Honestly, I tried to get into this book multiple times, but I just couldn't get into the characters or be invested in the story.

Friends, family, and Christmas. And Lapland! Morgan, a good storyteller, has written another heart warmer that, while a bit trope-y, will keep you turning the pages, There's some chuckles too. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I really enjoyed this story - it made me want to travel to Lapland. Lots of winter moments, hot chocolate drinking, and sleigh rides. Lots of feelings in this one as friendships and relationships are examined. I love the idea of chosen family and how friends do make the best families. I enjoyed Christy learning to let go of schedules and Alix learn to let people in. This would make a great Hallmark Channel movie (or Nexflix - I'm not picky)

A perfect Christmas story to add to the list! I became obsessed with Sarah Morgan one Christmas break many years ago, and she never fails to deliver! I purchased this in paperback to have as a reread every year.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Since i read this I have snatched up every Sarah Morgan book I can find. This author can write. I highly recommend this to everyone who loves romance. This author, I am so mad I just discovered her.

I absolutely loved this story. I’m starting to think Sarah Morgan is not capable of writing a book I won’t like. The journey of Alix and Christy is so important to read about because it highlights what happens to so many people - a change to their friendship that is not acknowledged or discussed. This happens to everyone at some point in their lives and this story displays how important it is to have these conversations and what can happen as a result of avoiding it, but also how things can be resolved. And we try with all of our night to save those kinds of friendships, don’t we?!?

I really enjoyed getting to know ALL of the characters in this story. They each are multi-layered and Morgan reveals who they are one layer at a time. And every layer is so vital and important to the whole.

I think Holly is HILARIOUS. I’m not one that will have my own children, but I admire her spirit of adventure, her curiosity, and her quick wit for such a young child!

Give this one a go and don’t worry - it’s more a winter book than a Christmas story! So go ahead and read it now!!!

Thank you for Sarah Morgan, Netgalley, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!!

Sarah Morgan writes such wonderful stories wrapped in charm and loveliness. All of her holiday books pull at the heartstrings and emotions just like The Christmas Escape. The characters and setting are the perfect blend for a holiday/winter romp for any romance fan.

The Christmas Escape by Sarah Morgan is a contemporary romance set during the holiday season. This one features more than one relationship in the story with romance also being mixed in with familial relations and friendship.

After Christy Sullivan’s mother died suddenly Christy decided that she wanted to track down her only other relative. Christy’s aunt, Robyn Svennson, was estranged from Christy’s mother so Christy really has no memory of her and is curious what kept the sisters apart for all these years. Finding that Robyn lives in Lapland Christy plans a trip that she feels will also make the perfect Christmas.

Right before the trip Christy learns some news from her husband, Seb, that will delay their departure so Christy turns to her best friend, Alix Carpenter, to keep the holiday on track. Alix will take Christy’s daughter to Lapland ahead of Christy and her husband but traveling along will be Seb’s best friend Zac who Alix hasn’t had the best track record with in the past so Alix isn’t sure how jolly the vacation will be.

The Christmas Escape by Sarah Morgan had a lot going on in the story and after beginning I had a hard time trying to put this one down just wanting to keep the pages turning. There’s not only the enemies to lovers new romance with Alix and Zac but Christy’s relationship with her husband and then later on with her estranged aunt Robyn with lots of secrets surfacing. Don’t worry though amidst all of the relationship building in the story there was also plenty of Christmas cheer thrown into the mix making this one a lovely holiday tale set wonderful place to be during the holiday season. Definitely one to check out and I will happily read more of this author in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

The last two years I’ve read and adored the authors holidays releases, so I’ve definitely been eagerly awaiting her newest and I know I’m guaranteed a cozy and festive read. She has a magical way of creating the best Christmassy settings and her books always leave me with a sense of hope and warmth.

One of the best things about a SM book is you’re getting a mix of romance and female relationships and this time it’s a friendship between Christy and Alix as well as Christy and Seb’s marriage and Alix’s new potential romance with Zac. There’s also Robyn, Christy’s estranged aunt so there’s complicated family dynamics everywhere. Definitely a lot going on and plenty to keep you engaged, and of course there is also Christmas cheer in a beautiful setting. Rose Robinson is a delightful narrator and has a beautiful and melodic voice, she really swept me away and made the story that much more perfect. Add to your holiday TBR for sure!

Sarah Morgan has been on my “auto-read” list for years now. I’ve enjoyed her last few holiday novels so I was really looking forward to reading her latest, The Christmas Escape. Published back in October, the novel delivers cozy, Christmas feelings all while giving the reader some serious wanderlust.

Here’s the book’s description:
It was supposed to be Christy Sullivan’s perfect Christmas getaway—a trip to Lapland with her family and best friend, Alix. But facing a make-or-break marriage crisis, Christy desperately needs time alone with her husband. Her solution? Alix can take Christy’s little daughter to Lapland, and they will reunite there for Christmas Day. It’s a big ask, but what else are friends for?
There’s nothing Alix won’t do for Christy. But Christy’s request to save Christmas is giving Alix sleepless nights. She knows something is wrong, but for the first time ever, Christy isn’t talking. And even the Arctic temperatures in Lapland aren’t enough to dampen the seriously inconvenient sizzle Alix is developing for Zac, a fellow guest and nemesis from her past.

As secrets unravel and unexpected romance shines under the northern lights, can Christy and Alix’s Christmas escape give them the courage to fight for the relationships they really want, and save the precious gift of each other’s friendship?
The novel is told through alternating chapters from Alix and Christy, with a few from Robyn’s perspective as well. I liked getting to know all three women but definitely feel like there wasn’t an even emphasis on the two best friends. I enjoyed reading about Alix more (you always have a favourite with these types of books - don’t try to deny it) but her storyline was very heavily focused on the romance (which I really enjoyed). Chrissy’s storyline was also about her romantic relationship but there were a ton more issues surrounding it than just waiting to see if she and her husband would be able to rekindle their marriage.

There’s some great armchair travel opportunities in this book. The women both live in England - Alix with a glamorous lifestyle in London as she works her high level marketing job, and Christy living an idyllic life in a cottage in a small village outside of the city. But not only did this Canadian get a taste of England but they all travel to Lapland (part of Finland) for Christmas. I’ve never been to Finland and Morgan made it seem so incredibly magical. I want to stay in Robyn’s cabins at her spa! I especially loved how excited Christy’s daughter was about spending the holidays surrounded by snow and reindeer.

If you’re looking for a contemporary fiction read that’s heavy on the romance and travel inspiration, The Christmas Escape is for you. Sarah Morgan’s latest novel combines Christmas, family, and love in a nice novel that’s perfect for curling up with next to the fire.

*An advanced egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Harlequin, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Sarah Morgan has a template and she does that template well! 3 points of view, 1 older woman with a secret in her past, relationships (family, romantic, friends) that need mending and everyone needs to have a good talk to clear misunderstandings and past hurts so they can move forward. This one had the bonus of a beautiful Christmas in Lapland.

Thanks to Netgalley for the e-ARC!

Not my favorite. Couldn’t finish. It just wasn’t pulling me in. Loved the setting but couldn’t connect with the characters.

There's just something about a Sarah Morgan Christmas novel. One of my favorite things about her novels is how she weaves together stories from varying viewpoints and experiences. In the Christmas Escape, I loved Christy's and Alix's stories and their path of growth this novel set for them. I loved jumping between the romances. There was a little bit of something for every reader in this novel with a marriage in trouble storyline and enemies to lover + only one bed storyline. But most of all I loved the setting of The Christmas Escape. The arctic town of Lapland absolutely came alive while reading. I now need a snowy, northern getaway!

An uplifting novel of friendship, the festive season, and risking everything for the biggest gift of all...

It was supposed to be Christy Sullivan’s perfect Christmas escape – a dream trip to Lapland with her family and best friend, Alix. But facing a make-or-break marriage crisis, Christy desperately needs time alone with her husband, Seb. Her solution? Alix, along with Seb’s oldest friend, Zac, can take Christy’s daughter on the planned Lapland trip, and they will all reunite there for Christmas Day. After all, what are friends for?

There’s nothing Alix won’t do for Christy, but Christy’s plan to save Christmas is testing their friendship. Especially as Alix and Zac have a difficult history of their own.

As long-held secrets unravel, and unexpected romance shines under the Northern Lights, can Christy and Alix find the courage to fight for the relationships they really want? And could this Christmas escape save the precious gift of each other’s friendship?

Do you ever read a book and it’s written nicely, with a good story plot….but you just can’t connect with the characters? That was this book for me. Could totally be a mood read failure though. I didn’t like Seb or Christy very much. I felt bad for Alix and I did not like Christy’s mom or Fiona. It wasn’t the authors fault because she wrote good characters with detail, I just struggled to connect and get drawn in.

Sarah is a wonderful writer. The characters were refreshing and very wonderful to connect with. Thank you for allowing me to read this author.

Christy and Alix have been best friends since elementary school but they now live very different lives. Christy wants life to be perfect: perfect cottage, perfect family, perfect everything. Alix is single and her life is consumed with her corporate job, leaving zero time or interest in relationships. Christy plans the perfect Christmas in Sweden at a resort owned by her estranged aunt Robyn. Visions of reindeer, snowman making, dogsled rides, and views of the northern lights are what her Christmas dreams are made of for her and her family. But her husband has an unexpected delay forcing Christy to send her daughter to Sweden with Alix for the first few days of the trip along with Zac, another family friend. Can Christy and her husband work through this challenging delay? Will Alix and Zac come to terms with their secret history? And will this be the perfect Christmas that Christy planned?

This was a sweet and heartwarming holiday story. I enjoyed the magical setting of Sweden at Christmastime and the character growth. I liked the development of Christy and Seb's relationship and thought the amount of romance was appropriate. At times the storyline felt repetitive and a little long. But overall this was a good story and one I would recommend for holiday reading.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I'm so glad to have found Sarah Morgan's books. I've read a couple of her holiday books now and I'm always impressed with them. I really liked The Christmas Escape and would recommend adding it to your Christmas reading.

It features a couple different romantic storylines that comes together quite nicely. There is a married couple, working through some issues and trying to keep their marriage alive. They also have an adorably busy child! Then there are the best friends, who have a brief past encounter together and are now trying to work out their true feelings. All of these characters travel together for Christmas to the scenic Lapland, a snowy winter wonderland, in order to meet an estranged Aunt.

Besides romantic relationships, this story also has family relationships and really explores the challenges, bonds and what it means to be a family. I really liked this!

Relationships, romance, snowy atmosphere, Christmas traditions and activities...I loved it all!

This one just wasn't for me. Started off too slow for my liking and is more woman's fiction then it is romance. Might try again at a later time.

There's a lot going on in The Christmas Escape but Sarah Morgan weaves it all together into an uplifting story about the importance of communication in maintaining relationships - with family, friends, and lovers. The incredibly festive setting of Lapland in northern Sweden with Santa, reindeer, dog sledding, and the aurora borealis had me dreaming of my own snowy holiday escape! Sarah Morgan is a new author to me and I look forward to reading more of her novels.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC.

This is told from 3 POV, although I didn't really feel like the POV from the long lost aunt really added to the story. Her role seemed a bit random and out of place to me. The two friends and their relationship, alongside their romances were the best part of the story. It was easy to emphasize to both of the friends and the conflict. This has a great balance of conflict, relationships and character growth. Sarah's novels are always cozy, sweet and perfect to read around Christmas.