I loved the new bonus short story addition of Blood and Snow. Soren (Bambi) and Magdalene! Oh boy their convo was very interesting. By the end it feels like a "Stinger!" I really did enjoy all of these stories though. I swear it feels as if Winter is in my house, with the way Tiffany describes the cold lol.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

What could be better than being introduced to a new friend you love in the company of old friends you love? Mark the date because on November 19, author Tiffany Reisz is going to introduce you to that new friend in Winter Tales. Billed as an Original Sinners Christmas Anthology, these stories are soul food for lovers of the Original Sinners series and its characters.

Once upon a time, I wrote that Tiffany Reisz's books often ask more questions than they answer. In December Wine, the new friend in the grouping, the question of how Nico reacts when he learns Kingsley is his father is answered. We also experience Nora's reaction when she sees the man she believes to be the son of her friend and lover. And for anyone who has been curious about what the future might hold for Nora and Zach, that question will be answered as well.

The Christmas Truce takes place on Christmas Eve during the period when Nora and Søren are estranged. Nora and Kingsley are spending the evening reminiscing and wrapping gifts. One thing leads to another and they find themselves making their way to Sacred Heart Church to hear their favorite priest deliver his homily. For that one evening, there is detente between the friends and lovers. Gifts are exchanged, hearts and souls are exchanged, and Nora wonders why every day can't be Christmas Day.

The third novella, Poinsettia, finds a young Søren spending Christmas Eve with his domme and mentor Magdalena. Gifts are given and received that will touch your heart and Magdalena will read a story that almost breaks her heart. I've often marveled at how well Tiffany Reisz goes beneath the surface of her characters and their lifestyles to make them relatable. Poinsettia is a fine example of the way she uses her beautiful words to show us who her Sinners really are.

The Scent of Winter brings Søren and Kingsley together for a magical night - a very special Christmas gift to each other - that is reminiscent of their first night together as lovers. Once more, the author's imagery and the intimacy between these two characters will be profoundly moving.

Finally, like a little gem among larger precious stones, is Blood and Snow in which we find Søren once more with Magdalena who isn't just any domme, but a wise woman who can listen to the concerns of another human being and help him find answers. They may not be exactly the ones Søren is hoping for, but they are exactly what we might expect from our author who loves to play mind games. As readers, we can't wait to find out how both Ms. Reisz and Nora will define revenge!

Winter Tales is a 5 Star gift from author Tiffany Reisz to her readers who love the Original Sinners. If you haven't read the series, you should start now with The Siren! I can promise you books that are beautifully written with humor, well-developed characters, and deliciously twisty erotica. Christmas will come early as you read!

Winter Tales is an anthology of short stories in the Original Sinners universe. Three of these December/Christmas stories were previously available for free on the author's website and/or through her December newsletters: "The Christmas Truce," "Poinsettia," and "The Scent Of Winter." I enjoyed rereading them.

The other two stories are newly released in this anthology: "December Wine" which tells of how Nora first met Nico; and "Blood and Wine" which hints at what to expect in The Priest which will be released in April 2020. I found it interesting comparing and contrasting Soren's POV of first meeting Kingsley in"Pointsettia" with Kingsley's POV of first meeting Soren in The Chateau. We learn some of Soren's and Kingsley's secrets and delve deeper into their relationship with each other and with Nora.

As always, Tiffany Reisz knows how to tell a tale that's the perfect blend of love, sex, and kink.

"Joy and terror—they're twins, you know."

I didn't expect to love this anthology as much as I did. It's not like any other that I've read before. Every novella answers a question that I've had while reading the Original Sinners series, and some that it never crossed my mind to ask. Blanks were filled in while I revisited some favorite memories and characters I've grown to love through the author's incredible writing.

Tiffany Reisz is the #QueenOfKink in my mind. She opened my eyes to things I'd never considered before. She had me going to places virtually that I'd never go in reality, and loving every second of the experience. Her wit and sarcasm through her character's witty banter is one of my favorite things about her writing. She can shock me one minute and have me laughing out loud the next.

I must also mention that she touches my emotions. Yes, I actually cried while reading this book. The characters live outside the box and their idea of normal is not the same as mine. But their hearts are huge and their love is strong. They make sacrifices, sometimes in secret, for each other that go above and beyond. I never pass up an opportunity to dive into a Tiffany Reisz story, no matter where she decides to take me, I never regret the journey. Trust me, if you are already a fan, these Winter Tales are gonna warm up your winter in the very best way.

It's always so much fun to meet with Mistress Nora again. :D She's the most fun but also so sexy the heroine that I've ever read so far. <3

ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are not affected by this exchange.

Are we surprised that I gave this 5 stars? I don't think so. Tiffany Reisz is my all time favorite author. I have rated basically everything she has ever written over 3 stars. This collection of short stories was brilliant. I liked that we got to see all of the characters we love at various points in their lives. One of my favorite things about Reisz is her ability to weave theology and kink together. I am not a religious person but her parallels to religion allow me to understand why people feel the way they do about God.
I rated all 5 short stories in this 5 stars but my favorites were December Wine and Poinsettia.
December Wine was about Nora going to find Nico for the first time. There was so much emotion conveyed in such a short period of time. I will always beg for more from the two of them.
Poinsettia was about young Søren and Magda and learning about each other. I loved the talk about Magda and her animosity towards the Church. I loved how both characters talked candidly about how the Church can be toxic for some people. Magda is an amazing character and it is amazing how someone with so little page time in the series can be so meaningful.

Words continue to escape me when trying to review a Tiffany Reisz book. Her writing is truly in another stratosphere where the term skimming is not only forbidden but you'd be labeled a fool to even think you could even try to get away with that. Your mind would revolt at the loss of the beauty that is her mode of expression. Please just that leap and enjoy this exquisite ride.

With Winter Tales, we are treated to various short stories circling around our beloved Nora, Kingsley and SØREN with the backdrop of Christmas and how it can provide perhaps a bit of magic to these weathered souls. Their witty banter, their insistence on doing things their way is beyond wonderful to watch. The way they behave when in each other's presence is it's own kind of marvelous spectacle with often lofty expectations that are beautifully soothed by even the most subtle of and simplest of gifts.

To witness the sincere emotion, albeit at times almost easy to miss, as the most unexpected of surprises are unleashed had my own heart bursting with love. For characters who have weaved themselves in and out of each other's lives for years, they can still offer a bit of mystery as revelations and confessions are revealed. And give even the most hardened of hearts that bit of humanity and faith they thought was lost forever.

But it's the way Reisz stays true to her characters that continues to give us fans true joy. Although they falter a bit when presented with a new truth or presumed burden, their strong and complicated personalities never fail them and they truly give the term 'gift-giving' a whole new meaning. I shared the joy of the season right along with SØREN, his King and his Eleanor. They are a threesome who never fail to keep me engaged all the while revving up my emotions in the most perfect of ways.

Also enjoying 'cameos' by other beloved personas we've come to know in the Original Sinners series, Winter Tales will make for a grand holiday treat for new and old fans alike. It is not to be missed!

5 + snowy stars!

December Wine:

I'm such a huge Nora x Soren fan now that I forgot how delightful it is to see Nora and Zach together again. My favourite quote of this short:

"Now wait. How is one night with him equivalent to a week with me? Are you and my wife implying that I'm one-seventh of the lover that he is?"

Anyway, Nicolas Delacroix a.k.a Nico Boissonneault! Hearteyes over the first time he came on page.

The bit with Fionn hiccuping reduced me to tears.

he Christmas Truce:

The period when Nora, Kingsley, and Soren were not together is not my favourite period, but anyhoozle, the hart/heart and the Christmas truce is nice.

Poinsettia:

BAMBI, and a little insight into Soren's younger years, as well as long conversations on feelings and Kingsley.

Have I mentioned how much I love Father Ballard? I've loved him a lot in The Confessions of Marcus Stearns.

The Scent of Winter:

I love Soren x Kingsley as much as I love Nora x Soren; I really cannot choose which pairing I love more. There's so much history and love and angst between all of them.

Anyway, Soren at 51 is an Image.

Favourite bit:

"Give la Maitresse my thanks. She takes good care of both my children."
"In very different ways."
"Don't remind me."

Blood and Wine:

Again, reminder of how much Soren loves Nora.

DISCLAIMER #1: Honestly, I didn't think this would have to be said considering this is billed as a RETURN to the Original Sinners as well as a collection of FAN FAVORITE novellas. Still, I have already seen complaints from people who, for some reason, know nothing about this series, but for some reason, requested to read this story anyway. However, IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH OUR SINNERS THAN YOU WILL NOT UNDERSTAND THIS COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES.

And now on to my review.

I have said it before, and I will repeat it. I will NEVER tire of the unholy trinity that is Nora, Kingsley, and Søren. Nor will I ever tire of Mistress Tiffany and her Christmas gift to her faithful readers.

With the exception of December Wine, and the bonus Søren short at the end, the other three novellas were published in e-book format only as special gifts to her readers over the years. Therefore, this anthology spans decades.

Decades of love, of loss, of betrayal.

That is the thing when you pick up a story by Tiffany Reisz. It doesn't matter that the subject matter includes things that are definitely not everyone's cup of tea. The erotica doesn't take center stage, even when it does. There is always so much more. The depth to these characters, their feelings, the convoluted world they navigate, you FEEL them. You are able to experience their pain, their love, their frustrations. Even when you want to hate them, you can't help but love them.

If you worship at the altar of Søren, you will enjoy this anthology. If you haven't yet fallen at his feet? Read The Siren, and then join the rest of us.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

This is not what I was expecting and I really didn’t enjoy it. It just wasn’t romance to me and I found it very difficult to stay interested.

This was a NETGALLEY gift and all opinions are my own.

Winter Tales is a collection of excerpts and short stories based on characters from one of Tiffany Reisz’ series, although it didn’t specify which one. There are many characters but little background so it is difficult to follow at times. This work is very adult, and not mainstream adult. Although the writing is good, the storylines lost me quickly and I chose not to finish this book.

This book was not to my taste and, therefore, I cannot recommend it.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

I have not read any of the other books from this series, and therefore didn't know the history of these characters from this story compilation. The stories were well written, and the plot was good in spite of not being familiar with the characters. The sexy scenes were really good, and actually surprised me in a good way. I would definitely read more by this author.

In this novella, December Wine, Nora Sutherlin has decided to act on her knowledge of a secret that affects Kingsley. Taking along her editor, Zach Easton, for moral support, she meets the mysterious Nicolas Delacroix and makes the decision to irrevocably change his life.

“There was life here, lurking behind the trees and inside the vines and under the ground and over the clouds. Life, biding its time, hiding, waiting…”

What occurs in this storyline fills in the gaps regarding Nora’s emotions surrounding a particular event. It also explores Nora’s feelings about being true to her friend. As for Nico, getting more history about him certainly added dimension to his character and for what is to come between he and Nora.

“He was Nico, not Nicolas. And she was Nora, not an Eleanor.”

As always, returning to the Original Sinners is entertaining with exploration in emotional depth, humor and sexual pleasures.

I had never read any of the ‘original sinners’ novels and probably should’ve before reading ‘winter tales’. Having said that I did enjoy the short stories but found it hard to keep up as there were lots of characters and the stories weren’t in chronological order. I can definitely see why everyone has given high reviews though and will be adding the ‘original sinners’ series to my TBR list!!

I received ARC from the publisher, this little winter-themed anthology of Original Sinners short-stories arrives just in time to cozy up by the fire with this HOT little collection of novellas as winter approaches.

I had not read the Original Sinners series prior to reading this collection of short stories, but I was so intrigued by the characters that I am now completely hooked on the series and have just recently finished most of it! The collected novellas are not in chronological order, which can throw your for a loop if you are not already very familiar with the Original Sinners series.

Winter is the overarching theme connecting the collection of novellas and if you are an OS fan then when you think of Winter, you think of Soren! Tiffany delivers a hot new Soren fix with her short story, "Blood and Snow.” I’m on the edge of my seat waiting for "The Priest", releasing in 2020!

Winters Tales - Tiffany Reisz
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you’re an Original Sinners fan you’ll definitely want to read Winters Tale.
A beautifully crafted compilation of stories from the world of Søren, Nora and Kingsley that will feed your need for this trio.
Stories are from different POV’s, interspersed through standing stories, filling in tangible parts of the already wonderful world of these characters.
Tiffany Reisz does an amazing job of reminding us of poignant times in the lives of Nora, Kingsley and Søren.
As always brilliantly written bad a pleasure to read about and have a deeper understanding of these incredible characters.

these sinner tales are short, deep and oh so hot wowers! i must say December wine was my favorite and i loved each little sip of it

I wanted to like Winter Tales, I really did. I was intrigued by the thought of Nora and Nico meeting in the short story December Wine and this description of Nico: “he wants nothing to do with his father… but everything to do with Nora.” So, December Wine sounds like a Nora and Nico and story, am I right? The reality is that the author is writing a Nora and Zach story, and this is where it goes wrong. We all know that Nora can break the rules, it makes for a fun, sexy story, but we also know the author shouldn’t break the rules. What rule has Reisz broken? In this reviewer’s opinion she has broken the number one rule in writing. Likeable characters. Flawed characters, yes, but ultimately still likeable. Nora as a character is based on the archetype of the Siren. The author even titled her first novel “The Siren” so as to make no mistake that this is Nora. She is highly sexual, takes what she wants, has no regrets. Think of Samantha in the TV show Sex and the City. But as a character, the Siren walks a fine line of likeability. She needs to be careful, needs to learn how to direct herself, learn what is off limits. And now I come to the point. Marital Pass or not, a married father is off limits. Yes, yes, I know, the kinky world has different rules, you say. Nope… No…. It just doesn’t matter. When children are involved, there is no desire strong enough to justify a fling with a married father. Sure, it might not damage a relationship now, but the future is unknown. And what’s best for a child is two parents when at all possible.
This story should have been about how much Nora might want Zach, and has approval from Grace, but knows better and is now mature enough to restrain herself. And Zach is not innocent here either. No matter how much Zach might like the idea of sleeping with Nora, he is a father now, and he’s the happiest he’s been in years and given his reluctance to sleep Nora the first time, at this point he should be even more reluctant to do anything that might jeopardize his happy home.
NOW, enter Nico. Here is a rule Nora can break: sleeping with a friend’s twenty-something son. He has no attachments. Perfect! And let the sexiness begin…
True, this is entertainment, not reality. Still, I think some character growth on Nora’s part and plain old common sense on Zach’s part would have made for a better story. Sure, the overall plot would have changed up- and perhaps having sex with Nico at this point would have been difficult to mesh with existing plot elements in other books. Somehow, I think Reisz could have made it work.
The middle stories of The Christmas Truce, Poinsettia, and The Scent of Winter are established stories that I won’t comment on, but the final short story of Blood and Snow is new. And laughable. Again, the author misfires here. Soren is based on God. And here we have him seeking Magdalena for information on his future and Nora’s state of mind after she learns of Fionn. Really? Soren is supposed to be extremely insightful, able to read a person he hardly knows, keeper of knowledge and languages. But wait! He gets his information from Magda?!? Couldn’t he just ask Nora how she felt? Manipulating conflict into existence through two lovers lack of communication is too simple for the normally magnificent Reisz.
I received an ARC of Winter Tales. Thanks to NetGalley and author Tiffany Reisz.

Fans of the Original Sinners series won't want to miss this!

Winter Tales includes three previously released Original Sinners Christmas novellas, The Christmas Truce, Poinsettia, and The Scent of Winter, along with a new novella, December Wine, and a bonus short story, Blood and Snow. Long-time fans of Tiffany Reisz will know that the annual Christmas story is a holiday treat that is not to be missed, and this year's new story bundled with a few old favourites hits the spot!

The new novella, December Wine, gives a glimpse at Nora and Nico's first meeting, as well as finally giving the dirt on Nora and Zach's week together in France. The bonus short story rounding out the end of the book provides a nod to the future which will leave you itching to get your hands on a copy of the forthcoming ninth book in the series, The Priest.

As always, Reisz injects her stories with such humour and heart that these Winter Tales will feel like the literary equivalent of being bundled up in a warm blanket by the fire with a rich cup of hot chocolate. They're sure to put you in the holiday spirit!

I can never get enough of these characters. This anthology is packed full of them. All of our favorites spanning the history of those delicious Sinners including the all new Original short story Winter Wine.
This for any OS fan is just what you're looking for, You're getting closure for certain things while opening the door to pandoras box at the same time. You're getting an insight to feelings we may not have realized we've had. all this while being sexy, fun and intoxicating. No spoilers because that's too easy. We are meeting Nico and Nora and Zach as always do not dissapoint. The detailed way of bringing us right back into moments of previous books. You feel so much. This never ending connection, I think everyone who reads this feels this way. The other short stories have been released previously as Ebooks and of Course a little something from Soren. Now you have them here and you know you can read them over and over, If you haven't read them. Now is the time. I highly suggest you read this series if you haven't I might even question your judgement in books if you haven't.
arc provided by NetGalley for Honest Review