Reviewed by Chinazo Anozie for Readers' Favorite

Winter Solstice by Corina Douglas is a historical fantasy romance that follows the story of the winter goddess Cailleach and her mate Tritus. It also serves as a prequel to the Daughter of Winter series. Cailleach, a goddess, and Tritus, a mortal, have found love with each other. However, they have to hide their love, as it is forbidden and frowned upon by both gods and humans, and discovery could spell their doom. But Cailleach and Tritus refuse to be dissuaded by this imminent threat, and both are determined to fight for their happiness, protect their love at all costs, and even expand it, come what may. They settle into domestic bliss, hiding their love from the world in a cave and creating new traditions—until news of brewing evil threatens their fragile peace.

I liked that a brief explanation at the beginning summarized the book’s world. As a result, it’s perfect as a standalone, and I didn’t get lost by the mentions of other secondary characters (such as Talorgan and Arawn); in fact, these characters piqued my interest enough to delve into the whole series. Corina Douglas mentioned at the beginning that this book could serve as a tester for the series, and I must commend her on its skillful execution. Although it is a fairly short read, the subplot about the mystery of the missing children and their connection to Talorgan made it a page-turner that ended in a cliffhanger, which in turn cemented my interest in her other books. Cailleach and Tritus’ love was beautiful, and it was fascinating to read about how they celebrated Yule and the winter solstice in ancient times. Douglas captured the essence of the celebrations beautifully, with vivid descriptions that made me feel like I was transported there, witnessing it as I read. I liked the dialogue; it was old-fashioned and suited the setting (3rd-century Scotland), but it wasn’t overly done in a way that impeded my comprehension. Overall, Winter Solstice was a perfect read!