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.

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!!