Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Setting: New York City
Format: 📖
Release Date: October 3, 2023
Length: 372 pages

This is my fourth books by Josie Silver, you did it again with this delightful story about finding love where you least expect it. It is about learning to deal with loss and grief, the importance of family and friends and learning how to walk away from an emotionally abusive relationship to start over.

Iris knows that something in her life must change. She decides to pack up her most import possessions; her gelato machine, her mother’s scrapbook, and an old, tattered napkin with a secret recipe and escapes her abusive ex-boyfriend. Her first steps into starting a new life brings her to New York City, a city her mother loved but it also is a big city that she can hide away. But her employer-landlord-and-best-friend Bobby has a different opinion and takes Iris to “Little Italy” for the Feast of San Gennaro, when she catches an unexpected sight of a shop’s painted glass door – a painted glass door that she knows from a photo in her mother’s scrapbook. Could this be the same shop?

The next day Iris returns to Bellotti’s Gelateria and meets Gio and no vanilla gelato they are famous for, the gelato machines are silent. Why? Santo is the only person that knows the family recipe and he has had a stroke he has forgotten the gelato recipe. After tasting what little gelato Gio still has Iris realizes she has a dilemma. How could this be the same gelato recipe that her mother has made? Does she share the recipe? But how can she when she has promised her mother never to share it. Without betraying her mother, she works with Gio to try and recreate the famous gelato which this leads to bigger problems .. Iris is falling in love with Gio. A Winter in New York is sweet and charming, it is everything you want in a romance story. Gio and Iris will instantly warm your heart but so will all the Bellotti family.

A solid 4.5 stars, a little slow beginning.

Thank you, Josie Silver, Random House Publishing Group/Dell and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel is due to be released on October 3, 2023.

Break out the tissues! It's a tear jerker! I'm a huge fan of Josie Silver and I think this is her best!

Iris, after losing her mother and escaping an abusive relationship, moves to New York City seeking to reclaim her life. While exploring a street fair in Little Italy, she stumbles upon a Gelateria that resembles the one from her mother's photo. Intrigued, she enters, only to discover that the shop may hold the lost family gelato recipe her mother cherished. As Iris connects with Gio Belotti, she learns the recipe is believed to be lost, even though she possesses it.

This is so much more than a holiday romance. It's full of delightful banter, clandestine rendezvous, and undeniable chemistry. Speaking of Gio, he embodies everything one could desire in a man, making hearts swoon with his irresistible charm. The heartwarming embrace of the Belotti family toward Iris is so touching.

Overall, loved it and was absolutely transported into another world.

Sooooo good!! Loved the setting, loved the characters, loved their stories. NYC, a big Italian family, their gelateria, a lost family recipe, Christmas, and a musician and her daughter… make for a sweet holiday romance.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Winter in New York is a slow-burn romance, focused on found family and new beginnings.

Grieving the loss of her charismatic mother, Iris flees to New York City, desperate to make a life for herself and maybe learn how to live without her mother. It seems impossible, but Iris is determined to try. Step one: craft a strong friendship with your landlord Bobby and his husband. Check. Step two: explore the city and make it your own. That is still a work in progress. When Bobby takes Iris to a festival in Little Italy, she is stunned to realize that she recognizes one of the shop doors from her mother’s photos. The shop is Belotti’s Gelateria, a family-owned gelato shop that closely guards its traditional vanilla recipe, only sharing the recipe with two members of the family at any given time. So why is there a vanilla gelato recipe hastily scribbled on a napkin next to her mother’s photo of a handsome stranger outside the gelateria? And why was Iris sworn to never share the recipe with anyone? As Iris begins to uncover her mother’s past and link to the Belotti family, she finds herself falling for the handsome Gio Belotti and growing closer to his boisterous family. With her secrets threatening to surface, will Iris find a permanent place among the Belotti family or will she be forced to let them go for good?

The Belotti family made this book! They were absolute perfection and I have never wanted to crawl into a book so bad! Can I be next in line for a Maria hug? However, my love of this amazing family could only carry the book so far. I did find some issues that were difficult to overlook. Iris was an insufferable main character that kept whining about hidng this horrible secret, yet constantly justified not telling Gio. I am already not a fan of the miscommunication trope, but then the safety of a child was brought into question. Adam was an abusive person. Iris told us repeatedly. I believe she said he never hit her, but there are different forms of abuse. We really didn’t get much of an explanation as to everything that went on there. STILL! Adam is texting Bella and Iris still did not feel the need to mention to Gio that her crazy ex was now communicating with his daughter?! I was honestly about to stop reading the book for just that alone. I could not forgive Iris for it and don’t understand how Gio was so rapidly able to move past it in a few short pages. Everything was extremely rushed at the end. Rather than having page after page of Iris moaning about keeping this secret, the end could have been expanded upon and made a bit more realistic.

*I received an electronic copy of this book via Netgalley, Delacorte Press and Random House Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. The views established in this review are my own.

My review is also on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Iris embarks on a fresh start in New York but discovers the city's vastness exceeds her expectations. She and her best friend, Bobby, stumble upon a charming Gelateria in Little Italy, sparking her curiosity about its connection to her mother's past. As she becomes involved with the family-run shop and its handsome manager, Gio, Iris holds a secret recipe that binds their stories. With newfound love and a web of secrets, her winter in New York becomes a journey of discovery and growth.

This has good writing, a cozy plot, and some suspenseful secrets. I loved being in New York City for the fall/Christmas season and it was especially tender how most of the story takes place at a Gelateria in Little Italy. The foodie in me was obsessed with the gelato and sweet Belotti family story. At first I thought it was funny to be focusing on gelato in the wintertime, but this turned out to be such a comforting setting. The only part of the story I had difficulty with were Irsis’ lies and secrets, meanwhile, her favorite quality in Gio was his vulnerability. This story was emotional, heart-wrenching, and sweet. Add it to your holiday list! I’m off to buy some vanilla gelato.

Thank you @randomhouse Ballantine and @netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Perfect for you if you like:
Family loyalty
Secrets as the main plot point
Cozy romance settings

Similar to:
Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews
Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
A December to Remember by Jenny Bayliss

⛔️chapters 16 & 27 contain explicit romance scenes (open door)
⚠️ explicit language, sexual content, previous death of a parent is a major plot point, lying, previous abuse

I just love the unique way the Josie Silver has of creating loveable characters that are so deep and walk in these situations that are lively, exciting, but play on all the different shades of gray. The back of story of the Gelatoria and the band made an interesting backdrop for the stories of each character and how they all interact. I love her writing in general but the way she creates tension and coziness, intensity and peace make her books a pleasure to read every time. And the way she makes her characters absolute BA's when they need to be makes me happy. I re-read several scenes when Iris stood up strong for herself and others.

#arc
#netgalley
#awinterinnewyork

Once again, another fantastic read from Josie Silver. I love NY & I love winter/xmas stories, so this one filled all my buckets.

It's another dual-timeline, but one that works well because the past timeline is included simply to fill in holes. The present timeline is much more prevalent, so the balance was perfect. To make it even better, the dual timeline bounces back between Iris's mother Vivien's time in NYC and Iris's time in NYC. Thanks to some scrapbooks and photos, Iris is able to re-live some of her mother's best memories in NYC.

Highly recommend!

I LOVED THIS BOOK. Like, loved it so much. It's one of the best books I've read in 2023. This book is like a warm hug from the author to her readers.

Iris has recently lost her mother as well as left a horribly abusive boyfriend and is living a nomadic life, now in New York City. When she comes across a gelato shop from her mother's past she begins a relationship with the family and starts to find her home.

Set during the winter this book has all the trappings of a cute Christmas novel, but goes so much further. Talking about love, loss, friendships, and family, it's an endearing warm hug that will have you laughing and crying and rooting for Iris and her found family.

If you are looking for winter cozy read, this is for you! It has winter, New York, main characters with 🔥 chemistry….and Josie Silver writing.

Josie Silver never fails to craft a heartwarming romance. Iris has moved to New York from London to restart her life. Despite her best efforts to hide away, her best friend and boss, Bobby, won't let her. He takes her to the autumn street fair where Iris notices a distinctive door that is oddly familiar. It looks like the door in a photo in one of her mother's old scrapbooks. Iris is curious about this piece of her mother's history and so returns to the gelato shop the next day where she meets Gio and learns that the shop might be in jeopardy. It is a family business and only 2 people at a time are allowed to know the secret vanilla gelato recipe. Santo, one of the recipe holders, has had a health scare and as a result, cannot remember the recipe. Felipe, the other recipe holder, has misplaced it. Iris quickly realizes that their gelato and the recipe accompanying the photo in her mother's scrapbook are one and the same. How can she explain why she has the recipe when she has no idea Santo might have given it to her? Iris decides out of loyalty to her deceased mother not to say anything but instead offers her services as a chef to help them try and figure out the recipe through trial and error, with the goal of steering them in the right direction. Iris and Gio form a bond and she can't help falling in love with the entire family. But when Santo is finally able to return home the secrets Iris has been keeping threaten to dismantle the new life she has been building.

Cute, sweet, perfect for the holidays! Josie Silver writes such wonderful and heartwarming stories. I don't love a ton of romance books, and her style works perfectly for those like me who don't often read in the genre.

After a slow start, this book had me clutching my chest and crying my eyes out. Josie Silver knows how to give the reader #allthefeels and more. Iris and Gio have an instant connection and their chemistry is palpable. Iris is recovering from an emotionally abusive relationship that left her shattered and Gio is a widower who has closed himself from love after the death of his wife.

We get a lot of Iris' backstory (almost too much about her mother) but we don't get much about Gio. I kept hoping we would learn more about his wife's death but it was never revealed.I couldn't help falling in love with Gio's family... they are warm and welcoming.

Overall, another winner from Josie Silver! I couldn't put it down once the story ramped up. I think this will fly off the bookshelves and have a long wait list at the library!

4.5 stars. Iris Raven is living in New York because that’s where some of her mom’s best memories are and Iris clings tightly to any thread that still connects her to Vivien. It’s a restart button for Iris, who is finally coming out of her shell after hibernation from a previous toxic relationship. Iris stumbles upon Belotti’s, a gelateria, recognizing its nostalgic and symbolic display from her mom’s old photos. Gio Belotti is running the establishment and a traditional recipe for vanilla gelato is temporarily lost, but Iris knows that very specific recipe. How can she explain this?

The story navigates through a series of interesting turns and events that link Iris and Gio together because of the connection through their parental figures but unbeknownst to them. I really loved the found family dynamic that Iris had with all of the Belottis. Her only anchor person had been her mother Vivien and now she has an entire family network, along with her lovable friend Bobby. Iris is also rediscovering her talents and a zest for life that had been silent for a long time. As for Gio, he is one of those quiet and stoic types with a rare smile, yet he also brings comfort and warmth with his presence. While there was not much shown and was mostly told regarding the significant past relationships for both Gio and Iris, I think more details would have been beneficial in understanding how it shaped these two into who they are today. I was eager to see how the secrets would unfold and the aftermath, and to find out if recovery was possible. The plot was well written and I liked all of the characters and how the history of Gio and Iris intertwined. The only weakness I can point out is in that pivotal scene in the end, highlighting how much Iris has grown in her self confidence in contrast to an unlikable person, who came off a bit cartoonish. Otherwise, I could really visualize a lot of these scenes like a holiday movie to curl up with and enjoy on the couch over and over.

Thank you Penguin Randomhouse/Ballantine/Dell and Netgalley for the ARC!

I’ve really enjoyed getting to read Josie Silver’s emotional stories and seeing how she brings you in a journey with each book she writes. This one is heavy, as expected from a Silver book, and is one of self discovery and grief. Your heartstrings will be tugged and your tissues will be used up.

I loooove Josie Silver but this was certainly missing some of that magic that I’ve come to expect. While I adored the NYC setting with an eccentric Italian family at the core of the story… I couldn’t get past the fact that Iris withheld some critical and important information about her past. This could have been resolved in the first quarter of the story. Gio and his family deserved better

I read two books by this author last year. One of them (One Night on the Island) was one of my top reads and the other one (One Day in December) of my bottom reads of the year. But even for the one I liked less, I could recognize and appreciate the beautiful way it was written and the emotional authenticity and depth in it.

A Winter in New York is another beautifully written book by Josie Silver. I really enjoyed reading it. I was emotionally invested the whole way through, loved all the characters I was supposed to, loved seeing the romance blossom, loved the emotional journeys the characters went through.

A Winter in New York is about Iris who moves to New York to leave her life in London behind. She has lost her mom, survived a relationship that broke her spirit, and had to leave behind a burgeoning career. A series of coincidences to do with her mom’s past life leads her to the unique door of a family gelateria and to help them recover their lost family recipe.

I HIGHLY recommend not reading the actual blurb because it gives away things that happen 80% into the book!

👍
+ I loved how the romance builds up from a place of unavailability for both of them. Neither are looking or -supposedly- ready for love when they find each other. But you can tell their attraction and admiration for one another grow with each passing day. Even though Gio keeps telling Iris and himself he can’t do anything serious, I love how wholly he falls in love with her, and how no misunderstanding or misguided martyrdom gets between them. And their dates are so adorable!

+ Iris’ emotional journey, while frustrating at times, feels realistic. She goes three steps forward and sometimes 5 steps back. The journey to healing is never straight and I appreciate that the author shows the ups and the downs, the bad days within the good and vice versa.

+ Found family is a big part of this story. And those connections in the book are almost as strong and important (if not more) than the romance in the book. Iris self back together mostly thanks to the people she surrounds herself with, her heroes.

+ Gio and his family are so wholesome and lovely, it’s impossible not to love them. I could imagine the chaotic dinners, the loving bickering, the fierce love they have for each other surfacing in many ways.

+ I loved seeing glimpses of the past. Iris' mother has a few chapters in here, and her story was so beautiful in its own way, about paths not taken, dreams, and missed connections.

+ Main character and love interest in their late 30s!


👎
- The pacing felt a little off to me at times. While the beginning felt a little too slow-going, the ending felt rushed. The gelato “mystery” was obvious to everyone but the main character, setting it all up and discovering it could have been faster. But then the family’s reaction at the end was told rather than shown and we got to fall in love with all these characters throughout the book so I would have really appreciated seeing them actually go through some of those emotional journeys.

P.S. If you start craving some vanilla gelato while reading this book, there’s a handy recipe in the back!

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books, Dell Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC!

Overall rating: 4.2⭐

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: October 3, 2023

A winter tale that starts in a bookstore on a snowy Valentine’s Day evening…and that’s an easy way to reel me in!

The characters are lovely and the scenes are very charming but the amount of manufactured drama in this is almost unbearable. A slow motion train wreck you know is going to happen from very early on and you have to painfully go on the ride just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I really struggle with people who can’t just be forthcoming and dig themselves deeper and deeper until it all hits the fan. It did just that and ended saccharine-sweet.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC for review.

This book is for anyone who LOVES New York, had a strong bond with their mother, and/or close knit family vibes.

The way Josie describes the bustling sidewalks of New York brought me back to the well known neighborhoods of the city. It made me miss New York and want to go back as soon as I can.

I loved the characters, and wanted to be a part of the love interest’s family. I wanted to eat all of the food mentioned and feel that cold New York winter air. This was a great winter romance!

I am a huge Josie Silver fan and couldn't wait to read her latest book, A Winter in New York. The book was everything I was hoping for and more! Iris is a young woman who's been through a lot and has decided to move to New York from London. Iris' mom was a singer and she spent a lot of time in New York. Iris' mom died of cancer not long ago and being in New York will help Iris feel close to her again. Iris was also running away from a man who wasn't good to her and she had to get away or lose herself forever. New York was a fresh start.

Iris gets a job at a noodle restaurant with a fantastic boss who becomes a good friend. Bobby also has an apartment for Iris to rent above the restaurant. Things are working out well for Iris. She doesn't feel alone anymore, she feels safe, and she's happy working and keeping a low profile. Bobby notices that she keeps to herself even in her down time and asks Iris to go to a festival with him. The festival focuses on different food and Iris loves food. She used to be a chef in London and had big dreams once upon a time. While walking around the festival, Iris notices a door with a unique paint job. She knows she's seen this door before and it draws her in. Bobby tells her it's a famous gelato shop and they walk towards it. Unfortunately, the shop is closed. Iris decides she'll come back tomorrow hoping it will be open.

As Iris looks through her mom's photo album and scrapbook, she sees the door in a picture. Iris knew she'd seen it before and her mom must have gone to that same shop! Iris' mom made a delicious gelato her entire life. They'd watch old movies and eat gelato. They'd celebrate something and eat gelato. Iris knew the gelato recipe by heart as she still makes it all the time. When she visits the shop the next day it is still closed, but there is someone inside. The man opens the door for her and tells her there's no gelato today, just coffee. Iris says she'll take a coffee and the man introduces himself as the owner, Gio. Gio looks very familiar to Iris and he says the same thing about Iris.

Gio explains to Iris that the shop is closed because his uncle is in a coma and can't tell anyone the gelato recipe. Only two family members know the recipe at any one time because they don't want it getting out. The other family member has no idea where the recipe is as he travels all over the world. Iris tells Gio she's a chef and she'd like to help him recreate the recipe if he'd like the help. Gio is thrilled and they decide to meet again tomorrow morning. When Gio lets Iris taste the last batch of gelato stashed in the freezer she realizes that her gelato and Gio's are one and the same. She can't tell Gio this as her mom always told her that she could never share the gelato recipe with anyone! She was told this her entire life and she wasn't going to break a promise she made to her mom. Iris isn't sure why Santo, Gio's uncle, gave the recipe to her mom but he did! She would steer Gio in the right direction little by little until they were close.

As time goes by, Gio and Iris grow closer and they develop feelings for one another. Gio's sister, Sophie, runs the shop with him and she becomes like a sister to Iris. Iris has been alone for so long that she never dreamed she could have a family. Gio has a daughter named Bella as his wife died from cancer years ago. Gio hasn't been interested in a relationship since. Will Gio and Iris find a way to trust one another after they've both been hurt? Will Gio be able to let his guard down to let Iris know him and his daughter? The entire family loves Iris and she gets invited to Sunday dinners and big events. Everything seems too good to be true until Santo wakes up from the coma. Will he remember Iris' mother when he looks at her? She looks and sings just like her mom she's been told. If her secrets get out will Gio understand? Will Iris lose the family she's so desperate to have?

This is a fantastic book with rich characters that you will feel deeply for. You'll feel every emotion as you read Iris' story. A Winter in New York has all of the feels and I keep thinking about the book even though I finished it a couple of hours ago. I rate A Winter in New York 5 stars with my highest recommendation. The book came out today, October 3, so don't hesitate to get it. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for an advanced copy of A Winter in New York in exchange for a fair review. #AWinterinNewYork

4.5⭐️ Josie Silver is one of my all time favorite authors. Prior to this newest release, I’ve rated every single one of her books 5⭐️. And while I still really enjoyed this one because her writing is beautiful, evocative, cozy, heartwarming and just all of the things - it featured a good amount of miscommunication which frustrated me. I think it is a true testament to her writing that despite that frustration, I would still highly recommend this one. The found family vibes are done to perfection in this ode to New York.

📌 PSA - This is not a holiday read.

Thank you Random House and PRH Audio for the gifted copies.