Life moves fast for Diana Merriman in Annie Rains’ Through the Snow Globe. With an opportunity for a promotion at work, patients to attend to, and a need to maintain her relationships, Diana keeps busy. She prefers it that way; the chaos of her life provides a distraction from the wedding planning she keeps delaying.
It’s something she regrets on Dec. 4, a day that proved to be one of the worst days of her life. In one day, she fights with her fiance, Linus, about being closed off and not setting a date for the wedding, has a disastrous interview for the promotion, and walks out on her best friend during her birthday celebration. But at the very end of the day, she finds two police officers at her door instead of her fiance.
The next few weeks until Christmas Eve are a blur. Linus is comatose, and things are looking bleak when she gets visited by her ‘magical’ neighbor who claims to have placed an enchantment on the gift Linus was never able to get her.
When Diana wakes up the next morning, it’s Dec. 4 again. Despite her neighbor’s insistence that it was meant to be an opportunity to spend one last day with Linus, however, Diana realizes that she’s stuck in a time loop, forced to relive Dec. 4 again and again. However many times she repeats the day, she can’t seem to get it right. Can’t seem to keep Linus safe.
Diana might be stuck in the same day for the majority of the book, but each day still feels like its own individual thing. There’s a balance that allows readers to get Diana’s frustration with the repetition and helplessness about Linus’ accident while having the story progress.
Snow Haven as a town itself is quaint. The author explores relationships and stories with other characters like Diana’s patients, bringing the entire story—not just Diana—more to life. The richly described setting creates a comforting, wintery atmosphere that readers may enjoy.
As a character, the protagonist is messy and anxious, but real. She struggles to stop trying to fix it all and just spend time with her fiance and Rains clearly illustrates what Linus was to Diana, how impactful his loss is, and unpacks her motivations for everything that she does. Through the time loop, she doesn’t just get to spend time with Linus. She has a journey of self-growth and awareness, especially about why she wanted a promotion and, more importantly, why she’s so closed off. With her patients, with talk about her wedding, and Linus’ big family.
Through the Snow Globe is a heartwarming story of growth and love—Diana changes, letting people in and not taking what she has for granted. In this way, it’s fair to say the book has Hallmark movie-esque elements (especially with the lessons she learns) without being overly predictable. With its winter vibes and strong characterization, Through the Snow Globe is a suitable book choice as temperatures begin to drop and winter approaches.
