Winter's Truth

Heat of Love #2.7

by Leta Blake

Winter-fox brings Viro some surprising truths for the holiday

Viro Sabel is eleven years old and still entirely innocent about life. This year winter-fox brings him some surprising truths that alter the way he sees the world and his place in it.

Learn more about the character of Viro, Slow Heat’s Vale and Jason’s son, in this winter holiday-themed novella. This medium-sized bonus book features spicy scenes between Vale and Jason, family scenes, and emotional moments. While the novella’s epilogue teases a relationship for an adult Viro, it ends with a mystery regarding this person's identity.

This story is not a standalone and is best read as an addition to the Heat of Love series, preferably after reading Slow Heat, Alpha Heat, and Slow Birth.

Genres: Omegaverse, M M Romance, Fantasy, Christmas, Holiday, Romance, Novella

128 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 13, 2021

About the author

Author of the bestselling book Smoky Mountain Dreams and fan favorites Training Season, Will & Patrick Wake Up Married, and Slow Heat, Leta Blake has been captivating M/M Romance readers for over a decade. Whether writing contemporary romance or fantasy, she puts her psychology background to use creating complex characters and love stories that feel real. At home in the Southern U.S., Leta works hard at achieving balance between her writing and her family life.

If you'd like to be among the first to know about new releases, you can sign up for Leta's newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/bdn32H

Reviews

[* A Reader Obsessed * · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Another interlude from Blake focusing on her main characters’ children from her Heat of Love series. While Winter's Heart was about Kerry and Janus’s son Tristan, this time around, her newest novella focuses on Vale and Jason’s son Viro.

Quite the angsty wintery offering, I really appreciate the looks into these offsprings’ childhoods and how it has shaped them in their future love lives to come. It’s a nice teaser as the common link between both young alphas is beautiful omega Riki (Caleb and Xan’s eldest).

As with any new installment in this unique ABO series, I look forward to whatever Blake will bring next!

[Elisa Glendenning (mostly off-line) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars

Jason & Vale were my favourite couple from this universe, so I appreciated the insight into their lives 11 years on. For a holiday read though, I found it a little depressing. As for the epilogue, I just wish I’d read Winter's Heart first so I could have been more prepared!

[Layla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how lovely this was!

I simply adore Leta's Heat of Love series, from the world building to the nuanced characters, to the link she makes to our own present lives, being the traditions or the social issues and more. She's truly a masterclass in omegaverse.

This is book 2.6 in the HoL series. You HAVE to read books 1 and 2 BEFORE reading this one because there are some major spoilers in it.

This book follows several plot points that are all somewhat related:

Jason and Vale are there, with Vale being burdened with his heats and the tortured by the fact that he can't have more children.

Xan and Urho make an appearance as well, with Caleb and their kids in the background, navigating the life of a polyamorous throuple and the "gossip" around it.

Jason's parents are there too, with a heartbreaking plot point...one that is inevitable which doesn't make it hurt less.

And finally Ro, Jason and Vale's son, and his special friendship with Riki, Urho, Caleb and Xan's son and the promise of what could be.

Not only that, but the way Leta weaves her dystopian traditions with real traditions is just amazing. We see Christmas in a new light. Santa has a new name, but is no less magical as well.

The undercurrent of social issues discussed:
- birth control and religion
- not being able to conceive
- polyamory
- the birds and the bees and having that TALK with your children.
- the stigma of anal sex and how it is perceived.


And then we have young love, friendship and love, soulmates and fate.

This all came together to create a beautiful poignant novella that certainly packs a punch.

Lemme tell you... Leta CAN WRITE! Such a talented author ❤

And all this.... IS FREE! A guft from Leta to her readers and Patreons in particular. ♥

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

I knew this one might not be for me going into it. I'm picky about omega!verse and this series has its good and bad points for me, and then to have a novella focusing on one of my least favorite couples from the series + their annoying child was always gonna be an unlikely win, and sure enough, it wasn't my favorite. I found Viro really annoying, the editing really could have used some work (a number of times names were mixed up leaving me super confused) and it sort of all read like a long promotion for their next book/the book focusing on Viro, which I very much dislike as a strategy, particularly given we don't have any information about when it's coming out. If you're gonna do that, I really think you've got to have the next book teed up to avoid pissing people off.

[Cadiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another interesting trip into Leta's omegaverse

3.5*

I'm in two minds with this one.

Some of it I absolutely loved, some of it was tough to read but that's the nature of this omegaverse where heats can get brutal.

I'm not as keen on Viro as I was with his parents' romance but I expect that will change when he gets his full story told.

Still, it was good to spend time with Jason and Vale and their families, even if some of the goings on were sad.

[Andi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet AND bittersweet story about family, love and the acceptance of life. I loved it. It made me cry. Ro is a cutie but I hope Riki gets his happy ending for sure.

[Debra ~~ seriously slacking on her reviews ~~]

3.5 stars

Gah! Cliffie!! Anyway, I would have been more upset about the ending especially for Riki if I hadn't read last winter's novella Winter's Heart and you absolutely cannot read this book if you haven't read the others in the series. I just hope Leta is furiously working on the story/stories that will tie these books up and give us some happy endings for these children.

We catch up with Jason and Vale whose lives are really in a state of upset at the moment and their 11-year old son Ro who is struggling with a lot of questions. He's a very serious boy and it's hard for him to deal with things he is learning about life as an adult and about his faith. There's a lot of stress and sadness in the story, but as the last chapter fast-forwards about 10 years there is some comfort and some big unanswered questions! While the holiday feel was a bit dampened here and I wasn't as enchanted as I was with Winter's Heart, it was still a good entry into the series and we learned a bit more about what the future holds for everyone.

[Jenn (not Lily) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well dammit. I've read this too soon, since there's obviously going to be a book about Viro and his Érosgápe, but this only came out three freaking days ago so I'm sure I'll have to wait ages for the whole story! Dammit!!! Why did I have to be so impatient which only leads to more enforced waiting?!? Anyway, great little snippet/update on the lives of our lovers 11 years after Slow Birth.

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little, bitter-sweet addition to the wonderful Heat of Love series.

I loved watching 11yo Viro, Jason and Vale's son. He's so sweet with his grandparents and with Riki, Xan's son.

I'd really like to read a full-length novel about those two ;)

[Resch Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disclaimer: This story needs to be read with the other books in the Heat of Love Series. It is not a standalone and while the book is marked as 2.6 in the series, I would suggest reading it after book 3.5.

I didn't like this story one bit. Viro seemed like the worst kind of person, honestly he seemed brainwashed by his grandparents which is a shame because Jason and Vale were such a dynamic couple that I had high hopes for their kid. Unfortunately, Viro's grandpater is ill and when Viro sees him turning to religion, Viro does the same. Grandpater is held on some magical platform, can do no wrong, and Viro believes in ridiculous bullsh*t like religion will save us all. To the point where Viro starts making promises to the wolf-god and becomes a priest. 

And honestly, this was not the direction I was hoping his character arc would go. Also for a supposed 'alpha' Viro is dense as a brick wall. He just really had no redeemable characteristics. In contrast, I enjoyed seeing Vale and Jason together again and the fact that their relationship and bond are thriving, even after all these years. But they weren't enough to save me from hardcore religion, hero-worshipping of grandparents, and Viro's blatant naïve-ness. 

[Denise]

It was nice to catch up with the MCs from previous books and see them 10+ years in the future, but honestly, this was a mix of weird/disappointing.

A lot of the story is told from Ro's POV (Jason and Vale's 11 year old son). I really didn't like him and his overly religious, rigid behavior was quite off-putting. It surprised me that's how their son turned out. Also, Ro learns about the birds and the bees and he was utterly disgusted about it but also couldn't stop talking about it in great detail...it was weird.

It seems that a future book is in the works for Ro and whoever his mate ends up being...which from the ending we can assume is NOT Riki (Xan and Caleb's son) despite the pact he and Ro had). However, it seems the overly religious vibes may continue as Ro is studying to be a priest....personally not my thing.

There is also some time spent on Yule and Miner, who is very sick (Jason's parents). Yule thinks some snide remarks about Vale, which I didn't think was really necessary.

Overall, I wouldn't say this is a must read.

[BevS · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars from me. Thanks to Leta for this freebie 💕💕 as a [very happy] member of her Patreon. I really 'got' the parallels between 'winter fox' and our own kids still enjoying Santa.

Not giving anything away, but loved the ending AND if I'm right, we'll be getting more stories about Viro [Ro], Riki and that wonderful Baby Alpha Jason and his Erosgape Vale...YES PLEASE!!

[P-san~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was so funny reading Ro trying to understand how babies are made and what heats are. The boy was full of questions.
There was a lot of sadness too, as we see our characters dealing with ways of life.
There's a time skip, and it seems like Riki will suffer, and I already liked Riki...
The only thing left to do is keep on reading.

[Zen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I had to chuckle at the fact that his name is Virona and Viro for short, and Ro for even shorter. I didn't really enjoy reading about Ro's inner conflict with sex and heat. Just didn't appeal to me. I saw the ending coming, though and appreciated it.

[Xavier Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
Things that run in the Sabel family line:
-Leading your best friend on and breaking his heart
-randomly running into your soulmate and trying to dry hump him in front of everyone, including said best friend
-Making dick-ish decisions under good intentions

Other things worth mentioning
--Viro is annoying
-The religious indoctrination triggered very real painful memories for me that I'd rather forget
-Urho is the best
-Viro is annoying
-"Fucked like dogs" isn't sexy to read
-Yule is a fucking wolf-God-forsaken hypocrite
-I want to wrap Riki up in a fluffy blanket
-Did I mention Viro is annoying?
-How disappointing

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

After rereading this novella after a few years have gone by, I appreciate its message much better. Ro, as an eleven year old, was a little cocky, but also really hamstrung by Jason and Vale trying to keep him a child for longer than they probably should’ve. I really liked that there were so many POVs in this story. It really made it more enjoyable for me to hear from Vale, Jason, Ro, Miner, Yule, etc.
The author does a teaser at the end indicating that this isn’t the end for Ro and Riki, but it’ll be interesting to see if their story gets told.

[Bizzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A holiday novella about Jason and Vale’s son, Viro, when he’s eleven. The Feast of Winter’s Heart celebration is so cute (winter fox bringing presents in exchange for food!) that I want to celebrate it myself. Like the rest of the Heat of Love series, this novella tackles a lot of real-world issues in a realistic and bittersweet way, including reproductive rights and impending death of a parent/grandparent. I wouldn’t have expected a holiday omegaverse novella to make such a poignant argument in favor of reproductive freedom, but here we are. Not a standalone and cannot be read without reading the rest of the Heat of Love series.

[Janeylou · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Barb ~rede-2-read~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little interlude to make those of us who follow the series (a) excited to see how everyone is doing, (b) sad to see Grandpater Miles's health declining, and (c) start jonesing for a look at a grown-up Viro and his future unnamed mate.

The story was sweet and sad and hopeful and contained some downright humorous scenes of Ro (Viro) being told about the birds and bees, or in this case, about Alpha knots and Omega heats.

I could have done without the sex scenes between Jason and Vale, though the depth and length were necessary to explain what's happening to Ro's pater and account for why Ro needs to spend the holiday season with his grandparents.

All in all, I'm glad I didn't miss this and I most definitely look forward to the next story. Oh, and lest I forget to mention, Alpha Heat contains one of my all-time favorite "heat" scenes and is not to be missed. ;-)

[Emilie]

I've read the novels in the "Heat of Love" series, "Slow Birth" and the other "Winter-Fox" seasonal novella from a month ago. Viro was not an appealing character to me, though I liked getting the viewpoints of some of the older characters in the series. As even his own parents knew, Viro is immature for his age, which is eleven. He's very sheltered and spoiled. Also, Viro is a very rigid thinker, and considering humoring other people to make them happy is an alien concept for him.

Despite having the irreligious Vale as one of his parents, Viro is very religious. Vale has not discussed his own viewpoints on life with his son. It's true that Viro is too immature to comprehend most of Vale's worldview, but there are topics that Vale could have introduced on a level that would be appropriate for Viro. When Viro does need to learn about one of those topics, he is disgusted and thinks of it in a very crude way.

Jason is still a romantic, though at least he's matured to a reasonable extent. Jason's alpha father is still a jerk. Urho is still the responsible one, doing his best with the kinds of medicine and medical knowledge available to him in this world. Considering that many people have become very ill or died from influenza in Alpha Heat and Bitter Heat, and that Janus has had repeated bouts of the flu that have taken a heavy toll on his health, science has only gotten so far. The characters do have electricity and telephones, or at least the better-off characters do.

There's a bit of discussion about how Urho is clearly the alpha father of Caleb's son Sam. This was what the others in the relationship wanted, which was my guess. All of Caleb, Xan and Urho's children are much loved, but they're more mature for their ages than Viro is. They haven't been excessively sheltered from life in the way that Viro has been.

As other readers have commented, Viro's Erosgape remains a mystery at the end of the novella. That's a tease. I have hopes that when fans of the series find out who it is, we will also learn that the mate is well-equipped to help Viro continue to gain maturity.

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Que fea historia. Lo siento pero tenía que decirlo. Realmente era necesario que la autora arruinara la historia? Tenia que poner tanto dolor y angustia en los personajes? No podía idear un mundo perfecto en la ficción? Y encima de todo eso, tenía que meter tanta cosas religiosas llegando casi al fanatismo? Que mal de verdad. Tiene un final “feliz” pero no, no vale la pena ni leerlo

[jasmin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry but I hate Ro. It’s so mean to hate a child but he was so damn annoying. Then he grew up only to leave Riki waiting… so he could go preach. No thank you.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4 stars

Winter’s Truth is a holiday story set in the world of Leta Blake’s Heat of Love series. The story is officially book 2.6, taking place after Slow Heat, Alpha Heat, and Slow Birth. It is best read by those familiar with those books (or at the very least, Slow Heat, which introduces Jason and Vale’s story). Winter’s Truth has two intertwining plot lines that run alongside a holiday theme. First, we have young Ro, who has figured out this year that the magical winter-fox who supposedly delivers presents is not real.

The other storyline focuses on Jason and Vale as they face yet another of Vale’s heats. We know from previous books that Vale has not had predictable heats and it affects his overall health. So while the men enjoy the heat experience and their time together, they are both concerned about how it is affecting Vale.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella is such a tease!

This is not a stand-alone - make sure to read the series! The suggested order is in the blurb.

I loved this continuation of the series. The fact that it’s a novella is such a tease and I can’t wait for more. I really love series where you get to follow different generations through the years. It’s hard because character death is inevitable as the characters from previous books age, but it’s also nice to see characters age and what’s in store for them in the future. Viro is 11 for most of it, then a young man in the epilogue, so the MCs from the previous books are significantly older by the end.

This book is told from multiple points-of-view and it was interesting getting to see things from different perspectives, especially the narrations from Yule and Miner. There is a lot that happens in this short book, and a lot of set up for future books. I can’t wait to read it all! Note that this book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger.

[Missy~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

mixed feeling about this novella

I’m not sure how I feel about this novella. I really enjoyed returning to this omegaverse and revisiting Jason and Vale.
And while I know that Viro was supposed to be just portrayed as an innocent sweet child I couldn’t help but find him a little annoying.
And this little novella actually had a cliffhanger, a cliffhanger!!!
So I’m hoping that there’ll be another book and that hopefully that book will convince me to like Viro.
Also I would’ve liked to see Jason and Vale be able to have another child and have a little more closure to their story. I do love this omegaverse universe and hope that there will be other books.
Minus one star because I just couldn’t bring myself to like Viro very much and minus one star because of the cliffhanger!

[rkbont · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing as good as the previous books of the series

I really enjoyed the previous books of this series but this short novella was a bit disappointing. I didn’t know what to expect but some bits were disturbing for me. I am very against small children to be somewhat brainwashed to have strong religious beliefs and this book had that. So it is too early to talk to the kid about bees and birds but it is not too early for the kid to read the book of this religion and preach about its rules. And none of the adults find something wrong with this, they just play along. Then this kid’s naive beliefs painted his future on a promise he made when 11 year old. I understand the reason why the author chose this path but it just disappointed me. If you don’t care about these, then I recommend it.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

such an extra treat to the series!

This is a non-shifter mpreg romance series, but though this novella contains heat sex, I would consider this more a family story around 11 year old Viro. This story takes place about 16 years after the happenings of book 1, “Slow Heat” where we first meet Vale, Jason, friends, & family and 12 years after books 2/2.5. I loved seeing Viro’s sweet innocence but my heart hurt for him as the story went on. The author was an absolute tease with the last chapter being a grown up Viro and his future without giving us the deets! Such an extra treat to the series!

Spoiler warning:
There are some triggers to end of life situations and you have to have read at least books 1-2.5 to get a full scope of things.

[Kazza · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a bittersweet novella by Leta Blake - I felt the sweet, sweet awws, I felt the tears. I've read both of these holiday stories now: Jason and Vale's son, Ro, also Xan/Caleb/Urho's son, Riki, and Janus and Kerry's son, Tristan. Both of these are short tales, but I can't give them any less than 5 stars as they pack an emotional and smushy punch. They just remind me how much I LOVE and am missing this world. I've never been an omegaverse lover but Leta Blake has written an addictive, beautifully crafted, thoughtful world in the Heat of Love series. More please, Leta Blake. *Sighs

[Pinkskies · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jason and Vale is one of my most favorite omega couple, so I was excited when I found out that there's a book about their son. But Viro was such a fucking let down I'm kind of pissed. I didn't like that he's so heavily influenced by religion that he sees everything in black and white which is the opposite of how his parents are. From the start of the book, it was heavily implied that Riki and Viro would end up together so I was super invested in their future only to reach the end and realize that he actually has an erosgape who isn't Riki?! I love twists in books but this ain't it. Honestly, if not for Jason and Vales tender moments peppered throughout the book, I would rate this 1 star.

[Becky A · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Winter’s Truth" received FOUR stars.

Not a fan of the cliffhanger, but still good.

The novel gained *stars* for these items:

* gained for: "The book caught my interest in the first five pages."

* gained for: "I thought about the book when I was forced to set it down and re-enter society."

* gained for: "There were no info dumps, poor writing, or copy edit mistakes that jerked me out of the story."

* gained for: "I was sad when the book ended. I wanted more!"

The novel failed to gain stars for this item:

NO STAR gained for: "That's it. I'm hooked on this author. I will automatically try anything she/he/they writes."