Snowed Under
Juliana Smith

This was the perfect sweet romcom palette cleanser.

I had to read this based on the setting alone. Aspen ski resort! Yes please.

“I’m not adding to her plate.”
“Don’t take from her plate, either. Leave her plate alone.”
“I can’t even lick it?”
“No licking.”

Snowed Under is an opposites-attract romantic comedy where a reserved single aunt and a confident children’s ski instructor partner together in an attempt to save a local ski lodge.

Fans of found families after tragedy strikes will love this one - navigating parenthood after her brother and sister-in-law die suddenly leaving Madeline two young girls children.

‘It felt like my world had been turned upside down entirely. Like this entire time, I was living in only my point of view, but in the last hour, I had been lifted from my body and shown an outside view, and it was nothing like what I expected.’

Cooper is the charismatic ski instructor whose biggest flaw in my eyes was his extravagant gift giving as his love language.

If you’re looking for a cute heartwarming romcom, this should tick the boxes.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc! 🫶🏼

Where do I begin? I loved this book so much. What started out as the cutest meet cute turned into something so much more. Cooper is the definition of GOLDEN RETRIEVER 🥺 every time he did something where Madeline and the kids were concerned, I swooned so hard!!!!! 😭

I love how Cooper and Madeline’s relationship progressed, it was at the perfect pace and the fact that Cooper was determined to have her made it all worth while!!!

I LOVE kids in romance novels 🥰 they make the book 10x more enjoyable, Charlie and Piper were so perfect! I cannot imagine what they’ve been through but it was so amazing to see them attach themselves to Madeline and eventually Cooper 🥹.

Overall this is a 5 ⭐️ read for me. I loved it and the characters!!!

Read if you like:
⛷️ fake dating
⛷️ he falls first
⛷️ snowy setting
⛷️ found family

This was such a cute holiday fun read. It's got the fake dating trope which I LOVE!!! The perfect opposite attract romantic comedy!

Snowed Under is the second in the Aspen Peaks series but can be totally read as a standalone. However it was so much fun to check in on Finn and Olive from the first novel as well as meet some of my new fav characters in this one.

SNOWED UNDER is an opposites-attract romantic comedy where a reserved single aunt and a confident children’s ski instructor partner together in an attempt to save a local ski lodge.

This is not only one of my fav winter romances but it’s certainly up there as one of my fav romances EVER. Madeline is so relatable and Cooper is one of the funniest written characters (and soon to be your new book boyfriend) ever. The banter was so funny, the kids were adorable and the setting of a ski lodge was so unique and charming. Not only was the story itself fantastic but the writing was phenomenal and I really felt like I was up on the mountain with them.

I have absolutely zero complaints and highly recommend this book

After the death of her brother/best friend, Madeline became full-time guardian to his 2 small children. Loving them to pieces is easy. Taking care of them, going to nursing school and working is hard, but worth it. Cooper works as children's ski instructor at his family's ski resort. Now to help boost their resort against a newer resort, he needs Madeline to pretend to married for a national interview. Started slowly for me and I really didn't care for Cooper at all. But about a third in, everything jelled and I ended up enjoying the book. And characters of the two children were so distinct and well defined! Loved them

"I don't think I realized how badly I was running on E until I met you."

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for this eARC!

I loved loved loved this book! It is an opposites attract, fake-dating, and a single-aunt romance! Madeline Sage is losing herself- she feels as if her world fell apart when her brother and best friend passed away, leaving their two kids in her custody. She's a nursing student and a part-time cleaner at a ski lodge, but she still tries to do everything she can to help others. Her relentless mother seems to think that Madeline needs a man in her life to help out, so she's determined to do just that... even if it's fake. Cooper Graves is a ski instructor at his family's ski lodge, and in an attempt to save the lodge, he agrees to do a magazine interview. Unfortunately for him, the magazine wants his wife and family to be there as well. As they agree to fake date for each other, they go on "not-dates" where their chemistry is evident, and they learn they have more in common than they first thought. Through the story, they struggle to find out if love is enough to overcome their tragic pasts.

"Madeline Sage was sunshine itself. Not the kind of sunshine where, if you stood out of the shade for five minutes, you would have a sunburn. And certainly not the kind of sunshine that hid behind clouds and barely peeked out. She was the form of sunshine that showed up right after a bad rainstorm. The sun that made rainbows appear and made you look around and think there were a lot of good things in this life."

Once again, I LOVED this book. I really enjoyed the fake dating, and I loved the single aunt twist on the single parent trope. I loved seeing the relationship blossom in such a cute way. Also, I just adore that it was closed door but still filled with chemistry and angst!!

This was an absolute delight! Madeline and Cooper’s fake relationship is packed with chemistry, hilarious moments, and ALL the swoon-worthy vibes. I was giggling, kicking my feet, and blushing through so many scenes—ahem, Cooper Graves, ladies. He’s everything! The opposites-attract dynamic, cozy ski-lodge setting, and heartfelt themes of love, loss, and finding yourself again make this story so special. My only wish? That the big interview Cooper was prepping for had been more than a couple of pages. I wanted to see more of how it played out!

But honestly, this book is so funny, charming, and full of heart that it’s impossible not to fall in love with it. Highly recommend for anyone who needs a warm, feel-good winter romance. 🌨️✨ Definitely joining the Cooper Graves Fan Club!

Omg I absolutely loved this book so much! The romance was typical Juliana Smith, meaning it was swoon-worthy af, and I was hooked immediately!

Truly loved this. So happy to see a little continuation of these characters. The little kids in this storyline make it so cute but how can you not love a reformed “bad boy”. Yes please. She’s on the struggle bus with everything going on in her life and he’s from generational wealth. They couldn’t be more opposite financially and compatible emotionally.

3.5 stars! Snowed Under is the perfect cozy cabin winter read. It read so much like a Hallmark movie, and I loved the snowy vibes. And as someone who's lived in Colorado for like two decades...the author overall did a great job of capturing the Rocky Mountain resort feel.

This was definitely way more of a character/relationship + family dynamic book versus plot book. I adored the relationship between Cooper and Charlie. I liked how it touched on deeper, emotional topics without being too, too heavy. Cooper was one hundred percent giving Jake Peralta, golden retriever vibes.

I do wish the interview plot was more prevalent. It seemed like it would be a big deal throughout the whole book, but it fizzled out rather abruptly. I also thought the pacing of Cooper and Madeline's relationship was clunky. It had characteristics of insta-love but somehow was also slow burn? And the ending felt a bit rushed. But overall, such a cute, cozy, and hot-cup-of-tea-and-a-blanket read!

Thank you so much to Heartbreaker PR and Juliana Smith for sending me a copy of Snowed Under. As always, my reviews are one hundred percent voluntary and all opinions are my own :)

It took me a while to get into the book, but once it picked up, I got hooked. I really liked the two main characters. I felt for Madeline as she tried to balance so much, and I loved how Cooper stepped in to support her.

Thanks to Netgalley for my advanced e copy in exchange for my honest review

Publish date: November 23, 2025

I loved book one Baggage Claim in the Aspen Peaks Series.
And immediately requested the second book in this amazing series when I seen it was available.
Snowed Under by Juliana Smith is a cute and fun opposites-attract romantic comedy.
An adorable holiday read that sucks you in and holds you captive.
I absolutely loved this book. I loved the characters the setting and all the humor.
The writing was done well here.

This was an adorable and quick winter read. Perfect holiday vibes.

It was easy to love these characters and I just wanted more from them. This could have been like 3 times longer and I would have ate it up!
I feel like we didn't get a lot of detail into Piper's progression, the ex,and Madeline's relationship with her parents post-betrayal. I want to know it all!

I did love that we got good insight into the kids, as they were such a big part of this story. I feel like a lot of stories with kids gloss over that part and almost forget about it, but Juliana did a wonderful job at keeping them present the whole way through.

I highly recommend it.

4.5 stars!! I love these books. I just recently discovered this author on instagram. The story is cute as well as well thought out. The romance and plot line is great and perfect for the season! I am excited to buy one and put it on my shelf. I highly recommend giving these a try :)

One chapter into Snowed Under, and I was completely hooked. The dual POV storytelling was executed perfectly, drawing me into both Madeline’s and Cooper’s perspectives in a way that felt natural and engaging.

The premise felt fresh and unique. Cooper, the charming ski coach, falling for Madeline, the mother of one of his students, is already intriguing—but the twist that Madeline is actually Charlie and Piper’s aunt adds an emotional complexity I didn’t see coming. The family dynamics were handled beautifully, with Madeline stepping up to care for her late brother's children. The backdrop of the ski lodge as a family business provided a cozy, atmospheric charm that tied everything together perfectly.

Cooper, the charming ski coach, falling for Madeline added a swoon-worthy touch. The twist that Cooper’s mom turned out to be Piper’s speech therapist was unexpected and emotionally charged. I don’t usually cry while reading, but I couldn’t hold back during many of the interactions between Madeline and Dr. Lora. There were many powerful moments that highlighted the importance of connection and support.

Juliana Smith did a fantastic job blending lighthearted, fluffy romance with meaningful themes of family, loss, and love. And can we take a moment to appreciate the iconic character name Olive Branch? Amazing!

Overall, Snowed Under is an easy yet impactful read, offering humor, heart, and depth. It’s a perfect pick for anyone looking for a cozy romance with a unique twist. Highly recommend!

Such a cutie winter/holiday romcom!! I’m forever obsessed with Juliana Smith’s writing style - her books are so fun and I always get so attached to the characters.

Cooper and Madeline had one of the cutest meet-cute’s I have ever read and the fake dating situation was perfect! Literally so much to love about this book and highly recommend for anyone wanting a little winter romance book that will simultaneously make them laugh and cry.

p.s. the nicknames were my favorite omgggg especially half-pint 🫠

👩🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻 fake dating
❄️ holiday romcom
🧲 opposites attract
💼 workplace romance
❌ no third act breakup
💖 fun meet cute

this was even better than the first book in the series, baggage claim, which was one of my favourite reads from last year! i thoroughly enjoyed Snowed Under and would recommend to everyone looking for a cute winter romance read.

If you need a cozy winter book to start those holiday reads, start here! This book has all of the cozy vibes we are all looking for in winter. Both main characters are wholesome and lovable! Plus what’s not to love when it comes to a fake dating, opposites attract, no third act break up romance book???
The cover makes me want to go grab my kid and go play in the snow 😍

I can't remember exactly when I began reading Juliana Smith's books, but she quickly became an auto-read author for me. Her books are so cozy and sweet, and are the perfect balance to some heavier or spicer romances that I also enjoy. Like all of Juliana's books, Snowed Under never failed to put a smile on my face with how cute the characters and their romance were. If you are looking for a cozy winter romance to ease into the holiday season, you're going to love Snowed Under!

4.5 ⭐️

this book felt like sitting by a warm fireplace, all cozy and drinking hot chocolate, after a day of playing in the snow outside. Juliana Smith’s books always give me all the sweet, cozy feelings and I absolutely ADORED this one!!

Madeline and Cooper were so wholesome and sweet in every way. The way they looked out for each other and were there for each other, especially when the other didn’t even ask for it. I loved Cooper’s golden retriever personality and how he interacted with everyone with such kind, genuine affection and good-natured humour. The relationship he had with both Charlie and Piper was SO sweet!! I loved the ‘fake dating’ aspect of how it all started as well and how that continued into it’s own things as time went out. It felt super natural and authentic how their relationship developed!

A cozy, winter read full of skiing, fake dating antics, golden retriever mmc energy, and a sweet aunt with guardianship of her niece and nephew. a charming & pull-you-out-of-your-slump read for the winter season!! Thank you Victory Editing, NetGalley, and Juliana Smith for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. Snowed Under is out now (GO READ IT!!) 💜