4.5 Stars

I’ve had a bit of a bumpy ride with my beloved Black Dagger Brotherhood series this year. And honestly, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the release of this book because it felt a bit too soon for me to read this HEA. How could J.R. Ward make me think it was the right thing? But I went into this book with an open mind and let it take me on a ride. And I’m happy that I did.

If you haven’t read THE SHADOWS, you may want to skip reading this review as it may be a little spoilery but I’ll try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. This is the HEA for Trez and Selena, with a twist. We’ve seen that twist coming in the past few books and I personally wasn’t on board with it. And then I kept comparing this to Tohr and I just couldn’t wrap my head around why this was happening now. But let’s put those feelings aside. It took me a while to feel like WHERE WINTER FINDS YOU hits a stride. At first it was a tad slow to get into but I think I realized that it was delivering what it was supposed to. A sweet Christmas story. It has winter charm and it may even be a little mushy feeling. It fit the HEA really well.

While this story is not without some plot holes, I think I was so happy with how I enjoyed the HEA that I overlooked those. I was also expecting this to be a novella but it was a full length book basically. It focuses on the main love story without going too much on the sidelines with extras.

I think longtime fans of the BDB will find this story delivers on the sweet romance that Trez deserves and it brings it about in a way that felt natural and right. I was happy with the end result. It is also my favorite HEA and BDB book of this year so I think I really needed that boost of love for the series. It’s left me excited to read THE SINNER. Who’s ready for more BDB?

I don’t know how I feel about this book. My feelings are all tangled up and I can’t quite work out if I liked it or not. I’m very conflicted and I don’t appreciate that very much.

Trez’s story was told in The Shadows. That wasn’t a good book. I can see what JRW was doing as far as Trez’s story arc now that I’ve read WWFY. That doesn’t mean I liked it.

Trez lost his mate, Selena, at the end of The Shadows. She was a Chosen and she had a degenerative disease that only the Chosen get. Trez had to watch his mate die at the end and if that doesn’t mess a person up, what does?

Fast forward a few years. Therese has left home after being lied to about being adopted. Arriving in Caldwell, Therese gets a job as a waitress at Sal’s. She’s determined to support herself and to show that she can stand on her own two feet.

When Trez first lays eyes on Therese, he is floored. She looks exactly like Selena. Like a carbon copy. The feelings that he has for Therese don’t make sense unless she is Selena reincarnated.

I didn’t really care for Therese one way or another. If there was one way to go, I would say I didn’t like her. She was so selfish when she left her family, not even thinking that they were protecting her. That part just rubbed me the wrong way. I did like her reaction when she found out that Trez believed she was his mate reincarnated. I thought it was very appropriate. Other than that, I just didn’t connect with her.

Therese was Selena, but she wasn’t reincarnated. Lassiter took Selena’s soul when she died and passed it into Therese hoping that Trez and Therese would eventually find each other. I don’t know how I feel about that either. Honestly, it’s too easy. IMO, Therese shouldn’t have anything to do with Selena. I think that JRW took the easy way out here, which was disappointing. « Hide Spoiler


Rating: 2.5 out of 5

After the emotional distress of The Shadows, I was ready, and yet not, for this story. I saw it coming for a few books now but I was not fully prepared for what this book was gonna bring. When I finished chapter one with tears in my eyes I just KNEW that this was gonna be a doozy. And I couldn’t wait. So I grabbed a box of tissues, got comfortable and dove right in.

Everyone seemed to get their HEA but not Trez. He’s been floating in and out for a while now. The pain so great. He avoids everyone because his pain seems to bring them all down to his level and he doesn’t wanna do that. When he first met Therese and she was the spitting image of his Chosen, he couldn’t get her out of his mind. It was an instant shock to his system. Come to find out, it was the same with as well.

Therese is trying to make a life for herself and doesn’t need any handouts or distractions. But there’s just something about Trez that she can’t put her finger on. There’s more to the Shadow than she thinks. But while she tries to distance herself, the fates have another thing in mind.

I needed this book. Diehard fans need this. I am so happy that J.R. Ward gave us what we wanted. There were so many scenes that tugged at my heart and had me reaching for those tissues. Family is the theme all throughout this book. An unbreakable familial bond, weaved together with love. My heart is truly happy. If you believe in happily ever afters, then you definitely need to pick up a copy of Where Winter Finds You.

I am sad to say that I did not read the first book with Trey (Shadow) in it. I will be correcting that mistake soon. I have a whole marathon of Black Dagger Brotherhood series on my new year reading for January. I enjoyed the book for what it was and the fact that Trey was really having a hard time not believing that the woman he had meet is not his deceased beloved. I find that not having read book one of his story was frustrating me to no ends. I wanted to stop several times and go pick up The Shadows. I wanted to understand the struggle and trouble that Trey went through. I did find that him meeting Therese to be a kind of meant to happen. They both needed to let go of the past and embrace the present.

As the story unfolds you get glimpses of the past and what brought each, Trey and Therese to the point they were at when we meet them. I found the story rich, engaging, intense, and emotional. There was that touch of forever through all times and place kind of love.

You had to go through the sad and heartbreaking to get to the other side of what was being offered. I recommend this story to all of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series fans. I also recommend it to those looking for that all encompassing holiday read that will pull at your heart, maybe a few tears, and believer in love for eternity. Caution to read book one of Trey (The Shadows, Black Dagger Brotherhood, #13) first.

This addition to the series is most certainly a romance. There are depths of things in the background that are not fully explored but this was a heartbreaking romance that had a hint of sorrow, pain, fate, and forever love. J. R. Ward has done it again. She has her own way of revisiting characters and making things work for them even a second time around. Seeing things work for Trey this time was interesting.

4.25 stars--WHERE WINTER FINDS YOU is the 17.5 instalment in J.R. Ward’s contemporary, adult BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD paranormal, romance series. This is Shadow Trez Latimer, and Therese’s story line. WHERE WINTER FINDS YOU can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading THE SHADOWS book 13 for Trez’s backstory and history.

WARNING: If you have not read book 13 THE SHADOWS, there may be some spoilers in my review.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Trez and Therese) WHERE WINTER FINDS YOU follows Shadow Trez Latimer as he struggles to go forward without the woman he loves. Months earlier Trez’s ‘shellan’ (mate) Selena, one of the Chosen, succumbed to a rare disease of her kind, known as the Arrest. Fast forward to present day wherein, with the approach of the Christian human holiday Christmas, Trez battles not to join his shellan in the fade but if not for a female vampire called Therese, whose likeness to Selena gave Trez, and everyone pause. What ensues is the building relationship between Therese and Trez, and the potential fall-out as Trez continues to struggle with the loss of Selena.

Therese, a female vampire, struggles with her past. Discovering she was adopted, Therese felt compelled to come to Caldwell, New York, in an effort to move on with her life, such as it is. Everyone she meets is shocked at her appearance, and if not for Trez Latimer, Therese would not be alive today. Trez Latimer, one of the rare Shadow vampires, finds himself battling between head and heart as it pertains to the woman that looks identical to his beloved shellan. With his brother iAm warning him about the potential for another heart break, Trez begins a slow seduction of our story line heroine, a seduction that brings with it too many memories of the past.

The relationship between Trez and Therese is one of instant attraction but Therese is unaware of her uncanny likeness to Trez’ former shellan. Nights of dreaming about her mysterious shadow man finds Therese realizing that perhaps, her dreams are more memories than anything else. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The colorful secondary and supporting characters include Trez’ brother iAm, as well was iAm’s shellan; symphaths Rehvenge and Zhex; as well as several members of the BDB; Bitty, Fritz; Therese’ parents Larisse and Rosengareth, and her brother Gareth; and of course, the ever present Lassiter; and Therese’s co-workers Emile and Liza.

WHERE WINTER FINDS YOU is a story of family, heartache, grief and loss; struggle, depression, second chances and hope; a story of love transcending pain and loss, sadness and time. The premise is engaging and emotional; the characters are numerous, colorful and energetic; the romance is seductive and captivating - wrap yourself up in a cozy blanket for a long winter’s night.

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Trez Latimer is a Shadow who not long ago sacrificed everything to mate with Selena, a Chosen. When she later died, a part of him did, too. His brother and those in his life who care for him worry that he’s lost his will to live and are concerned that he’ll take matters in his own hands. But recently, a young woman named Therese comes to work for iAm in his restaurant as a server and stuns all that see her because she’s a dead ringer for Selena.

I so love being back in the world of the Brotherhood. There’s nothing like these stories and characters, no matter the subject, especially on audio, and this one is no different. I will always listen to Jim Frangione narrate them as he’s a critical component of the whole experience.

Since Therese entered the series, I’ve been waiting for this story and am happy it came during the holiday season. That Trez and Therese would eventually come together was inevitable and my hope was that it be imaginative and unconventional. To some degree it was, augmented in part with some involvement by others (we get some serious Lassiter time). Trez moves cautiously and Therese is inexplicably drawn to him but she has no idea of her visual connection to Selena. You know at some point this will culminate into something dramatic but the journey there was passionate and heartwarming. I rooted for them.

When Selena died, I just didn’t feel like that was Trez’s story or fate. Some fans of the series were disturbed by the author’s decisions to follow this path (I wasn’t), even though it was an extremely well written book. I just didn’t think that was the end for some reason. For me, this filled that void left after the conclusion of The Shadows. Did things wrap up a bit easily? Maybe. But, this time, it feels complete. 4.5 stars

Favorite Quotes:

Honestly, he hadn’t just been born under a bad star; he’d been born under one that kicked him in the nuts so badly, he’d coughed them out in his hand.

Clapping a hand over her mouth, the absurdity of it all struck her bell so hard, she nearly snorted. And as she vowed to stop— because he was clearly not in a good mood— she really wished she was a good giggler, one of those females who managed to express oh-that’s-funny in a melodic, pretty way. But nope. Not even close. She was a grunter. A chortler. A water buffalo crossed with an army tank backfiring.


My Review:

I was a late convert to the Brotherhood, I’ve only read two so far but I was quickly hooked. This world and characters are all new to me so I’m several football fields behind the eight-ball in understanding how they all fit together with their backstories and special language, but I don’t care, I am completely blown away by the stellar quality of the writing.

J.R. War obviously loves words and she knows how to use them and arrange them in the most arresting and entertaining manner. I find her lore intriguing and her characters uniquely fascinating and complicated with complex histories and rich interior lives. Her narratives are densely packed with profoundly wordy insights and inner musings that dissect each thought and observation into intensely detailed minuscule pieces that captivate and enthrall. The storylines are multifaceted, highly sensual, and surprisingly amusing with unexpected outbursts of humor, such as an angel who boogies and swears. I wonder if I would live to tell the tale if I cleared my calendar for a month and read the entire series sequentially? At the very least, I would definitely need to stock up on wine and underwear before attempting such a daring feat.

This book was perfect for this time of the year!It came the perfect time and it was exactly what I needed!I love this author's writing and her characters are so fantastic!


Blessed are those who believe in all that two hearts aligned achieve. For once united, no matter where winter finds them, they will always be warm.

I love the chemistry between Therese and Trez, you can feel it!Both Trez and Therese have secrets they’re hiding as their relationship begins.

4.5 Stars! A Lassi Christmas Miracle!!

Where Winter Finds You by JR Ward is a fantastic companion to The Shadows novel in the series. Trez’s story gutted me. I was so excited when author JR Ward announced the synopsis for this book. And she does not disappoint.

I love the chemistry between Therese and Trez. Author JR Ward does an incredible job building the connection they share. Both Trez and Therese have secrets they’re hiding as their relationship begins. It feels like they have always known each other. Trez makes assumptions that I made too!! Could it be? But then Therese is as different as she is familiar. Is it new love or old love? I was captivated by the story line. And all I wanted was for Trez to get an HEA after all his pain and loss.

I love being in the BDB world. Love how we see the Brothers and the Shellans in each volume, regardless of the book’s main couple, because they are an integral part of the bigger story and the overall theme.

I absolutely love Lassiter and his role in this story. He is my favorite angel.

This story is a bit angsty, a bit dramatic, and sexy AF. I loved it and definitely recommend. It’s not a typical holiday book, it’s a BDB Christmas book.
~ Maria
Literati literature lovers blog

This book makes "coming home" to the boys and Cadwell worth it. I am thrilled we got another book about Trez and the Shadows. My heart needed this book way more than I realized. It's all about 2nd chances, and all that pain that those entail. This in no way a standalone, please read the series to get the full effect this book can cause on your emotions. It's deeply emotional, has chemistry that sparks, and it's healing all at the same time. Some of my favorite characters make appearances in this book, so glad we got that. J.R. Ward gave us such a wonderful story here, and I'm so happy with everything that it is.

If you follow me then you know that I get way behind on some of the series I most love. What can I say, it happens. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series is one of those. I know...I'm so bad. So when I was asked to review Where Winter Find You I decided to do so without even know who the characters where. I just opened the book and started to read.

Here's the funny. The last book I read of her was The Shadows! I know, crazy right! And here I am reading another book about Trez and Selena's look-a-like! How weird is that? I think someone is telling me that I need to catch up on Ward. That's next year's plan.

I might have jumped ahead in the series and didn't even know who I was going to read about but one thing I did know was that Ward based the story around Christmas time. How could I pass that up??? I love the holidays!

I'm not going to give to much away because I want you to be able to experience this story for yourself. I'm sure many of you want to know what happened to Trez after Selena dies and if he'd ever find his HEA.

I'm happy to report that he does with Therese. A woman that has some sadness in her past too. Not really life-changing just a little shocking. She reacts badly to some news but it's understandable. The news was shocking, just not life-altering.

Or was it?

I really enjoyed this story. I started it last night right before I made dinner and finished it before going to bed. The info I have says it's 406 pages but I don't believe that. I will have to email the publisher and ask them. If it is right I can't believe how fast I read it.

I know when I'm enjoying something I can really read but that's...we'll have to see. Either way, short page count or long it's a fantastic story that leaves you with holiday cheer. This is the perfect story to sit by the Christmas tree enjoying its lights with a glass of wine.

I'd like to mention that reading this one out of order didn't really ruin anyone else story. It was mostly about Trez and Therese and only a character showing up to aid them. Otherwise, I didn't learn anything new, okay, someone new but I won't mention it. It's small enough to at this point not change the stories. Not sure if it will ever come into play. I bet you really want to know what it is. Read the book!

Where Winter Finds You is a novel in the BDB world that gives you a little bit of a Christmas miracle. Trez lost his mate to an incurable illness and his life has been meaningless since. Therese found out she was adopted and flees her Michigan home to strike out on her own. Oh, and she happens to look EXACTLY like Trez's lost love, Selena.

Trez is a shadow. His story was introduced in The Shadows with his brother iAm. His story is tragic and the beginning of Where Winter Finds You shows he has not been able to move on at all. Anytime a story deals with the death of a lover/mate, I am always leery. Its a tough for the newcomer to compete with a ghost. Its even tougher for Therese since Trez thinks she is the reincarnate of his lost love. You get glimpses of lots of previous characters: Xhex, Rhage and Mary, iAm. I loved that aspect of the book.

The sexual chemistry between Trez and Therese is fiery for sure, but Trez waffles between believing Therese is Selena and being sure they are totally different people. Of course, Therese doesn't know any of this, and she has her own family issues that she must deal with. And because all this isn't enough, there is death knocking on the door again.

Where Winter Finds You isn't a standalone. You need to be familiar with the BDB series and read The Shadows for this book to make sense to you. Having said that, if you aren't reading BDB, you are missing out on a great paranormal romance series. Where Winter Finds You will be perfect for readers who want super sexy PNR with a "Its a Wonderful Life" twist. It sounds odd, but it totally worked!

4.5 stars
A Black Dagger Brotherhood holiday story...yes, please! And I am going to admit that I read this new story featuring Trez when I have never actually read The Shadows (that book is still sitting on my shelf and I never got up the nerve to open it. lol) But I was able to follow this story just fine as the author gives you the pertinent information.

With that being said, I really felt for Trez as he struggled...with loss, pain, confusion, guilt, and more loss and pain. He has been through hell and is now on the edge, not sure what to think, and defending himself against people that care and worry about him.

Therese has her own issues. She is not sure where she really came from and has become estranged from the only family she has ever known. She is drawn to Trez and they have crazy chemistry. But there are secrets, assumptions, misunderstandings, and doubt from others. They seem to be two lost souls, but not sure if they truly fit or are just forcing it.

Is Trez trying to make Therese a stand-in for his lost love? Is Therese somehow really tied to Selena in some way? Is there some force bringing their souls back together or is he just imagining it?

This brings back some of the brothers and their shellans and Lassiter...I just love this quirky angel. I think fans of the series will be glad that there is more in store for the Shadows. I like it when these books focus more on one couple than several different storylines at once like the longer books. This one has suspense, drama, humor, passion, and all kinds of emotions. I will admit it took me a bit to get into the story as the beginning confused me at first, but then it all began to make sense. The vivid descriptions of some of the scenes really brought them to life and made them more powerful. This is a story of self-discovery, second chances, the power of love, and the importance of having a support system. And I think people will enjoy Trez's complete journey.

Where Winter Finds You is like coming home in every sense of the word. I am left with a tear-stained face, but a heart that is incredibly full. One of the best books I have read in 2019. A perfect gift to fans of the black dagger brotherhood series and The Shadows book especially.

Magic, Love, and brotherhood perfection.
~Tanja

He lost his true love and for Trez, life was nothing but pain and grief, until Therese came into Caldwell. Could she be the reincarnation of his lost love or has his tortured mind finally broken?

Therese came to Caldwell only to have her very foundation shattered. Is it true she was adopted? Now adrift in a sea of hurt and confusion, is she ready for what Trez is offering or will she see it for a man desperate to mend his broken heart, no matter the cost?

WHERE WINTER FINDS YOU is one more fabulous tale from J.R. Ward, proving her ability to keep a long standing favorite series alive and fresh! High on intensity, it is impossible not to feel for either of these wonderful characters or for their need to belong to someone, somehow.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Gallery Books! This is my honest and voluntary review.

Series: The Black Dagger Brotherhood - Book 17.5
Publisher: Gallery Books (November 26, 2019)
Publication Date: November 26, 2019
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Print Length: 480 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

THIS BOOK YOU GUYS!! I was completely consumed by it and devoured it as fast as I could. I was excited to see Trez again and I was completely blown away by Xhex and her revelation. I literally had my mouth gaping open. Just you wait for it! But I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVED this book. It felt like one of the first BDB books and it completely pulled me in. Grief is a bitch and Trez hadn't had a lot of good in his life. He was struggling with the loss. iAm's employee, Therese, was just what Trez needed to cheer him up. The chemistry between them was palpable and I liked Trez's awkwardness around her in the beginning. I enjoyed their budding friendship and how he was there for her when she most needed it. I love how J.R. Ward so eloquently describes Caldwell in winter and allows the reader to feel the cold. While the main focus is Trez, we do see some of the BDB. They aren't completely forgotten! I always love getting lost in J.R. Ward's world. Don't let this book pass you by!

Nothing like Christmas love! ❤️
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have to admit I started and stopped this book several times. It’s not the fact that it wasn’t a good story. But it’s because I don’t normally read paranormal tropes unless it’s one by JR Ward. But it still takes me a little bit to get into the storyline.

This one proved to be a little more difficult because it is definitely one that you want to have read the prior book. I believe these two characters were first introduced in book number 13 of the series.

For me it was a little disconcerting trying to figure everything out but the author is fabulous in time in some of the backstory so I was not completely lost. By the first quarter of the book, I was definitely in the groove!

Besides how can I resist a book like this? A book of everlasting love that transcends reality, or what we know of reality. And that’s what the story is all about.

Intense, highly emotional and deep with feeling, it’s hard not to get emotionally attached to the story. Not to mention it’s extremely sensual and sexual to the very depths of your soul.

You feel the connection between these two. Ward writes in such a way that it feels like you’re in the room with them. Feels like you know them. I guess in a way we really do.

I love Where Winter Finds You. As a reader, we are put through so much along with many tense situations, but through it all have faith that everything will work out eventually.