Everything you want in a Christmas book! Sweet romance, charming small town, lovely supporting characters, and chock full of holiday cheer. I enjoyed my time with this one!

This wasn’t the cozy Christmas read I was expecting. Instead of warm holiday cheer, I felt the weight of Imogen and her family’s challenges. While it’s a heartfelt story, I found myself wishing the characters were portrayed as more empowered. Not my favorite holiday vibe, but some may appreciate its emotional depth.

Are you looking for a heartwarming tug at your heart-strings holiday read? If so, you’ll want to grab The Holiday Cottage by Sarah Morgan. It’s a story of friendship, finding one’s self and of family. You’ll want to curl up with some hot cocoa by the fire and read about Imogen’s stay at a guest cottage in the Cotswolds.

Our story begins when we meet Imogen, a marketing guru who plans some of the biggest events in the city. An only child whose own mother refuses to be called mum, Imogen has thrown herself at her career and has no life outside of work. In fact, she has resorted to making up things to fit in at work. For example, the picture of the adorable dog on her desk is totally fake, so is the extensive family she spends the holiday with.

While juggling three events in one day, concerning herself about the office bring your dog to work day, she gets a phone call from a hospital and learns her mother has been admitted. The hospital staff insist she come immediately. All of this and a horrible conversation with her mother result a catastrophic blunder. Fortunately, her boss loves her, and insists she take a leave of absence and banishes her from the office until the new year. Dreading spending time in her dismal apartment alone, she accepts an invitation from your favorite client, Dorothy, to stay at her guest cottage in the Cotswolds.

The tale that unfolds was wonderful and full of surprises. Surprises which I will allow you to discover for yourself. I wanted to hug Imogen and was impressed with the touching tale Morgan delivered. Family struggles, dark secrets, an adorable dog and a handsome vet added to the tale. The guest cottage was every reader’s dream. I would love to spend a week there nestled by the fire.

If you are looking for a touching, heartfelt holiday story you’ll want to grab The Holiday Cottage.

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This holiday story is simple and heartwarming, focused on family, second chances, and love. Imogen, a successful marketer, hides her unhappy childhood behind a cheerful façade. She pretends to love Christmas, though it means little to her. After a misstep at work, she’s forced to take time off. Dorothy, a client, offers her a stay in a guesthouse in the Cotswolds. Imogen accepts, needing the escape. Very much feels like a nod to one of my favorite Christmas movies, "The Holiday" with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet.

The cottage is charming, and the holiday atmosphere is vivid. As the days pass, secrets come to light, and stories are shared. The characters connect through their struggles, finding common ground. Some moments are heavy, but the story is filled with hope.

The ending is satisfying. It’s a short, simple read with warmth and holiday cheer. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

I can see how some people would love this but it felt half finished to me. It took 50% of the book for Imogen to get to Holly Cottage and then it was whirlwind of everything and then the end. Everything was neatly tied up with no dramatics or climaxes just a simple shrug and a laugh.

4.5 Stars!!

This was such a beautiful, heartwarming story!

The characters were all so lovable. I loved the setting and all the vivid descriptions.

There was a bit of a romance story that I loved, but it also was not the main storyline and this one was about so much more. It was both emotional and sweet along with some funny moments.

This was my first book by this author, but can’t wait to read more! Recommend checking this one out!❤️

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is yet another fantastic holiday book by Sarah Morgan! I read The Book Club Hotel around this same time last year and absolutely loved it so I was very excited to get an advance copy of this one. One of the things I enjoy most about her writing is that she does a beautiful job of setting the scene in her books. The winter, Christmas atmosphere of this one was magical.  I'm ready to find this cozy holiday cottage for my own holiday! 

I really enjoyed the 3 POVs you get with this one, especially the FMC, Imogen.  She is a suupperrr complex character yet extremely relatable. All three female narrators added their own unique backstory that ultimately ties together the plot and big reveal.   I would say this one is heavier on family drama than some of her others, but there's still a lovely romance subplot and adorable animals and kiddos along the way to keep it fun.  If you're looking for a light, sweet holiday read, definitely check this one out!

I am a big fan of Sarah Morgan’s books. This new one started a little slow, but I really enjoyed it. Long lost family set around the holiday season. Told from dual perspectives.

An easy and cozy holiday read! Nothing show stoping but still fun to read. Perfect to binge on in December snuggled up by the Christmas tree!

I adored this book. Sarah Morgan is quickly becoming one of my auto buy authors! I could not put down this book and was engrossed in the story , becoming part of the family in the book. I love the insta love that the MFC and the MMC had but that the book wasn't completely centered around it/ it wasn't the main story arc. Definitely will be rereading every Christmas.

The Holiday Cottage is a fun, fast-paced read. It will pull you in quickly and you won't want it to end. I loved spending time with these characters. I am looking forward to reading more books by Sarah Morgan,

This book was a holiday hug! I absolutely loved Imogen’s and Dorothy’s story, and how they were connected. I have read another book by this author, and they have such a beautiful way of telling touching stories. I’m officially a fan!

I didn’t want this one to end! What happens with Imogene’s mom? How does her new life look like? This was charming, festive, happy and so adorable. I loved the family aspect, the self discovery and the romance. The setting was wonderful as well.

So let me start off with I LOVED this book. In this story, Imogen, a workaholic, find herself on the edge of burnout. She has a truly terrible mother who gets in a accident that causes a chain reaction of events that changes Imogen's life. The author revealed more and more about each persons situation like peeling back the layers of an onion. She exposed their depth and hurt little by little to keep you guessing and interested. This wasn't your typical holiday book, it was deep and covered some heavy topics. The way the author showed the resilience of Imogen was brilliant. I loved the character development and growth. I would recommend this book to anyone, If you love Sophia Cousins or Rebecca Serle you will definitely love this!

This was a perfect cozy holiday story. I love Sarah Morgan’s books because they’re stories of people that you can relate to. I really loved all the female positivity towards Imogen to repair her sense of self.

This book was such a nice holiday read and felt like a Hallmark movie in book form. The novel starts with the main character Imogen having a bit of breakdown and burnout in her personal and work life which leads to a trip away for a month in the countryside. Once in the countryside she is able to finally build real relationships and experiences that help her realize and appreciate just how much she was missing out on. This book was much more about growth in Imogen and her family relationships. The romantic relationship felt like more of a subplot and was definitely a little bit instalove. The small town holiday vibes and snowy countryside helped to get me into the Christmas spirit which was exactly what I was looking for.

I’m obsessed with any sort of holiday book and this one kept my attention the whole time. Way to go Sarah! Mi

This was a really nice holiday read!

The story is about Imogen and her path to self re-discovery and the power of female friendships. Imogen is excelling in her marketing career, but when an unexpected situation occurs, she is faced with some enforced time off to recuperate. She received an invitation from a client to stay at their holiday cottage, so off she goes in search of a fresh start, but for Imogen, her client (Dorothy) and Sara (Dorothy's daughter), they discover so much more in this holiday together.

The book has multiple POVs - the perspective of Imogen, Dorothy, and Sara. It was a bit hard to follow who was who at first as I listened to this one on audio most of the time, but by the time I was about 10% in, I had figured it out easily enough.

I really enjoy how Sarah Morgan writes these heartwarming holiday stories, and often they are more about friendship and empowerment than romantic relationships. Its refreshing and I am beginning to always look forward to her holiday reads!

I discovered Sarah Morgan last year and am so happy I did. I find so much peace while reading her novels. I love the narrative structure Morgan utilizes when telling her stories. Seeing the world through three generations of women is perfect. Morgan's stories are always relatable and make me feel like I am friends with the characters. I will continue to read whatever Morgan writes.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Canary Street Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Imogen has been working 24/7 and is so burned out that she makes a mistake in her work. So her boss tells her to take the month of December off to relax. But Imogen doesn't know how or where to relax until a client, Dorothy, invites her to spend some time at her cottage. Can her time at the cottage teach Imogen to relax? Eventually Imogen learns that Dorothy, who she has been working with for two years, is actually her grandmother. Will Imogen be able to form a relationship with Dorothy or will she feel betrayed? Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.