Five Winters: A Novel
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- Create Date：2022-12-03 08:22:41
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Kitty Johnson
- ISBN：B09W2CC161
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Summary
A bighearted novel about motherhood， friendship， moving on， and love of all kinds。
Ever since Beth Bailey was a girl， she’s been in love with her best friend’s older brother， Mark。 She’s continued to hold out hope that maybe， someday， he’ll love her back。 But now Beth is thirty-five years old， and on the day of Mark’s wedding to another woman， she finally accepts the wake-up call she needs to move on。
Beth’s dream of marrying her first love may be over， but her other biggest desire is still within reach: becoming a mother。 Having lost her own parents very young， there’s nothing Beth wants more in life， and nothing she’ll stop at to make her wish come true。
Over the course of five years， and with unexpected twists along the way， Beth will come to startling realizations about family， friendship， the meaning of love， and most importantly， herself on the winding path to happiness and， she hopes， to motherhood。
Ever since Beth Bailey was a girl， she’s been in love with her best friend’s older brother， Mark。 She’s continued to hold out hope that maybe， someday， he’ll love her back。 But now Beth is thirty-five years old， and on the day of Mark’s wedding to another woman， she finally accepts the wake-up call she needs to move on。
Beth’s dream of marrying her first love may be over， but her other biggest desire is still within reach: becoming a mother。 Having lost her own parents very young， there’s nothing Beth wants more in life， and nothing she’ll stop at to make her wish come true。
Over the course of five years， and with unexpected twists along the way， Beth will come to startling realizations about family， friendship， the meaning of love， and most importantly， herself on the winding path to happiness and， she hopes， to motherhood。
Reviews
Jane Churchill
，
A wonderful Christmas read， I raced through it， wanting to follow Beth through the years。 It's definitely an emotional rollercoaster that will have you crying one minute， laughing the next。 Treat yourself to a copy for Christmas， I highly recommend it！ A wonderful Christmas read， I raced through it， wanting to follow Beth through the years。 It's definitely an emotional rollercoaster that will have you crying one minute， laughing the next。 Treat yourself to a copy for Christmas， I highly recommend it！ 。。。more
Sheri
，
The author takes us on a five year journey through Beth’s life when she is in her 30’s。 Beth is in love with Mark but alas， the connection has not happened for Mark。 At Mark’s wedding Beth decides she needs to move on and meets a handsome man at the wedding reception。 We get to follow Beth with major events centering around Christmas。 Each Christmas Beth gathers with her second family， her best friend Rosie， Mark， and their parents。 Beth is extremely close with this family as they have raised he The author takes us on a five year journey through Beth’s life when she is in her 30’s。 Beth is in love with Mark but alas， the connection has not happened for Mark。 At Mark’s wedding Beth decides she needs to move on and meets a handsome man at the wedding reception。 We get to follow Beth with major events centering around Christmas。 Each Christmas Beth gathers with her second family， her best friend Rosie， Mark， and their parents。 Beth is extremely close with this family as they have raised her since grade school。 The feeling is mutual from the family。 I loved the family dynamics and how the book centers on the holidays。 There are highs and lows in the book so be ready to join Beth’s emotional roller-coaster。During an event with the author I learned that a lot of the book was based on her personal experiences。 It made the book much more personal knowing that。 It also made some of the funny scenes even funnier knowing she actually went through them。This is a perfect romcom/womens fiction book。 It is perfect to read this time of year and leaving you feeling warm and fuzzy。 。。。more
Ramona
，
Enjoyable read。 The author takes us through 5 consecutive winters in Beth’s life at Christmas time。 She hasn’t had the easiest start in life after the tragic death of her parents when she was very young and all she wishes for is a family of her own。 I felt I got to know Beth’s character very well through out the book and keep rooting for her to get her happy ending。
mrsbookburnee Niamh Burnett
，
Oh this book！ ❤️。 I didn’t want it to end and I wished it was longer。I completely fell for all the characters， the bonds that Beth shares with Rosie and her/their families， shows that friendships are equally as important as genetic bonds。 I also enjoyed following the other characters， especially Grace， so sarky but oh so funny！ The authors writing flows， this is easily a one sitting book， it’s out on New Year’s Day， so downloaded it and snuggle up with a hot drink （or hair of the dog 😂） and star Oh this book！ ❤️。 I didn’t want it to end and I wished it was longer。I completely fell for all the characters， the bonds that Beth shares with Rosie and her/their families， shows that friendships are equally as important as genetic bonds。 I also enjoyed following the other characters， especially Grace， so sarky but oh so funny！ The authors writing flows， this is easily a one sitting book， it’s out on New Year’s Day， so downloaded it and snuggle up with a hot drink （or hair of the dog 😂） and start your year right， with this heartwarming read。 。。。more
Jo Leevers
，
With a sassy main character and plenty of witty one-liners， this book is a true winter warmer。 I loved the myriad ways in which Beth's character developed and she learned about herself on her journey， delving into her past as well as working out what she wants for her future。 I loved how this book serves up plenty of wry humour and realism along with romance。 Thanks for letting me review this Five Winters - it's a great read - and a book that's not just for Christmas。 I can see it being enjoyed With a sassy main character and plenty of witty one-liners， this book is a true winter warmer。 I loved the myriad ways in which Beth's character developed and she learned about herself on her journey， delving into her past as well as working out what she wants for her future。 I loved how this book serves up plenty of wry humour and realism along with romance。 Thanks for letting me review this Five Winters - it's a great read - and a book that's not just for Christmas。 I can see it being enjoyed right through 2023。 。。。more
Sarah
，
The metaphor of a rollercoaster ride is deployed in this novel - and Kitty Johnson indeed takes us to the fairground with her 'Five Winters' of Beth Bailey's romantic relationships， friendships， jobs， and misguided decision-making。 The characters are so vividly brought to life that I can hear the voice of Rosie （best friend） who is vociferous about her needs， just about bear the whining of unadaptable Jaimie （boyfriend）， tense up at Grace the ice queen， and luxuriate in the warmth of Sylvia and The metaphor of a rollercoaster ride is deployed in this novel - and Kitty Johnson indeed takes us to the fairground with her 'Five Winters' of Beth Bailey's romantic relationships， friendships， jobs， and misguided decision-making。 The characters are so vividly brought to life that I can hear the voice of Rosie （best friend） who is vociferous about her needs， just about bear the whining of unadaptable Jaimie （boyfriend）， tense up at Grace the ice queen， and luxuriate in the warmth of Sylvia and Richard （kind-of adoptive parents）。 We follow Beth as she discovers what she really wants from life and how to stop bending to others' expectations。 Even right until the end， I wasn't sure what would happen。 This book in turn made me laugh， have teary eyes， stop and think， get fidgety and cross - it's an absolute thrill。 。。。more
Jamie Sogn
，
Five Winters is the story of Beth told across five Christmas seasons of her life。 This book was the perfect holiday romance and the only thing that would have made it more perfect was if I was reading it inside a cabin with snow falling out the window！ I loved Beth's voice throughout the story。 I think she was relatable as a modern woman who is "supposed" to lead a certain kind of life， but then always found it just out of reach。 Additionally， her friend and coworkers were well written and full Five Winters is the story of Beth told across five Christmas seasons of her life。 This book was the perfect holiday romance and the only thing that would have made it more perfect was if I was reading it inside a cabin with snow falling out the window！ I loved Beth's voice throughout the story。 I think she was relatable as a modern woman who is "supposed" to lead a certain kind of life， but then always found it just out of reach。 Additionally， her friend and coworkers were well written and full characters， demonstrating the many ways women are judged for not wanting children or for being a working mother， etc。 The diversity in the book was a refreshing take！ Most interesting to me was when Beth goes on her journey to adoption and the reactions she encounters as a single woman trying to adopt。 It was a fascinating perspective I've not seen a lot in women's fiction and especially not romance。 I loved this book and the examination of what it means to be a family and want your own。 Kitty Johnson has written a hopeful and truly heartwarming book and I can't wait to read what she does next！ 。。。more
Phoebe Rowe
，
Heartfelt and heartwarming， Five Winters is the story of Beth， a single thirty-something who has been in unrequited love with her best friend’s brother for most of her life。 The book runs through the five winters in Beth’s life after her love marries another woman， exploring the topic of how we reclaim our dreams and lives when they don’t follow our own plans。 It’s a lovely holiday story about becoming yourself， finding your own family， and all the different ways there are to look for “happily e Heartfelt and heartwarming， Five Winters is the story of Beth， a single thirty-something who has been in unrequited love with her best friend’s brother for most of her life。 The book runs through the five winters in Beth’s life after her love marries another woman， exploring the topic of how we reclaim our dreams and lives when they don’t follow our own plans。 It’s a lovely holiday story about becoming yourself， finding your own family， and all the different ways there are to look for “happily ever after。” 。。。more
Elise Schiller
，
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book。 This is a warm and engaging read。 Johnson’s writing is crisp and fluid， highly descriptive without being fussy。I came away from this book determined to spend a holiday season in the UK。 The descriptions of the weather （I’m a fan of snow， rain， wind） the lights， the decorations， the shopping—I’m there。 And I’m going to rent one of the cozy cottages the characters live in。 Maybe I’ll stick around until spring to lounge in their gardens， too。A nota I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book。 This is a warm and engaging read。 Johnson’s writing is crisp and fluid， highly descriptive without being fussy。I came away from this book determined to spend a holiday season in the UK。 The descriptions of the weather （I’m a fan of snow， rain， wind） the lights， the decorations， the shopping—I’m there。 And I’m going to rent one of the cozy cottages the characters live in。 Maybe I’ll stick around until spring to lounge in their gardens， too。A notable feature of this book is the cast of secondary characters。 They are likeable， unlikeable， funny， quirky， and economically rounded。 We’re invested in their stories in addition to that of the main character， Beth。 I actually think their stories are more unpredictable than Beth’s even as we follow Beth because we want to see how what we think will happen does happen。 。。。more
Becky Bell
，
‘Five Winters’ is the story of Beth Bailey and her life over five years。 Beth was orphaned as a child （she’s in her thirties in the book） and， as a result， spent a lot of time with her best friend Rosie’s family。 She fell in love with Mark， Rosie’s brother， in her teens。 Mark never felt the same about her， so at his wedding， she resigns herself to moving on and finding someone new， a path which she hopes will lead to motherhood and a family of her own。 Over five years， we find out how that plan ‘Five Winters’ is the story of Beth Bailey and her life over five years。 Beth was orphaned as a child （she’s in her thirties in the book） and， as a result， spent a lot of time with her best friend Rosie’s family。 She fell in love with Mark， Rosie’s brother， in her teens。 Mark never felt the same about her， so at his wedding， she resigns herself to moving on and finding someone new， a path which she hopes will lead to motherhood and a family of her own。 Over five years， we find out how that plan evolves。Kitty writes in a very engaging way that draws the reader in。 I read it in two sittings because I needed to know what would happen next！ It tackles some big themes; grief， loss， infidelity， infertility and longing but in such a clever way that it does not become miserable; hope is maintained throughout。 Beth is a positive， convincing and likeable character。 Rosie’s family is delightful。 I warmed to the characters and wanted them to find happiness。 If there is the winter equivalent of a perfect beach read （a perfect Christmas read？）， this would be it。 。。。more
Jack Bates
，
I love Johnson's writing， which has a really nice straightforward clarity， with convincing characters and proper examination of all kinds of emotions。 This book deals， amongst other things， with all kinds of grief - new grief， old grief， grief for people and for places and for experiences， or the lack of， which maybe sounds grim， but it isn't， because it's also full of hope。 One of the other reviews mentions that Beth is a person who 'knows what she wants but doesn't know how to get it'， and tha I love Johnson's writing， which has a really nice straightforward clarity， with convincing characters and proper examination of all kinds of emotions。 This book deals， amongst other things， with all kinds of grief - new grief， old grief， grief for people and for places and for experiences， or the lack of， which maybe sounds grim， but it isn't， because it's also full of hope。 One of the other reviews mentions that Beth is a person who 'knows what she wants but doesn't know how to get it'， and that's very true。 Watching her try to reach a conclusion or decision about what steps she needs to take is very realistic and touching。I know that some of Beth's feelings， especially around parenthood， are taken from Johnson's life （no spoilers， she says so in the acknowledgements） and it's probably these truths that make this element of the book so effective， even though I am very definitely a Rosie， having always had less than no interest in being a parent。 （Although maybe not as rude about it as Rosie。 I like other people's children - if they're nice - because they're people， aren't they， and also some of them are quite funny。 And however dull babies might be （no offence， babies！） they're soon comical small children and then entertaining teens。） Anyway， I wouldn't necessarily choose to read a book with this particular theme， but because I'm not a monster devoid of empathy， I found it very affecting and would recommend it to most people。 （Not everyone， because I have friends who are even less interested in children and parenthood than I am， as well as some whose journey through this complex landscape has been traumatic。） 。。。more
Ann Warner
，
Five Winters is a heartwarming story of a young woman who knows what she wants， but doesn’t see how she’ll ever get it。 And by the time I’d read a couple of chapters， I very much wanted Beth to get her heart’s desire。 Kitty Johnson is a wonderfully wise writer whose complex characters are people you wish you knew。 But you have to be satisfied by your ringside seat as those characters work their ways through the funny， poignant， tragic， and joyful events of the parts of their lives we get to see Five Winters is a heartwarming story of a young woman who knows what she wants， but doesn’t see how she’ll ever get it。 And by the time I’d read a couple of chapters， I very much wanted Beth to get her heart’s desire。 Kitty Johnson is a wonderfully wise writer whose complex characters are people you wish you knew。 But you have to be satisfied by your ringside seat as those characters work their ways through the funny， poignant， tragic， and joyful events of the parts of their lives we get to see through the author's eyes。。 Another wonderful story from Kitty Johnson。 。。。more
Lauren Parvizi
，
Grab a blanket and cup of tea， and settle in for a touching story about a woman’s journey to find love and herself， told throughout five Christmas seasons。 Single， kind Beth pines for her best friend’s brother and the chance to be a mother， but both are out of reach。 I’m a sucker for unrequited love stories， but this one packed even more of an emotional punch than I expected。 I was drawn to Beth immediately， but her back story， and the relationships she shares with other characters， really moved Grab a blanket and cup of tea， and settle in for a touching story about a woman’s journey to find love and herself， told throughout five Christmas seasons。 Single， kind Beth pines for her best friend’s brother and the chance to be a mother， but both are out of reach。 I’m a sucker for unrequited love stories， but this one packed even more of an emotional punch than I expected。 I was drawn to Beth immediately， but her back story， and the relationships she shares with other characters， really moved me。 The perfect read for a chilly winter’s day—or anytime you need a warm hug in book form！ 。。。more
Sarah Hawthorn
，
This a lovely heart warming book moving through five Christmases in Beth’s as she searches for love， happiness and meaning。 Her struggle to overcome lost love， find new love， and battle with her yearnings for motherhood are relatable， awkward and at times downright sad。 The characters in Beth’s life are all well defined， each dealing with their own issues as the narrative moves through the years。 Kitty Johnson writes with energy and empathy taking the reader on a journey filled with surprises， u This a lovely heart warming book moving through five Christmases in Beth’s as she searches for love， happiness and meaning。 Her struggle to overcome lost love， find new love， and battle with her yearnings for motherhood are relatable， awkward and at times downright sad。 The characters in Beth’s life are all well defined， each dealing with their own issues as the narrative moves through the years。 Kitty Johnson writes with energy and empathy taking the reader on a journey filled with surprises， ups and downs。 This is sure to be a winner for romance fiction lovers this Christmas！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Five Winters: A Novel
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Five Winters: A Novel&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Five Winters: A Novel&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0