Samantha and Ella haven’t spoken to their mother Gayle for five years but when they receive a call from their mother’s assistant saying that Gayle is in hospital after an accident, the sisters rush to her bedside. Could this be the catalyst for secret spilling, understanding being reached and a family finally reuniting?

Gayle is a writer and businesswoman whose books have inspired millions of women to live their lives independently. However, the life she has chosen to lead hasn’t been without its sacrifices and sadly, one of these is her relationship with her daughters. She struggles with emotion and believes that one should be prepared for all the ills of the world by throwing up a steely-cold shield. Naturally, this approach to life has rubbed off on her daughters and although they’re grown women, the effects each display themselves in different ways.

I really struggled to like Gayle throughout the book, sadly. Even when her full story was revealed, I just couldn’t get past the notion that she could have dealt with her terrible lot in life in a much healthier way and cultivated an unbreakable bond with her girls. I just felt that she’d consciously made too many bad decisions for me to really warm to her.

Samantha is a high-flying CEO of a Christmas travel company. Christmas is her passion and she wants to treat her clients to the magical experience that she never got to experience as a child. However, she has spent her life bouncing between unfulfilling romantic relationships and she just wants something that vaguely resembles those in her beloved Regency romance novels.

Of course, this emotional distance is no doubt something that she has inherited from Gayle and I was willing her to shake it off. As soon as the opportunity to take the whole family to the beautiful Scottish Highlands for Christmas came up, I suspected that this would be Sam’s chance to finally find the love she’d been looking for. Her hilarious initial conversation with the handsome, nerdy Brodie McIntyre set the tone for their entire relationship and I was so excited about watching their romance blossom.

Sam’s sister Ella is a young married mother of almost five-year-old Tabitha. Ella has no problems expressing her emotions and creating a cosy, happy family life for her daughter but she has an acute fear of disappointing her mother. So much so that she didn’t even tell Gayle about her marriage, pregnancy or Tab’s existence. This is definitely something that I think everyone can relate to. I, for one, have always just wanted to please my parents and I get terrified about ‘confessing’ to anything that I don’t think they’d approve of.

Tab is a typical, curious, no-filter, almost five-year-old and her joy at pretty much everything at Kinleven was so beautiful to watch. Everything is either so new or so simple and she reminded me of how easy life can be, if you just follow your instincts and do the first right thing that comes into your head. I know that children can sometimes inadvertently be the smartest people in the room but Tab quite often seemed to be the voice of reason amongst the group of adults and I wonder how much of a resolution would have been reached without her influence.

The setting of Kinleven, the sprawling estate in the Highlands, is truly breathtaking. Morgan’s writing is so immersive and I had the most magical time wandering through the lodge’s corridors, basking in the aromas of cookies from the kitchen and getting my feet dusty with snow, trudging through the hills with the reindeer. It’s the perfect venue for a cosy family Christmas and I knew that its soothing aura would be the ideal location for this family to sort out their issues and finally start to understand each other.

Oh, I did fall madly in love with Brodie! I tend to have a thing for awkward, country boys anyway but he was so lovely, even by rom-com standards. He inspires Sam to unite her inner and outer selves and simply be who she really is. Their romance is so slow-burning and realistic that it was so easy to root for. He is exactly what Sam needed and although, I’m not sure that she brings quite as much to him as he does to her, I was a big fan of them getting together from the second he picked them up from the airport.

Yes, this book is a romantic escape but it’s also a story of a broken family, lifting the lid of secrets that should have come to light years before and coming together, at last. Christmas is a time for increased kindness and understanding and although I had deep reservations about whether Sam and Ella should have let Gayle back into their lives, I totally understand why they did.

One More For Christmas is a cute, heartwarming novel about accepting the choices of others, learning to be our true selves and taking a joyful leap out of the comfort zone every now and then. The romance, setting and characterisations are spellbinding and it was exactly the comfort blanket I needed.

Typical Christmas feel good book. Full of different characters all with their own story to tell. Told in a way that transports you to feel like you are there with them. Very well written and enjoyable as always.

I absolutely loved this Christmas themed story and throughly enjoyed it, it was everything and more that I wanted in a book.

This was a new author for me and have to say it won’t be the last, I really enjoyed the writing style and how the story is told and also loved everything about the book.

I can’t wait to read more from this author.

When Gayle has an accident at work it gives her a wake up call and she tries to receonnect with her daughters Samantha and Ella.

It is five years since she has seen them and she has missed out on a lot.

As the family head off to Scotland for Christmas, she is forced to face what happened in her past and share with things with her daugheters. Will they give her a second chance?

I liked how it is told from each of their points of view.

I thought this might be another light hearted Christmas book but it turned out to be much more than that and I loved it to pieces
It tells the story of Gayle a very successful business woman who has written two successful books about making the right choices in life. Gayle has always made the right choices the unemotional ones she was widowed when she was pregnant with her second daughter who was born when her first Sarah was 10 months old and she had to work numerous jobs to keep her head above water Christmas was just another time for frivolous treats and presents she wanted her daughters to know there was no such thing as Santa
She hadn’t spoken to either of her daughters for five years until she fell of a table at work whilst a film crew where filming her. Her daughters both flew as soon as possible to be with her and from there the tale completely changes the story is careful and thoughtful and will hopefully make people think about the choices they make and why.

I loved it although I wasnt sure at first until it got a hold on me. I identified with Gayle's emotions and worries about parenting.

Gayle and her daughters Samantha and Elle have been estranged for 5 years after things were said which couldnt be unsaid.

We then move to the Highlands of Scotland for Christmas where we meet Brodie, his mother Mary and his sister Kirstie who seem to be living in a winter paradise.

Things aren't always what they seem.

I loved Sarah Morgan's book and will read more.

Thank you netgalley for my Arc.

Wow. Well I LOVED this book. It’s my first Christmas book & it’s got me so excited 🎅🏼 This is the first book I’ve read by Sarah but it definitely won’t be the last. I loved her writing, the setting of the book was absolutely beautiful, I literally imagined how incredible it would’ve looked 🤩 I loved the storyline & I just found myself wanting to read more and more.

I loved ALL the characters. They all definitely warmed on me in stages, Brodie was defo my fave!! 😍 I also loved Mary & Gayle’s friendship! The book gave me all the fuzzy feelings! I honestly cannot fault the book at all and it was just what I need right now. 🥰 I really would love to see a book where these characters are all back in it, as I want an update! 👀💛

Reading this cosy Christmas tale is a perfect way to spend a weekend during the build up to the festive season. The opening chapter is strong, with hilarious descriptions of Gayle’s accident. The descriptions of Scotland are beautiful. I thought some passages detailing how life could be improved by the choices we make were a little over long, so only 4 stars.

A fabulous festive read. When successful business woman Gayle has an accident she gets in touch with her daughter's who she hasn't seen for five years, and the outcome is they spend Christmas together in Scotland where her eldest daughter ,who has a successful career organising speciality winter holidays. There are plenty of issues to be resolved between them and it's the perfect location to try and mend bridge's. A fantastic winter setting and with a romance thrown into the mix makes this a book to savor

I like Sarah Morgan's books and I was happy to have One More for Christmas sent to me to read. Sarah does character especially well and that was true here but there were a number of things that irritated me. Some are unreasonable of me but others might be justified.

This is a Christmas romance and it is perfectly reasonable that it should be warm and have a feel-good happy ending. That this annoyed me is, as the Americans might say, on me. I knew what I would be getting. It might have been the generic Scottish setting that irked me and the idea that it could be redemptive. (I should say that I was annoyed by the idea that having been to Scotland before with resulting bad memories, one of the characters was worried about returning to the country - as if the entire land mass of Scotland could be tarnished by what happened in one part of it.)

I realise that I'm supposed to find the idea of a precocious small child as deus ex machina endearing and charming. Sadly all I ever feel is irritated and that remained the case here. Again, though, this character is a staple of the genre and I have no right to complain about that.

Really I can only conclude that I read the book at the wrong time. In spite of all my gripes I read it in one sitting and never considered giving up on it. If you're looking for something heart-warming to provide you with an escape from the realities of life at the moment (and you don't mind young children!) then do read One More for Christmas.

Firstly, i was gifted my copy for the blog tour, second - i apologise its so late, the world is something else right now and things just alter and well, what can i say. That been said - this was 100% the escape i needed right now. Sarah Morgan is pretty much my favourite author and i think i have read and reviewed nearly all of her books and this was a festive delight to hit you in the feels and whisk you away to the scottish highlands to escape for a while.

Gayle is a high powered businesswoman, she is successful, people idolise her and she has sold so many self help books but its all come at a price. She hasnt spoken to her daughters in over five years and she is more alone than ever. When she has an accident, she just wants her daughter. A daughter her assistant wasnt even aware of, but she comes. Gayle realises she needs to fix her family so invites herself for christmas with Samantha and Ella

Samantha and Ella are shocked and wary about this change in their mother and can't say they are leaping for joy at spending christmas with her. However, they do and the family along with Ellas husband and daughter head off to Scotland to sample the festive delights.

At times this book was raw and so emotional as they family battled to heal all their wounds. Conversations that should have taken place many years ago were bubbling to the surface and Sarah writes them in a way that she captures all the emotions and tensions of family life. She also manages to capture the pure magic of christmas and especially through a childs eyes.

She has created characters with flaws that are open to addressing them, they are realistic and she has created something but honest and magic all in one read. The atmospheres she has created is just something else, you can hear the sounds, smell the cooking and see the snow. Another festive read that really picks up your spirits and is exactly what everyone needs to read right now.

Gayle is a highly successful and motivated business woman, but her success has come at a price – she hasn’t spoken to her daughters, Ella and Samantha, for years. But when Gayle has an accident at work, she realises she needs to make amends with her family.
And so she invites herself to join Ella and Samantha for their Christmas in the beautiful Scottish Highlands. The sisters are none too pleased that their mother has inserted herself into their Christmas plans. They have each other – and don’t need their mother back in their lives. Or so they think…
As they embark on their first family Christmas together in years, will the three women learn that sometimes facing up to a few home truths is all you need to heal your heart?

Is there anyone out there who does not love Sarah Morgan?!

I first discovered this author last year and I couldn’t believe that I had left her books unread for so long. I have since read them all and they are all fabulous!

A Wedding in December will always be my favourite one, but like that book, this is a very festive, feel good book that you can just relate to.

As with all her books, there is a happy ending and who doesn’t want to read one of those at the minute!

This book was so entertaining and so engaging and I am so appreciative of authors and their books at this minute in time, enabling me to distract from the outside world.

Another 5 star from Sarah Morgan! Go grab yourself a copy of this now and enjoy with a hot chocolate in front of the fire!

Oh, but this was an absolute delight! Halloween is done and dusted, the daily news is simply depressing and the weather outside my window is wet, grey and miserable. So, what could be better than escaping into a Sarah Morgan novel? Well, a Sarah Morgan Christmas novel ticks all the boxes for me right now. I closed my curtains, put on my snuggliest pjs, grabbed myself a hot toddy and fell into this wonderful story.

One More for Christmas is the perfect antidote to the world at the moment. It has it all. Family drama, Christmas magic and of course a little romance. Wonderful. Sarah knows exactly what she is doing. She has certainly had enough experience, but I have to say that no matter how many of her novels I read, I never feel like I'm walking over the same ground.

This time we enter the lives of Samantha, Ella and their estranged mother Gayle. Gayle has been anything but the perfect mother but of course her only desire was to protect her daughters from pain and suffering by building up their resilience ad independence. Yet they don't see it quite like that and it's been five years since the girls have been in touch with Gayle...and when they do finally meet again, well, there are a few shocks in store for them all.

Determined to make amends Gayle insists that they all spend the Christmas holidays together. But Gayle 'doesn't do' Christmas but she knows how much it means to her girls and tries her best not to be her old self. So, they all travel to Scotland for Christmas in the hope of a fresh start but old wounds run deep and it's not long before tensions begin to rise again.

If this novel were a Christmas cake, it would be absolutely delicious. With the beautiful landscape of the Scottish Highlands, delicious food, loveable characters, family conflict, the breaking and mending of hearts, unexpected romance, a gorgeous Scottish man, reindeer and snow, all wrapped up with the magic of Christmas, I simply devoured it. It made me laugh, cry and best of all it made me smile and re-awoke a warm cosy feeling inside.

Thank you so much to the team at HQ Stories for inviting me to take part in this blog tour and for gifting me a review copy via Netgalley. And thank you to Sarah for writing another wonderful story to escape into. Reading your Christmas books is a tradition I long hope to continue. It was an absolute joy to read.

Christmas stories have a very short shelf life, this one is a good, happy story that will keep you entertained over Christmas. Good, likeable characters in a feel-good story. I enjoyed this and feel it is just right for a Christmas read.

Samantha and Ella have been estranged from their career driven mother for 5 years. After she has an accident at work they end up spending Christmas together at a lodge in Scotland.
An easy to read Christmas novel, perfect to curl up and read in front of the fire.

Snow and the Scottish Highlands at Christmas seems idyllic, and that's what Sam's hoping for as she and her sister try out a highland lodge for her bespoke festive holidays' company. They always spend the festive season together, but this time their estranged mother is coming too. Gayle has a successful company, but her family life is non-existent. This is not something she worries about until she has an accident and realises how alone she is.

The story told mainly from the three women's point of view is engaging, poignant and realistic. The setting may be like a fairytale, but the angst is real and threatens the magic of the season. There are humour and romance interwoven into the emotional minefield of past loss and secrets. The flawed characters are appealing, and you want them to find familial happiness.

The romance is magical and passionate. The childlike perspective from Tabitha light relief in this emotional tale and the end of this story is positive and uplifting.

I received a copy of this book from HQ via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Sarah Morgan books at Christmas are a must!

After reading all of Sarah's other festive books I knew I was in for a treat as she always delivers a snowy setting, festive feels and explores family dynamics and relationships.

Gayle a successful business woman has put her career and independence before her two daughters, resulting in them being estranged for five years. After an accident sees the trio reconcile, Gayle imposes herself on their Christmas as an aim to forge a bond and make amends with her girls. Family tensions are high within Gayle's family, but can they learn to heal the past as truths are uncovered.

Set within the snowy Scottish Highlands - this will guarantee to make you feel warm and fuzzy, plus you will want to meet the reindeer and Bear! Sarah always delivers on making you want to visit the places in her books - Kinleven is somewhere I would love to stay!

This book makes you evaluate family and how each individual is different in so many ways. This made me change from disliking a character, to feeling more understanding as the story continued.

I really enjoyed reading this Christmas story from Sarah Morgan. I have read other books by her in the past and was expecting something equally sweet. However, this book was far more poignant as Morgan explores a divide that has torn a mother and her two daughters apart.

Morgan quickly establishes the circumstances surrounding Gayle and her two daughters, Samantha and Ella. When it is revealed that they haven’t spoken for five years, and that last time was an exchange of hurtful, angry words, you do wonder how the women will survive to spend Christmas together? However, as Morgan gradually reveals more about these women and their backgrounds, it soon becomes evident that a Christmas together is actually what they all need; to realise that mother and daughters are not so different and they all need a bit more love.

What surprised me the most was how emotional and poignant Gayle and Samantha’s story really was. Although Ella has had troubles with being honest to her mother, I thought that Gayle’s loneliness and Samantha’s reluctance to share feelings created a rather sad narrative. Indeed, when the truth about Gayle’s marriage is revealed, I could not help but feel really sorry for the woman who was initially portrayed as cold and unforgiving.

As the narrative progresses, readers are given indications that this family are going to turn “that corner” and be closer by the end of the novel. Gayle’s cold-heartedness naturally dominates the narrative and, when it came to Samantha getting a chance at happiness, I found myself really excited! It is like this episode breaks the tension and I was really rooting for Samantha being able to open up to her a new relationship.

I found the chapter lengths surprisingly long. This is not what I expect from books of this genre. I would have preferred some breaks within the chapters because of my personal commitments! However, I did end up zipping through this book because I am one of those people who hate pausing mid-chapter… before I knew it, the book had concluded! On the topic of the ending, I would have also liked Morgan to have included an Epilogue. Having seen Gayle and her daughters grow closer, I was desperate to know what happens to them next and whether there is a happy-ever-after for them all. After reading about them and sharing the lead-up to Christmas, I felt a part of their family circle and was keen to see a final conclusion. Instead, it is left to reader’s imaginations which, in my case, will always try to give a happy ending.

This was a great Christmas offering from Morgan and another favourite festive read of mine. You have the symbols of snow and all the Christmas traditions but, what makes this different, is the sadness radiating from Gayle’s story. Consequently, I felt far more involved in the narrative; protective towards each character and wanting them to reunite as a family once more.

With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Thoughts: Sarah Morgan doesn't pretend to be someone she is not. She consistently gives us joyous, beautiful, uplifting and warm reads. You know what you're getting from the start and that is what makes her, in my opinion, one of the best women's fiction/romance writers of all time. However, One More for Christmas gave me a more darker and deeper feel than normal. I loved it.

Following the turbulent family drama of the Mitchel family and combining that with the emotional grief of the McIntyre Family as they come together over the Christmas period. We are given a wholesome, wonderful mix of pleasure and pain. A story about family values, relationships, real life awfulness, family feuds. But most of all, making the most out of the time we have and making sure the hidden inner you gets a peak at life too. Lessons I believe we all could learn from.

I will say though for a Christmas book let’s just say some parts are definitely hot enough to melt the snow outside in the snowy grounds of the beautiful Scottish Kinleven Lodge. (Which I wish was real so I could book it for a Christmas break myself for me and my family. It sounds like the most beautiful place to spend time at).

So just like Brodie gave Samantha all the stars. I’ll be giving Sarah the same. No wait.. Not like that. Oh my god! I meant like stars in review stars....... Erm, am just going to go 👀

Sarah Morgan has once again given us a blissful beautiful, uplifting, warm and lovely read
Five stars

P.S... Sarah if Laid By The Laird doesn’t become available via Mills & Boon I will be seriously disappointed 😂

Sam and Ella are sisters, closer than close. Sam is extremely protective of Ella. They are the daughters of tycoon Gayle Mitchell who made the sacrifice to put her career over her family and mother and daughters have been estranged for five years.

Sam arranges elite Christmas holidays and has a potential new letting to view in Scotland before Christmas sets in and Ella is stay at home mum looking after Tabitha who is on countdown til the big day arrives.

During a live interview, Gayle has an accident and is hospitalised. She asks for her daughters and is desperate to spend Christmas with them and make up for wrongdoings in the past.

They agree to spend the festive period together at the holiday let in Scotland. The owner Brodie still happens to be there and before long sparks fly.

The book is a perfect winter read and really gets you in the mood. We meet new family members and the chapters are all told from characters points of view.

Its wonderfully festive and I look forward to reading more of Sarah Morgan's books.