4/5 Stars
0/5 Closed Door Romance

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this ebook!
This was a cute, closed-door holiday romance. Honestly, it was pretty forgettable though - not in a particularly good or bad way. It was full of cliche moments that felt like watching a less than enjoyable Hallmark Christmas movie. Sadly, that is exactly what I was looking for and it held up. I didn't love the FMC as she was a bit too over-the-top people pleaser and it got a bit annoying but I was glad to see growth in her character by the end. This was cute addition to any holiday romance TBR.

Snow Going Back offers a heartfelt journey of personal growth and self-discovery. Kate's character development is particularly compelling as she navigates her own boundaries and reassesses what she truly wants in life. While Sam is enjoyable, he does not stand out as particularly remarkable.

One aspect that may be divisive is the handling of the Kate's engagement. For a significant portion of the book, her fiancé remains in the picture despite her growing uncertainty about marriage. While some readers may view this as emotional infidelity, it can also be interpreted as a woman realising she was following expectations rather than her own desires. Ultimately, her journey is one of setting boundaries and choosing a path that aligns with her true feelings.

The book is engaging, particularly the dynamic of an external lawyer arriving to settle an estate while uncovering the lives of the deceased couple. This fresh take on the storyline adds an intriguing layer to the plot. Whilst this book was enjoyable, I'd be aware of the nuanced exploration of emotional boundaries within Kate's relationship.

This is the first time I have read a book by this author, I have to say I really enjoyed her writing style and the flow of the book. I can read a Christmas book anytime of the year. I would have like to have a bit more descriptive writing and that fuzzy feeling the holiday season brings.

I liked the enemies to lovers angle with the small town feel but unfortunately for me there was just something lacking I didn't feel a spark between the characters. The book is funny and I found myself laughing out loud at the banter shared between them. However this is a clean romance, which left me feeling we needed a little more chemistry between the characters. Overall I enjoyed reading this book I just didn't love it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. It was so much fun!

This story features lawyer Kate who accidentally accepts a proposal from her boyfriend. Instead of explaining that she did not mean to accept the proposal, she went along with it and started planning a wedding within 8 weeks.

I enjoyed the plot line of the story, but could not connect to the main character. There were so many instances of either miscommunication or lack of communication that drove me nuts. Kate is supposed to be a high-powered lawyer but can’t communicate?

Overall, I did think the book was cute. I loved the storyline about the will and figuring out who to give control of the company to. The miscommunication just pulled me out of the story too often.

This book has a little bit of everything. Both heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny. My favorite part is the relationship between Kate and her dad. They are so sweet and sincere and their banter is just perfect. 5 Stars from me.

This book was just awkward throughout. Kate agrees to marry her boyfriend…by accident. How about speaking up for yourself and just saying no? This woman is supposed to be a brilliant lawyer buggies along on a strange escapade. The will clause made no sense and the romance was nonexistent here. Kate and Sam were downright nasty to each other. These pranks went too far. How they are supposedly in love now makes no sense to me. The meddling family, weird Vermont characters and the whole “I’m a lawyer but I’ll lie and say I never signed that” thing was just so strange.

Snow Going Back is a fun, charming and festive read that gave me all the Hallmark movie vibes! With its small-town setting and an “enemies to lovers” trope, this book was the perfect way to kick off my holiday reading.

Kate’s people-pleasing tendencies (and her name 😉) had me rooting for her from the start, while her banter and tension with Sam—the rugged lumberjack/Abercrombie model—had me smiling from ear to ear. The mystery element added an extra layer of intrigue, keeping me hooked till the end.

While the emotional infidelity aspect may not be for everyone, Emma Tallon’s writing and flow made this story a memorable read. I can’t wait to see more from her in this genre!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This story is a departure from Emma's usual crime genre that we’re all familiar with.

The main character is Kate, who finds herself agreeing to Lance's proposal without fully realizing it.
We are then whisked away to Boston, where we meet Sam, a potential partner for her.

Overall, this is a fun romantic story with charming characters and a touch of mystery woven throughout. It’s a lovely and heartwarming read—perfect for curling up with when it’s dark and rainy outside. What more could you want from a cozy book?

Kate meets Sam in the US after fleeting her life back in England. A great read, I loved the setting of this book, and wanted everything to work out for Kate and Sam.

Snow Going Back by Emma Tallon is the first book I have read by this author. It had one of my favorite tropes- enemies to lovers but not the way this one was done. I want to like the main characters to enjoy the book, and I did not connect with or care for any of them.
I have only read this one by the author and will read others.
Thank you NetGalley, Emma Tallon and Bookouture for the copy of Snow Going Back. This is my personal review.

I gave this book two tries but eventually decided to DNF at around 16%. I found the writing style quite unenjoyable and the set up to be far too laborious to read though. The plot itself felt quite contrived and far too convenient to allow myself to become fully immersed in the story.

I would be interested in giving the authors future novels a try but alas, this one just wasn't for me.

Kate hates surprises, not just hates, detests surprises so getting two surprises in one day isn’t making for a great day. That said, Kate welcomed one surprise a lot more than the other! Who’d have thought a work trip to Boston would be more appealing than a marriage proposal?!?

What Kate faces when she heads Stateside is a car crash, not just in the real sense of the word. She’s got to decide who gets a much wanted and potentially lucrative state of affairs. Easy right? Not when you’ve got the housemate from hell. Kate and Sam clash like anything. Anyone would think they’re going through the war of the roses!!

Despite Kate’s reluctance to engage with her marriage preparations from afar (who wouldn’t – her mum sounds a nightmare that needed micromanaging) and the uncomfortable living situation, the curves of my mouth were raised. I smirked, I smiled, I grinned, I giggled at what Kate went through. Tallon got the emotions spot on.

Snow Going Back is just brilliant. If I didn’t know Emma Tallon was a crime thriller writer, I’d say she’s born to write rom-com fiction. I would never have believed this was her first foray into the lighter side of fiction. It ticked all the boxes for me! Is there more to come?!?

Emma Tallon, I’ve read many of your thrillers, but I loved your first women’s fiction book! It’s a delightful & heart-warming romantic comedy! I want more of this genre from you! The opposites-attract, enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity romance was perfect! Kate learns about herself & gets insight into what she needs by reading Cora’s journals.

I loved your authors note:
“…whilst love will always be what we humans live for….there’s really only one person responsible for creating true happiness in our lives. Ourselves. The curtain doesn’t fall when the girl gets the guy….Romantic love isn’t the fairy tale. Life is. And the moment we realise that we hold the reins and we control our stories, that’s the moment it really begins.“

Thank you, Emma Tallon, Bookouture, & netgalley, for my copy! All opinions are my own.

Snow Going Back was a literal hallmark movie in my brain - it was the perfect “enemies” to lovers small town trope I needed 🥰

I fell in love with Kate and her badass-ery and related HARD with her people pleasing tendencies.

Kate and Sam’s antics had me giggling and kicking my feet - I was waiting for them to fall after all of their pranking. My personal favorite was hiding the tv remote!

If you like enemies to lovers with loads of laughs and a mix of holiday cheer and heartfelt emotion - this is the perfect book for you ❤️❄️🎄🛷

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!
This book will put you in the Christmas mood. It's definitely a cute book. I would rate it 3.5 stars.
Kate accidentally says YES as the wrong time and ends up engaged to her boyfriend. She is not ready to give up her career for a house and kids. Luckily, her boss needs to her to go spend some time in another country dealing with a client estate. She then finds herself sharing a house with a man named Sam. They start to open up to each other while she's engaged and starts to realize she's not ready to get married just yet.

what a great wintery holiday read! Enemies to lovers is one of my favourite tropes, and it was really well done! The bickering and their little pranks in the beginning were hilarious to read about. However, this book was way more than just that. Yes, it was a great romance story (without any spice) but it kinda was also a story about finding yourself and being true to who you really are and going for what you really want.
The relationship between Kate and her mum wasn’t always the easiest, but her dad was so amazing and I was so glad that she had him!

I don't typically start off with the negative, but it has to do with the description of the book. The description says that Kate ran away from her boyfriend's proposal. I feel it is pertinent for the reader to know that she ran away AFTER the proposal - AFTER she wasn't honest that she didn't want to marry her boyfriend. AFTER her crazy mother started planning the wedding, and she went along with it.

This is important because she obviously isn't single when she goes to the East coast and meets Sam. This is why so many reviews are kind of upset about the whole "emotionally cheating" business. The book description sets you up to believe she had a breakup.

If you can move past that, you will find a very charming, easy, festive read with likeable characters and a great storyline. I loved the childish pranks between Sam and Kate and their obvious disdain for each other. I also appreciated Kate's growth throughout the book and how Kate found it herself. She seemed pretty relatable! She and Sam knew there was a line that they couldn't and wouldn't cross, so it made it all the sweeter when they finally were able to admit how they truly feel about each other. I didn't get the ick from emotional cheating; I just ended up getting the good feels because Sam was attractive and fun, and Lance was just an uppity turd.

All in all it was a good mix of Christmas and a slow budding romance. Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Snow Going Back was so much fun! I loved the way Emma dealt with the enemies to lovers element: I hated Sam as much as Kate did, especially when he drank all the milk, OMGGGGGGGG 😡😡😡

This was a cute enemies to lovers romance. II am not used to reading a romance by Emma Tallon. She is one of my favorite authors and did not disappoint.
Kate's boyfriend proposed to her and she accidently accepted. Now she wants out of it but doesn't want to disappoint anyone. She is a lawyer and is told that she has to go and take care of an estate and only she can do it. She meets up with a grumpy guy letting her know that the house she is in is his. The banter between these 2 was funny and they act like teenagers at first trying to up one another.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC to read.