Audiobook Review: Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood

Cruel Winter with You (Under the Mistletoe Collection, #1) by Ali Hazelwood

on November 12, 2024
Genres: Contemporary
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Vivienne LaRue
Length: 2 hrs
Source: Audible

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For two former childhood friends, a blustery winter storm stirs some frosty—and scorching—memories in a delightful short story by #1 New York Times bestselling author Ali Hazelwood.
All newly minted pediatrician Jamie Malek wants is to borrow a roasting pan for Christmas dinner. Unfortunately, that requires her to interact with Marc—her best friend’s troublemaking brother, who’s now a tech billionaire. He’s the one who got away. She’s the one who broke his heart. Outside, a howling blizzard. Inside, a crackling fire. Suddenly, being snowbound with the man she never expected to see again might not be such a bad way to spend a winter’s night.
Ali Hazelwood’s Cruel Winter with You is part of Under the Mistletoe, a stirring collection of December romances that thrill and tingle all the way. They can be read or listened to in one swoony sitting.

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This was a quick holiday story.

Jamie Malek has been sent on a mission, go to the neighbor’s house to borrow their large roasting pan so her father can make Christmas dinner.   While Jamie wouldn’t mind visiting her best friend’s house, she knows the entire family is away on vacation and the only one home is her younger brother Marc who is taking care of the pets.

We learn through the story that Marc has had a crush on Jamie most of his life.   Jamie is finishing her residency in California, only a stone’s throw from Marc.  They could have traveled home together except the last time Jamie saw Marc, things got way too personal for Jamie.   Jamie has issues letting people in and sharing her emotions and she knows that Marc must still be holding a grudge at her awkward disappearance.

When it looks like they might be snowed in together, Jamie isn’t certain she wouldn’t just risk the storm than receive the cold shoulder from Marc.

Thoughts:
Taken superficially, this was an entertaining two hours while I puzzled with my kid. I like Ali Hazelwood’s stories.  For a short story, Jamie and Marc’s years long acquaintance allows us to skip any insta-love traps.

Not so superficially…sometimes I can just enjoy a story for what it is, a nice romance. The problem is one of my reading flaws is to sometimes psychoanalyze the characters (no, I am not a doctor) but I find this type of romance with the older/younger sibling from childhood makes me cringe a little wondering if the adults are still looking at their first crush through a child’s eyes. Marc seemed to understand Jamie’s issues with emotional intimacy. He is understanding about what happened back in California but is he also overlooking any issues simply to complete his ultimate childhood fantasy of marrying Jamie?

Her father sends her out (walking) in the snow storm to grab a roasting pan from the neighbors who happen to be 2 miles away. You might think that like Mrs. Bennett in P&P, sending Jane on horseback so she was stuck at Mr. Bingley’s for the night, maybe he planned for Jamie and Marc to be stranded together because everyone knows they have feelings for each other. But no, as the story unfolds we finally get the idea that Jamie’s father is detached from his daughter which is part of why Jamie has issues with her feelings and expressing emotions.

To Marc, Jamie is the perfect woman. She was his dream girl from his pre-teen fantasies and he always knew that they would get married some day. I would imagine that Jamie isn’t the same person who used to hang out at Marc’s house when they were young but Marc is still focused on his love for her. Does he even see her as she is or as he has fantasized what their relationship would be? Or maybe he knows her very well, and would be the best choice for Jamie and accepting of her flaws.  Now, I’ve ruined it for everyone, haven’t I.

If you don’t psychoanalyze the characters, you will probably enjoy a story of long-time acquaintances finally moving their relationship into adult territory.

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