Plot
When Sienna’s best friend jokingly puts a husband-wanted ad in the local paper, Guy shows up in a desperate attempt to get on Sienna’s health insurance plan and keep his 4-year-old daughter on the kidney transplant list.

As Sienna warms up to Emma and Guy living with her on her cattle ranch, she finds happiness she didn’t know she could see again.

Trigger Warnings
Chronic illness

Why Kirsten loves it
I got tears in my eyes during the scenes where Emma was particularly sick or struggling with her illness. But in true Hallmark movie style, I smiled through my tears.

The Christmas You Found Me is a different Sarah Morgenthaler than we got with the Moose Springs series. If you come to this one expecting a steamy and humorous story you may be in for a surprise. This is a tug your heart strings, nearly instalove, hallmark story...and that is a-okay! The characters are sweet, the setting is lovely, and you are rooting for the whole family to get their happily ever after. It does lean a little heave for a romance novel, but we do get a HEA.

Romance is closed door. Trigger warnings for child illness - kidney failure, animal death (off-screen), Alzheimer's, and divorce.

Sarah Morgenthaler is back! This was a contemporary romance that tackles more serious topics than her Moose Springs, Alaska romcom series. Sienna is fresh off a divorce and her best friend put a joke ad in the paper for a husband for hire. Single dad Guy shows up looking for an interview -- his daughter has stage-five chronic kidney disease and he needs to prove she can afford her medications for a transplant.

This story is full of fear, struggle, and survival but also love and hope as we this unlikely family come together on an emotional journey. I loved seeing the vulnerability and honesty between Sienna and Guy, and life on the farm and small supportive town. The timeline is quick so the romantic connection feels a bit insta-love, and the ending was a bit rushed tying everything up into a neat bow, but it's still a heartwarming story.

I enjoyed it overall, and recommend this holiday season! I especially liked the audiobook narration -- she matched the tone to the story which I appreciated.

Aw, this is such a sweet romance novel. I wish I had waited until winter to read this book so I could curl up on my reading chair in front of a roaring fire because that setting fits this book so well.

I love this story for Sienna, she needed Guy and Emma to remind her what real love looks like. Looking forward to reading the second book in this series, when it is released.

Haley Taylor did a great job narrating this book and I hope she continues to narrate future books in this series.

Wow - what an incredibly emotional book! This is the first book I’ve read by the author and I’m immediately adding her other books to my TBR list!

As a joke, one day after her divorce was finalized, Sienna’s friend posts a “Husband Wanted” ad in the classified section of the paper. And someone actually responded to it!

Guy has been taking jobs where he can and which will allow him to care for his four year old daughter who is on the kidney transplant list. Her medication is quite expensive and he can’t afford it without insurance.

Feeling immediately connected to Guy, Sienna decides to marry him so he can have insurance for his daughter. They both acknowledge it’s a marriage of convenience but it becomes much more than that!

This one was just so beautiful and a tearjerker. It’s available now and I highly encourage you to go snag your copy!

This was not what I was expecting at all. If you are looking for a cute Christmas romance in a small town this is NOT it. This is a Christmas romance in a small town but this story is SAD. It touches on real topics and it's not just hot chocolate in the town square (though there is a bit of that too). I didn't finish this and think "oh wow, I'd love to have that happen to me one day" because I wish this story on no one. I'm not saying this is a horrible book and don't read it. I just want proper expectations to be set going into it. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy of this audiobook.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the free Audiobook copy for an honest review*

I was not expecting for this romance book to make me cry, but seeing as the blurb talks about a four-year-old with stage-five chronic kidney disease, I should have been more ready (no spoilers!).
This was an incredibly heartwarming story, with a marriage of convenience and a found family set in the wilderness of Idaho in the heart of winter. It is not a particularly Christmassy story, but it is set throughout December so there are a few Christmassy moments.
The characters felt real and pretty well developed, shown through their actions and interactions with each other. The romance isn't the deepest, and is rather insta-love, but that doesn't mean that it isn't realistic. People fall in love quickly all the time.
I particularly loved the animal characters around the ranch, and the glimpse of the small-town characters, who I'm hoping we'll see more of in future books.
The audiobook was very good, and very easy to listen to. The narrator distinguished between the characters well, and I was very comfortable listening to the story at 1.75x the speed without it feeling rushed.

The Christmas You Found Me is the perfect story for people who love the marriage of convenience trope with a side of hot and sweet single dad trope with found family trope sprinkled on top. These characters were so lovely and this story so heartbreaking, but the ending made it so completely worth it. I listened to the audiobook and loved every minute of it. A great holiday listen. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Christmas You Found Me - fan of this author after reading her Moose Springs Alaska series. Sadly, shortly after the final book of that series published she lost her husband. She is back with a Christmas-y themed romance with grief, loss and hurt but also love, faith and a Christmas miracle.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to listen to this book early

what a mix of emotions. hapiness, sadness, laughter. I really loved it !

the narrators are simply great!

I enjoyed this Christmas story - an overall feel-good energy without much drama or angst. The setup is cute, a joke ad for a husband and a single father who really needs it to be true so he can get health insurance. Of course you have to take a leap of faith that Sienna is willing to open her heart and hope to a single dad she doesn't t even know - but once you accept that truth, you can fall into enjoying these two supporting one another.

If I had to complain about one thing it would be that Guy (male mc) is too perfect. He is a fabulous dad, a fabulous partner, and is so helpful at the farm anyone would be lucky to have him in their life. I mean it's no wonder that Sienna fell for him.

Overall, this is a joyful read with only a few tough moments—mostly surrounding Guy's daughter's health—but this will be a book that keeps you warm in the wintertime. Happy to recommend it.

A Christmas book in September? Eh…. THIS Christmas book in September? Heck yes!

This book had me all over the place! Curling my toes and kicking my feet giddy and swooning, to straight up ugly crying and wiping a snotty nose. It is seriously that good! Definitely a must read this holiday season.

Though Guy & Sienna’s romance was a bit of a whirlwind, it was so beautifully developed that it didn’t make their falling for each other feel rushed. It wasn’t your typical marriage of convenience with the deeply emotional aspect of his sick little girl involved. And I felt like the author did an amazing job of having them fall quick, but not so quick that it was unbelievable. Guy is seriously book boyfriend, single dad, protective husband goals, and Sienna was so sweet to watch fall for not only him, but for his daughter as well.

I really enjoyed the narrator for this one too. She did a great job bringing the story to life and had the perfect voice for Sienna. She did a great job with portraying Emma (a 4 year old) as well. Sometimes it is cringy when narrators try to make their voices childish but she did it really well and made Emma’s character feel more real.

This was my first Sarah Morgenthaler book, and when I tell you I RAN to find more from her as soon I finished this. I hope her others are just as good, but I doubt they’re better because this was almost perfect.

Thank you to the author, Dreamscape media, and Netgalley for the opportunity to listen and review this book!

5 Stars

What an unexpected amazing book! This was so much more that your typical Christmas romance book. This book gave me all of the emotions and had me sobbing more than once. This book does deal with childhood illness just in case that is a trigger for you. It was emotionally heavy but it was done so well. If you are a skeptical reader it might not be for you. If you are an emotional reader like myself hands down you must read this. It touched my heart and I will be recommending to everyone.

The narrator honestly is what made this book. Her tone helped me feel every bit of this book. A+++

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audio book.

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!

Also the narrator was absolutely incredible! Truely did this story justice.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely ate up this adorable romance from bestselling romance author Sarah Morganthaler. I loved the spin on the fake dating trope, and who couldn't love a novel set at Christmastime with an adorable little girl as one of the main characters. I think this just might be my favorite Christmas/holiday themed novel of 2024. I thought Hayley Taylor had an amazing and soothing voice, and this was the first book I have listened to her narrate I believe, but it will certainly not be the last!! This book is available now and I highly recommend that you add it to your TBR. I don't see how you could regret it!

Many thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

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This book is beautiful story! I loved the characters and it is beautifully written. This author has been one I enjoyed in the past and this book has so much love and heart. The setting on the Idaho ranch during the winter is perfect with a very supportive community. Sienna is newly single and Guy answers an ad to be her husband (posted by her friend). Guy has a daughter, Emma, with a medical need and her character is such an important part of this book. This is a story about love and finding exactly who you need at the right time. A fantastic holiday read! Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the audiobook, the narrator was perfect!

I absolutely love this author and I’m so thankful I was Given a copy of this book. The narration was amazing and I knew I had preorder this book so I could have it for my shelf!

My heart will never be the same.

This story left an unforgettable mark on my heart, and pulled at my emotions in the best way possible. I listened to the audiobook, and by the end, I was both smiling and ugly crying--an oddly perfect mix of emotions. The writing is truly beautiful and captures the essence of the holiday season, reminding us how much we have to be thankful for.

** Closed Door Romance
** Found Family
** Marriage of Convenience
** Single Dad
** Slow Burn

At its core, it's a heartfelt marriage-of-convenience tale between Guy, a single dad with a sweet daughter who's battling kidney failure, and Sienna who is recently divorced and cherishing every moment with her ailing father. It's impossible to get through this without shedding tears, but the journey was worth being dehydrated.

This book made me want to hold my loved ones closer and spread a little more kindness in the world. I can't recommend this one enough, and would love to read it again for the first time.

What a beautiful, heartwarming book that left me in tears (in a good way). This book had all the tropes (small town, ranch life, single dad, second chance romance, found family) but they were done in a way that I didn’t realize them until the novel was over. I was a fan of Morgenthaler’s Moose Springs series and was excited to give this one a try. This book had more depth than the other three, all are heartwarming. This book takes place in December, and tackles some big topics; a parent with dementia, a child in kidney failure, an abusive first marriage, and identity, but none done in a schmaltzy “its Hallmark Christmastime way.” This book was authentic and poignant. It didn’t have any plot conveniences. I appreciate how the love story between Sienna Naples and the Maple family unfurled slowly, carefully, and fully. Love was abundant in this book. Sienna’s love for her family and the matriarchal legacy, her town’s love for her, everyone’s care for Emma, and the love of the land and the history behind it. As a therapist, I appreciated Guy’s backstory of being raised in foster care and how that motivated his love for his daughter and care for Sienna. I thought this book and the characters were very authentic.



I read this book as a audio-book. The narrator had a deep, rich smoky voice. At first her transition between characters was subtle, but by mid-way through I could hear the voices shine. I thin that had to do with the narrator as well as the writing having the voices of the characters sound different. The one caveat about the audio book is that I was crying while reading it while driving, so read with caution. As with The Moose Springs Series, this book made me want to move to this small town and live a quieter life. This book warmed my heart like hot chocolate with marshmallows. 4.5 stars. Thanks to Net Galley and Sourcebooks, Inc for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

"All I want for Christmas is caffeine."

"I know it's a marriage of convenience."
"It's a marriage of purpose."

"I lean on my faith though and pray my ass off just in case God wants to change his mind."

"Do you want to be my mommy?"
"It takes a lot of bravery asking someone to love you."

The Christmas You Found Me by, funny, tearjerker, squeeze your heart, author Sarah Morgenthaler, will leave you with hiccups from laughing and swollen eyes from crying. In the end there will be a hopeful smile and a desire to listen to it again.

Sienna wakes up on the day her divorce is finalized to find her joking friends placing an ad in the local paper that she's seeking a new hubby. Shockingly, the very handsome Guy responds to it.

The single Dad's 4 year old daughter Emma is in kidney failure. Unless Guy can prove he can afford the transplant meds she will be taken off the transplant list. Sienna agrees to a marriage of convenience for her health insurance.

Guy gets construction work, helps Sienna on her small farm and slowly they become a family. Until her ex husband shows up, her Dad is more forgetful, and Emma gets sicker.

I absolutely loved how the voice actress Hayley Taylor captured Emma's innocence and frustration with her limitations. This writer created a very real 4 year old who got angry, sad, had tantrums and was just a sweet sick kid who loves her Daddy and new farm animals.

The romance was a slow burn believable attraction. Guy oozed sex appeal and Sienna was the perfect mix of apprehension, self depreciation but open to love.

The Christmas You Found Me should be a movie Hallmark Channel. So find a copy and enjoy this wholesome romantic holiday audiobook.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Dreamscape Media via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.