The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman
Graydon House (October 26, 2021)
BLURB
The forecast is calling for a reluctant homecoming and regrettable decisions with a strong chance of romance…
When Sonny Dunes, a SoCal meteorologist whose job is all sunshine and seventy-two-degree days, is replaced by a virtual meteorologist that will never age, gain weight or renegotiate its contract, the only station willing to give the fifty-year-old another shot is the very place Sonny’s been avoiding since the day she left for college—her northern Michigan hometown.
Sonny grudgingly returns to the long, cold, snowy winters of her childhood…with the added humiliation of moving back in with her mother. Not quite an outsider but no longer a local, Sonny finds her past blindsiding her everywhere: from the high school friends she ghosted, to the former journalism classmate and mortal frenemy who’s now her boss, to, most keenly, the death years ago of her younger sister, who loved the snow.
To distract herself from the memories she’s spent her life trying to outrun, Sonny throws herself headfirst into covering every small-town winter event to woo a new audience, made more bearable by a handsome widower with optimism to spare. But with someone trying to undermine her efforts to rebuild her career, Sonny must make peace with who she used to be and allow her heart to thaw if she’s ever going to find a place she can truly call home.
REVIEW
“Snow angels are winter’s way of saying hello to God.”
My first read by Viola Shipman and it’s wonderful storytelling. It’s a combination of funny and sad, of hope and disappointments, family memories and healing. Love the various characters to love and hate; even the Michigan weather, in my opinion is a character in itself. Woven throughout the novel are traditional winter activities and festivals. A message of healing, being true to oneself, and second chances. As the book states – “But running doesn’t solve anything… it just distances you from the love we deserve.” I highly recommend this novel that celebrates the beauty of winter, overcoming loss, second chances.
Reviewed by Comfy Chair Books/Lisa Reigel (October 17, 2021)
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley
#TheSecretOfSnow #ViolaShipman @viola_shipman #WomensFiction #SecondChances #NetGalley @Bookclubbish @HTPBooks #GraydonHouseBooks @graydonhousebooks
“
You just froze from the inside out to protect yourself.”
“All we need is love to survive the worst in life. Just takes someone to give a damn to make a difference.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Wade Rouse is a popular award-winning memoirist and internationally bestselling author of twelve books, which have been translated into twenty languages and selected as Today show Must-Reads, Indie Next Picks and Michigan Notable Books. Rouse writes fiction under his grandma’s name, Viola Shipman, to honor the woman whose heirlooms inspire his writing. He lives in Michigan and California, and hosts Wine & Words with Wade, A Literary Happy Hour, every Thursday. –This text refers to the paperback edition.
Viola Shipman | USA Today Bestselling Author
https://www.instagram.com/viola_shipman/
comfychairbooks.com 
great review
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