Kim and Grant have been a couple for thirty years. They’ve raised kids together but kept a “separate but together” partnership. They decide to escape the harsh midwest winter for sunny Palm Springs, where their relationship is put to the test when Grant goes on a solo hike and doesn’t return.

I think I liked the idea of this story more in theory than in execution, but it may have been a case of misplaced expectations. I really liked Shoulder Season by the same author, and maybe that’s why I was expecting more of a character study with the backdrop of a quirky condo community in Palm Springs. I knew Grant went missing, but didn’t expect it would be the hinge the story revolved around.

I didn’t feel emotionally invested in Kim and Grant as a couple. I was honestly annoyed at this petulant man who ran away every time something didn’t go his way. You’re wanting this woman to commit to you, so you disappear for a few days when she dares to show hesitation? Ick.
The story was a slow build, going back and forth between their past as a couple, and the present while they search for Grant. It was entertaining, but ultimately, I was underwhelmed by the ending.

🎧 Narration by Karissa Vacker and Graham Holstead was great. They really brought Kim and Grant to life and kept me listening.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

unfortunately this book was not for me. Grant is one of the most unlikable, obnoxious main characters I’ve read in a long time. And Kim just feels ridiculous for putting up with his baloney for 30 years.

Thank you @stmartinspress for my #gifted copy and thank you @macmillanaudio for my #gifted listening copy of The Snowbirds! #stmartinspress #MacAudio2025 #macmillanaudio #TheSnowbirds #ChristinaClancy

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐝𝐬
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐚 𝐕𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

𝟯.𝟱★

I thought the concept of this book was really great and found the set-up of the book really engaging. I am all about a book that focuses on later in life characters, and in The Snowbirds, the two main characters, Kim and Grant have a relationship that is in trouble. I thought the dual timeline really helped to develop the story and make this more of a page-turner. It also kept me more engaged with the story overall. I will also say this was beautifully written, and I would definitely check out more by the author in the future. With that said, while I felt for Kim and what she was going through with Grant missing, I had a very hard time connecting to both of the main characters. I appreciated how the book explored the concept of finding yourself, I just wish I enjoyed the characters more. Overall, it was a me problem, and absolutely nothing wrong with the book, so I definitely wouldn’t let that that discourage you from picking this one up.

🎧I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by both Karissa Vacker and Graham Halstead. I’ve always been such a huge fan of Vacker, and I think this was my first time listening to Halstead. I found Halstead to be really engaging and thought this one was excellent on audio!

Posted on Goodreads on February 13, 2025: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around February 13, 2025: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on February 13, 2025
**-will post on designated date

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this ARC.

Based on the premise—a husband goes missing on a solo hike—I expected this to be more of a thriller, but it’s much more the story of a long-term partnership as both partners contemplate what their future holds and whether there is a future together. Told with some long and some more recent flashbacks, we get a glimpse into a complicated relationship that was atypical and very interesting to follow along with. I think the end wrapped up a little too neatly but it was overall a good story and compelling without thriller-level drama.

The Snowbirds is another great novel from Christina Clancy! It centers around a couple - Kim and Grant - who have been together for thirty years but are not married. Grant was a professor at a nearby college until they closed down and Kim has raised their twin daughters so they have spent a lot of time apart in their relationship. When they have a chance to move to Palm Springs for the winter Kim is all in but she has to convince Grant to go. Kim really takes to the new environment right away. Meeting some very quirky characters in their condo complex and just taking in the warm weather. Grant isn't so sure until he takes up hiking. One day he leaves for a hike and doesn't come back. The story revolves around the search for Grant and flashes back to memories of Kim and Grant's relationship through the years. Highly recommend this book!

Kim and Grant have been together for 30 years, but never married. Originally it was so she could keep her alimony, but now that that’s done, Grant wants nothing more than to officially marry her. Their twin girls are out of the house, and Kim knows what will help them, they will spend some time this winter in Palm Springs at condo community. As Kim begins to feel like she has a life there, Grant goes missing on a hike. Kim can’t help but wonder if he is really missing, or maybe just left her?

This book made me want to be somewhere warm! I kind of love the way Kim and Grant kept their relationship, and honestly it’s kind of the way I would want a relationship if I had one. I liked that this book was more about the relationship between Kim and Grant than the fact that Grant was missing, though that was a storyline as well. I did this one on audio and I really enjoyed the narration. Also please bring me to Palm Springs to hang with Patrick and @mrstevenrowley!

Thank you to @stmartinspress for my gifted copy of this book!

When looking over recent Goodreads reviews for The Snowbirds (released 2/4/25) I was not surprised to see a clear divide between readers who either loved it or hated it. I think a reader needs to be in a certain phase in life and be comfortable with complex, messy, perhaps even unlikeable characters to really connect with this novel.
The premise: long term partners, Kim and Grant, have reached a crossroads in their lives/relationship. Grappling with an empty nest and questions about ‘what comes next’ put strain on their relationship. At the opening of the novel, you learn Grant is missing after a recent hike, and Kim’s cooperation with the police lead to antidotes and flashbacks detailing their past years together. I typically love a good marriage in crisis read, and the facts that this one also included a mystery component had me eager to read this release. But, unfortunately, I just couldn’t connect with or root for Kim and Grant’s relationship. While my own marriage has faced hardships, secrets, and cross-roads so I could related to the complexities associated with a long-term relationship, I just never connected emotionally to the story. However, I the writing was fantastic, the audiobook narration was stellar, and I do think there is an audience for this style of book.

This is my first book by Christina Clancy. I thoroughly enjoyed this. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy to review. A missing persons story or is it just two people, who escape everyday life? Kim and Grant’s relationship and how it has changed over the years. Despite them never marrying each other, they’ve been together for three decades, maintaining an unconventional dynamic that includes spending significant time apart. When an opportunity arises to spend the winter in Palm Springs, their unresolved issues and past traumas come to the surface, forcing them to take a hard look at their lives. Christina Clancy does a fantastic job of capturing the complexities of middle-aged struggles which are often not the norm. Many of their challenges are 100% relatable. While the novel delves deeply into their relationship—both past and present—it also features a wonderful cast of supporting characters who add warmth and humor.

Wasn't a big fan of this book. I couldn't for the life of me like ANY of the characters, especially Kim and Grant. What in the world did they see in each other? The whole book was a litany of complaints about Grant. And could Kim have been any cheaper, dowdy or sour? I waited the whole book to find something happy or redeeming. I'm married 24 years and can't imagine a day in my marriage like these two - I would have left a long time ago.

I enjoyed this book that was a really interesting story about a couple in middle age navigating their relationship. Kim and Grant are at a crossroads in their careers and their 30 year long relationship. They decide to leave their home in Madison to be snowbirds in Palm Springs for the winter. The story is told in two timelines, one earlier in the fall when they travel to Palm Springs and get to know their new community and neighbors and one in the days following New Years, when Grant goes missing while he is hiking in the mountains. We see their entire 30 year history through Kim’s eyes and we are left wondering what has happened to Grant.
This story is a rumination on a relationship but is also very suspenseful, with the ending being very much up in the air.
Thank you to St. Martins and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was super excited to read this one because Christina Clancy’s last two books were great. The Snowbirds started off strong but man I don’t think I’ve read a book where the 2 characters were on completely different pages and while that can make an interesting story; after awhile Kim and Grant were a bore. It was the same argument for years and they could never get over themselves.

I;m not a big fan of this one. I found the protagonist hard to connect with and devoid of the emotion and ticks that make people human. Her partner was much more realistic and quirky. The storyline was ok. Overall, just kind of disappointed in this book.

I ran a Q and A in my newsletter dearfiction.substack.com. I love Christina Clancy's writing and always enjoy her books. this one is no exception. :)

Have you ever read a book and when it ended you asked yourself if anything actually happened? That was this book for me. This book follows the ups and downs of a long term relationship... and what happens when their children grow up and the life that they once knew changes. Part missing story, part flashbacks, part reflection of a life lived. I enjoyed the audiobook of this more than the ebook - I thought the narrator was great. I enjoyed the story being about an older couple and the natural and normal ups and downs of life. However, I found that not enough happened making the book move very slowly. I also found the female character to be unlikeable - she was whiny and selfish and rubbed me the wrong way. Parts of this book worked very well for me, while others fell short of what I expected. 
Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copies.

Overall I enjoyed this book. The biggest positive was the characters. It was easy to bond with the characters especially the main characters. They were all nuanced and dynamic and I couldn't help but root for all of them. However, I struggled to stay engaged in the plot. The frequent skipping of timelines detracted somewhat from the story. While I found it a good way to learn more about the character's past I felt that at times it was a bit choppy.

I thought the cover was so cute! But the story was pretty serious. Viv and Grant have been together for almost 30 years and are parents to twin daughters, March and Dort, but they have never gotten married. Living in Wisconsin winters are brutal so when Viv gets a sabbatical from her job she grabs the opportunity to spend the winter in Palm Springs. Grant has lost his job as a tenured philosophy professor when the college closes unexpectedly and he goes with her reluctantly, pretty much complaining all the way. For most of their time together Viv has refused to move to Mounds where Grant works so he in only home on weekends while she raises the girls and works full time.

I found both of them unlikeable. Kim kowtows to Grant because she doesn't want him to leave but she won't marry him and at any sign of conflict Grant just walks off, sometimes for days at a time. At about 75% of the book I decided I didn't' care about them at all and was only interested in the outcome. The writing was fine and Le Desert sounded delightful with some interesting characters and the description of the desert sounds breathtaking and dangerous.

I rate it more as 3.75 and maybe it would have been more if I liked Kim more.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital copy.

This novel is about discovering who you are by yourself and with others. It is about accepting that life does not follow a defined path but ebbs and flows. Be fluid with the journey.

This story is told during two timelines. The lines do intersect, but it is the past catching up with the present that brings this story together. Kim and Grant are "snowbirding" in Palm Springs at the home of Kim's first husband. This is an experience for Kim and Grant, and the other snowbirds and residents they meet are a unique bunch of individuals. However, it is just what they need to discover who they are after some changes back home. The "past" chapters give us depth into the characters and their situation. The "present" chapters focus on a search for Grant, who has gotten lost in the mountains on a hike. Is Grant lost, or did he disappear after an argument with Kim? 

I would consider this book women's fiction with a hint of a mystery, mainly regarding Grant's disappearance. I found myself relating to their relationship and how they processed their emotions and interactions, yet still loved each other deep down and did not want to lose that after thirty years. There are times when Kim and Grant really connect, but then there are other times when neither can seem to say the right thing. We all have moments like that.

I thought that sometimes the "past" timeline dragged, and there was too much information to process. It does provide a foundation for Kim and Grant and their relationship, but sometimes, I felt like it went on too long. I was more invested in the search for Grant and whether they would find him in time.

Melody, Kim's former mother-in-law, is an interesting character. She is wealthy beyond imagination and loves to name-drop. However, she is the kind of person who doesn't know how to manage her life independently now that she is a widow. This is where Kim comes in, and while she initially told Basil (her ex) that she would check in on Melody, they become friends and it is more about their relationship away from Basil. 

I enjoyed reading this novel and found it a cautionary tale for anyone in a relationship not to take it for granted.

We give this book 4 paws up.

I was so excited to get an arc of this author's new book, but sadly this one just didn't appeal to me. The main characters, Kim and Grant were not especially likeable. Thirty year relationship, but reading the details made me wonder how! The beautiful winter setting of being a snowbird in Palm Springs was so enjoyable!

Christina Clancy has once again written a book that will be hard to forget! The title of her new book is The Snowbirds. I will be thinking about this book for a long while. There are many aspects of this book that will be making the rounds though my mind until I come to terms with everything that happened and all the different personalities that are introduced to us.

If you don’t know, I love the characters I meet in books. I love people with different personalities and reading books brings me into contact with many more of them than I currently meet in my everyday life. People have always been fascinating to me and you will meet your share of wonderful characters in The Snowbirds. I have to give this author credit for developing a truly diverse bunch. You’re gonna love these people. They are truly amazing in so many different ways!

This book also gives us an up close look at a couple who have an unconventional relationship. They have been together 30 years or more and have made their set-up work. Grant has lost his job just when Kim is about to go on a sabbatical. She is desperately looking for time alone to figure out her future. Now she finds herself headed to Palm Springs with Grant for the winter in the ex-husbands condo. They have a lot to figure out including how their future is going to look. Palm Springs winds up being a turning point in their lives and frankly one they were looking at even if they had stayed at home. Many of us find ourselves at turning points even when we don’t want them.

I found myself questioning if I could have lived their life and what I would want if I was in their position. This book made me think about things and made me realize there are many situations that are outside of the norm that work out for one reason or another. If you like a book that makes you think outside of your comfort zone, makes you wonder how you would handle a situation and leaves you in awe of the people you just met, then this is a book you should read. I highly recommend this book and hope you get a chance to read it. Let me know if you do. Until next time…Happy Reading!

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

This book wasn’t good or bad. It was meh. I feel like 90% of the book was about the main character trying to decide if after 30 years together she loved Grant, which frankly got boring after the first 100 pages. I did enjoy some of the side characters though and their stories.

I found both Grant and Kim to be selfish and had a hard time understanding their dynamic. I was happy the book had a happy ending though. I would have been disappointed otherwise.