The Winter Groom

Hollow Oak #4

by Alexa Riley

Curt Adler was told to take the young woman home. Nothing more. But when he sees her living conditions, he can’t in good conscience leave her behind. Also, he might be falling in love with her.

Demi has been left behind, forgotten, and tossed aside her whole life. But when Curt turns his protective gaze on her, all she wants to do is stay safe in his arms forever.

Warning: Can the two of them keep their hands off each other? Why would you want them to!? Kick off this wintery mix of sugar and spice in Hollow Oak!

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Novella, Contemporary

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

Alexa Riley is two sassy friends who got together and wrote some dirty books. They are both married moms of two who love football, donuts, and obsessed book heroes.

They specialize in insta-love, over-the-top, sweet, and cheesy love stories that don’t take all year to read. If you want something SAFE, short, and always with a happily ever after, then Alexa Riley is for you!

Feel free to follow us each on twitter @smut_sasshole & @SassNSmut

Reviews

[*CJ* · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Winter Groom" is the story of Demi and Curt.

The heroine is escaping from a hellhole, and lands in the hero's lap.. literally. He decides to shelter her, and immediately falls for her while winning her heart. Quick, sweet read.

Safe
3.25/5

[Lisa (Remarkablylisa) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did not expect romantic suspense in this one

[Sarah Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

No strong representation of diverse characters or minority identities.

Overall: 3.75-stars

Safety Rating: Safe
• No cheating
• No OW/OM drama
• Hero does push the Heroine away at the start of the book because she's not yet 18-years-old (her birthday is in two days)
• No separation


Possible Triggers: Yes
• Age gap of ~10-years
• the Heroine is 17-years-old when she meets the Hero. She turns 18 two days after meeting him. They are sexually intimate for the first time on her 18th birthday.
• Abduction
• Attempted forced prostitution


Ending: HEA with Epilogue

[Lolina ⋆]

This was just another sweet addition to the series- I actually preferred it to some of the other books, and just generally had a fun time reading.

[lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Curt is Boone's brother from book 3
This was cute read
The h is 18 ,Virgin, shitty life
The H is older , not a manwhore, smitten and possessive
Hot sex and 13 years later epilogue

[Sammie Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ehhh this one was cute, but didn’t give me the feels some of the other ones did. Curt is dreamy though!

[Ꭿຖᥲ·♡ ྀི · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5✯

°Virgin heroine/non virgin H
°Switching POVs
°Insta love/lust
°OTT alpha hero
°No OW/OM drama
°No cheating or scenes with OP
°Epilogue: 13 years later they're married and have at least 2 children

[Tania Taberlu · Rating 1 out of 5]

Otra decepción...
Ni siquiera es de navidad! YA BASTAAAAAA
Todo pasa extremadamente rápido y así no se puede 😠💀🤧

[Maru · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curt no me cayó bien en el anterior libro, pero en este se lució, es increíblemente bueno y tierno con Demi.
Me gustaron ambos protagonistas, y la aparición de los protagonistas de los otros libros de la serie.
Demi al ser atrapada robando para comer, queda en manos de un grupo de malditos mafiosos que la venden al mejor postor, Curt la rescata y quiere cuidarla si ella lo permite.
Cómo casi todos los libros de Alexa, trae hombres posesivos, y controladores, pero hiper tiernos y dulces, tenés un final feliz garantizado.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ideal for fans of the bossy, well-connected, and super protective hero paired with a naive, down-on-her-luck heroine. Skirts the line of underage, but doesn't cross it.

[Nicole Aroca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like the story very much, I feel that because it was too short they didn't know how to develop all the plot and the couple is cute, but I don't know. Personally I found it very typical of what Alexa Riley always writes.

[Kellyythoralabatalla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Si el otro no me gustó, este menos. La muchacha tenía 17 años, y lo hicieron justo cuando cumplió 18 como si eso la hiciera una adulta física, psicológica y emocionalmente ☠️😠.

--------------

Clichés:
-Insta-love
-Millonario
-Menos de edad/ mayor
-Virginidad

[Valery Nail · Rating 3 out of 5]

*esta es mi reseña de los 4 libros de esta… saga¿ los cuales todos están cortitos y los leí todos en dos días*

Si, termine los 4 libros de esta serie en dos días, no me juzguen son libros cortitos, hasta podría haberlos terminado solo en uno.
Estos 4 libros tienen 3 cosas en común (bueno, tal vez 4 cosas en común).

Primero: todos suceden en el mismo pueblito.

Segundo: los 4 intereses amorosos son grandes hombres territoriales que ven a la protagonista y quedan flechados de por vida, protegen a muerte a la protagonista y tienen responsabilidad afectiva (10/10) por lo que no se andan con rodeos sobre lo que sienten. (Y también a los 4 les encanta hacer 0r4les pero no estoy segura de que deba mencionar eso¿)

Y tercero: en todos los libros la prota es Virgen¿ detalle irrelevante, claro.

(Y como 4to los cuatro libros no tienen mas de 100 páginas y la mitad de esas páginas sin escenas spicy, que en mi opinión están muy bien escritas, if you know what I mean 🔥)

Así Que si, estuvo entretenido de leer. algo ligero, entretenido y adictivo, no son libros que alcancen las 5 estrellas por que no tienen mucha trama (no es que le puedas meter mucha trama a libros de menos de 100 páginas), pero para tener tan poca trama son bastante dramáticos… lo que puede que signifique que en realidad si tienen trama…? No lo sé.
La cosa es que derrepente aparecen pistolas y secuestros y golpes, lo cual le da un toque dramático a la historia que está bastante bien (esto en los últimos dos libros)
En resumen, si. Léanlos

[Hanna's Book Obsession · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Another sexy and unputdownable read from Alexia Riley. The queen's of smut do it again. I loved reading this. I knew the second I saw the cover an d read that synopsis I had to have it. It was a one click purchase I'm so happy I made. Curt and Demi are so cute. The tension and outside angst added so much to this story. I just feel for our insta protective turned to love hero and heroine. This was amazing! I am so happy I read it. The perfect Christmas read. Sexy and fun wit6h the perfect dark twist.

[Ansu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh no I am not sure what happened with this book, it was really pointless 😔😔😔😔😔!

Firstly the title of this book is misleading, the title suggests something Chistmasy or winter, nope none of that happened!

I felt like I was dropped in the middle of something and I had to feel my way around to understand what the hell was going on here.

This story was waaay too short to have any development and the I love you's happened with no foundation or connection between the two MC.

It was a very disappointing read that had no story or substance to have me liking the story!

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

curt se cruza una noche con una chica Demi que debe salvar de ser vendida y desde ahí se genera una atracción ya que ella lo ve como su salvador siendo una chica de 17 años con dos dias para su cumpleaños 18 que nunca a conocido del cariño ya que su madre solo a conocido hombre y no le pone cuidado y nunca conoció a su padre.
Por ello el la rescata y decide esperar hasta su cumpleaños y así ser el uno para el otro, pero la están buscando y la secuestran pero el con la ayuda de la policía la rescata.

[Melanie Milburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Demi has been “sold” to a horrible man to repay the debt incurred against a mob family—for some food. Her innocence is a most valuable commodity and they got top dollar. When that falls through, she makes a run for it. Luckily Curt is there to help her. Lots of goings on in this one, and just romantic ones.

[Laetitia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Curt Adler saves Demi's life after she's put in a dangerous situation with some very bad guys and takes her in to live with him. I did not like the fact that Demi was 17 years old when they met and they wait until she turns 18 to have sex which was 2 days later. They don't say how old Curt is but he has to be in his late 20's or early 30's. I wasn't a fan of this story.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

First thing you need to know is the title and cover are misleading. This book has absolutely zero, no Christmas or winter vibes whatsoever. What was it about? Honestly, Idk…lately AR releases have really been lacking in plot and substantive characters. And I say this as someone who likes novellas and instalove. This one missed the mark and is extremely forgettable.

[Vicenta Ramos Giner · Rating 1 out of 5]

Me encanta un monton este bellisimo y maravilloso libro😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Curt’s good deed earns him a HEA. Curt saw Demi from across the room and his instincts to protect the tiny woman kicked in. Poor Demi had had a miserable life up until Curt saved he from the Russian mobsters who wanted to sell her off to a dirty old man. Chaos ensues when Demi and her friend Gracie are kidnapped. All’s well and a wedding is next order of business.

[LiLu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this story. Right from the beginning, I knew it was going to be exciting. It had danger and innocence, lust and protector, and some really bad guys too. But, him being the caring protector fell hard for her innocent sweetness, and the rest is a love story. Add in a touch of danger, and it’s captivating. Loved their epilogue.

[Kai · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
I'm not sure how to rate this. She was two days shy of turning 18 when they met and they held off until the stroke of midnight before they slept together. She calls him Daddy in the epilogue.

[Karla✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

🌟𝚁𝙴𝚂𝙴𝙽̃𝙰
No pense que el interés amoroso de Curt sería Demi ya que no le preste mucha atención a cuando se conocieron en el anterior libro.

No fue mi historia favorita de esta serie pero no pareció mala.

[Tiffany Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexa Riley really hit this one out of the ballpark for me. I am a huge fan of their crazy insta-love stories but throw in an age gap trope with a damsel in distress and I am in smut loving heaven. The Winter Groom was a perfect short sweet read. 4 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Milagros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dulce, dulce y más dulce.

Este libro me encantó por dos sencillas razones: aparecen las parejas de los otros libros y esta pareja es absolutamente dulce.

Ojo, también tiene su lado 🔥 y 💥, pero nada supera los momentos de amor entre ellos.

Esta es una forma de cerrar este universo.

[Megan ~The Never Ending Book Basket · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series has been so fun to read! I loved Curt & Demi’s story! It was just like the rest of this series: fun, spicy, with a bit of a adrenaline thrown in! I can’t wait for more!

[Lisbeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.

[Tina Price · Rating 1 out of 5]

So disappointed. I had hoped the h would be Marley. Anyway I tried to put that aside and give this a go but in the end I just couldn’t get into it.

[☆Laura☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

No me gustó la protagonista y le faltó algo