"There are two sides to every story. When you're Tim Wyman, sometimes there are three."
— The book's back cover
Something Like Winter is a 2012 novel by Jay Bell. It retells some of the events from Something Like Summer from Tim Wyman's perspective and is the second novel in the Something Like... Series.
This work provides examples of:
- Armoured Closet Gay: The novel builds on Tim's characterization as this from Something Like Summer. Travis may also be this given that Tim's relationship with him seems to be a parallel to the way he acted when he was first with Ben.
- Call-Back: The novel's first words "This is a coming-out story," which are from a gay magazine Tim is is reading in a convenience store, are a callback to the beginning of Something Like Summer, which begins with Ben typing out on a computer, "This is not a coming-out story." Additionally, being a P.O.V. Sequel, many of the events in the book are call-backs to Something Like Summer.
- Have You Tried Not Being a Monster?: Tim's parents' attitude toward their son's homosexuality. He throws this back in their face by arguing that they never really cared for him growing up, so this shouldn't matter to them either.
- Incompatible Orientation: Between Tim and Travis, the frat boy that Tim sleeps with while at college. Tim believes it's karma getting back at him for what he put Ben through.
- Masochism Tango: Tim's relationship with Ryan seems to be this. Even though in the time they're together Tim is somewhat aware that it's not the healthiest relationship and despite Ryan's cruelty and manipulation, feels somewhat of an obligation to Ryan knowing that he has nowhere else to go.
- Nostalgia Filter: Lampshaded by Allison who cites this as seemingly the reason Ben and Tim still have chemistry after so long a time apart.
- P.O.V. Sequel: Something Like Winter is essentially Something Like Summer but from Tim's perspective, with the events from the previous book retold in his point of view, along with the story of what happens to Tim during the points he wasn't present for. It does, however, expand past where Something Like Summer ends and tells of the trip he and Ben take to Mexico City.
- Romancing the Widow: The gay version of this. After Jace passes away, Tim conspires to bring Ben back into his life and convinces Allison to get him to come to Tim's art gallery unveiling. They reunite there and become a couple again.
- Temporary Love Interest: In the gap between leaving Ben during high school and meeting him again in adulthood, Tim has string of these, namely Travis and Ryan.
