Winterly is unlike any other Vampyre book I have read. Initially, I found it very hard to get into, the language is fitting for the time period it is sent in, but it found it really difficult to decipher some of the terminology - so much so that I found myself having to check a dictionary to find out the meaning of some words.
However, this aside, I soon settled into the book and I was utterly engrossed.
Without divulging a lot of the plot, Emma and Milli are visiting their Aunt and Uncle when Emma encounters strange characters - mainly the one of the protagonists of the story - Viscount Winterly and this is where the tale unfolds.
Although there are a lot of characters that you may recognise from previous novels, all of the characters have been given a twist - they themselves are not instantly recognisable.

I really enjoyed Winterly and will definitely read the sequel when it is available, I need to know how Emma, Milli and Winterly's

If Jane Austen wrote Dracula it would be Winterly by Jeanine Croft.
It contained Regency Romance Without the Stuffiness - Emma and her sister Millie are great comparisons to the beloved sisters of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. However, unlike the careful modesty of Austen’s characters, Emma and Millie are far more human feeling in their longing. That very same longing is given into, sending them tumbling to the road that fate has laid before them.
It was Dracula as it should have been! We all know who we really wanted to win in the end of Dracula. Croft doesn’t leave us wanting with a love interest like viscount Markus Winterly. He is every bit the immortal tragic hero complete with lost love and centuries of angst. Dark eyes, a knowing look, and a love for bookish maidens with glasses – be still my heart.
The two balls in the book – the themed Full Moon Ball and the Masquerade on Midsummer – have all the feelings of Labyrinth’s dance scene. These scenes will leave you day dreaming for days with their romantic details. The romance doesn’t stop at the parties. The gothic settings could make a lady swoon even omitting the story. Castles, crypts, inns, and more complete with howling wolves, guttering candles, nightmares, sleep walking, and beds covered in red.
I loved its Steamy Love Scenes With Flowery Language - I get this might actually be a turn off for some people, however, I loved it. It was romantic and poetic without being gross with euphemism. Lines like “the swollen peaks that caged her maddened heart” and “With a mighty roar, the denouement came.” Y’all, I am weak for this sort of thing.
Then there were the villains I loved to hate! Trickery, lies, poison, and plot twists. Croft’s villains are good at what they do – event he reader is twisted about wondering who the real good guys are until the truth becomes clear. Even after we know who to direct our hatred towards, these heart thieves continue to twist the tale and lead our beloved couple apart. They make for a story I didn’t want to put down! I had to know what was going to happen to poor Emma, Millie, and Winterly!
This book was perfection. I'm left wondering what to do with myself until book 2 comes out. Nursing a book hangover is worth the cost though.

LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!

I'm a well documented lover of gothic romance, for better or for worse. This is a brilliant blend of historical fiction, paranormal romance and gothic literature that had me hooked from the beginning. T

he writing is unique in creating a sense of time period without feeling snobbish, but that meant I also had to Google several word definitions (it's educational too?). The characters are also interesting and I'm thrilled that this is going to be the beginning of a new series, I am way too invested to stop now!

If you want a slow burn with vampires set in history then this is the book for you. I have to warn you this book is chunky which makes the burn even better. Who doesn't love a gentleman vamp who speaks in a sophisticated tongue? I got the chance to read this an an Arc but I highly recommend you go buy it and read it!

Spoilers!!!!!

Imagine Darcy but with fangs and a very dark secret.


I read in a couple of reviews how the book was long or dragged on, which the book is over 500 pages, but if you think about the time it is written in and the style/tone/descriptions that would have been written, it is understandable. After I surmised it was basically a dark and sexy Jane Austen novel, I wasn't mad at the length, because it was NEEDED. Emma gave me huge Lizzie Bennet vibes while Milli was pretty like Jane yet acted more like Lydia.

“I see you are trying to make out my character,” he said.
“Yes, but it is hard to do so in the dark.”
“Some things are best done in the dark, Miss Rose.”
“That is just what a wicked monk would say.”

“The fog swirled around his tall frame for only a moment, lapping at his heels like hell hounds (alliteration), before it closed about him. Hades himself could not have looked more frightening vanishing into the underworld mist than did that last glimpse of Markus Winterly.”
These quotes are only from the beginning of the book, but I was motivated to continue reading after the little tête-à-tête and description of Winterly.

A lot of thoughts at once when he revealed who he really was. I don't think I've read such a book with so much overlapping of mythology and supernatural myths.
By the second part of the book, I was happy I was getting all the information that was needed without things being left out. I appreciate waiting for the characters to have some semblance of getting to know each other more, because I do tire of an overnight romance, an “I love you” after a week of knowing each other. It feels…right, the way these characters fell into step with one another.

Th big reveal to Milli and Emma? Amazing.

We have a LOT of Greek mythology in the mixing bowl.

And now the wolves…as I see the ending of this book as sort of the list of ingredients for the next book, I am not truly overwhelmed as I know there will be more to come and have come to terms with a lot of information in this part of the story so we can just (hopefully) move along in the upcoming books.

I do want to see more of Milli’s upcoming story in the next book, how she deals with what has happened and see her grow from the woman she started as into someone stronger… I most definitely want to see her kick some supernatural butt.

I did not expect that end scene in the churchyard and I felt so many emotions. I was sad, angry, and shocked, but also relieved? I don't know if the last of the book was a total resolutions per se, but I am excited to see how things are picked up in the next book!

A book worth a read if you are a sucker of gothic romance. The book is an exotic blend of historical fiction with mystical characters, yet another reason to devour the book once you lay your hands on it.

The author takes you in the Victorian era, from the dark filthy streets of london to the bone chilling dark majestic castle where the secrets spill drop by drop leaving the reader hungry for more. The story unfolds furthermore keeping the protagonist, Emma Rose jumbling between her judgement for good and evil fighting her conscience for her heart yearns for evil. By the finish line of climax, Emma is graced with the supreme truth of the extreme importance of dark.

By the end, the author leaves the reader wanting more to relish.

Jeanine Croft has a very poetic way of writing and made Winterly more elegant I think, which was nice as it gave you a better feel for the period. Overall this was a good paranormal romance, it has a twist in it that I loved but there was a few times I had to stop to look up words, which also made me chuckle because I’m always telling my kids they need to learn new words. The ending ties up nicely, which I love because I hate cliffhangers especially in a series. I looked forward to reading Emma’s and Markus’ adventures in the future installments.

I enjoyed this and am looking forward to the next one. However, I grew tired of Emma's waffling when it came to Markus - the whole "he's bad and I should leave him alone, but I don't want to leave him alone" was the constant theme for the majority of the book. It got to be old because you knew how it was going to play out. I'm glad that got wrapped up in the end so we can hopefully move on from it for the next novel and focus more on the plot.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

(5/5⭐️) “There cannot be night without day, both have purpose. Both are essential in nature. And sometimes the moon and the sun share the same sky.”

Gothic vampire meets Victorian Era London in this Jane Austen style of prose where nothing is simply black or white, but somewhere in between. The pages of Winterly are dripping with light and dark analogies as Emma finds herself questioning everything she thought she knew. From the start, we see a woman eager to pass judgement upon the world, and especially upon her younger sister. We see a woman who believes life can only be good or evil. How wrong she is! The story comes full circle. We see that the very demon Emma was determined to scorn is the same demon she learns to love.

Seductive, delicious, romantic, are words that come to mind when considering Emma and Winterly’s story. Jeanine Croft showed us true creativity by bringing in biblical theology to explain Lord Winterly’s fall from heaven, his love for Cleopatra, and his struggles ever since. She offered a new and creative take on vampires. She took a popular trope and infused it with historical events that made it feel real.

Winterly is both plot and character driven. Emma has an obvious character arc. Quick to judge, she soon discovers that the world is not easily categorized. Things are not always good or bad. They can fall somewhere in between. Neither is she perfect. She makes mistakes and struggles with her feelings and emotions. She knows what she wants, yet, she chastises herself for wanting it, only because she judges herself to be wrong for it. But is following ones heart really so bad? It takes a little help from her cousin Mary to see this:

“I do not believe that love can be wasted. A heart must be freely given, even if there is no hope of reciprocity.”

The plot is driven most heavily by the Di Grigori sisters, witches determined to eliminate Lord Winterly. At the beginning of the story, we are led to believe they have Emma’s best interests at heart. They are the ones who help Emma understand Lord Winterly’s secrets. But as the story progresses, it is clear that they used Emma to get close to him. They use their magic to get into Emma’s mind and poison her to Lord Winterly, brainwashing her to kill him. As villains in the story, I developed a strong dislike for them. They had clear motives, and as the story progressed, it was evident that Emma and Milli mattered not.

All of the characters were unique, fleshed out with a depth that brought them to life on the page. I loved how Emma and Milli were opposites of each other. Their sisterhood bond was believable and sweet. Even though they argued a lot, even though they kept different views of the world, their love trumped their differences. Emma played the older protective sister role well, while Milli played the carefree younger sister. I found myself laughing at their conversations and dialogue. It was a joy to read their interactions.

Winterly and his sister Victoria were also unique. Victoria carried an air of mystery about her. Her fascination towards Milli was intriguing and I hope to see more of Victoria and Milli in the next installment. And then there were the many other characters in Winterly’s inner circle. While we didn’t see much of them, I look forward to learning more about them in the next installment.

Jeanine Croft’s world building was curious and enticing, laced with gothic inspiration and riddled with ties to familiar historical stories like the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Highlighting Winterly’s fall from heaven, the role he played in Cleopatra’s death, and his ties to demonology made her world believable. It was an adventurous exploration.

Vampire stories are too often repeats of the same—not so for Winterly. To find one filled with rich analogies, themes beyond good and evil, and historical prose, is a breath of fresh air. How often do we see vampires as they were in the Victorian Era? Winterly feels like a story written by Austen herself. It’s sure to be a favorite for all historical romance lovers.

Women are being brutally murdered in a previous century on the streets of London while Emma Rose and her sister Millicent. are visiting their aunt and uncle. When she is separated from her family on a foggy night, Emma encounters a monstrous creature and is rescued by Lord Markus Winterly. Emma is attracted to her rescuer but leery of her attraction, as a proper young woman would be, so she tells herself. His sister becomes friends with her sister and they are invited to his ancestral castle near Whitby Abbey, a nod to Dracula perhaps? It is here she finally learns the terrifying family secrets and Milli becomes endangered. Emma is torn between her desire for Markus and all that entails and what she thinks of as good. Despite being a fallen angel, Markus is a sympathetic character whose backstory is different and interesting. I enjoyed the letters between Emma and her cousin Mary, who happens to be a nun less rigid than Emma. I did find the use of obscure words off-putting and it did not help place me in the past but the story will enliven an October night near Halloween.

This is a Gothic historical paranormal book about a young woman who is a wallflower while her sister is the belle of the ball. This gave me Jane Austen meets paranormal romance. This is truly about a young woman coming into her own.