GRR Reviews Bewitching Winter (The Four Seasons) by Serenity Woods

Bewitching Winter is a second-chance romance where a couple finally came back together after circumstances drove them apart, and they need to explore what they had and if that second chance is worth taking. However, the sex scenes are a bit overdrawn and fell into stereotypical alpha sex complete with light bondage and orgasm denial.

Neve Clark and Rhett Taylor were a real pair on and off the badminton field in Australia, until one day she left him due to his betrayal. Six years later, she hadn't had many boyfriends, and when her father made a biting comment about "keeping her mouth and legs shut to keep her man" she stormed out of the family dinner, never to return. She booked herself a marketing seminar in New Zealand to get away from it all and to advance her career as the marketing manager, only to find to her horror that Rhett Taylor, her old partner, was the keynote speaker. Rhett knew that Neve was coming to the seminar, but he did not expect her to stay. Circumstances have put a stop to his badminton career, and he replaced it with marketing. Now the only woman he had ever loved is near... and despite the bitter parting argument, both are now older and wiser. He knew his mistakes, and she knew hers. But she's not yet ready to forgive, and he's not about to stop trying... For how many times does one gets a second chance at life... and love?

The backstory was interesting, at least, and the sex scenes are reasonably hot but now the controlling alpha into light bondage and orgasm denial is just old. The characters are all properly motivated.

I find the reason for the breakup rather implausible.

SPOILER AHEAD

For once, the betrayal wasn't about cheating in bed. Rhett was given an ultimatum by his coach... Concentrate on his singles badminton career because Neve, while good, is not world-class and Rhett can be world-class, and doing both singles and doubles will hurt his career as they are different skill sets. So Rhett made the decision unilaterally rather than telling Neve first. And for that, Neve can't forgive him for six years? And neither of them ended up going pro any way. Such a... childish grudge.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Former semi-pro badminton mixed doubles pair meet again years later at a marketing seminar; will they give themselves a second chance?

Tropes: reunion, athlete, betrayal

Overall Rating: 3/5