A January Chill
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4.5 • 2 Ratings
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- $2.99
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- $2.99
Publisher Description
Witt Matlock has carried around a bitter hatred for Hardy Wingate, the man he holds responsible for the death of his daughter. And now, twelve years later, the man he blames for the tragedy is back in his life—and in that of his niece, Joni.
Widow Hannah Matlock has kept the truth about her daughter Joni's birth hidden for twenty-seven years. Only she knows that Witt is Joni's father, and not her uncle. She and Witt have never spoken of the night she tried to get even with her philandering husband by seducing his brother. But with Hardy coming between Witt and Joni, Hannah knows she must let go of her secret…whatever the consequences.
Anger, resentment and deceit threaten to destroy a family that teeters on the verge of collapse, until four damaged souls can learn to forgive…and allow themselves to love.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set in a small, mountain mining town, Lee's second installment of her Whisper Creek series (following Snow in September) explores the pain and destructiveness of excessive grief. Though 17-year-old Karen Matlock died in a car crash caused by a drunk driver, her father, Witt ,blames Hardy Wingate, Karen's boyfriend. Twelve years have passed, but Witt's hatred for Hardy has dimmed little. Unbeknownst to Witt, his niece, Joni, is in love with Hardy, and she hopes to bring him and her uncle together by encouraging Hardy, who has since become an architect, to design the hotel Witt wants to build with his recently won lottery prize money. Predictably, this well-meaning plan backfires, and Joni and her mother, Hannah, bear the brunt of Witt's fierce anger and resentment. A subplot involving Joni's true parentage further disrupts this rocky romance, and Hannah's intimate relationship with Witt, though a touching side story, seems contrived. Lee's primary mistake here, however, is allowing Witt, a thoroughly unlovable and unpleasant character, to dominate the story.
