The cover was so haunting. I could not wait to read! and the story was just as haunting. Powerful and strong. Loved it

If you like elaborate descriptions of scenery and buildings, The Snow Gypsy is for you. It's heavy on scene setting but too light on character development, or, at least, in characters I care about. I love reading about gypsy culture and anything related to herbalism, but I found this book just ok.

The Snow Gypsy has some beautiful imagery. I never cared for the characters. To me the characters make a book. I need attachment and want to enjoy their life. The characters could have died and I would not have noticed. The author tried to write in some moral dilemmas <spoiler> sleeping with married man, she didn’t know he was married, and sleeping with a nazi, she didn’t know that either </spoiler> it just made me disconnect even more with the character. I do not care that she had romantic relationships. I did not find this a romance novel. It was a historical fiction that was slightly skimpy on the historical aspects but had some beautiful imagery. The major twists were a little predictable to me but that is just me. Also Rose is not supposed to follow one religion and she is clearly a Christian. Why pretend she had any other roots is beyond me it really detracted from her character.
I give this 2 stars because like I said, the characters make a book for me and these characters fell flat.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC.

Inspiration for this book is Juliettede Bairacli Levy, an herbalist and holistic veterinary. But that’s all that she is, an inspiration, so do not go looking her from this book.

The Snow Gypsy is very similar with another book I have read – Lucinda Riley’s Moon Sister. In booth books the main character is an herbalist and veterinary from England. They both go to Spain to look for their relatives. They both end up in Granada, in gypsy’s cave settlement behind the blue door. And they both are connected to a flamenco dancer who will be famous and appear in films. Funny, isn’t it.

So the story is about a young veterinarian, who goes to Spain to look for her brother. Her search connects her with different people, she is falls for several guys and feels instantly ashamed of her feelings. The search for her brother is not easy, it can not have happy ending, but it will change her life.

It’s interesting story, maybe sometimes too obvious to the reader, but it still has some surprises and some interesting facts about history.

I loved this book. Amazing story with twists and turns throughout. Well written in such a way it’s impossible to put down and if you do put it down you just keeping thinking about it until you can pick it back up again The settings, the characters and basis in fact all contribute to this must read story. So enjoyable and heart rending with an unpredictability. Readable in front of a fire as well as laying on a beach.

The Snow Gypsy is set post WWII, Rose is searching for her missing brother. Lola is searching for a life for herself and the child she rescued eight years ago. The three come together for their own personal journeys. You can feel the beautiful scenery, the harsh reality of a world post war, and the resilience of these two women.

With all that being said.... I just didn't connect with the book. I am giving it 3 stars, because it is a wonderfully written book. I just didn't feel the connection that I like to have with a book that has a great blurb.

3/5 stars

**I received a copy of this book from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review**

This is a novel set in the Spanish Civil War. This novel tackles the prejudices that gypsies faced during that era. The characters were strong and it was an emotionally powerful novel. I recommend this fans of The Moon Sister!

The snow gypsy is a little bit different than I expected. I was expecting a slow drama filled novel with a possible romance. This novel definitely is a historical drama but it wasn’t as slow as I expected. The writing is good and the story is well thought out. The story kept me intrigued into what was going to happen next and even had me fooled. I tend to catch myself predicting plot twists but there were some I did not see coming. The story was well written and I found how the author talked about the Spanish war through characters very interesting. Going into the snow gypsy I had no previous knowledge of it, only world war 2. After finishing this story, I have the urge to learn more about it. A historical based novel that leaves me feeling that way is a winner in my mind. I truly loved this novel and think its worth a read for historical drama fans.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Post Spanish Civil War, Rose searches for any information on her longlost brother. Meeting Lola and her daughter takes her to places she couldn't even imagine going to before. Poignant and sensitive, this is an outstanding example of historical fiction. Recommended.

A very good read for fans of historical fiction. Nicely written with a good plot and appropriately complex characters, it's the sort of thing you read when you're looking for a novel that's got romance but is also a little more serious (and educational!). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC,

Set in 1946 England , France, and Spain, The Snow Gypsy is told from the point of view of veterinarian Rose and Gypsy dancer, Lola. I "liked" most of the story but felt it didn't really grab my attention until I had reached the second half of the story. This is when it was more detailed about what happened during the Spanish Civil War and we find out more about Rose's brother. Lola and Rose were resilient women and I liked that much of their own personal journeys was about finding their place in the world.

This is an exciting story, told very well. We see Spain and her people through the eyes of Rose Daniel, a Jewish English woman borne of a Turkish father and French mother. Rose and her Afghan hound Gunesh spend time in 1936 in and around a gypsy encampment near her home in England, picking up a bit of the language and beginning to understand the lifestyle of the gypsy clans who traveled through her homeland. Separated by prep schooling and her higher education, a degree in Veterinary Medicine, Rose loses touch with her Sussex gypsies but doesn't forget the lessons learned at their camps. She has focused her career on herbal and holistic care of animals whenever possible.

1938 was a hard year for the Daniel family. First Rose's older brother Nathan, a volunteer freedom fighter, disappears somewhere in Spain. His last letter to sister Rose was from south of Granada in the mountains - a letter which tells Rose the exciting news that Nathan is in love, expecting a child, and will marry as soon as they can find another priest. The one in their village was murdered. Most of their village was murdered. Rose and Nathan's father, too, is lost when he goes to try to find out what happened to Nathan. There is no way to tell if her father was caught up in the German machine in France at the advent of WWII, or if he actually made it into Spain before he disappeared, making searching for him almost impossible.

We then travel back and forth between England and Spain from May 2, 1946 through February of 2001. The brunt of this story takes place in Spain just following the end of World War II in 1946, and focuses on the isolation and turmoil that existed throughout Spain for many years, as there was no closure or return to neutral for the people of Spain following their revolution, and the advent of World War II. Too many people died, and too many rights were withdrawn even before the world went to war.

As soon as the war is over, Rose makes plans to attend the first world reunion of gypsy clans after the war, held in Spain early in 1946, to further expand her knowledge of herbs and non-invasive animal care. And equally as important, to see what she can find out about her brother, his fiancee, and possible child. Travel alone would be frightening if it weren't for her loyal partner Gunesh (Turkish for Sun, because of his golden coat).

Lola has trained her whole life to excel in the flamenco, the dance of life in her gypsy clan. Her brother Cristobal plays guitar for her, and they will be competing for world title among the clans at the world reunion. If they can win the competition her share of the reward will be enough to settle in Madrid and try to make her way into films. Lola is the mother of an adopted child Nieve (snow) who is the correct age to tempt Rose into thinking she has found her niece. Can it be? Surely in Lola she has found a sister.

I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel from Netgalley, Lindsay Jayne Ashford, and Lake Union Publishers in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

This is a complex, emotional story that was well-executed in many ways. There are so many reviews, I can't add anything new of value, but I'll say I enjoyed it and I'll recommend it to those interested in historical fiction.

I wanted to like this one, as the description was intriguing. However, I just couldn't get into it and gave up about halfway through. This is the first book that I have not finished, so that says it all.