The Secret of Snow

A Novel

By: Viola Shipman

Narrated by: Nancy Peterson

The instant best seller!

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"A beautifully written story about second chances. Fans of women’s fiction won’t be able to put this down." (Publishers Weekly)

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 72-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 50-year-old another shot is the very place Sonny’s been avoiding since the day she left for college — her northern Michigan hometown.

Sonny grudgingly returns to the long, cold, snowy winters of her childhood…with the added humiliation of moving back in with her mother. Not quite an outsider but no longer a local, Sonny finds her past blindsiding her everywhere: from the high school friends she ghosted, to the former journalism classmate and mortal frenemy who’s now her boss, to, most keenly, the death years ago of her younger sister, who loved the snow.

To distract herself from the memories she's spent her life trying to outrun, Sonny throws herself headfirst into covering every small-town winter event to woo a new audience, made more bearable by a handsome widower with optimism to spare. But with someone trying to undermine her efforts to rebuild her career, Sonny must make peace with who she used to be and allow her heart to thaw if she’s ever going to find a place she can truly call home.

©2021 Viola Shipman (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Drags On

It felt as though the author jumped between "frames of reference" with little announcement. Like past, present, and future all mixed together. The overall story was very good, but by the end, I was ready for her to get on with it. Resolution to the story was hours before the end of the book.

Too Sappy For Me

I was expecting more based on the reviews it was too sappy … I love Hallmark movies and this was even sappier

Never disappoints

Viola Shipman always gives the reader a treat whenever she pens a book. The Secret of Snow is another winner for this amazing author! This is a story about second chances and draws the reader in from the first page. Sunny learn how to successfully deal with family and grief in order to move forward with her life. I definitely could identify with Sunny in this book I couldn’t put down! Viola totally knocked this snowball right out of the park!

Hallmark Channel Movie

if I was just reviewing this on how I felt about it personally it would only get one star. these types of novels just aren't my cup of tea.I read it as my local library's book club selection. in fairness, I would describe it as well written. If you love Hallmark Channel romance movies, you will probably love this book. if you don't, like me, you will hate it. The only way I could finish it was to listen to the last 5 hours speeded up. The narrator did a fine job, but for some reason she read the Michigan mother's part with a Wisconsin or Minnesota accent. Also, she pronounced Mackinac bridge incorrectly. Dead giveaway for a non-native.

Overly sweet hallmark movie.

If you enjoy sappy holiday movies where everything works out just fine, this is for you. Prolonged lessons on life, the search for meaning and how to build a snowman and make a snow angel abound. Sorry I wasted a credit.

The Gem is at the end…

The Secret of Snow was longer than it needed to be. The constant old school references created an out of date tone. The best gift of this read was the beautifully written and sweetly told story at the end of The Secret of Snow. I was more invested in this hour long story than I was in the main story. The true Secret was “A Tinseltown Christmas”. (I hope I got the title right!)

Magical

I am a huge fan of Viola Shipman! The Secret of Snow did not disappoint! Viola takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions, that leaves you breathless at its conclusion!

Best Viola Shipmen yet!

I’ve been listening to this author’s work lately, and this one was the most compelling so far. Whether it’s due to the excellent performance or if it’s especially good writing, I’m not sure and I can’t say that I care either way. Great listen!

A story of home..

Viola Shipman took me on a beautiful tour of my home state, to the familiar and unfamiliar places of Michigan. A beautiful story of family, of home, and of love.

Funny at times with rich weather descriptions

This book was recommended to me by a friend because I'm a meteorologist. My friend thought I might appreciate the book’s rich description of weather events, particularly of lake-effect snowstorms in Michigan. I’m a life-long resident of Michigan, so I have to admit that I did enjoy this element. I have experienced the type of weather described in this book many times. I also found the story to be quite funny at points, particularly at the beginning when the main character, who is a TV meteorologist, "melts down" on live TV after she is fired and replaced by a computer-generated artificial intelligence. On the downside, the story becomes increasingly formulaic as it progresses, almost resembling the storyline of a typical Hallmark movie complete with cliche lines like "forgive yourself" and "you're a good person." In addition, the use of a Minnesota accent for people in Michigan struck me as out of place, as I personally have never met anyone in Michigan who actually talks like this. Overall, however, I enjoyed the story and would recommend it. I’m glad my friend suggested it because otherwise it would not have been on my radar.