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Secrets in the Snow #1
Fear of Falling
Some dreams should be stronger than our fears
Fiona Easton is a contradiction - a ski instructor who's scared of heights, and a passionate woman who's afraid of intimacy.
But a lost child, an approaching blizzard and a legendary Scot force her to face her fears, and re-examine her dreams. Dreams which are hanging by a cobweb-thin thread...
:: Fear of Falling is the first novella from the Secrets in the Snow series about a Scottish snowsports school. Previously released as book 2, this 2020 edition has been extensively rewritten and extended.
Fiona Easton is a contradiction - a ski instructor who's scared of heights, and a passionate woman who's afraid of intimacy.
But a lost child, an approaching blizzard and a legendary Scot force her to face her fears, and re-examine her dreams. Dreams which are hanging by a cobweb-thin thread...
:: Fear of Falling is the first novella from the Secrets in the Snow series about a Scottish snowsports school. Previously released as book 2, this 2020 edition has been extensively rewritten and extended.
162 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 20, 2013
330 people are currently reading
552 people want to read
About the author
Roz Marshall
61 books75 followersUSA Today bestselling author Roz Marshall pens romantic women's fiction, contemporary fantasy, and clean small-town romance. She loves writing uplifting stories set in her native Scotland, with strong heroines and page-turning plot lines.
A software engineer turned ski instructor turned author, she spends her spare time on horseback exploring the glorious Scottish countryside, or with her hubby and their talkative cat and squirrel-obsessed Jack Russell :-)
She also writes Cozy Mystery set in the Scottish Highlands as R.B. Marshall: https://books2read.com/rl/RBMarshall
and Historical Romance telling the story of Mary Queen of Scots, as Belle McInnes: https://books2read.com/rl/MarysLadies
A software engineer turned ski instructor turned author, she spends her spare time on horseback exploring the glorious Scottish countryside, or with her hubby and their talkative cat and squirrel-obsessed Jack Russell :-)
She also writes Cozy Mystery set in the Scottish Highlands as R.B. Marshall: https://books2read.com/rl/RBMarshall
and Historical Romance telling the story of Mary Queen of Scots, as Belle McInnes: https://books2read.com/rl/MarysLadies
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
November 30, 2020
In het Schotse dorp White Cairns Village hebben de bewoners allemaal hun eigen zorgen. Een van die bewoners is Fiona, een vrouw die van tegenstellingen aan elkaar hangt. Na een paar maanden thuis te hebben gezeten, begint ze weer op haar werkplek: de White Cairns skischool. Een sneeuwstorm en een vermist kind dwingen haar om haar angsten onder ogen te komen. Ook de rest van het dorp maakt zich op om zaken recht te zetten met andere bewoners die al langere tijd scheef lopen.
In dit boek komen veel verschillende personages aan bod die allemaal op een bepaalde manier aan de skischool verbonden zijn. Het verhaal wordt dan ook verteld vanuit deze verschillende perspectieven. De snelle wisselingen hierin zijn niet vervelend, wel dat de wisselingen plaatsvinden zonder dat een witregel de perspectieven op een prettige manier scheidt. Dat maakte dat ik soms twijfelde of ik van perspectief wisselde of dat twee personages in één situatie zaten.
Uiteindelijk raakte ik redelijk snel gewend aan de wisselende perspectieven waardoor het verhaal sneller las. Het leuke aan dit verhaal vond ik dat iedereen op dezelfde dag iets meemaakt en iedereen elkaar kent. Geen ingewikkelde of zware thema’s die de boventoon voeren, maar licht verwerkt in het verhaal. Dat maakt dat dit boek prima te lezen is op een fijne winterse dag.
De sfeer in dit boek is goed voelbaar en prettig. Hoewel kerst niet echt een rol speelt, word je wel meegenomen op de zeer besneeuwde skipiste. Een aankomende sneeuwstorm maakt dat iemand zoek raakt op de piste en medewerkers, maar ook jij als lezer, in spanning afwachten of alles goed komt. Zelf ben ik niet zo van de sneeuw en skiën kan ik niet, maar dit boek heeft mij een paar leuke leesuren opgeleverd.
Vang me op is het eerste deel in de serie ‘Liefde in de sneeuw’, dus ongetwijfeld worden andere delen ook vertaald naar het Nederlands. Ik kijk er naar uit! Als je zin hebt in een heerlijk winters en ook wel liefdevol verhaal, dan is dit een fijn boek om te lezen.
In dit boek komen veel verschillende personages aan bod die allemaal op een bepaalde manier aan de skischool verbonden zijn. Het verhaal wordt dan ook verteld vanuit deze verschillende perspectieven. De snelle wisselingen hierin zijn niet vervelend, wel dat de wisselingen plaatsvinden zonder dat een witregel de perspectieven op een prettige manier scheidt. Dat maakte dat ik soms twijfelde of ik van perspectief wisselde of dat twee personages in één situatie zaten.
Uiteindelijk raakte ik redelijk snel gewend aan de wisselende perspectieven waardoor het verhaal sneller las. Het leuke aan dit verhaal vond ik dat iedereen op dezelfde dag iets meemaakt en iedereen elkaar kent. Geen ingewikkelde of zware thema’s die de boventoon voeren, maar licht verwerkt in het verhaal. Dat maakt dat dit boek prima te lezen is op een fijne winterse dag.
De sfeer in dit boek is goed voelbaar en prettig. Hoewel kerst niet echt een rol speelt, word je wel meegenomen op de zeer besneeuwde skipiste. Een aankomende sneeuwstorm maakt dat iemand zoek raakt op de piste en medewerkers, maar ook jij als lezer, in spanning afwachten of alles goed komt. Zelf ben ik niet zo van de sneeuw en skiën kan ik niet, maar dit boek heeft mij een paar leuke leesuren opgeleverd.
Vang me op is het eerste deel in de serie ‘Liefde in de sneeuw’, dus ongetwijfeld worden andere delen ook vertaald naar het Nederlands. Ik kijk er naar uit! Als je zin hebt in een heerlijk winters en ook wel liefdevol verhaal, dan is dit een fijn boek om te lezen.
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December 1, 2020Vang me op speelt zich af in het mooie Schotland, een groep skileraren geven daar les op de berg. En Fiona speelt de hoofdrol, na een nare gebeurtenis pakt zij haar werk als skileraar weer op. Ze begeleidt een klas naar boven maar dan komt er een sneeuwstorm….als een van de kinderen wordt vermist bedenkt ze zich geen moment en gaat ze de berg weer op.
Aan de andere kant is er het verhaal van Zoë die een klein ongelukje heeft met grote gevolgen, ze besluit diegene die ze omvergelopen heeft te helpen.
In beide verhalen vraagt de lezer zich op het einde af wie er opgevangen moest worden en wie er nu geholpen is.
Juist door deze mooie vragen en gedachtes na het lezen is het lezen van dit boek een heerlijke leeservaring. Het was wat snel afgelopen, te snel naar mijn zin omdat ik nog wel een keer de berg op wilde gaan om de personen in dit verhaal nog beter te leren kennen. Ik miste daarin een klein beetje diepgang maar het verhaal loopt verder van beide kanten heel soepel.
Hé! Skileraren zijn ook mensen met gevoel en niet alleen de knappe mensen die les geven. Er spelen verschillende verhalen onderling en dat nodigt uit voor verder lezen van de volgende delen. Daar kijk ik in ieder geval naar uit!
Aan de andere kant is er het verhaal van Zoë die een klein ongelukje heeft met grote gevolgen, ze besluit diegene die ze omvergelopen heeft te helpen.
In beide verhalen vraagt de lezer zich op het einde af wie er opgevangen moest worden en wie er nu geholpen is.
Juist door deze mooie vragen en gedachtes na het lezen is het lezen van dit boek een heerlijke leeservaring. Het was wat snel afgelopen, te snel naar mijn zin omdat ik nog wel een keer de berg op wilde gaan om de personen in dit verhaal nog beter te leren kennen. Ik miste daarin een klein beetje diepgang maar het verhaal loopt verder van beide kanten heel soepel.
Hé! Skileraren zijn ook mensen met gevoel en niet alleen de knappe mensen die les geven. Er spelen verschillende verhalen onderling en dat nodigt uit voor verder lezen van de volgende delen. Daar kijk ik in ieder geval naar uit!
November 25, 2020
Wat een verrassend interessant en goed boek is dit! Mijn uitgebreide review lees je volgende week in het kader van de blogtour op mijn blog!
December 11, 2020
Net zoals je kan verwachten van een feelgood met kerst thema is het een heerlijk kerst verhaal.
Persoonlijk vond ik dit boek in het begin een beetje verwarrend omdat je veel verhaallijnen hebt.
Het prettige gevoel is zeker aanwezig gedurende dit hele verhaal. Helaas is dit niet een boek dat mij helemaal kon bekoren.
Alle personages vond ik vrij oppervlakkig en kon niet echt een band vormen met ze.
Doordat het verhaal is opgebouwd uit kleine stukjes verteld vanuit andere personages voelt alles een beetje gehaast.
Het boek is natuurlijk een novelle met maar 100 pagina’s, dit had van mij meer mogen zijn om te zorgen dat het verhaal wat meer diepgaande personages krijgt. Het verhaal vertellen vanuit minder personages is natuurlijk ook een optie wat had gekund.
Wat dit verhaal wel heel goed weet te doen is je interesse wekken in alle personages waar je kennis mee maakt. Aangezien het een serie is ben ik wel getriggerd om meer delen te lezen.
Persoonlijk hoop ik wel dat in de volgende delen wel een regel wit of iets dergelijks wordt gebruikt om een wisseling van personage aan te geven. Dat zou het overzichtelijker maken in mijn ogen.
Persoonlijk vond ik dit boek in het begin een beetje verwarrend omdat je veel verhaallijnen hebt.
Het prettige gevoel is zeker aanwezig gedurende dit hele verhaal. Helaas is dit niet een boek dat mij helemaal kon bekoren.
Alle personages vond ik vrij oppervlakkig en kon niet echt een band vormen met ze.
Doordat het verhaal is opgebouwd uit kleine stukjes verteld vanuit andere personages voelt alles een beetje gehaast.
Het boek is natuurlijk een novelle met maar 100 pagina’s, dit had van mij meer mogen zijn om te zorgen dat het verhaal wat meer diepgaande personages krijgt. Het verhaal vertellen vanuit minder personages is natuurlijk ook een optie wat had gekund.
Wat dit verhaal wel heel goed weet te doen is je interesse wekken in alle personages waar je kennis mee maakt. Aangezien het een serie is ben ik wel getriggerd om meer delen te lezen.
Persoonlijk hoop ik wel dat in de volgende delen wel een regel wit of iets dergelijks wordt gebruikt om een wisseling van personage aan te geven. Dat zou het overzichtelijker maken in mijn ogen.
December 30, 2025
The 2025 52 Book Challenge - December Mini Challenge - 9) Snow On The Cover
This is a short novella set on a ski resort in Scotland. It's honestly never occurred to me to think that Scotland has ski resorts, like I know that it's cold there, but I didn't think it was cold enough for ski resorts, so hey, this book has taught me something.
However, the book itself is pretty poor. The plot and the characters all just sort of bounce around everywhere. I'm so confused on who everybody is, what their motivations are, and honestly, the book doesn't make me care about any of these characters.
This is a short novella set on a ski resort in Scotland. It's honestly never occurred to me to think that Scotland has ski resorts, like I know that it's cold there, but I didn't think it was cold enough for ski resorts, so hey, this book has taught me something.
However, the book itself is pretty poor. The plot and the characters all just sort of bounce around everywhere. I'm so confused on who everybody is, what their motivations are, and honestly, the book doesn't make me care about any of these characters.
December 31, 2023
In the lead up to Christmas I have been reading some books set around Christmas time. They have for the most part been easy reading, feel good books which I have enjoyed. This one however failed me. It was totally crap. Very confused and not much of a story. It's one saving grace is that it is short! Time for a good thriller next I think.
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Fiona Easton is a contradiction - a ski instructor who's scared of heights and a passionate woman who's afraid of intimacy. Recovered from a life-altering heartbreak, it's time for her to return to work at White Cairns Ski School in Scotland.
But a lost child, a legendary Scot and an approaching blizzard force her to face her fears, and re-examine her dreams. Dreams which are hanging by a cobweb-thin thread.........
**************************
Fiona Easton is a contradiction - a ski instructor who's scared of heights and a passionate woman who's afraid of intimacy. Recovered from a life-altering heartbreak, it's time for her to return to work at White Cairns Ski School in Scotland.
But a lost child, a legendary Scot and an approaching blizzard force her to face her fears, and re-examine her dreams. Dreams which are hanging by a cobweb-thin thread.........
December 20, 2013
Fear of Falling is the second instalment in Roz Marshall's addictive new White Cairns Ski School series, but don't be fooled into thinking you need to read the first book to dive straight into this little gem. Each episode seems to serve as a stand-alone story, and while there seems to be an over-arcing plot emerging, each 'episode' has its own self-contained story. Reading the first book will certainly provide you with some insight, but feel free to give either way a go!
In this 'episode' we are introduced to a new protagonist (who does feature in 'episode' one), Fiona, a ski instructor at the school. When instructing a class of school children, one of her charges goes missing in a storm, bringing up a whole host of recent traumas for Fiona, who is determined to find him. But in her determination to save the young child, she puts herself in peril, as the slopes often hide hidden dangers that remain unseen until it is too late.
Again, Marshall's writing is something to be marvelled at; she manages to fit in so much action and emotion but weaves it in a way that you barely notice your heart jumping into your throat until it's there and thumping hard. A fabulous talent for giving just enough information to intrigue and drag you along for the ride makes this a truly compelling read - I just HAD to know the answers!
Much more action packed than the first - what I would call 'introductory' episode - this will certainly appeal to new readers. Not only would I recommend this to those who have read and enjoyed the first episode as a continuation where you will delve further into characters who you have met before, I would recommend this as a stand-alone short story for lovers of sporting/action books everywhere.
In this 'episode' we are introduced to a new protagonist (who does feature in 'episode' one), Fiona, a ski instructor at the school. When instructing a class of school children, one of her charges goes missing in a storm, bringing up a whole host of recent traumas for Fiona, who is determined to find him. But in her determination to save the young child, she puts herself in peril, as the slopes often hide hidden dangers that remain unseen until it is too late.
Again, Marshall's writing is something to be marvelled at; she manages to fit in so much action and emotion but weaves it in a way that you barely notice your heart jumping into your throat until it's there and thumping hard. A fabulous talent for giving just enough information to intrigue and drag you along for the ride makes this a truly compelling read - I just HAD to know the answers!
Much more action packed than the first - what I would call 'introductory' episode - this will certainly appeal to new readers. Not only would I recommend this to those who have read and enjoyed the first episode as a continuation where you will delve further into characters who you have met before, I would recommend this as a stand-alone short story for lovers of sporting/action books everywhere.
July 18, 2014
I love the way each episode helps the reader learn more about different characters. Fiona has such a mothering instinct. A girl in her group doesn't want to participate and Fiona coaxes her into it but talking to her and figuring out the issue and a solution. When a child is lost in her group at the start of a big storm, she does what she can to rescue him. I love the way this ski team really seems like family. They care and look out for one another and that relationship is very endearing.
*I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review*
*I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review*
January 21, 2014
A great story, following on from 'episode 1', with the same characters, but a different focus, so that other characters come to the fore. In this adventure, Fiona takes centre-stage, and we find out a little more about her story - can't say more than that really.
These stories do stand-alone, but work best read in order for the character development.
I'm starting to develop favourites and also hoping for certain storylines to come out in a certain way. Looking forward to episode 3!
These stories do stand-alone, but work best read in order for the character development.
I'm starting to develop favourites and also hoping for certain storylines to come out in a certain way. Looking forward to episode 3!
December 27, 2017
When your afraid of heights....
A young boy goes missing on the ski slope. A blizzard moved in. Fiona the ski instructor, rushes back up the slope to find him. She does but must confront her fear to the the boy. Can she do it...not without the boys help. Wonderfully written about panic and fear and overcoming it. With good twists
A young boy goes missing on the ski slope. A blizzard moved in. Fiona the ski instructor, rushes back up the slope to find him. She does but must confront her fear to the the boy. Can she do it...not without the boys help. Wonderfully written about panic and fear and overcoming it. With good twists
May 22, 2014
I have quickly fallen in love with the series of short reads. Each one gives you a little clue into a different characters life at the ski resort. This short is very heart warming and will quickly pull you in. I recommend this series to anyone if you like skiing or not! WaAR
November 26, 2017
4 star
I purchased Fear of Falling by Roz Marshall and this review was given freely.
This suspenseful excerpt features Fiona and indicates some tragedy in the recent past for both Fiona and for Mike as well as Fiona's fear of heights. The answers are finally provided at the end.
I purchased Fear of Falling by Roz Marshall and this review was given freely.
This suspenseful excerpt features Fiona and indicates some tragedy in the recent past for both Fiona and for Mike as well as Fiona's fear of heights. The answers are finally provided at the end.
October 1, 2020
This was a quick read first book I have read by this author and won’t be the last was an easy read with romance and plenty about snow and fear well worth reading.
February 15, 2022
I really enjoyed this. It was the perfect story to read during the 2022 Beijing Olympics! A lovely story about a Scottish ski school in a small village. Full of quirky characters, along with a bit of mystery concerning the backgrounds of the characters, Fear of Falling is about a ski instructor who's scared of heights, and must overcome her fear to help a student who gets lost during a blizzard. Fun and suspenseful, I wanted more, just because there are questions about some of the characters and I want to know the answers! I can't wait to continue the adventures of Jude and her ski instructors.
December 21, 2023
This was a short book to read, but the story seemed to bounce all over the place. Many characters never seemed to get fully developed. The plot, though, was good and kept me interested till the end. For some reason I thought the title implied falling in love, but the story was set in a Scottish alpine skiing area, specifically devoted to teaching beginners and intermediaries how to ski or ski better, and the fear of falling was real. There was a good amount of adventure in the story, but at the end I felt like the story was not compete. Maybe that's the author's way of getting you to read the next book in the series.
February 18, 2024
An interesting story with several side stories brought out as I was reading. Fiona and her husband, Geoff, both work at a ski resort in Scotland. He's with the Ski Patrol and she is an instructor. We also meet Zoe, who is an instructor at the same resort. She is delayed as she bumps into an elderly lady and injures her. There's also Jude who runs the ski school, her husband who usually runs it however he left to find a way to make money to keep them from losing it. The setting is skillfully placed in a very cold snowy mountain with a storm brewing. I'm looking forward to the next book.
May 9, 2023
Interesting ski story
Ski instructors are working with many different levels of students. A blizzard moves in while they are on the mountain and one young boy is missing. Fiona, his instructor, takes the other students down the mountain and gets the tow operator to notify the ski rescue patrol. She jumps back on the tow and goes back up to search for the boy. Great book you really need to read. It has some very unexpected situations and characters.
Ski instructors are working with many different levels of students. A blizzard moves in while they are on the mountain and one young boy is missing. Fiona, his instructor, takes the other students down the mountain and gets the tow operator to notify the ski rescue patrol. She jumps back on the tow and goes back up to search for the boy. Great book you really need to read. It has some very unexpected situations and characters.
December 31, 2023
Feel Good Story
Set in the Scottish highlands at a ski school, Fear of Falling is peopled by a diverse group of characters, several of whom have issues. The story takes place on two days, and we see a few examples of stressful situations being faced up to and handled despite the fear. Not everyone handles their issues well, but for the protagonists there are sighs of relief from the reader. Enjoyable.
Set in the Scottish highlands at a ski school, Fear of Falling is peopled by a diverse group of characters, several of whom have issues. The story takes place on two days, and we see a few examples of stressful situations being faced up to and handled despite the fear. Not everyone handles their issues well, but for the protagonists there are sighs of relief from the reader. Enjoyable.
February 2, 2025
In deze novelle zitten meerdere verhaallijnen, wat de eerste bladzijden chaos voor me maakten, omdat ik steeds kennis ging maken met weer iemand nieuw. Daarnaast wordt er maar een verhaallijn half afgemaakt. Het is vermoedelijke de bedoeling dat je het volgende boek leest om te ontdekken hoe het met iedereen verder gaat. Maar daarvoor weet ik net te weinig van de meeste personen en hun verhaal om dat te willen.
Nooit geweten dat er in Schotland ook een skigebied is.
Nooit geweten dat er in Schotland ook een skigebied is.
December 8, 2025
A short story, book one in the series. This book covers January and with the next book titled valentine's I figure it continues with the story. Set in a ski school in Scotland, it's full of wonderful characters that you want to know more about. Usually I don't give short books more than three because of length which usually has the author reducing the number of characters. Not this book, oh no, it's a brilliant introduction to everyone at the ski school and leaves you wanting more.
December 17, 2020
Sadly this didn’t hit the mark for me. It was a very fast book. Lots happened with minimal explanation. I was left with lots of questions and I don’t think this was because it’s a mid-series book. There were a lot of characters and a lot of subtle hints at what could be going on with them. The reader is left to guess a lot of content and that’s not really for me.
February 19, 2021
An easy read with some interesting characters but I felt there was a previous book I should have read to get more detail. Liked the story of the old lady and would like to have known more. Perhaps that's in a following book. Not sure I'll bother though. It was OK but didn't hook me enough to want to read on.
November 19, 2021
When I first started reading, I wasn't sure I would like the story. But I started getting interested in some of the characters and wanted to see what happened. When a boy gets separated from the school group, Fiona goes in search of him. When she finds him, she has to confront her fear of heights to save him. As she does, they end up helping each other.
December 22, 2024
I don't know why I finished this book
I did not enjoy this book at all, in fact I'm not sure why I even bothered to finish it. It barely seemed to focus on one character, to the point where I often wasn't even sure who the book was about. Honestly, this was a colossal waste of my time.
I did not enjoy this book at all, in fact I'm not sure why I even bothered to finish it. It barely seemed to focus on one character, to the point where I often wasn't even sure who the book was about. Honestly, this was a colossal waste of my time.
December 31, 2020
Too many characters, not enough explication
Its a novella, but had too many plot lines and too many characters. It was hard to follow. Writing style was good, but it should have been fleshed out into a full novel.
Its a novella, but had too many plot lines and too many characters. It was hard to follow. Writing style was good, but it should have been fleshed out into a full novel.
January 10, 2021
A bit short
Although I liked the idea of a shorter book after reading a few longer ones, I actually think it kinda cut the story a little. I felt like it didn’t really have chance to end properly
Although I liked the idea of a shorter book after reading a few longer ones, I actually think it kinda cut the story a little. I felt like it didn’t really have chance to end properly
May 11, 2021
Scottish ski short story
Great story line. Too short. Needed more character development. Also needed a bit more editing. With more story it could be very interesting. I kept turning pages thinking this couldn't be the end.
Great story line. Too short. Needed more character development. Also needed a bit more editing. With more story it could be very interesting. I kept turning pages thinking this couldn't be the end.
June 21, 2021
Skiing romance
Fiona is a ski instructor at a resort and it can be full on especially when a school class with their teacher turn up and a child goes missing. Drama, romance, fun. Light hearted read
Fiona is a ski instructor at a resort and it can be full on especially when a school class with their teacher turn up and a child goes missing. Drama, romance, fun. Light hearted read
July 24, 2022
Too Short
Cute story but because it was so short, there was no depth to the characters. This was an essay.. I will not be reading anymore of these sweet romantic books. A real book should be a minimum off 350-4000 pages.
Cute story but because it was so short, there was no depth to the characters. This was an essay.. I will not be reading anymore of these sweet romantic books. A real book should be a minimum off 350-4000 pages.
December 22, 2022
still not sure what I read
The character were poorly written and story was hard to follow and I felt I was missing part of it the entire time. For book 1 I felt like it was the end of another book.
The character were poorly written and story was hard to follow and I felt I was missing part of it the entire time. For book 1 I felt like it was the end of another book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews