A Midwinter Night's Dream: The Broccoli, the Stilton and the Haystack

by Samuel J. White

Lonely teenage fitness instructor Rob, finds immigrant caravan cleaner Katazyna wondering in a blizzard and after a bizarre set of circumstances they find themselves asleep together naked sheltering from the storm under a haystack. Rob has strange dream about katazyna which he'd rather not disclose until he is fascinated to find that she has had an identical seen through her own eyes. Continuing to dream of a future the pair are left to wonder what is really going. Are they really there at at the beginning of something new or in the throws of old age watching their memories flash before them as they die. Our is something complex and sinister going on? Follow this tale of dreams, with ghost, angels, and true deep love.

529 pages, Paperback

Published February 15, 2021

About the author

I was born in Norwich in 1985,. I lived in the village of Hevingham until I was 24. I have worked as a fitness instructor and petrol station attendant but I am currently caring for 2 disabled family members full time.

I am also a sea scout leader and have been for many years and enjoy teaching kayaking. I was also English indoor rowing champion in the light weight division in 2006-2007- 2008 before health caused me to take a break from competing.

Most of my work is based around random ideas that I've had over the years. My first book The hitchhiker in the haystack, first came into my mind when I saw something in the road on my way home and thought it was a person. It wasn't but my mind then started asking questions, like if it was a person what were they doing there? Where were they going? how would they react in situation if somebody picked them up and gave them a lift? Could it be the start of a romance? Would the 2 people have friends in common? After making notes and delaying it until I had time about 10 years after the event it became a 400 Novel.

My second book actually started way back when I was a school in a story that was meant to be about 2 friends who where lost in the dark. However I changed the idea out of all recognition and added a lot of characters . It is now set on the marshland between Great Yarmouth and Acle about 10 miles from where I live and it involves a train crash.

Reviews

[Sanzaki Kojika]

A Midwinter Night's Dream was an interesting read. I didn't know too much about it before I purchased it, but I quickly realized it was a romance story, which is not my usual cup of tea. Thus, it didn't catch my attention the way it would someone who really enjoys romantic stories. It's sweet and heart warming.

The flow of the story was a bit confusing at first, but as the characters start to come to more understanding of the situation, it starts to make more sense. You jump between the scene in the haystack (which starts the book), to time past it. Their development in their relationship moves a bit quickly, but I suppose part of that is to represent the gaps of time we are not seeing entirely. A lot of the story felt a bit tedious, since it was slow moving at time, and there were some repetitive lines and actions. As the story progressed, there was more conflict and the story got more interesting. It would have been easier to read for me personally, too, if there had been more chapter breaks, rather than long scenes.

I had trouble getting into either of the main characters. Rob seems almost too perfect. He accepts and understands everything, including all of Kat's flaws, without question. While it is an ideal for many people, it is a bit unrealistic. There wasn't much conflict in his character until far later, and I found him much more interesting after that hit. Kat started as a more interesting character, beautifully flawed and painfully aware of her shortcomings, but the more we learned about her, the more those flaws disappeared. Even when she was making mistakes, it felt like she could do no wrong. Part of this was the way Rob was looking at her (since the story is from his POV), and part of it is just her development as a whole. I feel more conflict between the two, and a more gradual build-up to their relationship would have been more interesting to me personally.

The writing overall was easy to read. I noticed a few typos and grammar mistakes, but nothing that made it difficult to read. Kat purposely is written with bad English, but it's understandable, and flows very well with the rest of the style. The conversation flowed nicely overall, though there were a few scenes where it seemed abruptly broken up by action without any real transition. The pacing was a bit slow in the first half, but found a good, steady beat in the second half.

I found the ending to be very strange, and I felt disconnected from the story in the ending scene. I feel like it would have almost been better ending the story without the explanation, though I understand why the need for a perfectly happy ending, especially after dropping some of the more disheartening information near the end. I feel like if there was foreshadowing to some of the events near the ending (particularly regarding Sally), it would have been easier to swallow and not seem so abrupt.

Overall, I would recommend the book to readers who enjoy a sweet romance, but it wasn't a story for me.

[P.S. Winn]

This is an interesting read that is a bit of a romance with a few other genres thrown into the mix. When Rob helps a young woman named Kat during a blizzard on a midwinter night, things I never expected happen and the story unfolds. I like the author's writing style and the laid back way this story is told. I think this author is one to keep an eye on.

[Natalie White]

A story with a lovely message amid tragedy and mystery

This story has many different elements to it if you love romance, adventure or something different from the norm then you need to read this

[Jessica]

A Mid Winter Night’s Dream is a story unlike any I have read before. The main narrative follows the relationship of Kat and Rob - two young people who are wholly unexperienced in the realm of love. Their romance survives many years and is incredibly sweet and sentimental. A decent ways into the story, a twist is revealed that forces you to reconsider everything you thought you knew. It’s pretty trippy and gives the book a more cerebral tone. But if romance is your thing, don’t worry. That element remains strong throughout.
The author’s style is conversational and relaxed. Rob, the narrator, frequently breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the reader. The phrasing does get repetitive in spots and there are several points that are mentioned more times than necessary. Yet, I would say that overall the book is an easy read.
Rob is a great “everyman” type of character. He’s easy to relate to, sensible, and endearing. Kat is off-putting at first, but redeems herself. She possesses a certain charm and unconquerable spirit. Both characters are dynamic. I found Rob’s character development to be more believable than Kat’s. I found myself wondering if there was anything she was incapable of doing and preferred the more “flawed” feel she had earlier in the book.
Overall, this was a very heartfelt, love-conquers-all story with slight fantasy element thrown in. Scaling back in a few areas (as mentioned above) would have improved the story’s cohesion and effectiveness, but I give it strong marks for originality.

[La Kayshal]

When dreams become real.

An excellent piece of work. Rob meets Katarzyna (unique name) on a cold winter night. There are some funny scenes as the characters try to communicate and soon life takes a turn when dreams of the future binds them. If you are a fan of angels and demons, you'll love this book as it has a well planned plot filled with twists. I strongly recommend this romance mystery novel.

[Feed my Kindle]

This book is quite different from my normal reads and I was trying to work out how to categorise it as I read, knowing I was going to review it.
It's almost a kind of life journal, or so I thought as I got into, although it became clear as time went on that it's a paranormal romance.
It really did get me thinking and stayed with me long after I finished - and that is high praise since I pick up another book the second my current read has ended.
Considering this is a debut novel, I have to commend the author for his excellent execution of first person narrative. I generally avoid book written in the first person because so often it's done badly and detracts from the story so this was a refreshing change. Yes, there were aspects that could be tightened up, but for a first book, this was an excellent effort and better than some I have read from more established authors.
It even had me making homemade broccoli & stilton soup!

[Jack Kregas]

Great characters who bring out a variety of emotions. I started the book then got back to it later so reread from the beginning. I high recommend this book as it held my interest to read it in two days.

[T. Okerberg]

what a fun story! So many twists and turns. Just when i thought I'd figured it all out, the story threw another direction at me! Brava, sir!

[Colleen Macdonald]

Slow start

I is definitely slow to start but gets better as you read it. Give it a chance. You will like it.

[Kellie W]

Honestly, I couldn't finish it. You could tell it was a man writing the female dialog, it didn't make much sense and didn't hold my attention long enough to get into it. I tried.

[Natalie White]

An amazing read such a lovely story, I highly recommend this book.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes a classic love story, it is beautifully written, well done to the author for producing such a beautiful love story.