Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin UK for the eARC!

I was pulled in right away and enjoyed the switching POVs as we occasionally get glimpses of Iris’ mom, Vivien, in the 80’s. At first I really liked them but they became a bit like filler because we don’t get much new information (most of what we know can be found in the present timeline).

I love Gio’s family, absolutely obsessed with their relationship and dynamic! I enjoyed the character development for Iris and the found family aspects too.

Love the rom-com movie references! The novel is both a romance with Iris and Gio but it’s also a romance/love story for New York. I loved the descriptions and felt like I was in NYC during the holidays!

Didn’t love the friendship between Bobby and Iris-he doesn’t feel like his own character and is more like a flat, background character purely there to further Iris’ development (and at times feels like the cliche “gay BFF”).

The spicy scenes were fairly well done except for one line about how Gio’s actions were “insanely sexual that I feel as if he's actually drawing circles on my cervix.” that was weird…

Miscommunication is a HUGE plot point which was unfortunate because it’s my least fave trope. The story was also predictable, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I would’ve enjoyed more plot twists that I didn’t see coming.

The romance was okay, it wasn’t great or horrible, just average. I much preferred Silver’s “One Night on the Island” and I don’t think the miscommunication helped with how I felt either.

I recommend for a light, fluffy holiday read! But be aware of the triggers as it tackles heavy topics like grief and domestic abuse. I’ll probably check out Silver’s other books to see if she’s an author for me or not.

Tropes: single dad (widower), Christmas romance, found family

4Stars
Thank you net galley for an ARC of this book by Josie Silver. Iris is a struggling chef. Struggling to deal with the grief over her mother and trying to escape an abusive relationship. To feel closer to her mum she moves to New York where her mum lived before she was born to start over. There she meets her best friend Bobby and stumbles upon an old gelato shop she has seen in a picture of her mums next to her gelato recipe. When she returns to the store she is welcomed by Gio a single dad and the manager of the family business. They hit it off but iris soon discovers that her connection to this family and its legacy are complicated. She has always wanted a family like this and the attraction between her and Gio is growing stronger so when secrets come to light can they overcome the past to build a future together? I really liked this story, Josie always manages to create a family or a community that you want to be part of. That mixed with lots of 80’s rom com references and musical influences make this a great story with great characters. Iris grew up with a single mum, with a transient lifestyle and you can feel that she is a little adrift when she moves to New York. Gio is strong and resilient as he had to be as a single dad but he realises he needs someone in his life again to live his life with him and they are perfect for each other. Again Josie builds the story in which both characters grow throughout the book and you are cheering for them to get that HEA.

I really enjoy this author's work - she has a way of writing lost souls that just captures me.

Writing this review may be a little difficult without giving too much away so I will try and keep the summary vague.

Iris and Gio have a chance meeting before they officially meet, and something complicated happens in that first meeting that colours their subsequent interaction.

Iris, a chef from London, has a deeper connection to Gio and his family than he knows. As they get to know each other better, the secrets Iris keeps from him threaten to destroy their romance.

I really liked both of these characters. And the other characters, like Gio's family and Iris' Bobby provide plenty of comic relief. Once the romance heats up the story really takes off. It's sweet and reflective and made me really hungry!

The only issue I had, which was a small one. Iris tells a lie of sorts when she first meets Gio, and it seemed unnecessary to add this drama to an already complicated and angst filled story. I felt that, with the combination of elements like the loss of a loved one, single dad, running from the ex and secret shared history, we just didn't need the lie. It irked me until the end, when everything is explained.

Apart from that I really enjoyed the book and was invested in the HEA. A great seasonal read.

I receive an ARC of this book from Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thanks netgalley and publishers for arc
This is a lovely, joyous, uplifting book it follows a young woman Iris who has run away from a horrible, controlling boyfriend in London and followed her mum’s dreams to live in New York. She ends up being taken in by Bobby a lovely man who lives with his husband Robin above their noodle shop they give her a job and a place to live. She goes exploring on her days of to the places her mum went to like the place she had one piece of paper from a gelato shop she was determined to find it and she did it wasn’t very far from where she lived just an Uber ride and she was through the glass doors her mum had a picture of and then she was inside and there was a coffee machine and amazing cakes but no gelato! Hello can I help you said a male voice a lovely man Gio it said on his badge erm is there no gelato? Oh let me get you a coffee I will explain he said and that started Gio and Iris talking
Turns out santo his father had been taken ill and only he knew the actual recipe so no gelato ! Well this isn’t true Iris had the recipe written on a piece of paper in her pocket but she couldn’t just give it him her mum had told her santos told her to give it no one
So instead she offered to try to make a recipe that was the same if she could taste some she explained she was a trained chef so knew what she was doing
So that’s how Iris became ingrained into the family but we all know a lie will always come out so will irs get caught out she’s getting closer to Gio falling for him even it’s a dangerous game someone always gets hurt in the end

A lovely romance to warm your heart, nice bit of foodie descriptions and some twists to make sure it’s not too predictable.

This was a lovely seasonal romance. Iris escapes an abusive relationship in London and heads to New York to restart her life.

She meets Gil and unbeknownst to her they have a history which is intrinsically linked.

I don’t want to give any spoilers but the story draws us into a tight knit Italian family and everything that goes with it.

Thank you NetGalley, RandomHouse Publishing and Josie Silver for this ARC!

What a charming and heartwarming winter romance. And though as an Australian I can never relate to snow filled romances I loved the love story and had me craving gelato hehe.

Iris has moved to New York City from England, after getting out of an abusive relationship. She's following in her mother, Vivian's, footsteps who passed away a few years before, but when she was young she had moved to NYC to join a band in the hopes of making it big. Instead of making it big, she met a sweet Italian man, name Santo, who ran a gelataria with his family. To prove he loved Vivian he gave her the secret family recipe for vanilla gelato.

Iris finds the gelataria by chance and when she goes in she finds out they're not selling gelato at the moment as the recipe is only known by one person - Santo. And he's currently in hospital after suffering a stroke. So Iris agrees to help Santo's nephew, Gio, recreate the recipe - even though she actually has it. She doesn't want to give up her mother's and Santo's secret so she gently steers Gio to the right recipe.

Iris and Gio fall for each other and things are starting to get serious when Gio's father and Santo come home. They both recognise Iris immediately and warn her away from Gio. So she writes him a letter and she leaves.

I enjoyed the story but it was a slow burn, at least until the ending when it felt quite rushed. It seemed like once Santo was home from the hospital the story quickly ended without any real story telling. But Iris did get some closure from her past which was nice to see.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Loved this story the author Josie Silver makes you feel part of the magical story of Iris and how she travels to New York and discovers gelato and a secret.
A lovely Christmas story full of magical moments and intrigue which keep you wanting to read more and willing Iris on to find true love.
Highly recommend for a heart warming Christmas story.
Thanks to NetGalley & Penguin General UK for a ARC for a honest review,

I don’t often give 5⭐️ but I had to with this book as I loved it so much! i loved the character of iris, who had recently lost her beloved mum and had retraced her mum’s steps to New York. I also fell in love with Gio, the widower from a fabulous and warm Italian family, and particularly loved, Bobby, Iris’s amazing and warm hearted best friend. I raced through it as the story between Iris and Gio had me hooked and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened to them. If you love romance, families and friendship all wrapped up in a deliciously heart warming story, then you’ll love this too!

A dreamy romantic novel, that feels like a classic Christmas movie. All the beloved rom-com tropes are here, from the snowy New York setting to the handsome single-father who is looking for love. An easy, cosy, festive read, to be enjoyed with a glass of mulled wine in the glow of your Christmas tree lights.

Josie silver always brings the best ideas to her stories and this is no exception. Yet again I loved her book and will be happy to add it to my collection

This is the Josie Silver I know and love. This book held the magic I felt whilst reading One Day in December and I couldn’t put it down. I adored this book as much as I love gelato (and that’s saying something).

Loved it! Raced through it to find out what happens then became upset because I missed wonderful characters .
Iris has had a terrible three years. Her free spirited Mum died and then she became embroiled in a controlling relationship. Iris eventually found the courage to escape and decided to flee to New York where her Mum had made many happy memories.
Walking through a street market, Iris recognises a doorway from an old scrapbook of her mothers, and returns the next day to investigate if her Mum’s ‘love of her life’ is still there.
There is so much happening in this book it feels wrong to spoil it for others by revealing too much.
I really could not put this down. The Belotti family were so lively and who can resist a singing chef!
Make sure you have some gelato in the house before you start reading!

This book will take you on an emotional journey. A touch of mystery, romance, likeable believable characters and a wonderful setting of New York, a must read. Thanks netgalley.

Just what you need at Christmas, a romantic novel set in New York. The many coincidences that draw the two main characters together are quite unique and very imaginative. A charming story that just needs the log fire and a cup of hot chocolate to enjoy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the advance copy of this book.

This is a delightfully seasonal romantic love story, set in the perfect location of New York in winter, from Josie Silver. Chef Iris Raven lost to cancer the only person she was ever close to, her singer mom, Vivien, drowning in grief she inadvertently found herself slipping into an abusive relationship with Adam Bronson. She eventually manages to crawl away from him, escaping to New York, but shaking the trauma and its repercussions proves to be more difficult. Through time, she manages to slowly rebuild her life brick by brick, finding a lifelong friend in Bobby Han, married to Robin, working in his noodle store. Her mother had loved NYC, but it is only when Iris accidentally bumps into a desperate Gio in his gelaterie, becoming drawn to the warmth of his vibrant multigenerational family, that she learns of aspects of Vivien's life she had never been aware of previously.

However, the relationship she builds with Gio is built on lies and deception, his business needs their secret family recipe for vanilla gelato, but his uncle Santo is in a coma and it is uncertain he will ever be able to remember it. Coincidentally this gelato, served in pink melamine dishes had formed a constant comfort throughout Iris's life, it turns out Santo and Vivien had met when young. Iris feels she owes Gio's family the recipe, but how to pass it on without giving away Vivien's connection with his family? She becomes immersed in his life, falling for a man intent on guarding his vulnerable heart, as is she, embarking on a secret affair that simply cement their feelings for each other as he opens her eyes to the magic of NYC, but their future faces the obstacles of her secrets, Santo, and her past.

Silver writes of the complexities of relationships formed later in life, when there are others to take into account, such as a teenage daughter and a supportive family with regard to Gio, and the trauma of managing to survive a abusive partner for Iris, not to mention the impact of her mother's personal history. This is a poignant and engaging read that I think many of the author's fans will adore, and I can see new readers enjoying this seasonal romance too, particularly with these protagonists, the supporting cast of winning characters, gelato, a disdainful cat named Smirnoff, and the location itself. Many thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

This was my second Josie Silver and I have to say, I enjoyed this even more than One Day in December. Both have winter vibes but this one was much more atmospheric, and I absolutely loved the New York setting (especially Little Italy)! I really enjoyed the topics of family, legacy and dealing with your past. The characters were a lot of fun, I especially loved the quirky side characters. The romance itself was well done, althogh it didn't give me that 'butterflies in your stomach' feeling. All in all, I think this is a very sweet (pun intended) and entertaining rom-com with some heavier topics mixed in, and I can highly recommend it to all romance lovers!

If you've never had the chance to be in New York at Christmas then make sure you read this book! Magical times are to be had with this set of characters in a perfect setting!! What's not to love!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review

It’s always a real treat to read a Josie Silver book and this one was no exception. A magical Christmas story set in beautiful New York. A great set of characters with a storyline including romance and mystery. What’s not to love?
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.