Perfect for romance readers, cozy readers, and hallmark watchers! I can't wait to see this on the display as the weather gets colder. I will defintely be recommending it to patrons at my library who are looking to get into the christmas season! I think this is Morgenthaler's strongest book thus far, and fans of her will defintiely be satisified.

So good. Finished in under 24 hours!
5/5
I’m so glad Sarah started writing again despite working through her personal tragedy. I started reading and made myself stop to get some sleep! Great story for the Christmas season, filled with hope and love. Go get it.
Thanks you SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and NetGalley for the ARC.

4.75 stars

Wow this was beautiful. Also very heart breaking and heavy. While it had Christmas themes it was very much a you could read this anytime.

I feel like I might cry writing this review because it was an emotional read. If there’s a sick kid then it’s almost guaranteed I’ll cry during the book and this is no different.

Sienna has the most beautiful heart. I cannot even. The way she just takes in Guy and Emma, it’s seriously incredible. Then you have Guy who will doing anything for his daughter. These two together, the way they interacted and looked after each other just was so heartwarming and swoony.
I love the way Sienna interacts with Emma, the way she just loves her. I know I’ve used this word a lot but it’s all so beautiful.

This is a marriage of convenience, slow burn, single dad, small town romance with very little spice and heavy themes, and I whole heartedly recommend!

Sienna and Guy's story was very Hallmark-like and that was almost its downfall. Overall, a cute holiday read featuring a cute kid, cute animals and a sweet ending.

I didn’t expect a holiday romance novel to make me cry, but this one got me. It really made me question the lengths I would go to for my kids and pulled at my heartstrings.
I really liked Sienna and Guy for each other. Their connection was quick, but felt sincere. They were so immediately supportive of each other. It was lovely to read a mature relationship. Emma was a really cute kid and not overwritten as too sweet or too precocious - just right.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one!
4 stars!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

On the day that Sienna's divorce is finalized, Guy responds to a joy newspaper ad to be her house husband. He's interested in insurance benefits for his daughter Emma, who has a terminal kidney disease. When Sienna sees Emma, it leads to a quick marriage of convenience.

This book is absolutely heartbreaking, And yet somehow it was also so healing for me. I found it cathartic to be drawn into their lives and to cry and pray with them.

I greatly appreciated that Sienna's best friend Jess is nonbinary. And the whole small town was filled with lovely characters. I loved the ranch, learning about the different animals and how to care for them, and all of the town's Christmas traditions. I found such joy and so much heartfelt emotion. I'm hoping for many more romances set here.

There was a beautiful intro note that included content warnings. I've included some here, but you can also DM me if you have questions: terminal child illness, elderly dementia, postpartum depression, abuse, grief

A marriage of convenience for the sake of saving a child! Be still my heart. Is there anything more charming than a man who will do anything for his kid? A sweet heartwarming holiday romance for those looking for higher stakes in their romances!

This was such a heartwarming book. Like Morgenthaller’s other books, this one made me fall in love with all of the characters instantly. I really enjoyed it!

Absolutely loved this heartwarming story!! The emotions are deep in this one, as you can expect with a child with terminal illness. I didn't expect to cry as much as a did, but it still has an hea as it is a romance.

Cannot wait to read what this author has for us next!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This is not your typical romance, nor is it your typical Christmas story. Man, this is a Hallmark Christmas romance sponsored by Kleenex. And I loved it.

I cannot recommend this one enough. It is such a wonderfully emotional holiday romance and not the typical holiday romcom AT ALL. This story really hits you in the feels and you cannot help but fall in love with this family.

This happy ending is so well deserved for this family of convenience turned real family.

OBSESSED.

This is Sarah's best book so far. (And I say that as someone who is a fan of all her prior works.)

Utterly heartbreaking and beautiful. I cannot wait to see where she takes this series!

First I have to say, I was a huge fan of the Moose Springs Alaska Series. I fell in love with the characters, and couldn’t wait to read her next book. It’s been a few years, and let me tell you… SHE IS BACK!

This book starts with an ad in the local paper, “Husband for Hire” posted as joke for Sienna on the day of her divorce being finalized by her best friend. She runs into people in town getting a good chuckle out of the prank, but Sienna finds out that there is someone interested in the job. Guy Maple, a single father to Emma who has stage five kidney disease, shows up for an interview not only wanting the job but needing it as times are financially really difficult while his daughter is very sick. He finds out that the ad that declared there was also insurance included in the job was just a prank. Sienna touched by his story promises if she can find anyone in town that needs help, she will reach out to Guy. That night she can’t get his daughter off her mind, and she decides she wants to help. She proposes a fake marriage, so she can add them to her insurance to help Emma through all her appointments. This is where the story really begins.
Sarah Morgenthaler brings raw vulnerability to the characters and you can’t help but find yourself getting emotionally attached to them as well. She brings a whole town and ex husband to life as if you are right there with them. One of my favorite lines is when Guy promises he will be a good husband and wont cheat but he can’t promise he will love her, when they decide to get married. The journey of the three of them is heartwarming and heartbreaking throughout but even during the toughest of times they are able to find moments of joy together. I loved the vulnerability we see in Guy, but he’s also tough, hard working, protective, and overall just a nice guy that you can’t help but fall in love with him too.

Side note: A lot of this takes place on a ranch and all of you who are into the cowboy romances right now will enjoy the vibes of this one as well.

The Christmas You Found Me
By Sarah Morgenthaler
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Pages: 304
Pub Date: September 24, 2024

Big thank you to @sourcebookscasa , @sarahmorgenthaler.author, and @netgalley for the advanced copy to read. All opinions are mine.

When a friend posts a want ad seeking a husband for ranch owner Sienna Naples, her small town enjoys the joke; not so much Sienna. Her ex had taken almost everything from her, but she still has her health insurance and her father’s ranch. Not realizing the ad was a joke, construction worker Guy Maples arrives in town with his young daughter Emma. Emma has stage-five kidney disease and the ad had mentioned health insurance which they didn’t have. Explaining that the ad had been a joke, by her friend, was a difficult conversation for Sienna. Later, she couldn’t quit thinking of what insurance would mean for them and she knew that if she were to marry, she could cover her new husband and child on her policy. As they share her home, Sienna gains so much respect for the many struggles that he and Emma have gone through to try to maintain her health while praying for a transplant. Will they receive the call they are waiting for and will there be a chance for a real marriage and the love they both deserve? A heartfelt and beautiful story! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

The first book I read this year is The Christmas You Found Me by Sarah Morgenthaler which comes out today!

I'm so excited that Sarah is back! I adored her Moose Springs series and I loved this book which is the first in the Heart of the Wilderness series. This book was a little heavier but is written so well that you can't help but fall in love with this book and these characters.

Following her divorce, Sienna's best friend puts up ads all over their small town with her looking for a husband for hire. Single father Guy sees it and he's willing to marry a stranger to help her daughter get a new kidney. On an impulse, Sienna decides to marry him. Will this marriage of convenience turn real?

This was such a sweet story (even if a little insta-romancy) but full of complex emotions around loss, hope, love and family. I fell in love with the town and I can't wait for the next book! This had the right amount of holiday magic and I can't wait for more people to read this!

Put The Christmas You Found Me at the top of your 2024 holiday romance list!

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casa for my advanced copy. So much love to Sarah Morgenthaler 💓

Oh, my heart after this book.

Confession #1: I don’t read holiday stories. I find them trite and silly. They usually make me feel more bah humbug than fa la la la la. If I do get sucked into one, I absolutely won’t read it until after the Thanksgiving meal is over and everything is clean up.

Confession #2: I don’t read marriage of convenience stories. There’s just very little reason why that storyline makes sense in today’s day and age.

BUT…

When I get approved for a Sarah Morgenthaler ARC, and the publisher wants reviews posted no later than one month past publication date, I am willing to ignore EVERYTHING. In fact, I dropped EVERYTHING and dove in. And I am so glad I did because The Christmas You Found Me was an absolutely delightful story I couldn't put down.

Sienna’s divorce papers are freshly signed when a friend places an ad around all the local stores in their small town - “Husband for Hire.” Not realizing the ad is a joke, Guy Maples earnestly applies for the job, which offers health insurance - something he desperately needs for his four year old daughter who has stage-five chronic kidney disease. Not wanting to put Guy out on the street and risk sweet Emma not getting the treatment she needs, Sienna proposes a marriage of purpose to Guy.

Next thing Sienna knows, she’s a married woman again with a little girl sleeping in the room next to hers and a handsome man sleeping on the couch downstairs. As Sienna and Guy work together as a family, their feelings grow, all while hoping for a Christmas Miracle for Emma.

Based on the synopsis alone, I shouldn’t have liked this story. It has all the markings of a cheesy Hallmark movie that doesn’t appeal to my cold, cynical holiday heart. But I loved everything about this story. Sarah Morgenthaler’s writing is superb - from the world and character building, to the fantastic dialogue, this story is heartfelt and heartwarming. There was just enough humor to balance the serious situations. I loved the small town charm and how even in the hard times, there was goodness and a sense of hope. With a TBR list longer that could wrap around my house, twice, I will definitely read this one again in December.

Three and a half years ago, at the height of Ms. Morgenthaler’s success with her first three-book series (Moose Springs, which I THOROUGHLY enjoyed - I loved reading the books, but highly recommend the audiobooks!) and right after announcing a new four book series, she lost her husband in a motorcycle accident. My heart absolutely broke for her and I wondered if she’d ever write again - after all, how can you write fun, happy, rom coms with a happily ever after when yours has been so tragically ripped from you? (Oh wait…that’s literally the premise of 50% of all romance books.) I hoped the publisher would give Sarah the time she needed to heal if she even did, in fact, come back to writing romance. When I first saw on social media that Sarah was writing again and had a new book coming out, I was SO happy for her. But then really, really happy for her readers. I can confidently report, with resounding enthusiasm, Sarah Morgenthaler is BACK and her writing is still brilliant, still fun, still reaches in and touches your heart. The Christmas You Found Me is the early holiday gift I didn’t even know I needed!

* thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I’m a fan of this author’s and have enjoyed all of her previous novels. Their light-hearted humor and sweet small town romances were easy to read and totally enjoyable. The Christmas You Found Me has the same sweet small town, and there is some light-hearted humor but this story has a lot more depth and feeling than her previous novels. The story was rich, moving, and I couldn’t help but fall in love with all the characters. Yes, it was a little insta-love, but the fact that this family needed each other so much was really moving and Emma’s story in particular was heart-breaking and imbued the book with love. At the end of the book was an author’s note about Sarah Morgenthaler’s husband dying suddenly and the tough time she’s had that made this shift in emotional content make complete sense and hopefully was cathartic. I know it made me feel all sorts of things both comfortable and uncomfortable and I really appreciated the journey.

There were so many things I loved about this book. I liked that Sienna was recovering from a horrible divorce and that this small family’s need filled her heart. I liked that Guy and Emma were puzzle pieces that fit into Sienna’s life right from the start but that the story moved slowly so that you could really feel all the emotions this author put into the plot. There were quirky townies that hopefully will get their own stories, and plenty of small town feel for those of you who love those small town romances. This novel was different but hit all the right notes. I really liked it.

This was both heart warming and wrenching. I would have appreciated a trigger warning for the religious/god content. I don't recall her other books having much of that.

This was everything to want in a holiday read and the bonus was the single parent trope! Sienna is newly divorced and after her friend puts an AD in the paper saying she’s seeking husband she meets Guy. Guy has a four year-old daughter in kidney failure and no insurance. Here enters a marriage of convenience. I do love this trope but it has to be done really well and it was done beautifully in this book. These characters captured my heart. I loved that this was light with heavy topics. This is a great book for anyone that loves a book about found family and Christmas!

Wow! Just absolutely stunning! Beautifully written, and utterly touching. I’m not emotional, not a crier when reading or watching anything, and she had me sobbing the last quarter (or so) of this really special story. I’m not saying happy or sad tears because you have to read to find out the outcome… but me, unemotional reader me, balled my eyes out!

Sarah Morgenthaler is an author I fell in love with 3 years ago after reading her Moose Springs, Alaska trilogy. It was absolutely hilarious and I couldn’t wait for more of her brilliance… but after some heartbreaking personal tragedies hit, she’s taken time to heal and get her muse back, and now this incredible Christmas story of a single father going through an horrific journey is what she’s penned. It’s heartbreaking and heartwarming, how a funny newspaper ad by Sienna’s “best” friend Jess brings Guy to her. It’s claiming she’s seeking a husband for hire, the day after her divorce is finalized, when he’s desperately seeking work and health insurance… because his daughter is dying and needs a kidney transplant, like, yesterday.

I found nothing but tender and loving moments throughout this entire story, loved Sienna and Guy feeling their way through the painfully slow burn romance (basically married roommates), and fell head over heels for little Emma. Everything about Emma made me emotional, in the best and worst ways.

It’s the most beautiful story I’ve read in basically forever, and even though it made me cry, the tears were necessary. Everyone needs a book that makes them cry like this to remember they are human, and goodness exists in the world, especially at Christmas. I cannot stress this enough, that I have never recommended a book more than this one - if I could rate a book 10-stars on the 5-star scale, this would be that book. Go - get it, now!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca, and this is my honest feedback.

The Christmas You Found Me made me cry on a plane and while waiting for my ride to pick me up from the airport. I picked it up after reading no further than single dad because that’s the thing I’ve been wanting to read constantly lately. Turns out I maybe should have read on a bit to mentally prepare myself. However, I will say that Morgenthaler provides a list of content warnings at the front of this book and is pretty careful with her readers and this book overall has a lot of softness wrapped around the tragic situation facing our main characters. So let me tell you a bit about the book.

On the day Sienna Maple's divorce is final, her best friend, Jess (they/them), has an advertisement drawn up advertising for Sienna's husband for hire. Guy respond to the ad, because he is quite desperate to have some stability for his daughter who is in Stage 5 renal failure. He needs to show that his life is stable so that his daughter can remain on the transplant list. Initially Sienna is like, "this is bananas, I cannot marry a stranger." And then, she obviously marries the stranger for Emma's sake. From there, the three of them slowly become a family, but also not too slowly because this book is paced fairly quick. In addition to Emma's health issues, Sienna is also dealing with the fact that her dad is in a long term care facility because of his dementia. So there's a lot of heaviness. Also, her ex-husband wasn't violent, exactly, but they did not have a good or safe feeling relationship.

Despite all of those circumstances, the relationship between Guy and Sienna is incredibly soft. The two of them care for one another deeply and do their best to make the other's life better. From making Sienna making Guy sandwiches to Guy helping feed the animals without being asked, the two of them truly do their best to improve the other's life and it's gorgeous. I also like the emphasis on loneliness and how physical affection can be so healing--specifically hugs.

This book is deeply emotional and also it had moments of feeling like being wrapped in a blanket. I'm sure this book is not for everyone, but all in all, I'm very glad I read it and I hope to read more from Morgenthaler in the future set in this town. The side characters were all intriguing and I really enjoyed getting to know them as well.