Wishing on Snowflakes by Joanne DeMaio ~ My Thoughts

Wishing on Snowflakes

Wishing on Snowflakes by Joanne DeMaio
Print and e-book, 460 pages
Published: October 4th 2016 by Joanne DeMaio

From New York Times bestselling author Joanne DeMaio comes a keepsake collection, bundling two of her prior wintry novels to settle in with as the snow falls.

So turn the page and open the decorated door onto a storybook New England town ... where candlelit homes and cozy shops are aglow with comfort and joy. And where wishes on snowflakes really do come true.

Snowflakes and Coffee Cakes: Vera Sterling, while restoring a historical house and old Christmas barn in her cherished Connecticut hometown, finds herself falling for tragedy-scarred Derek Cooper. When a blizzard strikes, will all be made right on a stormy winter's night? An enchanting novel about love, family, and the delicate power of snowflakes.

Snow Deer and Cocoa Cheer: Along the snow-dusted streets of quaint Addison, Jane March and Wes Davis open their hearts to the magic and possibility of the season. A charming tale about a greeting card designer who's lost her jingle, and a jilted mailman whose cold winter heart is about to thaw.

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I am a huge fan of Joanne DeMaio and have read all of her books, from her very first one. I just love her stories. And I love reading Christmas stories. Joanne has taken two of her holiday stories and has now combined them into one book, just in time for the season. And I am absolutely in love with this cover! I have previously reviewed both of the stories in Wishing on Snowflakes and you can read my thoughts below.

If you are like me and enjoy reading some holiday cheer, you are going to want to grab this one and you will fall in love with her books, just like I did.

My thoughts about Snowflakes and Coffee Cakes ~~
(originally posted October 28, 2013)

I can't tell you how much I look forward to the 'next' book by Joanne. Her books caught my eye when her first one, Whole Latte Life, was published. It had a different cover back then and that's what captured my eye. (I'm such a cover lover.) BTW, I love the new one just as much! And then when I read the story inside that beautiful cover, I was swept away into a wonderful world with fabulous characters, people and a place that I just fell in love with.

I am always excited to hear that Joanne is working on her 'next' story. I can't wait to see where she takes me as a reader. Snowflakes and Coffee Cakes did not disappoint! This one is a little bit different from her other books, for the fact that it is set in winter time, not summer time at the beach. Snowflakes takes place around Christmastime and who doesn't love a good Christmas story? I know I do!

Vera is struggling in her life in the 'big' city and decides to spend some time back in her hometown, until she figures out what path she should take. It isn't easy but she finds a place for herself and starts to make a house a home. In cleaning up the place, she clears out the Christmas Barn for a big sale and that's when things start to change for her. I just love the magic that happens at Christmastime!

Vera's father is a meteorologist and we get an education on weather and the formation of snowflakes. I have always loved catching snowflakes and watching their design as they melt away. I loved the significance of snowflakes to the story.

'There's nothing random about the shape of a snowflake that tumbles from the clouds. And that's the beauty of looking at them up close. Each delicate flakes tells a unique and complex story about its form and pattern.

That's all she wants, really. Some of that distinct snowflake structure in her own life. A structure that brings what looks like random choices and arbitrary wishes together in a very certain pattern.'

This is a wonderful, enchanting, beautiful story about people helping people and being there for them when they need help, even if they don't realize they need it. I really believe that Christmas time is a magical time and Snowflakes takes us to that place, with those magical feelings.

And...... I love what Snowflakes and Coffee Cakes comes to mean in the story. You'll have to read it to see what I mean.

'Because snowflakes can grant very special wishes ... if only we believe.'

My thoughts about Snow Deer and Cocoa Cheer ~~

(originally posted October 21, 2015)

Snow Deer and Cocoa Cheer is the perfect story to get you in the mood for the holidays this year. The story start off in the fall, in October, right about this time of year. And we go through Halloween and Thanksgiving and then right up to Christmas, right along with all the wonderful people who live in Addison. I was able to take a trip back to the lovely town of Addison where I got to reconnect with the community and the people I had come to love.

Jane goes back home to recuperate after she breaks her arm and where she is going to try to save her career. She is a greeting card maker who seems to have 'lost her jingle'. Her mother is there to support her and to try to help Jane find her way back.

'You asked me how I did it, how I captured that old-fashioned Christmas magic in my art. It's simple, really: You must live it. You must immerse yourself in the season, and our little town of Addison will surely put it on display.'

Wes is just biding his time until he can leave his old life behind. His fiancé called of their wedding and instead of facing the questions from everyone at Christmas, he decides to head to the west coast. Who knows? Maybe he can start a new life there and be happy.

Snow Deer and Cocoa Cheer is a heartwarming story that shows us how beautiful the holidays can be when you are surrounded by those who love you. Joanne does such a fabulous job with her words that the reader can't help feeling all of the holiday joy and emotions that Jane, Wes, and all of the other people of Addison feel as they experience the love of the community. Her descriptions are so perfect that I had no trouble 'seeing' the wonderfulness of Addison.

'Curls of snow rise from colonial chimneys, icy frost laces the landscaping, and tree branches lose the last of red and yellow leaves in early morning sunlight.'

I am always so excited when there is another Joanne DeMaio story to read and I am never disappointed. I love her stories and I love my trips back to the worlds she creates.

About the author

Joanne DeMaio is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary fiction. She enjoys writing about friendship, family, love and choices, while setting her stories in New England towns or by the sea. Currently at work on her next novel, Joanne lives with her family in Connecticut.

For a complete list of books and to learn more about the author, visit Joannedemaio.com. She also enjoys hearing from readers on her Facebook Page.

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