Book Review: Snow Falling

It’s been a lifetime (and three seasons) in the making, but Jane Gloriana Villanueva is finally ready to make her much-anticipated literary debut!

Jane the Virgin, the Golden Globe, AFI, and Peabody Award–winning The CW dramedy, has followed Jane’s telenovela-esque life—from her accidental artificial insemination and virgin birth to the infant kidnapping and murderous games of the villainous Sin Rostro to an enthralling who-will-she-choose love triangle. With these tumultuous events as inspiration, Jane’s breathtaking first novel adapts her story for a truly epic romance that captures the hope and the heartbreak that have made the television drama so beloved.

Snow Falling is a sweeping historical romance set in 1902 Miami—a time of railroad tycoons, hotel booms, and exciting expansion for the Magic City. Working at the lavish Regal Sol hotel and newly engaged to Pinkerton Detective Martin Cadden, Josephine Galena Valencia has big dreams for her future. Then, a figure from her past reemerges to change her life forever: the hotel’s dapper owner, railroad tycoon Rake Solvino.

The captivating robber baron sets her heart aflame once more, leading to a champagne-fueled night together. But when their indiscretion results in an unexpected complication, Josephine struggles to decide whether her heart truly belongs with heroic Martin or dashing Rake.

Meanwhile, in an effort to capture an elusive crime lord terrorizing the city, Detective Cadden scours the back alleys of the Magic City, tracking the nefarious villain to the Regal Sol and discovering a surprising connection to the Solvino family.

However, just when it looks like Josephine’s true heart’s desire is clear, danger strikes. Will her dreams for the future dissolve like so much falling snow or might Josephine finally get the happy ever after she’s been dreaming of for so long? (Courtesy of Amazon.)

Sara Steven:

It took a little while for me to get into seeing Jane the Virgin, initially, and it was only after Melissa had suggested I watch it that I decided to give it a try. I’m so glad I did! It’s still one of my favorite shows, and if you’re a Jane fan, too, you’ll want to read Snow Falling. It’s a definite read for fans! Following much of the story line found in the TV series, the book characters were a near-identical match to their small screen counterparts. Although a big difference would be the way that Jane finds herself in the adverse situation that is pretty much the premise of the whole show. In the book, it’s much steamier, and much more realistic to the time period. I appreciated that. The subtle nuances that let me know where I was, and most importantly, when it was. It reminded me of the historical romance novels I used to read when I was a kid.

While I was a little thrown off by the narrator, who works well on the show but I felt didn’t translate as well on paper, I loved the scenery, I loved having the chance to re-experience what made me fall in love with Jane to begin with. She’s quirky and fun, and it stands to reason that the heroine in Snow Falling, Josephine, is quirky and fun, too, but in a way that identifies and works well with the early 1900’s. And as always, we’re still thrust into one of the best love triangles in history, no matter what century, only in this version, it’s Team Rake and Team Martin.

Melissa Amster:

I had a feeling Jane would use situations from her life for her first novel, but I didn't know how much Snow Falling would mirror season one (and part of season two) of the TV series. I'm sorry to have to contradict Sara, but if you are a fan of Jane the Virgin, this book is basically the show with a few changes and a different time period. I didn't even feel like the time period made a difference, as I could only picture everything happening in the present and the hotel was basically The Marbella for me. I didn't even need to cast this novel since each character was based on a character from the show with a similar name.

What did work was the writing. It was engaging and funny. I found it to be an easy read, and since there were some changes, I was even surprised a few times. The scenes between Josephine and Rake were steamy and exciting. (#TeamRake). While Sara felt the narrator didn't work, I thought it added humor to the story. However, he should not have said "straight out of a telenovela" to stay true to the time period. I don't think telenovelas existed in 1902.

If you have not seen Jane the Virgin yet, this is a good way to get into the series quickly. However, some of the changes might be confusing if you start the show in the third season. In any case, it was a light and entertaining read that I might have appreciated a bit more had I not already watched the show. I understand why Jane wanted to write this story, but if she ever writes another novel, I'm hoping it would be something new that has nothing to do with anyone else on the show.

Thanks to Adams Media for the book in exchange for an honest review.