Dead of Summer

Samantha Wilde

Apr 2022 · Whistlemore series Book 1 · Samantha Wilde

About this ebook

Acupuncturist and healer McKenna Winters avoids the townspeople of Whistlemore when she’s not treating their various ailments. Her remote cabin keeps her safe from the prying eyes of the community. She’s learned not to trust the men in town, but there’s one man whose gaze lingers with intrigue rather than judgment. And he’s exceptionally yummy. There’s no way she’ll get involved with anyone in town, though. Then one stormy night a cry from outside shakes the walls of her cabin and fear strikes her—He’s back.

Walking in the woods in the middle of a storm in the dead of winter isn’t Jaxon Murtaugh’s idea of a good time. His head is still pounding from a cougar attack, and if he doesn’t find shelter, he’ll be the beast’s next meal. Spotting McKenna’s cabin nestled in the woods, he knocks on her door. Something about the crystal-wearing, vegan healer has always excited him. Her hands-off persona keeps men far away, so he’s shocked when she opens the door, shotgun in hand, and is willing to give him a place to wait out the storm. Her gentle hands and flaming,dark-blue eyes do more than heal his body—she sparks a fire inside him that can’t be extinguished.

As the storm wages, weird things begin to happen. It seems they’re not as alone in the woods as they thought. And it’s not just the cougar skulking in the trees outside the cabin. As the heat brews between McKenna and Jaxon, a killer closes in on them.

Ratings and reviews

One cannot find anything more dramatic than a dark night in the middle of a blizzard, a man struggling for survival against the elements, a rogue cougar, and a deranged stalker or two. No wonder McKenna Winters answers the door when Jaxon Murtaugh bangs on it with a shotgun at the ready. Having survived one onslaught by the cougar, Jaxon is desperate to find refuge. He does not expect the whimsical McKenna to greet him with anger and distrust. McKenna immediately realizes that Jaxon has been injured but is more concerned about his fever and his obvious illness. Allowing him into her home, McKenna breaks all her rules, especially as she finds the mountain man breathtakingly attractive. As the danger escalates and McKenna's property is sabotaged, all Jaxon's protective instincts come out as he fights for her and will do what it takes to keep her safe. Fortunately, they both prevail and overcome, bringing the novel to a good conclusion, although not for the perpetrator. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. this is my honest review.

3.5 stars—DEAD OF WINTER is the first instalment in Samantha Wilde’s contemporary adult WHISTLEMORE romantic suspense series. This is Jaxon Murtaugh, and healer McKenna Winters’ story line. Told from dual third person perspectives (Jaxon and McKenna) DEAD OF WINTER follows Jaxon Murtaugh as he struggles to escape a winter storm . When his truck breaks down on the side of the road, wondering in the snow, Jaxon finds himself at McKenna Winters’ cabin, battling the flu and the winter elements. Needing a few days to recover at the hands of the woman with whom he would fall in love Jaxon would soon discover that someone is stalking our story line heroine, determined to take down McKenna Winters. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between McKenna and Jaxon, and the potential fall out as McKenna’s stalker gets too close for comfort. Jaxon Murtaugh left the big city and his brother for the peace and calm of Whistlemore, Colorado but never expected to find himself guardian and protector of the local healer. Waiting out the storm and the winter flu, our couple will encounter a hungry mountain lion, not one but two potential ‘stalkers’, and an attraction that has been growing for close to two years. McKenna Winters is the Whistlemore healer, often with a reputation as the local witch, a woman who uses alternative medicines and processes for healing. Not everyone accepted McKenna’s unorthodox medicine but for Jaxon, McKenna is about to heal his body and soul. The relationship between McKenna and Jaxon is one of immediate attraction but Jaxon is sick, and the storm is about to trap our couple together in the cabin. Injured and sick, Jaxon finds himself falling for a woman who is about to face the madness of a man determined to take her down. The $ex scenes are intimate without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text. The secondary and supporting characters are limited as our couple spend most of the story line trapped in the cabin. We are introduced to Dr.Lots, and McKenna’s neighbors Mr and Mrs Watson. DEAD OF WINTER is a story of obsession and madness, desire and friendship, relationship and love. The premise is engaging; the romance is insta-lust to love; the characters are dynamic.

•Dead Of Winter• Great read and a fantastic introduction to this new series. I really enjoyed the characters and the story, the romance and suspense factor is balanced really well. McKenna and Jaxon’s personalities meshed really well together, I really liked that he was open to her lifestyle and the relationship that grows between them was charming. The suspense aspect, that also builds throughout, was done in such a great way I that I was kept on my toes. Wish there was a little less internal dialogue but overall it didn’t take too much away, just started at a slower pace and evened out as the book started to hit its stride. I am definitely looking forward to the next in the series.