Something Like Winter by Jay Bell

Something Like Winter by Jay Bell

Published by Jay Bell Books
374 Pages

Blurb: There are two sides to every story. When you’re Tim Wyman, sometimes there are three. Tim hoped moving to Texas would mean a new beginning, a chance to spread his wings, but he soon finds himself falling into the same tired patterns. Until he meets
recklessly brave Benjamin Bentley. Suddenly a whole new world opens up to Tim—love, sex, warmth… home. Certain that society won’t understand what he and Ben have together, Tim struggles to protect their relationship, even if it means twisting the truth. As his lies slowly push Ben away, Tim learns that the greatest enemy can come from within. Buried beneath a decade of deceptions, Tim must claw his way to the surface in the hopes of learning to fly.

Something Like Winter, the companion novel to Something Like Summer , tells the story from Tim Wyman’s perspective, revealing new private moments and personal journeys.

Review: Something Like Winter is a retelling of Ben and Tim’s epic love story, spanning over two decades. This time, however, the tale is told through Tim’s eyes. Not only do we get to experience Tim’s emotions during the familiar events that defined their relationship over the years, but we get to find out what happened to Tim during those times when he wasn’t with Ben. We learn so much more about Tim’s motivations and his own heartaches, and we get to experience the depth of his love for Ben.

"At first the city had been a chance at a new beginning, a fresh start after the events in Kansas that now seemed small and distant. Like a sapling, Tim had sprung up out of the dirt only to find his pot was too small and cramped, that he wasn’t getting enough sun or water."

Thank you, Jay, for giving us Tim’s story. In some ways, this was a difficult read for me, because I knew when the sad parts were coming, but pressed on through the tears. It felt so much more heart-breaking this time around, now that I had a deeper understanding of why Tim made the choices he had. Even when reading Something Like Summer, I always felt sympathetic towards Tim. He was a jerk at times, but I knew underneath it all, he really loved Benjamin. I knew there was more to his story than what we were able to see through Ben’s eyes. I enjoyed learning more about Tim’s relationships with Eric and with Ryan. They really helped to define who Tim had become by the latter part of the story. I also loved that we went further into the timeline and got to see what happened after their final reunion. Their trip to Mexico City was beautifully written. This was such a wonderful love story. I highly recommend this book for anyone who doesn’t mind shedding a bucket of tears in the name of true love.

Review by Madison