The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman: Book Review

The Secret of Snow is the first holiday book by best-selling author Viola Shipman. Released in October 2021. It takes readers on a journey from Palm Springs, CA, to Traverse City, MI. Sonny Dunes finds herself at a crossroads after being replaced by an AI meteorologist. She finds herself returning to the last place she wants to be, her hometown full of tragic memories.

CW/TW: grief, mental health, suicide (before story starts), death (before story starts)

Synopsis from Goodreads

Sonny Dunes, a SoCal meteorologist who knows only sunshine and seventy-two-degree days, is being replaced by an AI meteorologist, which the youthful station manager reasons “will never age, gain weight, or renegotiate its contract.” The only station willing to give the fifty-year-old another shot is one in a famously nontropical place—her northern Michigan hometown.

Unearthing her carefully laid California roots, Sonny returns home and reacclimates to the painfully long, dark winters dominated by a Michigan phenomenon known as lake-effect snow. But beyond the complete physical shock to her system, she’s also forced to confront her past: her new boss, a former journalism classmate and mortal frenemy; more keenly, the death of a younger sister who loved the snow; and the mother who caused Sonny to leave.

To distract herself from the unwelcome memories, Sonny decides to throw herself headfirst into all things winter to woo viewers and reclaim her success. From sledding and ice fishing to skiing and winter festivals, the merrymaking culminates with the town’s famed Winter Ice Sculpture Contest. Running the events is a widowed father and chamber of commerce director, whose genuine love of Michigan, winter, and Sonny just might thaw her heart and restart her life in a way she never could have predicted.

My Opinions

I added The Secret of Snow to my TBR back in August of 2021. It sounded like a cozy, but not romance-forward holiday read. And it kind of is. But don’t be fooled; it’s not really a holiday story, since most of it takes place after the New Year. The book starts before Christmas and ends in March.

There were a few times after I started reading that I was tempted to DNF the book. Why? Because the pacing felt a tad slow. And Sonny had a major chip on her shoulder, which really made me not like her. But I stuck with it, and I’m glad I did. As the story progresses, Sonny shows some character growth and begins to deal with the guilt that she had carried for over 30 years.

I enjoyed the little mystery that was in the middle of the story, though I knew exactly who was behind it all. It was a bit surprising that none of the characters caught on as quickly.

Overall, The Secret of Snow is a story about grief and healing, about letting go of guilt and trying to live in the present.

Are you looking for some more books to read? Check out my bookish lists, book reviews, and monthly reading wrap-ups.