**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

CW: grief, death of parent, toxic relationship, infidelity, emotional abuse, gaslighting
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I’ve had this arc for over a year now as it was one of the handful that I didn’t manage to get to last year (sorry Atlantic) but I thought it best to read it at this time of year for obvious reasons. I find it even more perfect that I started and finished it within the exact time frame that the book is set albeit 24 years later.

I absolutely loved the central idea of this book and how it celebrates the family time and togetherness of the major celebrations of the 3 Abrahamic religions and while I don’t remember it myself as I was like 3 years old its cool that at the end of 2000 all were being celebrated at the same time. Pair this with all the hallmark film vibes plus a really wholesome small town setting and Jalaluddin and Stapley have thought up quite a fun story. And while it didn’t blow me away as it had its predictable and generic moments, the pair’s storytelling worked well together to create an enjoyable read perfect for this time of year.

I loved the two leads and enjoyed their individual journeys of self-actualisation alongside their own little romances. Though I’ve got to say having read all of Jalaluddin’s previous books I was a little disappointed with Maryam and Saif’s relationship because even though they worked for each other I found their on page chemistry to be a bit lacking for two individuals with a history and a newfound chance at love. They are probably the weakest couple that Jalaluddin has written for me.. Maryam’s arc of learning to put herself and her ambitions at the forefront of her life rather than taking on all of her family’s problems felt like it carried more weight than the love story side of things.
This was my first time reading anything from Stapley though and while Anna and Josh’s romance was a little cliché it was sweet and I really enjoyed following their relationship develop.

My only other gripe with the book has to come with some of the finer details with how it is set during Ramadan. Weddings during this holy period aren’t really a rare thing as I’m sure I’ve heard of people having their Nikkahs then but I just found it a bit off that there was all this talk of prep for a wedding, including a mehndi party with singing and dancing as well as talk of Bollywood movies and stuff during one of the most holy months of the Islamic calendar when the focus should be on ibadah/ prayer especially those last few days?? It’s a month about more than just fasting and I get that this is a fictional romance story so religion isn’t the focus and they’re snowed in at a small town with not much else to do but it felt sort of wrong to be giving an inadequate impression on such an important part of life as a Muslim..

That aside the central messages and themes discussed in the book were well done and I loved pretty much all of the side characters too. Truly wish I could find myself stumbling upon such a wonderful little town with a diverse community such as Snow Falls to have an impromptu, snowed-in break at.
Final Rating – 3.25/5 Stars