Well this was just the tonic I needed. Lovely but heartbreaking at the same time.
Roisin and her son Ben move to a little cottage in Ballybray for a new start. Her husband has just died so they need it more than ever, Soon they make friends with the neighbour Mabel. they become really close and their friendship was just lovely to read about. Oh when Mabel dies, i was heartbroken! However, she has left a legacy and the rest of the story had me wiping those tears, laughing and then crying again.

,There's romance of course and that part was just lovely. The whole story left me an emotional wreck.

Lovely easy read especially as we starting to think of Christmas
It follows the story of Rosin and her son Ben who grief stricken and broken stick a pin in a map and come up with this funny village and a row of cottages called Teapot lane
They move into the slightly run down cottage and very quickly meet their new neighbour Mabel a New Yorker who met an Irishman and moved into her cottage and still lives there albeit as a widow
She sees the pain in Rosins eyes and immediately takes her under her wing, sorting out Bens clothes for school when they were too long. Sorting Rosin out with a job in the vintage shop in the little village which Rosin loves as she believes in recycling old clothes and loves some of mabels old dresses that she used to wear in New York
But after a few years Mabel becomes weary and so tired until they lose her much to Rosin and Bens utter dismay
Then some brash American moves in and as they say upsets the Apple cart
Who is he? What does he want?
Mabel hasn’t quite finished with her meddling yet as the next year will show

This book stole my weekend and my heart

Another wonderful, story by Emma Heatherington, this time set in the village of BallyBray where five years before a wind blew in a widow and her young son, both confused and lost, looking for a family they didn't know they had.

Mabel was not family in the traditional sense but with time the body between the young woman and her child to the batty American grew stronger than blood. Roisin O’Connor needed strength, love, and the occasional kick up the bum but soon she worked her way into the community with Mabel's gentle guidance and a swift kick if needed.

But when the young family is left without their dear friend, she did not leave them alone, but through a series of messages from the grave, Mabel is able to help her nephew and her friends grieve together and search for secrets that would change everything they knew to be true.

There is so much emotion packed into this story, the depth of character and the twists in the tale kept me gripped. I highly recommend anyone looking to spend the day curled up with a great read. I can't wait for more from Emma.

Check out my latest book review @ https://sloantate-mckate.blogspot.com/2020/10/secrets-in-snow-by-emma-heatherington.html

My thanks to #Netgalley, #HarperCollinsUK #HarperFiction @fictionpubteam, @harperfictionpr, and @EmmaHeatherington for allowing to review a copy of #SecretsInTheSnow

Purchase Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secrets-Snow-Emma-Heatherington-ebook/dp/B081D3PTFW/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=secrets+in+the+snow&qid=1602786828&s=digital-text&sr=1-1
Barnes & Nobel: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/secrets-in-the-snow-emma-heatherington/1136270856?ean=9780008355678
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/secrets-in-the-snow-2
Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/secrets-in-the-snow/emma-heatherington/9780008355661

Loved this story. I will be sharing my thoughts on the blog tour next week. A timely reminder that kindness and family are more important than money and fame

Loved this book so easy to read fab plot that hooked me I fell in love with characters a lovely Christmas read your pull into the story from the first few pages a fab book I recommend to you all

Secrets In the Snow is a decent read. It's not the best book I've read as I felt at times it dragged a bit and Roisin....as much as I liked her, her behaviour in New York annoyed me. However, she came so far throughout the course of the book, having had so much to overcome in her life. It's a well written story that deals with mental health, letting go of the past, learning to be happy and make the most of the life you have, before it's too late. Mabel's love for life and people melted my heart and I feel like we could all be a bit more Mabel.

A moving read which is ultimately about hope and community and helping each other. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

Let just say, I wasn't ready for heart breaking parts of this book. Just a sweet and beautiful written story. A cried,I smiled.
Just make me feel.
Thanks to Netgalley for this arc. Really enjoyed it.

4 stars.

This is such a cosy winter's read, the cover looks so enticing and makes you want to curl up and read. This is moving and emotional read but uplifting at the same time. The story is about Roisin and her son Ben, who move to a village not knowing anyone. The next door neighbour is called Mabel and Roisin thinks she is a busybody, after a few words spoken her and Mabel become firm friends, then tragedy strikes and how can Roisin move on? This is were handsome Aidan who is Mabel's nephew comes along, they both don't get on well to start with, Mabel has left some letters for them both and wants them to do them together. Could a budding romance happen and will they find out secrets along the way? A very good read that will touch your heart.

This was a delight to read!
The vivid descriptions really drew me in & made me feel like I was there in Ireland with the characters
The characters were all strong and likeable, I think everyone needs a Mabel in their life!
The story follows Roisin as she grieves for her friend, recovers slowly from her past life & learns to love & trust again

I hadn't read any books by Emma Heatherington & have loved discovering a new author to follow

A wonderful story of how Roisin and her son decide to start afresh where ever the pin falls on the map. “Ballybray” not only offers them the new start they deserve but a fantastic friendship with Mabel her neighbour. She opens up a whole host of the unexpected especially from the grave which also includes a sexy man from New York her nephew. I just loved everything about this story.

An utterly charming, authentic,beautifully written story. There are parts of the story that will absolutely break your heart but then its balanced out with heart melting moments. Friendship, love and family make this book special.

This beautiful gentle book will pull at your heartstrings. The characters were so well portrayed.As I live in Ireland the local angle really added to my enjoyment and I could picture the beautiful scenery and locations throughout the story.

Roisin and her son Ben have moved to the sleepy Irish town of Ballybray to escape their past. They unexpectedly find an alley in their elderly neighbour Mabel. When Mabel dies they feel heartbroken but her nephew Aiden arrives from New York for her funeral and brings some unexpected joy into their lives.

Mabel continues to be part of their lives through messages she has left for them. Her love for them shines through the book and her hope that Roisin will find closure on her previous emotional and physical abuse and be open to love again was so well explored.

This book helped me escape from everyday issues making me realise that happiness is the greatest gift we can obtain. This beautifully written book was an easy entertaining read which I could throughly recommend.

Beautiful story which can be read at any time of year. Set in a beautiful part of Ireland this is an emotional and feel good read. I can visualise beautiful picturesque Dunfanaghy and the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I received an advance copy of, Secrets in the Snow, by Emma Heatherington. I have read other books by this author and loved them, this is no exception. To me there is nothing better then a Christmas story set in Ireland! Roisin and Aidan dont get along they have secrets, but Mabel, Aidans aunt is playing matchmaker, will this be Roisin best year yet?

Beautiful, at times I had a lump in my throat both through sadness and happiness.

It's just a wonderful story, that I really wasn't sure how it would turn out, and there are a few shocks during the story including at least one that made me gasp out loud!

Although Mabel is dead for the duration of the book she is also present in every chapter, every thought and action and her memory is really kept alive. She sounded like a truly remarkable woman, and we see how her neighbours and best friends Roisin and son Ben, cope with life without her - and also her nephew Aidan who has come over from New York to pay his respects.

What neither were anticipating was the way that Mabel would be able to still influence their lives beyond the grave, with a series of messages.

I loved watching how the relationship between Roisin and Aiden develops from their first rather frosty meetings into something that could be amazing.

There is a multitude of emotions, there are demons to overcome from Roisin, Ben is a lovely child that was a joy to see how he reacted to things. There is sledding, a trip to New York, arguments, grief, new relationships, and a whole lot more in between.

Don't think that just because there is snow in the title, that this is a purely winter or Christmas book, it in fact takes place over a whole year, so we get all the seasons, and it makes this a fabulous book to read year around.

So curl up, block out a few hours as you won't want to put this down and lose yourself in Emma Heatherington's words, you'll be glad that you did.

Thank you to Harper and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

A fantastic book from Emma, will definitely be looking out for more from this Author! Couldn’t put it down

I absolutely loved this book. The characters were so real, so authentic and I was rooting for them to have a positive ending throughout all the ups and downs!

Perfect read. Absolutely gorgeous and one of the best books I’ve read this year. I love this author but this is quite possibly my favourite book yet

I loved Roisin and Aidan's slow burn romance. This was intertwined in with their shared grief over the beloved Mabel. Mabel died, and yet still remained a strong character in this book. I enjoyed her seasonal messages. If I have one negative, it's that Roisin really got on my nerves at one point, the way she wouldn't listen to Aidan and kept pushing him away. I just think it went on a bit too long. But all in all, a good read. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.