Once Upon a Winter's Eve by Tessa Dare Series: Spindle Cove #1.5
Published by Samhain Publisher on 15 November 2011
Genres: Adult, Historical Romance
Pages: 113
Format: eBook
Source: Kindle Purchase
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Some wallflowers bloom at night...
Violet Winterbottom is a quiet girl. She speaks six languages, but seldom raises her voice. She endured bitter heartbreak in perfect silence. The gentlemen aren't beating down her door.
Until the night of the Spindle Cove Christmas ball, when a mysterious stranger crashes into the ballroom and collapses at Violet's feet. His coarse attire and near-criminal good looks would put any sensible young lady on her guard. He's wet, chilled, bleeding, and speaking in an unfamiliar tongue.
Only Violet understands him. And she knows he's not what he seems.
She has one night to draw forth the secrets of this dangerously handsome rogue. Is he a smuggler? A fugitive? An enemy spy? She needs answers by sunrise, but her captive would rather seduce than confess. To learn his secrets, Violet must reveal hers and open herself to adventure, passion, and the unthinkable... Love.
Spindle Cove is definitely the place to be, and Once Upon a Winter’s Eve cemented that feeling for me.
My Once Upon a Winter’s Eve review:
Violet is a very good female character to follow, but that is usually the case with this series! Once Upon a Winter’s Eve happens over the span of an evening and night, and then a few months later there is a very nice resolution. The women who go to Spindle Cove are quite unconventional, and they rather cultivate that during their stay. As such, Violet knows how to use a gun, and she’s very gifted when it comes to languages. Of course, my inner linguist totally loved that, and the fact that the man who fell at her feet spoke Breton and she could understand him made me very happy.
The story of Once Upon a Winter’s Eve is short, but well done, and the way Violet was slowly sharing her past with the readers made me really enjoy her. The mystery man also seemed very forward, but I enjoyed how his speech was between coherence and complete rubbish. Both Violet and the man had some hidden secrets, and when they found a common language to speak, things became very interesting indeed.
Written mostly in third person point of view, past tense and from Violet’s perspective, Once Upon a Winter’s Eve is an easy read, with a distinct push to read more in the Spindle Cove series.
Some of my favorite Once Upon a Winter’s Eve quotes:
And corners. Corners were the scarcest thing of all. Because there were only four in any given ballroom, and here in Spindle Cover, so many ladies were drawn to them.
Language was a vast, complicated tapestry. The key to communication was finding a common thread.
Could Violet Winterbottom possible possess a single feminine wile to employ? Even if she did possess wiles, she wouldn’t know how to use them.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
About Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms
Linda is an English as foreign language teacher and has a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. She's an avid reader, blogger, compulsive one-clicker and a genre omnivore. Ever since she learnt how to read she has been seen with a book or two in her hands everywhere she goes.
Twitter: bmreviewsohmy
I like Tessa Dare, not sure if I have this one or not I do know I have a Spindle Cove book..hmm now I must go look..lol.
And here I thought you were the one who got me to start reading the Spindle Cove series, Stormi. I’m really enjoying the characters in this series, not at all your typical historical romance heroines!
Looks like a lovely quick read! I’m trying to dabble a bit more in romance, so maybe a quick read is what I need (:
Tessa Dare’s historical romances are good, Shan, I hope you’ll be able to get this one, and that you’ll enjoy it 🙂
I like the idea behind this story, it’s such an interesting premise. And I like the idea of the main character who speaks multipel languages and is the only one who can understand that man. Added this one to my to-read list for when I am looking for a quick and enjoyable read.
Yeah, the multiple languages was really great, the linguist in me was very happy, Lola.
I also liked this book and I enjoyed the rest of the series. Great review!
I have only read the very first book in the series, as well as this one, but I do own the second novel, too, Kathy.
Thanks for stopping by.
Twitter: BerlsS
I haven’t read this series at all yet, but I have it on my list. I love solid characters – especially in a short, that can be so hard to find! Great review Lexxie!
It’s a really good HR series Berls, the female characters are very unconventional 🙂
Wait, a character that speaks Breton ? My Breton ? I have to read this ! Shallow reason, yes, I agree, but after all, apart from Jack Kerouac, I never saw anyone in the British/American world mentioning Breton 😉
Yup, Iza, ‘your’ Breton!! And I love stories where there are different languages mentioned 🙂
Tessa Dare is another author I’m going to have to try, Lexxie. I like the sound of this series – unconventional women and all! 🙂 I just finished my final HR for your mini-challenge. It was sooo good! Thanks for tempting me back to reading HR.
**BIG HUGS**
I’m so happy you’ve enjoyed reading HR these past few weeks, Brandee! Tessa Dare is definitely an author you’d enjoy, her heroines are great 🙂