The Snowbirds

* Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC for review *

Kim and Grant have been together for 30 years, but they’ve never married. They raised twin daughters and spent much of their relationship living apart—Grant as a professor in another state, Kim doing her own thing. She even describes it as “an open relationship without the sex.”

Now, with Grant losing his job, Kim wants them to move to Palm Springs and finally live together full-time. But their relationship has always thrived on space, and old habits die hard. Grant has a history of running when things get tough, and when he suddenly disappears on a hike, the big question is: did he leave on purpose, or is something more serious going on?

The book flips between past and present—Kim organizing the search for Grant while we also see their relationship struggles leading up to this moment. At first, it feels like a missing person mystery, but really, it’s about their journey as a couple. Despite their quirks and conflicts, they both decide their love is worth fighting for. And yes, there is a happy ending!

I loved that this story focused on an older couple—though Kim and Grant don’t feel old, just experienced. The side characters are great, the Palm Springs setting is refreshing, and the relationship dynamics feel real. While it leans more toward women’s fiction than straight-up romance, it’s a satisfying read with heart.

I’ll definitely be checking out more from Christina Clancy.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5
Spice Level: N/A

Blurb:

The Last Thing He Told Me meets Fleishman Is in Trouble in this page-turning story of a couple who flee winter in the Midwest for Palm Springs, where they find their relationship at a crossroads.

Kim and Grant are at a turning point. A couple for thirty years, their “separate but together” partnership is running up against the realities of late middle age: Grant’s mother has died, the college where he taught philosophy was shuttered, and their twin girls are grown and gone. Escaping the bitter cold of a Midwestern winter for the hot desert sun of Palm Springs seems as good a solution as any to the more intractable problems they face.

When they arrive at Le Desert, a quirky condo community where everyone knows everyone’s business, Kim immediately embraces the opportunity to make new friends and explore a more adventurous side of her personality. Meanwhile, Grant struggles to find his footing in this unfamiliar landscape, leaving Kim to wonder if their relationship can survive the snowbird season. But when Grant goes missing on a hike in the Palm Springs mountains, Kim is forced to consider two terrifying outcomes: either Grant is truly lost, or this time, he’s really left her.

Is it ever too late to become the person we wanted to be—and is there still time to change into someone better? The exhilarating, but often confusing transitions of midlife are pitched against the promise and glamour of Palm Springs in this tender, honest story of what it takes to commit to someone for a lifetime. With compassion and humor, Clancy explores the redemptive power of finding ourselves, and of being found.