Publish to Goodreads on 2/4/25.

This is an ARC review thanks to Netgalley and St.Martin’s Press.

I absolutely enjoyed this book! If I could describe it as a scene, it would be: a nice spring afternoon, sitting on the front porch, listening to the birds chirping and a small breeze. The plot was great and it was thoroughly written. It was not cheesy and was refreshing to have the main couple going thru their own issues in life. The characters were all relatable which made the book even more enjoyable! The author had me guessing the whole time what would happen next. Definitely recommend.

THE SNOWBIRDS by Christina Clancy is a heartfelt story of love, family and the journey to find out what is really important in life. It is about a middle-aged couple who find themselves at a crossroads in their careers but also in their relationship. Kim and Grant have been together for thirty years, but have never married. Their twin daughters are grown and on their own. Because of their jobs, Kim and Grant have lived separately for long periods of time, but when the college where Grant works is closed down, they are thrust back together and not everything is as rosy as they would hope. They decide to escape the cold winter of the Midwest and spend the winter at Kim’s ex’s condo in Palm Springs. When Grant goes missing on a mountain hike, Kim is faced with a devastating situation. Is Grant truly lost on the mountains or has he purposely left Kim for good? This is a thought-provoking and emotional story that explores long-term relationships and the commitment required to keep them alive. There are lots of thoughtful elements in this story and even a touch of humor. I enjoyed this engaging story of self-discovery and highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

This novel is a book about self-discovery, told with humor and realism. Kim and Grant are an unmarried couple, living together for thirty years but never taking the commitment plunge into marriage. They seem to be content enough with their lives until Grant loses his job, his mother dies and Kim seems to be seeking some kind of change. They decide to leave the Midwest behind and go to Palm Springs, CA as a compromise for making any other life-changing decisions. Once there, Kim is happily making new friends while Grant seems like a lost soul, floundering with other bigger than life personalities when he has always been mostly an introverted college professor. I thought the novel approached the changes that accompany mid-life in a unique and interesting way. When Grant disappears on a hike, Kim is faced with deciding how she will go forth with her life and if Grant will be a part of it, if he is ever found. There is a humorous and serious side to this novel that appealed to me as a reader. The plot is moderately paced and sometimes dragged for me as I thought that there were parts that were repetitive. But that also seemed to add to the general tone of the story since the repetitiveness of life is what leads people, including the main characters, to seek out something new and different. The humor was interspersed at just the right places when the serious parts were getting a little weighty. This is a novel with realistic characters, an absorbing plot and a thought-provoking message. This book lends itself to discussions among friends and book clubs.
Disclaimer
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. (Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”)

The Snowbirds by Christina Clancy is a story of a couple who flees the Midwest winter in Palm Springs and finds their relationship at a crossroads. For thirty years, Kim and Grant had a great “separate but together” partnership, raising their twin daughters together. However, when the realities of middle age have reared its ugly head, flying south for the winter seemed to be the perfect solution. Kim immediately feels at home at the Le Desert community while Grant struggles. When Grant goes missing while on a hike, Kim faces two possibilities: Grant is truly lost or he has finally left her. As the search for Grant proceeds, Kim searches their life together and asks the question what does it take to truly commit to someone for a lifetime. Will Grant be found? Is their life together over?
In The Snowbirds, Ms. Clancy sets out to explore “the redemptive power of finding ourselves and being found” with “compassion and humor” starts out great and what it means to truly commit to someone. However, while the story started out great, as the story jumps into the search for Grant and flashbacks to their life together, it quickly falls flat as Kim and Grant are hard to relate to and even unlikeable, especially in the story’s flashbacks. It is hard for me to relate to the “separate but together” partnerships, which can happen in unmarried and married couples. Overall, I was bored. I didn’t really care for Kim and her search for Grant. While I may not be the right reader for this type of story, there are readers out there who might connect with the characters and their relationships.

The Snowbirds will be available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook on February 4, 2025

I really wanted to like this one but found myself struggling getting connected to the characters and following the book. I loved the descriptiveness and about 60% I got into it, but still was hoping for much more.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Everything about this book from the cover to the synopsis sounded like the perfect winter read for me. Unfortunately I found the story as a whole to fall flat for me. The beginning quickly pulled me in, but I found the pacing to be too slow, the story to be too long and the back and forth between present and past to be jarring at times. After reading more and getting to know Kim, I had little sympathy and started to get fed up with her. The side characters were great and the setting was fabulous as I also dreamed of a warm getaway from the cold Midwest. There was just a lot missing for me and so I unfortunately did not love this one.

I've enjoyed all of Clancy's books and this one started out very promising, however, halfway through I had to give up & skip to the last 3 chapters. Her characters were well developed, but the story just started dragging and I felt it was going nowhere fast. Thanks for the ARC, but I've moved on to Jane Rosen's new book - "Songs of Summer" – and I cannot put it down!!!

This was okay- 3 ⭐️
Pub date: Feb 4, 2025

Thank you St.Martins Press for an #eARC and #MacAudio2025 for the audiobook in return for an honest review! 🎧This cover is absolutely amazing and it caught my eye! I wasn’t sure what to expect when I requested this book. I like some parts of it, but overall I didn’t connect with it as much as I wanted too. I think for me this just felt too repetitive and the same situation throughout most of the book. I think both of these characters deserved better!

**PLEASE CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS **

🌵relationship drama
🌵”I want more for myself.”
🌵found family
🌵summer vibes
🌵miscommunication trope
🌵traumatic events
🌵heartfelt moments

This is the story of a Kim and Grant and their 30-year, never married partnership. Kim and Grant have two children and have always left somewhat separate lives. Now Kim is on sabbatical and Grant’ tenured college professor position has ended. Kim wants to explore retirement in Palm Springs, California, while Grant wants his old university life back. Grant suddenly goes missing on a desert mountain hike and Kim faces Grant’s mortality.

A Beautifully written, suspenseful novel about the meaning of relationships and how are our decisions affect our relationships.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for an early read in exchange for a fair review. 4 stars.

The Snowbirds is a novel that I think is perfect for a specific age group. It is very character driven, we spend a lot of time in FMC’s head as she reflects on her 30 year relationship while also worrying about him in the present when he goes missing during a hike in Palm Springs. The setting was interesting. The structure was a little bit choppy as 60% through we are introduced to journal entries. Overall, I think this is a good book about long term relationships, growing and changing as people through different seasons of life, and finding ways to stay together even when it’s tough.

Part missing person mystery but more so a study in a couple's decades long relationship and the ups and downs they go through raising twin daughters together and navigating their close connections to their exes. I found this slow moving and at times a bit boring but it was sprinkled with enough insights and introspections on life to make me stick with it. It also helped that the audiobook was narrated by Karissa Vacker who truly makes the listening experience enjoyable. I don't think I would have made it through a print copy reading of it. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

1⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of The Snowbirds.

A couple has two daughters and has been together for thirty years but has never gotten married. Kim decides they need a change from the harsh Wisconsin winters and decides they should go to Palm Springs. Grant is not a fan of this idea but indulges her. While there he takes up hiking and one day decides to go on his own and he goes missing for days.

I was not a fan of this book at all. I did not like the characters so I could not connect with them. Plus the relationship between the couple was full of red flags. This book was way too long for what it was. Just not my kind of book.

The first chapter was very promising and then it fell flat after that. It became very confusing with all the character names being mentioned all at once in the second chapter. I didn’t find the main characters very likeable and Kim’s POV was a bit annoying.
I might not be the intended audience for this but it was far from what I expected. Stopped reading at 20%.

I didn’t feel super connected to the characters but it was a nice listen. The complex non conventional dynamic was a bit chaotic yet also subdue. I enjoyed the juxtaposition of snow in the Midwest to the sun, dessert, and mountains in Palm Springs.

Kim and Grant are partners of 30 years in a bit of a convenient partnership which is how they have always been but as they consider officially getting married are they now thinking they don’t belong together? They escape the cold of Wisconsin for the dessert for the winter and Grant goes missing. Was it intentional? He has done this before but he always comes back. His new love of hiking may have gone too far as he isn’t trained for more than a day hike on his own.

I found it hard to believe in and root for the couple the more we see them interact with the fun people in Palm Springs, but their complex emotions make more sense in the lens of two people who really always wanted their independence.

Interesting dynamic and fun setting, I just personally couldn’t relate to their love. The you don’t know what you have til it’s gone thing isn’t super romantic to me.

The Snowbirds is about empty nesters who never got married. They have been together for years but have never lived together full time. She lived in Madison with their daughters and her husband lived closer to his work as a professor of philosophy. He only came home on the weekends. Now the college has closed and she is on a sabbatical from her job. This is the first time they have spent so much time together. They decide to go to Palm Springs for the winter. This is somewhat a crisis for both of them.

This is the story of a long time relationship. Everyone in a long relationship wonders at times if they should stay together. In this story one couple grasps with the question of getting married after all these years and whether they really belong together. They are both struggling and we get to see this. I found the book a slow start for me. But by the second half I was invested in their story. It is nice to read about long relationships instead of the romance books where just meeting is exciting. I did enjoy reading this book.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #ChristinaClancy, and #StMartinsPress for a copy of this book.
#TheSnowbirds

As a long-time admirer of Palm Springs, largely inspired by my cherished memories of reading "P.S. I Love You" by Barbara Conklin over 40 years ago, I was eager to explore The Snowbirds—especially as I embrace the empty nester phase of my life. However, despite its stunning setting, I found myself somewhat disappointed. The characters, in their attempts to navigate personal challenges, lacked the depth I had hoped for, making it difficult to fully connect with their journeys.

That said, Clancy’s writing still offers poignant moments of reflection that capture the complexities of this transitional life stage. The tranquil yet layered backdrop of Palm Springs enhances the narrative, providing an atmosphere that some readers might truly appreciate. While the plot development was sluggish at times and could have benefitted from more engaging twists, there are subtle nuances in the storyline that mirror the messy realities of adulthood. The relatable theme of searching for purpose as an empty nester may resonate with many, even if the characters themselves don’t always evoke empathy.

Would I recommend this book? Probably not. Although it had the potential to resonate with me, it ultimately fell short.

@stmartinspress and @netgalley provide the advanced earc of this novel for me to read and review.

The Snowbirds features a middle-aged, domestic partners, contemplating marriage after 30-years and two daughters all while escaping away to Palm Springs. At a crossroads, Kim and Grant escape the winter of Minnesota to the sparkling, sexy city of PS. There they encounter a unique cast of characters and escapes so they can figure what's next.

For readers looking for a realistic look at being empty nesters, this story features:

Duel Timelines
A middle-age relationship
Realities of motherhood
An alluring city, eclectic cast

Thank you, St. Martin's Press

I just couldn't really get into this book. I think it was just bad timing on my part. I have read a lot of great thrillers lately, so I was probably just comparing it to those. I just didn't really care about these characters and what happened to them.

I found myself very engrossed in this story and the complex dynamics between the characters. While reading, I tried stepping into both Kim’s and Grant’s shoes to understand why they weren’t on the same page. Kim embraces winter in Palm Springs and Grant really struggles to find his footing.

When Grant goes missing, Kim has to ask herself if he is really lost or if he has chosen to leave her.

Christi’s writing brought to life this enthralling story. I always love reading about the complexities in relationships, whether it’s romantic partners or family. The dual timeline made it all the more

The Snowbirds by Christina Clancy is a poignant and compelling exploration of love, identity, and the complexities of midlife transitions. Kim and Grant, a couple married for thirty years, are facing a crossroads in their relationship. With their children grown, careers shifting, and the loss of Grant's mother weighing heavily on them, they seek escape from their fraying connection by fleeing the cold Midwestern winter for the warmth of Palm Springs.

In the quirky condo community of Le Desert, Kim quickly embraces the chance to reinvent herself, forming new friendships and embracing a freer, more adventurous side. Meanwhile, Grant struggles to adjust, leaving Kim to wonder if their marriage can survive this period of change. When Grant goes missing during a hike in the desert, Kim is confronted with the terrifying possibility that he may have left her for good, and that their relationship may have reached its final chapter.

Clancy skillfully weaves a narrative that explores the desire for reinvention, the complications of long-term partnerships, and the challenges of midlife. With a perfect blend of humor, heartbreak, and insight, The Snowbirds delves into the question of whether it's ever too late to change and if relationships can withstand the changes we undergo. The story is both emotionally rich and thought-provoking, capturing the redemptive power of self-discovery and the vulnerability that comes with truly being seen by another person.

This novel is a tender, honest look at love, change, and the unexpected paths that life takes—making it an unforgettable read for anyone navigating their own transitions in life.