If you were a witch, how far would you go to make someone love you? If you knew magic, would you use it? What if the love spell turns to lust?
Former singing superstar, Raven Viramonte, knows the answers. After her career comes to a crashing halt, Raven seeks refuge in the creepy central Florida bungalow she buys, sight unseen. She finds an unlikely friend/therapist in a homeless man named, Harry, who haunts the bench at the edge of her property. However, when Rocky, Raven's sister, calls with the news of their mother's ill health, Raven must return to the family owned apartment building she despises, 88 Spring Street, Connecticut, the tomb of her darkest secrets.
Harry urges her to return to New England to reconcile her past: The mother who despises her, the younger sister who betrayed her, and the gay father who abandoned her. Then there is Skyler Blue, victim of Raven's blundering love spell. Calling on Harry's psychological insights, Raven seeks to mend her broken psyche. By Fate, she encounters a bewitching woman who's psychic powers and psychology degree help Raven dim the line between love and lust.
Winter on Spring Street is the profoundly sensual, sometimes humorous and always turbulent digression into Raven Viramonte's paranormal life. Although, Raven is the unreliable and often unlikeable narrator, we can't help but cheer her on as she faces her demons on Spring Street.
This was really different (in a good way). Being basically an escapist reader, I tend to shy away from reading about real life pain (child abuse, rape, animal cruelty, etc... though I seem to like murder mysteries for some reason). I do like angst in stories, truly, but not when it makes me believe it actually happened. Winter on Spring Street brought me really close to my discomfort zone but was so beautifully written, I couldn't give up on it. So worth it! Raven Viiramonte was a unique character. Her constant cussing and sarcasm was tiring at times, but the truth of her was covered up by layer upon layer of deep pain. Don't take this wrong, the story was very entertaining, very funny and felt far longer than it's 170+ pages. Somehow it covered her life from birth to present quite well. It was not a downer at all, but took some time to get there. There are witches, lovely ghosts and other paranormal happenings--that part certainly added to the plot but didn't dominate it. Raven is on a journey to transcend her past and take a chance at finding what she's really looking for. Really touching and I still thought about it days after.
This book took me forever to read as I just could not get into it at all. I could not connect with the characters and I wasn't enjoying the storyline. I skimmed through half of it. This is the first book by this author that I have read but it just wasn't for me.
Famous singer, Raven Viramonte, came from a broken home and dysfunctional family. She’d been physically and mentally abused most of her young life. There was no love and safety in Raven’s home. For all of Raven’s magical powers and witchcraft, she couldn’t change a thing to make her life more bearable. Even her first spell backfired badly, leaving her doubting her abilities.
Twenty years later when Raven was summoned back to her childhood home on Spring Street because her mother was dying, it was with a sense of dread she returned. To heal herself, Raven must try to forgive her abusive mother, her gay father for abandoning her at the height of her singing career and her jealous younger sister who had ruined her career by selling the story of her past to a gossip magazine. Will Raven be able to forgive, even if she can’t forget?
As part of Raven’s self imposed therapy, she seeks closure and forgiveness from her former manager and ex lover, Skyler Blue. This alone won’t be easy after twenty years and the way their relationship ended.
During her journey of self healing, Raven befriends a homeless man and a gothic woman who she became smitten with.
Raven soon begins to realize that no matter what path she takes, it will be Winter on Spring Street she’s pulled to.
This is another winner from Stacey Darlington. The story is full of mystery, intrigue, romance, with a touch of the paranormal, magic and ghosts, making for some compelling reading. In fact, once I started this, I couldn’t put it down. It’s an absolute edge of the seat, page turner from start to finish and a delight to read.
I loved the characters. Especially Raven, her character is flawed and dysfunctional, which is hardly surprising given her background. But this is what makes her so lovable. All the way through I was hoping that she would find her soul mate. A person to love and who could help her to heal her wounds and support her in her quest to find peace. Raven is backed up by a wealth of secondary characters all enhancing the story. Be prepared for some twists and turns and surprises along the way. There are some great laugh out loud moments too, that lighten the lows of Raven’s life.
Raven’s story is heart breaking and emotional, it’s told in the present day and using flashbacks. It’s not an easy read, but it’s so worthwhile.
Stacey Darlington is an excellent storyteller. Her writing is descriptive and she shows the reader through her words rather than telling us. Always a plus for me as I can lose myself in amongst the characters. A truly magical reading experience.
Stacey Darlington is an excellent storyteller. This is the first work by her that I've read, and I am impressed.
Winter on Spring Street (outstanding title, by the way, because it works on several levels) is genre fiction that includes a lot of goodies--ghost story, love story, redemption, hot sex, and witchcraft and magic.
One of its greatest strengths, however, is the memorable, deeply human and profoundly flawed characters. I was also impressed by the author's skill at tying things together into a satisfying confusion with real but believable surprises.
This is a wonderful book, and I'm thrilled there will be a sequel.