I have to mark this book as DNF. I am over 30% in and I just can't get into this read and everything there annoys me, especially the main characters. Everything there centers around Ginny, everone have to tiptoe around her, there are heavy hints on some secrets that I, to be absolutely honest, don't want to know. It just doesn't work for me and before I rate it with 1 or 2 stars I'd rather DNF it.

PS. It's really not a 1 - star - review. To post my "review" I had to rate it with stars.

This book was so much fun to read!!!

My review has been posted to my blog & Goodreads. Review has also been tweeted as usual. Thank you! :c)

I enjoyed this book! It’s a fairly straightforward story of five ladies, of a certain age, who are lifelong friends. Each of them is going through certain things in her own life and the story switches between the perspectives so you are fully aware of each character and her own circumstances and story.
Anyway, they decide to go skiing in Switzerland on Boxing Day, this is to help support one who was recent
Y widowed. And as the story unfolds in the glorious Swiss Alps more and more is revealed. None of which I will reveal now, you’ll just have to read it, and enjoy it, for yourself!

I really had high hopes for this book!

Started out enjoying it, but the ‘Flowers’ references were just too much and too cringe. I couldnt finish the book because they were everywhere.

Other than that, loved the concept and writing style.

This was just not for me. Seems to need a lot of editing to make it readable. The characters were wooden and strange.

A novel showing that your life can really begin no matter your age. For this is a group of almost 60 year old women, who have gone on a skiing holiday in the Swiss Alps to bring in the New Year.

The catch - only Angie has ever skiied before, the rest are rather scared, but have been improving their fitness over the previous six months to prepare for this holiday.

This is a trip for a close group of friends to spend time together, but also mark the 1 year mark of Ginny losing her husband. And it soon becomes apparent just how she has been dealing with the grief, and as the book progresses over the week, it is like she has been reborn.

At the start of the book we get to meet all five of the ladies, who call themselves Flowers (which is a rather clever acronym explained early on). And although we need that intro to all five, the book then predominately splits the chapters and narrative into three in particular that we get to know rather well.

So the three main 1st person points of view we switch between are Ginny, who really is the star of the book, her best friend Kim who lives in Australia, and Cathy who is also hiding things from the group.

There are over the course of many apres ski sessions all sorts of revelations, its turns out for best friends they aren't that great at sharing ever last part of their lives, so there are all manner of interesting conversations.

What I found really admirable was the skiing, this is all about the nursery slopes, and learning the basics, unlike books featuring skiing with younger main characters that can seem reckless - this is far more considered, but they are all facing fears, and giving it a good go.

I would have loved to have been on this trip with them, the village of La Tzoumaz in Switzerland sounded picture perfect, and the hospitality in the restaurants was second to none.

This was for me a slow book to get into, I found I was enjoying it but at the same time, it just didn't feel like a quick read, but more measured and sedate - then again fast paced with the age of these characters would have potentially felt a bit wrong. So the pacing does fit the book and there are plenty of story lines and talking points. It is a really enjoyable story, that I'm really glad to have read.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Digital for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I was looking forward to reading this book as I loved the cover and tge details about it. Although it was good I was let down a little as found it slow going to start with but once it got going I enjoyed it more. The characters are very good and love hearing about the skiing resort as you felt you were there. Full off loss, friendship and heartbreak and about moving forward from loss and being happy again and of course full of romance to. It's heartwarming and funny and an easy read.
Ginny has lost her husband and she's struggling with grief and it's coming up to his first year anniversary so how will she cope with that and her husband had many secrets which she didn't know if we're true or not. Thankfully she has four very good friends and they decide to take her away for the one year anniversary and they go skiing to Switzerland. They think they are all very close or so they think but they are all fighting their own battles and can they learn to open up and talk to each other or not. They are all so worried about falling over on the slopes and especially after they have fun together in the evenings. One by one they start to open up but for one have they left it to late and will the friendship be broken. Can they find new friendships and live in people they meet there and move forward or is grief just to hard to move forward from.

What a wonderful festive read by Karen Aldous. I don't think I've ever read a novel by this author before and after reading this I can't imagine why! It was gripping right from the start, and after the first couple of pages I actually had a few tears in my eyes as it was quite emotional!

Quickly talking about the cover, this is what automatically drew me in. I love the pale blue sky full of snow, and of course the thick snow covering everything in sight! The skiers, the lodge, and the mistletoe around the edges makes such a beautiful cover that I couldn't wait to get stuck in! I also love that all five women are featured on the front cover, as it gives you a better idea of the story. The blurb also drew me in, it sounded so exciting and really intrigued me!

I really found that I related to all of the characters in their own certain way. They were all quite different but it was refreshing to read about different characters. It had everything you could possibly ask for in a novel, it had love, friendship, drama and snow! It had deep meanings behind this novel and for that I was completely gripped. I would 100% recommend giving this novel a read, as you will be hooked after the first page! I will certainly be looking out for more novels by this author in the future that's for sure!

Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read this novel, which I have reviewed honestly

This book had me torn in two, I found myself warming to Ginnie but it took me awhile to warm to some of the other women...it was slow in places but overall I’m glad I read it