[Winterset]: An ARC Review

Hi y’all!

I am so excited to share my review of Winterset by Tiffany Odekirk. Oh my goodness! What a beautiful story! I really enjoyed Summerhaven when I read it last year but WOW Winterset is everything I love from Summerhaven and more!

A crumbling estate. A meddling ghost. Deadly secrets. Forbidden love. Priest holes and secret passageways. Enemies to more vibes. An evil villain. Favorite cameos from Summerhaven. The most heart pounding & beautiful ending!

I received an ARC from the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.
This book released October 7th, 2025.

Book Summary: “A hidden past. A house with secrets. And one chance for two wounded hearts to find love together.

Northern England, Late Fall, 1820. Katherine Lockwood is hiding for her life in the most unlikely of places: the forgotten priest holes in the abandoned Winterset Grange manor house. When Kate learns that Winterset’s long-absent owner, Mr. Oliver Jennings, is about to return, she is desperate to find a way to make him leave, even if it means “haunting” him from behind her protective walls.

After a grand tour of the Continent, Oliver returns home to England determined to make the most of his inheritance. But from the moment he arrives, nothing is as he expected. His manor is in disrepair, the steward hired to care for his estate is a thief, and to top it all off, Winterset is haunted. Undeterred, Oliver resolves to reclaim his life, piece by piece.

When Oliver discovers the hidden rooms, he’s shocked and pleased that his “ghost” is actually a beautiful young woman. Captivated by Kate and her story, he invites her to stay at Winterset under his protection.

Yet, danger persists as the man who threatens Kate’s safety learns of her ruse and attempts to exact his revenge. Kate and Oliver find themselves ensnared in a perilous game of cat and mouse against a powerful opponent while also trying to untangle their blossoming feelings in this enthralling gothic Regency romance.“

I adored Kate and her spunky, vibrant personality. She has experienced so much grief and sorrow in her life yet she still sees good in the world especially at Winterset. Her antics as the resident ghost were witty and hilarious. The book case encounter. The piano forte in the night. The horrible food. I laughed out loud several times! Seeing her open up to Oliver and allow him to see her and love her was my favorite part of the story. They both have felt overlooked and alone in life yet together they find absolute safety and belonging.

Getting to know Ollie was a privilege and a joy. Honestly, he is hard to love at the end of Summerhaven but getting to know him in this novel gave him depth, empathy and redemption. Learning about his childhood and experiences after Damon’s wedding were so enlightening. He has also known loneliness, grief, and isolation. He wants so much to feel like he belongs at Winterset. I love that he discovers that his true home is with Kate.

I loved their romance so much! We get some enemies to more vibes especially at the beginning of the story. Then there are deadly secrets surrounding Kate’s past that make it difficult for them to be together. How can they build a life when she must stay hidden? But there are also so many beautiful reasons to fight for their love. They understand each other in ways no one else does. He celebrates her wit, her art, and her mind. She helps him see the potential of Winterset and how to build a life there. I loved when they work together on the ghost story reading event. And I adored their dance at the ball and beautiful declarations of love. And can we talk about their first kiss?! WOW, that was incredible!

I adored this novel for so many reasons. The beautiful character journeys. The compelling setting at Winterset (loved the secret passageways, ghost stories, and rebuilding the estate). And of course, the lovely romance. Tiffany does it again! I can’t wait to read it again!