Robin’s Rave Reviews 2024

Time to catch up on my book recommendations starting with THE SECRET OF SNOW by Viola Shipman! This contemporary women’s fiction with romantic elements is perfect for the upcoming winter months. Viola Shipman is a master at writing about charming Michigan towns. THE SECRET OF SNOW takes place mainly in Traverse City, Michigan.

Summary

Meteorologist Sonny Dunes, age 50, works for a top ranked Palm Springs TV news channel. After learning she’s being replaced by an AI meteorologist, Sonny responds with a drunk, on-air meltdown. Her tirade goes viral. No other stations want to hire a potentially volatile TV personality, except the station in her hometown of Traverse City. This job would be a demotion. The Michigan station has a much smaller viewership and poor ranking in the local market. Accepting the offer would bring along other challenges as well, but what other choice does she have? Sonny will have to live with her mother and face why she left Michigan in the first place.

Sonny’s new boss and college frenemy hopes to capitalize on Sonny’s infamous meltdown. New viewers may tune in to see if Sonny has another one, especially since she’s assigned to cover all the outdoor quintessential Michigan winter events. Will the viewers welcome her back as one of their own or dismiss her as an outsider from California? Will Sonny be able to deal with the winter assignments, or is she destined to boost rankings through another breakdown?

While reporting, Sonny keeps running into Mason, a widowed Chamber of Commerce Director. The sweet romance adds to the story without overpowering the story of Sonny’s personal growth. She struggles with adjusting to the snow, confronting her memories of her sister who loved it, dealing with a jealous TV reporter, and accepting that her mother only wants to help her get her life back on track.

Wade Rouse writes about his beloved Michigan under his grandmother’s name, Viola Shipman.

Sonny left Michigan decades earlier because it was easier than dealing with the memories and guilt associated with her young sister’s death. When you realize what caused the guilt Sonny’s been running from for decades, you will want her to finally come to terms with the past. If that’s not hard enough, someone is trying to sabotage her career. Could it be her boss who wants to boost ratings, the jealous TV reporter, her camera guy, or someone else she hasn’t considered?

THE SECRET OF SNOW by Viola Shipman reminds us of the importance of love, family and true friends. We get a feel-good lesson about forgiving ourselves through a satisfying conclusion.

If You Like…

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@author.robin.shelley

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2023

Step into nostalgic comfort in Good Hart, Michigan with FAMOUS IN A SMALL TOWN by Viola Shipman. Your summer pace will slow as you relax by the shores of Lake Michigan with BFFs Becky and Q. When you tire of the lake, take a drive through the picturesque Tunnel of Trees. Then head to the Very Cherry General Store to send a postcard. Or better yet, pick up a bakery goody or a sandwich . While there, say hello to Mary, the feisty octogenarian owner. And you don’t want to miss the annual Cherry Festival and Cherry Pit Spittin’ Championship. Did I mention Mary won when she was 15, back when women had never entered such an unladylike activity? In these parts she’s known as Cherry Mary, and no one has broken her record since 1958. Up for a try?

Summary

Cherry Mary is the third-generation woman to own the general store, but she doesn’t have a daughter to pass it down to. Her son and grandson aren’t particularly interested, either. But Cherry Mary still holds onto a prediction given to her in childhood – that another woman is destined to join the female line of store owners. Mary repeatedly sees a vision of four women in the distance walking toward her over the lake, reinforcing the prediction. Or is it simply a mirage? Mary was told it will take a lifetime to be fulfilled.

Becky just turned 40, the same day her long-time relationship crashed and burned. She feels unfulfilled in life after always making safe choices. Becky and her friend Q go on a Michigan vacation reminiscent of childhood summers with Becky’s grandparents. Becky sees herself fitting in at this lakeshore community. Just as Cherry Mary takes her under her wing, Mary’s grandson Ollie shows up. He’s changed his mind about the quirky town and old-fashioned general store, and he feels threatened by Becky. He wants to protect his grandmother from this stranger “taking advantage” of her.

FAMOUS IN A SMALL TOWN is about love, friendship, family (by blood and by choice), destiny, and the choices we make. It’s a story with heart and soul. Be prepared. You’ll want to book a trip to Michigan after you read it!

I only review books I would give a 4 or 5 star rating, for well-written, enjoyable books I would recommend. Just keep in mind, if it doesn’t sound like your cup of tea from the description, then move on to my next book review. Perhaps this book is too slow paced for you, but that’s part of its charm. The author does a fabulous job conveying a small lake town struggling to keep life simple in a crazy world. The slow-paced summer days, the quirky people in the community, the general store as the hub of community life, the small-town festival – it’s cherry pie Americana at its best.

Interesting fact

Viola Shipman is a pen-name. The books are written by Wade Rouse, but he writes under his grandmother’s name as a way to honor her. He writes stories that take place in Michigan, his home state. I had the joy of meeting Wade at an author event back in June through the Cuyahoga County Public Library’s Beyond the Book Jacket Speaker Series.

Check out review I did a few years back on another Viola Shipman book, The Heirloom Garden.

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@author.robin.shelley

Tag: Michigan fiction

The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2024

Famous in a Small Town by Viola Shipman

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2023

Summary

Interesting fact