Review: Long Winter by Rachel Ember (Wild Ones #1)

Note: A review copy was provided by the author via Gay Romance Reviews ARC Team.

Rachel Ember's Long Winter came as a recommendation from a bestselling author whose work I love and respect, so I decided to go ahead and dive in, hoping I would, at the very least, enjoy the story and like the main characters. Well, I ended up falling in love with both the tale Ember had to tell and the characters who were at the very heart of it.

This is the first part of Robbie Chase and Lance Taylor's love story; it concludes in the second Wild Ones book, Signs of Spring, so yes, the books must be read in order. Calling this a falling-for-your-best-friend's-brother over-simplifies what is a story that has depth and layers to it. There's a bit of an age difference between the two, as well as an unrequited teenage crush that led to Lance leaving town and staying away for six years, although there's also more to that than just the whole rejection angle.

I enjoyed seeing these two MCs evolve as I went from one chapter to the next. They had personal issues to contend with, some that aren't fully resolved till the second book. Through it all, I appreciated seeing the vulnerability, insecurity, and doubt swirling within them, unsure as to how to navigate what could be the best thing to ever happen to both of them. I adored this book to the point that I immediately borrowed Signs of Spring right after finishing. 4.5 stars for Long Winter.

Date Read: 22 December 2021

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