SNOWED IN

Author: Christina Bartolomeo ISBN: 0312320892 10/2005 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: ST. MARTIN'S PRESS

No job. No heat. The wrong shoes. The wrong clothes. Discover if true love can be far behind. Imagine having always lived in Washington, D.C., and suddenly being stuck in Portland, Maine, for a year. With the pipes freezing---inside the house. And a husband who seems to have his eye on a hiking-booted L.L.Bean femme fatale rather than you. Not to mention the mother-in-law from hell who never fails to let you know that you leave much to be desired. That's Sophie Quinn's life. Lucky for Sophie (an unassertive type who's always favored daydreams over day planners), her new life is about to throw in her lap some weird and valuable opportunities to trample down her fears and transform her prospects for happiness. And true love just might come knocking on her door.... For any woman who has ever had to confront the landlord about the heat, for any woman who has ever longed for impractical shoes instead of sturdy winter boots, for any woman who has ever been in the wrong place at the right time, Snowed In will have you laughing, crying, and rooting for Sophie Quinn.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

SNOWED IN is a fantastic story about love and loss, joy and pain, and heartache and happiness. Christina Bartolomeo has the perfect combination of everything going on in SNOWED IN.

Sophie Quinn is a character that any girl can relate to on some level. She is lonely and depressed, living in a strange state with a husband who has no consideration for anyone but himself, and an apartment that has no heat. She is down and out and just needs some good things to come her way. When she decides to join a walking club to make new friends and get out of the house, she seems to have hit pay dirt. She immediately strikes up a friendship with the others in the walking club, and it is so great to watch Sophie become accepted by these people.

Making matters more confused in Sophie's head, is the sudden revisit that she has with an old flame. This is the only part of the book that I didn't particularly care for. Things get a little sketchy for my tastes, but at the same time, while I didn't approve of some of the things that Sophie did, I understood them. I understood her need to be loved and wanted, and desperately trying to figure out what to do with her loveless marriage and cheating husband. Even never having been married, I truly felt like I could relate to Sophie. I credit that solely to Ms. Bartolomeo's wonderful style of writing.

Although it might seem as if this novel could have a darker edge to it, Ms. Bartolomeo has saved this book from that catastrophe simply by making this a light, easy read with a great comedic edge. One of the most endearing qualities of SNOWED IN is Sophie's ability to laugh at herself, which in turn had me laughing with her. SNOWED IN is for women everywhere who just need a pick me up or a day off, or maybe even a little vacation from your hubby. Grab this book and take that vacation with Sophie Quinn.

Kristal Gorman