Very cute wintery novel. I loved the way she took care of her nephew and niece, and I loved the way that Cooper helped to take care of them all.

One small thing that bugged me as someone who skis were some of the descriptions surrounding this, such as 'he tightened his skis' - you can tighten your boots but not your skis. However, I only noticed this because I am familiar with skiing and if the descriptions had been about for example baseball, which I know nothing about, these small errors wouldn't have mattered!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this read!

Almost cried reading this!

Madeline works as a housekeeper in a ski resort while also studying for nurse school, oh and she’s also taking care of her two nephews and nieces because her brother and best friend died in a freak accident. Cooper works as a ski instructor and also kind of owns the resort, he also needs a fake wife to save it, who better to ask than the very hot aunt who picked up her nephew from one of his classes. He just didn’t expect her to refuse and keep refusing. He is ready to do anything to make her say yes. She’s worried and he’s determined, what could go wrong? Or what could go right?

I do think I preferred this one to the first one, I could relate so much more to Madeline. Her nephew, Charlie (or Mini Coop) and niece Piper (Pipes or Half Pint) are the cutest and most adorable things ever, even after such a horrible and traumatic event, well mostly. There are of course some bits I wish were different because I could see it coming from a mile away but then there are also some things I did not expect at all. Which I really liked.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Zero 🌶 but I'm so okay with that!
a MelReads hot-take: Forget shadow daddies...Cooper Graves is a SNOW DADDY! 🎿🤍
Favorite character: the 3 year-old girl.

In all seriousness, Snowed Under is a story of grief, loss, and finding love in the most unsuspecting places. There is absolutely zero spice in this story--which I was really looking forward to reading, but honestly...this is a story of family and grief and it wouldn't have been right. The love-plot of this story was the slow kind of love. You read this book and can see the love story before the character's even do and that's a beautiful thing.

Side bar: this is a part of a series, but you don't necessarily have to read the 1st book before this one. I didn't...but will be reading it now because I loved the characters in this story so much.

Snowed Under, so delicately, portrayed grief and loss of a loved one and how you're never really the same afterwards. Juliana Smith did a superb job of depicting a character who is so consumed by the needs of others, that she forgets who she is--she loses herself as a girlfriend, fiancé, aunt, and Cooper (the snow daddy, himself) is the one to help Madeline discover herself again. I think Madeline's backstory can be healing to some readers, and triggering for others. Please take care as you read. 💜

On a lighter note, the characters in this story were laugh-out-loud funny. Cooper has the best personality--cocky, confident, and protective. Yet, he's also goofy, hilarious, and sassy. I loved how each character had their own unique personality traits--and I honestly kept picturing Madeline's mom and dad as Richard and Emily Gilmore (from Gilmore Girls). *shrug*

My absolute favorite character in this entire story is the 3 year-old girl, Piper. That girl is feisty and mean and she brought so much humor to this story. 💜

Tags:
❄️fake-dating
❄️friends to lovers
❄️slow burn
❄️no spice
❄️HEA
❄️no second-act breakup (thank you!)
❄️death of a family member (off page, before story)
❄️speech delay rep
❄️mention of alcohol abuse in past


Thank you to Juliana Smith, Victory Editing and NetGalley Co-op for a galley of this book.

This is lighthearted romance that brings a bit of charm to the workplace romance genre. The characters are likable, and the storyline is engaging, but it doesn’t quite reach its full potential. The chemistry between the protagonists is enjoyable, but there are moments when the pacing feels uneven, which affects the flow of the story.

While there are several funny and heartwarming scenes, some of the plot points feel predictable, and the character development could have been deeper. Despite these minor issues, Its still enjoyable read for anyone looking for a feel-good romance with a few laughs along the way.

Rating: 3/5

I was left with warm feelings and happy emotions once i was done with this book. The emotions throughout the book however... they were all over the place.

These two characters have an absolute cutest meet-cute and their story contains some fake dating (which I absolutely love) as well as heavy topics and single "mom" situation. I loved Juliana Smith's writing and the plot was an emotional rollercoaster!

I feel like this is a perfect, cute, fluffy, emotional and real winter vibe story! I will absolutely reread this again when there is snow outside <3

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher as well as ofcourse to the amazing author Juliana Smith for an advanced reader copy in exchange of an honest review.

this was such a cute book!! I loved the dynamic between the two main characters and how they developed throughout the story!

I found that I unfortunately did not like this book as much as Baggage Claim.
The premise was really good but I feel like a lot of things Cooper did and said seemed a little juvenile for his age. The jokes that were made also landed kind of flat for some reason.

There were also a few discrepancies and continuation errors that I just could not look past, as well as the poor formatting of the ARC.
I understand that ARCs are unfinished and can have mistakes in them, but some of it was just unreadable, to the point where I had to read through a paragraph 3-4 times just to figure out who said something.

✨️"You are valuable. He left them for you. You are my Madeline."✨️

Cooper, a children's ski instructor, finds himself in need of a fake girlfriend to save his family's ski lodge. He meets Madeline, the aunt of one of the kids in his class, and they decide to make an arrangement that benefits the both of them.

If you want a heartwarming, funny and emotional story, this is the perfect book you! I was laughing out loud at multiple scenes. I found the writing beautiful and descriptive. I could picture everything so clearly. Their relationship developed from strangers to friend to lovers and I love those type of romances to much. Cooper and Madeline took so much time to get to know each other! I really enjoyed how we find out more and more about the characters while they get to know each other. It makes me connect to their relationship and characters.
This book deals with difficult topics, like family issues and self discovery. I think the author did a great job on these topics. It made me understand the characters more, and I could feel for them so much. I loved Cooper as a character. He notices these little things about Madeline and would do anything for the people he loves. I loved the way he expresses his love and feelings for Madeline, even when they were just friends. I teared up a bit at the end, because it was such an heartwarming and important part of the story!

The only thing that bothered me a bit was that in some sentences the quotes ("...") were left out, when they were needed. It made me a bit confused at times. But after some time I got used to it!

All this led me to my final rating of 4⭐️. Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this E-arc!

This book truly made my heart so happy! I loved the realness and raw emotions throughout this book. The strength Madeline has is absolutely admirable and I love how we saw the highs and lows of her life now as a single aunt of 2.
Cooper was the most warmhearted goofball that will protect the ones he loves at all cost. Cooper and Madeline showed in their relationship how opposites attract and how to simply bring out the best version of one another. I absolutely loved seeing Piper and Charlie grow throughout this book and how strong and independent they are. This book truly was so beautiful!

thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review ✨

i loved this book. wow.

Madeline is the legal guardian to her two year old niece and her nine year old nephew after her brother and best friend died and left them to her. she’s juggling parenthood with nursing school and working as a cleaner at the local ski lodge. Cooper is a ski instructor at his family’s lodge, trying to do anything he can to bring more custom to the lodge after a new lodge opened up nearby and business slowing down as a result. Cooper gets invited to do an interview with a family magazine, the only stipulation is he needs to bring his wife and kids too. after meeting Madeline, Cooper hatches a plan to fake date his way into her heart and kill two birds with one stone, bring more customers to his families lodge and win the girl.

this was such a fun book. Cooper as the MMC was just *chefs kiss*. he is sweet and funny and honest and mature!!! i cannot explain how amazing it was to read a book with a mature male character (mentally mature, he still at times behaved like a big kid).

Madeline is so real, her feelings and thoughts and struggles and doubts were so relatable and believable. her love for those two kids is undeniable, and her strength at balancing so much and dealing with her judgy mother is phenomenal.

the chemistry between Cooper and Madeline is so beautifully written, i felt all of it. the admiration, the happiness, the warmth and the love. it jumped off the page and developed and grew so naturally, i was rooting for them the whole time.

my only issue with the book is a few plot holes and formatting but it is an uncorrected proof of the book so i know it’s not perfect and so this didn’t impact my rating at all.

i would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet, fluffy read with real and beautiful romance and lots of smile-to-yourself moments.

Let me tell you, Snowed Under by Juliana Snow hit just the right spot for me. It’s a quick, sweet read that’s perfect for anyone who enjoys a romance with a little bit of emotional depth, without getting too heavy.
Fake Dating
Opposites Attract
Romcom
Holidays

Perfect to set the mood in this chilly weather!

#SnowedUnderchristmasbookholidayromcomfakedatingromcom #NetGalley

Love on the slopes? HECK YES THERE IS! Snowed Under by Juliana Smith is the perfect winter romance to read snuggled up by the fireplace while the snow falls.

This is my kind of love story. It's about real people with messy lives who love in messy, scary, wonderful ways. Even though Cooper and Madeline start off as a relationship of convenience, their investment in each other is so wholesome and delightful to read! I felt very connected to the vulnerabilities and strengths of each of these characters. Coop's love for those kids had me WEAK. Dream man. Madeline of course, what a gem.

I am pleased to say there is no psychological messing around with the kids via a third-act breakup or anything of the sort. That would have really ruined this book for me and I was holding my breath until I made it through.

🎿❄️ Snowed Under ❄️🎿
By Juliana Smith

✨ Thank you NetGalley and victory editing for this ARC - out 11/23!

🎿 Ski instructor
❄️ Single aunt
🎿 Fake dating
❄️ Loss/Grief
🎿 Slow burn
❄️ Dual POV

🎿 was instantly charmed.
Maybe because I’m from a snowy town with a neighboring ski resort so it felt a little familiar.
❄️ With a very character heavy narrative it’s important that the characters are relatable and likable. Both were true here. [and it also helps that Cooper is 👩🏻‍🍳💋 - wonderful]
I loved their personalities and quirkiness. Even the side characters felt genuine and added to the story. Especially little Pipes and her speech 🥺.
✨ Absolutely don’t miss out on this wonderful read, so get ready to cozy up with it this winter! ✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️: No

I absolutely love the single parent/guardian trope so I was really excited to dive into this book. This book is a companion novel to Baggage Claim but can be read as a standalone.
If you are looking for a good old romcom book with the most adorable characters this book has you covered.
Madeline and Cooper's' meet cute with Cooper pretending to be Mini Coop's dad was hilarious. Also the nicknames Cooper gave everyone were adorable. Charlie, Piper and Lola have my heart especially Half Pint cause that girl is the most terrifying and cute at the same time.
The journey of Madeline finding herself was so beautiful and Cooper is such a sweetheart. I mean I'm honestly jealous of Mads cause I want my own Cooper now.

The balance between the emotions and the humor was well written cause one chapter I'm laughing and the next I'm tearing up. These were such special characters and I'm so glad to have read this book.

**Review: 3.5/5 Stars**

*Snowed Under* by Juliana Smith is a lighthearted holiday romcom that follows the classic fake dating trope with a twist. In this story, reserved aunt Madeline Sage finds herself unexpectedly teamming up with her nephew’s fun-loving ski instructor, Cooper Graves, to save the local ski lodge and keep her family afloat. The opposites-attract dynamic between these two leads, paired with their evolving “pretend” relationship, adds a fun, charming tension to the plot.

While the chemistry between Madeline and Cooper brings some warm moments, Cooper’s character may feel a bit over-the-top for some readers, coming across as cocky or even crass at times, particularly in his humor. There’s also some inconsistency in the story’s pacing and certain details, such as minor continuity slips and occasional punctuation errors, which can be a bit distracting. Despite these, the scenes with Madeline’s niece and nephew add depth to her character, highlighting her sense of responsibility and heart.

Overall, *Snowed Under* is a cozy, quick winter read with plenty of playful banter and a few laugh-out-loud moments, even if the humor doesn’t always land. It’s a good pick for fans of low-stakes, holiday-themed romance who enjoy an opposites-attract setup and the charm of a small-town ski lodge. While it could benefit from some refinement, it’s still a delightful escape for the holiday season.

Snowed Under by @author.juliana.smith
Pub date : November 23 rd /2024
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thank you #Netgally and Victory Editing Netgally Co-op for the Arc .

Snowed Under swept me off my feet from the moment I saw the beautiful cover, and after diving into the story, I’ve completely fallen in love with every character and scene. This book is a perfect blend of humor, romance, and heartfelt emotion.

Madeline and Cooper's journey is a masterclass in opposites attract. Their chemistry had me laughing, squealing, My heart genuinely went "babum babum" with every moment that pulled them closer together! Their first interaction is hilariously unforgettable, setting the tone for a love story full of playful banter and genuine connection. The development of their bond, from a fake relationship into something undeniably real, had me rooting for them through every complication.

Madeline’s relationship with her niece and nephew, Charlie and Piper, is simply beautiful. Watching their little family grow and heal together warmed my heart. The author did a brilliant job of portraying Madeline’s strength and vulnerability as she navigates her new role as an aunt, student, and caretaker. Charlie’s care for his aunt and Piper’s adorable, lively presence brought so much life and love into the story, making me tear up and smile, sometimes all at once.

Cooper is such a fantastic character, and his arc from a carefree, confident ski instructor to someone who realizes what truly matters is captivating. Cooper’s playful nicknames“Little Coop” and “Little Pint”brought a fun energy to the story. The characters, like Lola, Finn and Olive add even more warmth and humor to the story.

The final chapter had me on the edge of my seat, and I was in tears as I read through the emotional, powerful conclusion. Cooper and Madeline’s journey of healing and love is unforgettable. It beautifully captures the essence of healing, love, and the bonds that can bring people back to life after tragedy. It’s a perfect blend of laughter, romance, and the magic of second chances, making it a solid 5-star read for me. I absolutely loved every moment and highly recommend it!
#inspirational #NetGalley #SnowedUnder

This is my fifth Juliana Smith book and quite possibly my favorite. I loved both the MMC and FMC, and the kids were just the absolute cutest too. I enjoyed the banter, the character growth, and the resolution (I absolutely got emotional at the end). I had some minor quibbles in a couple of places (I wanted a more fleshed out dialogue around the working mom/self-care conversation) but seriously: a fun and sweet wintry read for this upcoming holiday season!

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗:
SNOWED UNDER is an opposites-attract romantic comedy where a reserved single aunt and a confident children’s ski instructor partner together in an attempt to save a local ski lodge.

𝙼𝚢 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎:
There is SO MUCH to love about this one!

Cooper & Madeline had the most hilarious meet-cute. I was snort laughing so hard! The chemistry between Cooper & Madeline was perfect. They had the best banter, but what I really loved was just how much they understood one another.

The kids were also a really great element to the story & I loved that we got to see development between them & Cooper.

We also got to see more of Finn & Olive from Baggage Claim, which I loved!

Overall this is a super cute, cozy read.

What you get:
❄️fake dating
❄️hilarious kids
❄️golden retriever mmc
❄️single guardian aunt
❄️holiday romcom
❄️opposites attract
❄️workplace romance
❄️no third act break up

I loved Juliana Smith's Baggage Claim, I was excited to read another winter book from her! I liked this one, but not as much as Baggage Claim. It was a cute winter/holiday read!

This book was an absolute delight—I loved every single moment! May and her kids completely stole my heart; they’re such a precious family, and I felt so connected to them. Cooper, along with “Mini Cooper,” is beyond adorable, and the dynamic between Cooper and “Half Pint” is both chaotic and utterly endearing. The chemistry between May and Cooper is undeniable, and they’re such a perfect match that I found myself rooting for them from the start.

The story wrapped around me like a warm blanket; it was so comforting that I wanted to live within its pages. I genuinely didn’t want it to end and even found myself tearing up when I reached the final page—I just needed more, especially a longer epilogue to stay with these characters a little longer.