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The Secret of Snow
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 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.
Don't miss bestselling author Viola Shipman's charming new novel, THE WISHING BRIDGE — where an ambitious executive rediscovers the magic of family, friendship, home...and Christmas!
Other books by Viola
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 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.
Don't miss bestselling author Viola Shipman's charming new novel, THE WISHING BRIDGE — where an ambitious executive rediscovers the magic of family, friendship, home...and Christmas!
Other books by Viola
432 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 26, 2021
1176 people are currently reading
14186 people want to read
About the author
Viola Shipman
21 books3,506 followersDear Reader:
My latest novel, The Page Turner, is a story about why we too often judge one another – and the books we read – by a glance at the collective cover without knowing what is inside. It is also a story about how reading and books not only change us but also save our lives. They did mine.
Growing up “different” in rural America in the 1970s – with no one like me and no one to talk to about what I was going through – I felt alone in this world. Books allowed me to escape, understand, heal, hope and realize there was a place for me in the world just as I was. My grandma – my pen name, Viola Shipman – sensed I was “different,” and she loved me unconditionally and made sure I cherished my uniqueness. Even though my grandma never finished high school, she was a voracious reader who pushed books into my hands from the earliest of ages and made it clear that reading and education would not only change my life but quite possibly save it.
Books allowed me to see a vast world beyond the small town in which I lived. They allowed me to not only escape from the cruelty I often experienced but also understand the reasons behind the hatred. They allowed me to see – as my grandma instilled in me – that being unique was a gift. Books aren’t just books. Books are family. Authors are friends. The stories we read are timestamps in our memories. They bookmark important chapters in our lives and growth. Books are a chance to right the wrong in the world, an opportunity to rewrite ourselves. We can reimagine and reinvent, see the world in an entirely new way simply by turning a page. Or, sometimes, we can just escape from our own lives.
As Carl Sagan wrote: “What an astonishing thing a book is. It's a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it and you're inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic."
That’s exactly how I feel when I read and write: Magical. Like a literary unicorn.
Authors tend to write about the same topics – love, death, hope, loss – and we use the same words, the same linguistic tool belt, but it’s how we bring those stories to life that sets us apart.
That is why The Page Turner is also about voice. Not only the voice Emma Page uses to bring her novel to life, but the voice she owns that makes her special and that she is unwilling to silence. We all have a voice. In fact, I bet yours is talking to you in your head right now. However, there’s a good chance that you’ve forgotten the power of your own voice, the beauty of your own uniqueness. As I address in this book, we tend to bury that out of fear: Fear of being different, as I was; fear of being unpopular; fear that our family or friends will disapprove; fear of, well, everything. And slowly that voice becomes so quiet, so distant, we don’t even hear it anymore, and we are no longer the unique souls we once were. We are far from being the people we once dreamed. This novel is about overcoming fear and rediscovering your voice. As I write: Every voice is important. Every story needs to be heard.
I was once consumed by fear. And then I found my voice again. In fact, when I first started writing and dreaming of being an author, I truly believed that there was a golden key that was passed around New York City. It was handed out — late at night, in a fancy restaurant under gilded lights and over expensive drinks — to “certain” authors. And I would never be one of them. I now know — and you certainly already do — that such a key does not exist. The only key you need you already own: The one that unlocks the door to o
My latest novel, The Page Turner, is a story about why we too often judge one another – and the books we read – by a glance at the collective cover without knowing what is inside. It is also a story about how reading and books not only change us but also save our lives. They did mine.
Growing up “different” in rural America in the 1970s – with no one like me and no one to talk to about what I was going through – I felt alone in this world. Books allowed me to escape, understand, heal, hope and realize there was a place for me in the world just as I was. My grandma – my pen name, Viola Shipman – sensed I was “different,” and she loved me unconditionally and made sure I cherished my uniqueness. Even though my grandma never finished high school, she was a voracious reader who pushed books into my hands from the earliest of ages and made it clear that reading and education would not only change my life but quite possibly save it.
Books allowed me to see a vast world beyond the small town in which I lived. They allowed me to not only escape from the cruelty I often experienced but also understand the reasons behind the hatred. They allowed me to see – as my grandma instilled in me – that being unique was a gift. Books aren’t just books. Books are family. Authors are friends. The stories we read are timestamps in our memories. They bookmark important chapters in our lives and growth. Books are a chance to right the wrong in the world, an opportunity to rewrite ourselves. We can reimagine and reinvent, see the world in an entirely new way simply by turning a page. Or, sometimes, we can just escape from our own lives.
As Carl Sagan wrote: “What an astonishing thing a book is. It's a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it and you're inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic."
That’s exactly how I feel when I read and write: Magical. Like a literary unicorn.
Authors tend to write about the same topics – love, death, hope, loss – and we use the same words, the same linguistic tool belt, but it’s how we bring those stories to life that sets us apart.
That is why The Page Turner is also about voice. Not only the voice Emma Page uses to bring her novel to life, but the voice she owns that makes her special and that she is unwilling to silence. We all have a voice. In fact, I bet yours is talking to you in your head right now. However, there’s a good chance that you’ve forgotten the power of your own voice, the beauty of your own uniqueness. As I address in this book, we tend to bury that out of fear: Fear of being different, as I was; fear of being unpopular; fear that our family or friends will disapprove; fear of, well, everything. And slowly that voice becomes so quiet, so distant, we don’t even hear it anymore, and we are no longer the unique souls we once were. We are far from being the people we once dreamed. This novel is about overcoming fear and rediscovering your voice. As I write: Every voice is important. Every story needs to be heard.
I was once consumed by fear. And then I found my voice again. In fact, when I first started writing and dreaming of being an author, I truly believed that there was a golden key that was passed around New York City. It was handed out — late at night, in a fancy restaurant under gilded lights and over expensive drinks — to “certain” authors. And I would never be one of them. I now know — and you certainly already do — that such a key does not exist. The only key you need you already own: The one that unlocks the door to o
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,484 reviews
November 4, 2021
1.5 stars
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
When long-time meteorologist Sonny gets replaced with AI, she has a breakdown on camera that has her pasting suns on her chest and shaking them at the camera. With her career in serious trouble, she gets a call from her agent saying that a station in Michigan is offering her a job. It's Sonny's home state and she's done everything she can to run away from her memories there. With nowhere else to go, Sonny takes the job and is forced to confront why she keeps running and if she even wants to anymore.
Now, everything is sunny, isn't it, Sonny?
The Secret of Snow was a mixture of lit fic, women's fiction, and a thimble of romance. The focus is on Sonny's life and how hard the death of her younger sister impacted her and how that causes her to run from relationships in her life. At fifty years old, with a successful career, it was nice to see someone who outwardly has it all together, still have emotional struggles but eventually overcome them. When Sonny moves back home, she lives with her mother and we learn that her father died from cancer years ago, leaving both of them with only each other. It's not immediately revealed to the reader what happened to Sonny's younger sister but through small, quick flashbacks, it's obvious that the younger sister died in a tragic accident when she was a child and Sonny still hasn't dealt with the emotional fallout.
All because it's easier to be alone than it is to lose someone you love. Again.
The writing had some emotional moments but the way the characters spoke the lines felt unnatural and overly contrived to deliver pithy philosophical ideals. Instead of feeling like the characters were living or delivering the story, I could clearly see the author behind it driving everything to make their points. The second half felt very drawn out as Sonny circles around and around the same issues. I enjoyed the relationship with her mother, wish there had been more delving between the intricacies between Sonny and her boss/friend Lisa, and the romance first had the guy Mason focused too much on his wife who had passed (I don't care how open you are, when you first meet someone, you don't just unload that your wife committed suicide) and didn't spend enough time with Sonny to make me believe in their love. Mason giving Sonny his wife's necklace also felt odd and didn't land with me the way it was supposed to. My favorite relationship ended up being between Sonny and her cameraman she ends up becoming a mentor to, their relationship felt the most natural.
The book has a gorgeous cover, the winter activities Sonny does gives it a good seasonal feel, and after you read the story, the title nicely hits but the points and lines the author obviously wanted to deliver made the story and characters feel contrived and gave this an awkward forced flow.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
When long-time meteorologist Sonny gets replaced with AI, she has a breakdown on camera that has her pasting suns on her chest and shaking them at the camera. With her career in serious trouble, she gets a call from her agent saying that a station in Michigan is offering her a job. It's Sonny's home state and she's done everything she can to run away from her memories there. With nowhere else to go, Sonny takes the job and is forced to confront why she keeps running and if she even wants to anymore.
Now, everything is sunny, isn't it, Sonny?
The Secret of Snow was a mixture of lit fic, women's fiction, and a thimble of romance. The focus is on Sonny's life and how hard the death of her younger sister impacted her and how that causes her to run from relationships in her life. At fifty years old, with a successful career, it was nice to see someone who outwardly has it all together, still have emotional struggles but eventually overcome them. When Sonny moves back home, she lives with her mother and we learn that her father died from cancer years ago, leaving both of them with only each other. It's not immediately revealed to the reader what happened to Sonny's younger sister but through small, quick flashbacks, it's obvious that the younger sister died in a tragic accident when she was a child and Sonny still hasn't dealt with the emotional fallout.
All because it's easier to be alone than it is to lose someone you love. Again.
The writing had some emotional moments but the way the characters spoke the lines felt unnatural and overly contrived to deliver pithy philosophical ideals. Instead of feeling like the characters were living or delivering the story, I could clearly see the author behind it driving everything to make their points. The second half felt very drawn out as Sonny circles around and around the same issues. I enjoyed the relationship with her mother, wish there had been more delving between the intricacies between Sonny and her boss/friend Lisa, and the romance first had the guy Mason focused too much on his wife who had passed (I don't care how open you are, when you first meet someone, you don't just unload that your wife committed suicide) and didn't spend enough time with Sonny to make me believe in their love. Mason giving Sonny his wife's necklace also felt odd and didn't land with me the way it was supposed to. My favorite relationship ended up being between Sonny and her cameraman she ends up becoming a mentor to, their relationship felt the most natural.
The book has a gorgeous cover, the winter activities Sonny does gives it a good seasonal feel, and after you read the story, the title nicely hits but the points and lines the author obviously wanted to deliver made the story and characters feel contrived and gave this an awkward forced flow.
December 2, 2021
A fun, cozy, and heartwarming holiday book!
The Secret of Snow is the first holiday novel from Shipman, and as with the others, it is a total comfort read about friendship and love.
Sonny returns home to Michigan and its lake-effect snow (that snow is no joke!). She also has to face her past, and she decides to make the best of winter and her new life by ice fishing, sledding, and all the other things Michiganders do to enjoy the harsh winter.
As someone who covets the bits of measly snow we get here, I was entranced with the inviting coziness of the Michigan winter setting. I also loved Sonny and her opportunity for a second chance. Always a hopeful trope!
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
The Secret of Snow is the first holiday novel from Shipman, and as with the others, it is a total comfort read about friendship and love.
Sonny returns home to Michigan and its lake-effect snow (that snow is no joke!). She also has to face her past, and she decides to make the best of winter and her new life by ice fishing, sledding, and all the other things Michiganders do to enjoy the harsh winter.
As someone who covets the bits of measly snow we get here, I was entranced with the inviting coziness of the Michigan winter setting. I also loved Sonny and her opportunity for a second chance. Always a hopeful trope!
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
December 7, 2021
Years ago, Amberrose Murphy left the snow and darkness of Michigan behind and reinvented herself as Sonny Dunes, the highly rated meteorologist in Palm Springs, California. Now, the new hipster owner of her TV station has replaced her with an AI solution. But, she didn’t go quietly and her meltdown was in front of the cameras, going viral…nationally. It’s forced her return to her hometown in Traverse City and to the local TV station as it’s her only job opportunity. Sonny is fifty, down but not out as she tries to come to terms with the elements that had her flee the town those many years ago.
This is truly a multilayered story that has you laughing out loud one minute, holding back tears in the next and then wanting to throttle someone. It’s not your traditional Christmas story but it certainly is familiar and authentic. I adored Sonny, even in her lowest moments. She never failed to fight back, no matter how humiliating or defeating, and showed her professional chops. Her resilience was inspiring and I just wanted her to win. The people who managed to get close to her saw the same things I recognized and that made them special, too.
There are reasons why the snow and the city paralyze Sonny emotionally that take some time to be fully revealed. I understand this story was inspired by true events in the author’s life and it may be why it resonates so strongly. The pain is rawly splayed throughout the pages. It made her triumph that much sweeter and uplifting. I listened to the story and the narrator got everything right. I loved her voice for Sonny but she was also crafty with the secondary characters. She made me happy that I opted for the audio version. It’s my first venture with the author and I’ll be exploring Shipman’s backlist for certain.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Harlequin Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
This is truly a multilayered story that has you laughing out loud one minute, holding back tears in the next and then wanting to throttle someone. It’s not your traditional Christmas story but it certainly is familiar and authentic. I adored Sonny, even in her lowest moments. She never failed to fight back, no matter how humiliating or defeating, and showed her professional chops. Her resilience was inspiring and I just wanted her to win. The people who managed to get close to her saw the same things I recognized and that made them special, too.
There are reasons why the snow and the city paralyze Sonny emotionally that take some time to be fully revealed. I understand this story was inspired by true events in the author’s life and it may be why it resonates so strongly. The pain is rawly splayed throughout the pages. It made her triumph that much sweeter and uplifting. I listened to the story and the narrator got everything right. I loved her voice for Sonny but she was also crafty with the secondary characters. She made me happy that I opted for the audio version. It’s my first venture with the author and I’ll be exploring Shipman’s backlist for certain.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Harlequin Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
November 16, 2022
The perfect book read at the right time. This was the story I didn't know that I needed to read... until I read it.
A wonderful early Christmas present given to me from my son.
A wonderful early Christmas present given to me from my son.
December 24, 2021
4.5/5
I had no idea what to expect when I started The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman other than it had a gorgeous cover that I was immediately drawn to. I don't like to read reviews or even the synopsis before I read a book these days, so I really wasn't expecting to be sent on an emotional roller coaster with it! It started out pretty funny and the humor definitely continues throughout the entire novel, but it is also highly emotional, and I was already in tears by the middle of the book! There were so many things that hit me hard in this story, and Shipman tackles loss and grief in a big way. I don't know why so many people thought this was a light read because to me it was pretty heavy even though it does end up being really heartwarming. I think you have to be in the right mood for it and I definitely was.
The audiobook was really good as well and narrated by Nancy Peterson who has voiced a ton of novels. I thought she was excellent as Sonny and the audio is very enjoyable to listen to, so I highly recommend The Secret of Snow that way. There was also a serious Hallmark movie vibe to the story that I loved, and I was extremely surprised to find out Viola Shipman is a pen name for a male author. He did such an amazing job writing from a woman's viewpoint, and I would never have realized it wasn't a female author just by reading it. There is also a great short story included at the end of the book (don't worry, it is also in the audiobook!), and I could have read a full novel with that plot as well. The short story is definitely Christmassy while The Secret of Snow is more a straight-up women's fiction/wintery read, so I wouldn't go into it expecting a holiday read. This was my first time reading Shipman but it definitely will not be my last!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I had no idea what to expect when I started The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman other than it had a gorgeous cover that I was immediately drawn to. I don't like to read reviews or even the synopsis before I read a book these days, so I really wasn't expecting to be sent on an emotional roller coaster with it! It started out pretty funny and the humor definitely continues throughout the entire novel, but it is also highly emotional, and I was already in tears by the middle of the book! There were so many things that hit me hard in this story, and Shipman tackles loss and grief in a big way. I don't know why so many people thought this was a light read because to me it was pretty heavy even though it does end up being really heartwarming. I think you have to be in the right mood for it and I definitely was.
The audiobook was really good as well and narrated by Nancy Peterson who has voiced a ton of novels. I thought she was excellent as Sonny and the audio is very enjoyable to listen to, so I highly recommend The Secret of Snow that way. There was also a serious Hallmark movie vibe to the story that I loved, and I was extremely surprised to find out Viola Shipman is a pen name for a male author. He did such an amazing job writing from a woman's viewpoint, and I would never have realized it wasn't a female author just by reading it. There is also a great short story included at the end of the book (don't worry, it is also in the audiobook!), and I could have read a full novel with that plot as well. The short story is definitely Christmassy while The Secret of Snow is more a straight-up women's fiction/wintery read, so I wouldn't go into it expecting a holiday read. This was my first time reading Shipman but it definitely will not be my last!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
September 18, 2021
Once again, Viola Shipman writes a fantastic book about a meteorologist named Sonny who had moved from sunny California to very cold, snowy Michigan. (Where she was originally from) She was fired and replaced with a “robot” so she moved back to Michigan to live with her mom. (And she’s 50 years old) She gets another meteorologist job and runs into many old friends and has to adjust to the cold winters there again. It’s all about second chances and as usual, Viola Shipman delivers! I just love his story telling! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.
January 14, 2022
I had no idea what to expect when I started THE SECRET OF SNOW. It has a gorgeous cover that screamed at me to read it. THE SECRET OF SNOW is the best Christmas story I have read this holiday season! I really wasn’t expecting to be on such an emotional roller coaster while reading it, but it is so emotional, and I was already in tears by the middle of the book! Seriously though, its Viola Shipman. Who am I kidding? He makes me cry with each and every story and I love that!
Sonny is a meteorologist who had moved from sunny California. Well, now her job is over, not by her choice and she is headed back to very cold, snowy Michigan. That is where she is originally from. She has been fired at age fifty, so she moves back to live with her mom. Talk about embarrassing! She gets another meteorologist job and runs into many of her old friends and has to adjust to the cold winters there again. THE SECRET OF SNOW is all about second chances and as usual, Viola Shipman delivers a very heart tugging tale that had me reaching for the tissues one minute and giggling the next. There are many great characters in THE SECRET OF SNOW and you will learn a lot about weather forecasting. Not only that, but you will also learn how to make the most perfect snow angel.
THE SECRET OF SNOW is a beautiful but heartbreaking story. I became so emotionally invested in all of the characters and felt like they were lifelong friends. When they were sad, I felt sad. When they were happy I found myself smiling. I love when an author can do that to me and Viola Shipman did it perfectly. THE SECRET OF SNOW is filled with love, life, hope, sadness, and happiness. Be prepared not to do anything else until you finish reading this beautiful story. Once I started I had a hard time putting it down, especially when Viola began to introduce all of the people from Sonny’s past and their history.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Sonny is a meteorologist who had moved from sunny California. Well, now her job is over, not by her choice and she is headed back to very cold, snowy Michigan. That is where she is originally from. She has been fired at age fifty, so she moves back to live with her mom. Talk about embarrassing! She gets another meteorologist job and runs into many of her old friends and has to adjust to the cold winters there again. THE SECRET OF SNOW is all about second chances and as usual, Viola Shipman delivers a very heart tugging tale that had me reaching for the tissues one minute and giggling the next. There are many great characters in THE SECRET OF SNOW and you will learn a lot about weather forecasting. Not only that, but you will also learn how to make the most perfect snow angel.
THE SECRET OF SNOW is a beautiful but heartbreaking story. I became so emotionally invested in all of the characters and felt like they were lifelong friends. When they were sad, I felt sad. When they were happy I found myself smiling. I love when an author can do that to me and Viola Shipman did it perfectly. THE SECRET OF SNOW is filled with love, life, hope, sadness, and happiness. Be prepared not to do anything else until you finish reading this beautiful story. Once I started I had a hard time putting it down, especially when Viola began to introduce all of the people from Sonny’s past and their history.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
December 21, 2021
Check out my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
THE SECRET OF SNOW by Viola Shipman is a holiday Women’s fiction story with romantic elements that is an emotional rollercoaster ride of heartbreak, love, friendship, forgiveness, and redemption. As I have found when reading other Viola Shipman stories…you will laugh out loud and you will need the tissue box handy.
Amberrose Murphy lived in a happy and loving home in upper Michigan until tragedy struck. Her main goal after that was to escape Michigan winters and she reinvents herself after college as Sonny Dunes in California where no one would know of her painful past or remind her of her loss.
Sonny is blindsided at the age of fifty when she is replaced with an AI meteorologist. After a public meltdown, the only station that will take a chance on her is in her hometown of Traverse City, Michigan. She moves back to memories she has tried to forget and is forced to confront her past while also trying to revive her career, reconnect with her mother and deal with a widowed Chamber of Commerce Director who loves all things about winter in Michigan.
Even though this story covers almost a year in time, the holiday season plays an important role in this wonderfully emotional story. Sonny is an empathetic and believable character. The pain in her past makes her relationship phobic and many women have been affected by ageism in careers. The mother/daughter relationship is so well written with support, caring, and love. She is a very smart mother. The new friends Sonny makes at the station all grow and change right along with her. The romance is sweet, and Mason is a survivor of grief who is very open about his feelings and love of Michigan winters, but their romance does not overpower Sonny’s own personal growth.
I absolutely love Viola Shipman stories and this holiday book is no exception!
THE SECRET OF SNOW by Viola Shipman is a holiday Women’s fiction story with romantic elements that is an emotional rollercoaster ride of heartbreak, love, friendship, forgiveness, and redemption. As I have found when reading other Viola Shipman stories…you will laugh out loud and you will need the tissue box handy.
Amberrose Murphy lived in a happy and loving home in upper Michigan until tragedy struck. Her main goal after that was to escape Michigan winters and she reinvents herself after college as Sonny Dunes in California where no one would know of her painful past or remind her of her loss.
Sonny is blindsided at the age of fifty when she is replaced with an AI meteorologist. After a public meltdown, the only station that will take a chance on her is in her hometown of Traverse City, Michigan. She moves back to memories she has tried to forget and is forced to confront her past while also trying to revive her career, reconnect with her mother and deal with a widowed Chamber of Commerce Director who loves all things about winter in Michigan.
Even though this story covers almost a year in time, the holiday season plays an important role in this wonderfully emotional story. Sonny is an empathetic and believable character. The pain in her past makes her relationship phobic and many women have been affected by ageism in careers. The mother/daughter relationship is so well written with support, caring, and love. She is a very smart mother. The new friends Sonny makes at the station all grow and change right along with her. The romance is sweet, and Mason is a survivor of grief who is very open about his feelings and love of Michigan winters, but their romance does not overpower Sonny’s own personal growth.
I absolutely love Viola Shipman stories and this holiday book is no exception!
November 8, 2021
Sonny Dunes, who is around 50, is a popular on-air meteorologist in Palm Springs, until she is fired. Angry that the young guy who canned her has chosen an AI figure to do the weather, she gets drunk and causes an on-air scene which goes viral. It looks as if her career is done for until she gets a call from a small station in her Michigan hometown offering her a job. It's hard to be living with her mom, getting used to wintry weather, and revisiting the scene of the fatal accident that killed her young sister. But Michigan, she learns, has more to offer that just snow, including a happily ever after ending for the former Amberrose Murphy. Recommended for fans of Debbie Macomber. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
November 16, 2024
This is a well-written, entertaining, contemporary romance novel. It has a likable female protagonist, engaging secondary characters, vividly described, winter settings, small town charm, heartbreak, healing, hope, a sweet romance, and a gratifying conclusion. I listened to the audio book, and the narrator, Ms. Nancy Peterson, does an outstanding job voicing the characters.
November 18, 2021
Sonny Dunes has been running from her past for far too long. She's a meteorologist in Palm Springs, the happy face of everything weather. But when she is replaced by an android and has an on-air meltdown, her only career option is at a flailing station in her hometown in Michigan. Forced to confront her past, and the people she left behind, Sunny slowly begins to recall the beauty of winter and the memories she had so long tried to bury. Some advice Sunny receives "You sit, in the freezing cold atop a frozen lake, dangling bait into a hole in the ice. The endgame is to catch something you can't see. Crazy, right? But we all try to control life. Bend it to suit us. Try to reimagine the past, or alter the future. We're rarely in the moment." makes her reevaluate her outlook on life.
A wonderful, heartfelt story of redemption, love, family and second chances.
A wonderful, heartfelt story of redemption, love, family and second chances.
Read
December 25, 2022I don't have tags for snow or weather.....
Viola Shipman has a curious talent and style that runs through her books. First of all, she does small towns and small town life, like no other. The books are kind of hallmarky and corny. I could not stop thinking about the Kim and Penn Holderness Videos where they make fun of Hallmark movies, which her her books fit to a tee. But then there is always this other theme that creeps in, and these beautiful lines. And a message and metaphor about life and love and loss and resilience and all of a sudden there may even be some tears in your eyes, and before you know it, you are rather moved.
I never describe summaries and plots, but I am doing so to show both what I mean about who this author is and how she works, and the similarities to the Charm Bracelet, also by Viola Shipman, as it got called back so viserally by its similar tropes and feel. In The Secret of Snow, LA meterologist Sonny Days is forced out of her job and to move back home to Michigan where she has to confront multiple losses, the ones she left behind. Her beloved sister Joncee always loved the snow. And the writing is so beautiful here, where the author talks about the magic of snow and who this little girl was, and what she meant to everyone. What she meant to Sonny/Amberrose. Sonny has to re-learn the magic of winter, and re-find herself in her hometown. Learn to fall in love again, and also with Winter and Snow. There are many wonderful lines about resilience and how one lives after loss, and many illustrations of Joncee's joy, and the magic and wonder of snow. But the first time Viola "got" me, was when she said, through the voice of the amazing resilient mother, she says, "When the Snow falls, you have two choices. You can either shovel, or make snow angels. You have to decide how to live with it." And that was the first of the messages of how one learns to cope with life, loss, and love. And to re-find joy. Now that's the other thing Viola Shipman does really well. Mothers who get their adult children's heads on straight, and lead them to live fuller lives. Ms. Shipman must have had one hell of a mother.
In the Charm Bracelet (it took me the entire day to remember the title, while I had the review lolling about in my head), another LA woman, this time maybe some kind of publishing fashion editor or something? Well she moves back to Michigan with her young daughter, because her mother is dying and something happened with the work. There is this old fashioned Ice Cream Store, and the story of the Herons. The Herons in the lake where one is crying out for its missing mate, and the herons ultimately have to find one another and bond. Something about the fireworks, and the mother and father being the herons, but also her and the new hometown love. Same drill, with the returning LA judgmental career woman who never wanted to come home to Michigan in the first place, who becomes at first disenchanted with the hometown and has too many ghosts, but eventually falls in love, returns to their mother and the charming town, and makes their life work. Its ultimately the same book, but substitute summer for winter, and herons for snow. It's a sleepy corny cutesy thing, until you are hit over the head with the messages, and the fireflies, and the sparkles of the snow, and the fireworks, and the scarves and hats and gloves. Because Viola Shipman sneaks up on you. Makes the 3 star read a 3+, and makes you feel despite yourself. Campy becomes warm and spiritual in a way that just works. Okay Viola, cutesy three becomes 3.5, or 3+. Perfect for the Season Start.
Viola Shipman has a curious talent and style that runs through her books. First of all, she does small towns and small town life, like no other. The books are kind of hallmarky and corny. I could not stop thinking about the Kim and Penn Holderness Videos where they make fun of Hallmark movies, which her her books fit to a tee. But then there is always this other theme that creeps in, and these beautiful lines. And a message and metaphor about life and love and loss and resilience and all of a sudden there may even be some tears in your eyes, and before you know it, you are rather moved.
I never describe summaries and plots, but I am doing so to show both what I mean about who this author is and how she works, and the similarities to the Charm Bracelet, also by Viola Shipman, as it got called back so viserally by its similar tropes and feel. In The Secret of Snow, LA meterologist Sonny Days is forced out of her job and to move back home to Michigan where she has to confront multiple losses, the ones she left behind. Her beloved sister Joncee always loved the snow. And the writing is so beautiful here, where the author talks about the magic of snow and who this little girl was, and what she meant to everyone. What she meant to Sonny/Amberrose. Sonny has to re-learn the magic of winter, and re-find herself in her hometown. Learn to fall in love again, and also with Winter and Snow. There are many wonderful lines about resilience and how one lives after loss, and many illustrations of Joncee's joy, and the magic and wonder of snow. But the first time Viola "got" me, was when she said, through the voice of the amazing resilient mother, she says, "When the Snow falls, you have two choices. You can either shovel, or make snow angels. You have to decide how to live with it." And that was the first of the messages of how one learns to cope with life, loss, and love. And to re-find joy. Now that's the other thing Viola Shipman does really well. Mothers who get their adult children's heads on straight, and lead them to live fuller lives. Ms. Shipman must have had one hell of a mother.
In the Charm Bracelet (it took me the entire day to remember the title, while I had the review lolling about in my head), another LA woman, this time maybe some kind of publishing fashion editor or something? Well she moves back to Michigan with her young daughter, because her mother is dying and something happened with the work. There is this old fashioned Ice Cream Store, and the story of the Herons. The Herons in the lake where one is crying out for its missing mate, and the herons ultimately have to find one another and bond. Something about the fireworks, and the mother and father being the herons, but also her and the new hometown love. Same drill, with the returning LA judgmental career woman who never wanted to come home to Michigan in the first place, who becomes at first disenchanted with the hometown and has too many ghosts, but eventually falls in love, returns to their mother and the charming town, and makes their life work. Its ultimately the same book, but substitute summer for winter, and herons for snow. It's a sleepy corny cutesy thing, until you are hit over the head with the messages, and the fireflies, and the sparkles of the snow, and the fireworks, and the scarves and hats and gloves. Because Viola Shipman sneaks up on you. Makes the 3 star read a 3+, and makes you feel despite yourself. Campy becomes warm and spiritual in a way that just works. Okay Viola, cutesy three becomes 3.5, or 3+. Perfect for the Season Start.
November 5, 2021
From wonderfully warm-all-the-time Southern California back to frigid, snowy Michigan.
How can it be that at 50 Sonny is fired from the meteorologist job she has had forever, replaced by a robot, and has to return home?
What will be in store for her there?
Well for starters, she has to move in with her mother and live in her old bedroom with all her high school and childhood memories, and of course waking up to snow.
THE SECRET OF SNOW is a fun read.
As I was reading, I was thinking what it would be like to have to live with your parents again and in the town you grew up in after making it big elsewhere.
Viola Shipman always knows how to cheer you up and keep you on the side of positive.
Another enjoyable book fans won’t want to miss.
You never know what home has waiting for you even though there might be good with the bad. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
How can it be that at 50 Sonny is fired from the meteorologist job she has had forever, replaced by a robot, and has to return home?
What will be in store for her there?
Well for starters, she has to move in with her mother and live in her old bedroom with all her high school and childhood memories, and of course waking up to snow.
THE SECRET OF SNOW is a fun read.
As I was reading, I was thinking what it would be like to have to live with your parents again and in the town you grew up in after making it big elsewhere.
Viola Shipman always knows how to cheer you up and keep you on the side of positive.
Another enjoyable book fans won’t want to miss.
You never know what home has waiting for you even though there might be good with the bad. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 18, 2022
WOW JUST WOW!!! I'm at a loss for words, I didn't think a Christmas book could make me cry as much as The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman did! The cover caught my attention and just kept screaming at me to read it, so, i'm glad I picked it up! The cover was just gorgeous, the book was beautifully written, and unputdownable! This certainly won't be my last book by Viola Shipman. I laughed, I cried, my emotions were just all over the place.
Sonny Dunes is a 50 year-old Southern California on-air meteorologist in Palm Springs, California, until one night she is fired. Sonny is angry that the young guy who canned her has chosen an AI figure to cover the weather, Sonny gets drunk and causes an on-air scene that goes viral, and thousands of people all over the world has seen it. Sonny thinks her career is over, until she gets a call from a small station in her Michigan hometown offering Sonny a job. Sonny chose to move back home and live with her mother, but Sonny isn't ready to face her past yet. 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 hurtful, the death years ago of her younger sister, who loved the snow.
Sonny lost her younger sister Joncee one night due to slick roads with an experienced driver because Sonny wouldn't go pick up her sister the night she called begging to come home. Sonny questions herself on how she could've done better for her sister. When Sonny returns home to Michigan she sees Joncee everywhere, most importantly she loved the snow. Memories of Joncee are flooding everywhere. 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, Sonny made herself more bearable by a handsome widower with optimism to spare. But when someone is 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.
Sonny Dunes is a 50 year-old Southern California on-air meteorologist in Palm Springs, California, until one night she is fired. Sonny is angry that the young guy who canned her has chosen an AI figure to cover the weather, Sonny gets drunk and causes an on-air scene that goes viral, and thousands of people all over the world has seen it. Sonny thinks her career is over, until she gets a call from a small station in her Michigan hometown offering Sonny a job. Sonny chose to move back home and live with her mother, but Sonny isn't ready to face her past yet. 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 hurtful, the death years ago of her younger sister, who loved the snow.
Sonny lost her younger sister Joncee one night due to slick roads with an experienced driver because Sonny wouldn't go pick up her sister the night she called begging to come home. Sonny questions herself on how she could've done better for her sister. When Sonny returns home to Michigan she sees Joncee everywhere, most importantly she loved the snow. Memories of Joncee are flooding everywhere. 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, Sonny made herself more bearable by a handsome widower with optimism to spare. But when someone is 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.
November 17, 2022
When fifty year old Sonny Dunes, a TV meteorologist, is replaced by a robot to give the weather reports, Sonny has a drunken meltdown that quickly goes viral. Distraught, she leaves the sunshine of Palm Springs, California and returns home to cold, snowy Michigan where she grew up. Sonny has been avoiding this place since she left for college. But she never seemed to be able to leave the memories or the guilt associated with it and the death of her younger sister Joncee. Unable to get a job anywhere else she takes a job, employed by Lisa, a former classmate working at the local TV station. Lisa hopes employing Sonny will boost the station’s ratings and has planned a number of live snow related segments.
Without a lot of options financially, Sonny moves back in with her mother. Sonny does her best to adapt to the changes and the live segments. But it seems someone is determined to undermine everything she does and make Sonny look ridiculous.
I never warmed to Sonny. I had trouble believing from the way she behaved and spoke she was fifty. In fact none of the characters came alive for me.
So a light, pleasant enough read, if decidedly over the top at times. A lot of people will probably love it but it didn’t appeal as I expected it would. Mine is just one opinion though.
Without a lot of options financially, Sonny moves back in with her mother. Sonny does her best to adapt to the changes and the live segments. But it seems someone is determined to undermine everything she does and make Sonny look ridiculous.
I never warmed to Sonny. I had trouble believing from the way she behaved and spoke she was fifty. In fact none of the characters came alive for me.
So a light, pleasant enough read, if decidedly over the top at times. A lot of people will probably love it but it didn’t appeal as I expected it would. Mine is just one opinion though.
November 8, 2021
"Winter can change a person. It can show you the delicate structure of the world when everything is stripped clean. It can illuminate your soul when the world is cloaked in darkness. It can warm your heart when everything else is frozen. It can let you hear your own thoughts for the first time when the earth finally falls silent. But mostly winter can let you see the silhouette of your body's branches - like a tree in February - when all the leaves are off, the green is gone, the adornment stripped away and, for the first time, you can appreciate all the knots, bends, broken limbs and lightning strikes. You can see the beauty that has been created in harsh times. But to see all of this you first must be willing to stand in the cold."
This was my first book from Viola Shipman and it impacted me deeply. Grief and loss, running from memories, and finding new paths home. I will absolutely read more from this author.
"No matter what life throws at you, never forget you are loved, that your life matters, and that your impact on others can never be measured but can always be felt when it's removed."
June 11, 2022
It starts off slow, but don't give up on it. I thought it was not going to be worth the time and effort to read at first. Who wants to devote time to read about an entitled woman who loses her job, has to go home, gets a new job, totally doesn't listen to anyone, not family, not friends, thinks everything has to be her way and runs from any confrontation? Once I found out what she was running from, the whole book became 100% better and began to make much more sense. Loss and grief effect different people in different ways. Sonny didn't want to have to face the loss and her own thoughts about possibly causing the tragedy. It took opening that part of her life up to self-scrutiny and sharing her issues with others to get her past the block in her heart and the block she put up around anyone getting too close. The Secret of Snow will bring you to tears, give you some laughs, and remind you that few things in life are more important than family and love.
December 20, 2021
I absolutely LOVED this book. As a lifetime WI resident I can relate to so much of the Michigan winter-related storyline and adored the 50+ main characters. There is a lot of grief and healing here as well. It’s not a Christmas book, but wintery enough that it would be a great fit for people like me who focus on holiday stories at this time of year. I listened to the audio version and enjoyed the included short story as well.
July 6, 2021
When I was growing up, summer always meant several trips from Detroit to Lake Michigan. I still go there every time I get a chance even though I live in NC. I've traveled all over the world and still believe that the eastern shore of Lake Michigan is one of the most beautiful places on earth. All of Viola Shipman's books are set in Michigan and show his love of the state. His new book is an homage to Michigan and Lake Michigan along with being a terrific story.
Sonny Dunes is a meteorologist in beautiful and warm Palm Springs, California. She has left winter and cold weather behind in Michigan where she grew up. Not only does she get fired from her job at the TV station but she's replaced by a robot! She makes things even worse with a drunken on air tirade over her treatment by the young station manager. Of course, her tirade goes viral on social media. The only place willing to give her another chance is in Traverse City Michigan - her hometown. As she leaves sunny California to return to cold and dark Michigan, she isn't sure if she'll be able to recover her career. Things get even worse when she finds out that the station manager is an old frenemy from her college years. Sonny has a lot of bad memories in her home state - only the death of her sister who loved snow and a mother that she doesn't get along with. At her job, she faces a young weather girl who wants to be the chief meteorologist while she has to work really hard to make people forget her on air breakdown. To gain viewers, she starts her new job doing reports from various events in Traverse City - sledding, ice fishing and the ice sculpture contest. Along with the events, she meets the Chamber of Commerce director who wants to thaw her heart and help her learn to love snow again.
I have read and loved all of Viola Shipman's books but this one is my new favorite. The main character is a mature woman of 50, all of the characters are very believable and remind me of people that I've known in my life and of course, the beautiful setting in snowy, cold Michigan in a town that I love. This is the perfect book to read wrapped up in a warm blanket with a cup of tea! I plan to read it again in the winter.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review.
Sonny Dunes is a meteorologist in beautiful and warm Palm Springs, California. She has left winter and cold weather behind in Michigan where she grew up. Not only does she get fired from her job at the TV station but she's replaced by a robot! She makes things even worse with a drunken on air tirade over her treatment by the young station manager. Of course, her tirade goes viral on social media. The only place willing to give her another chance is in Traverse City Michigan - her hometown. As she leaves sunny California to return to cold and dark Michigan, she isn't sure if she'll be able to recover her career. Things get even worse when she finds out that the station manager is an old frenemy from her college years. Sonny has a lot of bad memories in her home state - only the death of her sister who loved snow and a mother that she doesn't get along with. At her job, she faces a young weather girl who wants to be the chief meteorologist while she has to work really hard to make people forget her on air breakdown. To gain viewers, she starts her new job doing reports from various events in Traverse City - sledding, ice fishing and the ice sculpture contest. Along with the events, she meets the Chamber of Commerce director who wants to thaw her heart and help her learn to love snow again.
I have read and loved all of Viola Shipman's books but this one is my new favorite. The main character is a mature woman of 50, all of the characters are very believable and remind me of people that I've known in my life and of course, the beautiful setting in snowy, cold Michigan in a town that I love. This is the perfect book to read wrapped up in a warm blanket with a cup of tea! I plan to read it again in the winter.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review.
November 27, 2021
When Sonny Dunes, a California meteorologist, is let go from her long time job, replaced by a robot, she moves back to her hometown in Michigan. She moves in with her mother, and back into her old bedroom, surrounded by memories of her past.
With her new job, and wanting to distract herself from.unwanted memories, she throws herself into all the fun winter activities that michigan has to offer. The Chamber of commerce director is a widowed father, and is running the events. Can this man help Sonny find her warmth and happiness again?!
I really enjoyed this one. This is definitely a fun, well written, heartwarming read to pick up this holiday season!
Thank you to the publisher and tandem literary for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own!
With her new job, and wanting to distract herself from.unwanted memories, she throws herself into all the fun winter activities that michigan has to offer. The Chamber of commerce director is a widowed father, and is running the events. Can this man help Sonny find her warmth and happiness again?!
I really enjoyed this one. This is definitely a fun, well written, heartwarming read to pick up this holiday season!
Thank you to the publisher and tandem literary for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own!
November 6, 2021
I’m not crying. I’m not crying. I’m not crying. Ok, I’m crying. My first Viola Shipman read will not be my last. Full of humor, grief, and redemption Sonny Dunes is a heroine one can’t help but love like a sister or old friend. As a weather nerd, the opportunity to live vicariously through Sonny was perfection!
October 27, 2021
One cannot lose when reading a Viola Shipman book. First, be prepared for a few tears, some smiles, plenty of comfort and always, always a feel-good life lesson you did not think you needed, with an ending which gives you peace, satisfaction, sadness at ending the book and excitement as to when the next will be coming. The Secret of Snow is no exception.
We are first introduced to Sonny Dunes, a 50 year old meteorologist who lives in California as she is having a meltdown live on air after being let go from her job and being replaced by a perky robot meteorologist. Sonny knows the score. At her age, she knows her days are numbered as an on air personality.
Now jobless, she gets a call to become the chief meteorologist at one of her hometown television outlets. They are hoping to boost their ratings by hiring her banking on her new notoriety as a crazy weather broadcaster. Her hometown being in Michigan, which is the total opposite of the warm and fairly quiet weather in California. She cannot stand the thought of going back to the raw cold, the ice and especially the snow…so much snow! Besides, not only would she have to live with her mother, she would also have to see friends she sort of dumped and then ignored from years past. But most of all, her return would bring up the memories of the death of her sister years ago when they were young. A sister who loved the snow more then anything else.
But back to Michigan she goes, unprepared for both the weather and the memories that will be evoked. There she must face a new boss, an acquaintance from college who Sunny never really gave the time of day, a young journalist who is jealous of Sonny and seems to have her envious eyes set on Sunny’s new job and her mother who only wants to help Sunny put her life back on track. A life she has been running away from for years.
The plan…make the watchers fall in love with Sunny by sending her fun, cold and snowy assignments, get them to empathize with her…the local girl who made it big and came back! But, unfortunately that is not what happens. As she tries to adjust to the new job, living with her mother, the weather, and a handsome widower who himself has felt great loss, someone is trying make her look horrible through videos they are sending out. Her initial instinct, as always, is to flee.
How on earth can she stay here knowing wherever she looks, she sees her late sister and the sadness and guilt she always feels. When will she ever be able to forgive herself and move on to a life she is sure her sister would want her to have. Perhaps with the help of her newly made friends, some whom she had rejected years ago and her mother, her only living relative will she be able to face her distress from all those years ago and finally bury her past for good in the snow her sister loved so much.
Thank you #NetGalley #GraydonHouse #ViolaShipman #TheSecretofSnow for the advanced copy.
We are first introduced to Sonny Dunes, a 50 year old meteorologist who lives in California as she is having a meltdown live on air after being let go from her job and being replaced by a perky robot meteorologist. Sonny knows the score. At her age, she knows her days are numbered as an on air personality.
Now jobless, she gets a call to become the chief meteorologist at one of her hometown television outlets. They are hoping to boost their ratings by hiring her banking on her new notoriety as a crazy weather broadcaster. Her hometown being in Michigan, which is the total opposite of the warm and fairly quiet weather in California. She cannot stand the thought of going back to the raw cold, the ice and especially the snow…so much snow! Besides, not only would she have to live with her mother, she would also have to see friends she sort of dumped and then ignored from years past. But most of all, her return would bring up the memories of the death of her sister years ago when they were young. A sister who loved the snow more then anything else.
But back to Michigan she goes, unprepared for both the weather and the memories that will be evoked. There she must face a new boss, an acquaintance from college who Sunny never really gave the time of day, a young journalist who is jealous of Sonny and seems to have her envious eyes set on Sunny’s new job and her mother who only wants to help Sunny put her life back on track. A life she has been running away from for years.
The plan…make the watchers fall in love with Sunny by sending her fun, cold and snowy assignments, get them to empathize with her…the local girl who made it big and came back! But, unfortunately that is not what happens. As she tries to adjust to the new job, living with her mother, the weather, and a handsome widower who himself has felt great loss, someone is trying make her look horrible through videos they are sending out. Her initial instinct, as always, is to flee.
How on earth can she stay here knowing wherever she looks, she sees her late sister and the sadness and guilt she always feels. When will she ever be able to forgive herself and move on to a life she is sure her sister would want her to have. Perhaps with the help of her newly made friends, some whom she had rejected years ago and her mother, her only living relative will she be able to face her distress from all those years ago and finally bury her past for good in the snow her sister loved so much.
Thank you #NetGalley #GraydonHouse #ViolaShipman #TheSecretofSnow for the advanced copy.
December 8, 2021
Another feel good read! Really enjoyed.
December 18, 2022
In this heartwarming seasonal novel, Sonny Dunes, 50, a successful meteorologist for a TV station in Palm Springs, California, learns she will be replaced by AI and throws a very public, drunken rant on live TV. After that, her only job option is to return to her hometown of Traverse City, Michigan, to work for a small struggling TV station there and live with her aging mother in her childhood home.
Sonny has been running away from the grief of losing her younger sister for decades. She's built a wall around herself, never married, never had a family. Will she now finally be able to face her grief full on?
The richness of this story comes from its gorgeous winter setting and the wonderful characters Wade Rouse, writing as Viola Shipman, has created. Wade's trademark sense of humor shines through too in so many kooky situations in which Sonny Dunes finds herself.
I have to thank my new GR friend Jeanie for recommending this book to me! And I also want to thank my GR friend Sandi for providing me with the link to an interview with the author about his book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0jf_.... I enjoyed both very much.
'You can take the girl out of Michigan, but you can't take the Michigan out of the girl.' I was born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit. Having now spent more years living in Illinois than Michigan, my husband and I would still move back in a heartbeat. It was fun spending a few hours back in my home state.
Sonny has been running away from the grief of losing her younger sister for decades. She's built a wall around herself, never married, never had a family. Will she now finally be able to face her grief full on?
The richness of this story comes from its gorgeous winter setting and the wonderful characters Wade Rouse, writing as Viola Shipman, has created. Wade's trademark sense of humor shines through too in so many kooky situations in which Sonny Dunes finds herself.
I have to thank my new GR friend Jeanie for recommending this book to me! And I also want to thank my GR friend Sandi for providing me with the link to an interview with the author about his book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0jf_.... I enjoyed both very much.
'You can take the girl out of Michigan, but you can't take the Michigan out of the girl.' I was born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit. Having now spent more years living in Illinois than Michigan, my husband and I would still move back in a heartbeat. It was fun spending a few hours back in my home state.
December 30, 2021
This is marked as a holiday novel but I feel it’s appropriate all winter long. Focusing on a meteorologist and her mid-life reckoning, this was incredibly heartwarming. Her personal journey was authentic and very emotional. I went from laughing, to tears, and back to laughing. It’s witty and full of heart. 4⭐️
December 21, 2021
3.5 stars
It's time to get into the holiday spirit now that I am finally on winter break. This book was a good read to start off that time. It had a unique character of a woman in her 50's who is a meteorologist. She returns home after losing her job to rediscover the magic of winter. As someone who has spent a Christmas season in Grand Rapids, MI I can attest to the amount of snow lake effect causes. I love snow and this book did a good job capturing that magic. I loved all of the weather science. The romance in this was just okay for me, but I don't really enjoy reading romances normally.
It's time to get into the holiday spirit now that I am finally on winter break. This book was a good read to start off that time. It had a unique character of a woman in her 50's who is a meteorologist. She returns home after losing her job to rediscover the magic of winter. As someone who has spent a Christmas season in Grand Rapids, MI I can attest to the amount of snow lake effect causes. I love snow and this book did a good job capturing that magic. I loved all of the weather science. The romance in this was just okay for me, but I don't really enjoy reading romances normally.
December 18, 2021
Questionable lead, unimpressive writing, melodramatic
I would like to thank Viola Shipman, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Also thanks to Sophie James for inviting me on the blog tour.
When Palm Springs meteorologist Sonny Dunes is fired and replaced with a sexy robot, she gets drunk and lets the world know how she feels about the change on live television. Now a disgraced laughing stock, she’s lucky to be offered a job opportunity by an old college classmate; however, the job requires her to move back to the hometown and traumatic memories she ran from over thirty years ago. Can she face the tragedy she blames herself for and salvage her career?
Possible Spoilers
Bring wine and crackers, people, because this here is a big ol’ ball of cheese. I was choking on sentiment. I got thoroughly sick of touchy-feely, what-life-means, what-really-matters speeches. Barf.
In that vein, several characters came on waaaay too strong from moment one, particularly Mason and Mom. God, they were heavy. Their let’s-get-in-touch-with-our-feelings-RIGHT-BLOODY-NOW dialogue actually made me uncomfortable. They were okay characters, likeable enough—everyone was more or less likeable, except the mustache-twirling cartoon villain Polly Sue—but I didn’t find them endearing, and I did not want to spend more time with them.
I wasn’t sure what to think about Sonny. As with the others, she was likeable enough, but the only way I related to her was being born and raised in the Upper Midwest. She was supposedly two decades older than me, but she honestly didn’t act like it. I can’t imagine the women I know her age behaving like her. Same for her mom—I simply could not imagine her as a fit and energetic seventy-five. Sonny acted like the thirty-something typical of books like this, and Mom seemed in the upper fifties, sixties range.
The only things that helped show Sonny’s age were her dated references, but many of them were too dated and went way over my head. Ironically, Sonny acknowledged that: “I need to stop watching old TV shows with my mom . . . or every reference I make will only be understood by people over fifty.” The way that’s written even sounds like she’s excluding herself from that demographic, that fifty-plus is her mom’s demographic, not hers; she could have said “people my age” and simply said she watched old TV shows herself instead of with her mom. Ya know?
There was one particular moment when I despised Sonny. Toward the end she’s called on to announce the winner of an ice sculpture contest on air. Just before she does so, she has one of her many emotional revelations, because the winning sculpture is of her and her sister as children. So what she ends up saying is: “I’m here with the winner tonight. And it’s me. It’s always been me.” For one thing, her meaning is horribly unclear. One would assume she means that the sculpture is of her, but the way it reads sounds like she’s calling herself the winner. All I could think was, “She did NOT just make that moment about her. She did not just take that away from the sculptor. What an absolutely self-centered dick move. That poor sculptor.” And none of the other characters thought twice about it. How did none of Shipman’s team catch that? The idea for the sculpture was neat, but it was not cool to take that moment away from the sculptor and make the entire scene about Sonny.
As you can probably infer by now, I was not impressed with Shipman’s writing for a number of reasons, those above as well as:
• The book isn’t nearly as funny as it thinks it is.
• The premise itself felt irrelevant—like, who watches the news anymore? Admittedly, that could be just me, because I don’t often watch the local news. Definitely not the national news. Or TV much in general. Books, baby.
• The story felt very 90s and resembled the movie Snow Day, especially with the meteorologist being forced to do stunts and be ridiculous. (Which is something I do not understand. When I watch the weather, I do not want to see a meteorologist sledding in a cardboard freaking box, I want them to tell me about the effing weather.) (Speaking of resembling movies, though, the news team-against-news team snowball fight reminded me of Anchorman, though it was pretty different.)
• There was a very awkwardly shoehorned-in theme of feminism and workplace sexism, made even more awkward after I realized the author is a man.
• There were missed opportunities, like making Sonny do something about Groundhog Day for Sonny in the Winter; that’s weather-related and ripe for a laugh.
• Obvious connections weren’t made, like at one point Sonny comments on how her mother has a bunch of nightlights in the house to prevent nocturnal injuries; a few pages later Mason tells Sonny that he got the scar on his forehead by tripping over the dog one night and landing face-first on the fireplace, knocking himself out—but no mention whatsoever was made of Mom’s nightlight habit.
• Failing to follow up with Palm Springs—we never again heard or saw anything about Ronan and his robot meteorologist. I thought for sure the robot would fail, Ronan would get humiliated, and Sonny would be offered her job back. The GMA development was nice, but Palm Springs remains a dangling thread. And not having Ronan and his robot fail did not help the feminism and workplace sexism theme. And speaking of the GMA development, we did not need that many-paragraphs-long “tour” of NYC. I skipped every word.
• Failing to have Sonny speak to probably the most important person in the Joncee tragedy—the guy who was driving the car. That event defined Sonny’s life and drove all her decisions for over thirty freaking years, but the guy truly responsible for the accident was only ever mentioned once in the book, and never even given a name? That seemed like such a bizarre element to omit to me.
Overall, this was a Hallmark—or Lifetime—Christmas movie in book form. That is the perfect description, and if you like that kind of thing, you’ll probably love this book. But it wasn’t for me. And I don’t think I’ll be checking out any more of Shipman’s work any time soon. He needs a better editor.
I would like to thank Viola Shipman, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Also thanks to Sophie James for inviting me on the blog tour.
When Palm Springs meteorologist Sonny Dunes is fired and replaced with a sexy robot, she gets drunk and lets the world know how she feels about the change on live television. Now a disgraced laughing stock, she’s lucky to be offered a job opportunity by an old college classmate; however, the job requires her to move back to the hometown and traumatic memories she ran from over thirty years ago. Can she face the tragedy she blames herself for and salvage her career?
Possible Spoilers
Bring wine and crackers, people, because this here is a big ol’ ball of cheese. I was choking on sentiment. I got thoroughly sick of touchy-feely, what-life-means, what-really-matters speeches. Barf.
In that vein, several characters came on waaaay too strong from moment one, particularly Mason and Mom. God, they were heavy. Their let’s-get-in-touch-with-our-feelings-RIGHT-BLOODY-NOW dialogue actually made me uncomfortable. They were okay characters, likeable enough—everyone was more or less likeable, except the mustache-twirling cartoon villain Polly Sue—but I didn’t find them endearing, and I did not want to spend more time with them.
I wasn’t sure what to think about Sonny. As with the others, she was likeable enough, but the only way I related to her was being born and raised in the Upper Midwest. She was supposedly two decades older than me, but she honestly didn’t act like it. I can’t imagine the women I know her age behaving like her. Same for her mom—I simply could not imagine her as a fit and energetic seventy-five. Sonny acted like the thirty-something typical of books like this, and Mom seemed in the upper fifties, sixties range.
The only things that helped show Sonny’s age were her dated references, but many of them were too dated and went way over my head. Ironically, Sonny acknowledged that: “I need to stop watching old TV shows with my mom . . . or every reference I make will only be understood by people over fifty.” The way that’s written even sounds like she’s excluding herself from that demographic, that fifty-plus is her mom’s demographic, not hers; she could have said “people my age” and simply said she watched old TV shows herself instead of with her mom. Ya know?
There was one particular moment when I despised Sonny. Toward the end she’s called on to announce the winner of an ice sculpture contest on air. Just before she does so, she has one of her many emotional revelations, because the winning sculpture is of her and her sister as children. So what she ends up saying is: “I’m here with the winner tonight. And it’s me. It’s always been me.” For one thing, her meaning is horribly unclear. One would assume she means that the sculpture is of her, but the way it reads sounds like she’s calling herself the winner. All I could think was, “She did NOT just make that moment about her. She did not just take that away from the sculptor. What an absolutely self-centered dick move. That poor sculptor.” And none of the other characters thought twice about it. How did none of Shipman’s team catch that? The idea for the sculpture was neat, but it was not cool to take that moment away from the sculptor and make the entire scene about Sonny.
As you can probably infer by now, I was not impressed with Shipman’s writing for a number of reasons, those above as well as:
• The book isn’t nearly as funny as it thinks it is.
• The premise itself felt irrelevant—like, who watches the news anymore? Admittedly, that could be just me, because I don’t often watch the local news. Definitely not the national news. Or TV much in general. Books, baby.
• The story felt very 90s and resembled the movie Snow Day, especially with the meteorologist being forced to do stunts and be ridiculous. (Which is something I do not understand. When I watch the weather, I do not want to see a meteorologist sledding in a cardboard freaking box, I want them to tell me about the effing weather.) (Speaking of resembling movies, though, the news team-against-news team snowball fight reminded me of Anchorman, though it was pretty different.)
• There was a very awkwardly shoehorned-in theme of feminism and workplace sexism, made even more awkward after I realized the author is a man.
• There were missed opportunities, like making Sonny do something about Groundhog Day for Sonny in the Winter; that’s weather-related and ripe for a laugh.
• Obvious connections weren’t made, like at one point Sonny comments on how her mother has a bunch of nightlights in the house to prevent nocturnal injuries; a few pages later Mason tells Sonny that he got the scar on his forehead by tripping over the dog one night and landing face-first on the fireplace, knocking himself out—but no mention whatsoever was made of Mom’s nightlight habit.
• Failing to follow up with Palm Springs—we never again heard or saw anything about Ronan and his robot meteorologist. I thought for sure the robot would fail, Ronan would get humiliated, and Sonny would be offered her job back. The GMA development was nice, but Palm Springs remains a dangling thread. And not having Ronan and his robot fail did not help the feminism and workplace sexism theme. And speaking of the GMA development, we did not need that many-paragraphs-long “tour” of NYC. I skipped every word.
• Failing to have Sonny speak to probably the most important person in the Joncee tragedy—the guy who was driving the car. That event defined Sonny’s life and drove all her decisions for over thirty freaking years, but the guy truly responsible for the accident was only ever mentioned once in the book, and never even given a name? That seemed like such a bizarre element to omit to me.
Overall, this was a Hallmark—or Lifetime—Christmas movie in book form. That is the perfect description, and if you like that kind of thing, you’ll probably love this book. But it wasn’t for me. And I don’t think I’ll be checking out any more of Shipman’s work any time soon. He needs a better editor.
December 21, 2025
The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman
Contemporary holiday romance, chick lit. Closed door.
Sonny Dunes has lived in Southern California since she became an adult. She even renamed herself to match the weather in her adopted state. With the increase in AI driven platforms, Sunny is replaced by AI for her meteorologist job. No other stations are hiring except in her hometown of Michigan. With limited choices, Sunny takes the job, leaning into all things outdoor winter related. Someone is sabotaging her work, clearly unhappy with Sunny’s return to Michigan. Can she resolve those old issues and make her new romantic relationship work if she stays?
Rekindling old friendships, cleaning up mistakes and misunderstandings, and reconciling underlying grief and avoidance. All part of growing up and moving on, whether that’s done at the age of 20, 50 or 80.
A bit heartbreaking but mostly life. You can’t run away and deny forever.
Comforting, drama, friendships.
3.5
Contemporary holiday romance, chick lit. Closed door.
Sonny Dunes has lived in Southern California since she became an adult. She even renamed herself to match the weather in her adopted state. With the increase in AI driven platforms, Sunny is replaced by AI for her meteorologist job. No other stations are hiring except in her hometown of Michigan. With limited choices, Sunny takes the job, leaning into all things outdoor winter related. Someone is sabotaging her work, clearly unhappy with Sunny’s return to Michigan. Can she resolve those old issues and make her new romantic relationship work if she stays?
Rekindling old friendships, cleaning up mistakes and misunderstandings, and reconciling underlying grief and avoidance. All part of growing up and moving on, whether that’s done at the age of 20, 50 or 80.
A bit heartbreaking but mostly life. You can’t run away and deny forever.
Comforting, drama, friendships.
3.5
December 26, 2023
Plain and simple, this was women’s fiction with a very light romance. I enjoyed The Summer Cottage, so I was surprised how much I didn’t care for this story. I understood it was loosely based on the author and his own family.
I thought Sonny was artificial, her mother too bright and bubbly with all the sadness swirling around her and Mason was too good to be true. The one person I could relate to was Icicle aka Ron. He seemed down to earth.
I thought Sonny was artificial, her mother too bright and bubbly with all the sadness swirling around her and Mason was too good to be true. The one person I could relate to was Icicle aka Ron. He seemed down to earth.
March 18, 2022
This book is hot garbage. And not sexy hot, but dumpsterfire.jpeg hot. The author tried to cram as many issues as he could in here - girl power, depression, suicide, OCD, unrealistic beauty expectations, cancer, dead sisters, millennials bad and it was a lot to take in and it was not well done.
Then layer on that this guy should not be attempting to write in the voice of a 50 year old woman. Because this was not believable and mostly painful.
And then the book was full of just bonkers passages like this.
“I don’t know how you do your job. It must be tough to know you’re good at your job and yet be expected to look a certain way.“
“It is,” I nod. “It’s like a facade.”
…”When will society learn it’s not our looms that make women such powerful creatures, it’s our minds, hearts and souls?”
…Though my mother is in scrubs, her body is lean and tight, her forearms muscled. I’m amazed, even shocked, at the incredible shape in which she remains.
And you get a book that I can’t believe was green lit.
Then layer on that this guy should not be attempting to write in the voice of a 50 year old woman. Because this was not believable and mostly painful.
And then the book was full of just bonkers passages like this.
“I don’t know how you do your job. It must be tough to know you’re good at your job and yet be expected to look a certain way.“
“It is,” I nod. “It’s like a facade.”
…”When will society learn it’s not our looms that make women such powerful creatures, it’s our minds, hearts and souls?”
…Though my mother is in scrubs, her body is lean and tight, her forearms muscled. I’m amazed, even shocked, at the incredible shape in which she remains.
And you get a book that I can’t believe was green lit.
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