A Kiss for Midwinter

By Courtney Milan

Miss Lydia Charingford is always cheerful, and never more so than at Christmas time. But no matter how hard she smiles, she can't forget the youthful mistake that nearly ruined her life. But even though the worst was kept secret, someone else knows the truth of those dark days: the sarcastic Doctor Jonas Grantham. She wants nothing to do with him...or the butterflies that take flight in her stomach every time he looks her way.

Jonas Grantham has a secret, too: He's been in love with Lydia for more than a year. And this winter, he's determined to conquer her dislike and win her for his own. All he needs to start is a single kiss...

A Kiss for Midwinter is a novella (38,000 words) in the Brothers Sinister series. It follows The Duchess War. Each book stands on its own, but those who prefer to read in order might want to read that book first.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Courtney Milan
• Release date: Sep 1, 1987
• ISBN: 9781937248109

Courtney Milan

Courtney Milan lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, an exuberant dog, and an attack cat. Before she started writing historical romance, Courtney experimented with various occupations, none of which stuck. Now, when she's not reading (lots), writing (lots), or sleeping (not enough), she can be found in the vicinity of a classroom. You can learn more about Courtney at http://www.courtneymilan.com.

Reviews for A Kiss for Midwinter

[pnrlist · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This belongs on the abused heroine shelf, though Lydia doesn't resemble a lot of the women there. Most of the heroines of my favored trope were violently assaulted and their story is about recovering from the trauma of it. Lydia's tale is less understood to be abuse in society, Victorian or contemporary. But she was lied to and seduced as a very young girl - practically a child - so in my mind, it is not consensual, given her age and inability to truly make an informed decision. And reading her story and the impact of that experience makes that point well.

I liked Lydia, but I adored Jonas. Another beta hero, I loved his lack of social graces and his frankness about medicine, but more than anything, I loved his forward thinking, downright feminist analysis of sexual education and birth control. Milan creates extremely unique, complex and engaging characters, and she is quickly becoming a favorite historical romance author for me. It's a genre I generally read for it's simple, escapist fun, or for it's formulaic plays to smooth my own insecurities; in short, light, easy reading. But everything I have read by Courtney Milan so far has pulled me in and made me invest in characters in a way I rarely do with books I am lazily devouring on a day off. On to the next!

[mickyfine · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Lydia Charingford sees the bright side of everything and the best in everyone. With the exception of Dr. Jonas Grantham. That Grantham is one of a handful of people who knows the scandal that lays in Lydia's past makes every exchange with the man a painful one. But when Jonas makes a wager with Lydia for the prize of a kiss if he wins and the prize of never speaking to her again if she does, Lydia can't resist.A lovely Christmas novella that has a great plot for such a short book. I enjoyed Lydia in The Duchess War and was pleased to get more background for the character and see her get her own happy ending. Jonas' bluntness and jokes about STIs also cracked me up, particularly given the setting of the novel in the 1860s when such topics were particularly taboo. Can stand alone if you're just looking for a Christmas romance read, but more enjoyable if read in sequence in the Sinister Brothers series.

[addictofromance · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This story is a short novella, about 100 pages, so it was easy to breeze right through, and with Milan at the helm of this story, you have quite a ride of romance and tension and yummy treats. Jonas Grantham met Lydia when she was a teenager, and having been a student of medicine at the time, couldn't help her when some mistakes came to light, but now he loves her. He loves Lydia, and she hates him, but he is bound to win her over and with the magic of the season, he will use any weapon at his disposal. Lydia has a secret that if found out could destroy her, and only two people know: her father and Jonas, but will Lydia and Jonas be able to overcome fears and hurts and find true love?What I enjoyed about this story was the chemistry between Jonas and Lydia. At first, they tend to argue and bicker like little children, but when you really press on further into the story, we see a romance blossom between the two, and I enjoyed the light hearted tone of the story. It wasn't very serious and set off a feeling of sweet fun. It a easy read, and can be read as a stand alone, I do love stories like this one. You have two people that need each other, and Jonas's life hasn't been easy either, but he is wonderful with Lydia, and really brings her real nature out and they have quite a connection. I want to tip my hat to Milan for writing a novella that is packed with strong characters, a story with depth and a love story to enchant. A perfect read for the season...get ready for a witty and fun romance.

[unreachableshelf · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A Kiss for Midwinter has a lot going for it, and features plenty of what I love about Courtney Milan. The dialogue is sharp and entertaining, and the historical detail is fascinating. So it is still better than many books I have read, but unfortunately I think it is my least favorite of her works. The problem is Lydia, who is not stupid, but who suddenly becomes stupid when a man who has made a bet with a kiss as the stakes if he wins says that he has been in love with somebody for over the past year and she does not realize that it's her. There are reasons why Lydia might have come to doubt the prospect of happiness, but I got far too much of a sense that she was making things harder than necessary.

[ktleyed · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An endearing little story about a young physician who can't help but remember the young pregnant girl he met five years earlier and how he didn't do more to help her at the time. Now he suddenly realizes she's the same young woman he is considering marrying - the 11th prettiest girl in Leicester. Unfortunately, she remembers him only too well and resents the fact that he knows her secret and thinks he wants her for some sort of unscrupulous design. Little does she know that when he tells her he loves her he really means it and it takes them a few short weeks in mid-winter to realize that they were meant for each other. Lovely little story, I really liked this a lot.

[dpappas_25 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a lovely novella that takes place between the first and second book in the Brothers Sinister series by Courtney Milan. This follows Lydia Charingford, the best friend of Minnie from book one in the series. Lydia has experienced some hardships in her past that only the closest people to her know about. There is one other person who knows about it, Doctor Jonas Grantham, and when he comes back into her life he brings with him memories that Lydia doesn't want to remember.I was really glad that this novella followed Lydia because when I read the first book in the series I was really interested in reading more about Lydia's past. Readers get to learn more about her past and get to see why she is the way she is. I also loved getting to read more about Doctor Grantham. I was happy to see both of them have some happiness in their lives finally. I would recommend this book to fans of the first book in the series and I would recommend that it be read after reading the first book.

[writerbeverly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

4.5 stars. Jonas Grantham is, on the surface, a sarcastic and clinical young man. Lydia Charingford appears blithe and carefree, if coldly resistant to the young doctor's attempts at courting.

Inside, both are hoarding guilty secrets; in fact, the mention of physical hoarding in this book came out of the blue, but I was delighted to see it treated with intelligence and sensitivity.

This is a very full, well-rounded story with much depth, especially for a novella. I've noticed that some reviewers were taken aback by the blunt language used by Doctor Grantham towards Miss Charingford. I perceived him to be pedantic, to perhaps have a touch of Asperger's Syndrome, and thus lacking the social filter which would prevent a young man from speaking about vaginas and French letters, or from informing her that she is the 11th prettiest young woman in the area.

I liked both characters very much, though Lydia was a little harder to hook into, until her ice began cracking. It was interesting, also, that the odor of pine, in the scenes set near the town Christmas tree, had a great deal to do with the collapsing of her barriers; scent has a great deal to do with unlocking memories, but I rarely see it used in fiction.

Very well-written story, great historical elements, unique characters, and wonderfully steamy consummation.

[estellechauvelin · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A Kiss for Midwinter has a lot going for it, and features plenty of what I love about Courtney Milan. The dialogue is sharp and entertaining, and the historical detail is fascinating. So it is still better than many books I have read, but unfortunately I think it is my least favorite of her works. The problem is Lydia, who is not stupid, but who suddenly becomes stupid when a man who has made a bet with a kiss as the stakes if he wins says that he has been in love with somebody for over the past year and she does not realize that it's her. There are reasons why Lydia might have come to doubt the prospect of happiness, but I got far too much of a sense that she was making things harder than necessary.

[lquilter_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Another historical romance in the Brothers Sinister serious, with similarly anachronistic-feeling feel-goodness. A quick and cheerful entry in the "Christmas romance" genre (a genre I really don't get, but okay). I do like the occasional droplet of historic fact, like the point about the change in English Christmas traditions due to Prince Albert, or the composition of "Prussic acid" and its use as an abortifacient.

[thewestwing-864351 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.5 stars - So far these Brother Sinister books are a little odd. They don’t read like other typical historical romances to me. Like I’ve never seen a joke about gonorrhoea in a romance novel before. But I’m kinda loving the quirkiness of it. It makes for a different and memorable read.

[sarielle-2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I haven't read any other books in this series but this novella is really good.

Undevelopment is a common problem of short stories. But fortunately this is not the case. It is a simple love story but not without some depth, internal conflict and just a good idea behind all this.

Lydia and Jonas are fully developed characters that are easy to like. The author devoted a lot of time to displaying their past, thanks to which we fully understand what motivates them and why they behave and think in a certain way. As a result, they look authentic and it’s easy to get attached to them, which is also a common problem in some other novellas. The author also managed to maintain balance and, as a result, neither Lydia nor Jonas are excessively tortured characters.

The romance of Jonas and Lydia is neither too simple nor too complicated. I like when in my books a man is more interested in a relationship than a woman. And you have to admit that Lydia has good reasons to be careful. I also like all the minor side threads that nicely complement this love story. Together they create a very pleasant story.

In fact, this short story is so good that I will certainly read some other works by this author. I haven't read any yet, so there are many possibilities.

[bookworm2bookworm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I actually listened to this story from Audible, and you can too now, because right now this is a FREE Kindle with Whispersync for only $1.99.

This is one of those stories that you either love or you don’t, and I fall in the group of the former.

Ms. Milan never fails to populate her tales with many complex characters and this short story had an abundance of them, from our hero and heroine to their parents and friends.

We met both of these characters in the earlier books, so it was natural to bring them together, but the way this author does it is interesting and it will have you frustrated, sad and in the end you’ll rejoice in their unique relationship.

Without reviling too much, I have to tell you that this is a romance that deals with some issues that make you appreciate your parents just a bit more.

If you haven’t read the first book in the Brothers Sinister’s series, don’t fret, because this little gem totally stands on its own.

Just loved it.

Melanie for b2b
Book provided by the publisher through NetGalley

[ssperson_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved these two so much. I loved that Jonas was able to make Lydia see how much she was hurting without hurting her any further. And his frank talk about sex and body parts made me laugh.

[samnreader · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I get so immersed in the conversations in the book, and there's so much to appreciate.

I find it infuriating though that Lydia is slow on the uptake after the three patient visits, though I did understand her inner conflict. Also, I felt Lydia was slightly underdeveloped although I truly love, as ever, Jonas's continued appreciation for her

The fathers are what really round this story out, besides the detail and competence of the characters.