• The Secret of Snow

  • A Novel
  • By: Viola Shipman
  • Narrated by: Nancy Peterson
  • Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (228 ratings)

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The Secret of Snow  By  cover art

The Secret of Snow

By: Viola Shipman
Narrated by: Nancy Peterson
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Publisher's summary

The instant best seller!

  • USA Today
  • Publishers Weekly
  • Indie Booksellers

"A beautifully written story about second chances. Fans of women’s fiction won’t be able to put this down." (Publishers Weekly)

The forecast is calling for a reluctant homecoming and regrettable decisions with a strong chance of romance....

When Sonny Dunes, a SoCal meteorologist whose job is all sunshine and 72-degree days, is replaced by a virtual meteorologist that will never age, gain weight, or renegotiate its contract, the only station willing to give the 50-year-old another shot is the very place Sonny’s been avoiding since the day she left for college — her northern Michigan hometown.

Sonny grudgingly returns to the long, cold, snowy winters of her childhood…with the added humiliation of moving back in with her mother. Not quite an outsider but no longer a local, Sonny finds her past blindsiding her everywhere: from the high school friends she ghosted, to the former journalism classmate and mortal frenemy who’s now her boss, to, most keenly, the death years ago of her younger sister, who loved the snow.

To distract herself from the memories she's spent her life trying to outrun, Sonny throws herself headfirst into covering every small-town winter event to woo a new audience, made more bearable by a handsome widower with optimism to spare. But with someone trying to undermine her efforts to rebuild her career, Sonny must make peace with who she used to be and allow her heart to thaw if she’s ever going to find a place she can truly call home.

©2021 Viola Shipman (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

What listeners say about The Secret of Snow

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Hallmark

It’s a sweet easy story. I was drawn to it because it set in Michigan, however the narrator mispronounced a major bridge in our state and the mom sounded as if she was from MN. That’s so frustrating.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Magical

I am a huge fan of Viola Shipman! The Secret of Snow did not disappoint! Viola takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions, that leaves you breathless at its conclusion!

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Potential Ruined With Juvenile Conflict

As a Michigander, I really wanted to like this book. The local flair and scientific information about weather and how it affects the region was fun to listen to. And while the accents and pronunciation wasn't always authentic, I'd be willing to overlook that. However... since our main character is 50 I did not expect the juvenile level of functioning of several of the conflicts present. The issues presented and how they were dealt with belonged in a teen drama, not that of a 50 year old, in my opinion. It really took away from the core of the story, which is unresolved grief. I wish the conflict has just as much nuance and relevancy as the unresolved grief component of the story. As it stands now, it feels it was added to create length and unnecessary drama. If you like catty drama, lack of personal responsibility and weird office politics, go for this book.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Not quite what I expected

Loved being taken away by the magic of Christmas, tradition and winter! But the constant life lessons in every conversation during the last half of the book got a little wearing. It was also hard to get through some of the cheesy romance. I'd say it's a perfect read for those who love Hallmark movies.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • EJ
  • 11-10-21

AMAZING Story

Viola Shipman has become my new favorite... the one I can't wait for! And this story is my favorite so far! All the emotions are so much in the forefront... I don't even have the right words. READ IT!!

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Never disappoints

Viola Shipman always gives the reader a treat whenever she pens a book. The Secret of Snow is another winner for this amazing author! This is a story about second chances and draws the reader in from the first page. Sunny learn how to successfully deal with family and grief in order to move forward with her life. I definitely could identify with Sunny in this book I couldn’t put down! Viola totally knocked this snowball right out of the park!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A story of home..

Viola Shipman took me on a beautiful tour of my home state, to the familiar and unfamiliar places of Michigan. A beautiful story of family, of home, and of love.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Overly sweet hallmark movie.

If you enjoy sappy holiday movies where everything works out just fine, this is for you. Prolonged lessons on life, the search for meaning and how to build a snowman and make a snow angel abound. Sorry I wasted a credit.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Couldn't Get into Author's Writing Style

There was too much research material clumsily embedded into the story. Very distracting. The plot is not bad, but very predictable.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Light read

This was an enjoyable read. The characters were fun, albeit a bit predictable. Good storyline.

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1 person found this helpful