the story progresses. I received an AudioBook copy of the title from Hachette Audio for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Kristen Callihan is a writer because there is nothing else she'd rather be. She is a three-time RITA nominee and winner of two RT Reviewers' Choice awards. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, as well as being awarded top picks by many reviewers. Her debut book, Firelight, received RT Book Reviews' Seal of Excellence, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal, best book of Spring 2012 by Publishers Weekly, and was named the best romance book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. When she is not writing, she is reading.