This was the perfect Christmas read and I enjoyed every page of it.

The setting is lovely and the author does a great job in describing the area in which the book is set. She brought the environment to life perfectly.

The characters were all very likeable and I enjoyed watching the relationship between Erica and Hattie develop. Alongside this is the friendship between old friends Erica, Claudia and Anna.

I loved the idea of these three old friends spending a week in a hotel each year to discuss a book. I expect many readers would enjoy this prospect of getting away from it all to discuss books with old friends.

If you enjoy books about the friendships between women then you will really enjoy this book. I highly recommend it.

To me, picking up a Christmas book by Sarah Morgan is the reading equivalent of cosying up with a blanket and hot chocolate in front of a fire, and this book was no exception. Hattie runs the Maple Sugar Inn alone after her husband passed away unexpectedly, leaving her to raise her young daughter alone. Erica is a workaholic who isn’t interested in making connections with others, apart from her two close friends who she meets for a book club every year. When she chooses Hattie’s Inn as the book club location instead of her usual clinical hotel settings, her friends suspect something. Is Erica about to let someone in after all? It has everything we’ve come to expect from a Sarah Morgan festive offering - different character perspectives, a love story, an overachieving main character, family relationships and a HEA, but it’s not a sickly sweet festive book as some of this genre can be.

Really easy and enjoyable read - no real plot twists but a lovely festive story about friends and books and relationships of all kind.

I had to squeeze one last Christmas book in before the end of the year and it had to be a Sarah Morgan. I have fallen into a habit of reading all of her Christmas and summer books and I love this habit for me.

I really liked that this story was more than just a Christmas romance. Yes, there was romance and some glorious loved up feels, but it wasn't the main focus of the plot. What I took away the most was the friendships, finding family and the women's relationships with themselves. All of them had some kind of struggle in their life that they were facing and what better way to tackle those than to spend time at the most idyllic, festive hotel?!

Erica was my favourite character as she was probably the one most like myself. She had convinced herself that she didn't want a traditional relationship and didn't need the support of a family. But she soon crashed through her fierce independence and realised that these things weren't negatives. She could still be independent and have a support network that loved her and that she loved in return.

This was a lovely, cosy read that was super easy to get through and kept me engaged and entertained throughout. Erica was my favourite, but Delphi was definitely the main character. A spin off book about adult Delphi would make me extremely happy!

A gorgeous, warm and festive read I just adored this latest Christmas offering from Sarah Morgan.
Everything about it was perfect for December reading. The setting especially was beautifully descriptive and set the scene so well. I loved all the characters and how they all came together and helped each other.
So much love shone through the words and there was definitely a tear or 2 shed.

The perfect setting for a Christmas read, a beautiful countryside hotel, a widow about to make the next step to heal her broken heart, hunky christmas tree farmer and a book group of friends meeting up after lots of personal turmoil. I enjoyed knowing what I was getting from this book from the outset, though thing s are never quite what you might think. It was a comforting read that made me feel warm inside. I could almost smell all the food described and wish I could visit the beautiful setting. I liked that you were lulled into thinking you were just going to get a romance story when the book explores serious and moving topics. It explores how a stay at home mother will feel once her children have flown the nest, when you lose the passion for your job, infidelity, opening your heart and the importance of friendship and the connection of family ties. Sarah Morgan is brilliant at dealing with really serious emotions and making the reader live in someone elses shoes while delivering a lovely heart warming romance.

Absolutely loved this book. Such a good read. Loved the characters, the setting, the storylines. Yeah some of it was predictable but it was super enjoyable.

This was a feel-good cosy read that really gets you in the mood for Christmas. Hattie has recently lost her husband is now trying to juggle being a full time mom with running her own hotel. This isn't easy and is proving to be quite a challenge and she's left wondering why she is bothering anymore. After a visit from a book club, everything will begin to fall into place. The Maple Sugar Inn sounds so amazing, I wish it was a real place and i would book it immediately! I love the combination of this hotel with a book club, mix in a bit of Christmas and it's a perfect holiday read.

I read a Sarah Morgan Christmas book during Advent last year and as soon as I heard about this book I knew I had to read it and the timings for it worked out perfectly for me to read about 15 pages a day during December until Christmas Eve when I finished it.

This isn’t a romance book as such but it still has all the feels that the Christmas romance books do. The story follows four different women and has their POVs throughout, Hattie owns the inn, and Anna, Erica and Claudia meet up every year for a book club holiday. There is such a cosy feel in this book and I just loved reading it.

The friendship between Anna, Erica and Claudia is so strong and I’d love to have a friendship like that, they are there for each other no matter what and each brings something different to the table. They are all going through something during the book and need each other’s support and that support really is perfect. Also by the end of the book, they have all grown as people especially when faced with the specific things they are going through.

I also loved Hattie and her daughter Delphi. Hattie learns more about what she wants during the story and grows too. Delphi is a really fun character and brings out amazing parts of the characters that she spends time around, she can be amusing and adds the perfect amount to the story. The story wouldn’t be the same without her.

All the different POVs read really differently and you could easily differentiate between them. I love the feel of a Sarah Morgan Christmas book and the cosiness that comes with them and the writing feel. They are perfect for the Christmas season and I look forward to reading a new one every time I finish one.

The ending was perfect for all the characters and I really do hope that they continue on the track that they started on in the epilogue.

I need to get around to reading a not-Christmas Sarah Morgan book and see if I like it just as much as I do the Christmas ones. Highly recommend ANY Sarah Morgan Christmas books but especially this one and Snowed in for Christmas.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars!!

Hattie is 28 years old and is the owner of the Maple Sugar Inn. She is also a widow and raising her five year old daughter. After losing Brent, she has been non stop trying to live his dream. Christmas is only a few weeks away and the Maple Sugar Inn is getting fully booked up. Erica, Claudia and Anna reunite every year for their book club holiday! This year they decide to visit the Maple Sugar Inn. They have an amazing friendship … but it seems like they also keep a few secrets from each other. Will they all bond on this wonderful Christmas week away?

I absolutely adored this book! The perfect festive read which got me out of the worst reading slump of the year! I absolutely loved the writing style and loved the story. I wish I could read separate books about all the girls stories because I loved each of their lives so much. I especially loved Hattie and was so glad for an amazing, happy ending for them all.

Definitely recommend and would buy for a friend!

Sarah Morgan is one of my go to authors for festive reads! I try to read her new release each year and have a few favourites from Sarah’s back list! I could definitely see this one as a TV adaption with a character for everyone to enjoy.

The synopsis sets the scene for a gorgeous, Christmas break. Hattie is coping better than she realises as she battles with both the Maple Sugar Inn, which she inherited after the death of her husband, and raising her lovely daughter, Delphi. The opening chapter gave me a clear picture of Hattie’s lifestyle and I immediately felt empathetic.
We then met the book club members and learnt a little more about their lifestyles. From high flying executive Erica and her designer world, Anna’s lovely family and Claudia’s pressing predicament, it soon became clear that I was in for a real treat.
Each of the four women are well developed and completely relatable. Well, maybe not so much, Erica as I don’t have access to that lifestyle, but her character was totally believable, and I genuinely felt her conflicting thoughts.
The location is everything that I would imagine for a perfect Christmas setting. The Inn is beautifully decorated with the comfort of each guest as the main focus. I would love to visit, find a comfy chair, and curl up with a good book. The snow, however, is nice to look at, but I’ve no desire to experience it.
This book gave me all the Christmas joy, but more importantly, reminded me of the power of friendships, both old and new. It was truly heartwarming to be reminded that love stories aren’t always about meeting ones life partner, they can also focus on falling in love with both yourself, and the people around you.

This book was from one of my favourite authors and was the perfect Christmas read and perfect escapism.

I absolutely loved all of the characters in this book and the fabulous storyline and setting and would love to visit the hotel and curl up in its wonderfully sounding library. This was a fabulous tale of love hope and friendship and how everything always seems a little bit brighter with a little help from others and how it’s never too late to make a fresh start in life.

This book would make a gorgeous hallmark film.

This was such a great read! So festive and I loved the rarionships between the three main characters

And what a joy it was- this book is as warm & comforting as a lovely glass of mulled wine.

This does not mean that the story is lacking structure & conflict, there are problems and secrets between the friends , dealt with in a very realistic way.

It left me believing in the characters , and thinking what a great concept it is to go away with a group of friends to discuss a book. Sounds perfect!

If there's one last minute book to pop on your list this Christmas, I'd suggest this one...

A heartwarming Christmassy read set in a picturesque little hotel in Vermont.

Hattie is doing her best to keep her business going but it isn't easy when she is still getting over the death of her husband two years ago whilst trying to bring up their 5 year old daughter alone.

Having had to postpone their summer book club holiday, three best friends book a pre-Christmas break at the gorgeous hotel. All turning 40, they have been friends for decades. Their lives have taken different paths, but this year's gathering proves to be pivotal for each of them.

Erica, Claudia and Anna have been friends since University. Now in there 40's they continue to meet annually for their book club. It was easy to relate to their stories being of similar age. Erica is the strong, independent, career woman who has not let anybody in. Claudia was in a long term relationship that has ended and she is currently unemployed so is feeling lost. Anne is married with 2 children about to leave home so is upset about that change.

They decide to go to the Maple Sugar Inn, run by Hattie who has a young child and whose husband died suddenly.

The book goes through storylines for each woman, that link together nicely.
The book does revolve around books so as I book lover I could appreciate this. All characters are nice and likeable. The ending was obvious from the outset but didn't detract from me finishing the book.

This is a nice Christmas book.

Lovely Christmassy read, well written and with great characters. I read it on a snowy weekend sitting by the log fire so absolutely perfect. A lovely festive read, much enjoyed and recommended.

Genuinely it isn't Christmas without a Sarah Morgan novel. Such a cosy festive story I absolutely loved it! Thanks to Netgalley, HQ and Sarah Morgan for the ARC.

So sweet, a little predictable but charming and Christmassy and warm.
Cute characters, idyllic setting, and happy ever afters all around