Synopsis
When Iris decides to move to New York to restart her life, she realizes she underestimated how big the Big Apple really is—all the nostalgic movies set in New York she’d watched with her mom while eating their special secret-recipe gelato didn’t quite do it justice.
But Bobby, Iris’s best friend, isn’t about to let her hide away. He drags her to a famous autumn street fair in Little Italy, and as they walk through the food stalls, a little family-run gelateria catches her eye—could it be the same shop that’s in an old photo of her mother’s?
Curious, Iris returns the next day and meets the handsome Gio, who tells her that the shop is in danger of closing. His uncle, sole keeper of their family’s gelato recipe, is in a coma, so they can’t make more. When Iris samples the last remaining batch, she realizes that their gelato and her gelato are one and the same. But how can she tell them she knows their secret recipe when she’s not sure why Gio’s uncle gave it to her mother in the first place?
Iris offers her services as a chef to help them re-create the flavor and finds herself falling for Gio and his family. But when Gio’s uncle finally wakes up, all of the secrets Iris has been keeping threaten to ruin the new life—and new love—she’s been building all winter long.
Rating
★★★★
Thoughts
This is the first book I read by Josie Silver, and I really enjoyed her writing. She has a wonderful way of describing the setting and characters, so I found myself fully immersed in this sweet wintertime story. Is the plot slightly implausible like most stories in the holiday romance genre? Yes; however, I’m lenient about that because I love a good cup of cheer this time of year.
If you’re looking for a light, Hallmark movie style book, this is a good one. The story contains a lot of sentimentality focused on family, food, and location that I really appreciated. The cozy mystery surrounding the gelato recipe and the budding romance between Iris and Gio felt like charming extensions. This book left me feeling warm and wanting some gelato!
Question
What’s your favorite gelato or ice cream flavor?