And another book from a personal favourite today – I’m delighted to be joining the blog tour for the latest book from Leonie Mack, Snow Days With You, and sharing my review. Published by Boldwood Books on 20th October, it’s now available as an e-book (free via Kindle Unlimited), in paperback, and as an audiobook too. Many thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the tour invitation and the support, and to publishers Boldwood for my advance reading e-copy (provided via netgalley).
Leonie first won my heart with My Christmas Number One (you’ll find my review again here) – such an original Christmas read, with the most extraordinary chemistry between her two main characters. And the chemistry is something she does SO well – I loved Italy Ever After too (my review is here), and then thoroughly enjoyed two of the most perfect Italian romances (and in the most romantic city of them all) with A Match Made in Venice (review here) and We’ll Always Have Venice (review here). Last year’s Christmas release was Twenty-One Nights in Paris (you’ll find my review of that one here) – a totally gorgeous fairytale romance (and maybe Venice isn’t the most romantic city after all!). And then came A Taste of Italian Sunshine – the vineyards of Veneto this time, the setting as beautifully drawn as ever, and a really special romance (you’ll find my review here). A gorgeous snowy cover and setting for her latest, perfect for the season and for reading by a roaring fire – let’s take a closer look…
When Luna Rowntree gets an unexpected and life-changing legacy from a man she’s never met, she’s determined to find out why – even if it is Christmas Day and her family are expecting her.
So, with only her mother’s ashes for company – it’s a long story, but Luna knows her mother would have wanted to come on the adventure too – Luna sets off in her trusty Astra to the skiing resort in Chamonix, where her mysterious benefactor had lived.
But her little car isn’t designed for driving through snow-covered mountains, and when she runs out of fuel heart-breakingly close to Chamonix, Luna is relieved to be saved by her very own knight-in-shining armour. Well, knight in mountain rescue uniform anyway.
Yannick is charmed and baffled by Luna’s mission, and before he knows it, he has agreed to help. But Yannick has his own secrets calling him from the mountains, and his own reasons to run away. As he helps Luna understand her past he realises he has to face his as well if he’s ever going to risk opening his heart to love.
Despite the snowy cover and the mention of Christmas Day, this isn’t a festive read – a surprise perhaps, but most certainly not a disappointment. Instead it’s the most wonderfully told story of Luna’s need to uncover the source of an unexpected insurance windfall, abandoning her family’s Christmas plans to drive to Chamonix – the only clue she has to her mysterious benefactor – in a car with a dodgy fuel gauge and her mother’s ashes on the back seat.
As she follows every possible lead, she finds a friend and comfortable place to stay, a temporary job as an English teacher with the mountain rescue team, and a wholly unexpected romance. Her discoveries bring some real surprises, driven by her need to find out about her mother’s past – and she needs to face up to her grief and fear, finding a level of bravery and determination she never knew she possessed, tackling the danger of the unpredictable elements and challenging terrain, to reach an understanding of the full story.
I’ve very much enjoyed every book Leonie Mack has written, but I really thought this one took her into a new league – a romance that was so very real, between two damaged individuals who were quite perfectly written and entirely relatable, coupled with the most wonderful descriptions of the dramatic setting, and an exciting story with so many moments that had my heart in my mouth and made the book impossible to set aside. Her research is impeccable too – I learned a tremendous amount about the daily challenges faced by the mountain rescue team and the difficult decisions they sometimes have to make. Her emotional touch is absolutely perfect, the storytelling entirely compelling – and everything is just so perfectly paced, with quieter moments and time to relax, and touches of perfectly judged humour. I’m not a skier, but really loved Luna’s early attempts – and could feel her total exhilaration when she reached that level of competence she really needed to continue her journey.
The whole book was an exceptional read – an original plot, compelling and exciting, extremely moving, characters with real depth and development, a romance I really believed in, a setting brought vividly to life, and a mystery to explore that kept its secrets until the very end. I couldn’t recommend it more highly – and I know you’re going to love this one as much as I did!
About the author
Leonie Mack is an author of romantic comedies with great international locations. Having lived in London for many years her home is now in Germany with her husband and three children. Leonie loves train travel, medieval towns, hiking and happy endings!
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