Guest Review: A New York Winter by Isla Gordon

Will her dreams come true in the city that never sleeps?

When she was nineteen, on a magical trip to New York City, Ashling created a list of her five life goals. There, she'd felt inspired to dream big, but now, ten years later, with four out of five goals having crumbled before her, she realises she has only one option left to live the life she's always dreamed of: move to New York City, before it's too late.

Armed with a ninety-day visa, she's sure that a winter in the city that never sleeps will help her finally get her life on track. However, after arriving in the Big Apple with nowhere to live, Ashling realises that she may be in over her head, until she meets River . . .

River is miserable. He's newly single, recently demoted and feeling entirely lost, but sensing Ashling could do with the help, he offers her his sofa bed. Despite their clashing personalities, over the course of the winter, outgoing Ashling finds herself growing closer to quiet, geeky River - but is he just shy or is there another reason he's holding back?

With snow falling on 5th Avenue, a Thanksgiving parade and a fun-filled Christmas in the most romantic city in the world, can Ashling once again learn to follow her dreams - and maybe even her heart?

Review: I have read and enjoyed many Christmas stories from Isla Gordon and looked forward to experiencing a New York Christmas and a romance to boot in this book. The book itself has a lovely, colourful cover that beckons the reader in to experience views of New York and Christmas festivities. The story certainly pulled me in from the start and I found myself quickly lost in the Big Apple. 

The story centres on Ashling, who is feeling down because she has now failed completely to accomplish four of the five lifetime goals she set for herself ten years previously. She decided on these goals while on a magical trip from London to New York with her now deceased grandmother, who had had a wonderful time in New York herself in her younger years. With her once successful career in tatters, the one remaining goal on Ashling’s list is to live in New York city, where she is confident that she will be inspired to realise where her life should lead now. She arrives in the city on a ninety-day visa waiver, but finding somewhere to live for that time proves difficult until an ex-boyfriend tells her of a colleague who is out of town and may let her stay in his apartment. The colleague, River, returns from his trip, but reluctantly allows Ashling to sleep on his sofa bed. Having very different personalities, their relationship is difficult to start with, but as time passes, Ashling begins to succeed in getting River to open up to her. As they become closer, Ashling begins to wonder whether they will truly admit their feelings towards each other before she has to return to the UK.

I absolutely loved this wonderful book that takes the reader on a Christmas break in New York city without leaving home. It covers everything that a visiting tourist would want to experience on such a break if they possibly could. The writing absolutely transported me to the Thanksgiving parade, the snow covered streets, the wonderful shop window displays, the ice skating rinks and the excitement of the ball drop in Times Square. Ashling was a really interesting character. Her world could be falling apart around her, but she just won’t let it go. How brave to set off on her own confident that everything will work out for her. She could hardly be more different from shy, reserved River. It was heart-warming to watch as a romance slowly developed between them, although time was running out and I began to despair of a happy ending. This is a lovely Christmas book, perfect for reading in the warm on a crisp winter’s day. 

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