The Snowbirds is a heartfelt story, centering on Kim and Grant, a couple living in Wisconsin whose relationship is at a crossroads. Together for 30 years, but never married, when Grant loses his job as a philosophy professor and Kim decides she can’t take another Midwest winter, the couple decides to move to Palm Springs for the winter. Kim with excitement for a new adventure and Grant very begrudgingly.

Grant wants to finally make things official and get married, but now that their twins are grown and out of the house, Kim wonders if they are actually well-suited for each other anymore. Kim hopes the experience in Palm Springs will bring clarity to their relationship. The midlife tendency to ask oneself, Is this all there is? is a relatable theme.

When Grant disappears hiking one day, Kim is left to wonder if he’s actually missing or just taking a runner, as he has in the past. The story alternates between two time periods – before and after.

I enjoyed Kim’s journey of self-discovery and the peek into their lives that provided a better understanding of how they arrived at this position.

Overall, an enjoyable read and one that I would recommend to readers who identify with the struggle to find meaning and purpose in mid-life.

Many thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the Advanced Reader Copy. All opinions are my own.

Reviews to be posted on Goodreads, Instagram, and Amazon.com on pub day.

I think every marriage reaches a stage where you look at each other and realize that you've become more like roommates and less like lovers... And that is exactly what happens in The Snowbirds. While it is touching and emotional it is also filled with a true crime like feel that leaves you guessing. I think an added level of the "tension" in the book is that neither Kim or Grant are very likeable. Do we want them to work it out? Do want the resolution to be one sided? That is all part of the journey as you read.

The Snowbirds by Christine Clancy

You never know what you have until it’s gone.

The midwestern college where Grant teaches closes its doors. Their twin girls are grown and gone. To escape the Wisconsin winter—and reboot a tired, empty nest relationship—Kim and Grant head to Palm Springs. Ensconced in Le Desert, a condo community with a good supply of off-beat residents, Kim enjoys making friends and exploring her new area.

Although Grant struggles to find his footing, hiking becomes a favorite pastime.

Kim is used to Grant running when he is scared. But he’s never been gone this long before. He always comes back. Is he really lost in the Palm Springs mountains, or has he left her?

I raced through this novel and thoroughly loved the backdrop of Palm Springs, a city I know little about. Reading The Snowbirds makes me want to pack a bag, fly to California, and visit the area!

Thank You Net Galley for an advanced copy of the book.

This is my first book that I’ve read by Christina Clancy and I really enjoyed this book. The writing was really good and I really enjoyed the setting in the book. We follow Kim and Grant a married couple who escape to Palm Springs. There Grant goes missing although questions such as is he really missing or did he just leave? This is a great book to read especially during the holidays.

Christina Clancy's The Snowbirds (coming February 2025) is a witty and warm-hearted novel that'll keep you turning pages well past bedtime. At its heart is a fascinating premise: what happens when a couple who's mastered the art of "separate but together" for thirty years suddenly has to face their relationship head-on?

Meet Kim and Grant, who trade their Midwest winter blues for Palm Springs sunshine. But their escape to paradise isn't quite what they expected. Instead of poolside cocktails and easy living, they're forced to navigate the tricky waters of late middle age and their unconventional partnership. Clancy writes about these themes with humour and warmth, creating a story that feels both honest and hopeful.

The novel shines with sparkling dialogue and the glamorous backdrop of Palm Springs, but it's the deep dive into real, grown-up love that makes it special. If you enjoy character-driven stories about second chances and self-discovery, particularly ones that aren't afraid to mix laughs with life lessons, this book is for you.

★★★★½ (4.5/5)
Perfect for fans of Jonathan Tropper and Laura Dave who love their relationship stories with a side of wit and wisdom.

*The Snowbirds* is a beautifully written and heartfelt story about a long-term couple navigating the ups and downs of mid-life, set against the sunny backdrop of Palm Springs. With humor, honesty, and a relatable cast of characters, Christina Clancy explores the complexities of love, commitment, and self-discovery in a way that’s both tender and real—definitely a story you won’t forget!

This is my first exposure to this author. While I enjoyed the plot, the book just seemed to move too slowly. It wasn’t until about eighty percent into the book that it grabbed hold of me. Some people might enjoy the philosophy aspects of the plot, but it just wasn’t for me.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I enjoyed and related to this book very much! Kim and Grant are a long time couple who have twin, adult daughters and their lives are changing in late middle age. They never did get married and Kim keeps holding on to that last bit of freedom.
They get an opportunity to escape the Midwest for the winter and spend it in Palm Springs. Grant needs a lot of convincing not wanting to leave his professorial, university environment behind.
They are living at the home of Kim’s rich, gay ex-husband. Kim is able to adapt and makes friends right away. There is quite a cast of characters living in the community. Grant finally finds his bliss and takes up hiking and starts to really get into it until one day when he doesn’t come home. Grant has always run away when things got rough. Is he lost or is this just him running away again?
It becomes apparent that he is lost and things progress from there. Lots of search and rescue workers are looking for him. In the meantime Kim has a lot of time to process her feelings. What if he is gone for good?
A lot of readers can relate to the conflicted feelings and choices that Grant and Kim make. I enjoyed the insight into their thinking and the cast of characters that surrounded them.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an advanced reader's copy of The Snowbirds, a compelling slow-burn mystery novel by Christina Clancy. This marks my first experience with the author’s work, and I found it to be an engaging exploration of relationships and self-discovery. The dual timeline volleys back and forth between life before Grant goes missing to the play by play currently taking place in Palm Springs. Narrated by Kim, a woman in her 50s, mother of two, and long-time partner to Grant, the novel delves into the complexities of their domestic life. When Grant’s position as a college professor in Madison, Wisconsin unexpectedly comes to an end, Kim, feeling restless and seeking change, convinces him to accept an offer to be Snowbirds in Palm Springs for the winter. While Grant is reluctant, Kim quickly convinces him to adapt to their new surroundings, forging new connections and immersing herself in the vibrant community of Palm Springs. Grant is definitely not on board with change or adapting to an adventure outside of his comfort zone. The cast of characters were quirky, but Kim and Grant aren’t exactly likable main characters. Their time in the desert takes a darker turn when Grant, after developing an interest in hiking, ventures out on a solo desert hike and fails to return. A search party is organized, racing against the harsh desert elements to find him. As the story unfolds, readers gain insight into the history of Kim and Grant’s 30-year partnership, including Kim’s long-standing reluctance to accept Grant's marriage proposal. The novel leaves us wondering: Will they return to the Midwest and finally take the step of marriage, or will the allure of Palm Springs open the door to a new chapter in Kim's life? 3.5/5

3.75 but rounding up because the writing was great!
I have somewhat mixed feelings about this book overall? But I liked it a lot?
I think the pacing was a smidge too slow for me. We spent sooooo much time in the past, which was GREAT for getting Kim and Grant’s relationship square, but it constantly took me out of the conflict in the present, which should have stressed me out more. Since we kept leaving it, I was like “well, it is what it is.”
I did really love getting to see Kim’s and Grant’s relationship flesh out, but to be completely honest, I don’t know that they really are in love! I think that yes, love and relationships can need work and compromise and that they’re HARD, but other than physical attraction and the insistence that they loved each other, I couldn’t see what made them work or what made the relationship something worth fighting for. Sometimes love isn’t enough and I felt like that could have and maybe should have been the path for these two. I’m not sold on “they shouldn’t be together” but I’m not sold on “they can totally work this out” either.
[SPOILERS]
The ending, to me, felt a little predictable, if not meh. I think you’re building to this conclusion from the beginning, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I wanted a bit more. I actually would have liked to not see them end up together. Or to have separated and then perhaps reunited? I think doing it this way kind of made it corny—which I usually like! So I’m surprised. But yeah, I wasn’t really rooting for them. I think both of them had a LOT more to work on, so it just felt a little too clean.
This was one of those books I thought was really great but didn’t fall in love with. It happens! I couldn’t put it down but I was also making an uncertain face throughout. You know what I mean!

A interesting story that I could relate to as I just moved into a Continuing Care Retirement Community. Making new friends and anew lifestyle is difficult to navigate as relationships change. this story has it all from the mystery to romance and accepting change.

This will be a perfect book for readers who love chicklit and who love a good couple drama in a gorgeous setting.

I enjoyed this book.

It shares the story of a couple who have been together for many years and are reassessing if their relationship is still right for them.

The chapters move back and forth between present and past, with the story unfolding slowly in both timelines.

It was a compelling read, much like Clancy’s debut novel from several years back.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book! The author did a great job going between present time and the past. Even though a lot of the story happens in two places I could clearly tell if we were in present time or the past. I also really enjoyed how the author weaved details from the past into the story so I better understood the characters and how they got to where they are.

About halfway through the book I could tell the story was headed for something big, but I didn't expect him to get lost. Then the author did a great job of finishing up the book so I didn't know if he was going to make it until the end. That aspect kept me hooked and I didn't want to put the book down.

I personally love Palm Springs and I liked reading all the details the author includes from places I've been. I always think it's fun to read a book set in a place I've traveled to.

A solid book. I asked to read this release as I am very familiar with "SnowBirds" from living in the SunBelt for some years. That part of this story felt very well done & authentic. I overall liked quite a bit of this novel - a middle-aged, common-law couple going through the doldrums and one of them gets lost in the local mountains - for good? But I found both of them to be rather unlikeable, and that left me less invested in their actual outcome. Still, some interesting parts and very character driven, of course. My thanks to Net Galley & the publisher for the advance reader's copy - I appreciate getting the chance to read & review it.

This is a good book, but I definitely don't think I'd compare it to Fleishman is in trouble. I guess similar vibes in that there's a missing spouse, but the writing feels entirely different. That's OK though; just felt like a weird comparison to me.

In Snowbirds, Kim and Grant have decided to spend the winter in Palm Springs. Well, Kim decided. And Grant feels like he has to go along with it. The couple has two adult daughters and seem to be going through a bit of a transition period as they age. They never actually got married and they spent a lot of their lives living apart due to jobs. While in Palm Springs, Grant develops a serious interest in hiking and one day, he goes on a hike and doesn't return. Is he missing or did he run away? Grant has a history of doing that, after all.

The book bounces around from the present where Grant is missing to when Kim and Grant first decide to depart for Palm Springs. We also get a lot of their backstory, as well as their experiences thus far in California, with the interesting cast of characters they meet.

I thought the end was a little bit disappointing in some ways (I think I was just expecting more), though I think others will be satisfied with it.

Shoulder Season is still my favorite Christina Clancy novel, but I'm glad I read this one and think a lot of people will enjoy it come it's pub day!

Kim and Grant have been in a non-conventional relationship for 30 years, have two adult twin daughters, and are in need of a change to save their relationship. The couple decides to leave the midwest winter and ‘snowbird’ in fabulous Palm Springs, California. I was immediately hooked with the mystery of what happened to Grant as he went missing while hiking in the Palm Springs mountains. The story involved timelines between their past history, the beginning of winter (their arrival in Palm Springs), and the present where Grant is missing. The cast of characters were fun and quirky but Kim and Grant weren’t exactly likable until the end. It was enjoyable to read about a grown-up relationship and characters that struggle to find identity and purpose in mid-life. The first half of the book moved a little too slow for me but eventually picked up with Grant’s journal entries and the search-and-rescue effort. The ending was wrapped up nicely in a bow, for which I appreciate, but may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Overall, I would definitely recommend picking this one up when you need a break from the winter blues.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Release date is February 4, 2025.

The book started out okay, but the pace was way too slow, and I struggled to stay engaged. The characters were one-dimensional, and I never really connected with any of them. Sadly, I found myself skipping around and skimming. However, the descriptions of Palm Springs were nice.

What a perfect read. I devoured this book. It was an unexpected delight . The cover drew me in and I am so glad I gave it a chance.

An emotional roller coaster where fear and love struggle to create a safe place. After 30 years together the life lessons Grant & Kim faced while Grant was lost in the mountains of Palm Springs CA enable them to marry, knowing they are willing and able to be there for each other. .

The history of the community of Palm Springs is quite different from anywhere else. I enjoyed its uniqueness.