This wasn’t the book I expected it to be at all, yes there’s a hint of a romance and a hint of Christmas, but I was anticipating a Christmas Romance and this definitely wasn’t that back. Season in the Snow is primarily a book about healing from trauma, with the help of a ginormous puppy. So obviously, I loved it. Bear the dog was of course the highlight for me, he reminded me so much of my dog (minus the fact she isn’t a giant) with his endless neediness, energy and optimism. Alice’s journey was an emotional one and I found myself more invested in her character than I expected to be.
One thing that I felt was a bit unbalanced were the secondary characters, the group of friends Alice meets in Murren were all fleshed out and fully formed, but her London friends felt a bit flat and two dimensional in comparison.
Other than that I’m now actually desperate for a holiday in Switzerland.

Alice is happy - she has a nice job, lovely family and a group of brilliant, supporting friends. However, one day, something really bad happens and Alice's world is turned upside down - will she be able to recover, get back on track? Maybe a change of scene, moving for a few months to Switzerland, and a little dog that grows incredibly quickly will help?

So. This book. Honestly, it gave me a headache. I adore Lisa Dickenson and her books and I know that as Isla Gordon the novel would be a little different, however as soon as the typical Lisa's humour and wit appeared on the pages, I was reassured. However! It didn't happen often, guys, and I was already panicking, not knowing what's happening with this story. First of all, at the beginning the book felt so chopped. The events in the chapters felt unarranged and half - hearted, as if the author simply wanted to get through this part of the book to start writing about this what she wanted so much: the dog (I'll come back to the dog in a moment). Only after the festival the book started to read like a book, felt smooth and coherent. But. And this is the next. You know, I also have dogs. I love my dogs but not to the point that I would write a book about them, and I had a feeling that Lisa/Isla simply wanted to share her unconditional love to her pet. And it was too much. If Bear were my dog I'd kill myself and I'd be ashamed with having such a spoiled, whiny dog at home. And I know how cute Bernese Mountain Dog can be, my sister has one, and actually all dogs can be brilliant actors when they want something. Don't get me wrong, please, I loved him, and I loved Alice's interactions with him, I loved how she spoke with him and how she treated him like a partner but I don't have to read about the cute orange spots and Bear's antics on every single page. And I love Switzerland. Especially in winter. But when I want to read about its traditions I'll buy myself a tourist guide. So there. Rant over.

What Lisa Dickenson/Isla Gordon showed is that she can beautifully write about the most hidden feelings and emotions and brilliantly mix them with the best humorous one - liners. There were moments, especially when Alice talked with Bear, that made my eyes moisten, and there were moments that really brought smile to my face. This was a different take from this author and she's proved that she is a great writer that can touch upon deeper issues in a sensible, gentle way. She's not shy of making her story sadder and difficult and hats off to her for this fact, however I still prefer the author's exceptional humour and ability to write the most funny, brilliant, light banter. The main character, Alice, is so incredibly well fleshed out! It's amazing how well the author has captured her insecurities and hopes, trepidation and excitement, making her a believable, relatable person. I found myself keeping my fingers crossed for her, willing her to try, to not forgive but to allow herself the little joy. She had a great sense of humour and I was waiting for the rare moments when she's allowed this side of her to show. She was simply so real, so natural in everything she did and said that it was impossible not to like her, in fact, I was rooting for her and wishing her all the best.
Actually, all the other characters were very well developed - after we moved to Switzerland, that is. Because I, honestly speaking, couldn't stand putting Jill on this pedestal anymore. Maybe she was worth it but I had a feeling we didn't know her as well as Alice did. I loved how supporting Alice's parents have been, and how lovely and colourful the new neighbours of hers were, how they accepted her without a second glance and how embarrassing Marco's mum was - she was ace!

The author can for sure bring the setting, easily and effortlessly, to life, and can capture both the idyllic winter wonderland that can quickly and suddenly turn into danger. She'll sweep you to a country full of cable cars, snowboarding, skiing, mountain rescues, warm and gorgeous cafes, and snow! Lots of snow. And even if it is not strictly Christmas book, read it with "Last Christmas" on the loop and a hot chocolate with a double cream and marshmallow because this is the feeling it's going to leave you with.

"A Season in the Snow" was a poignant, moving story about healing, about finding yourself afresh and letting the joy come back to you, and not forgetting that there is always hope. I absolutely adored the bunch of characters, supporting each other without knowing that they're doing it, it was beautiful. And yes, after the initial reservations I found myself adoring the story, though as lovely as Bear was I still think he needs to learn manners. Recommended!

This is a beautifully festive book! Also, this is the perfect Christmas book for the dog lover in your life as the story revolves around a beautiful puppy. I loved this book and the way it made me feel so cosy and wintery. Just what you want to read over Christmas!

An enjoyable book set in London and snowy Switzerland with a beautiful Bernese puppy/dog.

The story wasn't quite what I expected from the cover, to start with anyway. Although I'd read the blurb I'd expected a quite light-hearted Christmas story, with a slightly sad part at the beginning. But it was a quite a bit sadder at the beginning than I'd expected, and I did find the first part of the story quite hard going. But once we'd moved onto the part where Alice travels to Switzerland with Bear the story just got better and better as it went on.

The town of Murren in Switzerland sounded an idyllic winter wonderland, with snow, little cafes, snowboarding, mountain rescues, cable cars, beautiful views, and wonderful next-door neighbours for Alice and Bear, leading to romance and healing for Alice. There are some really lovely characters involved in both London and Switzerland, but especially Switzerland.

It seems Isla Gordon is also Lisa Dickenson, but I'm not sure why she's changed her name for this book as it's not a major genre change from her previous books.

I ended up really enjoying this book after my initial doubt, and it definitely got me in the Christmas spirit!

I don’t know if I can find the words to describe why I love this book. I have read and enjoyed all of Isla Gordon’s romcom books (published as Lisa Dickenson), so when I heard she was writing a different sort of book, I definitely had to read it. I was concerned, because I knew this would be more emotional, and I avoid emotional books in general.

This story is all about Alice and how she recovers from a tragic event in her life, with the help of her dog Bear. I loved Bear, and his silliness and loveliness. He provides some funny, lighthearted moments.

The book is very well written, and I enjoyed it, though it did make me cry a little several times. I think it carries an important message that though the world can be an awful, terrible place at times, there’s always hope.

The sense of place is good, Murren really comes across well. Although we obviously spend most of our time with Alice, the other characters are well fleshed out.

Overall, this is a great read, just make sure you’ve got some tissues on hand!

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An emotional read.

The story of Alice and Bear, and how Alice recovers from an event that changes her life for ever.

Well written characters and a story that keeps you interested throughout the book.