Title: A Springful of Winters
Author: Dawn Sister
Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing
Length: 120 Pages
Category: Contemporary
At a Glance: I adored this amazing, heartwarming, gentle and poignant romance. The writing was outstanding, and Kit and Stephen touched my heart in all the best ways.
Reviewed By: Lindsey
Blurb: Kit is a bit socially awkward. In fact, the rules of social encounters are mostly a bit of a mystery to him, but he gets by, with lots of lists and contingency plans. He doesn’t have any plans in place for when he first meets Stephan, however, and he keeps bumping into the man in the most embarrassing situations. The trouble is, Stephan keeps turning up in unexpected places, arousing suspicion that this gorgeous man might just have some contingency plans of his own where Kit is concerned.
Part of the Seasons of Love Anthology
Review: I don’t honestly know where to begin with this review, because I am not sure I can do my feelings justice. Have you ever read a story that blew you away, but in such a kind and touching manner that you didn’t realize it right away? A Springful of Winters snuck up on me; I didn’t really understanding it was happening until about the halfway point.
Kit is neuro-divergent, on the autism spectrum, and the story is written fully from his POV. Rather than his diagnosis being portrayed as an impairment or hindrance, we are gifted with the beauty of his mind. The story is not about autism, though. Rather, it is one where the main character happens to be autistic, and this is his journey to falling in love. All the while we get to see and experience it all through his perspective. The autism is written in such an empathetic way, the level of detail makes it clear this subject is close to the author’s heart, and I am so grateful that Kit was shared with me.
The story begins with snow falling on the first day of spring. Kit likes routine; he doesn’t like surprises and has contingency plans for everything. But on this snowy spring day he finds himself in a situation which he could never have anticipated, and created a contingency plan, thanks to his dog Bessie. It is a catalyst that leads him to a man with eyes like spring. Several other unfortunate, non-contingency plan level events occur where he repeatedly meets Mr. Spring, who seems to see the beauty inside and outside of Kit.
It’s clear Kits struggles to interact with society and to find his place. People don’t tend to accommodate him due to his different way of communicating or seeing things; rather than take the time to get to know him and how he works, people call him names and get angry. They leave. Thus, it makes it more difficult to make friends—other than Yenta—and to trust anyone he comes in contact with. That is, until Mr. Spring comes into his life and acts like he has read the manual that is Kit. He is patient, he is kind, he adores Kit’s mind and the unique way he processes the world.
This is a sweet romance. Stephan (aka Mr. Spring) isn’t portrayed as a white knight coming in to save Kit. Kit is all good. He is self-reliant and just thinks and communicates a little differently than what society has deemed “normal”. Mr. Spring is someone who sees the breathtaking exquisiteness in Kit’s differences. Who wants to learn and explore the intricacies of Kit’s mind and is willing to take the time to learn who Kit is and what makes him tick.
Kit and Stephan’s slow and tender journey into a romantic relationship had me beaming, and I had a giddy feeling for them when I read the final words; a joyful feeling in my heart is still there while I sit down to write this review. But something else happened. It had me contemplating…me. Specifically, my actions and expectations towards others. I didn’t expect that. Many times, when books make me introspective, they aren’t as lighthearted and sometimes twist me up and spit me out with my thoughts in chaos. That was not the case here; there was a clear message delivered, and one that made me think, but it was a gentle nudge and a pat on the shoulder with a message to do better and be more understanding.
I adored this amazing, heartwarming, gentle and poignant romance. The writing was outstanding, and Kit and Stephan touched my heart in all the best ways. I cannot rave enough, and Dawn Sister has done a spectacular job capturing autism with empathy and compassion, without making the story about autism. It’s a romance, a story of two men who find their “person” in one another, of a man who thinks a little differently and finds his happy ending with a person who appreciates him for all his uniqueness.
Highly recommended.
You can buy A Springful of Winters here:
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