Cover Image: Snowed In

Snowed In

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Member Reviews

I wasn’t aware there would be politics, racism and religion in this. I usually pick up romance books to escape what’s going on in real life. Other than that, this was a good read.

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*Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own*

I loved this book, the characters are captivating and so well written that they gave me the feeling of being real people, the fact that having dogs involved only made the story better.
The plot of the book was wonderful too, I loved it that goes far beyond the romance between the two characters.
The author managed to touch on many relevant topics bringing important reflections on, the role of women, prejudices, privileges, children, family, mental health and masculinity
This book has a lot of research and medical terms related to celebratory traumas that, however well explained they were, I admit that I didn't understand a lot, as well as I, didn't understand a lot about the football part since they are not areas that I have great knowledge about, so I also, can't say if everything is accurate but what I managed to get I found it very well done.
I highly recommend the book if you want a romance that goes beyond romance but is still cute, funny and quick to read.

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Just wasn’t for me sadly, I got bored, too much irrelevant information thrown at you and I love dogs, but seriously this was too much even for me. It also see,Ed to be paced quite badly to me, it seems plenty of others enjoyed this so maybe it’s just me., but this one didn’t do it for me.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

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An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in return for my honest review.

Snowed In is a sweet, romance novel by Navessa Allen, set in an idyllic, remote small town in Maine. Hilariously funny, well written with very likeable main characters.

Larger than life artist, Ella meets ex professional football player, Ben, who following the deaths of his older brother, sister in law and their young son, has retreated to the solace of Maine to get away from the spotlight and gather his thoughts.
The relationship between the pair blossoms quite naturally and I particularly enjoyed their witty banter they have.

The storyline addresses some hard pressing issues, such as the risks of footballers and soldiers developing CTE from repeated head injuries. It also touches on subjects like mental health, racial segregation and adoption.
With the addition of some adorable dogs and Ella's free spirited niece for added cuteness.

It is a lovely read, I will be following the author from now on and looking forward to reading more of her books.

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I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest and thoughtful review.

I am a sucker for those Hallmark, sappy romance movies, and the premise of this book seemed promising. Ella lives in a northern town in Maine with her two dogs, Sam and Fred. It is the middle of the winter and she heads over to her neighbors home, and is introduced to Benjamin Kakoa. Her neighbor may not realize it, but Ella knows this is ex-NFL star Benjamin Kakoa; whom recently left the NFL scene after a family tragedy. He opens up to her and tells her he wanted to escape the everyday of his life. So, the premise is there and it's good but then I felt the novel was trying to preach an agenda of equality to me.

There is many instances where Ella and Ben offer their varying opinions about politics, racism and religion. Ella also was raised in a very diverse family, since her parents struggled to conceive, they adopted a lot of children from multiple countries. It's interesting yes, but it just felt like unnecessary information and to involve their take on it. This novel was not about politics, religion or racism yet we had a lot of info about these characters opinions about these topics. Furthermore, Ben's background is heavily focused on CTE, which again makes sense. But it just was an overload of information related to this topic when this was supposed to be a romance novel and not an informative journal article.

Another thing that bothered me was the dogs. While I thought it was cute how much they played a role in the novel, at a point it become too much. I just didn't care about Ella and her relationship with her dogs and I understood that each has their own personality but this wasn't something that was crucial and necessary for the romance plot.

I really wanted to like this book, but I was just thoroughly disappointed.

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I was fully expecting something light and fluffy when I started reading this. Boy was I wrong. It starts out adorable and makes you laugh in the first 2 pages. But then about 40% through it gets heavy. It covers topics and should probably have a few content warnings before you start.
While I appreciate the authors take and the fact that feminism is very well shown it felt like the book was supposed to be super adorable with a bit of tough moments instead of a full on depression and woke culture preached in. I agree with everything said it just didn't match the first half.

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Ella and Ben's romance story. Overall, I liked it fine, but got a little heavy topic wise in the middle. Started out light, but then turned. I do think the topic is important, but didn't expect so much focus on it. Actually found myself skimming a bit in the middle, and looking for scenes with the two dogs. Would recommend,

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I am sorry to do this but I DNF’d this book. I got 30% through and then I found myself not wanting to pick it up again. I liked what I read but not enough to continue on and this might just be because of the state of mind I am in. I might give it another go down the road!

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Yay! This was such a fun, cute, easy read. I whizzed through it in a day and fell in love with the characters and their stories! I love that this covered some very important depression and mental health problems as well as a lot of rumpy pumpy, and it had dogs! What more could you possibly want?! Brilliant!

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This book was so cute and fluffy it made smile and laugh so many times but I might've also cried a bit, and those are my favorite type of books. Ben and Ella own my heart.

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This novel was absolutely riveting. The book revolves around Ella Jones who lives in the northern reaches of Maine. It's quite boring there, with only the snow and skiing with her family to keep her busy. Then comes Benjamin Kakoa who is in need of a break from fame and celebrities. Ella decides that it's her mission to tear down Ben's impenetrable walls, hoping he opens up with his difficult past.

The absolute confidence Ella had was just so sweet. Ben might have been a hard shell in the beginning, but there were so many scenes in the book that was just so sweet. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves romance and brilliant writing.

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I liked the book until I got to the the middle of the it. The book started off as light and cute. Which is what I expected when I picked it up, but then it got very serious and dark. I didn’t care for that. Though I appreciate the author in discussing a serious topic, I wasn’t ready for it during this time. I loved Ella and Ben as a couple and thought they were adorable.
I received this Arc from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

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I was provided an Advanced Reader Copy of Snowed In by Navessa Allen in exchange for an honest review.
Disclaimer: This book is classified as New Adult but it pushes those boundaries since one of the characters is much closer to 30 than 20. I would consider it more of a traditional romance novel than a NA. It is also considerably…steamier…than the cover and synopsis would imply.

I give this book a solid 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4 on Good Reads because it is closer to a 4 than a 3.

Let’s start with the good:
Did I enjoy this book? Yes! The chapters are written from alternating perspectives of the two main characters and I found both to be likeable. Being in both of their head’s takes away some of the uncertainty that can be delicious in this type of book, but the slow burn and the payoff were both well done in this format, and I think the author made the right choice in how to narrate her story. I found myself staying up later than I really should to continue reading this book, which is always a good sign! I enjoyed the setting, the characters individually, and together. I found myself rooting for a HEA for this couple. I cried twice while reading, which is the real test for me!

The slightly less awesome:
I enjoy and appreciate that the author is a very socially aware, feminist author. I even enjoyed, to an extent, that the main characters were “woke” to a lot of issues. The problem was that while it is possible that one character was so flawlessly selfless and considerate of how every word and action would affect everyone around them and moderated both their thoughts and actions to this worldview, it was beyond believability that this was true for both of them and a host of secondary characters. It became tedious to read and sometimes pulled me out of the story. It made parts of the book feel preachy, even though I completely agree with the points the author was making. It was just a bit heavy-handed and ending up feeling inauthentic in the characters (particularly in Ben.) My only other complaint was the dogs. The dogs were cute to read about, the puppies were cute to read about, but there was a LOT of dog talk. While I enjoyed that the author showed how much work and how involved pets are in their owner’s lives, it just dragged down the story. I didn’t need to read about every single time the dogs had to be fed or let out to use the restroom and then be wiped down before they entered someone’s home. Lastly, the way in which both characters thought about Ben’s possible brain injury seemed oddly clinical and forced. As someone with my own chronic disability, I rarely think about or discuss it in actual clinical, diagnostic terms, and that also felt forced and pulled me out of the story each time I came across it.

Ultimately, I enjoyed this book and I a glad that I read it. It was a really good book that with a pushy editor could have been a really great one! I am adding Navessa’s other books to my TBR pile!

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What a lovely cover. The story plays in winter. And it's wonderful. It is very romantic and snowy. I like it so much.

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A big thanks to NetGalley and Navessa Allen for this ARC.

This was a great read. By the cover I thought it would be another sugary sweet romance about white people. But this book was a breath of fresh air for me. This book talks about toxic masculinity, privilege, sexuality, racial issues and more while still being a fun read. I think what really sets this book apart from other YA and romance books is it’s effort. I can tell that Navessa Allen really tried to be very inclusive and diverse. The first half was really funny, I absolutely adored Ella’s humour! Near the end the books becomes more hard hitting, but I thought it was appropriate.

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The beginning was like a true 5 star book for me. It was light, fluffy and flirty and I couldn't stop reading. The second half was a lot heavier and the flirty tone was completely gone. Don't get me wrong, it was done very good, but the ambiance changed completely. This book went from sweet and fluffy to a book where I was able to cry with every chapter. This was totally not what I expected. I wasn't completely invested in the story anymore. The pacing was off and the second half of the book seem to only consist of life-lessons about mental health. Very important, but just not what I came for.

Ella and Ben are great characters. Their interaction is amazing and Ella is such a sweetheart. Their relationship is so beautifully written and I loved reading about them together.

A very positive thing about this book are all the dogs. I loooooved them!!

This book did handle a lot of heavy topics, which you should be aware of in case they might trigger you.

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This book was cute, sweet, and had some good humor. I really liked both main characters, I really loved the setting. It's clearly written by a feminist author, who treats both characters with respect. The plot and premise were easy to fall into, an ex professional football player grieving his brother moves to a remote location to get himself sorted. A small town artist befriends him, and there's mutual attraction but a commitment on both of their parts for different reasons to maintain a platonic relationship.

But, this book had a lot going on. I truly enjoyed sticking with the main characters, a select neighbor, Ben's parents, and their dogs (who are absolutely characters-very heavy supporting ones), but there's a point when there's too much noise. And the depth with which Ella's diverse yet successful family was treated felt like a lot of uniformity and telling how they were different (Somali adoptee who is a surgeon, Afghan adoptee who's a wonder student and probably going to PhD, etc, an Italian sister-in-law who is a psychiatrist, Jane the successful journalist from India, etc) aside from this, their approach to problems and dialogue and voices were almost identically perfect. The only person with a distinct voice was Megan, the sole introverted sibling and person to call her sister an asshole (who backpedaled and then advised in the most neutral and human of ways).

I already mentioned the dogs. There's a lot of dog minutiae. You might like it. Some of it was cute. I appreciate then being fully integrated into this book, bc dogs are a huge part of people's lives. But for me, it got a little draining.

Finally, I don't know Navessa's background, and it doesn't matter, but the discussion on CTE didn't need to infodump. Often, there were paragraphs that read like lifts from articles, and didn't strike me as particularly authentic ways for either character to think of medical issues. I think about if I explain pathology to my children, or immunity to my husband, or a host of other knowledge I read and learn about on the daily, I don't use "necrosis," or "IgG" even though they might be how I think of things. And paragraphs full, when I'd prefer this edited down, put into layman's terms and move on. If two researchers or surgeons discuss this, it makes total sense. But it didn't make any in this context.

So while I loved the characters, the slow burn, the setting, I wasn't particularly impressed with the way some of the story, both medical and social didn't feel organic. Because their relationship really did. But their relationships to others was fraught with perfection and read like group therapy after several years of practice.

I will also say that I think the depression episodes incredibly done, including their impact and resolution with a loved one or three equally satisfying.

I think what I'm trying to tell you here in my review that if this book had been focused and edited down it could've been spectacular. However, there was a little too much perfection, and a little too much going on to detract from the couple's connection and taking from characters that I really truly enjoyed.

Still, I'd give it a chance, if it at all appeals, and I'll continue to follow and try the author's books.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the author Navessa Allen for this ARC!!

Ella lives in a small town in the cold, northern part of Maine with her two adorable Huskies, Sam and Fred. She is prepared for a long winter filled with boredom and monotony, broken up with a bit of skiing or quality time spent with her family.

She is utterly unprepared for the arrival of Benjamin Kakoa, an ex-football star turned advocate in need of a break from fame and notoriety. Ella's humorous and easy going nature ensures they become fast friends and before you know it they are falling in love with each other.

It was a fun easy read for me. The main character, Ella, has such a vibrant personality that you cant help falling in love with her. The dogs in the book are so adorable and that it just makes this book a lot more enjoyable!!

I really appreciate the way the author dealt on the topics of mental illness with such ease and clarity that it becomes very easy for the readers to relate to. One of the topics which was dealt with in this book was CTE, which was new to me, so I am happy that I chose this book since I could gain some information as well.. And I loved that the author highlights the importance of having family and friends around you during the difficult times since it becomes easier to cope with the difficulties due to the constant love and support that one gets from their loved ones!!

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Complementary copy given for honest review and opinion.
What an emotional roller coaster! This book was so eye opening and real and raw! It loved it from beginning to end.

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I was expecting a cute Hallmark-Esque romance with a small-town vibe. While that was definitely an aspect of the book, the writing was often emotionless and unnecessary at times. I’m sorry but I really didn’t like this book.

I’m not usually this harsh with my reviews and while I did enjoy Ella and Ben’s relationship, the novel was weirdly paced and rather predictable.

Ella Jones lives in a quaint cabin with her two adorable Huskies, Sam and Fred, in a tiny northern town in Maine. What is usually a monotonous life becomes shaken up when ex-NFL star Benjamin Kakoa arrives and befriends her. Crushing is an understatement to Ella’s feelings for Ben, but will Ben let her into his turbulent life and past his defensive wall?

I was immediately drawn to the story description and it was perfect for my mood at the moment. I wanted a sappy and emotional romance, and this one reminded me of Sweet Home Alabama, so I was all over it. However, what is with the author’s preachy tangents?! I’m not saying they weren’t important or I didn’t agree with them but it felt unnecessary to the storyline. I get that Ella and Ben like talking about a variety of topics: political, religious, etc. , but do we really need pages of journal articles from the author on those topics? Also, it just felt disrespectful listening to two Non-African American characters ramble about THEIR thoughts on racism in the country?

I did, however, really love the personality Allen gave Ella! Ella is the cutest soul and has an amazing and quirky personality. Allen did a great job at making comical situations for Ella. I actually laughed out loud at some of those moments like when she a color-clashing outfit in the beginning.

Just so I’m not totally harsh, the parts of the story that just described their dates were actually adorable, and I wish there was more of that in the story instead of information overload on depression medication terminology and brain-related injuries in football.

I’m not saying those topics weren’t interesting, but the writing made it boring and there is a better way to show and not tell that information. It totally affected the flow of the story. The one thing Allen is really talented at is writing beautiful descriptions about anything from Maine’s landscapes to the family dynamics at Ella’s home. I particularly loved it when she was writing about Christmas-time at Ella’s house and the chaotic energy there. It’s truly a skill and I hope to see more of that in her writing!

Honestly, I tried to focus on those moments I liked and enjoy that, but I really didn’t. I think this book has potential, but the flow is not there and I would only recommend this book if you like those long tangents and if it wouldn’t distract you from the story at hand.

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