A perfect book to read now that the nights are drawing in and Christmas is on the horizon. A story of three very different friends who meet for a week each year to discuss a book and generally set their world to rights. Some differences have arisen this year and their book club meets in a snowy setting in a lovely inn. Surprises galore and a good storyline make for a lovely read.

Don’t get me wrong, I like the magic of a hallmark-style Christmas love story. But what really gives me that holiday feeling is stories about people coming together, of family and friendships and how Christmas is a time for reconnecting and catching-up. With a fine dusting of Christmas magic, anything is possible.

For me, Sarah captures all of these feelings and more. I read this book in the middle of September, but it transported me straight into a world of warm fires and cozy blankets, twinkling lights around the trees, hot chocolate cupped in cold hands. There’s only 86 days to go!

In The Christmas Book Club (The Book Club Hotel for US & Canada readers) we follow four main characters. Three friends Erica, Claudia, and Anna who are planning a Christmas getaway for their annual book club (sounds like a good holiday to me!) and Hattie, the owner of the Maple Sugar Inn. There’s romance, laughter, and a lot of fun heart-warming moments, but this book also covers some heavier topics too like loss, grief and heartbreak. Sarah Morgan always weaves these lighter and darker moments together seamlessly, creating a picture that’s realistic and true to life. Although the festive season is magical, this book doesn’t give us rose-tinted glasses. Change is also a big theme in this book, with all of our characters having to learn to adapt to huge changes in their lives. Plus there’s secrets to be spilled, and twists that keep you on your toes.

SUMMARY

This is a cozy, snow-sprinkled, festive read that really warms the heart. It’s about family, friendships, love, grief and new beginnings. Set around a book club, and a holiday in a countryside inn. We follow 4 main characters, all with personalities that leap off the page, and with their own individual dreams and drama that feed into the main story. This is the perfect book to curl up with when you want a little sprinkle of Christmas magic, but it would also make a fantastic gift for someone else as it’s the perfect book to share with the people you care about (it is about a book club after all!)

Another heartwarming tale by Christmas feel-good story queen Sarah Morgan!
When three friends end up at a tine country inn for their usual summer book club week, in the run-up to Christmas, none of them are prepared for the revelations that hit them one after another. And the same goes for the owner, too.
Erica, Claudia and Anna have been friends for a long time, and though life commitments mean they can't be together all the time, they always make time for their annual meet-up. This time it was delayed, and they ended up meeting at Christmas.
Erica is a successful career woman who has learned to live independently. She doesn't need anyone to help her live. Her friends are there for her and are the people she chooses to let into her life.
Anna is happily married and a mother to two teens, who are almost ready for college. Empty nest syndrome is hitting hard.
Claudia is floundering after a terrible breakup. She's the reason their summer meet ends up in the winter.
Hattie owns the Maple Sugar Inn. She runs it alone and looks after her young daughter, having been widowed a couple of years earlier.
Life has dealt all these women interesting hands, and they are all at a point where changes are afoot. What is beautifully done in this tale of friendship and support, as well as family, is how the story unfolds, bringing all four of these women together in an irreversible way.
Everyone deserves love, and love comes in many forms. I felt that throughout this book.
Lovely read!
Many thanks to Netgalley and HQ for an ARC.

Another amazing fantastic Christmas book from Sarah. A book about 3 friends who love books and plan a holiday together with the aim of being a book club. However Erica has chosen the hotel they go to but discovers something that connects her to the owner. Without giving too much away it’s a lighthearted fun storyline with characters you just love and want to know more about. Thanks to Sarah and her publisher. Thanks also to NetGalley.

A wonderful story that allows you to sit amongst three friends and their families, as they discover new facets of their relationships and themselves. The book does not have to be encased within the magic of Christmas, but the sprinkle of pine trees, snowflakes and hot chocolate does enhance the richness of the emotional journey that the friends embark on.
Characters that are easy to warm to, with sufficient flaws that you wish them well and enough reality checks that a Hallmark movie soundtrack does not play in your ear, whilst you lose yourself in a snow covered lodge.
A fabulous read that will have you counting down the days to Christmas, and may remind you to pick up the phone to a friend that you keep putting off for another day.

I really enjoyed reading this story and getting to know the characters. It has a real Christmassy vibe to it and is full of friendship, love and finding new friends and new ways. It is a story of three friends who always spend a week for their book club get together but this year it's at Christmas and they arrive at an idyllic winter hotel. There was plenty of fun in the story and lots of really nice moments as the friends reunited and discovered things about themselves and each other.

I loved the characters in this book, Erica the savvy businesswoman, Anna the mother and Claudia the cook, each has things in their life they are struggling with but they are really supportive and I quickly connected with them all. Then there is Hattie the innkeeper, widowed and a single mother she is struggling with running the inn and juggling being a Mum. She is a wonderful character and I was rooting for her from the beginning. Throw in Delphi her lovely, funny little girl, a gorgeous neighbour and a dog there's not more you could ask for from this Christmas romance.

Sarah Morgan has written a really lovely seasonal story, one that all romance readers will enjoy. This is a good read for the colder weather, it will certainly warm you up.

A heartwarming Christmassy read.
Erica, Claudia, and Anna reunite every year for their bookclub holiday, this year they decide to do it at Christmas and all head to Vermont to a village which is described as straight from a Christmas village. Hattie the owner of Maple Sugar Inn makes sure all her guests needs are met, will Hattie have her own dreams come true this Christmas.

Erica, Anna, and Claudia have known each other since college. Claudia recently split from her partner of 10 years and lost her job as a chef. She is at a crossroads in her life and isn't sure if she still has passion for cooking. Anna struggles with the realisation that her twins are leaving for college soon. Erica is a high-flyer and avoids emotional involvement. The three friends coming together in December for their annual book club gathering at the picture perfect Maple Sugar Inn in Vermont instead of their usual city break in the summer.  Erica is keeping a secret from her friends why she has chosen this particular hotel.
The Inn owner Hattie is run ragged, trying to manage the business and look after her 5 year old daughter Delphi after the loss of her husband. A crisis at the hotel develops, and Erica, Anna, and Claudia step in to help Hattie. Through this, friendships are formed, and each of them come to realisations about their life.

The story is told from the POV of Erica, Anna, Claudia, and Hattie and is perfectly intertwined. The location and the Inn sound absolutely dreamy, and I would love to spend a week during December there. The mention of Catherine Swift, who was a character in Sarah’s previous novel, Summer Wedding, was a nice touch.

The characters were relatable and definitely not without flaws. Delphi is absolutely adorable and reminds me so much of my granddaughter at that age.

Fans of Sarah Morgan will definitely love The Christmas Book Club. Readers who appreciate warmhearted stories featuring strong women will enjoy the book, and I am sure book clubs want to take a trip to this idyllic location to discuss the book.

The Christmas Book Club is a feel-good festive novel and THE perfect Christmas book. Grab the book and immerse yourself into this heartwarming & humorous tale of friendships, family, and romance.

And we have to give the stunning cover a mention too! It will brighten up the dark winter months!

Many thanks to @Netgalleyuk, @hqstories, and @sarahmorganwrites for the chance to read the ARC.

Puplication Date 26.10.2023

Sarah Morgan is essential Christmas reading, and this book is great
3 close friends go away for a book club each of them with issues of their own to deal with while trying to be strong and hiding it, but close friends know when things aren't right.
The characters are great the setting is ideal
The perfect book for Christmas
Thank you NetGalley

This must be the author's best Christmas book yet. It's one of those Christmas books you want to read every year. A predictable plot and ending, this makes a perfect Christmas read.

I always love a new Sarah Morgan book, you know you’ll have great characters, a good story, descriptions of places you’d love to go to and a happy ending. I enjoyed the 3 main characters- Erica, the driven career woman, with no family after her single parent mother died; Anna, whose life revolves around her twins, who are on the way to college soon leaving Anna not knowing what her role in life will be next, and Claudia, whose partner of 10 years left her for a younger model, and who’s lost her job. They’ve all been friends since college, and although they don’t live in each others pockets they always make time one week a year to spend together. This is a really rounded read, that I didn’t want to put down, and enjoyed everything about it. Recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book follows the owner of The Maple Sugar Inn, Hattie, and 3 friends who meet up for their annual book club holiday. Erica, Claudia and Anna. Hattie is a single mom trying to get through what life has thrown at her and over the course of an eventful week, Hattie sees that the friends are each carrying around unspoken truth. What she does not expect is how deeply her story will become entwined with the 3 friend’s story. Will this Christmas be the end of the book club’s story or the start of a new chapter?

It’s my tradition every winter to read Christmas themed books and despite my dislike of the festive period I do love a Christmas themed book.

Sarah Morgan is my go to author for all books festive themed, I do read her books at other times too, but her Christmas themed books are just like a hug in a book. This book is no exception. It’s like a warm blanket, a hot chocolate and a hug all in one. I loved the characters, the setting the whole thing. The title of the book also drew me in as well because I love books. One word to describe this book……perfect!

The Book Club girls are control-freak boss-lady Erica, homely stay at home Mum Anna, and laid-off -work French chef Claudia. An unlikely trio but then aren’t all college friends who are still in touch when they hit 40. What I love is that they are all very real characters with flaws and insecurities, and a Book Club that meets once a year for a week in a swanky hotel!

Enter stage right Hattie; young single Mum who is trying to be everything to everyone by running a hotel that was the dream of her deceased husband. She’s jacked up on stress and lust and about to meet someone special.

The star of the show is Maple Sugar Inn, a gloriously perfect winter getaway. A cosy hotel with its very own library, log fires, wine cellar, hot chocolate, and sparkling snow.

These four women are about to have a Christmas Book Club week to remember.

The overriding moral of this tale, for me, was about perspective. Is that story you tell yourself the truth? Or is it just what you think is happening? What if there is more to it? What if those people are just flawed humans too?

Sarah Morgan knows how to write a Christmas book, you will not be disappointed. Grab your hot chocolate and blanket and cosy up for a heartwarming read.

I highly recommend The Christmas Book Club by Sarah Morgan.

This is such a perfect Christmas book! It made me feel very Christmassy as I read it, with the beautiful descriptions of the snowy landscape and cosy inn. It is a warm hearted tale, about all sorts of relationships: family, friends and lovers. It will definitely fill any reader with festive spirit in the run up to Christmas. I can’t recommend it highly enough!

A book to escape with into the warmth of a country inn in the depths of winter. 4 main characters facing a crossroad in their lives. 3 are a group of lifelong friends meeting up for their annual book group but beneath their outer coats of happiness dwells a series of doubts and the 4th brings a new dimension as she is struggling to manage the Inn they are staying at. She us a catalyst and why was this inn chosen by the workaholic Erica.
After a slow start the storyline unfolds to bring warmth and happiness

I want to spend Christmas at the Maple Sugar Inn!
This is a wonderful festive read that transports you to the snowy setting and wraps you up in the 4 women's stories. Told in alternative view points of Hattie, Erica, Claudia, and Anna; each have a distinct 'voice' and their own hurdles to overcome and you can lose yourself while you join them in this tale.
Slightly predictable which is why I dropped one star but thoroughly enjoyable and would recommend!

I absolutely loved this. A very good Sarah Morgan book. Three close friends who began a book club at uni and at 40 still meet and have a week away each year. Three very different characters all with issues. They go to a quaint inn . Told in chapters by different people including the inn owner. You had snow, commitment issues, unexpected family , a cute little girl, old and new love and empty nest problems. It was brilliant and a fab ending. Read it

SARAH DOES IT AGAIN!

Wow. This book. It had EVERYTHING and it's instantly become my favourite Christmas book. I got 'The Holiday' vibes from this book which is a big green flag for me. I adored all the characters, including the stoic, impenetrable Erica. There was a time in this book I felt like she was about to pull the rug out from everyone's feet which just proves how great of a job Sarah did with this book.

I absolutely adored the characters. I loved the conflict. This miscommunication trope was not exaggerated which is a big plus for me, and we had a shiny wrap up of all the events at the end which left us as a reader feel really content.

I loved the set up, I loved the descriptions. It is the PERFECT festive read. I'm absolutely re-reading this in December.

Thank you Netgalley for an e-ARC

Although totally predictable this book definitely “does what it says on the tin”! It’s like putting on your favourite cosy Christmas jumper and sitting in front of a log fire with a mug of hot chocolate. A nicely written tale of hope and change with plenty of Christmas magic thrown in. The only thing I wasn’t keen on was the book title but other than that a great Christmas read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Harper Collins for this ARC

This is a delightful pre festive season holiday Book.
Erica, Anna & Claudia have been friends since Collage & is where they started their Holiday Book Club with a shared love of reading & a means of keeping connected . Then they all go to the Maple Sugar Inn run by young widow Hattie, unknowing how this time everything will change all of their lives forever. #NetGalley, #GoodReads,#Amazon.co.uk, #FB,#Instagram, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/8a5b541512e66ae64954bdaab137035a5b2a89d2" width="80" height="80" alt="200 Book Reviews" title="200 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.