This novel wasn’t what I expected, and I’m so sad I didn’t enjoy it as much. I really wanted to like this one! And it’s definitely my mistake that I assumed A Winter in New York to be a holiday romance. Based on the cover and title, I expected a fluffy, festive, and fun read. Instead A Winter in New York was more of a novel about a heroine picking herself up after being in a toxic relationship, while grieving the loss of her mother. So, this was more of a heavier read than expected, which took me by surprise - but it didn’t go into depth to truly examine those topics either.
What was done really well were the atmospheric scenery descriptions. I could easily imagine wandering in New York while reading.

The writing is solid and really nice, but the plot was just too thin to carry a whole story. Right from the start Iris made some poor choices (one lie and one omission on a rather crucial issue). She should’ve resolved them as soon as possible, but simply didn’t - and a large part of the novel is contributed to the shame she felt and how much she dragged those choices she made (instead of resolving them). That frustrated me a little lot, to be honest. And I think a plot/conflict is simply not strong enough to carry a novel if it could be resolved with one conversation. I found it hard to not judge Iris for her poor choices and for not owning them - even though Gio (the love interest) and his family were amazing. Also Bobby, the bff was incredible (he would be such a wonderful main character!). I just couldn’t find myself rooting for Iris.

Based on the raving reviews, I’m definitely an outlier in not liking this book as much, so do give A Winter in New York a try if you’re looking for an atmospheric story taking place in New York.

I usually hate when a relationship is built on lies. While I still hated it here, I still found myself rooting for them.
I loved Gio and his family's relationship with eachother. How they welcomed Iris so easily and treated her like family as well.
While I understand why the lies weren't corrected earlier I wish it had. I felt it waited too long so it was a rushed fix.
Same with Adams appearance. If it had happened earlier I feel like it would have added more to Iris and her growth.

But overall Gio and Iris chemistry and relationship was enjoyable to see.

Set in New York, the story follows the adventures of Iris, a young chef who has fled London to start a new life, and rediscover her purpose. Still grieving her mother’s death and leaving behind an abusive and manipulative partner, Iris hopes to make a fresh start in the city that meant so much to her mother.

As Iris navigates the challenges of city life, she comes across a door that introduces her to Gio and his family’s Gelato shop, whilst simultaneously connecting her to the secrets from her mother’s past. As Iris gets to know Gio and his family, she is torn between truly feeling part of a family and telling them the truth which could tear them all apart.

The character’s in this book are endearing and relatable. Bobby was a hidden gem, and I loved the unwavering friendship between him and Iris. As someone who grew up in an Italian household, I loved all the familial references and the snippets of Italian throughout the book. Iris’ development from a reserved and fearful into a passionate and empowered woman is authentic and I loved seeing her character development. The romance and chemistry between Gio and Iris had me hooked and their relationship is sweet and emotional right up until the very end. To say I was invested in their journey is an understatement.

Despite exploring heavy themes of death, grief, and emotional abuse, the story is beautifully written and a delightful escape for anyone this coming holiday season. Do not walk, but run to get your hands on this book when it comes out!

Thank you @netgalley for an advanced copy. A Winter in New York will be published on October 3, 2023.

I have read all of Josie Silver’s books and while they have all been excellent, neither of her previous two books has quite captured the magic for me that I found in One Day in December.

So it was great to pick up A Winter in New York and find that it is much more in the spirit of that first book, and has the same warmth and heart as love blossoms over gelato!

Iris and Gio were really great characters - neither of them is in the first flush of youth and both have been ambushed by losing a loved one, so to see their feelings develop into what might or might not be love by the end of the book is a compelling read.

I set the mark of a good book as being one where I can go back and read favourite sections again and again - especially in romance novels - and no, I don’t mean the naughty bits, I mean the parts where you can feel the emotion lifting off the page and there are plenty of sections like this in A Winter in New York.

I’d happily recommend this, and I think a re-read of One Day in December might be in order!

Such an enjoyable read. The characters are so well drawn that you feel you know them and are rooting for their happy ending.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the first I have read from the author. I will now look for more. Great feel good factor and an enjoyable holiday read. Recommended.

I love reading books by Josie Silver, and this one didn't disappoint. It was an easy-read - relatively predictable yet still heart-warming and romantic.
Iris is a chef, having left her work and abusive partner behind she comes to New York to start again. The idea of the gelaterie and Gio, and the recipe all sort of link together - and she finds in Gio a fresh start, a family and the meaning of love.

I am finding this book to be a little long winded and not as enjoyable as I had hoped. I don't normally give in with reading a book but I'm struggling to finish.

This was a lovely holiday read. The part I liked most was the self discovery in the book its become my thing just now so it was amazing to read.

The slow burn love story was really worth it with a dash of Italian and a scoop of gelato this book is the perfect read

Iris has fled an abusive relationship in London and is making a fresh start in New York, the city her late mother loved as a young woman. While attending a festival in Little Italy, Iris happens upon Belotti's gelateria and realises she's seen it before - in a photo in her Mum's photo album. In the photo, a young man is standing outside the gelateria - whom her mum said was the love of her young life! The album also holds her mum's gelato recipe, which Iris now suspects is actually Belotti's gelato recipe.
Iris goes to the gelateria the next day and discovers that she is right, but also that the only member of the Belotti family who currently knows the recipe is in hospital with amnesia...

This is a lovely story which is at times heartbreaking. Iris tries to help the Belotti family regain their recipe without betraying her link to their family, and without losing her heart and her new friends in the process. It is also a story about grief, and at times I was in tears reading it. Thoroughly recommend.

What a charming, sweet, adorable, emotional, magical, charming, heartwarming, did I say charming?, huggable and lovely novel this was!! Having just enjoyed New York City's West Village in the summer it was wonderful to read about the East Village in the winter - I want to go back to Manhattan and walk the streets and eat the gelato and experience everything! And oh, Iris, and Gio, and Bobby and Robin and all the Belottis, they'll have my heart forever! Everything about this book, from the beautiful cover to the last page of the story, was absolutely bliss!

Ps. River by Joni Mitchell is one of my favorite songs (iykyk). ❤

A cute cozy festive read!

This to me is a story about belonging and I have to admit the ending was really sweet and a bit of a tear jerker!

I enjoyed this book overall, however I did feel like the gelato element went on a bit too long and was a bit distracting. I also felt like it was a little too instalove for my taste given the main characters were about 40 (and so felt a bit juvenile to me). However, the side characters were really good and I think the story crafting was really strong and so this made up for it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my feedback.

A Winter in New York is a story of loss, love, trust and belonging. Iris leaves London after the loss of her mother and heads for New York. She is escaping an abusive partner and arrives in New York, a place of hope and memories of her mother.

The backdrop of New York, Gio the handsome Italian American who she falls for, the rest of his generous, warm hearted family are all strengths in the book. The flashbacks to her mothers time connecting Iris's present to her mothers past were also nicely woven in.

One aspect that I struggled with was Iris's decision to keep a secret from Gio. It just went on too long. Tell him!!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

A Winter in New York is a love story that warms you up from the inside with beautiful, flawed characters and a fantastic scenery.

New York is a gorgeous city. I’ve been there twice and felt at home immediately. I sucked in all the impressions, from cycling in Central Park to walking on the Brooklyn Bridge, from the Twin Towers to Ground Zero, from stepping into the snow and catching snowflakes on my face to watching artists in the underground—destination Harlem where I stayed. So, I can imagine Iris’ feelings so well when she moved from England to New York. Josie Silver’s writing is lively, and even though I don’t like vanilla ice cream that much, I wanted to taste Belotti’s ice cream badly. I instantly loved Gio and his family, especially Sophie and Bella. Sometimes I wanted to know some side characters a little better (like Bobbie and Robin), and Iris could have told her secrets way earlier, but overall I enjoyed this cute and sweet story very much.

A Winter in New York" by Josie Silver is a heartwarming and romantic holiday read that captivated me from the start. Iris, seeking a fresh start after leaving her culinary career and an abusive relationship behind in London, finds herself in the vibrant city of dreams. As she navigates a new life, she stumbles upon Gio, a charming man with his own struggles. Their chemistry, though a slow burn, feels genuine and compelling.

The story beautifully weaves themes of loss, hope, love, and family, with an emphasis on the strong bonds formed between the characters. While the initial confusion about recipes might deter some readers, the plot eventually ties everything together, making it worth the read.

Silver's skillful storytelling shines through in the development of Iris and Gio's relationship, as well as the intricate dynamics of the supporting characters and their families. While it may not surpass my personal favorite from the author's works, it still delivers a captivating and enjoyable experience. As a dedicated fan of Josie Silver's writing, I can confidently say that "A Winter in New York" is a delightful addition to her collection.

Josie Silver remains one of my favourite authors. A Winter in New York has it all, great characters, a lovely setting, and a beautifully realistic romance at the heart of it. It's a page turner. Each character stands out for their depth, almost feels like I know each person. I also loved the back story and the stakes of the conflict. But mostly, I'm blown away by how warm the book feels, like a hug from the very first page.

A heart warming holiday romance from the greatness that is Josie Silver.

This is the story of Iris who leaves her chef career and her abusive relationship behind in London to start a fresh in the city that her mum loved. It's a story of loss, grief, hope, love and family.

I loved Iris and Gio's chemistry and although their love story is a bit of a slow burner it didn't feel forced or unnatural. The side characters and the family are amazing and really make this story though and this theme runs throughout the book.

I found it quite difficult to get into the story to begin with and all the stuff about the recipe kind of had me confused to begin with. It does all make sense in the end so definitely keep reading.

I am an avid fan and have read everything that Josie has released. This one hasn't taken my favourite off its top spot however it's still a great read.

I am a sucker for a Christmassy romance and this felt like that first cup of hot chocolate in the cold!!! I loved my read through and how cosy this book felt! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my eArc of this book.

What a delightful story! We meet Iris who has moved to New York, following a relationship breakdown, to follow in her late mother’s footsteps. While there, she sees the doorway to a gelateria which looks strangely familiar from one of her mother’s photographs. Inside she meets Gio, the owner’s son, who is going through a family crisis following his father’s stroke. His father is the only person who knows the recipe for the family’s famous vanilla gelato but due to the stroke he has forgotten it. Iris realises that she may have the recipe amongst her mother’s belongings and wonders how she could let the family know!

I love this author’s books and this one was such a enchanting read! I really like books set in New York especially over Christmas, so the location certainly added to the book’s charm. Both main characters were likeable, although I did favour Iris more! She was such a lovely character which you could easily relate to and connect with right from the beginning. Revolving the storyline around an ice cream parlour was so unique and not only did it set the scene perfectly for Iris and Gio’s stories, but it also made me have a craving for a big pot of salted caramel ice cream from the local supermarket (not the same I know, but needs must!).

The book caught me from the first page and I couldn’t put it down until I’d finished it. The relationship between the two main characters slowly developed throughout and left me wanting more from them at the end of every chapter. I loved the story of Iris’s mother and I felt equally invested in her story as I was in her daughter’s. A truly heart-warming, emotional and romantic read which I would definitely recommend.

Hand on heart, this is one of the most romantic novels I’ve ever read! A charming, somewhat chaotic heroine, a handsome, Italian-New Yorker hero, past secrets, lost recipes and lost loved ones, a huge family over spilling with love… and gelato… what more can you need in a story? Utterly gorgeous, a book to race through with a huge bowl of ice cream and a hanky, curled up on a tartan blanket on a cold autumnal day. Perfection.