The Christmas You Found Me by Sarah Morgenthaler is a deeply moving contemporary romance that intertwines themes of love, resilience, and the transformative power of found family. Set against the serene backdrop of rural Idaho, this novel offers readers a heartfelt journey through personal loss and unexpected connections.​
Sienna Naples, having recently finalized a painful divorce, finds herself isolated on her family's expansive ranch, burdened by memories and the weight of her father's declining health due to dementia. Her solitude is disrupted when Guy Maple, a single father from Montana, responds to a jestful "husband for hire" advertisement placed by Sienna's friend. Guy's four-year-old daughter, Emma, is battling stage-five chronic kidney disease, and without adequate health insurance, her place on the transplant list is at risk. In a desperate bid to secure Emma's medical future, Sienna and Guy enter into a marriage of convenience, setting the stage for a profound exploration of love and commitment.
Morgenthaler crafts her characters with depth and authenticity. Sienna's journey from heartache to hope is both poignant and inspiring. Guy's unwavering dedication to his daughter showcases the lengths a parent will go to for their child's well-being. Emma's innocence and bravery add a touching layer to the narrative, making the stakes of the story deeply personal. The evolving bond between Sienna and Guy is portrayed with a tender realism, capturing the nuances of two individuals brought together by circumstance yet bound by genuine affection.
The novel has been lauded for its emotional depth and compelling storytelling. Readers have highlighted the authenticity of the characters and the seamless blend of heartache and joy. One reviewer noted, "This is wholeheartedly a romance, and it's one of the most tender and heartwarming ones I've read in a long time." Another praised the narrative, stating, "Heartwarming, heart-tugging, and beautiful, this book exudes warmth and love from the first page."
The Christmas You Found Me is more than just a holiday romance; it's a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the unexpected paths that lead us to healing and love. Sarah Morgenthaler's eloquent prose and rich characterizations make this novel a standout addition to contemporary romance literature, offering readers a story that lingers long after the final page.

This was the sweetest and Warmest Christmas book. This book will give you all the feels. This was like a warm cup of hot chocolate and a blanket by the fire.

This book deals with emotional topics for anyone who deals with triggers: alzheimer's, loss of a parent, childhood sickness, and divorce. The Christmas You Found Me is a contemporary romance single dad trope book. Sienna is fresh off a divorce from an unstable ex and Guy is just trying to make ends meet since his daughter needs a kidney transplant asap. He needs to prove he can afford the transplant medication for her to stay on the list. The day Sienna's divorce is finalized, her friends put up an ad as a joke about looking for a new husband in exchange for work, and benefits are included. Out of desperation , But responds and is upfront with Sienna about the situation he's in. Sienna initially says no and tells Guy her friends placed the ad as a joke. They part ways, but when Sienna gets home, she can't stop thinking about the situation with Guy and his daughter Emma, so she calls Guy back and says, "Let's do the marriage on paper, of course if it'll help your daughter." What follows is their story, and Emma's story with her failing kidneys.

A sweet story about the bonds of family, finding love in unexpected places, and learning what's important in life.

Sienna is just coming out of a painful relationship. Guy is desperate to find a way to help his daughter. When the two of them decide to become partners in a marriage of convenience, neither expected to find something special together. The story is told in single POV from Sienna's perspective. I usually prefer dual POV, but just seeing things through Sienna's eyes worked well here. Their romance was emotional and heartfelt and I really enjoyed getting to read this via ebook and audiobook!

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! I just couldn't get in the mood for this one, but I do love this author!

This book had me in a chokehold! If you need something that will make you smile, laugh, and ugly-cry, then grab this ASAP. Yes… it is a Christmas book, but… it isn’t overly Christmas-y. So, it is great for some cold weather vibes. I started this without expectations and was SO pleasantly surprised. This will probably be one of my best reads of the year!

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Not going to lie if you read this one, it's a bittersweet Christmas read and you will need tissues. While I enjoyed it it's not going to be a Christmas reread.

Such a delight to read this one! Loved it! The cover alone is enough to spark such interest and the book is no disappointment in any way. Loved this cozy read.

I will read anything Sarah Morgenthaler writes. She has a way of connecting with readers that is unlike any other romance writers I’ve read.

This book totally gutted me, in the best way. It’s an amazing holiday romance about two people who meet under very unlikely circumstances.

After a messy divorce, Sienna meets Guy - a single father with a very sick young daughter. Guy is struggling to pay for Sienna’s treatment, moves job to job, and is just about ready to do anything to help his daughter at this point. Sienna, with her kind heart and helpful nature, agrees to marry Guy and add help him and his daughter access the treatment they need. Sienna and Guy know the marriage isn’t real… until maybe it is?

I loved the storyline and concept - it’s a fun, entertaining story with some heavy topics woven in. I think that’s something Sarah does incredibly well. I was hopeful, happy, sad, excited, and probably a bunch of other things in between, which had me barely able to put the book down from the moment I picked it up.

Highly recommend!

I was looking forward to this one since I liked her first series. She always writes some great romance! Although I did like this one for the most part it was a bit on the heavy side when it came to topics. I was hoping it would be more fluffy since its around Christmas.

Sienna is dealing with a divorce and her ex is a real dillweed. He only looks out for himself. Guy has a daughter who is on dialysis due to stage for kidney disease. He tries his best a father to make everything work for her when it comes to finding jobs to pay for medical bills and getting health insurance. He would even marry a stranger to give his daughter the care she needs. I don't blame him for trying out marriage with Sienna. Through this marriage of convenience they learn about one another and how to rely on each other. There were some cute moments between them. The setting was perfect and I love everything about a rural area, probably because I live in a rural space.

I think my biggest gripe was that everything happens so quickly between them, mostly the daughter already calling her mom rather quickly. I understand she is a child and that she is probably looking for a motherly figure and obviously that her dad's wife. The timeline for everything felt quick even if it was a marriage of convenience.

Overall, this was a good book. It wasn't what I was expecting in some ways but it was still a decent read.

I've read Morgenthaler's previous books and was SO excited to see she was back with something new! The Christmas You Found Me was such a treat to read, featuring a chosen family with so much sweetness :) The one thing that felt a little off to me was the timeline as the book supposedly takes place over only two weeks. The characters are dealing with some big feelings & making decisions at record pace - I think if it was spread out more over maybe two months (or plenty more), it would sit a little better with me. But nonetheless, I really liked this one and can't wait to read whatever comes next!

The Christmas You Found Me
Sarah Morgenthaler

This was super cute and the perfect holiday read. This absolutely packs an emotional punch but was so well executed. Definitely more substantial than I was expecting from a holiday novel.

“Miracles always come in small packages.”

Ouch. It’s been a while since a book has hit me this hard. So good and so well written. The authors writing has improved so much since the previous books I read a couple of years ago. Such a good read

Sarah Morgenthaler is back!!

Heartwrenching but oh so heartwarming, this was a Christmas miracle of a book. I loved the found family and love that grew out of this beautiful story. I could feel Sarah's heart pouring out on every page. Beautiful and warm, a wonderful Christmas read.

I absolutely adored Sarah Morgenthaler's Moose Springs series and was very excited to see she had a new book. I liked the characters and the story line, especially with Guy's daughter, however I was missing the laughs that I found in the Moose Springs books.

This was a hard one to get through. It has elements I love (sunshine hero, life on the ranch, forced proximity), and elements that I hate (anything involving a child as a plot device, intense suspension of disbelief to believe that someone would offer strangers healthcare and let them into her home). However, I decided to give it a shot because I've missed Sarah Morgenthaler's writing these past few years. First and foremost, I'm so glad that she's back, I'm so glad she has more stories to tell, and I'm excited to see what the future holds for her writing career. That being said, this book was just okay for me, because the things I disliked outweighed the things I loved. If children as plot devices in a love story do not bother you, and you enjoy outlandish contemporary plots, this will probably work for you. But for me, I'm looking forward to seeing what else comes out of this series.

this was the sweetest and most heart warming read! I loved reading about Sienna Guy and Emma. The way their lives intertwined after a marriage of convenience was stunning. I love how Sienna took emma in like her own right away. The relationship between the new family was so sweet!

Sienna Maples lives on the ranch her family has worked for generations. She’s divorced, and her best friend puts a “husband wanted” ad in the paper. It’s answered by a sweet good looking man named Guy who’s looking for a job to support his daughter Emma, who is in kidney failure and needs dialysis.
Sienna proposes that they get married so Emma can use her insurance to get dialysis. Guy and Emma move in with Sienna, and over time the marriage feels more and more real, especially when Sienna starts to feel like Emma’s mother and Guy’s wife.
This book pulls at the heartstrings, I can’t imagine having a very sick child. The author does a beautiful job portraying the family as they go through the stages of this illness. I really enjoyed it, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was lovey and sweet and franklly I was surprised I liked it so much given that it was much more serious

I absolutely loved this book. It had me on a roller coaster of emotions... all good. I loved every minute of it. The characters were so well written, especially Guy, Sienna and Emma. I love the way the chemistry and connection builds in this book. It was so heartwarming. I could not get enough of this book. I highly recommend it. I can't wait for more from this author.

Thank you Net Galley ARC and Sourcebooks Casablanca

Oh my heart! This book had me feeling all the feels, I laughed, I cried, and my heart was happy.! Sienna, Guy, and Emma were characters that touched my heart. Sienna is dealing with a divorce, her father's illness, and trying to keep her ranch running on her own when her friend places a husband wanted ad as a joke. What no one expects is that Guy, a father dealing with his daughter's serious health issues, would respond. Against all odds a connection is made that grows and grows. Filled with friendship, heartbreak, community, and love this is a book that I could not get enough of. I hope this is the start of a series.