I read A New York Winter over a couple of days. It was a nice enough novel but I can’t say that it overly grabbed me. The story and the characters were pleasant enough but I just felt there was something lacking. Thank you to NetGalley, Little, Brown a book Group and the author for the chance to review.

When i read the blurb for this book i knew that it was one that i was going to love and i was definitely right - i thoroughly enjoyed everything about it!

It’s a Christmas story and it is set in New York, my two most favourite things in a book and i definitely wasn’t disappointed.

A New York Winter was a gorgeous slow-burn festive romance and it pulled me in right from the very beginning and made me fall in love.

It is the perfect book to cuddle up with a blanket and a cup of hot chocolate and i found myself becoming totally immersed in this story, very quickly.

This was a gorgeous, heartwarming, romantic story that made my heart very happy…….

I'm a sucker for a book set in New York. And this book was truly a love letter to New York.
Loved it loved it loved it.

This book took me a while to get into as at first I just didn’t like the protagonist, but a third of the way through, Ashling grew on me and I couldn’t put it down. It’s a bit cheesy, a bit inspiring, and just what you want from a cosy Christmas romance. It’s also made me want to book flights to New York this winter (with a weekend in Vermont for the maple syrup whiskey!

Such a beautifully crafted story, brimming with romance but also a deep love for New York & the importance of finding purpose.
Ashling and River were just superb characters, I really enjoyed reading their similar career dilemmas and the unusual but tantalising beginnings of their arrangement. Ashling's beautiful relationship with her Mum, and her grandma "Grooms" were some of my favourite scenes in this book. It is about being brave, bold and finding the beauty in failure..

I absolutely adored this book with the New York setting, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve all rolled into one story. I really liked the protagonist being a pilot and I have family experience with the injury she suffers from so it was quite relatable in that aspect. The initial meet cute and then the flat confusion was great, River and Ashling make such good roommates with the slow burn being both torturous and delicious. The Thanksgiving parade situation was hilarious and I loved the Vermont chapters, it was great to get away from New York for a while and delight in some maple syrup goodness with a near miss thrown in as well! The Christmas holiday scenes were delightful and the Times Square NYE scene was wonderful. I love the realisation of Ashling's dreams and how things alter and she learns to accept and even embrace that. River was a lovely leading man for this kind of story, he had his own things going on but he really let Ashling shine. I had never read an Isla Gordon book before this one but I'm definitely going to read some more now!
'To keep dreaming'.
(My review will be posted on my bookstagram @rosesmagicalreads at some point on the 9th November.

How wonderful to visit New York at Christmas, from the comfort of my armchair, without the need to freeze in the cold!

And I truly feel as though I have experienced the holidays in New York after reading this, as Ashling fits so much into her time in the city.

Ashling at times drove me slightly mad with her need to find new dreams for the rest of her life, but other than that, I loved every moment of the book.

From the run up to Thanksgiving, including the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, to Christmas, including the Rockettes Christmas extravaganza and the Times Square Ball drop - this must have included just about every iconic New York Christmas thing you could do. And I was so living it up alongside Ashling.

But we also get to see some of the less touristy things, and spend a fair bit of time in Greenwich Village too. There's even a road trip to another gorgeous American wintery location. I'm positive this book will do good things for New York tourism.

Everything was described to perfectly. But it's not just an ode to New York, there is a lovely story within the pages too, about Ashling trying to work out what she would like to do with her life next, after a freak injury means she can no longer fly planes.

This is just a charming story that totally transported me. Another great book from the always talented Isla Gordon.

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

Ashling is living the dream as a short haul pilot with even bigger dreams for the future. But when a shoulder injury puts a stop to her piloting career, she is forced to rethink her whole future. Determined the make the last dream on her ten-year-old list come true, she makes a snap decision to move to New York for the winter on a 90 day visa, with the hope of realising what her future holds and what her new dreams will look like. But with her ex Hugh also now living in New York, and his colleague River ending up being Ashling’s roommate, are things about to get complicated?

Ashling is a fab character. Feisty and brave and not afraid to go after what she wants, even if she doesn’t always know what that is. I loved her impulsivity and I wish I was a bit more like that instead of such an over thinker! I loved being on her journey of discovery and learning what really mattered to her. I think we put so much emphasis on ‘all our dreams coming true’, and it’s important to take stock and think - are these ‘dreams’ actually making me happy? Or am I too focused on the end goal?

Loved River 😍😍 I was rooting so hard for them two!!! And the setting was just gorgeous. Visiting New York at Christmastime is one of my life goals, and to live it vicariously through Ashling was a real joy. I could feel the festive, wintery atmosphere pulsing through the pages and I felt like I was there. It was so immersive.

A fabulous wintry delight, less Christmassy than A Winter in Wonderland so a perfect winter read to curl up with in the warm ❄️

"Escape to the city that never sleeps" is actually a very, very good description of this book, because it mostly felt like a tribute to New York. And this is actually my biggest problem with Isla Gordon's books, because well, she writes novels around something: around a dog, around a city... and the plot feels like an after - thought. She centres New York (in that case) in the centre and thinks about a story and well, I know how well this author can write, I loved Lisa Dickenson's books, and perhaps it'S time that she, again, starts writing her novels around characters.

But whatever. My problems aside, it was a lovely and uplifting read, full of warmth and easy to follow. The author added some "mysteries" throughout the story that I could have lived wihout, like with Ashley's grandma and the repetitive listing of Ashley's plan. The writing style was brilliant, full of humour and great one - liners and Ashley's character was truly great. She didn't take no for an answer, she was very persistent actually, but I like this in my fictional characters, probably because I am not like this and when someone says no, than, well, it's a no. For Ashley not.

Of course the descriptions of New York were just spot on and you can see that the author has also fallen in love with this city. Altogether, it was a warm story about second chances, looking for happiness, also lovingly describing relationship between mother and daughter.

A slow burn story but it got better and better. Ashling was living her dream job and things happen. You follow her to New York and you get to fall in love with New York and Ashling’s story. It is nice story. A neat happy ending

Another lovely book by author Isla. This time it has a great festive feeling running throughout. Good characters and a story that will make you smile.

Very cute! Perfect for this time of year to get cosy with a blanket and this book! I enjoyed my read through greatly it gave me perfect cosy vibes! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.