Iris moved to New York to escape from an abusive ex and follow in her late mother, Vivian;s footsteps.. Her mother had spent time in the Big Apple hoping to make it big but met a big hearted Italiancalled Santo instead. Santo gave Vivian his family's secret recipe for vanilla gelato as a sign of his love. After spending time finding her feetV Iris stumbles across the Belottis ice cream parlour run by Santo's nephew Gio. They sell any variety of ice cream you like as long as it is vanilla. Obviously following the famous Henry T Ford maxim of any colour you like as long as it is black. However, there is a problem, Santo is in hospital following a stroke and only he knows the original recipe. Read the book to see if together Iris and Gio can save his family business. Will there be a HEA or will it be as cold as the famous vanilla ice cream. A lightweight but enjoyable story. Some characters better developed than others. Despite that an enjoyable book to read on a chilly autumn / winter evening. Vanilla ice cream an optional extra.

Iris is just getting settled in NYC after the death of her mother and escaping an abusive ex when she meets a dashing stranger in a bookshop. Fast forward a few months and their paths cross again but Iris realises they have more in common than just books. What she knows could ruin what is starting to look a lot like love.

This was a cute romance with some quite sad undertones. Iris is a determined and likeable heroine. I enjoyed this love story especially as there were so many obstacles for them to navigate.

I loved the Italian family extravaganza, I love Gio and I loved the NY atmosphere. The writing is well done and I thoroughly enjoyed the flashback chapters.

Unfortunately, that is sort of where the love ends.
The lies.....oh the lies. She had ample amounts of opportunities to right the wrongs and continuously chose not to. She knew the fragile state of Gio, his obligation to his family business, family and daughter and still continued on. It grated on my nerves. This could have been such a beautiful story of finding family and a home but instead turned into one massive guilt trip. It was then all resolved off page and everyone reunited in classic Hallmark style. That's it? No grovelling? No repentance?

It also didn't feel like Christmas until about the last 40% of the story so don't feel you can only read this at Christmas time.

I loved this book so much!
The story was gripping but romantic. You knew there was more to come which kept you in tender hooks!

I was looking forward to this book but due to family issues I was unable to attempt it. until today which appears to be the day after it was archived and it has now disappeared from my kindle.

Thank you so much @netgalley and @penguinukbooks for the gifted digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Read this if you:

✔ Love gelato
✔ Want to visit New York 
✔ Enjoy books with family secrets
✔ Love a strong female MC who learns how to stand up to men who hurt her


My Thoughts:

This book was full of intrigue and excitement from start to finish. I loved witnessing Iris' adventure in New York, where she found a family to be part of after having lost everything.

The fact that the male character came from an Italian family added so much charm to this love story. I found Iris' and Gio's interactions realistic and I think they made a great couple.

I loved that the story included little bits of Iris' mom's life in New York before she was born. Having this snapshot of Vivien' life  made all the family connections much clearer and also added life to this secondary character.

The third act conflict between the main characters  was well written and, despite it becoming a cliche in most books, I think it was necessary here. I believe that by dealing with this, Iris and Gio learned the importance of honesty and braveness.

I really like Gio's family. They are the kind of people you want by your side in times you need help as well as when you want to have fun. I think the author did a great job in building up all the characters.

I enjoyed all Josie Silver books that I read so far and I'm excited to see what she writes next

Josie Silver is a new author to me, but the premise of the book seemed interesting to me, so I requested my free copy from NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this book. It started off slightly dark, and the dark undertones continue throughout the story, but the book ultimately feels hopeful and happy. I feel that this juxtaposition is well captured in the idea of a story set in an ice cream shop during Winter.

Iris feels very relatable, with her constant missteps and good intentions. She is a beautifully complex character that I wanted to see get all the good things by the end of the story. Gio was initially a little too soft and quiet for my liking, but I warmed to him as the story progressed, and saw a whole different light to him about half way through the book ;)

While I came for the romance element of the story, what really had me hooked more than anything else. Seeing the Belotti family dynamic play out across the drama of the story was heartwarming and just the right amount of tense to keep me wanting to read more.

The book felt festive without it being overdone, you could just as easily read this at any time of the year, but it would be extra special during the festive season.

A beautifully written, heartwarming story about love, loss, family, and most importantly, food! This is a slow burn love story between Iris and Gio, who bond over their love of ice cream - both for sentimental reasons of their own. As well as the romance between the pair, I loved getting to know all of Gio’s family and the relationships he had with each of them.

I only deducted one star because I don’t think Iris should have been as stubborn as she was when it came to the secrets she was keeping. Another fab read by Josie Silver as always!

*Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I loved this book and it made me cry! A wonderful story of love and loss and new love that blossoms in the same place. Iris escapes to New York after her mother’s death and a bad relationship, as it’s the place her mother was most happy. Iris hopes to recreate that happiness. She recognises a doorway from one of her mother’s photos and she finds out the connection. She finds herself in the midst of a wonderful family who have been making ice cream to a special recipe which is now lost to them but to which Iris may just have the answer if she chooses to disclose it.

So many Christmas stories end up being the same scenario but this was a breath of fresh air.

This was such a lovely book!

It starts with the most embarrassing/hilarious meet cute and the awkward laughs run throughout! Iris is a chef recently moved to New York under not great circumstances, and she has no one. But as she investigates some of the places her mum visited when she lived in NYC she starts to accidentally build a life, and family, for herself.

With talk of food throughout, set against gorgeous New York scenes, this book is the perfect, heartwarming Christmas gift!

This book was a delightful surprise, adorable, cozy, romantic, I love Gio, such a lovely book to in joy if you want a ligth romantic book. That can make you smile and be happy

Another delightful Josie Silver Christmas read - she never disappoints! I loved the setting, the characters and the story and now want to visit New York in winter and eat some gelato!

This is a lovely romantic story set in wintry New York. Iris seeks a sense of belonging and identity after her beloved mother's death and her recent escape from an abusive relationship. Her mother went to New York before Iris' birth. When Iris discovers a gelateria she recognises, she has to explore and begins an emotional and life-changing journey. I like the story's emotion, the believably complex characters, the family dynamic and the romance. The final scenes are angst-filled and full of drama worthy of this epic love story.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

A heart-warming and cosy seasonal read. Very engrossing and was hard to put down. There is something magical about festive books and this one is no exception.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK Books and Viking Books UK for this advanced review copy of “A Winter in New York” by @josiesilverauthor - this was such a lovely, warm and cosy read.
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This was such a warm and cosy book. The setting of New York in winter and at Christmas was magical and just added to the cosy vibes. It was the perfect book to read on a crisp autumn day, wrapped in a blanket and with a cup of tea.
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This was a story about loss and found family, as much as romance. It was beautiful. I fell in love with Gio and Iris and especially felt for Iris and the journey she was on. She was ultimately so sad and lonely and finding the amazing and loving Belotti family was a gift.
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In many ways this book had similar vibes to the film “While you were sleeping”, winter and Christmas in New York and a big found family for someone who is totally on their own. And that is one of my favourite films.
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I enjoyed this lovely and cosy romance so much.

This is the second book I read by this author and as with the first one, I truly enjoyed it!! A winter romance set in one of my favourite cities, New York, was more than enough to convince me to read it, but the storyline, the fluency of the writing and just the feel good vibes were a welcome bonus not to be refused!!
Another great book that I believe you should all add to your bookshelves!!!

Thank you so much to Georgia @vikingbooksuk and @netgalley for this ebook!!!

4.5 stars
A beautiful love story with echoes of past and future lives written within. I loved how Iris found memories all over New York and how she was able to reset her life and her heart in the city. The idea of the vanilla gelato sounded perfect and Christmas in New York, the most idyllic setting.

I honestly can't even describe the love I have for this book! I was honestly hooked from the first page. The storyline and all the intertwined characters was so interesting. I honestly adored this book and all the characters and will definitely be reading more from this author

A Winter In New York by Josie Silver is a winter warmer of a story about Iris Raven and Giovanni Belotti. A tale all about a secret recipe that unexpectedly leads to a love, a family and a life, while joining the past to the future for Iris and Gio.
Three years after the death of her beloved mother Vivien, Iris finds herself at rock bottom. She summons up the courage to leave her terrible ex and head for a new life in New York. Vivien had always told her stories about living there so she felt it would be a good place for a fresh start but still feel close to her. What she doesn’t expect to find so quickly is a job, a place to live and the most wonderful landlord. Bobby and his husband Robin, take her under their wing and become like two big brothers, supporting and helping her settle in.
One day Bobby takes her to a festival in Little Italy and the distinctive door of a gelateria catches her eye. It seems familiar and when she checks her mother’s scrapbook, she finds the photo of a handsome man standing outside the gelataria and the napkin with a gelato recipe written on it. Iris has many memories of making and eating the homemade gelato with her mother and being told it is was a secret recipe. Now she starts to wonder who the man is but more importantly why did he give her mother the secret recipe of his family’s gelato?
This starts of a series of events as she meets the present owners of Belotti’s Gelateria and realises their lives are linked more than she ever knew. Gio is a single dad desperately trying to save the family business since they lost the recipe to their famous vanilla gelato. It turns out she has met Gio before and the consequences of that will now affect their growing friendship. They are both coping with the grief of losing someone close to them and are struggling to find their confidence and trust again. Iris is determined to find out how her mum got the recipe and how her story is connected to the Belottis.
Vivien had taken the secret seriously and Iris is the only person who can help the family but if she revealed what she knew, would it tear the family apart? Iris finds herself slowly being integrated into the family and the attraction between her and Gio grows, but she knows it is a relationship built on lies, secrets, deception and betrayal. The Belotti’s are a typical italian family, passionate, proud and loyal. Sophia was great fun and Bella so sweet. I felt Gio had a lot on his plate and admired his dedication to running the Gelateria and keeping the family traditions.
It was lovely hearing all the tales of her life with her mother and the things they used to get up to. The couple of chapters from Vivien’s POV worked really well and filled in a lot of the blanks. I found some parts repetitive but enjoyed the trip back to the eighties and how the two families were linked together. Originally all Iris was going to do was help the family for her mother but now the lines have become blurred because feelings are involved. Her mother’s past now affects her future. Can Gio overcome the complications between them, Iris find the family she’s always wanted and both find the love they deserve. Overall an enjoyable and romantic story.

I absolutely loved this book! One of the most enjoyable stories I’ve read in ages! Really lovely characters with an engaging storyline, would love a follow up! I highly recommend this to everyone 😀