Member Reviews
Quick trope rundown: grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity / one bed, workplace romance, enemies to lovers vibes (although they’re never actual enemies, he’s just a bit of a dick).
I loved the wintery cosy ski setting. I’ve never been skiing, but if I did, I would absolutely do what Nate and Lucy did, getting day-drunk in the ski slope bar rather than actually skiing 😄
I really loved Lucy as a main character, and her personal story was really well fleshed out too. Lucy suffers with PTSD, and although this isn’t delved into too deeply, I think it was a really sensitive portrayal of the disorder. As someone who also struggles with PTSD, I really appreciated this being added into the story, but almost normalised and not being made a huge deal out of.
Nate also has an anxiety disorder, so this book is winning on the mental health representation! It’s not often you see romance books where the male love interest has a mental health issue, so I was really glad to see that.
This is a very cute and cosy romance, with some light steam but nothing spicy. It leaves plenty to the imagination if you want to go there, but if you’re happy with closed-door romance, this is perfect for you too.
The only thing I didn’t love was the viral tiktok ‘fame’ element, which I just felt was a little odd. Also there was some behaviour and chat between Lucy and her work bestie Johnno (who is straight and married with kids) that I found to be a bit inappropriate considering his marital status, and it just made me feel a bit icky.
But otherwise it was a fantastic romance that all felt very real, not forced, and super wholesome.
With forced proximity and the incredible setting of a mountain resort, this one had it all from the first impression. Sadly, I feel like I got off on the wrong foot with Snowed In with You. It started off pretty dialogue-heavy and felt a bit superficial, with shallow descriptions of the characters. The third-person POV didn't really work for me, since the main character’s name kept popping up repeatedly. She felt rather one-dimensional, and because I couldn’t connect with the MC, it was tough to feel invested in the romances. I noticed some inaccuracies with the romance, where characters leaned more toward explicit talk, only for the scenes to fade to black. What I thought would feel more mature and somewhat reflective of a creative professional environment instead came across as a teenager fantasizing about what it’s like to be a grown-up working professional.
For me, my overall enjoyment and the writing style land this one at 2 stars. I should mention that it’s not necessarily a poorly written book—I’ve seen plenty of rave reviews from readers who likely connect better with the target audience. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me, and my interest started to fizzle out pretty quickly.
I have read other books by Heidi Stephens, so I was looking forward to reading Snowed In with You.
Lucy has never left the country so when an all expense paid trip to the Swiss Alps to go on a work trip she can’t turn it down.
The entire story just took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions. If you are looking for a book that will stay on your mind long after reading, I highly recommend you get this and settle in for a great read!
Thank you NetGalley, Heidi Stephens and Headline for the copy of Snowed In with You. This is my personal review.
I absolutely loved this book - set in the dual locations of snowy mountains and Bristol this is a.love story I didn't want to end - just perfect writing
Snowed In with You by Heidi Stephens is another feel good, warm and funny novel.
A light, fluffy rom-com about finding what truly makes you happy in the least likely place.
This cute, fluffy rom-com is focused on finding what makes you happiest in life.
Beautifully written, fantastic characters and a whole lot of fun. This is a great read from beginning to end.
Overall, another smashing rom-com book from Heidi Stephens and a really worthy rating of 5 stars. I can’t wait to read another book by her. Highly, highly recommend this one!
This was a fun, romantic read. I thought it was a Christmas story but it’s actually mostly set in January! The romance was cute and I really enjoyed the dynamic of the characters who were stuck together. I feel like Lucy was a very realistic and relatable main character. As much as I enjoyed this book I do feel like it could have resolved a lot sooner. I’d recommend this as a light, fluffy read.
This is my second Heidi Stephen books and I can assure you it will not be my last and I now need to devour her backlog! This was such a cute and addictive read that I ended up reading in one sitting! I just could not put it down. I loved the premise of this one and I loved the setting of the Alps! I'm a big lover of snow so having a book predominantly set in a snowy landscape just sounds perfect to me, minus the whole getting stuck in a snowstorm.
I really liked Lucy who is such a relatable and realistic character. She's gone through so much in her life and I liked that we got to see a vulnerable side to her past the confident, independent and comfortable life she leads. I loved watching her character grow and seeing her journey of self-growth. Nate is an absolutely adorable and swoon-worthy character who I couldn't help but fall in love with. I loved seeing the anxiety representation in this book and I really liked getting to know his character as the book went on.
This book comes with an amazing cast of side characters. With their own unique voices and personalities I never felt overwhelmed and I really loved this little crew and what they brought to the story. Jonno is the best character ever though, I mean the support and love he has for Lucy was so nice to see!
Honestly this was a fun, cozy and light-hearted romance that i absolutely recommend picking up! It's the perfect book to read which curled up under a blanket with a hot drink!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Well, Heidi is firmly now an author I meed to explore.
Having no idea of her writing style I thoroughly enjoyed this read.
The cast of characters that surrounded Lucy were great. I do love a motley crew of side characters when written well and not too cliche.
This book is charming, it is a bit cliche but brilliantly so.
I'm not sure I am okay about the current trope of if that man and woman are enemies to lovers than the man is ALWAYS rude, closed off, sometimes come across as frankly a not very nice person. But perhaps this is infact how men might appear when other things are going on, which we learn is indeed the case for Nate. Maybe this is a male thing, just like theres often alot of similair symtoms to a females way of coping.I don't say that in a bad way. We all deal with things differently.
Lucy herself doesn't deal with relationships. And chooses a Fwb kind of style. But there are very apt reasons for her doing so.
Coming together was healing for them both. Stuck up a mountain didn't give them much choice!
I was kept guessing of quite where this book was actually going to lead. Which was new for me as I'm usually rooting for someone and hoping that follows through to a predictable ending.
A very enjoyable read, great to snuggle in with this winter. Almost everything in the book is not as it seems - hang on for the long haul!
I enjoy this author's books. Although this wasn't my favorite of hers, it was still very fun. I liked the premise and it went somewhere I wasn't expecting. Definitely give this one a try if your like holiday romances and/or brit romances ... funny, contemporary and charming!
Snowed In with You comes out next week on October 24, 2024 and you can purchase HERE.
Lucy pressed her lips together, suppressing the urge to laugh. The realisation dawned on her that she was trapped in a mountain bar with a Swiss ladies' man, his long suffering wife, their lonely daughter, two Dutch gays, one of whom was possibly a minor royal, an anxious work colleague who was secretly sleeping with their boss, and a Bee Gees tribute act that didn't take requests. Even in her wildest dreams, she couldn't make this shit up.
There are a few authors that I know I will love their new book before it’s even published. Heidi Stephens is one of those. Her sense of humour has me smirking my way through her books. I feel like she stepped it up a gear with this one.
Snowy vibes, an avalanche, a bunch of wonderful tropes for all the good feels. What more could you want?
I think I would quite like to be Lucy. She has initially a wonderful philosophy towards her love life and has made me consider trying something similar. And then she ends up in the Swiss Alps, on a work trip, snowed in with a colleague who clearly has hidden depths!
There is a journey of self growth for Lucy and I loved the motley crew she was snowed in with, up a mountain. There is a huge cast of characters, but it was Nate that I really kept wanting to know more about.
His journey in this book is even more impressive than Lucy's and the more I got to know him, the more I was falling for him myself.
I was never completely sure who if anyone that Lucy might end up with, and although I know who I was rooting for, there were other good options!
I was totally gripped by this book, I loved every second of it and it is fast cementing Heidi Stephens as an author I need to keep reading everything by.
Thank you to Headline Accent and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Lucy is a skilled copywriter who, despite her emotionally distant approach to relationships, has no shortage of romantic offers. When she finds herself stranded in a mountain café during a work trip with her aloof colleague, Nate, she’s forced to confront the emotional baggage that has made her close herself off. As Nate opens up about his own struggles, a viral moment on Instagram propels him into the spotlight, complicating the bond they’ve begun to form.
The story’s premise—being stuck during an avalanche with strangers—creates a compelling setting where Lucy and Nate, despite their opposing personalities, begin to connect. Heidi Stephens explores themes of grief and mental health, particularly how Nate’s anxiety and Lucy’s unresolved grief over her brother shape their interactions. At times, Nate’s anxiety is handled in a somewhat infantilizing way, and Lucy can come across as selfish, using her grief to avoid serious relationships.
Though the snowy setting is minimal, the book delves deeply into the emotional layers of the characters, making it more than just a winter romance. The relationship between Lucy and Jonno, a key supporting character, adds an extra dimension, with their friendship shining just as brightly as the romance.
The concept of being stuck inside during an avalanche on a mountain on a work trip was really interesting and how these characters found comfort within a group of strangers. Lucy and Nate are opposites and somehow scratch below the surface of their facade of Lucy as an extrovert and Nate as quiet and almost rude. Heidi Stephens sensitively explores grief and mental health and how this impacts both Nate with his anxiety and Lucy and grief of losing her brother. I did feel at some points Nate was treated like a child because of his anxiety despite being in his 30s. Lucy was also at points selfish and self absorbed and used her grief as an excuse for avoiding serious relationships.
I loved the situation and diverse characters stuck in the avalanche, but the story took an unexpected turn. I thought the book would continue to be set within the mountains instead of following Nate becoming a musician, which slowed the pace slightly. I would have preferred the mountain theme instead of the time jump as this felt a little disjointed from the original premise.
Overall, I enjoyed reading the book and was hooked from the start but had a few problems with Lucy and Nate's characters. I really enjoyed the well rounded and funny side characters like Jonno and Sasha and the twists throughout the story. A hooking winter read with fun characters.
A really fun read! Yes it was super cheesy in parts, but FUN cheesy, so suspend your disbelief and ignore the unrealistic fact that literally every single man who breathes is desperately in love with Lucy, the MFC!
Lucy is a talented copywriter and despite her seemingly cold approach to any kind of emotional connection with a romantic partner, she has plenty of offers. When she becomes trapped in a mountain cafe with her attractive but standoffish colleague, Nate, Lucy is forced to face the past and what caused her to close herself off emotionally. Similarly, Nate reveals his true self and a life changing moment on Instagram catapults him into the public domain, drawing him away from Lucy and their new bond.
The characters in the Gunther Cafe were brilliant! Hilarious, heart warming and an eclectic mix that just worked!
Fun, fun, fun!
4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Heidi Stephens and Headline for an ARC in return for an honest review.
First book I’ve read by Heidi and won’t be the last! I love a one bed trope and the added danger of the avalanche made this the perfect setting. It was almost like two books though in a way - during the “snowed in” part and the time away from each other part, but I wouldn’t say it was negative just added to the story, and made us fall in love more with the characters! Some teary moments though with the talk of loss and grief.
Thanks for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. What a fun book! Work trip gone wrong! They don’t ski so they take tram to bar on top of mountain….. what could possibly go wrong!? Avalanche and being stuck force togetherness. Loved watching this love unfold. Cute read!
Thank you so much for the eARC.
This book touched a few serious things- drug use, loss, and mental health.
I did not put this book down and definitely read it in one sitting. It's vulnerable and not as predictable as you may think.
I loved Snowed in with You, and picked it up just at the time I was craving an cosy, sweet and light read.
It definitely met the brief, but I was also pleasantly surprised by the warmth, humour and reflectivity of the main characters. Lucy was marvellously frank, unapologetic and authentic, but with a growing sense of self awareness and search for purpose. Nate was almost her inverse, and I loved his kindness and humour. The slow burn of their relationship, and their personal development was so satisfying.
I couldn’t put it down - the relationships, cast of characters, remote locations and somewhat out there scenarios had me hooked! I’d highly recommend this for anyone looking for a bookish escape.
Thank you Headline for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.
First of, I want to say a massive thank you to NetGalley and Heidi for allowing me to read this ARC!💖
Wow, wow, wow. This is the first book I read by Heidi and I absolutely loved it! This ruined my sleep schedule as i’m always a girl that can never put a book down 😭 But this book was so worth it!!
It was amazingly written and paced and I adored the characters! (Lucy, Nate and Jonno). The twists had my jaw on the floor and there was never a dull moment in this book! Apart from the moments of fragility that made the book that little bit more realistic.
The characters were formed together so well. No words. ♥️
Although this is written in third person and i normally hate it, this is my only exception! You completely forget about it and just get lost in their story 🫶🏼
I loved this read so much, and I recommend it to anyone who is searching for a funny, heartwarming read!!