Can you still miss the person you left behind ten years ago? Ned makes a big decision to change his life and try for another chance with the boy he once had feelings for, as long as Teddy can see a possible future for them as well.
Second Winter is a book of hope through grief set in the beautiful landscape of Sweden. This is second chance low angst romance.
From the blurb:
Ten years ago, Ned Anderson made the biggest mistake of his life.
Now he’s been invited to go back to Sweden for his exchange-year high school reunion. It’s a chance to reunite with all the people he once considered friends, and the invite promises a charcuterie board, open bar, all that…crap.
The biggest mistake of his life was leaving, and if he went back…
Does he even want to?
Teddy Backman has become exactly what everyone expected of him. He runs his farm the way his father once did. Gets up in the morning and gets things done. Tries to remember what’s next. Wonders why he feels so violently lonely when he’s surrounded by so many good things. The sun. The sky. The earth. The trees. All the trees.
He’s already deleted that email—the one inviting him to someone’s idea of a joke. There’s no one from back then he’s interested in talking to, let alone drinking or, God forbid, dancing with.
A high school reunion is Teddy’s idea of a nightmare, and he probably shouldn’t let anyone drag him along. He’ll only regret it.
But what’s the point of regret in the grander scale of things? It’s not like Ned Anderson’s going to turn up, is it? The guy who fled straight back to Arizona without even a last longing glance.
Second Winter is the story of something that was always there. A second chance at happiness in the last place you’d expect to find it.
This book is a standalone contemporary M/M romance with a HEA, dealing with the death of a loved one and the grief that follows. Please read with care if these topics could affect you.
SNik's review:
Standalone. Second chance. Hurt/comfort. Dual POV. Heed content warnings.
Molly Otto's review:
It is a beautiful story of grief and second chances. Ned & Teddy spent their senior year at the same school in Sweden, yet worlds apart in social status until the night that changed it all. Time was not right for these men, so they went forward with their lives on opposite sides of the world.
Now he’s been invited to go back to Sweden for his exchange-year high school reunion. It’s a chance to reunite with all the people he once considered friends, and the invite promises a charcuterie board, open bar, all that…crap.
The biggest mistake of his life was leaving, and if he went back…
Does he even want to?
Teddy Backman has become exactly what everyone expected of him. He runs his farm the way his father once did. Gets up in the morning and gets things done. Tries to remember what’s next. Wonders why he feels so violently lonely when he’s surrounded by so many good things. The sun. The sky. The earth. The trees. All the trees.
He’s already deleted that email—the one inviting him to someone’s idea of a joke. There’s no one from back then he’s interested in talking to, let alone drinking or, God forbid, dancing with.
A high school reunion is Teddy’s idea of a nightmare, and he probably shouldn’t let anyone drag him along. He’ll only regret it.
But what’s the point of regret in the grander scale of things? It’s not like Ned Anderson’s going to turn up, is it? The guy who fled straight back to Arizona without even a last longing glance.
Second Winter is the story of something that was always there. A second chance at happiness in the last place you’d expect to find it.
This book is a standalone contemporary M/M romance with a HEA, dealing with the death of a loved one and the grief that follows. Please read with care if these topics could affect you.
SNik's review:
Standalone. Second chance. Hurt/comfort. Dual POV. Heed content warnings.
Ten years later and Ned still regrets leaving Sweden after being an exchange student for a year, one particular encounter with Teddy and thoughts of a missed life haunt him. Dragged to his high school reunion, Teddy is surprised to see Ned again, and also filled with regret over the man that now lives halfway across the world. There is something so relatable about Ned and Teddy’s feelings of living day to day without happiness or joy and how loneliness and routine can beat you down.
The fact that Ned has the courage to try and grab onto something that once made him happy and perhaps strive to create a relationship with Teddy after feeling such a strong connection is admirable and swoony. I really enjoyed Ned and Teddy’s commitment to being partners, working on supporting each other, letting themselves be vulnerable with each other. Ned and Teddy live hard lives and the moments they carve out to be close and intimate become so important, as well as their maturing together and agreeing to communicate throughout. Soames’ writing always feels emotional, realistic and when the main characters are on page together somehow dream-like, another fantastic read.
Molly Otto's review:
It is a beautiful story of grief and second chances. Ned & Teddy spent their senior year at the same school in Sweden, yet worlds apart in social status until the night that changed it all. Time was not right for these men, so they went forward with their lives on opposite sides of the world.
Ten years later, with their 10-year reunion approaching, these two are given another chance. Sparks fly once again, yet neither is their yet. Ned returns home but knows it's time to go to Sweden permanently. He just needs to find the courage to take that leap. Teddy is home in Sweden coping with the loss of his father and missing the man who changed everything.
When these two give themselves a real shot, they are magic. Ned helps Teddy grieve and be able to move forward. Teddy finds himself for the first time, truly happy. These twos love was inevitable. they just took a few misfires to get there. This could have been a sad story, yet it was one of hope and moving forward.
Second Winter is currently available as an e-book and paperback and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription
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