One Christmas Morning

I loved the premise of One Christmas Morning from the moment I heard about it. A Christmas Carol meets Groundhog Day. What I didn't expect was the magic of Eva, the main character, living within the bodies of the most important people in her life--the very people she's pushed away. I love this so much, for we not only get to know Eva, but all the people around her as she gets to know them as well. Greenlaw explores Eva's married life, friendship, work, and past. Her language is at times lyrical and the emotions are real and heartfelt.

I read this ARC for honest feedback. *Trigger Warning- infertility and miscarriage

This was a very well done twist on the whole "ghosts of Christmas past" theme. I liked how Eva gets to experience how everyone sees her, while she gets to live as someone else each day.
The author tackles miscarriages and infertility really well in this book. You truly feel for the women dealing with those, and the struggles that they have to endure.
I would absolutely recommend this book.

A fun twist on Dickens' classic. I love holiday time and books about celebrating Christmas are fun for me to read. I think Greenlaw did a good job with this debut novel. I liked the main character and her struggles seemed relatable. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Four stars!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for a review.

One Christmas Morning is a magical Christmas story that shows us all the different ranges of human emotion. Caught in a time loop where she embodies different people our FMC learns more about herself then she first thought was possible. I enjoined this story.

This was such a perfect heart warming and emotional christmas book. I read this quickly and highly enjoyed it.
I just reviewed One Christmas Morning by Rachel Greenlaw. #OneChristmasMorning #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

I received a free copy of, One Christmas Morning, by Rachel Greenlaw, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Christmas is not Eva's favorite holiday or time of the year, she is not looking forward to her friends Christmas Party, but her husband James insists they go. to her best friend Hallie's for Christmas week. Eva is going through a lot, working to hard and avoiding talking about her grief. When her beloved Grandmother visits her like the ghost of Christmas past, and shows her how life will end up if she does not change her way. This is a good Christmas read, but sad at the same time, grief does affect us all differently.

I really liked this book, the emotional journey of the MC and the wholesome ending were so good to read 😭

The MC is a workaholic, who's pushed away everyone in her life for work, because she's trying to distance herself from her immense grief at losing [redacted]. This book starts on a Christmas Eve where she is on the verge of losing everyone who matter to her.. and then on Christmas morning, she finds herself in a unique/twisted Groundhog Day situation. Every day when she wakes up (that is, on Dec 25 again and again), she wakes up in the body of a different friend or stranger. Each day gives her a new perspective on her current life, and on her failing relationships, and each day takes her further on the emotional journey to finding out what she truly wants out of life.

Her journey and growth through the book were written so well! I was flipping through the pages so fast 😭 I love loved the final ending (it's a hea, so don't worry 🥲)

I do want to mention though, that this book falls under the genre of women's fiction and not romance - the book does have a romantic subplot, but keep the genre in mind when you read it. If you liked Lindsey Kelk's "The Christmas Wish", you should definitely check this one out!

TWs - death of a parental figure (grandmother), miscarriages both past and present on-page and the grief that accompanies them (this is a heavy trigger, I'd say that atleast 30% of the book revolves around miscarriage in an explicit way), anxiety, depression, mild mention of cheating

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

This debut novel is a compelling combination of magical realism, romance, and seasonal storytelling. It is emotionally intense for a Christmas story, but the redemptive conclusion made living with the protagonist’s angst worthwhile.

After suffering two devastating losses at Christmas three years ago, Eva Glass has let her unresolved grief fuel her desire/need to succeed in establishing and expanding her business. The price? She has withdrawn from those she deeply cares about, namely her husband, her best friends, and her loyal assistant. To appease her neglected husband, she reluctantly agrees to attend a weekend-long Christmas celebration being held at Penhallow, a magical place filled with childhood memories of the holiday spent with her beloved grandmother. As the story unfolds, Eva is visited at midnight on successive days by her grandmother’s ghost, whose purpose is to help Eva regain her balance and save her marriage. Each Christmas day begins with Eva “living” inside another person’s body and seeing herself through their perspective. The time loops continue as she struggles to admit that her obsession with business is consuming her life, leaving her isolated and exhausted.

This is a skillfully written novel that drew me in deeper and deeper with each chapter. The character of Eva, while extreme in her withdrawal, is relatable and believable as she begins to recognize her misplaced priorities and embrace her mistakes. The supporting characters are also well-developed; their perspectives are heart-felt and honest. This is not a light-hearted Christmas story, but it is a sensitive and realistic exploration of love, loss, friendship and second chances. I highly recommend it.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

This is a definite "put it on your list anytime" read! I adored it!
When Eva loses a big piece of her heart on a Christmas past three years ago, she can't help but to be bitter, angry, sad and heartbroken.
She handles it the only way she feels she can. She pushes everyone she cares about including her husband away and throws herself in to her new business venture.
However.... One Christmas, her special angel and beloved Gran decides to return from beyond to try to set Eva straight.
Can she? Will she?
So many lessons she must learn, and to see how her sadness has affected those around her! It's not good!

This story reminds me of "It's a Wonderful Life" and I loved that and this novel!
It is emotional, thought provoking and simply lovely.
OHHH... to be able to have a chance to redo and learn form our mistakes!
Thank you to @Netgalley and to @Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review.
@Rachel Geenlaw has hit it out of the park.

At its core, One Christmas Morning is a story about a women’s self-discovery and second chances.

Eva has buried herself in her work over the past three years and is about to launch the opening of her new store, so the last thing she wants to do is attend her friend’s Christmas getaway with her husband and closest friends. Amidst all the stress with her job and not being present, she gets stuck in a time loop, and now spends each new Christmas day witnessing her life from the perspectives of those closest to her. With this new experience, Eva comes to realize how she has spent the past three years escaping from pain versus prioritizing what is most important and really living. However, is it too late to make amends?

This women’s fiction holiday read is truly a special book filled with many timely lessons, such as the importance of finding a work/ life balance, letting people in versus shutting those closest to you out, and figuring out what’s most important in life. It definitely took me a while to like the main character, but as the story developed, I started to see the world from her POV and understand and emphasize with her more. By the end, I felt uplifted and fulfilled as the story really came full circle. Also, while I know this is a small detail and not so important, I do wish we knew about more about Eva’s business and the shop she was opening. All the references were vague, yet it was such a big part of her life!

Read if you like:
-Groundhogs Day trope
-A Christmas Carol
-Stories about overcoming grief
-England countryside setting
-Found family

Thank you Avon for the ARC! Pub date: 10/17

"One Christmas Morning" is a delightful and heartwarming novel that captures the essence of the holiday season and the power of personal transformation. Rachel Greenlaw delivers a touching story filled with hope, redemption, and the enduring bonds of friendship. This book is perfect for readers seeking a heartfelt tale that reminds us of the magic of second chances and the joy of embracing the present.

The perfect holiday read! Nestled in the snowy moors of England, a group of longtime friends come together at an old country estate to celebrate the holiday season and reconnect. For Eva, enjoying the holidays without internet and a reliable cell phone connection is something she is dreading. She needs to stay in London and focus on the new shop she has been working for months to launch. Forced to make an appearance at the estate, Eva's plans to pop in and leave quickly are upturned when she is visited by her grandmother's ghost and forced to repeat Christmas day over and over again. This modern day retelling of Dicken's A CHRISTMAS CAROL will have you rooting for Eva as she begins to realize the true meaning of Christmas and the value of friends and family.

One Christmas Morning is a heartwarming novel of second chances, forgiveness and grace. For three years Eva hasn't dealt with two devasting losses and her entire life is falling apart. She doesn't see her own culpability as she buries herself in expanding her business. Enter her dead grandmother and repeated Christmas Eve scenarios forcing Eva to see herself and her actions through the eyes of those closest to her.

This tale is well written and charming without the "everthing always works out perfectly" as Christmas novels tend to do. I enjoyed the theme of family that you make rather than family you are born into. It's more inclusive for those who no longer have blood ties for one reason or another. I enjoyed the book and found it a more serious read than expected.

I've always wished that I could read people's minds or know what's going on when I'm not around and that's exactly what Eva gets to do at Christmas time with her husband, colleague, and best friends. For three years she's wrapped herself up in work to get over the pain of losing loved ones that spun her life out of control and now she's forced to examine her life and figure out what she wants to happen next in the best possible way with her beloved Gran's ghost by her side. This book gives strong Dickens vibes with Gran visiting her multiple times at midnight when she wakes up in the bodies of other people. If she wants to move forward with her life she must come to terms with her past and make peace with those she loves the most. This book is going to be a treat to read at the holidays, or anytime. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for making it possible to preview this book.

Brilliantly adorable and relatable story about workaholics and complexities of relationships. The warm and fuzzy Christmas vibes will be perfect with the holiday publication.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

What a beautiful and heartwarming story! I am so glad books like this exist. It makes you think about life and put things into perspective.

Eva has been grieving for the past three years. Deep in get own grief, she keeps pushing her loved ones away. She is not looking forward to Christmas, and her husband asks her to go to a party with him, thinking it will be good for her to get out and have some joy.
Next thing she knows, she is visited by her grandmothers ghost, who shows her what life will be like if she continues to live the way she is.
Now she wakes up each day as a new person. Seeing things about this person’s own life she had no clue about, and also the way they see her. She continues to live the same day over and over as a different friend of hers, seeing life through their eyes.

This book is so magical and I’m not sure I could love it any more than I do. This is a MUST read! It’s not just a Christmas read. It’s about second chances, self discovery, and love after heartbreak. Please add this to your tbr list! You will fall in love with this book! I’m look forward to reading more from Rachel Greenlaw!


📘: One Christmas Morning by Rachel Greenlaw
🗓️: October 17, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Greenlaw, and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*Reviewed on NetGalley and Goodreads.

4 Stars One Christmas Morning by Rachel Greenlaw is an emotional and wholesome journey through grief and understanding. The premise of the novel reminded me of a mix of A Christmas Carol and Groundhog Day, with the main character reliving the same day over again, but as different people in her life. She‘s on the verge of losing these people until she gets to see their experiences of Christmas Day through their eyes. Each experience gives her a new perspective and helps her process the grief of the loss she experienced in the past and figure out what she wants from her future.

This was a really sweet and emotional book and I highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley and AvonHarper for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and author for this ARC!


Yes!! I need more!!! I loved everything about this book, it was cute and fun. The characters made the love story so enticing. I would read this book multiple time! Thanks again! I highly recommend! I will be reading this again during the holidays!

An original take on the novel "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens and the movie Groundhog's Day. The notion that we can be visited by our past, present, and future selves to review, reflect, and possibly change the decisions we have made throughout our lives, is probably something I personally would welcome.

The author did a good job in making this story work around that theme, but they also made sure to retain their own voice within the writing and the plot itself. I liked that it was a female protagonist's viewpoint that we got to experience.

The story does deal with pretty heavy topics, however, it was done in a way that was meaningful and significant to the character's journey.

I enjoyed the writing style and the story.

*ARC provided by Avon and Harper Voyager via Net Galley, and I have given my honest and voluntary review.*

Eva has a hard time with Christmas, due to the tragic events of a Christmas a few years ago. She reluctantly goes with her husband James to see friends one Christmas, and her friend's announcement of a baby on the way overwhelms her.

That night, n the stroke of midnight, she is visited by the ghost of her grandmother with some lessons Eva is reluctant to accept. She wakes up Christmas morning as one of her busy employees. The next day, she wakes up Christmas morning again, this time as her sister's friend. This continues, over and over again, with people she loves, people she works with, people she doesn't know very well.

This is a book I will think about for a long time. The lessons we learn by seeing things through another perspective. "Put yourself in someone else's shoes." A very poignant lesson that we need to deal with our problems and our traumas, big and small, in order to be capable of fully enjoying life. Beautiful story. ❤️❤️

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

My first thought was Scrooge. But instead of past, present, future it was a rotation of inhabiting bodies of those women closest to her. So much to learn on how others view her. I happen to be someone that doesn't care what others think of me. But that comes with age.
The story was interesting. Eva had time to visit with her grandma and correct some choices she had made. I admit I had tears on my cheeks as I finished the book.

I was fascinated by this book and the efforts that were made for and in behalf of Eva in order for her to understand what was truly important in life. It was painful and joyful at the same time. I appreciate that the author didn't make it easy, and how Eva's angel grandmother had to teach her hard lessons about what are real-life problems. This will become a Christmas classic for me, and I highly recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

One Christmas Morning is a lovely modern spin in A Christmas Carol. Eva has immersed herself in work for the past 3 years in order to avoid facing her own grief. As a result she is on the verge of losing everything that matters to her. The story is both heartbreaking and hopeful!

Eva has alienated all whom she loves: husband, best friends, colleagues and now has to face the consequences. Three years prior, at Christmas, she suffered from two horrendous events which caused her to focus on work, work, and work while ignoring the relationships she once cherished.

One Christmas Morning is Eva's story of recovering from past events, attempting to salvage relationships with her loved ones, and healing from her losses all while moving forward in life. She has to step back and decide who and what are most important to her in a manner that could be a called Ground Hog Day meets A Christmas Carol. The lessons Eva learns are painful; a result of her own doing as she relives the worst moments in her life, as well as sees glimpses of "what if" she fails to right her wrongs.

Rachel Greenlaw effortlessly weaves this tale in her debut novel that is definitely a page-turner as the reader becomes entwined in this happily ever after romance.

Review to come ,
I will for now tell you what I was drawn to when selecting this book , the title, and the cover really got me.
Thank you net galley and publisher for allowing me to read this book. !

One Christmas Morning drops you into the main character, Eva's, life at a very pivotal moment. We see how far Eva has gone to launch her shop and start to understand how far out of the hole she has to climb. And then Christmas hits and the Groundhog day theme starts, along with Eva embodying the other guests at Penhallow to hopefully learn her lesson in time to repair relationships.

Eva gets to literally walk in other people's shoes, feel how they feel, and glimpse herself they way they do. I love this take because it reminds us that we don't know the full story--we don't always know what people are going through, what they're hiding, and what they might need from us. It's always a good idea to check in, be present, slow down, and be a little selfless if others need it.

Greenlaw built a complete background and story for each of these characters and made them the mirror for Eva's own issues. The worldbuilding and characters were fantastic, as was the writing. I was in disbelief a few times, hoping that wasn't the end of the sequence. I think the message is relatable and this is a book that'll stick with me.

I loved this book so much! It had a great Christmas theme and was written much differently than other books with this plot.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this Advanced Readers Copy of One Christmas Morning by Rachel Greenlaw!

I love a good romance, and this one was wonderful! It had witty banter, and lovable characters. I was rooting for them the whole way through!

One Christmas Morning by Rachel Greenlaw is a heartwarming debut novel that delves into a woman's journey of self-discovery, the power of friendship, and the hope of redemption. This modern interpretation of a timeless story is enriched by its multidimensional characters and their intricately woven relationships. The outcome is a touching narrative that reminds us to cherish the true essence of life and prioritize what truly matters.

In this captivating story, readers are introduced to a woman on a quest to find herself amidst the chaos of her everyday existence. Through her encounters with a diverse cast of characters, she learns valuable lessons about resilience, love, and the significance of second chances. Greenlaw skillfully crafts a narrative that not only tugs at the heartstrings but also prompts introspection and reflection.

The strength of One Christmas Morning lies in its well-developed characters, each possessing their own flaws, dreams, and desires. As the story unfolds, their relationships evolve in a refreshingly realistic manner, showcasing the complexities of human connections. Readers will find themselves emotionally invested in the characters' journeys, rooting for their growth and transformation.

Furthermore, Greenlaw's writing style effortlessly transports readers into the heart of the story, painting vivid scenes that evoke a sense of warmth and nostalgia. The author's attention to detail and ability to capture the essence of the holiday season adds an enchanting layer to the narrative, making it a perfect read for cozy winter nights.

Ultimately, One Christmas Morning serves as a poignant reminder to prioritize the intangible treasures that life has to offer. It encourages readers to reevaluate their own lives, urging them to focus on what truly brings joy and fulfillment. With its heartfelt storytelling and relatable themes, this novel is a delightful addition to any bookshelf, leaving a lasting impression on its readers long after the final page is turned.

One Christmas Morning
Written By Rachel Greenlaw
Publisher Avon and Harper Voyages
Release Date October 17, 2023


Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Pace: 5/5
Overall Enjoyment: 5/5

This is an absolutely adorable Christmas story about love, friendship, and redemption. Three years ago Eva Glass had a terrible heartbreaking experience. One that she would choose not to remember if it were up to her. Yet she has become angry and very bitter due to the circumstance. And as such she has become a workaholic working on opening her new store. Unfortunately, those around her have paid the price due to her pushing them out of her life. And that even includes her husband who only wants the best for her.
Now, she has an opportunity to spend the Christmas weekend with friends at a place called Penhallow. The place that is magically connected to her and her grandmother. Whom she has vivid beautiful memories of spending time together. On Christmas at midnight, her Grandmother visits her and regales her with stories to try to help Eva regain her friendships and work on her marriage. This happens several times and then when she wakes, she is in one of her friends bodies. It is at that point that she is to realize the damage she has done to everyone else and how desperate they are to regain the friendship they so desperately long for yet again. Each Christmas Day she learns new lessons that will bring her closer to her family and friends.

This is a heartwarming tale that is skillfully written from start to finish. The character’s embody everything that one would find believable and heart felt. There were so many things running through my mind about my life growing up and the lessons I learned about work and spending time with others. Learning to be empathetic and compassionate it also captures how our thoughts of Christmas should be. MAGICAL!

5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS! Apparently, this is the British version of "Merry Christmas", and the story takes place in England. I could relate to it in several ways, because I was as close to my grandma as Eva was to her gran and mourned her just as much (well, maybe not quite that much, as my personality didn't change). Also, because of the six miscarriages I suffered, I could feel the pain of the two leading ladies/best friends in this story.

Eva finds herself celebrating the same Christmas Day several different times in several different ways but at the same magnificent Cornwall estate. To explain would be a spoiler, so you'll have to read it and find out for yourself. I appreciate NetGalley for giving me my first taste of the Christmas season this year,

Pretty much a clean book with hardly any offensive language.

I am always a little hesitant to read Christmas ARCs in September for the fear that they won't *hit* the same as they do during the season. But in this case that could not be further from the truth. I was transported right into a cozy Christmas wonderland, and it was a wonderful escape from this endless southern summer.