Rating: 4 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
Ulrich has always felt like an outsider in his village and his work as a blacksmith doesn’t have him interacting much with people. He lives alone with the reindeer he rescued and has a contentious relationship with his father. Ulrich really wants to have someone to come home to, but men see him simply as a big strong man to warm their beds for a few hours and Ulrich’s heart isn’t built for that.
When nymph Lutoth gives Ulrich a Solstice gift, Ulrich can’t imagine what Luthoth wants with him, nor does Ulrich know how long Lutoth has been planning this courtship. But Lutoth sees beneath Ulrich’s exterior and is determined to make Ulrich feel special.
Lutoth has lived most of his life traveling with his mother, as they are part wind nymph. While the wind still calls to Lutoth, he has been in the mountains for the past year determined to prove to Ulrich he wants to stay, but many will say that is impossible for wind nymphs to stay in one place. The men have a remembered childhood bond and Ulrich wants Lutoth with his whole heart. But Ulrich is afraid his heart will be broken if the wind calling to Lutoth has its way.
A Winter Courtship follows along in the Nymph Solstice Romance series. The relationship stands on its own, but the book does take place in the same setting as the rest of the series. While I did appreciate having read the other books in the series, if you wanted to you could start here. This story, like the others, takes place during the winter Solstice and a courtship is the driving force behind the start of the story.
Lutoth has been back in the village for almost a year. His mother took him away, as she is a wind nymph, and Lutoth never had a say in leaving or staying. He knew Ulrich briefly as a child and Luthoth is determined to court Ulrich and hopefully stay forever. Yet, when the wind picks up, it calls to him. Ulrich is a loner and more than a little sad. People have the wrong impression of him due to his size and Ulrich has a soft side that just wants to be loved. Still, Ulrich cares what his father thinks and, for as much as he wants a forever relationship with Lutoth, he is afraid of what his father will say.
The men form a sweet relationship alongside Ulrich’s reindeer, Ethel. The conflict comes from everyone incorrectly thinking that Lutoth is just like his mother and won’t be able to stay in one place, and from Ulrich needing to be able to live the life he wants and to stand up to his father.
There are glimpses of previous MCs and brief introductions to future stories that work well within the framework of the main story of Ulrich and Lutoth. I really like the setting in this series and, although the pace of the courtships are similar from one book to the next, I do enjoy the sweet, compact relationships offered and I look forward to returning to this series again.
