If you're looking for a scary horror book, I don't think this is for you. If you're looking for a mysterious thriller with a couple working through their relationship, then this absolutely is for you.

Our couple is struggling to stay together so they decide to take a much needed ski trip vacation for a fresh start. Unfortunately they picked to travel here during a wild storm in which they get stranded in while driving through the small town their hotel is in. They get separated and start thinking they're getting stalked by a snow monster which follows them all throughout the town from start to finish.

Things I liked: The atmosphere the blizzard created, the realistic conversations and feelings between the couple, and the flashbacks.
Things I didn't like: The monster itself, how unrealistic some of the monster scenes were, the flatness of the side characters, and the couple themselves.

There were some scenes of this book that I enjoyed and kept me reading, but overall it wasn't my favorite. I can see people who like thrillers or mysteries more than horror/literary horror picking this up and having a good time.

'Tis hardly a winter wonderland when an abominable snow beast is causing death and destruction in a sleepy ski village during a raging blizzard. Holly and Brian are the second couple to disappear in less than two months, a fact that's perplexing the local sheriff. Just wait until she realizes there may be more than one monster stalking the snow-covered landscape . . .

I had a little trouble buying the main premise here, though I did like the subplot, and the ending was YOWZA enough to almost make me raise the rating by a star. I'd rate this one three-and-a half if I could.

Our Winter Monsters is what I would classify as cozy horror—light on the scares and heavy on the atmosphere. While the book starts with a bang, it eventually lost my attention due to the lack of intensity and true horror elements. There weren’t enough high-stakes or chilling moments to keep me engaged, and this will likely feel underwhelming for seasoned horror readers.

I’d also categorize this as politically correct horror. To be clear, I had no issue with the diversity in the book—it was well-integrated and felt natural. However, the overall tone made it feel more like a dark suspense novel rather than a true horror novel. If you prefer your horror with sharp edges and real terror, this one might not be for you.

Holly and Brian have been out of sync for the last year. Neither can forget what happened that one winter evening. They cannot forgive what's happened since then. On their “vacation,” Holly and Brian race toward Pinebuck, New York. They are trying to outrun a blizzard on their way to the ski village getaway that they hope will save their relationship. But soon they lose control of the car—and Brian disappears. The snow monster has taken him. Chief Kendra gets phone calls about a couple in trouble, reports of a monster rushing through town and destroying everything in its path. Chief Kendra has lost another couple to the snow just seven weeks ago, . Holly and Brian are starting to see the past, the present, and themselves in a monstrous new light as they think they may be turning into monsters. Are they?

The author has written a horror thriller with a desperate couple running from their problems. There are surprising displays of gore. It’s a novel that also includes a mystery that adds to the novel. I’m glad that I got to read the novel even though it was different from what I expected. It does show how important communication is.

In this story we follow a couple, Holly and Brian. They are a bit disconnected ever since something happend on one day. The so called bad date. Holly and Brian decide to try and save their relantionship and go to a small town named pinebuck to go on vacation. However on their wat they loose control of the car in the winter storm where there might just be a winter monster out there.

This was quite a read i loved the characters and the multiple povs that we got. In the end i was really hooked and could not put it down. However in the middle I found it to be a bit repetitive. Which made me feel less engaged with the story. Overall I would recommend this book especially if you like a wintery horror mystery for the cold days

I liked the modernized nods to classic horror in this one. There are a lot of perspective switches here that felt rather cinematic. This one is also a very winter coded read as would be expected from the title. It took a while for the setup to come together and make sense and despite all the craziness in the beginning it was a bit of a slow burn. Things really started clicking towards the end though!

I am so thankful to Soho Press/Hell's Hundred Books, Dennis Mahoney, and Netgalley for granting me advanced access to this book before it hits shelves on January 28, 2025. This book encapsulated true horror, and it really resonated with me.

This book was great—scary, weird, and completely unique. It’s the kind of horror that feels fresh, like it’s doing something new instead of just following the usual tropes. The atmosphere is incredible, and the story pulls you in right away. It’s eerie in a way that sticks with you, and I loved how unpredictable it was. Definitely one I’ll be thinking about for a while!

What an interesting premise!! I had such a great time trying to parse through this psychological little tale.

Immediately drawn in by the cover, I went into this one completely blind. We are introduced to a couple GOING THROUGH IT. After an event that happened a year ago, the two have almost had a role reversal in their relationship and it is drowning them as a couple. Deciding to go on an impromptu winter vacation, they find themselves heading (in a snowstorm) to an idyllic winter tourist town.

This storm has other plans, though. Now, they are fighting for their lives, as well as many other people in town, as something rage filled sweeps through the storm, causing havoc to no end.

The way this story progresses from start to finish was so intriguing. I spent so much of it praising the characters for catching on to what is happening around them, instead of screaming at the book because they are incompetent in a crisis. I absolutely loved this book!

Posted on Goodreads, Fable, StoryGraph and TOME

3.25/5⭐️

Ok. So this read took me longer than expected. It was slow for me and the change of pov between the two main characters was sometimes hard to follow. There was quite a bit of unnecessary repetitiveness.

That being said there was some good stuff here and that was Holly and Brian as a couple and the representation of mental health, trauma, and ptsd.

This relationship was very real, especially when you have things left unsaid. And how that can really put a tremendous strain on a relationship. Even if that relationship has a lot of good things going.

I will say I did not see that twist and I appreciate that. There was quite a bit of horrendous events that occurred but I feel some of it fell flat.

Thank you netgalley, soho press and Dennis Mahoney for the opportunity to read this ARC.

❄️OUR WINTER MONSTER❄️ by Dennis Mahoney — released 1/28/25.

Where are all the books about snow monsters?? Glad you asked. Because here’s a doozy that feels like a good old fashioned 80’s pulp horror novel but with complexities and nuances that are unexpected in novels of this sort.

Holly and Brian have decided to get away to an upstate B&B to escape the realities of a faltering relationship due to a dual-shared trauma they can’t forgive each other about. Unfortunately a surprise blizzard arrives and they crash their car. But wait, what was that hulking big shadow of snow and ice? Did they actually see what they thought they saw? They become separated somehow after the wreck and in looking for each other run into various other folks from town, some of whom have been laid to waste by some sort of…creature.

Sheriff Kendra Book is still reeling from another recent tragedy in her town several weeks ago—another couple went missing and have yet to be found. And now she has to contend with Brian and Holly and the supposed snow monster ransacking town and killing indiscriminately.

Stranding our couple in a snowy town feels a bit like locked room horror—except here, fighting their way out of a previous trauma seems just as important as fighting the actual monster. Which brings me to the conclusion that it’s not quite clear who the monster is—the creature….or them.

I really enjoyed this one. Perfect for a snowy winter evening, it has everything horror fans expect of winter horror but told in a way that was engaging, original, and most of all—fun. It goes a little deeper than the typical “couple in danger” trope. I will say there was a bit of repetition around the middle of the book which had me thinking this might have been a little tighter as a novella.

Our Winter Monster follows struggling couple Holly and Brian as they embark on a romantic getaway in the hopes of saving their crumbling relationship. While driving to their destination they are walloped by a winter storm that forces their car off the road. From this point on they are separated and spend the remainder of the story trying to find one another.

I was excited by the premise of Our Winter Monster. There’s something so cozy about reading winter horror while it snows outside of your own window. Overall, I did enjoy elements of the story and found it a pretty quick read but I did feel a bit of a disconnect throughout.

I wasn’t overly attached to either Brian or Holly and found myself on the verge of being annoyed with both of them. The reader is told that something awful happened either “between” them or “to” them and since this incident things have been rocky for the couple. I liked the flashbacks surrounding this incident but it took too long for this all to be revealed that by the time it was I was complacent.

I appreciated the mood and the atmosphere of the story. The world building is well constructed and, as a reader, it was easy to visualize these aspects of the story.

I did enjoy the book as a whole and liked that the (current) events take place over the course of one night. If you’re someone who needs to build a strong connection with characters it might not be for you though. But! If you want a snowy horror read to cozy up with, this could be it.

Thank you to @netgalley and @soho_press for access to an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Our Winter Monster is out today!

3.5 ⭐️

For those in the middle of winter like myself, this is perfect for the season and will help build the wintery atmosphere of this story. I love horror stories set in snowy, isolated locations, and this was no exception. The plot and monster were unique, and the characters were for once in a horror story, smart. However, I would have liked to have seen a bit more development with some.The chapters were short and to the point. The topics involved went deep, and the ending was satisfying if a bit abrupt. This was a good read that I rate three and a half stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Soho Press, for this ARC.

Our Winter Monster had such a unique concept and was so vividly weird, it made for a quick read. It’s so atmospheric, you can definitely feel the bitter cold with every turn of the page. It was a slow build up, and I wasn’t really invested in our main characters, but once it got going, it was easy to let slide for me. I did enjoy the end twist and the resolution as a whole. If you’re looking for a winter horror story to warm up with, you’ll find it here. Thanks to Hell’s Hundred Books for my eARC. Our Winter Monster will be available tomorrow.

Thank you Netgalley & Hell’s Hundred Publishing for an eARC ♥️

_Winter Wonderland of Terror_

Imagine a romantic ski getaway turned into a desperate fight for survival against a monstrous creature. Yeah, it's that kind of book.🤩
Holly and Brian, the unhappy couple at the center of the story, are trying to save their relationship, but their issues are the least of their problems. As they drive through a blizzard, they lose control of their car - and themselves. Meanwhile, Sheriff Kendra Book is dealing with reports of a mysterious creature wreaking havoc on the town, leaving a trail of destruction and death in its wake.
Here's what I loved about this book:
😈- Dennis Mahoney’s ability to craft a sense of tension and unease that's impossible to shake off
😈- The complex and multi-dimensional characters that add depth and nuance to the story
😈- The blend of psychological horror and creature feature elements that creates a unique and unsettling reading experience
If you're a fan of horror, suspense, or just great storytelling, this book is a must-read. But be warned: it's not for the faint of heart.
if you're ready to ruin your holiday cheer, dive into this winter wonderland of terror!😈

There’s something about settings that take place in ski resorts and/or blizzards that I absolutely love. I read this during a snow storm and it just added so much to the book. This is also not your typical monster story. I would definitely recommend reading it!

Our Winter Monster is really a horror story about relationships, within a creature feature. I really enjoyed this book! So many lines resonated with me amidst the actions of our couple, the monster, and the sheriff chasing all of it.

The story revolves around Holly and Brian. They go on a winter weekend getaway to try to revive their relationship, only to get caught in a blizzard in this small tourist town. I was invested from the start and the action starts pretty quickly. The book was well paced and you learn more and more about the couple’s history and the town’s characters as the story progresses. It’s a clever story that has a lot to say about the ebb and flow of relationships, trust, love, dependency, fear, and how trauma can strain or strengthen a relationship. And there are monsters human and uncanny!

Our Winter Monster was a really interesting premise to a book. It started off really strong but after about 20% of the book I lost interest. The story felt very repetitive and I just did not feel connected to it or the characters.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

2.5 rounded up to 3.

I loved how fast paced the beginning of this was. I tend to dislike slow building horror novels where you can't even get a hint of the horror until almost halfway through. This was the opposite. In the first chapter we jump right into the meat of the plot. However, this was one of the most repetitive books I've read in a long time. While I understand why it was repetitive (and I can't really explain without spoiling the twist), it did become rather annoying to read because the same thing happened over and over again. There was also little to no explanation, which always annoys me. If you're going to create a monster, I want to know about the monster.

This book was good! I liked it but didn’t love it. I definitely see potential in it and look forward to seeing what else the author does.