Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader copy of The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman. This story made me want to visit Leland and Traverse City, MI. Amberrose (Sonny) has run from her past and returns home after decades away. Her sister, Joncee, died as a young girl. Wade Rouse (Viola Shipman) experienced the passing of his brother at a young age. I think many of the feelings Sonny share or withholds come from within Wade’s heart. Now that Sonny is 50, and career changes have impacted her life, she finally begins to deal with decisions about work and life. Throughout the story, snow and winter events showcase Sonny. A love interest. A college “friend”. Her mother’s words of wisdom. The secrets shared through snow bring happiness and love. Highly recommend this to everyone! Viola Shipman has written another bestseller.

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.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Sonny and Mason. Sonny loses her job in Palm Springs gets offered a new job in her hometown in Michigan. There she meets Mason, who like Sonny has lost an important person in his life too. Together they work through their issues and find love.

After Sonny loses her almost perfect job as a meteorologist in California, she returns home to Michigan. She is determined to throw herself wholeheartedly into the social and meteorologist climate. Unfortunately, several people at her new station are extremely jealous of Sonny, and her new boss is someone Sonny treated badly when they were in journalism school together. Viola Shipman's newest book is another treasure about friendship in all forms.

I received an egalley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley, I was chosen as an early reviewer.

*****Coming out October 26, 2021*****


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What happens when you are fired from your job after management decides to bring in articifical intelligence robot whom they can control to replace you? Then you are forced to move home from your warm climate of Palm Springs, California to frigid cold Traverse City, Michigan because you had a major drunkin meltdown on the air. This is exactly what happens to Sonny Dunes, a meteorologist. The only station that will give her a second chance is from her hometown in Travesrse City, Michigan. Will she be able to confront her past and move on? This book will have you turning the pages as Sonny reclaims her life. Will she be able to overcome her grief and reputation to become successful again or will life continue to spiral out of control?

Viola Shipman writes so poignantly about family, friendship and forgiveness. No matter how awful our lives can get, that it is important to find support from family and friends who can see you through the ups and downs of life. Also how it’s important to not only to forgive yourself, but to be able to forgive others.

I love how this author takes on important issues such as suicide, loss, importance of family and Friends, forgiveness, love, and second chances and weaves them into a heartfelt story that will have you laughing and crying your way through. Be sure to add this book to your Fall TBR list! A great book club pick!

Sonny Dunes is a fifty year old meteorologist that is not only being replaced at her current job in sunny AZ....but by Artificial Intelligence. After a complete meltdown on air, the only station that will take her is back in her hometown of Traverse City, MI. And it's definitely not sunny there in winter! She moves back home to live with her mom, she's dealing with the memories of her sister, handling a crazy co-worker, her boss is an old college frenemy and so much more. She's thrown in the midst of the local winter festivities and meets up with the Chamber of Commerce head, Mason, for a wonderful adventure!

I really enjoy Viola's stories - they are sweet and usually carry a good lesson within them. I like the older characters and being from Michigan, I love the locations. This is being billed as a holiday novel - it wasn't overly Christmasy - that was nice and I'd consider it more of a winter read. It has all the best small town winter activities and a fun group of characters enjoying themselves.

Great book, great characters. I grew up in Northwest Indiana and can definitely relate to Sonny (the main character). While there is a tragic part of the story, the majority of it just makes you feel good. This would make an excellent Hallmark movie.