Something Like Winter [Format Kindle]

I loved Something Like Summer from Jay Bell - loved loved Benjamin Bentley, one of the nicest guys you could read about in a book. I felt his sorrow when Tim dumps him (shed a few tears), so Tim automatically became the bad guy in that book. I couldn't really understand why Ben kept giving Tim more & more chances, even after he had tried to break him & Jace up.

I think JB wrote this book simply to give his readers a better closure on Ben & Tim's story - and it was an awesome closure too. This whole story is from Tim's POV, and you finally get to see what he had gone through, what kind of life he had led, how he came to the decisions he came to. After this book, readers will start liking Tim a lot more & finally understand the chain of events that lead to certain stupid decisions he makes. His relationship with Eric is also explored fully here, along with how Ryan came into his life & why he couldn't / wouldn't get rid of him until Ben steps in to help out.

The ending was also a lot more defined with an Epilogue of how their life together goes on. I still preferred Something Like Summer (simply for Jace & Ben's story, which made me cry buckets), but this one was worth a read for those who were not fully satisfied with the 2nd, 3rd, 4th chances that Ben keeps giving Tim. You'll agree after this book that Tim totally needed & deserved those chances, and sometimes, love needs more than one opportunity to blossom.

After having read Something Like Summer, and Kamikaze Boys by Jay Bell, I was excited to find out he had just released Something Like Winter. I could not put the book down. I stayed up all night reading it and even though I had to work today, I would read it on every break I took.

There is just enough of Something Like Summer in Something Like Winter that you THINK you know what is coming next, but the author does an outstanding job of surprising, and sharing the "other side" of the story. Without spoiling anything, I believe I can say that If you read Something Like Summer and you THINK you know Tim, you REALLY DON'T.

I cannot count the number of times I found myself smiling or a tear in my eye as the words of Jay Bell captivated me and swept me away from where I was and what I was doing to The Woodlands, or to Austin, or to the other locations, times and events he so richly describes.

I cannot honestly say which of his books I like best. So I will say, buy them all-- they are well worth it!

'Something Like Awesome' should be the titles to both of these books. Okay, I'm kidding! The titles to 'Something Like Summer' and the title the its sequel 'Something Like Winter' fit these stories so much. I am thrilled to be able to read the sequel to one of my beloved books 'Something Like Summer' just one year after I read it. I found Ben and Tim last year and have thought about them almost everyday. When I heard about the sequel, I knew it was going to blow my mind away AGAIN. And I was right. I like that this book wasn't exactly a SEQUEL to the first story. It is actually another way of looking at the story, this time from Tim's perspective. It made me rethink every single scene from the first book. When I read 'Summer', I always wondered what Tim was thinking during different scenes and now I get to know what was happening behind the scenes of every action and path he took.

SPOILERS below!!!!! (DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE SPOILED)

The first part of the book is basically about the high school years, which we all love and cried over. I was so happy to read new scenes and conversations between Ben and Tim. I was surprised to know that Ben told Tim he loved him so early on! I was also surprised to know that Tim went through so much guilt after the high school years. After high school, we get to know Tim's life in college and we were introduced to a lot of new characters and the other man that eventually became very important to Tim's development as a person. I actually enjoyed reading that part of the book a lot. I also REALLY liked knowing how Tim yearned for Ben throughout the years they were separated, especially his interactions with Allison, which were exciting and sometimes funny. After the college years, we see Tim coming to a different time in his life in which he met someone who would eventually 'nearly destroy' him. It felt sad reading those parts but I knew it had to happen for Tim to grow more as a person. Everyone has a phase and stage in their life in which they become depressed, sad, or confused about something and I felt that the author Jay Bell really reflect that in his writing.

For those hoping for a sequel to the first book, in a way, you got your sequel! You'll know when you read this amazing book. I highly recommend reading 'Something Like Summer' first if you haven't! And to Jay Bell, you are an amazing author and I will definitely be anticipating your next book! (I really hope there will be another similar story to this.)