Review: Trusting Winter by Lora Richardson

TRUSTING WINTER
Lora Richardson
Publication date: November 6, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Format: eARC
Source: Author
4.25 Stars

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Note: At the time of this post, Trusting Winter is free on Kindle Unlimited and available for purchase for just $0.99! Grab your copy now and experience this heartwarming story for yourself!

S Y N O P S I S

He wants to date her, but she's afraid of being hurt. He's persistent, but she's unwavering. Which one will get what they want?

Once people find out my parents are in prison and I've spent half my life in foster care, they write me off. Moving from one place to another, living with strangers, and making friends only to move away, has worn down my heart. It's easier to keep people at a distance than it is to feel the pain of another good-bye, so that's what I do.

But I've never known anyone like Eddie. He's open and trusting and carefree. So, basically my opposite. He has these blue eyes that see right through me, and he makes me want to spill all my secrets and drop all my walls and let him in.

The problem is, I'm sure it won't be long before I have to leave. Nothing ever lasts for me, and I don't imagine this will, either. My heart can't take leaving behind one more person I love, so I just won't love anyone.

M Y   T H O U G H T S

I say this every time I review a new release from Lora Richardson… but she’s done it again. She’s woven her special brand of writing magic and created another contemporary YA novel that made me smile, touched my heart, and had me feeling better for having read it.

In Trusting Winter, we get to know Reverie, a character previously introduced in Awakening Autumn (note: Trusting Winter is the third in a series but can easily be read as a standalone). Outwardly standoffish and a little prickly, Reverie’s sometimes aloof nature hid a multitude of uncertainties. With both parents in prison, she was raised by a loving grandmother. But when her grandmother died, Reverie lost the only stability she had ever known and went into foster care at the age of ten. Now seventeen and living with an uncle she barely knows, Reverie was determined to bide her time, keeping everyone at arm’s length, until she can graduate and be on her own.

That was the problem with liking people. It made me want to stay, and I had no control over whether or not that happened.

At first glance, Reverie might seem like a difficult character to like. She shared little with her friends, turned down most invitations to be social, and quickly shut down any attempts to get close to her. But it was impossible not to feel for this girl who’d had so much turmoil and upheaval in her life. Who lived with the knowledge that her very existence could be shaken up and changed at any moment. With so little stability in her life, Reverie played it safe and didn’t allow close relationships to form. But luckily for her, she had friends who rarely took no for an answer and were there for her again and again, ignoring her reticence and including her in their group no matter how hard she resisted. Greta and Meredith were friends anyone would be lucky to have and I loved their acceptance of Reverie for who and how she was.

They held my heart in their hands. My broken, scared, lonely heart. And it was too late for me to take it back.

And then there was Eddie. I know I also say this is every review of a Lora Richardson book, but every girl should be so lucky to have one of her male characters as a first boyfriend. And Eddie was no exception. He was upfront with his feelings for Reverie from the very start. And wasn’t deterred one bit by her sometimes prickly exterior. His easygoing nature was the perfect foil for her guarded personality. Eddie was funny and charming but also incredibly devoted and was there for Reverie at every turn. I adored this guy who was so steady and resolute and so obviously smitten and willing to show it.

“I want you to know where I stand,” he said. “What I want. I may like to have fun, But I don’t play games.” 

“You should know where I stand, too, then. I’m not going to date you. I won’t be your girlfriend.” 

His calm expression didn’t change. “Okay, that’s cool. You can keep not wanting to date me, and I’ll keep wanting to date you, and we’ll be best friends.”

Reverie’s relationship with her uncle and, eventually, with her mother packed an emotional punch. This girl was so determined to need nothing, to expect nothing, but yearned for so much. She wanted so badly to be wanted and needed and loved. Something she’d had far too little of it her life. Her choices were understandable but they still broke my heart. She learned hard truths and my heart ached for her when she faced disappointment.

If there’s still any doubt, let me just spell it out: Lora Richardson is a remarkable writer of young adult fiction and Trusting Winter is another stellar example of that. I adore her heartfelt stories, her utterly realistic characters, and the emotion that permeates every story. As long as Richardson keeps writing, I’ll keep coming back for more.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This does not impact my opinion of the book or the content of this review. I received no compensation and my review is voluntary.

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ABOUT LORA RICHARDSON:

As a child, Lora lived on a pig farm. She spent time swimming in the creek with snakes, playing in the hayloft, and tapping out stories on her mother's typewriter. These days she lives in a small city in Indiana with her high-school-sweetheart-husband and their two children. She spends her time reading, writing, and hanging out with her people. She still has pigs, though now they are of the guinea variety.

You can find Lora here: * FACEBOOK * TWITTER * GOODREADS * INSTAGRAM *