Sweet Christmas Read!
I love a good holiday read and this one definitely fits the bill perfectly. The Holiday Cottage is a great Christmas book to read at the holidays or any time of the year. What a realistic view into a family’s not so perfect life and how sticking together and supporting each other makes a huge impact in the lives of others.

4 ⭐️

Thank you Harlequin/Canary Street Press and NetGalley for my ARC

This is a delightfully festive and cozy holiday read. The setting (an English countryside cottage) is so picturesque and this is perfect if you’re looking for a warm hug of a book to get you in the festive spirit.

The story lost a bit of steam for me once secrets were finally revealed, and the ending felt a bit abrupt; I found myself expecting an epilogue and crashing head first into the acknowledgements instead.

I’m eager to pick up more of Sarah Morgan’s books after this one! It was a delightful escape.

What an awesome Christmas story. I love Sarah Morgan's stories about somewhat dysfunctional families. She has a way with character development that brings the characters to life and tackles emotions within family members like no other. You find yourself cheering for Imogen and also Dorothy and Sara while at the same time realizing they have many hurdles to overcome. Morgan's books are always wonderful stories and this one is no exception.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press for the opportunity to read The Holiday Cottage by Sarah Morgan. Another feel good novel from the inimitable Ms. Morgan - yay!!

A heartwarming Christmas romance! Sarah Morgan has once again crafted a cozy and delightful tale of family and friendship, this time set primarily in a snowy Cotswolds village. I felt transported to the chocolate box cottage at the center of the story, and longed for hot chocolate and a roaring fire in the fireplace. This would be a particularly great read on a cold December eve.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Canary Street Press (Harlequin Trade Publishing) for the privilege of a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

A heartwarming tale of a workaholic young woman who discovers the family she has always longed for, and the joy of the Christmas season.

I loved the bustle of London juxtaposed with the charm and beauty of Holly Cottage and the quaint village setting. All the characters were well developed and I enjoyed the way the plot unfolded...the major twist was certainly a surprise.

I look forward to more from this author.

Synopsis: A woman burnt out from work spends a month over Christmas at a French countryside cottage.
Pros/cons: I was honestly excited to get this arc because the premise reminded me of one of my favorite Christmas movies, The Holiday. Sadly, it was not very similar. While I thought the plot would lean more towards women’s fiction/romance it instead was more about family drama. It wasn’t bad, but just wasn’t the sweet holiday story I was looking for.
Check it out when it’s released next month!

I love Christmas books. This one was no different. You can't help but root for Imogen through the story. A heartwarming story that had a twist in the middle that I wasn't expecting; which in, my opinion, made the book better than most Christmas stories. You should definitely read the story of Imogen and Holly Cottage.

I was thrilled to dive into Sarah Morgan's new Christmas book, especially since it's set in both London and the English countryside. The story features three main female characters whose perspectives add depth and richness to the narrative. I thoroughly enjoyed their strong, compelling voices and appreciated the fantastic supporting male characters.

Reading this book made me want to cozy up in fuzzy socks with a cup of tea. While I felt some parts of the story were a bit rushed and perhaps slightly contrived, it didn't diminish my enjoyment. I read it in one sitting and will definitely recommend it to my girlfriends.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing a digital copy for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

If Sarah Morgan writes it, I’m going to read it. Her stories always feel like a warm hug and this one was no different

Imogene Thorne, a successful event planner who loves her job, has created a persona of a great team worker. She has a close knit family, and has a beloved dog, Midas. . She is desperately trying to fit in with her coworkers. In reality, her absent mother detests her, she has no pets, and she is terribly lonely. When her kind boss,Rosalind, realizes Imogene is near burnout, she forces her to take a one month Christmas sabbatical. Dorothy, her favorite client, offers her a country cottage near a small town. When Imogene accidentally discovers clues about her past, she must decide how to move past her painful childhood, and find the strength to create a happier future. This book would make a perfect Hallmark movie.

Intended as a Christmas escape book, this one fell flat for me. I could not connect at all with Imogen; the usual trope of over-achiever/type A personality ready to burn out just went overboard.

I am also not a fan of 'just in time' storylines, meaning just when the main character has something happen to them (gets evicted/fired/dumped by boyfriend); a solution (new home/job/love interest) magically appears within pages to 'solve' the problem. In this case, Imogen was put on forced leave to avoid burnout, and she was generously offered a cottage (exactly like she had described in her dreams) to stay in, rent free. As her mother essentially rejects her and she is left without any family, she discovers she has had a family all along. They knew of her and were watching her for a long time waiting to let her know they existed.

Only in books would this happen.

Of course along with the home/escape, and family comes a man. Insta love at it's peak - just not for me.

Fans of Hallmark movies will eat this up come December, so if that's your jam, you will adore this.

On the surface, Imogene would seem to have it all. A great job, co-workers who are warm and friendly, a caring, forgiving boss, a great family, adorable boyfriend and dog, and....oh, wait, the last three don't exist. Imogene made up to hide her real self from the world. You'll learn why as you read so I don't want to give too much away but, well, let's just say mother issues are at the root of it. Despite the stress of living a lie, she's juggling her fake reality well until, well, no spoilers, but until she can no longer juggle it all. That's when she winds up being invited to spend the Christmas holidays with Dorothy and her family (and her animal menagerie) in picturesque Cotswolds and her life changes. Of course there will be bumps in the road and, hey, this being a Christmas story, a possible romance as she finds the real Imogene.

That's all I'm saying about the plot. As always Morgan does the usual job of intertwining the worlds of three different women, all connecting at some point in time and place. The build up did seem slower than usual but, hey, maybe because that was rain falling outside my window, not snowflakes. I've got to admit, too, that while I've grown accustomed to having a multi-character viewpoint, it does take me awhile to fall into the rhythm and connect, so that may all be on me. In any case, all the holiday and family feels are there, not to mention family drama, and romance. There were some twists that I wasn't expecting, so it most definitely held my interest. The gorgeous, snow-globe worthy setting didn't hurt, either. You'll get to know the characters and Cotswold well as Morgan is a master at writing characters and places you'll feel you know or, at the very least, wish you knew.

Bottom line, if you're looking for a feel good holiday story that focuses on characters and watching them grow as we read, you'll enjoy this book. In fact, grab some hot chocolate, sweet treats, and a cozy sweater to curl up on the couch with as you read. Even better if you have a fireplace to curl up in front of but, hey, you can always use your imagination. Just don't try to build your whole life on it as Imogene did. Thanks author #SarahMorgan and #HarlequinTradePublishing - #CanaryStreetPress for this early dip into Christmas. I'm suddenly feeling the urge for a gingerbread cookie.

“Holiday Cottage”~ Sarah Morgan

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Christmas in July read. Sarah is always a must buy at the holidays and this is no different. A warm, cozy read that made me feel like I was in a warm cottage I didn’t want to leave and honestly it could’ve went on for another 100 pages.

Release Date: September 24th.

#julesbookshelf #holidaycottage #christmasbook #sarahmorgan #netgalley #arc #goodreads #christmasinuly #mustbuy #bookstagram

Another cozy Sarah Morgan masterpiece. The Holiday Cottage gives Hallmark Christmas movie vibes in all the best ways, with a beautiful setting, lovable characters, and a wonderfully heartwarming story. This will make a perfect holiday read.

Imogen is a top notch marketing person and planner. It seems as though she works all the time.. Her mother, however, drinks and a fall on a night that Imogen has lots of events to check on 3 at one time. Anyway she is called to the hospital only to be put down by her Mom as she didn't want her there. .Rosalind, her boss does not fire her but requests she take a month off, only she doesn't have anywhere to go. She has an already scheduled lunch with one of her favorite clients, Dorothy . As Imogen is telling her about her time off and why, She offers her the use of her holiday cottage. When Imogen gets there and settled in they invite her to the main house for lunch and there she gets the shocking news the Dorothy is in fact, her grandmother. Thus the story begins. A GREAT READ.

Imogen is a high-achieving event manager in London whose colleagues don't know that her happy childhood stories, her dog and her boyfriend are all made up and that the only way she gets through the lonely Christmas season is by working 24/7. But when burnout leads to a mistake, Imogen's boss forces her to take a month-long vacation and she has no idea how she'll get through the holidays without work to keep her busy. When Imogen's favourite client Dorothy who is the head of a family-owned vineyard in the countryside hears about the enforced holiday, she offers Imogen use of the guest cottage on her property in the Cotswolds. Dorothy wants to help Imogen but she also sees it as an opportunity to atone for the past and her daughter, Sara, is convinced that inviting Imogen is a big mistake.

Told from the alternating points of view of Imogen, Dorothy and Sara, The Holiday Cottage is a heartwarming holiday story about family, friendship and self-discovery with a bit of romance as well. The Cotswolds are a lovely setting for a Christmas book and the descriptions of cobblestone streets lined with shops and cafes, stone buildings with thatched roofs, and bustling Christmas markets with a dusting of snow made me want to visit during the holiday season. This is the 4th Sarah Morgan Christmas novel that I have read and the charming feel-good stories have all been among my favourite holiday season reads each year!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for sending a digital ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Wow!!! What an amazingly well written heartbreaking story with a wonderful ending.
I don’t want to give any spoilers, but my heart broke for Imogen, and then Dorothy and Sara. I’m so glad the Holly Cottage brought healing

Name of Book: The Holiday Cottage
Author: Sarah Morgan
Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing – Canary Street Press
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Pub Date: September 24, 2024
My Rating: 3 Stars!
Pages: 352

This story features Imogen Thorne and Dorothy Rutherford
Imogene is a workaholic, she is able to multitasking and easily handles more accounts than anyone else- she however, prefers to keep her work life separate from her home life – actually her fake home life – as there isn’t an ideal family nor an adorable dog named Midas.
She excels at her job, but it is all she does, and she is now on the edge of burnout,
Dorothy, a client invites Imogen to her Holly Cottage in the Cotswolds, where she can stay while she is on this ‘burn-out” break - aka forced sabbatical.


I loved the idea of the Cotswold countryside and sitting in front of a cozy fireplace.
(Summer 2024’s heat wave is still going on and it is no longer “ Fun in the Sun’ – I am ready for fall!!!!

I was looking forward to this story as I loved Sarah Morgan’s "The Book Club" which I read last Summer and was ready for another ‘feel good’ story!

Want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing- Canary Street Press for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for September 24, 2024.

The book made me feel like I was in England, and I wanted a fire and a cup of hot chocolate, even though it is August and I live in Florida. Imogen is haunted by her past and because of her past, she doesn't live. Imogen has a half life until she is invited to Holly Cottage to spend Christmas. When she got to Holly Cottage, her life changed for the better. This is a feel good book that will be a great read for the holidays.