Iris has escaped to New York in the hopes of getting over the death of her mother and getting away from her abusive ex boyfriend. Her mother had a history in New York, so Iris hopes that if she goes back to the places where her mother was happy in her youth, maybe some of that happiness will come to her. While she’s working in a noodle store, she has become best friends with the owner and his husband and they let her live in the flat above the store, which makes life simple for Iris. One day while she’s wandering the neighborhood, she notices a doorway that she’s seen before-in one of her mother’s pictures in her scrapbook from her days in the band while she was in New York. The doorway belongs to a gelato shop that’s been in business for several decades and is now struggling since the patriarch of the family has been injured and can’t remember the recipe. Iris meets Gio, his nephew who works at the shop, and together they try to recreate the recipe to try to save the store.
There were a few flashbacks from her mother’s POV which added another dimension to the story and helped to push the story along in the current timeline.
I can totally see this being made into a Hallmark movie!
Thanks to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

This book is a great read to get you into the holiday spirit while also making you wish you lived in New York. I appreciated the slow burn romance and found family aspects of this story and of course who doesn't love a romance involving gelato. At times the pacing was a bit slow and felt like the mob character could have spoken to the love interested and lessened the third act miscommunication conflict, but it was a fun read. Thank you to random house publishing and netgalley for the arc.

Josie Silver’s book are always crazy to me because, every time I pick one up, I start it and think, “okay, I guess this is cute, idk,” and then BOOM! I get halfway through and suddenly I’m completely obsessed. I think it’s the power of her writing. She creates characters that are just so endearing that you can’t help but fall in love with them.

Which is exactly what happened here. Normally I think I’d find a story about a family’s lost gelato recipe kind of ridiculous, but, nope, I was all in. The MC and her love interest were perfection; the dialogue was cute and swoony; there was so much depth to their relationship and they dealt with some extremely serious obstacles. Checked all the boxes of a great romance for me.

My only issue is that I sort of wished for dual POVs because there were some interactions between Gio and his family I wanted to see that happened off page, but other than that, this was pretty perfect. Definitely recommend if you are looking for a cute holiday romance that will get you truly misty-eyed!

Thank you to Random House - Ballantine and Netgalley for this ARC. A Winter in New York comes out October 3rd!

4.5/5 stars

A Winter in New York
By Josie Silver
4/5⭐️
Publication date: October 3, 2023

🍨Vanilla gelato
🗽New York
👨🏼 single dad
❤️‍🩹Found family
🤫Family secrets
❄️ Winter/Christmas time
🥺coping with grief
💡self discovery

Iris comes to New York after getting out of a toxic relationship and after the death of her mother. She wants to make a new life for herself and see all the places her mother loved. She is out and about one day and comes across a gelateria that seems so familiar to her yet she can’t place why.

Enter in the Belotti family. Gio is a single dad trying to run this family gelateria in the middle of a family crisis.

This story is such a whirlwind of emotions! I loved the winter New York setting and the enjoyable characters. The whole Belotti family is just so welcoming and loving. This story is told in present time and it also had some flashbacks.

I love the way Josie Silver develops her characters and how different they are. This is such an atmospheric novel and it just made me feel so cozy. This is definitely a great winter read for the holiday season coming up!

I did deduct a star because I felt like this was just one giant miscommunication between Iris and Gio. I wish she would have just come clean with what she knew and didn’t wait till the very end. Other than that, I did love this story and I love Josie Silver’s other work.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House- Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I thought this was going to be a fun, light romance based mostly on the cover and a bit from the skimmed description. I was wrong, it is a heavier coming of age of sorts for Iris as she is reeling from a bad breakup and the loss of her mom - and it is all centered on vanilla gelato. There is a dual timeline too, and it didn't work as well for me as it has in other books. It was a quicker read and I didn't dislike it, but it was just o.k. for me. I did very much enjoy the setting in NYC as I have just visited, that was fun! Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine - Random House Publishing for an early e-copy in exchange for my opinion. A Winter in New York will be available on 10/3/23.

3.5 stars

A Winter in New York had one of the best meet disasters I’ve read in a while and was such a great way to open the book. It set the stage for the awkward reunion perfectly. The book was like 2 stories in one (past and present) and I really loved how the author wove all these different threads together. There is a significant romantic subplot, but I would consider this more women’s fiction than romance since the story focuses on Iris’s journey and healing.

I loved Gio and the entire Belotti family. The top secret vanilla gelato recipe was a fun twist on the forced proximity trope and the gelateria almost became another character. As much as I was rooting for Iris and applauded her strength, I was also incredibly annoyed by her. The lack of communication and all the lying by omission really grated on me. Yes, it would have been painful to backtrack and reveal everything, but doesn’t everyone deserve the truth? Iris had so many opportunities to come clean, but she kept talking herself out of it. I know it wasn’t technically her story/secret to tell, but it still bothered me. Also, the final conflict with Adam felt over the top, but I can understand it was necessary for her growth and to finally move on. The epilogue was very sweet though and I loved how the beginning and end connected.

I really enjoyed the narration by Emma Appleton and thought she did wonderful switching between New York and British accents. She was perfect as Iris.

Audiobook Review
Overall 4 stars
Performance 4.5 stars
Story 3.5 stars

CW: death of parent (cancer, past), death of spouse (past), grief, parental abandonment/absentee, FMC flees an abusive and controlling relationship, MMC’s father figure has a stroke resulting in memory deficits, stalker/threatening

*I voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book*

While this book has some scenes that take place at Christmas time, it wasn’t a holiday book like I thought it was going to be based off of the cover. It was a nice read about moving on after loss and grief, but a huge portion of the book is built on miscommunication and it bugged me a lot. I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if Iris was honest with Gio and I just kept waiting for the massive fallout from her lies.

Thank you for the chance to read this book! I’ve read all of the author’s books and this one did not disappoint. Chef Iris moves to New York for a fresh start. She stops into a gelateria and meets Gio. They have amazing connection and it’s fun as she develops relationship with his family as well.

ARC REVIEW|| A WINTER IN NEW YORK by @josiesilverauthor

Release date: October 3, 2023

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️/5

I read One Day In December last winter and loved it, so I was excited to find out Josie Silver releasing another wintery romance just in time for the holidays! It was such a great read, however I deducted one star because Iris hiding so many secrets gave me a little anxiety.

I loved the friendship dynamic between Iris, Bobby, and Robin. Gio was the perfect cinnamon roll bf, and he and Iris had great chemistry. I loved how he was so patient and gentle with her emotionally especially since she’d dealt with an abusive past relationship. I also loved seeing the relationship grow between Iris and Bella. Lastly, I loved the Belotti family…they were so warm and welcoming to Iris and were also very loving and respectful of each other.

Read this if you like⬇️:
•Gelato
•MCs in their 30s
•Winter NYC setting
•A cat named Smirnoff
•Single dad
•Found family
•Big Italian families
•Charming side characters
•Coping with grief
•Self-discovery

Add this to your holiday TBR for a heartwarming, cozy romance!

Thank you to @netgalley and @josiesilverauthor for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

🏷️: #awinterinnewyork #josiesilver #onedayindecember #gioandiris #netgalley #igreads #goodreads #bookworm #book drs #booktrovert #bibliophile #bookish #earc #arcread #holidaytbr #holidayread #holidayromance #romanceread

A Winter in New York // Josie Silver
Release Date: 10/3/23
Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for this advance copy!

I feel like it’s the mark of a great author when I read a book and while unbelievably frustrated with the decisions the main character makes, I still find myself rooting for them.

In A Winter in New York, Iris is making a new life for herself after escaping an abusive relationship. She moves to NYC, the place her now deceased mother loved. Her mother’s past comes back in chunks throughout the book and throughout the scrapbook Iris has, which includes a secret recipe. Iris finds herself telling white lie after white lie and getting wrapped up with the Belotti family, to the point she feels she cannot pull herself away but also cannot expose the truth. Eventually everything will come clean, but what will be left?

While reading I wanted to yell at Iris for her choices, while understanding them at the same time. I felt her sadness to the point of tears multiple times which is unusual for me when reading a book.

This book had the essence of While You Were Sleeping (one of my favorite movies). The found family trope features heavily in this book, as Iris has no other family. I found myself in love with the Belotti’s, and easily able to remember all the Belotti characters (I usually forget characters easily when it’s a large cast).  

The character growth in this story is wonderful to experience as a reader, the plot resolution was unpredictable, and the imagery of gelato will have you wanting ice cream even in the middle of winter.

Josie Silver is an auto-read author for me and I was not disappointed with A Winter in New York.

Iris recently moved to New York to restart her life. New York is one of her Mum's favorite spots and the memorable movies/tunes are full of whimsy. Bobby, her best friend, set not to let her spend all free time stuck up in her apartment. drags her out to an autumn street fair in Little Italy. At this time, Iris happens upon a family-run gelateria that has potential to be the same one seen in her mother's photos.

Not letting this out of her mind, Iris travels back to the gelateria and meets Gio. Gio, handsome co-owner, quickly breaks the news that the family has to figure out the gelato recipe or else close doors. The exact gelato recipe that Iris is secretly hiding in her pocket. With secrets in her mind yet an attitude to help the family out, Iris may find more than what she bargained for during a winter in New York.

I enjoyed reading Josie Silver's latest and found myself quickly invested in Gio's family. I laughed at their antics and adored everytime they appeared on the page. A Winter in New York has fast pacing and some flash backs that allowed me to picture myself in the setting. However; I felt the domestic violence plotline to be either unnecessary or not fully fleshed out. I found those scenes to be unnecessary. Readers who have enjoyed previouis Josie Silver novels will enjoy this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group — Ballantine, Dell for the gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely adored this book. Having grown up in New York, I got so much joy out of visiting places I frequented in my childhood through the eyes of Gio and Iris. From the San Gennaro festival in Little Italy to the enchanting light displays in Dyker Heights, Josie did a wonderful job of making New York another character in the story and I loved recognizing locations as I read.

This is so much more than a holiday romance — it's a story about love, loss, grief, family, abuse, and starting over. I appreciated Iris' backstory as someone who also went through an emotionally abusive relationship, and I completely empathized with her situation and even that she claimed he was dead. My ex is dead to me, too, and I can understand the panic that went through her when communicating with a total stranger about it.

What I didn't totally love was the fact that it took Iris so long to come clean and that there wasn't much fallout from the big reveal. I think it happened so late in the story that we weren't afforded the opportunity to see it play out on the page, so instead some of the important reveals happened away from our eyes. I think it makes sense that Gio's family would inform him of Iris' connection to the family, but we spend so much time building up the anticipation of Iris telling him herself that I was kind of bummed we missed out on such a definitive interaction.

That being said, I loved the relationship between Gio and Iris. The chemistry was intense, the soft moments so beautiful, and they complemented each other well. I also loved the emphasis on family and the relationship between Iris and Sophia and Iris and Bella. Watching Iris get the big family she never had after losing her only family really was a treat, and I'm happy that despite the baggage and past connection, Gio's family welcomed her with open arms, protecting and loving her like she was their own.

If you're a fan of Rebecca Serle and Emily Henry, you'll enjoy this book immensely. I can't wait for you all to read it when it comes out next week!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I really enjoy Josie Silver’s writing and this novel is no exception. She creates beautiful characters with well-developed relationships that leap off the page.

I didn’t love this novel quite as much as some of her others if only because miscommunication trope is a big plot driver here and I don’t like that personally. But overall still a nice cozy read.

Thank you @delacortepress @prhaudio for a copy this book. If you love gelato, this book is for you. Iris goes to NYC as she deals with the recent passing of her mom. She discovers a little gelato shop and meets Gio and they form a friendship. I am not a fan of miscommunication which is a big plot of this book. I did enjoy seeing Iris' growth and seeing her and Gio's relationship develop. Emma Appleton did a great job with the voices and Italian accents.

I'm here for winter and Christmas books right now. Living on a tropical island can make getting into seasonal changes challenging but books like this really help!!
Oh Iris. I wanted to wrap you up in a hug. I wanted to strangle you when I didn't understand why you were keeping such secrets. But I rooted for you the whole time. Gio, I was thrilled to see your walls come down. I loved watching you grow and make room in your life.
New York at Christmas. Little Italy of New York at Christmas! You were just as much a character in this book as all the other amazing characters. I loved Bobby and Robin and the whole Belotti family.
There is also a lovely backstory mixed in the book from Viv, Iris's mother's point of view. Definitely pick this up if you are looking for a feel good romance, found family and lots of amazing characters.

Josie Silver has a gift for words. I have loved everything she has written, and this was no exception.

Iris flees an abusive relationship in London and arrives in New York City, a place her beloved mother once lived and loved in. While finding herself, she finds herself on the doorstep of Belotti's, a place she recognizes in her mother's photo album. She soon realizes the gelato she makes - her family specialty - comes from the Belotti's and is supposed to be a family secret. The patriarch of the family is ill and the recipe may die out if he can't remember it. In comes Iris, with a plan to help the Belotti family, little by little. She falls for Gio, the eldest son, in the process, and in true Josie Silver fashion, that is where the magic happens.

I took one star off because the secret keeping was starting to get tiresome at the end, but I wholeheartedly recommend this to others.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

Iris fled to NYC a year ago, escaping her troubled love life. Now, she's exploring how to live on her own while also going to all of the places her mother had loved in the city, chronicled through her mother's scrapbook. After finding one of the places her mother loved, she meets Gio and his loud Italian family. Gio it turns out is struggling to find the family vanilla gelato recipe that has kept his family in business for years--the recipe that Iris's mother might just have in her scrapbook.

This was such a good book!!!

I adored all of the characters. Iris has such a natural humor to her but also lots of heart as she navigates what her life if becoming on her own in NY. Gio...don't even get me started. Book Boyfriend for sure. He is kind and possessive, all while working towards a life for himself and with Iris. The rest of the side characters are also just perfect. From Iris's best friend Bobby to Gio's entire loud family, everyone is well developed and I LOVED them.

Along with Iris's story, Silver also jumps back in time to tell Iris's mother's story of lost love and not abandoning passions in life. This was one book that I did not want to end. I was so wrapped up in the warmth of these characters and their lives and loves.

This was a perfect holiday (or year round) read!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the gifted copy. My reviews are always honest.

Color me shocked that I loved this book! Iris and Gio were everything. This story was everything. Everything about this book was, well, everything. 😂 I just couldn’t get enough!

Iris packed up her life into two suitcases and fled to New York from London in this novel of found family- and gelato. She never expected to luck into a job cooking in Bobby's noodle shop or that he'd become her BFF. Most importantly, she never expected to meet Gio or that her mother's wonderful gelato recipe was actually the Belotti family's. The Belottis are the big exuberant family she never had and she's entranced (and intimidated) by them but she's in love with Gio. This might be totally trope-y (up to and including Gio's talented daughter Bella) but it's fun. Ansd there's a twist thrown in in the end. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A heartwarming novel that sent me to the freezer for treats!

This was a fun holiday romance that captures the magic of winter in New York City. I loved the backdrop of the recipe mystery and the cooking scenes definitely made me hungry!

Since I’m not a fan of slow burn romance, I did feel this dragged a bit, however the story was quite sweet.

There were some surprising deep themes included in this, especially in the beginning where an abusive partner is referenced in the past, and another partner’s death is mentioned. While this didn’t go so deep into those issues, they are still referenced a few times so readers should be aware.

The flashback chapters to Iris’ mom were unexpected and while they did add some ice flair and fill in the lines, I do feel it slowed the pace a bit. I would have preferred keeping this all present tense with Iris and Gio uncovering the fill mystery themselves.

Overall I think this was a fun enough read that holiday romance readers will devour!