Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. I love Josie Silver books and this one did not disappoint. A Winter in New York, is about an English girl named Iris, who moves to New York to feel closer to her deceased mother. When Iris randomly meets Gio... cue in Taylor Swift's lyrics for Invisible String.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This was a slow start for me, but then with a flip of a switch, it picked up. Iris and stories of her mom had some Daisy Jones vibes, but Gio and his Italian family came through with their loud bickering and grand meals. Each with their own set of baggage bond over figuring out the family gelato recipe. I enjoyed the Christmas in New York feels, definitely a good read with a cup of cider or cocoa, under a cozy blanket.

A Winter In New York" is basically the love child of my two favorite things – NYC and holiday vibes. Iris, the main character, is all set to restart her life in the Big Apple, thinking it's going to be all cozy like those classic movies with her mom. But it's way bigger and crazier than she thought. Thank goodness for her BFF Bobby, who's not having any of her hiding-out plans. He drags her to this epic autumn street fair in Little Italy, and they stumble upon a family-run gelato joint that might just be the same one from an old pic of Iris's mom.

So, Iris dives into helping out at this gelateria, and there's this swoon-worthy guy Gio involved. The catch? The place is about to shut down because Gio's uncle, the gelato recipe wizard, is in a coma. Iris, being the hero we didn't know we needed, offers her chef skills to keep the gelato dream alive. The story unfolds with a mix of mystery, romance, and a whole lot of NYC holiday magic. If you're into heartwarming stories with a side of city adventure, "A Winter In New York" is a five-star must-read. I couldn't put it down – it's like a warm hug and a cup of cocoa all wrapped up in one. Thank you to Netgalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

Cozy yet irritating ⭐️⭐️⭐️ It was an easy breezy read - when it wasn’t aggravating the sh**t out of me. While this wasn’t my favorite holiday book due to me wanting to smack the lead character in the head a couple times, I did tear up at the end, so that makes it an enjoyable Hallmark read, right?

i have loved this authors christmas books. the writing is beautiful and cozy. only frustrating thing was the miscommunication trope. i did love gio… and sophie and bella. the side characters were amazing. i especially loved the found family vibes.

I love reading books by Josie Silver and this one did not disappoint!! I was instantly hooked and found myself putting all my tasks on hold so I could find out what happened in the end!

I went back and forth reading and listening this book and it honestly was so soothing and just lovely. ⁣
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That’s how I felt the whole time I listened to it, that it was just so sweet and lovely. Like this calming balm to my soul. ⁣
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Iris flees to New York from England after her mother passes and she runs away from her abusive ex with just a suitcase and her favorite gelato maker.⁣
After settling into New York she walks past a gelato store one even that sort of just speaks to her soul. ⁣
Enter Gio, widower with a sweet daughter and a huge family, whose uncle is in the hospital and has forgotten the family recipe of the famous gelato. ⁣
Iris and Gio become friends and soon lovers as they try to figure out the ratio for the perfect gelato.⁣
Except fate steps in and Iris learns that maybe her mom’s history is woven into Gios family history as well.⁣
As we follow this beautiful relationship between these two, and Iris learns more about her mum and Gio learns how to love again, you fall in love with the both of them.⁣
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review. This book was really cute but I wish it focused more on winter/christmastime. I feel like this book could have been set in the summer and still be fine.

1.5 stars

I had to sit with this for a bit. I’ve read all of Josie Silver’s books so I was prepared going in for there to be some mixture of secrets, lies, and drama. In this book, however, the secrets were egregious, the lies were unconscionable, and the drama was beyond belief. Gio is a grieving single father widower. Iris lied to him the first time they met and kept lying repeatedly until almost the very end of the book. It was toxic for him and somewhere between masochistic, sadistic, and narcissistic of her. I won’t go into more detail as I don’t want to mark this with spoilers.
I loved One Night On The Island so much. It was such a shock how much I disliked this book. I’m brokenhearted. Contemporary fiction has become so formulaic in such a bad way lately. When it’s done well, it’s my favorite genre. When it’s never ending secrets, lies, and drama, it is my least favorite genre. I guess I’m in the minority of people who feel that way because it seems like the worse it all gets, the better it sells. Dysfunctional, toxic relationships sell copies and that just makes me sad.

I love reading Josie's books during the holiday season. They always put me into the right holiday mood each year. A Winter in New York was a bit of a slow start for me, but once I got into the story I really enjoyed it. I definitely recommend it if you're looking for a wintry book for the season!

New York is one of the most festive cities in the world during Christmas and is the perfect choice for the backdrop to Josie Silver's A Winter in New York. When Iris makes her way to NYC from the UK, escaping both a bad relationship and the untimely death of her mother she forges relationships with the owners of her apartment and the restaurant where she serves popular noodle dishes. A talented chef, she is slowly emerging from the safe space she has created for herself and exploring the city. A chance encounter with a gelateria during a popular Italian festival sets off a chain of events forever changing many lives. Iris recognizes the gelateria from pictures her mother saved and discovers that her mother holds the secret to the famous family recipe. Working with widowed father Gio she tries to help him discover it for himself-hesitant to betray her mother and Gio's family. With the holidays approaching Iris has to make a decision that could break her heart-or everyone else’s. This heartwarming novel is not to be missed.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Josie Silver returns with Winter in New York, a warm holiday romance. Iris and the Belotti family are richly drawn, lovable characters. Gio is the hero of every loaner’s dreams. Bobby is the pitch perfect David Rose-esque bff. There is so much to love about this book from the backdrop of the festive city to the delectable descriptions of food. What I didn’t love was the lingering deception upon which much of the plot was centered. With better editing and earlier transparency, this EASILY would have been a five star read. Winter in New York still made me laugh out loud and moved me to tears, so I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. Thank you, NetGalley and Random House-Dell, for the arc of this beautifully written novel

Living in New York is part overwhelming, part adventure for Iris. There are so many memories of her mother wrapped up in this city, so when she stumbles upon a painted door she's seen in photographs, she finds herself in a place her mother has been before. It's a gelateria and it's in danger of closing its doors forever. Iris feels like she's been dropped into her mother's story, a story where the ending was unclear, and the handsome man in an old photo album looks very much like Gio, the guy behind the counter.

Honestly, the last quarter of the book really saved it for me. Josie Silver has always been able to make you feel her character's raw emotions of loneliness, heartbreak and the sheer yearning for something they don't think they deserve. It took a while to feel that this time.

My biggest problem was the portrayal of Gio's family. While we Italians are welcoming, kind and nurturing by nature (food being our love language) we are also the most wary, reserving judgement, wait-and-see kind of people. We may be hospitable, but we don't trust easily and we certainly don't let a stranger mess with the family recipes. That was a roadblock for me in terms of Gio's and Iris's burgeoning relationship.

But putting that aside (since not everyone is blessed to be Italian ;) ) the story itself kept me engaged and turning the pages, rooting for Iris to have her happy ending. Another strength of Silver's was on full display as she is able to make her settings such an integral part of the story. With the city of New York as a huge character herself, I found myself taking note of these off the path places I want to visit when I get the chance to spend a winter in New York.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really cannot stand when a romance starts off with a million lies. I can’t handle it it’s so unnecessary and worse than miscommunication trope

Josie Silver's done it again. I devoured this book as it had every element of a 5-star read, in my opinion. Excellent imagery, deep character development, a unique storyline and OH THE TEARS. Don't say I didn't warn you. This is an excellent seasonal read but isn't something I would "only" consider in the winter or during the holiday season. It stretches a vast span of time overall and the "holiday" part is actually quite minimal. Enjoy! :)

I love love loved this book. I did not prepare myself enough for how emotional I would get reading it, though. It’s such a sweet story and I love the family aspect. It also touches on grief and loss, and healing after trauma, and so many other life situations that make life complicated. Overall, it was a really really great book and I would love to see it become a movie. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I would definitely read more!

Tears were falling down my face as I finished this book! I didn't expect to be affected so greatly by this story, but Josie Silver does such an incredible job building the characters and the stories that I couldn't help but sob as the story ended. I loved every character, I loved the setting of New York City, I loved the flashbacks...highly recommend this to anyone who wants a great story about family and finding your place in the world.

Review will be posted on 11/17/23

It's 1985 in New York City and Vivien has spent two whirlwind days with Santo Belotti. Before she leaves him, he gives her his family's secret gelato recipe with the hope that she will return one day. Fast forward to present day and Vivien's daughter, Iris, is now on her way to New York City to start over after her mother's death and a bad relationship. She has her mother's favorite bowls and the gelato recipe they have enjoyed for years. Iris, a chef, takes a job at a noodle restaurant, and slowly tries to rebuild her life. Her friend takes her to Little Italy one day and it is there she recognizes Belotti's Gelateria from her mom's photos. This must be the place where her mom had a love affair with Santo. While visiting, she learns that Santo has suffered a stroke and can't remember the family's beloved gelato recipe, which brings in so many customers year after year. Iris knows it, but how can she share this information with the family? As she gets to know Santo's nephew, Gio, things get even more complicated. Josie Silver's A Winter in New York is a heartwarming, yet heavy holiday tale filled with family secrets, romance, gelato, and poor choices.

I felt badly for Iris in A Winter in New York. She is a bit lost when she comes to New York to start over and on top of that, she is escaping an abusive relationship. I really enjoyed her journey as a character; however, I did not always agree with her choices, which were a bit strange at times. On the other hand, I did enjoy her budding romance with Gio and her connection to her mother. This leads me to the flashbacks of 1980 New York, which were also well done and a glimpse into Vivien and Santo's love affair. My other favorite aspect of this novel was the gelatoria and the cast of family characters. The descriptions of gelato made me want to stop what I was doing and get some immediately.

My only issue with A Winter in New York was the lack of holiday feels. I thought this was going to be a bit more heartwarming and filled with some more holiday cheer, but instead there were some heavy issues that I think really weighed down the plot. Not only is Iris dealing with death and family secrets, she is also dealing with trauma from an abusive relationship. It all comes to a head at the end, which definitely didn't add to the holiday atmosphere of the novel.

So, if you like a holiday read with a bit more substance and serious drama rather than a Hallmark movie kind of feel, A Winter in New York would be a good fit. I must admit, I did enjoy Silver's One Day in December a lot more. Let me know in the comments if you are a fan of Josie Silver and if you've read or plan to read A Winter in New York.

Things I loved:

Gio. The Belottis. Bobby and Robin. The romance.

Things I didn’t love:

Iris’ conflict and the secret about her Gelato recipe.

Overall I enjoyed this book and it gave me all the romantic feels perfect for the holiday season. I just would have liked a stronger backstory for Iris. The reason for her new life made sense but the continued plot line that followed felt forced and overall unnecessary to the story . And maybe it’s just me, but I felt like the whole secret regarding her having the recipe was not the strongest focal point.

Where those points felt lackluster, the blossoming relationship between not only Gio and Iris but her and the Belotti clan made up for it. Gio was such a lovable MMC from the moment you are introduced to him and his family was that of near perfection.

If you’re looking for a quick holiday ready, I would definitely recommend this book.

A Winter in New York is a beautiful love story full of perfectly flawed characters all wrapped up with winter-wonderland vibes! PSA...be prepared to crave some vanilla gelato.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.