This was a new author for me and I’m definitely coming back for more. While I probably should have started at Book 1 in the series, reading #3 first makes me desperate to go back and read it! I wasn’t digging the high school romance at first, but the story became much more compelling (and tear-jerking) as the characters matured. ( )

One word: Incredible. I feel like I pretty much ate this book up. This is so much more than just a rehash of the first book from Tim's perspective. It provides insights and dimensions to the story that make the characters so much more real. The parallel narrative is distinct and adds many layers to the story of Tim and Ben (and everyone else in their lives). This book also continues the story past the first book, giving readers a glimpse into life after 'summer' and 'winter'.

This installment is more angst-ridden than the first and definitely has some utterly heart-wrenching moments, but it is definitely worth reading. This is one of those books that can truly move you.

Part of what makes this book so great is the way it relates to the first book, and Jay Bell has done an incredible job here. The world he has created is one I'm excited to go back to in the rest of this series - I expect more laughing and crying in my future. ( )

This was a great follow up to [b:Something Like Summer|10213367|Something Like Summer (Season #1)|Jay Bell|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1294956195s/10213367.jpg|15086656]. It was nice to see how things went according to Tim's perspective and I loved meeting and learning about Eric. I also liked how this went just a bit farther than Something Like Summer so it was like we got some "additional scenes". Well done. ( )

Surprisingly, this book succeeded in fixing the problems I had with the first, its companion, Something Like Summer. When I read Summer I remember not really understanding why everyone loved Ben so much. Here, seeing Ben through Tim's eyes, I got it! Bell was able to show me Ben in a different way that allowed me to like him so much more, and to understand why Tim would love him so much. It's funny that, though this was a book about Tim, I came out of it liking Ben in a way I didn't before.
I actually really enjoyed the story being told so much more from Tim's perspective than I did from Ben's. I enjoyed getting to read about Tim's life more than I thought I would, given he was not one of my favorite characters in Summer. And truthfully, while I am still team Jace, I was much happier with the end of the story this time than I was in Summer.
I feel like Bell captured the complexity of struggling with sexuality really well, and was able to write Tim in a way that you suffered with him, and celebrated with him too, when things finally clicked and he began his coming out journey.
There were still chapters and passages that felt very cliched and a bit over the top romantically, which I suppose is just par for course with romance novels. I am not entirely sure why, but I didn't mind them as much with this installation as I did with Summer. Overall I think that Winter just felt like a stronger novel. There was more depth. Perhaps its because I felt like Tim had more of a story worth exploring then Ben, or perhaps it is just because Bell progressed as a writer between novels. I'm not entirely sure.
I do know that Jace is still my favorite character which is why I cannot wait to read the next book in the series! I will always selfishly wish Jace had a different ending! ( )

Loved it. Highly Recommend. Completely engaging. ( )