About The Book
Seatmates Maryam and Anna bond over a turbulent flight to Toronto, sharing their deepest hopes and fears—unaware that Maryam’s longtime crush, Saif, overheard everything. An emergency landing leaves them snowbound at the whimsical Snow Falls Inn. As Maryam connects with Saif and Anna discovers unexpected love, both women find the magic of the season in the unlikeliest of places.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3P3iui3
My Rating
This was a sweet winter romance that followed two young women with very different lives and struggles. When their worlds collide, they form an unexpected friendship and create some holiday magic. I found this book to be a heartwarming holiday read that offered more than just romance—it contained a surprising amount of depth.
In the novel, we follow Maryam, a Muslim woman traveling to Toronto with her family for her younger sister’s wedding. She is strong and level-headed, always putting others first. While snowbound in a small town, she begins to reevaluate her life and take steps to heal from past heartbreak. I especially enjoyed watching her personal growth throughout the book. She reminded me a lot of my mother, who, coincidentally, has the same name
The story also follows Anna, who is traveling to Toronto to spend the holidays with her boyfriend and his family. Although she tries to put on a positive and optimistic front, she is still grieving her father’s death. She is also struggling with feelings of loneliness. While snowbound, she starts to realize that she may have been merely playing a role in her own life. I loved watching her emotional journey unfold.
I found the bond between Anna and Maryam to be wonderful. It was clear that this friendship was something both of them needed. It was nice to see how protective Maryam was of Anna. I liked that Anna appreciated everything Maryam did for her family. It was kind of Anna to offer help whenever she could, even to people who were essentially strangers. The relationship Anna had with Maryam’s grandfather, along with his close bond with Maryam, was really touching. He served as a wise voice for both of them.
“Who doesn’t secretly love holiday movies?”
In the story, Ramadan, Christmas, and Hanukkah all happen around the same time, which offered great representation. I especially liked how open Anna was to learning about Ramadan and her fond memories of celebrating Chrismukkah. One of the highlights of the plot was how it seamlessly included three different cultures and holidays. The authors did a great job incorporating these holidays into the story.
As for the romance, it was really well done. I enjoyed both love stories. They were somewhat predictable and had a Hallmark-movie vibe, but they were sweet and satisfying. Maryam’s romance follows a second-chance, childhood-friends trope. Anna, on the other hand, finds herself attracted to someone unexpected.
Overall, this story is about love, family, faith, and the joy of the holiday season. One aspect I didn’t love as much was that, at times, the story felt like two separate narratives. They were connected only by being set in the same town and featuring overlapping characters. However, the authors did a great job of blending the plots together seamlessly in the end. While it wasn’t a standout book for me and the story didn’t feel as engaging as I had hoped, I truly appreciated how it celebrated multiple cultures, making it a unique and diverse holiday read.
In the comments, let me know if this book is on your winter reading list. If you’d like to help my blog grow, please like this post and share it with other readers. Another way you can support the blog is by following it, which is completely free to do.
Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny
