This read benefitted from the added sensory experience of the winter season. I couldn't imagine reading this on a beach; it just wouldn't fit. Its flaws might have chafed more if exposed to heat. But with the world covered in blankets of white, I couldn't help but feel a little charmed while reading this.

I was initially intrigued by the three main female perspectives, but there were moments when this strength was abandoned. For one excruciatingly long part, you are randomly shoved into the POV of an uneducated, small child. He doesn't really understand what is happening around him, but he is the one relaying the events of the plot. It's tedious and, in retrospect, basically ruined the book.

I was also disappointed with the ending. I can forgive a happily ever after, especially in a fairytale, but that happy ending has to fit the characters and the world that you've built.