Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Made me want to just curl up with a blanket and keep reading.

The Book Club Hotel was a charming and cozy story that is full of Christmas joy! Many questions and so much character development as three best friends – who are total opposites – visit a Christmasy Inn for their yearly book club. This is a multiple POV between four women as they embark on turning points in all of their lives.

There are some obvious twists that I could see coming, but was so full of warmth that it was still a very enjoyable read. You can always count on a good story by Sarah Morgan – I've been reading her stories for quite a few years now!

Synopsis

Young widow, Hattie Coleman, is exhausted with the daily drudgery of running the picturesque Maple Sugar Inn, but she can’t bring herself to abandon her late husband’s dream. Can three strangers show her how to start living for herself and build a new future?

My Overall Thoughts

The story is heartwarming and the characters are well developed, if a bit trite. It’s a soothing, winter read to while away a snow day with in front of a warm fire with a hot cup of tea. You probably won’t remember it by spring, but that isn’t really the point.

What I Didn't Love

It’s a Hallmark movie in book form. I can’t fault if for being formulaic. That is the point, after all. However, I would have loved a bit more substance and maybe a small surprise or two.

What I Loved

This is a reader’s book. The characters are book lovers and the inn features a library I could spend a week in. The imagery is spectacular.

I Would Recommend This Book To

I would recommend this book to female readers wanting a light, cozy, winter read.

I absolutely loved this book! Sarah Morgan always writes amazing female friendships in her books and the store in this book was wonderfully executed. I loved every word of this book!!!
I just reviewed The Book Club Hotel by Sarah Morgan. #TheBookClubHotel #NetGalley
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You're in for a treat with Sarah Morgan's "The Book Club Hotel"! Picture this: three lifelong friends – Erica, Claudia, and Anna – embarking on their annual book club getaway to a New England winterwonderland.

These ladies are all successful in their own ways, but there's a sense of unease lingering among them this time around, and even Hattie, the propieteress at the Sugar Maple Inn, can sense it.

As the week progresses, the author peels back the layers of each woman's struggles, revealing secrets that even their closest friends aren't aware of. But it's the unraveling of these secrets that holds the promise of changing their lives in profound ways.

With seamless storytelling, "The Book Club Hotel" effortlessly weaves together four captivating storylines against the backdrop of stunning scenery, interesting characters, and plenty of intrigue. It's a journey you won't want to miss!

Book Review: The Book Club Hotel by Sarah Morgan

Thank you to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for the opportunity to read this entertaining and heartwarming book in exchange for an honest review and opinion.

From the publisher: With its historic charm and picture-perfect library, the Maple Sugar Inn is considered the winter destination. As the holidays approach, the inn is fully booked with guests looking for their dream vacation. But widowed far too young, and exhausted from juggling the hotel with being a dedicated single mom, Hattie Coleman dreams only of making it through the festive season.

When Hattie’s husband dies unexpectedly, she is left with not only a young daughter but with the responsibility of running the Inn by herself – a herculean task while processing her own grief. She wants to make a success of it but is caught up in thinking that she shouldn’t make any changes from Brett’s prior plan and his original wishes – even though she doesn’t always agree with them. She is a really strong woman but lacks confidence as she always deferred to her husband in running the Inn. She is also exhausted from trying to do everything herself.

When three women arrive at the Inn for their annual book club retreat, she gains strength through their friendship and ideas. Anna, Claudia and Erica have been friends since college and enjoy a warm, supportive relationship with each other that rubs off on Hattie. Each of the women is dealing with her own issues and take comfort from each other as they slowly reveal to the others what they are dealing with.

All in all, it is a heartwarming, charming novel that is a perfect read for a winter afternoon.

When Erica, Claudia and Anna get together at the Maple Sugar Inn in Vermont for their annual book club meeting, they have no idea how their vacation will change their lives forever, along with those of the inn’s owner, widow Hattie Coleman, and her young daughter.

A story of strong friendships, loss, heartache, forgiveness, family found, second chances and new beginnings. I loved this story!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A heartwarming and wonderful Christmas story! This is my first book from Sarah Morgan. But I understand she writes great Christmas stories and I look forward to reading more.
Thank you for the publisher and Netgalley for the early readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Book Club Hotel is heartwarming! This is the perfect cozy novel for a winter Book Club to read. Between the settings, the characters, and the amazing friendships this is the perfect book to read with friends. It is the perfect balance of romance, sisterly friendship, and entertaining plot lines. I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a cozy winter read!

I really liked this book! The idea of three friends visiting the Sugar Maple Inn at Christmastime for their book club get-together? How could that not be a great scenario? And then, throw in a surprise family relationship, some romance, a marital conflict, and some job tension, and we definitely have a winner here!

The book had an excellent pace, and the author was so skilled at moving back and forth between all the characters that she left me wanting more at the end of each chapter.

I’’m going to look for more of the author’s work!

Unfortunately although I started reading the book, I wasn’t able to finish it before it expired. I usually like her books, and I assume I would have enjoyed reading it.

In my top 5 books of 2023!

I adored this book. It is the perfect mix of Hallmark movie meets Sweet Magnolias. You have found family (figuratively and literally), strong female friendships, and women just being women without the drudgery society attaches it to. So happy i picked this up and can't wait to read more from Sarah Morgan!

I absolutely love this story! It’s first and foremost a story of friendship but you also have family connections involved and a mystery.

3 friends spend a week long stay at the Maple Sugar Inn in Vermont for their annual book club. But this year, instead of a summer escape, it will be just around the holiday season! They are all coping with life changes and this will provide the perfect getaway to explore new beginnings.

But why exactly did Erica chose this hotel? Hattie, the widowed mother of the inn is faced with a crisis of her own. How will she cope with a fully booked season?

I read this in January so was happy it was not too Chrismassy! Loved the little girl ´sa passion for dinosaurs, the charms of the winter destination, the heartwarming feel of female friendship and the insecurities of a widower facing both taking care of her business and facing new love.

If you enjoyed The Five-star weekend, this one is similar but has a much more authentic feeling.

I can’t go wrong with Sarah Morgan!

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

The Book Club Hotel was a charming but heartfelt little book that was a perfect read for the holiday season.

Normally I read YA or adult books that are more on the fantasy and/or spicy realm of things so this was a bit of a change of pace for me but a good one. The characters were well written and each of the women really stuck out in their personalities so I never forgot which section belonged to which woman.

I liked how each woman had a different set of problems and yet also a different set of very good things in their lives. It also didn't seem to be promoting one lifestyle over another (motherhood vs. more of the jetsetter life) which is always a good thing.

It did get a little cheesy and there were almost too many coincidences but it was a nice, winter read.

I loved this book! Sarah Morgan is one of those feel good writers that you know you can rely on when you just need to escape into a wonderful world and forget about the real world for awhile. Any book lover will really enjoy this book. The story takes place as a quaint little hotel that goes above and beyond to make their patrons feel the magical relaxed place where you want to go to read. Only a real reader will get that description. It is run by a widowed mom and her daughter along with a side cast of characters that will just make you feel like you want to hang out with all of these people. The story will make you feel like you are home and you never want to leave this cozy place.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book was a perfect festive book. I could not put it down. IF you like Christmas reads read this book

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. The Book Club Hotel was a heartwarming story about three best friends and an inn keeper coming together and sorting through their lives. It was slow to start with trying to figure out all the different characters but once they arrived at the inn, the story started to pick up. Overall, I thought it was a sweet novel.

This is a very interesting story about 3 women who meet annually at a posh hotel to discuss a book that they have chosen to read. Except this year they meet at a resort in Vermont that isn't like the posh hotels they are used to. The resort is run by a young widow who is still trying to live her late husband's dream for the hotel rather than thinking about what she wants to do. The 4 women spend the week together and find lots of ways to help each other at this specific time in their lives.

This book was perfect for the holidays and I really, really enjoyed it! I loved getting to know all the characters, and seeing each of their lives! Loved loved loved.

Three best friends with very different lives get together once a year to discuss a book and catch up on life. It's a time for them to rekindle their friendship and get away from their busy lives. But in a year where Anna is panicking about her children going away to college and losing her purpose, Claudia lost her relationship, job, and passion, and Erica finds a secret family member, it will be all about deep introspection and deciding what they really want in life. Especially when the inn Erica books for their stay is run by Hattie, the half-sister raised by the dad who ran away from her and her mom. And if that weren't enough, Hattie is a young widow with a toddler who is feeling overwhelmed by running the inn she'd opened with her husband right before his death.
Reading that description sounds like Morgan kept trying to one-up the drama, but it all develops so naturally that it just makes sense for these women to have complicated lives. It plays true to life in a way that even this drama hater can't fault.
The fact that it's set around Christmas and is playful even in moments where one would usually expect things to get really dramatic makes it extra enjoyable. There are moments of light to balance the dark. It also has character growth considering that it takes place in just a few days, which is props to Morgan because it feels believable even as it feels rushed.
Overall, it's a good character-driven story that has a little bit of everything and leaves you feeling happy.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for the feel-good read!