One Christmas Morning by Rachel Greenlaw is a holiday romance infused with magical realism that left me feeling conflicted. While the premise of a time-loop twist holds great potential, the story didn’t quite deliver the festive, heartwarming vibe I was hoping for. Most of the narrative unfolds through the first-person perspective of Eva Glass, a protagonist who is difficult to connect with as she grapples with her strained relationships and past heartbreak. The repetitive nature of the plot and the slow pacing made it hard to stay engaged, and I found myself yearning for deeper character development, particularly among Eva, her husband James, and their friends Hallie and Kian. The writing did improve in the latter part of the book, and the ending offered a satisfying sense of hope, but waiting until 75% in for things to pick up felt too long. Overall, while I appreciate the creativity and unique concept, I needed more emotional connection to fully invest in the story. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Rachel Greenlaw for the digital review copy.

In this book, the main character Eva experiences Christmas day from the perspective of those close, and not so close, to her. Learning more about herself with every experience. A very introspective book for a Christmas story and the reflection of focusing on what is important in life versus what you pursue to distract yourself from healing. I really liked how Greenlaw combined the themes from Groundhog’s Day and A Christmas Carol with the MC looking back on her past to learn and grow in order to not make the same mistakes while repenting for a few. A clever spin on the traditional take of hope and redemption. Eva is an interesting character - you can see how easily she gets lost and starts to drift from everything that is close to her without realising. As she learns from messages from those closest to her, it’s an emotional journey of love, grief and forgiveness. Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Greenlaw, Avon and Harper Voyager Rated 3.5 but rounded up lots of messages in this book.

This is not your typical light hearted Christmas story so reader beware. That said, if you’re looking for something a little more complex but festive this book is it. It does get repetitive but the end is worth reading for.

Rachel Greenlaw’s "One Christmas Morning" offers a heartwarming, if somewhat uneven, take on self-discovery and second chances. The novel follows Eva, who, grappling with the emotional fallout of a past Christmas, is thrust into a magical journey that forces her to live the same day from the perspectives of those she’s distanced herself from. While the Dickensian magic and the theme of learning through others’ lives are engaging, the execution sometimes feels a bit predictable and lacks the depth needed to fully immerse the reader.

The character development is heartfelt, yet the transitions between perspectives can be jarring and disrupt the flow of the story. Despite these flaws, Greenlaw’s novel does deliver an enjoyable exploration of personal growth and reconciliation, with moments of warmth and insight.

One Christmas Morning by Rachel Greenlaw is a heartwarming and enchanting holiday romance that captures the magic of Christmas and the power of second chances. I loved the character development in this story and what the meaning of Christmas can be for everyone is different. The emotions in this book are real and brings you in to relate to the characters.

This book has Christmas Carol and Groundhog vibes. Instead of seeing different versions of her life, Eva gets to become the people closest to her and gets a view of the people she has pushed away.

When Eva lost her grandmother and child three years ago, she threw herself further into expanding to her business rather than deal with the pain. In the process her marriage and friendships have suffered. Despite knowing this she continues to put her business first and as launch day approaches gives less and less time. Her best friend hosts a Christmas get together at a home that holds lots of memories for Eva. While there, she is greeted with the ghost of her grandmother who tries to get her to understand what she wants in her life. Eva then repeats Christmas morning by waking up in a new body each time. Through each person she discovers secrets and views herself from afar.

I enjoyed the overall concept of the story and the characters were well written. There is a lot of heart throughout this story. I do believe that while Eva knows what needs to change, she doesn't truly want to make the change.

Check TW. This story mentions IVF and miscarriage.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Groundhog day but for Christmas with way more heartache and turmoil that light hearted lessons learned.
I can see others wanting a deep book set at Christmas time enjoying this one.

I'm usually a big fan of ghostly visits by family members but for some reason this book did not grab my total attention. Usually Christmas stories are happy but Eva isn't a happy lady and the folks around her can't be happy either with her in their lives. She is invited to a Christmas celebration that her husband insists they attend but when she tries to leave in the middle of the night her Grandmother's ghost stops her. This is my first read by Rachel Greenlaw and I am just a little disappointed.

This is groundhog day over and over again except with a Christmas theme. I t toojk me a lwhile to read it as I couldn't;t really get into it. I feel the story was long and drug out.

After leaving a Christmas party, and driving back home, Eve comes across the ghost of her grandma. She is told she needs to face the ghosts of her past and over the next few days she wakes up on Christmas Day as a different person.

One Christmas morning throws in a little Christmas Carol/Groundhounds day vibe.
However, this book is a little bit more heavier and depressing than I would normally grab to read during Christmas or seek our in a holiday book.

2.75 stars

tw: miscarriage, pregnancy loss, grief, parental/grandparental loss

A grieving Eva has thrown herself into work in anticipation of opening a new shop, but pauses--ever so briefly and half-heartedly--to join her fiancé and best friends at a holiday party in the country. When she tries to flee the party, though, she encounters the ghost of her recently dead grandmother and finds herself waking up day after day in the bodies of different party guests, each of whom offer new perspectives on the Eva they see and experience. The premise is a bit shaky at times but the message here is a tribute to the spirit of the season.

Eva has lost herself in work. If she is always working, she doesn’t have to think about the heartbreaking loss of her grandmother three years ago.

She is so focused on her inner pain that she is oblivious to the pain of others - even the pain she causes. When she is invited to a weekend-long Christmas party, the last thing she wants to do is socialize. To make matters worse, the party is being held in her grandmother’s previous home.

Eva’s relationships are all hanging on by a thread. Her husband can’t reach her and neither can her friends. But then something happens, Eva keeps waking up on the same morning with her thoughts but inside the body of a different party guest. It is a chance to see herself as others do. Will this be a chance to redeem herself or just something preventing her from numbing her pain?

I really liked how this book took the reliving the same day idea and added a unique spin. Spend One Christmas Morning (or many) with this entertaining novel from Rachel Greenlaw.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

"One Christmas Morning" is a heartwarming and thought-provoking novel that takes readers on a journey of self-discovery. The story follows Eva, a woman who is feeling lost and unfulfilled in her life. After being visited by the ghost of her grandmother, Eva finds herself reliving the same day over and over again, but in the bodies of different people.

This unique premise allows Eva to see the world through new eyes and gain a deeper understanding of the lives of those around her. Through her experiences, she learns valuable lessons about compassion, empathy, and the importance of cherishing loved ones.

"One Christmas Morning" is a beautifully written novel that will stay with you long after you turn the last page. It's a perfect read for anyone who is looking for a heartwarming story about the power of second chances and the importance of living life to the fullest.

Just because Christmas is over doesn't mean anyone has to stop reading books taking place during that holiday. I read One Christmas Morning by Rachel Greenlaw early into the new year. It definitely captures the feel of Christmas and is a mix between Groundhog Day, Freaky Friday, and A Christmas Carol. It also reminded me of The Transformation of Things by Jillian Cantor. (Oddly enough, my book club met with her on Zoom last night, but this earlier novel wasn't part of the discussion.)

This novel is about a woman who is grieving while also burying herself in work, and how she learns what is truly important. It was an interesting and thoughtful story, but it does have some sad moments. There is a lot of magical realism throughout, which sort of includes time travel in a different sense. I enjoyed seeing Eva experience life through the eyes of other people she knows. I'm sure it was jarring to interact with herself while in someone else's body.

My biggest concerns were that there was too much description, which took away from the narrative for me. I also felt like things went around in circles a lot, and I'm not talking about the situation with Eva waking up as different people. Just the dialogue and certain situations.

Overall, a worthwhile read that will put you back into a Christmas mood!

(Trigger warning below.)

Movie casting suggestions:
Eva: Jessica Brown Findlay
James: Ed Speleers
Hallie: Holliday Grainger
Diana: Mimi Keene
Kian: Henry Golding
Sarah: Emma Laird
Natalie: Cara Delevingne
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TW: miscarriage, infertility, loss of a parent/parental figure

This is not your typical Christmas book. It's not heartwarming or uplifting, even if the ending is somewhat hopeful, in fact it's pretty sad and depressing at times and I often wanted to throttle Eva, though Gran was a bit of a hoot.

I saw several mixed reviews prior to reading this book but I have to say that I'm square in the camp of really enjoying it. You have to accept the book for what it it - - it's a reflection of life and finding your way through the muck. Sometimes we get caught up in what we "think" is important and lose sight of the bigger picture. This book really did a nice job of helping to put priorities into focus.

By showing using perspectives from each of the different characters to help our main character, Eva to see what she's missing, it was a unique way to present the storyline. Even though it's not typical holiday fare, this book is meaningful and emotional. Kudos to the author for a job well done.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it.

This was a beautiful story about realizing what is actually important in life. Will recommend to friends.

While I thought the concept of One Christmas Morning was an interesting variation of the typical time loop story, I thought that it still fell into the trap of being overly repetitive and a little boring. That being said, I think the story was good and interesting enough to hold my attention. I typically avoid these kinds of tropes, but I did enjoy the read and I'm glad I picked this one up. The ending is definitely the payoff in my opinion and I think if you can push through the beginning, it's worth it.

A sweet Christmas rom com that made me laugh and made me cry. I finished it in one day. While it wasn't a favorite and I most likely won't read it again I did enjoy it.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. Unfortunately, I was not able to finish the novel so I won't be leaving a full review.