Book Review: See You Next Winter by Holly June Smith

“We can’t be together, but we clearly don’t want to be apart.”

Dec 26, 2024

Kayla McInnes and Ryan Richmond have been friends since forever. They spent every Christmas together in their family chalet in the Switzerland Alps…until last year… and the year before. They have created this ‘See you next winter’ pact which is a seasonal friends-with-benefits agreement. However, this FWB situation might not be something both of them hope for. How can they leave every winter knowing they only fall for each other over and over again?

My review

Compared to the first book, this book has more plot and the setting is very different. The book starts with an established childhood-friends-turned-friends-with-benefits kinda relationship basis. It explores how they figure out each other’s feelings as well as explore how far their relationship goes.

I would say the first half of this book explores their relationship status and their feelings for each other, and the second half explores their actions to make it work. There are also flashbacks that bring back all the winters they have spent together since they were children. It’s just really touching to see how their relationship progresses and all those holiday memories they shared.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT:

Unlike other books, once they confess or figure out what their relationship status is, usually there isn’t much to talk about, aka happily ever after. But their relationship still has this ambiguity where they aren’t really exclusive. This just makes this book a lot more realistic and addictive, since they’re constantly exploring and navigating their place in each other lives. Are they just a ‘see you next winter’ seasonal fling? a childhood friend? or are they something more?

You can really see the struggle because they spent all the Christmases together and they are just so many memories entwined and it makes it almost impossible to detach themselves from each other’s lives and yet they are forced to be apart because of their careers. And I just love that.

“It’s not fair for two people to have this much chemistry, this much history, and no future.”

Although Kayla might be very expressive in terms of spice, she is scared that this relationship won’t work out. Given that Ryan is working in LA and she’s built a life in the Alps as a ski trainer. I wouldn’t call it miscommunication, but this relationship takes a lot of hard work and Kayla constantly pull back because she cannot make herself too attached, only knowing Ryan will leave. I like this struggle between her heart and the reality: she cannot control her heart but the reality doesn’t allow them to be together.

“There’s no hiding, no shame, not an ounce of uncertainty when they look at each other. That’s what I want with Kayla. What I’ve always wanted.”

Ryan is just a very sweet guy. I really like him, especially in the second half of the book. He’s constantly proving to Kayla that their relationship can work and he will try his best to make this happen. They have coincidentally skis tattoos representing one another! That is super cute!!! Spoiler alert…he also sacrificed his Hollywood job to be with Kayla in the Alps. I just love how Ryan is the one who put effort to act towards the relationship that they both want to be in.

SPICE🔥:

If you think the first one is spicy, this one is over the ceiling. Since it is a friends-with-benefit and their relationship have gone way back, there are a lot of spice in this book. There are certainly more than 4 spicy scenes, so I would say it is a pretty smutty book. There is also a bonus chapter on the author’s website if you are interested!

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Plot: 📖📖📖.5/5

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5

Conclusion

Overall, I like this book more than ‘Can I Tell You Something?’. I personally like a bit more angst and the setting is again, similar to the first one, very niche. I just love seeing them navigating their relationship through trials and tribulations.

Love takes hard work, and it has never been easy for anyone. Love is a choice, you choose to be with someone; choose to find a different job just get closer to them; choose to fly thousands of miles only to see them in person. It may take a little bit of sacrifice, but it is all worth it when you can have the best of both worlds: career and love.

“For anyone who wished a man would move mountains for them. If he wanted to, he would.”

I know, I did it again. I wondered whether I have over-analysed holiday rom-com when I wrote the review for ‘My December Darling’. And now here I am, outdone myself by doing this again. But I love it, and I love the meaning behind these holiday romances.

Check out my book reviews of the Snowbound series❄️: