Review: How do you know if the risk is worth the reward?
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 3, 2013
**I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review courtesy of Maria's Book Blog**3.5 starsWinter Blues is a story depicting the ups and downs many marriages face at some point or another. What do you do when all of a sudden, you realize the flame that used to burn so bright has slowly fizzled down into an almost non existent ember? How do you know if it is too late to try to rekindle the fire, or of its time to walk away from the ashes and find another spark to ignite?Darlene is faced with this very problem. Her husband of 7 years; her first love, isn't the same man he used  to be. Their love isn't nearly as strong and apparent as it once was and she is far from happy.  It wasn't always this way though. It seemed to begin shortly after Reid was offered a new job in Chicago and they left sunny California where their fondest memories were created. Maybe it was the sudden shift from sun and warmth to dark and dreary, or the fact that Reid quickly became consumed with the many responsibilities of his new job. Whatever the cause, the outcome remained the same; Darlene and Reid just weren't the same couple in Chicago that they had been in California.Darlene' s passion has always been music. She grew up in the music business and always was at her happiest when performing on stage. In an effort to find herself again, she takes a chance at a nearby bar on open mic night and performs for the first time in years. With all of the negative energy hovering over her head like the dark clouds that shadow Chicago, being back on stage doing what she loves brought a bright ray of hope she so desperately needed. But with that ray of light came an extra source of warmth she never expected; Blue.Blue owns the bar she just so happened to walk into and he ignited a fire inside of Darlene that no amount of guilt could hope to extinguish. When they perform a song together, their chemistry is so strong you could almost taste it. This puts Darlene's already fractured heart in dangerous territory. She's lost and vulnerable and Blue is willing to give her everything her life has been lacking lately. But are the risks worth the reward? Could she possibly break her vows she so sacredly held in her heart for Reid? Could she throw away years of love for an uncertain future? Two flames; one bursting with warmth and comfort, one slowly disappearing into a pool of ash.I enjoyed this story to an extent. I have a hard time with love triangles and certain situations that are included in this book, but I do appreciate it for the story that it is. Many couples face this type of situation at one point or another. It either tears them apart, or makes them stronger. Now I was hoping for a totally different outcome, but I can see why the author wrote it the way she did. Overall, it was an interesting story.