Review: Snowed in for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

Lucy works for an advertising agency, which feels more like family than work, especially since her only relative, her grandmother, died at Christmas a couple of years back. Now the agency is in trouble, she doesn't hesitate to head off to Scotland to try to win over Ross Miller, the CEO of a famous gym/sportswear company. She even has the perfect way to get his attention. Wrap her proposal to look like a present and hand-deliver it to his house. What could possibly go wrong?

Meanwhile, Ross and his sisters Alice and Clemmie meet up before their annual family Christmas get together to discuss tactics to deal with their parents, particularly their mother and Nanna Jean, who are just dying to see them all happily married. Alice has commitment issues and her boyfriend has just proposed, sending her into a panic. She suggests that Ross could take the heat off her if he pretends to have a girlfriend. Ross goes along with the joke and they randomly chooses the name Lucy for his fake girlfriend, after the girl on the cover of a magazine. So that when the real Lucy arrives at the Miller house, complete with her 'present' for Ross, his family get completely the wrong idea and invite her in. By the time Ross has turned up and the mistake is explained, it is snowing heavily and all trains back to London have been cancelled. And Lucy is stuck facing Christmas with a family of strangers...

Snowed in for Christmas is not a story about one couple's romance, but an ensemble cast who have multiple problems, exacerbated by being thrown together for Christmas with no prospect of escape! We have Lucy, who hates Christmas due to her sad memories; Alice, who knows she's no one's idea of a perfect wife yet terrified of losing Nico if she turns down his proposal; Clemmie, who moved to London to escape her childhood sweetheart, only to run into him again; and Glenda, the matriarch, desperate to see her family settled, but equally aware she has to step back and not interfere with their lives. Meanwhile, the hilarious but completely adorable Nanna Jean has no compunction about interfering in all their lives as often as possible! (As you can tell, Nanna Jean was my favourite character!)

If you love warm-hearted, feel-good romantic comedies, this is the book for you. Highly original and very funny (and deserving of being a Christmas classic), Snowed in for Christmas was one of my favourite reads this year. Would suit fans of authors such as Jill Shalvis and classic movies like While You Were Sleeping.

Thank you to Sarah Morgan and HQ for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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Review: Beach House Summer by Sarah Morgan

Sarah Morgan is one of my favourite authors. I love her stories of romance, friendship and family life, and Beach House Summer did not disappoint!

When Joanna switches on the TV one morning the headline news is that her ex-husband Cliff, a famous chef, has been killed in a car accident. She doesn't know whether to feel elated or cheated - there were times when she'd like to have killed him herself! She'd married him on the rebound and he'd cheated on her throughout their marriage. Typically, there had been another young woman with him when his car had crashed and it's not long before the press are camped outside Joanna's door in pursuit of a juicy story.

Ashley was the girl in Cliff's car when it crashed and now she's lying in a hospital bed, worried she's about to lose her baby, and also being stalked by the press. The one person she doesn't expect to come to her rescue is also the one person who knows how she feels - Joanna. Joanna has a proposition - that they head to the sleepy Californian town of Sandy Point and hide out at Joanna's beach house until the fuss goes down. Ashley, who is penniless and terrified, readily agrees. Spend summer at a beach house? What's not to like? But to Joanna it means returning to her home town, to the life she had before she married Cliff, meeting the friends she abandoned, confronting the woman who made her life hell, and facing the man she left behind...

Beach House Summer is a deliciously summery read about facing up to the past - and the future, connecting with old friends and making new ones, learning from mistakes and to forgive - and that maintaining a dignified silence is not always the best option! I loved the setting of Sandy Point and wish I could spend my summer there. Watching Joanna regain her old confidence and discover a new life was lovely and I adored Ashley's no-nonsense feistiness. Joanna's assistant, Nessa, was a fabulous supporting character but I'm not sure I would have forgiven Nate so easily!

One of my favourite reads this year, Beach House Summer would suit fans of feel-good romantic comedy and authors such as Jill Shalvis. The perfect holiday read!

Thank you to Sarah Morgan and HQ for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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Review: The Christmas Escape by Sarah Morgan

Sarah Morgan is one of my go-to authors if I'm feeling a bit down. Her heart-warming romantic comedies are always guaranteed to put the smile back on my face. I was so excited to receive an early copy of The Christmas Escape I couldn't wait to read it - even though it was the middle of summer!

Christy Sullivan has planned the perfect Christmas holiday to Lapland with her husband Seb, daughter Holly and best friend Alix. She's also hoping to finally meet her long-lost aunt Robyn. But facing a make-or-break marriage crisis, Christy desperately needs time alone with Seb. How can she deprive her daughter of a dream holiday? Her solution is to ask Alix to take her daughter, with the help of Seb's friend Zac, and they will all reunite on Christmas Day. After all, what are friends for? Well, there's nothing Alix won't do for Christy but Christy's plan is going to severely test their friendship, because Alix and Zac have a complicated history of their own...

The Christmas Escape is about family and friendships, how those relationships change over time and need to adapt. My favourite character was Alix. I love characters with flaws and poor Alix has a lot of emotional baggage. Although a loyal friend, she has a habit of speaking her mind - very bluntly. She's never been much of a fan of Seb either - tricky when he's married to her best friend! Due to her own dysfunctional childhood, she hasn't got a clue about Christmas or how to look after children. Now Christy has entrusted her with Holly, who is one of those children that things just 'happen' to. How can Alix hope to keep Holly safe in Lapland, with so many accidents waiting to happen? Then there's Zac, who she was perfectly happy to never see again after their last explosive encounter. Now she's expected her to go on holiday with him? This won't be the relaxing break she was hoping for...

One of my favourite books this year, The Christmas Escape is the perfect festive read, especially for fans of Sarah Morgan, authors like Jill Shalvis, enemies-to-lovers tropes, destination fiction, feel-good romantic comedy, and anyone who's ever dreamt of escaping the humdrum for a perfect Christmas! 

Thank you to Sarah Morgan and HQ for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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Review: The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan

Sarah Morgan is one of my favourite authors and I often read her books more than once, particularly if I am feeling low. The Summer Seekers is, as the name suggests, a blast of summer fun, perfect for this time of year, even more so if you're stuck at home on a Staycation. You'll be whisked off on holiday with Kathleen, Liza and Martha!

Kathleen used to have a popular TV travel show but now she's 80 years old and chaffing at the restrictions others (mainly her daughter, Liza) seem to want to force upon her due to her age. Liza feels Kathleen should give up her home on the beach in Cornwall and go into some form of retirement home. So Kathleen retaliates by booking a road trip across America. She can't drive but that's not a problem - she'll hire Martha to drive her!

Martha is only too eager to jump at the chance to get away from her family and ex-boyfriend, who want to belittle her at every opportunity. Won't they be surprised (and hopefully impressed) to learn she has a new job driving a TV star across America? There is only one teensy problem. Martha can't drive...

Liza can feel herself buckling beneath the pressure of being everyone's go-to woman. She worries about her too-independent mother and feels her husband and daughters are not supporting her, rather creating more work without a second thought. The final straw is coming home to find her house wrecked after a party. Using cat-sitting as an excuse, she flees to her mother's home in Cornwall to rediscover the woman she used to be.

The Summer Seekers is a feel-good, heart-warming story about three women rebelling against their family's expectations, who seize the chance for an adventure with both hands, and discover new friends and potential lovers along the way.

I particularly adored the character of Kathleen and had Dame Maggie Smith stuck in my head for most of the book. What a terrific film this would make! Martha was sweet and I enjoyed how she gained confidence with every mile, even having a romance along the way. I think the character that resonated most with me was Liza. Who hasn't fantasised about giving up the stresses of everyday life and heading to Cornwall and the beach. And finding a sexy rock star living next door? Bonus!

The Summer Seekers will be published on 27th May 2021.

Thank you to Sarah Morgan and HQ for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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Review: One More for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

Sarah Morgan is definitely my go-to author when it comes to Christmas books. Her stories about romance and family relationships are so real and true-to-life, and always come served up with a good dollop of all things Christmassy!

One More for Christmas is about Gayle, a successful business-woman famous for her self-help books, which are all about taking control of your life and not relying on anyone else. Unfortunately, she's not so successful in her private life and has not seen her grown-up daughters for five years. After an accident lands her in hospital and her daughters are notified as her next-of-kin, Gayle realises she needs to make amends. Samantha and Ella have an uneasy relationship with their mother - particularly Ella, who hasn't even told Gayle that she married five years ago and is now a stay-at-home mum to Tabitha. It doesn't help that Gayle thinks Christmas is a waste of money - Samantha and Ella weren't even allowed to have a Christmas tree as children. Now Gayle wants to make up for lost time and join them on a Christmas trip to Scotland...

I utterly adored One More for Christmas. I really felt for Gayle, who has finally realised what a hash she has made in the way she tried to bring up her children to be tough and self-reliant. She was so desperate that they didn't make the mistakes she did, she's unwittingly made a whole bunch of new ones. It was so sweet watching her try to make amends, and to be a grandmother to Tabitha - building snowmen and making gingerbread - not realising that she's alienating her daughters further because they never got to do that with her.

I particularly loved that the story is told from several points of view: Gayle, Samantha, Ella and Brodie - the owner of the big old house in Scotland where they are taking their holiday. Brodie has problems of his own and the purpose of the trip is for Samantha to help him market his home as a luxury holiday destination. This story has more romance than Sarah's last book, and the affectionate nod to contemporary romances set in the Highlands (Laid by the Laird is a running joke) made me giggle.

If you're looking for a feel-good, funny, romantic, ultra-Christmassy book to read over the holidays then this is definitely the book for you! I know Sarah's fans will love it (think: The Christmas Sisters and Sleigh Bells in the Snow) and it would also suit readers of feel-good romantic comedy such as those written by Trisha Ashley. I'm certainly saving it to read again!  

Thank you to Sarah Morgan and HQ for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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Review: Family for Beginners by Sarah Morgan

I discovered Sarah Morgan after reading her recent Christmas book, A Wedding in December, which I absolutely loved, so I was thrilled to receive an early copy of her latest, Family for Beginners.

Family for Beginners is a clever romcom spin on Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. Flora was raised by an aunt who never really wanted her. As a result, she has always longed for a traditional family of her own. When Flora falls in love with widowed Jack, who has two daughters, it seems as if all her dreams are about to come true. But Jack's eldest, the teenage Izzy, makes it clear their family is doing just fine without Flora - and she'd quite like to keep it that way! And the more Flora learns about Jack's late wife, the saintly Becca, she begins to realise it will be impossible to compete...

Despite the themes of grief, loss and abandonment, Family for Beginners is a lovely, uplifting, heart-warming story about relationships between family and friends. The main viewpoints are Flora and Izzy, and we get a terrific insight into two women who, ordinarily, could have been good friends. There is humour, when Izzy's various schemes to trip up Flora backfire spectacularly, as well as sweet and sexy romance. The gorgeous holiday home, overlooking the water in the Lake District, is virtually a character in itself. 

Sarah Morgan is a genius at creating flawed, realistic characters we can all relate to. As much as I loved Flora, I think poor Isabel was my favourite as she struggled to deal with the guilt she felt after her mother's death. The characters are so real, so perfect, so cleverly drawn, I think Family for Beginners is Sarah Morgan's best book yet. One of my favourite reads this year!

Thank you to Sarah Morgan and HQ for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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A Wedding in December by Sarah Morgan

A Wedding In December by Sarah Morgan

I've not read anything by Sarah Morgan before but I adore Christmas romances and could not resist downloading this one. The cover is gorgeous too!

This story is about the women of the White family and all the secrets they are keeping from each other - secrets that are sure to come out when they meet up for a glamorous wedding in Aspen. Maggie is married to Nick, an Egyptologist. They've been living apart for six months but Maggie hasn't been able to bring herself to tell their two grown-up daughters, Katie and Rosie. Katie is working all hours as a doctor, and is on the brink of a breakdown after a traumatic event. When her younger sister Rosie announces that she's getting married to someone she's only just met, Katie's sole intention is to stop it taking place. Rosie, meanwhile, has spent her life trying to prove to her family that she's a grown woman, capable of making her own decisions - but is the decision to marry so quickly the right one?

I loved A Wedding in December. It's chock-full of brilliant characters that I couldn't help rooting for. I loved 'Cactus Katie', her determination to protect her sister at all costs, even if that means stopping the wedding, and her prickliness towards poor Jordan. The part when she's trying to cross an icy bridge, determined not to ask for help, is priceless. Maggie is funny, Rosie is sweet - and so is poor Nick, who is not quite sure how he ended up on the wrong side of a divorce. 

A Wedding in December is perfect for anyone wanting an escapist, heart-warming, romantic festive read in the run-up to Christmas. One of my favourites this year.


Thank you to Sarah Morgan and HQ for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.