Hitting rock bottom is the easy and sometimes non-voluntary part, its deciding to climb back up that can be the doozy. Poor Sonny has already lost a kid sister, a loving dad, and now, through no fault of her own, a job she did well. The road back home is not easy, but it is spectacular in Sonny’s individual style. Though this was my first Viola Shipman novel, it most certainly won’t be my last.

Sonny Dunes aka AmberRose Murphy was content with life and felt fabulous at fifty in sunny, hot Palm Springs where she was a local celebrity as their news forecaster, but now she has been replaced by an AI who her boss claims won’t get old or require a raise and she is forced to return to a place that is full of painful, guilt-ridden memories- her home town of Traverse City, Michigan where heat and sun are in short supply, but the attitude against her is numerous.
Sonny is a runner. When the going gets tough, Sonny gets going, but she’s no doormat so she tends to burn the bridge on her way out of town each time. As one might imagine, this makes it rough on relationships and getting settled. Going back forces Sonny to face what she has ignored for years and it was heartwrenching to be on the journey with her- facing her memories, her mom, old friends, frenemies, and now starting over with her meteorologist career and TV newswork at the same time.
It wasn’t all or only deep drama, but had some humor and warm fuzzy moments to balance it out. Sonny’s return to small town news was a baptism by snow and ice. Her boss sends her and her fun, quirky camera guy out into some zany situations like the cardboard sled derby, ice fishing, snow-shoeing a trail, and more. Sonny might have grown up in Northern Michigan and the lake effect winters there, but she has for the last few decades been a California desert dweller so it was a hoot to see her trying to be glam when she should have worried about heels on ice or freezing her tushy off in those cutesy snowbunny outfits. Icicle gets it all on camera much to the amusement of the local viewers. And, there was the side story of a love interest with a kind and friendly widower who runs the local Chamber of Commerce and is a big guy for giving back to the community. Mason was a teddy bear.

The romance with Mason was not front and center. This is very much Sonny’s healing and comeback. There are some wonderful moments with her mom, with Icicle and being his friend, making things right with her boss, facing memories of her sister, and figuring out who the evil saboteur trying to sink her at her job is- that was an easy one to work out. Sonny goes from down and out, to making a start, stumbling, and finally triumphing which is perfect for a wintery holiday book heroine.

But, this was also about the non-human character who dominates the story beside Sonny. Northern Michigan- specifically the Grand Traverse Bay area. This was an ode to winter, but also this gorgeous and active locale described with adoration even through Sonny’s early reservations and ignorance.
Running the setting a close second is the fascinating background of Sonny’s work as a weather forecaster and meteorologist. I loved that this was given some clear descriptions and I had a good idea of what her job was like.

All in all, I was very taken with the story particularly the inter-woven relationships, descriptions, and cozy engaging writing style. I will definitely be back for more of these heartwarming stories of family, friends, and love. Definitely recommend to women’s fiction and holiday readers.

The Secret of Snow is quality women's literature entwined with personal meaning to the author.

Sonny Dunes, a meteorologist in Palm Springs, is being replaced by an AI meteorologist. The blatant sexism and ageism of this switch weigh on Sonny, and she has a breakdown on air. Now, the only station willing to give the fifty-year-old a job is a small station in her Michigan hometown. She has put Michigan and its cold weather behind her leaving as soon as she could running from the pain of the tragic loss of her younger sister.

Sonny returns home unhappily. She doesn't like living at home with her mom again, she doesn't like the snow and the cold, but, moreover, she hates her sister's figurative ghost hanging over her. Her new boss gives her a special job: she will cover all the winter events while giving live weather reports showing everyone Sonny lover her home. But she finds this hard, and she wonders if she will ever pick her job off the floor and become the confident woman she once was.

The story is mostly predictable, but it is reading Sonny truly dealing with her past, the death of her sister, and her own toxic behavior that makes this book so compelling. Sonny runs away from her problems, and it's refreshing to see that she can no longer run away. I feel pride in the character when she decides to take her issues head on. I was inspired: if a fifty-year-old woman can do it, why can't I?

Like The Clover Girls, author Viola Shipman looks at how women compete with each other. She goes even farther than just that; Shipman discusses how media, men, and success cause this animosity. This is refreshing for two reasons: 1). Women need to hold each other up and work together for mutual success. And 2). Shipman is the pen name for Wade Rouse. I am truly grateful to have him as an advocate.

Rouse puts himself into the book channeling the loss of his 17-year brother 17. The characters are shadows of his own family, and the plot is a vestige of his feelings. These raw emotions are hard to read but very moving. Hopefully, it helps someone else dealing with loss.
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Overall, this is mostly predictable but still meaningful. I enjoyed that the story took place over winter than over a week, making the romance seem more realistic. In fact, Shipman handles a delicate, emotional story with compassionate hands again.

Sonny Dunes is replaced by a virtual meteorologist at her Southern California job, and the only station willing to give the fifty-year-old a chance is back in Michigan. Now she's stuck moving back in with her mother, dealing with winter, facing grief over her dead sister, addressing the people she left behind years ago, and the college frenemy who is now her boss. As she tries to throw herself into this new job, she sees hope for her future with an upbeat widower. Someone is trying to undermine this new life, leaving her to face who she used to be and who she wants to be next.

The Secret of Snow is a women's literary novel as much as it is a second chance romance. I don't know if meteorologists really have agents, but I was so angry on Sonny's behalf. I know there must be a reason for her to leave California, but an agent telling paparazzi to contact their clients directly would be a deal-breaker for me. Agents should work on behalf of clients, not throw them out there and set them up for failure. Maybe it's meant to represent how toxic Palm Springs was for Sonny, but I hated that. As well as her boss, who was a caricature of a rich, spoiled and privileged man shaking things up for the sake of shaking things up. The setup abruptly broke Sonny's complacency, and I found it stressful. Which absolutely means that I sank into Sonny's state of mind from the start. Great job, Viola!

Sonny really came into herself over the course of the novel. She gradually felt love and took it seriously, allowed herself to really bond with her mother, and even spoke with Lisa as a professional, and not just the weirdo she avoided back in college. Everyone has their own reasons for behaving the way that they do, and Sonny had to open herself to potential hurt in order to realize that. She wasn't the only one affected by her sister's death, and the memory of her sister had driven her not only physically far from Michigan, but emotionally as well. Once she starts feeling those negative emotions again and sees her mother's view of herself, things really started to click for her. I didn't expect the ending, but it was a wonderful fit for everyone. Sonny wasn't the only one that changed over the course of the novel, after all. It's only fitting that her hidden hopes for the future would affect them as well.

Sonny Dunes is a SoCal meteorologist, where the weather is, yep, always sunny! That is until she gets downsized by an AI automaton.

Now, at fifty years old, she moves back to her hometown in Northern Michigan, where she ran away from because it had too many painful memories. Sonny finds that life is about second chances when an old college classmate, a nemesis really, offers her a job. As she begins to work for the local TV station covering the small-town’s events, she sees her late sister in everything: sledding, ice sculptures, even the snowfall.

Yet, someone is sabotaging Sonny’s chance at rebuilding her career and life.

Growing up in the Northern Midwest 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐧𝐨𝐰 stirred up many memories for me. I loved Sonny’s misadventures and watching her mend her relationships with her mom and old friends. There is a sweet romance, but honestly, I found the friendships more heartwarming.

Thank you to @htpbooks @Graydonhousebooks and @harpercollins for a spot on tour and a gifted digital copy.

Sonny Dunes has been living and working in Palm Springs as a chief meteorologist when the station manager decides to take things in a new direction and Sonny has a viral reaction and decides to go home to Michigan to regroup. She ends up at her home tv station with a demotion, but maybe it will help her confront some things from her past and maybe even find a little love!

This book started out slow, but once the ball got rolling it kept getting better and better. Sonny was a fun character to follow as she definitely stumbled over her own two feet, but other characters sure also didn't help! I am not sure I have read any book that takes the reader behind the scenes of the newsroom, so I enjoyed those bits a lot. With more of a focus on the weather, it was interesting to hear how it all comes together with the staff and the graphics and all of the other details.

Of course, there was a love story in this book and it fit in just the right spots. While it may have felt a little rushed, it was still nice and sweet and added to the story. I wouldn't mind a sequel to this one that focuses on Ron/Icicle because seeing where he goes beyond this story would be so much fun!

Disclaimer: I was sent a free book and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

This was my second book by Viola (AKA Wade). My first was The Clover Girls. I am beginning to really enjoy Viola's books.

This book is about a woman who has to start over again when she loses her job.

Not only does she need to start over she needs to do it in a town where she grew up and experience a tragedy.

As we follow Sonny we get to go on an emotional journey with her of loss, rebirth, healing and finding oneself when you need it the most. As will Viola's previous book this one took me on a wonderful journey and led me through so many emotions. The author has a gift for storytelling.

I was completely captivated by this story and could not put the book down.

It is the perfect way to spend a cold, rainy Sunday afternoon.

I was suuuper excited for this one because it takes place in MICHIGAN!

The story overall was a cute one. It tugged at my heart, with a little bit of cheese. I felt the transitions in the story were a bit random.

I’m also not sure if it had anything to do with my ARC (ebook) but the formatting was awful. I hope that it was a mistake in MY edition and it was fixed in future copies (and in print) but there were so many sentences broken up and random spaces.

Overall a cute story though!

I received a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Net Galley!

This was an enjoyable easy read based around a likeable main character that, at the age of 50, has to move back in with her mother in her old hometown and confront issues and people that she hasn't dealt with for years. Sonny is a likable character that will have you rooting for her, and her mother is a fun character too. Quick easy read for the holidays. Recommend.

Years ago, Amberrose Murphy left the snow and darkness of Michigan behind and reinvented herself as Sonny Dunes, the highly rated meteorologist in Palm Springs, California. Now, the new hipster owner of her TV station has replaced her with an AI solution. But, she didn’t go quietly and her meltdown was in front of the cameras, going viral…nationally. It’s forced her return to her hometown in Traverse City and to the local TV station as it’s her only job opportunity. Sonny is fifty, down but not out as she tries to come to terms with the elements that had her flee the town those many years ago.

This is truly a multilayered story that has you laughing out loud one minute, holding back tears in the next and then wanting to throttle someone. It’s not your traditional Christmas story but it certainly is familiar and authentic. I adored Sonny, even in her lowest moments. She never failed to fight back, no matter how humiliating or defeating, and showed her professional chops. Her resilience was inspiring and I just wanted her to win. The people who managed to get close to her saw the same things I recognized and that made them special, too.

There are reasons why the snow and the city paralyze Sonny emotionally that take some time to be fully revealed. I understand this story was inspired by true events in the author’s life and it may be why it resonates so strongly. The pain is rawly splayed throughout the pages. It made her triumph that much sweeter and uplifting. I listened to the story and the narrator got everything right. I loved her voice for Sonny but she was also crafty with the secondary characters. She made me happy that I opted for the audio version. It’s my first venture with the author and I’ll be exploring Shipman’s backlist for certain.

I really loved this sweet story of coming back from loss, second chances with family and hope. It's also a loving depiction of Michigan and it's beauty in winter. A truly touching story, I highly recommend it!

This was a bit of a Hallmark movie-type plot but with not as much Christmas as I thought it would have had. I loved the premise but the beginning was a bit slow for me and I was not sure if it would pick up. It did and I finished it and enjoyed it for the most part. It had that everything is now perfect ending which was a bit of a stretch considering all the obstacles but that's why it's fiction.
Thank you Graydon House and NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sonny has been living and breathing weather most of her life. A new and significantly younger boss boots her from a job she's had for years and replaced her with AI. She's far from ready to retire but her limited options are leaving her with no choice but to accept a position in her hometown. Leaving bright and shiny California is not at all her preference.
I am a big fan of an older heroine. If you follow my reviews, you'll see that each time this comes up in a book, I'm a big fan. Also Sorry, not sorry for the redundancy.
This is definitely women's fiction with a thread of sweet romance. Sonny's reset in the trenches is really what makes this book a joy to have read. I loved her relationship developments with coworkers and her mother equally. It gave Sonny's character the added depth I want in a book.
Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

If you love the magic of snow, you will want to read this book! Though not Christmasy, The Secret of Snow is the perfect wintry read. Sonny Dunes has a breakdown after losing her meteorologist job in sunny CA. With nowhere else to turn, she ends up moving home with her mother and taking a job at a news station in Michigan. From there she is thrown into all the wintry fun that Michigan has to offer, with plenty of awkward moments. It definitely made me want to get out and enjoy some winter fun!

But where this books definitely shines is Sonny's struggles with grief from her past. We learn that her sister died years ago in the winter, but Sonny continues to struggle with this loss from years to go. So many passages from this book moved me to tears. And Sonny's mom is one of my favorites. I also loved the relationship between Sonny and Mason. Mason is such a sweet man, who also dealt with his own grief. and his support of Sonny is so lovely. And then there's Icicle. I absolutely loved him. I would love a second book focused on his story!!

This is a perfect winter read that will remind you of the magic of snow, love, family, and friendship!!



The forecast is calling for a reluctant homecoming and regrettable decisions with a strong chance of romance…

When Sonny Dunes, a SoCal meteorologist whose job is all sunshine and seventy-two-degree days, is replaced by a virtual meteorologist that will never age, gain weight or renegotiate its contract, the only station willing to give the fifty-year-old another shot is the very place Sonny’s been avoiding since the day she left for college—her northern Michigan hometown.

Sonny grudgingly returns to the long, cold, snowy winters of her childhood…with the added humiliation of moving back in with her mother. Not quite an outsider but no longer a local, Sonny finds her past blindsiding her everywhere: from the high school friends she ghosted, to the former journalism classmate and mortal frenemy who’s now her boss, to, most keenly, the death years ago of her younger sister, who loved the snow.

To distract herself from the memories she's spent her life trying to outrun, Sonny throws herself headfirst into covering every small-town winter event to woo a new audience, made more bearable by a handsome widower with optimism to spare. But with someone trying to undermine her efforts to rebuild her career, Sonny must make peace with who she used to be and allow her heart to thaw if she’s ever going to find a place she can truly call home.

Viola Shipman brings us into the world of Sonny Dunes, a meteorologist in Palm Springs, CA who has an on-air meltdown and sees her career disintegrate right in front of her eyes. She returns to her roots in Traverse City, MI and we are privileged to watch this woman emerge into a new life and career, like Phoenix rising from the ashes. There is humor, sadness, self-indulgence, and a mom who is not afraid to take on a 50-something daughter and guide her back to life. Highly recommend.

I've lived my share of winters, and yes, there is something quite special and magical about falling snow. I loved this book, the characters, the storyline, the humour, and everything you wanted to know about winter in Michigan. Sonny Dunes is not living her best life, and a forced move back to her home town in Michigan might be just what she needs to rid herself of the painful memories of the past, and to realize that she won't find love if she doesn't open herself up to it;

Sonny Dunes, age 50, meteorologist, has just tanked her career. After a meltdown on live television, she loses her job. With no job prospects in California, she has no choice but to head back home to Michigan and move in with her mother.

Traverse City has a second-rate television station and the station manager is a less than a friend from college days. She takes Sonny on to do part of the weather. Sonny faces a much younger weather girl who really wants Sonny's job. Will Sonny survive in Michigan? Will the younger weather girl be able to steal Sonny's job? And, can Sonny find love and acceptance again?

The Secret of Snow was a sweet little novel that highlights the important things in life.

I started reading this during the first big snowstorm of the season. It was the perfect book to curl up all cozy with a nice cup of coffee while the wind howled outside. It is a story about family, friendship and love. I also thought it was cool to hear the little meteorological facts that were thrown in.

I really liked the main character and I loved her mom and the other people in her life. This is my first time reading Viola Shipman, and it likely will not be my last!

~~~ I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~~~

I really enjoy Viola Shipman's books. The Secret of Snow is the third novel of Shipman's that I have read and I look forward to more. This book follows Amberose (Sonny Dunes) as she undergoes major life changes. She moves from Palm Springs, CA back to her hometown, Traverse City, MI where she rediscovers her love of winter, reconnects with her mother, and faces her grief after the tragic death of her sister. This is a story of grief, love, family, and healing. In my opinion, I felt the beginning half of this book read as if it was a promotion of Pure Michigan (does this author have a contract with them?!) it was too over the top for me... however the second half that delved more into Sonny's healing and life changes was more engaging and I was able to discover what Shipman was actually writing a book about. The other obstacle for me was the first-person point of view that was used by Shipman- I just have a hard time connecting sometimes to books written in this manner. Otherwise, the overall themes and ending of this book makes it a worthwhile read. It is a lovely book to snuggle up with on a cold Michigan winter evening!

If you want a book to put you in the holiday spirit, the sheer amount of fluffy stuff in The Secret of Snow will definitely do the trick! This sweet read is about many things - love, heartbreak, grief, second-chances, and the reinvention of oneself when you think all is lost. If you like Hallmark movies, this book is one you should check out.
I was also surprised to find out Viola Shipman is the pen name of Wade Rouse, who is an author I've loved for years. Thank you to Net Galley for the advance copy!

Although not a book I will be ordering in my professional life, it is a title that I will be recommending in my personal life! This is one of my favorite authors, and I will read whatever he writes!