This is my first Christmas novel read of 2021 and it was the perfect one. I love the setting, I love the tensions between multiple different relationships and I love how neatly everything came together. Yes it was predictable but that is exactly what I want from a book like this. I enjoy a hate to love story and I especially love when it's set at Christmastime

Follow Alix and Christy in The Christmas Escape, a Christmas story of two friends who are in Lapland. Christy's Aunt Robyn lives in Lapland with husband Erik. Christy's daughter, Holly is going along too, as is Seb, Christy's husband and the plan is they will all meet up on Christmas day. Christy and Seb's marriage is in trouble and how strong is Alix and Christy's friendship?

Well told by Sarah Morgan this tale contains lots to enthuse about. It is a lovely story about moving on from estrangement, family issues, secrets, parenthood, recognising the impact of behaviour on relationships, and friendship. The Christmas theme was terrific; all those sleigh rides, fresh snow and log cabins, the trees... Don't miss out as this is a fabulous festive read.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from HQ via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

I enjoyed reading it, but I didn't love it. For some reason, it felt like the story never really took off.

Like always, I loved Sarah Morgan's description of the surroundings, especially in the Winter Wonderland of Sweden, but I didn't really warm to the characters. There was nothing wrong with them, I just didn't like them as much as I did many of the other people in previous books and I thought they were a bit flat.

I really enjoyed The Christmas Escape, it's the perfect cosy read to get you in the mood for the festivities.

This book is about relationships, friendships, second chances and venturing into the unknown.

The story is centred around three main characters - Robyn, her niece Christy and Christy's best friend Alix. 

Robyn is hoping to finally have a relationship with her niece and right the wrongs of her past. 

Christy is hoping this Christmas getaway will do her family, Alix and Zac the world of good. 

Something is going on with Christy's husband and she's so concerned about him and their marriage that she asks her best friend a huge favour - to take her daughter to Lapland with the man she can't stand and keep her alive for a few days before joining them.

The friendship between Christy and Alix has been strong since they were children but has never been the same since Alix spoke out at Christy's wedding.

And ever since then Alix and Zac have never been in the same room together - how will they cope in Lapland under one tiny roof? 

Will Christy's marriage make it through this rocky patch? 

Lapland sounds incredible especially at Christmas and Morgan really brings it to life in her writing.

Sleigh rides, snow, the Northern Lights - the romantic setting is perfect to rekindle a marriage and a new relationship to ignite. 

Will Robyn get her redemption and a second chance to be a part of Christy's life? 

The Christmas Escape is a heartwarming read that will give you all the festive feels.

Great read. Love a Xmas story. Sarah Morgan always produces great stories. 4 stars, would recommend, can’t wait to read more from this author

This is one of the best Christmas books I've read. The five main characters all have their hang ups but with the help support of each (sometimes unknowingly) these hang ups are sorted out. A real feel good book

Another excellent novel by Sarah Morgan... Imagine a christmas story all wrapped up in a hug with a blazing fire and a hot chocolate. This is what you will get.
Excellent.
Thanks to#NetGalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review

This is a perfect Christmas read, it is warm and comforting, the characters are extremely likeable and I felt like I didn’t want the story to end. Sarah Morgan is a great writer and this book certainly didn’t disappoint. It would be great to have a follow up story as it would feel like you were revisiting old friends. A must read at Christmas.

This author is so adept to writing the most heartwarming Christmas Novels and I was really excited to have been accepted on @netgalley to review an e-arc and then to win @hqstories giveaway for a physical arc copy. Thank you both!
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I have started my November reads by escaping to the magical auroras of Lapland with characters you instantly feel so emotionally attached to. The destination descriptions were delicious, the characters relationships and personal stories were raw and emotional (I cried several times and that’s how I know it’s a five star read when a book pulls you in so deeply) the festiveness was perfect and the friendships and romance were endearing. (There’s a little steam)
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I absolutely adored this, I feel all warm and fuzzy inside and Sarah Morgan’s Christmas books are always my favourites!

Wonderful winter tale.

I really enjoyed this great read from Sarah Morgan. Festive but not sickly and with really relatable characters. I didn't want it to end and would really love a follow up!

Exactly what I expected from Sarah Morgan. Lots of secrets and revelations with a multi generational family members getting to know each other. Lots of heart and festive goodness

This is the second of Sarah Morgans books I have read and it was such a beautiful, festive, heart warming story. It covered family, friendships, relationships, misunderstandings, heartbreak and difficult discussions. All wrapped up in a festive parcel from Lapland!! The descriptions of the cabins in Sweden and the forest full of snow and wondrous lights made me want to book a holiday over there instantly! 😀

It's safe to say I loved this one. I highly recommend you add this one to your TBR if you haven't done so already! My full review will be on my blog soon ☺

Full review will appear in my book column but, needless to say, another perfect read from one of my favourite writers

I love a good Christmas book and this one did not disappoint. Christy and Alix have been best friends for most of their lives and are more like sisters but when Seb came along the dynamics changed overnight. Christy became pregnant with Holly almost immediately so she and Seb married much to the dismay of Alix, who didn't hold back on sharing her opinion not only upsetting them but also Seb's best friend Zac. Fast forward to the present when circumstances throw Alix and Zac together looking after Holly in the perfect Christmas location of Lapland. When Christy and Seb arrive a few days later, home truths are exchanged and pent up frustrations revealed. Can the friendship be salvaged or has Alix ruined it all forever? A nice, romantic read in a beautiful setting with the only negative for me being that at some points the storyline seemed to drag so I skipped through some parts. Would recommend though.

Christmas romance about two couples who have to learn to open up and share their feelings. For me it was the setting that stole the show for this book. The descriptions of Lapland, and the things to do in the Arctic north, the snow, the trees, dog sledding, snow shoeing and the Northern lights were all magical and then staying in a cabin in the woods with splendid views, good wine and food and wood stoves just made Christmas sound spectacular.
The story was perhaps a little slow to get going, and there was a bit of revisiting the characters feelings, but story of the hidden aunt rang true and because it's Christmas there is a magical sparkly ending.
Ideal for lovers of woman's romance and uplifting feel good fiction.
With thanks to Netgalley and HQ for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Christmas comfort in the pages of a book - Sarah Morgan is well known for her romance novels and for her almost annual Christmas stories across her different series - and this is peak Sarah Morgan Christmas with added Lapland.

I do enjoy books that flit between characters describing what is going on and this is the case with this particular book.

We start off with Robyn who had a falling out with her sister many years ago. Her sister is no longer alive but Robyn's niece, Christy gets in touch with her to come and see her in Lapland over Christmas with her own family.

Christy loves Christmas and she loves her family. She is married to Seb and has a 4yr old daughter Holly. But she thinks she has unearthed some news that will unsettle their familial bliss. Why is Seb now spending more time in London and not in their country side idyll.

Then there is Alix, Christy's best friend. She didn't want Christy to marry Seb 5 years ago and got into an argument with his best friend Zac and that still appears to be a sore point, even though she hasn't had anything to do with Zac since the wedding. Alix hasn't come from a loving family. Her parents divorced and shuttled her between them. Her only experience of family, is with Christy's.

Now they are going to Lapland for the Christmas holiday.

Will it be full of joy or stress.

Turns out that there was plenty of stress but also some joy too. A lovely festive read that warmed me up although set in a chilly place.

This is the second book by Sarah that I have read (I have a couple more on my shelves) and I wasn’t disappointed! I loved Sleepless in Manhattan and The Christmas Escape is the perfect winter read!

The Christmas Escape isn’t your typical Christmas love story that you’ve heard a million times before, it’s so much more. This heartwarming read tackles friendships, estranged family and romance. The backdrop of Swedish Lapland and all of its beauty makes this the most stunning Christmas book. I think everyone has dreamt of spending Christmas in Lapland at some point or another haven’t they?

I was drawn in by the synopsis, and as soon as I started reading I knew I wouldn’t be able to put this one down. I’m a pretty slow reader but I read this in 24 hours! I liked the multiple POV’s that flitted between Christy, Alix and Robyn - I’m always worried I won’t be able to keep up, but this wasn’t a problem in the slightest. I also enjoyed all of the characters in general, as Sarah has done a great job at making them all three dimensional. My favourite has to be Holly, simply because her innocence is so endearing; she has absolutely no idea she’s a blabber-mouth 😂

This could easily be turned into a Christmas film!

Overall, I rated this one 4.5/5 ⭐️ and I will definitely be picking up some more of Sarah’s books!

4 stars
This book has all the Christmas magic you expect from a Sarah Morgan Christmas book.

Sarah doesn't disappoint in the description department, in any department to be honest. Like every other Sarah morgan Christmas book, I felt like I was there! The descriptions were phenomenal. This book is the perfect cosy, festive read!

This book is a story about love, friendship, second chances, family and secrets. It has a multiply POV (yet wasn't confusing, instead it really enhances the storyline). Each character is real and the friendships/relationships are messy to the extension that they were very believable and "human".

I thoroughly enjoyed this e-arc and I would like to thank the author and HQstories for a copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cosy read for me, I was on a roll when I started it and I didn’t stop until I read the last page. This was my first book by Morgan and it will not be the last!

Morgan writes with experience, she includes relationships and anxieties which affect her characters and make them complex but she does this with full explanation, nothing is really unexpected which really emphasises the empathy you can feel for these characters.

In The Christmas Escape, Christy and Alix are best friends and always have been but when Christy meets someone and settles down it throws the friends relationship off kilter, plus Alix has history with her friends’ husband’s best friend, Zac. So when something comes up and Christy needs her friend to take her daughter to Lapland for Christmas with Zac obviously everything is going to snowball out of control. The relationships in this book were messy and realistic but also tied up in a perfect box by the end of the book- as can only be expected in a Christmas novel - it was cute and I enjoyed the journey these characters went on.

I’d recommend this one for an easy festive read and you can look forward to seeing further reviews for Morgan’s novels from me as her tackling of real issues and not so perfect family relationships really spoke to me along with her easy to read narrative style and use of multiple POVs without making it complicated.