This is the first book I've read by Lisa Gabriele and I loved every word. She had me hooked on word. Lisa did a fabulous job with the remake of Rebecca. You can feel the tension as she builds the story around Max and his daughter Dani who we are convinced is absolutely a crazy teenager. I love how the point of view character is not named and I barely noticed until about halfway through. The scenes with Dani were the most tense.

The Winters by Lisa Gabriele is an updated retelling of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca. Our main character ( an unnamed young lady) is working for a charter boat service. With no family since the death of her father, her future is looking very bleak. Enter Max Winter. After a short whirlwind romance, Max proposes and takes her back to his mansion, Asherley, on Long Island. Once there she meets her soon to be step daughter , Dani, who is a troubled teenager determined to cause a riff between the new couple. As she starts to settle in and becomes more aquatinted with her new family and surroundings, she begins to think all is not as it seems.

Once I started, it was hard to put down even when you could predict what was going to happen. I enjoyed this updated modern version of Rebecca. There were enough differences to make it interesting but similar enough to feel like an old favorite. Definitely worth a read.

I love Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier so when I read the description of this book I was both intrigued and excited to give it a try.

Following in du Mauriers footsteps is not for the faint of heart and I was definitely let down reading this. I didn’t care too much about the MC and the beginning seemed to drag on. The daughter,Dani, ugh! This book had none of the gothic creepiness of the original. I now need to go reread Rebecca to cleanse my palette.

2.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

The Winters is an audacious book, in that it grabs very explicitly the iconic story Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier, in both hands and writes a bold new modern-day retelling of Max Winter and his new wife, following the death of his first wife Rebecca (or Rebekah in this novel).

It's not a simple thing to follow in Daphne Du Maurier's footsteps, but Lisa Gabriele does a pretty good job of i t.
The Winters is a modern rendering of Rebecca, and while that may cause some eye-rolling of "not yet again another adaptation of a classic," the novel truly delivers.
Max Winter and his daughter Dani form a fractured family when Max's new bride comes to join the fray. However, the spirit of Max's first wife Rebekah is still a strong presence in the house, commanding everything and everyone even in death.
With an unlikely ending and a well-constructed plot, Lisa Gabriele does Du Maurier proud.

3.5

A young woman is living a simple life when she meets Max Winter. Max is handsome, rich and a fairly recent widow. The two immediately fall in love. The young woman, who stays nameless, accepts Max's proposal of marriage and moves into his Majestic home that is called Asherley. Max's 15 year old daughter Dani also live there. Both Max and Dani act as if they are still grieving the death of Rebekah, Max's wife and Dani's Mom. We soon get the feeling that one of these two is not telling the truth over how they felt about Rebekah. Is it Max or Dani?

The overview states this is inspires by Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. I've never read Rebecca so I was able to go into The Winters with no expectations or comparisons. For me, this book had to stand on its own.

We get a sense early on the all is not as it seems with Max. He is a roller coaster of emotions, especially when it comes to his first wife. And then we get to meet Dani. Oh boy! Is her over the top behavior due to the loss of her Mom, being a teenage or being totally spoiled? Maybe all three? And then the young woman who at first can't believe her good fortune in meeting Max, only to discover her life has turned into a nightmare.

I found this to be a pretty good page turner. The story went right down to the wire before we find out who's telling the truth. I was actually hoping for a happily ever after ending. It was anything but that.

My thanks to Penguin Group - Viking and Netgalley.

I've never read Rebecca, so I had no preconceived notions about this one. I read it with fresh eyes, and a word that kept coming to mind was "haunting ". I don't think I've used that word before in a description, but there you have it. I really enjoyed this, and it is one of those rare books I plan to reread.

I admit I did not get far in this book, so I won't be leaving a review on my Goodreads page. It felt like reading Rebbeca again, and the language was a bit choppy without much to draw me in. I decided not to slog through. Perhaps big fans of deMaurier will pick this up (the publisher description is great), but the first chapter does not do much to entice further reading.

This new take on the classic novel Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier evokes the Gothic suspense feel of the original with some twists that bring it into the modern era.

The second Mrs. Winter, who is never given a name of her own, is again a naive and idealistic young woman employed by a brash, overbearing American. Early on in the novel she meets and falls in love with the widower Max Winter, whose first wife, Rebekah, died in a car accident two years previously. Max's daughter, Dani, is spoiled and impetuous; and NOT ready for a stepmother. Our protagonist tries to make a home at Max's ancestral estate Asherley, but with the erratic and often cruel behavior of Dani and the specter of the impossibly perfect Rebekah shadowing her efforts she finds it difficult to carve out a space for herself. As more and more twisted events unfold at Asherley, our leading lady has to unravel layer upon layer of deceit to finally find out the truth of what happened to Rebekah, and what is happening to her.

The characters are not as complex as they could be – but the self-doubt and wavering of the main character rings true for me. I often found myself angry at the characters in this book – either for their spinelessness or poor decision making, but even when I didn’t like the characters I still wanted to know what happened next! This is a fast and easy read with lots of suspense. Definitely worth your time, especially if you are a fan of du Maurier’s Rebecca.

Rebecca is one of my all time favorite books so I was willing to give this one a try..however the first strike against it was Dani as a petulant teenager that definitely took some getting used to and then it bogged down in the middle and I ended up switching to the audiobook to see if I could actually finish it.

I think I would have liked this book much better if it had not been a re-telling of Rebecca I may have enjoyed this story more if it had not had anything to do with Rebecca.

An okay story but the whole Rebecca connection lost it for me.

2 1/2 stars

Fast-paced, thrilling and twisted are just some ways to describe this thriller. It is Flowers in the Attic neat and yet is nothing like anything else that was produced this year.

The genesis for The Winters is the well-known mystery, Rebecca by Daphne duMaurier. I first read Rebecca many years ago and it has always been one of my favorite books. So, when I heard about this “imposter” called The Winters, I was very skeptical that it would hold my attention, let alone be as interesting as duMaurier’s book.

I’m happy to say that I was very pleasantly surprised that not only is The Winters well-written, it also carves a path of its own. While there are similarities to Rebecca, Lisa Gabrielle’s book is a modern story with characters created from the author’s imagination. Indeed, I would hesitate to compare Gabriele’s book to the duMaurier classic. They are very different. However, The Winters is a well-written mystery that can stand on its own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this reading experience and I will certainly be on the lookout for future titles by this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Four stars: A thrilling retelling of Rebecca with an ending you won’t see coming.

For one young woman, life has been a series of hardships and work. Then just like Cinderella, she finds herself swept off her feet by a handsome, older man who recently lost his wife. Before she knows it, she is engaged to be married and headed to live in a large mansion on a secluded island. Everything seems to be perfect, but then again, appearances can be deceiving as the next Mrs. Winters to be settles in at Asherley, dark secrets come bubbling forth, and she begins to see things in a new light. What really happened to Rebecca?

What I Liked:
*Rebecca remains one of the perennial classic favorites. So I was hesitant and excited to pick up The Winters. Would this book do justice to the original or ruin it? Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised, this book captures the essence of Rebecca while adding in new and unique spins and twists. I couldn’t put it down. It was an addictive read!
*Just like in the original story, our main character remains nameless, which adds to the intrigue. I liked that the heroine was plucky and that she came from nothing and she knew plenty about hardship. She feels intimidated by Rebecca’s shadow, but she learns to come out and stand in the light. I thought she grew and transformed into a force to be reckoned with.
*I was surprised and pleased by the friendship that was forged between Dani and the heroine. At first, the relationship is contentious, but things gradually change. I liked the way it turned out, and I thought this friendship was one of the highlights of the story.
*Dani is a fascinating character. She is complex and hard to understand at first. Is she a deranged, spoiled brat or is there something more to her demeanor? I went back and forth over her character, I loathed her, I sort of liked her, I felt sorry for her and then I liked her again. I loved the conundrum of her character.
*The suspense is thick, and it keeps layering on and on. I liked that I was drawn in by the mystery of Asherley and what happened to Rebecca and what is going on with Dani. The tension builds and builds to a shocking climax and an ending you won’t see coming. Loved it!
Maxine was another character who completely surprised me in a good way. Loved the way she stepped up.
*I liked the setting of Asherley. It wasn’t quite as atmospheric as Mandalay in the original, but it comes close.
*The ending is stunning. I was shocked by the final twist. There was a brilliant climax followed by a pleasant aftermath. I liked how things settled out.
And The Not So Much:
*I wish the creepy, gothic atmosphere from the original was transferred to this one. The setting didn’t capture that eerie feeling that ratchets up the suspense in Rebecca.
*Even though I liked the ending, the author throws in this weird line right at the very end about meeting the grandmother for the first time, I was left wondering why she found her after all this time. It was rather jarring.
*I was left wondering more about the real Rebecca. I would liked to have gotten to know her through other character’s eyes.
*I was bothered that the door was left ajar regarding one of the character’s fate.

The Winters was an addictive book that borrows from the classic Rebecca while providing some brilliant new spins on the old tale. I loved the mystery, the suspense and the characters. I especially enjoyed the stunning finale. If you have read the original give this one a chance and if you haven’t grab this and enjoy it.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

Evoking the Gothic unease of Daphne Du Maurier's classic, Rebecca, this novel gives us a similarly naive young woman who has little money and a dreary future who is swept off her feet by a handsome older man with a lot of money and a very large and creepy house. He also has a dead wife and a snotty teenage daughter who sets out to make our heroine's life hell.

This isn't really my cuppa tea. The heroine is extremely naive, the romance is .... well, a romance, and I am not a romance fan, and the only character who has real complexity is Dani, the impossible teenager. It's a bit draggy as the wedding approaches and our heroine tries to figure out how to cope with an often absent fiance and a perplexing teen and the spooky presence of a dead wife. There are some nice twists toward the end, though the resolution is a bit less complex than the sorting-out that proceeds it. This will be fun for fans of Gothic suspense and the original Rebecca, who will probably give it more stars than I will.

The Winters by Lisa Gabriele Book Review
Romance, suspense & a beautiful estate haunted by memories. Lisa Gabriele knows how to draw out the suspense she left me breathless at the end.

Inspired by Rebecca
Horrible bookish confession here, but I have not read Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. Ban me from this blog! It's been on my shelf for years & I keep planning to read it & then whomp - I don't. I've got to get it together over here, friends! After reading The Winters, I'm even more desperate to read the classic tale.

Strong & Reliable Female Lead
First, I love the main character. She's strong, determined, independent & I can't remember her name! (Goes to scour book) Okay, I don't think she has a name. I confirmed this by checking out Gare's casting on Instagram. I'm Into this unnamed narrator thing! Now, she can be anyone/everyone.

Yes, she does leave her home, workplace and only "family" to head to Asherley Estate with an older, rich man. But, I feel like she really loves him. Honestly, she's genuine & endearing. That's why it's easy to root for her once she meets Max Winter's devilish daughter. She's a trustworthy narrator, which I SO appreciate. So, when she says she feels a ghostly presence, I totally believe her!

Cue the Spooky Music
If a book's description mentions ghosts, I want to get a creepy sensation as I turn the pages. I wanted a spooky story with The Witch of Willow Hall, which I enjoyed, but was more historical fiction.  Luckily, The Winters delivers some supernatural spookiness, but also elements of a crime thriller. I loved it. About 3/4 of the way through the book, I felt the storyline lag just a bit. Before I knew it, things ramped up & I couldn't get through the pages fast enough.

THE VERDICT
I am Really Into This book! It's a heck of a story, easy to read, thrilling & filled a hint of romance & a generous serving of suspense.

Special thanks to Lisa Gabriele, Viking Books & NetGalley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

I have no clue what Rebecca by Daphne de Maurier is, other than it’s a book that Lisa Gabriele based The Winters on. That means I came into this story without knowing what the story would entail, where the story would go, and what I was reading. For me, this was a great thing. I started the book with an open mind, an excitement for what I was about to read, and an interest in learning whatever I can about the characters. Lisa Gabriele wrote a story that kept me reading, guessing, and wondering what was going to happen with Max Winters, his fiancé, and his daughter.

The love story of Max and his fiancé was intriguing. Instantly I felt there was more to come for them, while I hoped for happiness I knew that it couldn’t be that easy. There were so many unknowns, so many twists, turns, ups and downs that I was kept on my toes. I loved that I was kept guessing and that I truly didn’t know what was going to happen until it actually happens. When Max returned home to the estate that he lived in with his dead wife and his teenage daughter I knew that there had to be more to come. Dani was a typical teenager as far as not being happy that her father met someone new and did the teenage things to make her not welcome in their lives.

There was so much anticipation, the story was told little by little, with each dialogue I had to guess what wasn’t being told and what the truth was. The Winters is a psychological thriller that kept me turning page after page excited to see where this story would go next.

In this modern interpretation of Daphne DuMaurier’s Rebecca, an impoverished and orphaned young woman working at a marina in the Cayman Islands meets wealthy widower Max and a whirlwind romance ensues. She accompanies him back to his manor on an island off of the Hamptons where she meets his family, staff and troubled daughter. As she struggles to integrate into a life completely foreign to her, she learns that appearances are not what they seem and the secrets that she uncovers are life-threatening.

It has been probably about 30 years since I’ve read Rebecca and, needless to say, I recall liking the book and the overall gothic feel, but not much about the plot. Therefore, this read was a profoundly entertaining and unexpected complete surprise for me. This definitely had a gothic feel with the dark isolated setting and the mansion, yet I loved the juxtaposition of modernity with the references of social media, cellphones, etc. I was completely surprised by the twist and found it to be a refreshing take on family dynamics. Overall, a fast-paced, rewarding read that left me wanting more. 5 well-deserved stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley, Viking and Lisa Gabriele for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Inspired by Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, Gabriele's The Winters is modern-day Gothic suspense at its finest, replete with murmurings of a mansion's deceased residents and the secrets of an abandoned greenhouse. 

Wealthy New York state senator Max Winter first meets the unnamed female protagonist in the Grand Cayman where she is working at a local boat charter company. The unnamed heroine embarks on a whirlwind romance with Max after he charters her boat and asks her to return to his estate of Asherley in the Hamptons and become his wife.

The constant undercurrent running through this novel reveals the insecurity of the young woman, soon to be the next Mrs. Winter. As both of her parents are deceased, she is essentially an orphan, and she easily succumbs to Max's charm.

No longer at the mercy of a difficult employer, the woman experiences wealth beyond her wildest dreams especially when she views the magnificent estate of Asherley. Her new life of apparent ease isn't without complications. Max's teenaged daughter Dani is difficult at best, filled with normal teenaged angst which is magnified by her privileged background. 

Though Max's new love tries to bond with Dani, she is rebuffed repeatedly and also faces the constant reminders of Max's first wife, Rebekah, whose photographs adorn the mysterious turret room at Asherley. 

Glimpses that Dani may be thawing towards her soon-to-be step-mother give the woman hope that she can establish her place at Asherley despite the fact that Max is frequently absent in Albany where his senatorial work takes him. The lonely woman spends much of her time in the boathouse, refinishing a boat that she decides will be her gift to her step-daughter upon her marriage to Max. 

As Max finally caves to his new love's repeated pleas about his past, he details the events that led to the car accident which claimed Rebekah's life. His new love is torn between her loyalty to Max and her desire to establish a relationship with Dani. 

Though her insecurity is what enables her to easily succumb to Max's allure, his soon-to-be wife is able to overcome her insecurity to persevere as she refuses to accept Max's constant reluctance to reveal the details of his relationship with Rebekah. 

But that same perseverance is a double-edged sword as the closer she gets to the  truth, the more her eyes are opened and she sees that something is amiss in the Asherley household. Is Dani deliberately sabotaging her relationship with Max, or is there another more sinister force at work than a teenaged girl acting out her frustrations towards her father?

Gabriele has created a spellbinding read that is truly enticing. The mastery of a story-book romance gone awry as cracks mar the carefully constructed facade will keep the reader guessing until the final breathless conclusion.

In a modern re-imagining of Rebecca, Gabriele weaves a thrilling tale of love and greed. If you read and loved Rebecca, don't fear that this is a needless update; The Winters is wholly original with just enough of the plot points of Du Maurier's classic to keep you guessing as to Max Winter's devotion to his first wife and his current one right up until the last chapter.

This was a really well-paced thriller with enough twists and turns that kept me hooked to the very end.