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mishale1's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
(I thought this was a Christmas book at first and it’s really more of a winter book. Christmas is much closer to the end of this book.)
This book was very emotional with memorable, lovable characters and a beautiful writing style. I kind of thought it would be lighter than it was though.
Iris has recently moved to NYC. She’s wound up there, in a way, to kind of retrace her mother’s steps. Her mom talked loving about her time in NYC but raised Iris in the UK.
Iris’ mother passed away a few years ago, while very young. Iris jumped into a relationship not long afterwards, she was in an emotionally vulnerable place. Her mom was her only family and losing her meant Iris was all alone. Her ex took advantage of Iris in many ways and they had a relationship that was abusive (though not physically, quite upsetting).
One day Iris just dumped the abusive boyfriend and left the country.
She’s been in the Us for a short while and is doing a great job restarting her life. Her new best friend lives directly above her and she’s enjoying exploring the city.
One day she wanders along a gelato shop and realizes quickly that it’s the one her mom often mentioned. She had a brief relationship with one of the family members who owned the gelato shop and while she ultimately left him, he trusted her with the secret family recipe.
Iris’ mom made that recipe for her so many times growing up that it became their tradition too and Iris long ago memorized it.
When Iris meets Gio, she finds out that the holder of the family recipe is in the hospital and has forgotten the recipe. Iris knows she can help since she has the recipe herself but she has no way of telling them that without uncovering the family patriarch, Santos’, relationship with her mother.
So, instead she stays and tries to help Gio recreate the recipe. And she slowly starts falling for him despite the massive secrets she is keeping from him.
Man did I ever feel bad for Iris. She was keeping a secret entirely to keep Santos’ good name and it was only putting her in a precarious place with Gio. Iris is just such a good person.
Here’s my two cents: I really really could have done without the storyline about Iris’ abusive ex. This story did not need it. There were enough obstacles and it just made Iris’ backstory even sadder.
I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. I thought the writer’s way with words was beautiful and enjoyed this story.
This book was very emotional with memorable, lovable characters and a beautiful writing style. I kind of thought it would be lighter than it was though.
Iris has recently moved to NYC. She’s wound up there, in a way, to kind of retrace her mother’s steps. Her mom talked loving about her time in NYC but raised Iris in the UK.
Iris’ mother passed away a few years ago, while very young. Iris jumped into a relationship not long afterwards, she was in an emotionally vulnerable place. Her mom was her only family and losing her meant Iris was all alone. Her ex took advantage of Iris in many ways and they had a relationship that was abusive (though not physically, quite upsetting).
One day Iris just dumped the abusive boyfriend and left the country.
She’s been in the Us for a short while and is doing a great job restarting her life. Her new best friend lives directly above her and she’s enjoying exploring the city.
One day she wanders along a gelato shop and realizes quickly that it’s the one her mom often mentioned. She had a brief relationship with one of the family members who owned the gelato shop and while she ultimately left him, he trusted her with the secret family recipe.
Iris’ mom made that recipe for her so many times growing up that it became their tradition too and Iris long ago memorized it.
When Iris meets Gio, she finds out that the holder of the family recipe is in the hospital and has forgotten the recipe. Iris knows she can help since she has the recipe herself but she has no way of telling them that without uncovering the family patriarch, Santos’, relationship with her mother.
So, instead she stays and tries to help Gio recreate the recipe. And she slowly starts falling for him despite the massive secrets she is keeping from him.
Man did I ever feel bad for Iris. She was keeping a secret entirely to keep Santos’ good name and it was only putting her in a precarious place with Gio. Iris is just such a good person.
Here’s my two cents: I really really could have done without the storyline about Iris’ abusive ex. This story did not need it. There were enough obstacles and it just made Iris’ backstory even sadder.
I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. I thought the writer’s way with words was beautiful and enjoyed this story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death of parent and Emotional abuse
Minor: Cancer
bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
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!
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. It didn’t feel like a main focus and was more the journey of Iris discovering herself, fleeing a toxic relationship, and grieving the loss of her mom. 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.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️ (1.5-2/3)
Tropes: single dad (widower), found family
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Moderate: Stalking and Cancer
memoirsofabooklover's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I loved this book. It may not be winter but I read this book at the exact right time. I rarely ever cry at books but this book had me brushing tears from my cheeks over the last few chapters. This book was beautiful and a little heart wrenching. I loved the story, unique but not outlandish. her abusive ex brought up a lot for me. I appreciated that it wasn’t the main concentration of the story but it wasn’t brushed over. I loved that a lot of the characters had their own complex baggage and emotions that added to the story so well, allowing you to really feel for them, not just the main character. I loved the couple of chapters from Vivian’s perspective, to give us an insight in to her side of the story. I adored the writing style. I would definitely recommend.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Terminal illness
Minor: Alcohol and Vomit
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