Snowy, steamy, mature romance

Lush and emotional are two words that always come to mind when I experience Jennifer Skully’s Once Again series. Each book features a strong, mature woman finding her way to love again in a wholly believable and genuinely relatable way. Under the Northern Lights falls at the perfect time of year: it features a romantic getaway to a snowy wonderland in the far north with cameo appearances by the northern lights themselves, a variety of enticing foods, and plenty of sensual, romantic, and steamy encounters. Sinking into this story feels like sinking into a dream, but at its heart this story is also about a woman redefining herself after loss and a life spent devoted to others: a woman embracing her independence and yearning to share her life with a true romantic partner. While many romances shift between the perspectives of the two romantic partners, this one is told solely through the eyes of Gina as she and the handsome Blake navigate dating and love and sex in a world that expects them both to be settled rather than exploring. The advantage of Gina’s perspective is that we as readers empathize very strongly with her slowly deepening feelings and her fears about how Blake might view their relationship, but, as always, both in life and in this marvelous book, the journey toward love is worth all the feelings. Skully has proven herself, once again, the master of the mature, emotional, steamy romance genre.