The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman

The plot of this book sounds straight out of a Hallmark Movie. Meteorologist Sonny Dunes has the easiest job in the world forecasting endless sunny skies in Palm Springs, California, until one day the 50 year old loses her job to a virtual replacement. After a public meltdown caught on camera goes viral, the only station that will hire her is in her cold and snowy Northern Michigan hometown, a place she has tried very hard to avoid since the death of her sister. Her arrival is not welcome by everyone – especially the assistant meteorologist who was hoping for her job, and her new boss who had a falling out with Sonny in college. Both seem determined to embarrass Sonny for their own amusement by sending her on crazy winter location assignments with a handsome local representative from the Chamber of Commerce.

I was expecting this to be a light, fluffy read but it ended up being so much more! The cozy winter scenes are fun and the blossoming romance is sweet, but underneath it all was a wonderful exploration of grief and regret. Both Sonny and her love interest, Mason, are dealing with grief in very different ways. Her mother is a hospice worker who sees grief up close and has used her experience to help others face difficult emotions. I found myself stopping and rereading numerous poignant passages, some of which I stopped to write down because they affected me so much. I loved that this book made me want to bundle up and build a snowman, while it also inspired me to think about deeper things. It’s the perfect read for someone who loves a good Hallmark movie, but is also willing to tackle some difficult subjects. Pick this one up for a perfect holiday/winter read!