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The Sound of Snow
Driven away from England by scandal, a woman returns to confront a danger to protect the only family she has left. From bestselling author Katherine Kingsley.
“A timeless tale of the miracle of true love which conquers all, heals all, and makes all new again. Add interesting characters, unexpected plot twists, and a touch of the supernatural, and the result is a memorable, feel-good read.” – All About Romance
Despite having been driven from aristocratic English society in disgrace, Joanna is resolved to return to England after the death of her beloved cousin, Lydia. She is a woman on a mission, determined to rescue Lydia’s son from his father, the man Joanna suspects is responsible for Lydia’s untimely death. Guy de Salis, Marquess of Greaves, seems to be capable of anything.
Joanna’s wit and passion leave Guy feeling uneasy. Despite his own misgivings, he invites her to be his son’s governess, an invitation Joanna warily accepts in order to better protect her family. What neither expected was to see the boy bloom under Joanna’s care, or for love to blossom in the most unlikely of circumstances.
“A true gem…a sheer delight. Guy is possibly one of the best heroes I’ve read in years and you won’t want to miss THE SOUND OF SNOW. I treasured every word.” – The Book Nook
“A timeless tale of the miracle of true love which conquers all, heals all, and makes all new again. Add interesting characters, unexpected plot twists, and a touch of the supernatural, and the result is a memorable, feel-good read.” – All About Romance
Despite having been driven from aristocratic English society in disgrace, Joanna is resolved to return to England after the death of her beloved cousin, Lydia. She is a woman on a mission, determined to rescue Lydia’s son from his father, the man Joanna suspects is responsible for Lydia’s untimely death. Guy de Salis, Marquess of Greaves, seems to be capable of anything.
Joanna’s wit and passion leave Guy feeling uneasy. Despite his own misgivings, he invites her to be his son’s governess, an invitation Joanna warily accepts in order to better protect her family. What neither expected was to see the boy bloom under Joanna’s care, or for love to blossom in the most unlikely of circumstances.
“A true gem…a sheer delight. Guy is possibly one of the best heroes I’ve read in years and you won’t want to miss THE SOUND OF SNOW. I treasured every word.” – The Book Nook
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 13, 1999
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283 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
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November 24, 2017Good lord. Every cliched device known to the genre is in this book.
Plot moppet ✔️
Societal outcast ✔️
Grieving widower ✔️
Unhappy marriage ✔️
The Experienced Virgin ✔️
Wounded soldier ✔️
Convenient bad weather ✔️
Near-Death Experience ✔️
Savior Complex ✔️
Beloved by Belowstairs ✔️
Prose so purple it’s Aubergine ✔️ (“heavy invasion”? Oh man.)
I mean it just goes on and on and on. 14 year old me would have loved it, 35 year old me is rolling her eyes back down from her skull and moving on to a better book.
Plot moppet ✔️
Societal outcast ✔️
Grieving widower ✔️
Unhappy marriage ✔️
The Experienced Virgin ✔️
Wounded soldier ✔️
Convenient bad weather ✔️
Near-Death Experience ✔️
Savior Complex ✔️
Beloved by Belowstairs ✔️
Prose so purple it’s Aubergine ✔️ (“heavy invasion”? Oh man.)
I mean it just goes on and on and on. 14 year old me would have loved it, 35 year old me is rolling her eyes back down from her skull and moving on to a better book.
October 29, 2014
I really liked Kingsley's book Song of the Sea, but I've struggled with her other works. This book was not for me. The heroine is a paragon of virtue/goodness, there are a lot of misunderstandings, and the resolution was too hard to swallow and was drawn out. Plus, the purple prose abounded in this one. Song of the Sea had nice emotional depth, but this story tried too hard to also have that depth and it just didn't work for me. I'll keep reading others though because when I do find a theme that clicks with me from Kingsley, I really enjoy it.
December 27, 2021
This is my first Katherine Kingsley book, and I found it to be an enjoyable foray into her work. It feels a bit like a Jane Eyre retelling which I enjoyed, with it being a beat for beat reiteration. Kingsley’s writing is overall accessible and engaging and feels reminiscent of the writing style of the 1990s historical romances (written in the late 90s). I found her characters to be dimensional, the romance does seem a bit insta love in the moment but the chemistry and relationship between the hero and heroine grows into something beautiful as they both learn to trust each other and open there hearts. Definitely worth checking out if you are interested in Kingsley’s work.
February 9, 2016
The Sound of Snow, hmm sometimes when you read a book and 7 or 10 years later you still remember the characters, the tension, the drama and the romance, it's at those times you realize you've actually read a pretty memorable story. This is that timeless historical romance you'll always remember. Joanna and Guy were wounded, betrayed souls who came together under "unusual" circumstances and I must say their characters developed and blossomed beautifully in this one. It's a romance that makes you smile and cry **if you're into that sorta thing** and having that effect on any reader is a testament to great writing. Katherine Kingsley did a brilliant job and this has my recommendation.
December 31, 2012
Bleh. Not the worst book I've read. It wasn't horrible, it just wasn't very good. I don't know if it was the writing, the characters, or the story, but it just didn't work.
May 31, 2025
lots of editing and spelling mistakes.
December 3, 2014
synopsis:
joanna had fled to the continent after being discovered in a scandalous situation. she returned when she received a letter from her dead cousin, pleading that if anything should happen to her, joanna would come look after her beloved son, and protect him from his father. guy is still recovering from his wife's life and death, and is suspicious of joanna, but allows her to be his son's governess. as joanna begins to bring life to both guy and his son, joanna's cousin comes back to life.
what i liked: the premise. joanna and guy were well drawn and given a good opportunity to get to know one another. i liked that joanna brought everyone to life in the household.
what i didn't like: the story seemed a little bit dry for me. once again, i just don't get what others see in this book.
joanna had fled to the continent after being discovered in a scandalous situation. she returned when she received a letter from her dead cousin, pleading that if anything should happen to her, joanna would come look after her beloved son, and protect him from his father. guy is still recovering from his wife's life and death, and is suspicious of joanna, but allows her to be his son's governess. as joanna begins to bring life to both guy and his son, joanna's cousin comes back to life.
what i liked: the premise. joanna and guy were well drawn and given a good opportunity to get to know one another. i liked that joanna brought everyone to life in the household.
what i didn't like: the story seemed a little bit dry for me. once again, i just don't get what others see in this book.
October 14, 2011
I usually love this author but I found this particular novel a little boring and predictable by the half way mark. Also, around this point in the book the romance began to feel forced and the heroine became so sickningly worshipped by every peson around her for her great works, noble wisdom and angelic being that i found myself skimming pages. The book started off with promise but there wasn't enough genuine conflict to carry it through. A disappointment but it will not keep me from reading this authors other works. As I said, usually Ms Kingsley writes wonderfully.
July 27, 2021
Excellently done although I could tell where it was going and there were few surprises, but I always enjoy a book where the heroine takes over and solves problems one after another. My heart went out to little Miles and to a lesser degree to his father, the Marquess. They both badly needed Joanna, and Joanna needed a new direction for her talents. Great match-up and very moving in parts.
January 17, 2011
Absolutely standard genre romance. Meh writing. Over-wrought situations and emotionalism. HOTT man, BEAUTIFUL woman, cute li'l boy, evil dead wife. All the tropes are here. In a word: boring.
April 16, 2011
I enjoyed this book, but I suppose it's the usual with nothing to make it stand out - more like a three and a half star. I enjoyed both the hero and heroine.
May 16, 2018
3.5 stars. It was a great story but it got a little too melodramatic for my taste. Too many weepy scenes.
July 15, 2020
One of her better books. Loved the characters!
November 21, 2022
This is a complex story; I want to give a review without telling all the complications and surprises involved in this book. This is the first novel I've read by Katherine Kingsley, and I was impressed in many areas.
The whole story revolves around the close relationship between two cousins, who happen to look a great deal alike. They have lived in the same home since Joanna's parents were killed. Lydia is the younger, spoiled daughter whose parents took Joanna into their home and hope she will marry soon.
Joanna is compromised through no fault of her own but refuses to marry the man who tries to ruin her. Instead, Joanna opts to move to Italy (she inherited a small villa there from her grandmother) and reside quietly. Eventually, Joanna marries an older man who dies suddenly after eight months of marriage.
Joanna is drawn from Italy by the message that her cousin Lydia has died. Earlier, Lydia sent a letter to Joanna to get her darling baby boy (Miles) and take him away from the monster she married if anything happened to her. Honor-bound by her close relationship with Lydia, Joanna reluctantly leaves Italy.
Miles is a silent, distant child when she arrives at Wakefield Abbey. His father, Guy de Salis, is remote and hostile. Before long, Joanna becomes governess to the five-year-old child and works to break through Mile's shell. However, Joanna soon realizes that Guy is also damaged.
Until the 2/3 mark of the book, this was a five-star story. First, however, I have a real problem with magical events (that includes paranormal and miracles), and Brother Michael was such an event. Secondly, I thought some sexual encounters were more graphic than necessary.
This story takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride. However, even with the faults mentioned here, I enjoyed the story.
The whole story revolves around the close relationship between two cousins, who happen to look a great deal alike. They have lived in the same home since Joanna's parents were killed. Lydia is the younger, spoiled daughter whose parents took Joanna into their home and hope she will marry soon.
Joanna is compromised through no fault of her own but refuses to marry the man who tries to ruin her. Instead, Joanna opts to move to Italy (she inherited a small villa there from her grandmother) and reside quietly. Eventually, Joanna marries an older man who dies suddenly after eight months of marriage.
Joanna is drawn from Italy by the message that her cousin Lydia has died. Earlier, Lydia sent a letter to Joanna to get her darling baby boy (Miles) and take him away from the monster she married if anything happened to her. Honor-bound by her close relationship with Lydia, Joanna reluctantly leaves Italy.
Miles is a silent, distant child when she arrives at Wakefield Abbey. His father, Guy de Salis, is remote and hostile. Before long, Joanna becomes governess to the five-year-old child and works to break through Mile's shell. However, Joanna soon realizes that Guy is also damaged.
Until the 2/3 mark of the book, this was a five-star story. First, however, I have a real problem with magical events (that includes paranormal and miracles), and Brother Michael was such an event. Secondly, I thought some sexual encounters were more graphic than necessary.
This story takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride. However, even with the faults mentioned here, I enjoyed the story.
November 21, 2022
The beginning of this book was a bit boring, even the middle I am being honest wasn't attention gripping
I felt like I was reading it to pass the time the characters were likable but if am being honest forgettable, but the truly interesting part of this book, was at the ending like seriously 😯 can you imagine the author just tidied up all the loose ends in a way that was just quite shocking it's a human being that just died !! not the turkey you were keeping for Thanksgiving she probably deserved more respect than that .
Yes she wasn't very nice or she was the epitome of pure meaness but she was still your wife or at the very least a human being ,common decency people?
I felt like I was reading it to pass the time the characters were likable but if am being honest forgettable, but the truly interesting part of this book, was at the ending like seriously 😯 can you imagine the author just tidied up all the loose ends in a way that was just quite shocking it's a human being that just died !! not the turkey you were keeping for Thanksgiving she probably deserved more respect than that .
Yes she wasn't very nice or she was the epitome of pure meaness but she was still your wife or at the very least a human being ,common decency people?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2018
One of my very favorite romances
I first came across this book in the mid-90s. I love how intelligent, strong and compassionate the heroine Joanna is. A story of how love *and* patience conquers all and how the truth will out. This is absolutely Katherine Kingsley's best book, hands down. I re-read it every few years or so, and 20 years later, I'm still moved to tears.
I first came across this book in the mid-90s. I love how intelligent, strong and compassionate the heroine Joanna is. A story of how love *and* patience conquers all and how the truth will out. This is absolutely Katherine Kingsley's best book, hands down. I re-read it every few years or so, and 20 years later, I'm still moved to tears.
February 3, 2025
Not sure what to write
I thought this book was about to end several times, but there were interesting twists that are tacked on. The characters were developed in the plot was interesting. Had a few love scenes, so not for children.
It was an interesting wrap up at the end not quite what I expected.
I thought this book was about to end several times, but there were interesting twists that are tacked on. The characters were developed in the plot was interesting. Had a few love scenes, so not for children.
It was an interesting wrap up at the end not quite what I expected.
December 28, 2018
Heroine was a paragon of virtue and a water pot, lost my patience with her.
Very cliched story but enjoyable.
Very cliched story but enjoyable.
February 9, 2019
It was slow moving, took me longer than usual to finish.
January 13, 2022
I liked this book better than I expected. It began a bit slow, but the end kept me on my toes with multiple twists. It ended up being a page turner.
January 31, 2023
4.1 14:40
January 15, 2024
I loved this books. Characters were realistic, tormented, misunderstood, and yet still attractive. I was rooting for them. Want to read more by this author.
October 1, 2025
What a train wreck, a soap opera melodrama in book form.
October 13, 2014
Such a Sweet Story.
Such a sweet story about romantic love and the love given to a child that pulls him out of such a dark place. Beautifully written with in-depth characterization. This is my 4th Katherine Kingsley book and I will continue to look for more!
Such a sweet story about romantic love and the love given to a child that pulls him out of such a dark place. Beautifully written with in-depth characterization. This is my 4th Katherine Kingsley book and I will continue to look for more!
January 12, 2016
Despite the suspicion that all is not as it seems being confirmed - would have made the plot a tad more interesting and whole lot more complex if the hero and heroine had had got married before the villain-of-the-piece makes an entry. Really enjoyable to read.
April 6, 2008
This is a sweet story but it is graphic in parts.
March 19, 2012
I liked this bit of romance. What can I say - it's a romance novel and it was everything that a historic romance should be. I read it in a few days.
July 29, 2011
This was a very good historical romance. It had an interesting twist at the end that I had unfortunately figured out before it happened but none-the-less it was a very good read.
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July 27, 2011Recommended reading for romantics. The usual enjoyable light reading.
March 12, 2013
6 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews