This is my second listen to Josie Silver, author of several bestseller romance novels.
In “A Winter in New York,” Iris has moved to New York to restart her life after fleeing an abusive boyfriend in London. Having also lost her mom, Iris chose New York as her new home in tribute to her mother, who had fond memories there. Her mother also left Iris with a secret gelato recipe that originated somewhere in New York. After befriending her new employer, Bobby, Iris attends an autumn street fair in Little Italy, where she catches a glimpse of a familiar gelateria, identical to one in her mother’s old pictures. Iris meets the owner, Gio, and discovers the shop is in danger of closing because his father, who is the only one in possession of the shop’s secret gelato recipe, has lost his memory. When Iris samples the last remaining batch of gelato, she realizes that her mother‘s secret gelato recipe came from this shop. Iris then attempts to help Gio and his family save their business, and the two soon develop a relationship. Iris refrains from telling Gio about her past or about her mother’s connection to his shop in fear that she’ll lose everything. Unfortunately, her lies and secrets soon catch up with her, and she’s forced to face the consequences.
The storyline is a slow-moving, easy-to-follow, heartfelt romance. Listeners are immediately pulled into Iris’s unstable world when she has a meltdown over losing a book on Valentine’s Day in the first chapter. The interlude chapters throughout the book recounting Iris’s mother’s story in New York are very captivating and heart-wrenching. Silver depicts Gio and his Italian family as very stable and close-knit. Iris, who lives a nomadic life without any roots or stability, is such a contrasting character to Gio that a real-life romance between two such individuals would be very unrealistic. Despite the implausibility of Iris’ and Gio’s love affair and the idea of only one family member knowing the secret recipe for their city’s renowned gelato, there’s an abundance of charm and beauty in the novel.
Narrator Emma Appleton delivers an emotionally charged performance as Iris, accurately portraying a woman trying to start over but terrified of her past catching up to her. Appleton’s contrasting smooth performance of Gio and his lively family displays her strong performance range. If a delightful, emotionally charged story with a New York City backdrop tickles your fancy, then this book won’t disappoint you!
