In case you haven’t noticed I love reading Christmas books, and this year has yielded a bumper crop of absolutely gorgeous tales. I have several ‘go-to’ authors at this time of year, and Sarah Morgan ranks amongst my favourites. She has a gift with her writing style and always pulled right into the story. If you’d like to read a couple of my previous reviews, you can follow these links: A Wedding in December and Snowed in for Christmas.
I received a digital advance reading copy of this book from HQ Stories, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review. You can read my thoughts below.
Synopsis
A long-lasting friendship
Every year, Erica, Claudia, and Anna reunite for their book club holiday. They’re bonded by years of friendship and a deep love of books, but there is still so much they keep from each other . . .
A perfect Christmas escape
At the cosy Maple Sugar Inn, Hattie specialises in making her guests’ dreams come true, but this Christmas all she wants is to survive the festive season. Between running the inn and being a single mother, Hattie is close to breaking point.
The start of a brand-new story…?
Over the course of an eventful week, Hattie sees that the friends are each carrying around unspoken truths, but nothing prepares her for how deeply her story will become entwined in theirs. Will this Christmas be the end of the book club’s story or the start of a whole new chapter?
Review
The synopsis sets the scene for a gorgeous, Christmas break. Hattie is coping better than she realises as she battles with both the Maple Sugar Inn, which she inherited after the death of her husband, and raising her lovely daughter, Delphi. The opening chapter gave me a clear picture of Hattie’s lifestyle and I immediately felt empathetic.
We then met the book club members and learnt a little more about their lifestyles. From high flying executive Erica and her designer world, Anna’s lovely family and Claudia’s pressing predicament, it soon became clear that I was in for a real treat.
Each of the four women are well developed and completely relatable. Well, maybe not so much, Erica as I don’t have access to that lifestyle, but her character was totally believable, and I genuinely felt her conflicting thoughts.
The location is everything that I would imagine for a perfect Christmas setting. The Inn is beautifully decorated with the comfort of each guest as the main focus. I would love to visit, find a comfy chair, and curl up with a good book. The snow, however, is nice to look at, but I’ve no desire to experience it.
This book gave me all the Christmas joy, but more importantly, reminded me of the power of friendships, both old and new. It was truly heartwarming to be reminded that love stories aren’t always about meeting ones life partner, they can also focus on falling in love with both yourself, and the people around you.
Author Bio
Sarah Morgan is a USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling author of romance and women’s fiction. She has sold over 21 million copies of her books and her trademark humour and warmth have gained her fans across the globe.
Sarah lives near London, England and when she isn’t writing or reading, she likes to spend time outdoors hiking or riding her mountain bike.
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