This for me is one of those stay up all night to finish books. Josie Silver does such a great job of setting the scene, and NYC was such a good backdrop. She also does such a good job of writing fully developed, complex characters. No one is perfect, and flaws are exposed. There is a wonderful tension that builds in the romance as well. As a read for me, this is a 5 star as it pulled me along so strongly and I really enjoyed it. But I will say, lots of the secrets Iris is hiding could have so easily bubbled to the surface earlier in my head, although upon reflection maybe it all needed to come full circle. If you love a complex romance full of personal growth with a big boisterous family and lots of lovely friendships, you’ll enjoy this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

This book was cute, although in my opinion note a standout romance. The characters were cute, but I wanted a little more from them. Their stories did not unfold too quickly, so it kept you engaged until the end, however the beginning moved a little slowly for me. I like the drama, lies, betrayals, growth, support and love sprinkled through the entire book. I like the ties back to family history and the location being nyc. The holiday time added to the cheer of the book. A cute holiday read!

Thank you NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

This was just okay for me.
I enjoyed the winter setting and all of the food descriptions. I also liked the fun and diverse group of side characters.
My main problem was that I found the main character Iris unlikable and not relatable. She came off as much younger and immature than she was supposed to be. I found many of her decisions impulsive and childish. My other big issue is I hate miscommunication tropes and this book was full of them. Ever chapter just had Iris telling another lie and making more of a mess of things. This lack of communication was just not realistic and a bit over the top.
Overall, a miss of a story for me.

Like any Josie Silver novel, this is a heartfelt love story, full of charm and romance and just a little bit of angst - because that's real. Set in New York City during the holiday season - beginning at the Feast of San Gennaro in September and ending at New Year's Eve - it's a story about a lot of things, beginning with Iris and her mother Vivien, who has since passed from cancer, which led Iris from her home in London to New York City, where her mother spent her youth as a musician and fell in love, which Vivien shared many stories of over bowls of a secret recipe gelato. Escaping a toxic relationship back in London, Iris is making a new life for herself in NYC, working in a noodle house and maintaining a close friendship with her landlord and his husband - that is, until she spots a very familiar looking storefront in Little Italy... the very gelateria Vivein had a photo of in her scrapbook. Curious, she enters and meets Gio, the son of the owners and comes to learn that they’ve lost their famous gelato recipe and the future of the business is at risk… the very same secret recipe Iris has been eating all her life. Curious about her mother’s connection with the gelateria and Santo, the current owner and Gio’s father, Iris offers to use her culinary background to help Gio and his sisters work on the recipe. But as she falls further and deeper in love with Gio, who has his own life scars, Iris juggles her guilt over keeping secrets.

From the opening scene in the bookstore, I was in love. A Winter in New York was so real and brought all of the emotions in me with the grief and abuse storylines. Very heavy reading but just so so good! I’m obsessed with Gio and his family and every time I read a book featuring anyone Italian I desperately wish I came from an Italian family. I loved getting snippets from Vivian’s POV and her relationship with Santo broke my heart. So relatable!! Other things I loved: Bobby, Smirnoff, and the gelato of course!

Prepare to be wrapped in a cozy, heartwarming embrace with Josie Silver's A Winter in New York! Silver's writing is as smooth as hot chocolate on a chilly evening, transporting you to the enchanting streets of New York City and the cozy gelato shop that becomes the heart of the adventure. The blend of past and present, mystery and romance, creates a Hallmark movie like atmosphere.

From the very first page, you'll find yourself captivated by the FMC Iris, a character so charming and relatable that you'll instantly feel like she's an old friend. Her journey of self-discovery, intertwined with the mysteries of her mother's past, is a rollercoaster of emotions that will have you cheering her on every step of the way.

But what truly sets this book apart is the ensemble of characters that surround Iris. The Belotti family, with their overflowing love and Italian warmth, will make you wish you were a part of their clan. And oh, Gio – our leading man; he's a swoon-worthy daydream brought to life, making your heart skip a beat with every glance and touch.

As Iris navigates the twists and turns of fate, you'll find yourself laughing at the witty banter, sighing at the tender moments, and eagerly turning pages to uncover the next delightful surprise. So, cozy up and get to reading!

4.5 rounded up to 5 stars! Another phenomenal novel for Josie Silver. All her books have me hitting the range of emotions from complete happiness to sobbing. Iris leaves London for New York to get a fresh start. After losing her mother and leaving a bad relationship she is drawn to the place her mother always loved. So Iris decides that New York will be the place to begin a new life. She finds a job at a small restaurant that has an apartment above it. As Iris starts to repair her life and herself, she finds a best friend in her new boss, Bobby. Unwilling to let Iris be the homebody she wants to be, Bobby drags Iris to a festival in Little Italy. While trying to get shelter from a storm, they duck under the awning of a gelateria. When Iris sees the door of the store, she knows she has seen it before. After wracking her brain and going home to flip through her mother's scrap album, she discovers the door in a picture of the only man her mother ever loved.
As Iris meets the family that runs the gelateria, she begins to feel something she has never really experienced before. This book will make you laugh, smile and sob. Iris, Bobby and the whole Belotti family are loveable characters who you can't help but root for. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for allowing me an advanced copy of this excellent novel.

Happy pub day to Josie Silver’s A Winter in New York. Thank you to #netgalley and #randomhouse for the eARC; all opinions are my own.

This book reminded me of a grown-up Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch. It’s a retracing of a mother’s steps in a foreign land with romance and… gelato!

I think a lot of people will adore this book. Unfortunately, the main character Iris Raven TICKED ME OFF. I HATE her decision-making process and her decisions. From the beginning to the end she gets herself into bind after bind. She easily could have NOT gotten herself into her messes or could have quickly and easily gotten herself out of them. But then we wouldn’t have a story to tell, would we?

This book has what is probably not a trigger for most, but is for me. Most of the book is told in first person by Iris, and some chapters are in third person about her mother Vivien’s experiences in New York. Because my mom is no longer with us, I can’t help but think “I will never have that”. But even if your mom is alive YOU WILL NEVER HAVE THAT. I know, I know, it’s fiction- but I have a problem with it.

This book is nicely written, it is always fun to rediscover New York, I love to hear about winter without experiencing it firsthand, there are some amazing grief quotes that I will hang onto, and of course who doesn’t love found family?? Despite me being a crabby jerk, I think most people will really like this book.

QoTD: When I participated in a state challenge, I realized that the majority of the books I read take place in England, New York and California. Where are your favorite book locations? I love to “revisit” places I have been. It helps me picture the setting and makes me feel more connected to the story, as though it’s real.

Door: slightly open but not very detailed
3.5/5 stars
Location: New York, obviously!

Josie Silver always delights. I have been a fan since I read One Day in December, and I always get excited when I see that she has a new book coming out! A Winter in New York is a gripping, charming book that touches on family, secrets, loss, grief, romance, gelato and of course, winter in New York.

Josie Silver chose the perfect setting for her book. If you have ever been to New York around the fall and winter holidays, you know it is a magical place to be. The decorations, the ice skating, the lights, the crisp air, and the decorations in the store windows. One can't help but be swept up in the mood.

Secrets.......

Iris decides to leave London after suffering a loss and to escape an abusive relationship. She moves to NYC hoping that the city will be the new beginning she craves. There, her friend, Bobby takes her down a street in Little Italy and a family run gelateria catches her eye. Her mother had a photo of a shop that looked like that one that caught her eye. Could it be the same shop?????

Iris returns to the gelateria the next day and meets Gio who informs her that the gelateria is in danger of closing. Their famous gelato recipe is known only by their uncle who is in a coma. As Iris samples the batch, she realizes that the gelato is the same gelato that her mother made. How could two people be making the same recipe? Iris promised her mother that she would never share the recipe. Without knowing how to make the recipe, Gio's family business will close.


Forming relationships with another can be tricky when you have a secret......

Like her other books, A Winter in New York has likeable characters, witty banter, a dilemma, and romance. I was instantly transported to New York as a fly on the wall, watching the characters as they interacted. There are quite a few characters in this book, but I found it easy to keep track of them.

This was an enjoyable seasonal romance which takes place in a great setting. I enjoyed the sense of family, duty, loyalty, love, and hope. Plus, it made me want to have some gelato - a lot of gelato!

Well written, charming, gripping, and hard to put down!

What a wholesome story this was. Not just one but two lovestories have been portrayed in this book. Each is different yet similar to each other.

I'd say what a plot-driven book this was. There were so many things going on, but I didn't feel overwhelmed. The meet-cute was hilarious between Iris & Gio. Their chemistry was great & they felt so comfortable around each other.

While I felt the first half of the book was a tiny but slow, it made up in the second half. As i said earlier, the plot was really wholesome & the side characters were amazing.

Thank you Netgalley & Publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley & Random House Publishing!

What a cute, cozy read that got my into the holiday spirits.

Iris moves from the UK (right? - brain fart) to NYC to start a new life after leaving a mentally abusive ex with her treasured, secret gelato recipe from her late mother.

She comes across a gelato shop and surprise, surprise! Gio!

Honestly - super cute love story. I'm a little torn between three stars and four stars because she's in her 30s and her love story basically begins as a lie, but you need some type of conflict I guess. Either way. Really enjoyed this!

<b>Despite the many outlandish details of Iris's situation and ongoing secrets, I was taken with the sweet family relationships and the multi-phased wrap-up ending.</b>

Iris is a chef who moves to New York City in hopes of a fresh start--and is quickly intimidated by the scope and action of the city. But her new best friend Bobby--along with his partner Robin--takes her under his wing.

Then Iris spies a storefront familiar from one of her deceased mother's old photos, a gelato store...where she discovers that they use her exact, closely guarded, definitely secret family recipe.

Handsome Gio, son of the ill owner, explains that the store is in danger of being shuttered. Iris may be able to help--if only she could also figure out the store's connection to her mother's past.

I know that romantic books sometimes rely upon outlandish setups, and I feel theoretically willing to buy in. I will, after all, happily read stories about talking dragons, or fantastical worlds, or time travel, and I can feel emotionally invested in any of them.

But sometimes I have difficulty seeing past what feel like unlikely scenarios in romantic novels. Minor niggles: They only serve vanilla gelato, and people go crazy for it? Really? She traveled with almost nothing...but she did bring her unwieldy, heavy home gelato maker? She's a chef but she's also secretly a YouTube-sensation-level singer...who a sick busker inexplicably wrangles into taking over her vocals as she walks by?

The family members abhor secrets...but want Iris to walk away, creating the ultimate eternal secret, rather than share the truth? Characters assure Iris that other characters will be fine emotionally in the end if everyone adheres to their masterminded plans by asserting the juvenile "I promise"?

Most importantly, why would Iris not just share the truth about secret one, and how could she possibly go on so long without doing so? And how could keeping secret two serve her well in any scenario? And why would she walk away from a promising love without attempting to address any of this, except for the need to create angst in the story? Characters, please talk to each other!

I was frustrated with these aspects of A Winter in New York, but the sweet-as-pie, satisfying, multiple-phased ending was, admittedly, adorable. And the Bobby-Robin relationship as well as the Gio romance had me swooning.

I received a prepublication edition of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group. A Winter in New York is scheduled for publication today.

Josie Silver is also the author of One Day in December and The Two Lives of Lydia Byrd, a book that appeared on the Greedy Reading List Six Second-Chance, Do-Over, Reliving-Life Stories.

Thank you to Delacorte Press & NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

After escaping an abusive relationship, Iris crossed the pond from England to NYC, and is settling in her new life. She came to NYC after hearing so much from her Mothers time there, and hopes it will help her feel close to her after her death.

One day during a street festival in Little Italy, Iris spots the door to a Gelateria and instantly recognizes it from her Moms scrapbook. The next day she returns and heads inside where she meets Gio, the owners son. She finds out that the owner Santo has had a stroke and is suffering memory loss, and is unable to remember the family gelato recipe. (The recipe is only known by two people in the family at a time, and never shared or written). A couple days later Iris realizes the napkin from Belottis in her Moms scrapbook, contains the gelato recipe written on the back. Iris is shocked to find out that the gelato her and her Mother spent so many years making is actually the exact gelato recipe from Belottis. As she struggles to decide if she should share the recipe with Gio, she also grows closer to him and his family. Soon she finds herself falling for him so deeply, while trying to decide if she should share the recipe with him, knowing she can’t answer any questions about why her Mother even had it to begin with.

Told in alternating points of view between Iris in current times, and her mother Vivien 30 years earlier a beautiful story of love, loss, found family, and courage is weaved.

The story started out a bit slow for me, but really picked up around halfway. This was such a sweet, and thoughtful novel, that should absolutely be on your Christmas TBR. It will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy long after you’ve finished reading!

Got approved for this one right before pub day so didn't get to read it in a week - but i'm so excited to try this one out over the winter months!! I've had good and bad luck with this author so i'm very excited to give this one a try!!

Go ahead and add this to your fall/winter TBR! Such a great, cozy read that is the epitome of what I want in a winter romance. I loved this whole book, beginning to end. I loved Iris’ quest to make memories in the same places her mother made memories so many years before. The romance was done so well. I do wish that Iris had shared her secret sooner but it made sense in the storyline why she didn’t. The secondary characters are done so well in this book. The setting is almost like another character, which is always one of my favorite things. This book also has an element of found family which is something I can’t get enough of. I highly recommend this read! It does have some holiday storylines but could really be read any time in the fall/winter as it covers before Thanksgiving all the way through and past Christmas.

Read if you like:
▫️One Italian Summer (but in my opinion, this is done better!)
▫️found family
▫️cooking/chef themes
▫️New York City setting

Thanks to @netgalley and @delacortepress for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book releases today!

Check out my full review at http://www.instagram.com/the.paperback.place

Iris came to New York to escape from a bad relationship but to also see the places in New York that meant the most to her now deceased mother. When she finds work and starts to build her small family of friends in Bobby and his partner Robin, it seems natural that she is living near the places that her mother loved. As the book goes on she learns more about her mother, the struggles she went through and through that process gains strength in herself. Iris particularly went through a lot of self discovery and came out stronger. When she meets Gio, she is immediately attracted to him and is drawn to his family. Their warmth and generosity fills up that lonely place inside.

A Winter In New York is a novel that feels nostalgic, and there certainly is quite a bit of looking back in the form of learning the story of Iris’s mother, but it is also a story about moving forward. Iris finds her inner strength and finally finds a place where she feels like she belongs. Even if it takes her a while to believe in that place and in herself. I liked this story a lot, and especially loved the Belotti family, Gio, and his daughter Bella. That family is the one that we all want to belong to and it was easy to root for Iris to untangle her life and believe that she deserves this happiness she has found. The satisfying conclusion was everything I wanted to read. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review and it was honest!

Such a cute and cozy love story! The ending has all the holiday feels but the story does take place throughout the year.

Iris having lost her mom and running from her past winds up in New York working at a Noodle shop. Her boss, landlord and best friend Bobby live above her over the noodle shop. One day she recognizes a door to a shop she’s seen many times in a photograph of her mother’s while exploring the city. It’s a gelato shop now being run by Gio.

Gio is a widow raising his daughter and trying to run the family gelato shop while his father is in the hospital. No one knows the recipe for the famous vanilla gelato and his father has lost his memory. In walks Iris offering to help him try to figure the family recipe out.

Iris has made a lot of mistakes and has dug some pretty deep holes you wonder if she will ever get out of. She grows so much in the story and finally comes into herself. She and Gio have such a special relationship and you want to root for them so hard.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Every time I see an announcement for a new Josie Silver book, I get excited because I know I will be reading a warm and wonderful story. Once again, Silver touched my heart with A Winter in New York.

There were so many things that delighted me in this story, but what stood out for me was the theme of connection among these people. Belotti's was an important part of Iris' mother's past. It was there that she fell in love and made the difficult decision to leave him behind. It was also where she was gifted the family's top secret gelato recipe which then led Iris to Gio. There were a few more points of connection in this story, one which made me giddy, but I will let you discover them on your own.

I feel like the gelato drama was the universe's way of bringing Gio and Iris into each other's lives. Both were still dealing with grief - Gio's due to the loss of his wife, and Iris' due to the loss of her mother. The mornings they spent together may have been in search of the perfect gelato recipe, but it also served as a time for them to heal. It was so wonderful watching them slowly open their hearts, and it was even better to see them fall in love.

When these two were not in the kitchen, they were out exploring the NY. One part that was an utter delight was when they went to view the Christmas lights in Dyker heights. This was a walk down memory lane for me, as one of my aunts lived in that neighborhood, and I used to go see the lights. A great tradition, and I loved that they brought me back there. I wish I was able to find the pictures, though you really need to see them in real life to appreciate the splendor of all those lights.

I also was able celebrate the holidays with Iris and Gio. I had no doubt this would be a wam-fuzzy kind of experience given that I would be spending time with the fabulous Belotti family. This tight-knit and boisterous bunch filled me with glee. The chaos and energy of it all reminded me of past holidays spent with my extended family. I felt so happy that Gio had such an incredible support system, but I also loved the way they welcomed Iris into the fold. This was something that was really missing from her life.

Iris had experienced some tough years. A never present father, the death of her mother, and an abusive ex were among the struggles that led her to New York. There, she found Bobby, Robin, Gio, and the rest of the Belotti family, and I was so happy she did. They became her family, showed her love, gave her comfort, and filled an important space in her life.

As I had previously stated, there was a lot to love about this story. There's some subterfuge as Iris tries to keep Santo's past relationship with her mother under wraps, but that didn't distract me from all the lovely parts. It was the food, family, and romance elements of this story that won my heart, and I adored getting to bear witness to this sweet and heartfelt tale.

This was a cute a book but I’ve enjoyed some other Josie Silver books better! A Winter in New York is a heartwarming, cozy tale about love and loss.

The plot, filled with delicious recipes and secret histories, leaves you wanting more every chapter. The romance left something to be desired.

Don’t get me wrong, I was giggling three pages in, but wanted more chemistry through it. While it’s a super sweet, slow burn, I found the connection between the main characters lackluster at times.

At the end of the day, this a really enjoyable holiday read!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this ARC.

Josie never disappoints! A Winter in New York by Josie Silver was a cute holiday romance.
I found this book to be delightful and was engaged throughout reading it.
The characters and storyline were fantastic.
I love that she creates characters that tug at your heartstrings and packed with laugh out loud humor. The characters were a delight to spend time with. I loved the chemistry and connections that were made.
Josie Silver writes a wonderfully enchanting love story. A fantastic book with plenty of depth.
It truly was a wonderful story and I’m so happy Josie Silver has done it once again.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House, Ballantine & Dell for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.