A lovely festive read by Sarah Morgan. It’s centered around Imogen, while being told through both her perspective, and the perspective of a couple of other women.

This was a lovely, sweet holiday story about a young woman with a TRULY cruel mother. The things she says to her early on in the book are heartbreaking. Imogen spends much of the story exploring, developing and building herself back up.

The Christmas Bookshop by Sarah Morgan is a story about Imogen, a busy, hardworking events organiser living in London with a seemingly lovely family and beautiful golden retriever, Midas.

However, behind the facade of her perfect life, Imogen is hiding a world of secrets about her past. If she can just keep working hard, everything will be okay, won't it? But when an incident in her real life collides with her work life, Imogen is forced to pause and is hurtled into a new reality where everything
starts to make sense. Can Imogen finally open up enough and start living her truth?

I absolutely adored this book by Sarah Morgan. The protagonist, Imogen, is such a star and I really loved following her journey and her growth.

The setting of the Christmas cottage gave me all the cosy feels and reminded me so much of the beautiful cottage in my favourite Christmas film, The Holiday. The characters that we meet in the countryside were so loveable, especially Ralph, and they truly took up space in my heart.

I loved that this was a Christmas romance book but with real depth. It tackled some really difficult storylines such as loneliness, alcoholism, toxic relationships, and emotional abuse. I think the author intertwined these themes in a really clever way that never felt too heavy, but gave them their space all the same. It is a story about identity, family, and developing a sense of belonging.

It is absolutely not a Christmas romance that is sickly sweet or too cheesy. It is, in my opinion, the perfect balance and a really great book to read in the lead up to the Christmas season. If you normally balk at the thought of a Christmas romance, I genuinely urge you to give this a go. I really think it will surprise you!

With sincere thanks to the author, publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this festive book.

Another year, another incredible Christmas book from Sarah Morgan! The Christmas Cottage looks at the lives of three women, who end up being far more connected than they might seem at first.

As well as the usual heartwarming cosyness I have come to expect from Sarah, this one had some slightly darker aspects which I think were handled really respectfully. It even had a huge twist that completely caught me off guard!

The only reason this wasn't 5 stars is because of the slightly abrupt ending, I would've loved a "one year later" so we could see what had ended up happening further down the line but I can appreciate that there wasn't really any *need* for this as everything was wrapped up nicely.

All in all, I adored it and will absolutely be recommending more people join me on my yearly Sarah Morgan Christmas read!

I'm a big Sarah Morgan fan and always enjoy her stories, and The Christmas Cottage was just as good as I was expecting it to be. As soon as we were introduced to Imogen, I was just waiting for her life to turn around and for her to ecperience the perfect Christmas, and I wasn't disappointed. The family drama was unexpected but brought the right amount of conflict to what was otherwise a super cute Christmas romance. Finding the balance between the two is hard but this was perfect.

Thank you NetGalley.

If I’m being totally honest, I did wonder where this story was going as it seemed to take a while to warm up, but with years of experience with the author, I had the patience to let it take shape and boy! It was well and truly worth it.
When we meet Imogen, she is totally focused on her work to the detriment of her own life. Concealing an unhealthy relationship with her mother, she has little to ground herself, and she juggles her overwhelming workload whilst being repeatedly overlooked for promotion. Thankfully, her favourite client, Dorothy, sees through Imogen’s crazy life and offers her a break and a stay in her cottage in the Cotswolds.
What then transpires would be impossible to describe without risking the inclusion of spoilers, but I was utterly swept away and loved every single moment.
As the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place, I could actually feel my heart filling up. I can happily admit to experiencing what a friend of mine refers to as a rainy face—happy tears, I can assure you.
There is clear evidence of Sarah’s skill with comedic timing as Imogen discovers more about the local area while reacting to a bombshell that Dorothy inadvertently drops. The fallout is far-reaching and impacts the entire cast of the book.
Having only recently explored the Cotswolds, I found the setting to be particularly charming and loved every moment. Everything about this story oozed love and joy. Family and friendship were at its heart, and it was simply joyous.
It’s not too late to add it to your festive reading list, and I would certainly recommend it.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from Netgalley. I really enjoyed this. Although the start was slow, this was an engaging story with a well written cast of characters. Morgan created real sympathy for the characters, the setting was beautiful, and the plot felt very different to many books of the genre.

Another feel good festive read from the legend that is Sarah Morgan!
I was crying, I was laughing and I was empathising and sympathising throughout. I love the reparations Imogen does throughout the book and the book has got such an incredibly cosy christmas, hallmark movie vibe throughout (definitely getting 'The Holiday' vibes), and I was not expecting the twist halfway through! I want to go to Holly Cottage now!

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book as I was expecting a cheesy Christmas romance story but was pleasantly surprised by a deep and emotional story. The story centres around family dynamics and friendships and I loved all the characters. A tragic family drama with a beautiful ending. I really enjoyed this book. Highly recommended.

What a perfect first Christmas read. This book gives you all the festive feels the perfect book to cosy up with at this time of year. Part of it is set in the cotswolds (not sure where), which is where I live, which makes it even better.

The 3 main characters, Imogen, Sara, and Dorthey, are very strong female characters, and I like how each chapter is from their point of view. The only tiny thing that I didn't like was long chapters, but that's just me.

If a cosy Christmas read is what you are looking for, then look no further than The Christmas Cottage by Sarah Morgan! The audiobook narrator, Henrietta Meire, was very pleasant to listen to and did a great job of voicing the various characters of different ages.

Oh my goodness, I felt so sorry for Imogen. She’s a total workaholic and has pretty much no life outside of work. She’s exceptionally good at her job as events planner and highly respected by clients and colleagues alike. Embarrassed to tell the truth about her lonely life, she makes up all kinds of things to tell her colleagues and gets herself into some awkward situations as a result. There’s one particular character who is just so horrible to Imogen and she didn’t deserve it at all. I wanted to swoop into the book and give Imogen a big cuddle.

Sarah Morgan often writes her novels from the points of view of several characters, often from different generations. This book was no exception. Although Imogen is definitely the main focus, there are also chapters from the perspective of Dorothy, one of Imogen’s clients and Sarah, Dorothy’s daughter. When Dorothy realises that Imogen will be alone for Christmas, she invites her to stay in a holiday cottage on her estate in the Cotswolds much to the disapproval of her daughter. There are secrets to be uncovered and Imogen realises that what she thinks she knows about her earlier life isn’t the full truth.

I don’t want to say much about the plot of course but this is a really heart-warming read about finding your place in life, the importance of family and naturally there’s a pleasing romantic element too. The Christmas Cottage is a feel-good story which will leave you feeling warm inside.

Firstly thank you to hq for my chance to read and review.
It’s become a yearly tradition to read Sarah’s festive book .
This was a great book and one with a rollercoaster of events and some I could definitely relate to .
It’s dealing with some big real issues that are prevalent for many people especially around Christmas and Sarah articulates the emotions around it so well .
It’s a tale of starting over ,grabbing chances and not being afraid to let people in
One to bring the festive joy in to your lives

Sarah is one of the Queens of Christmas stories. This is such a beautiful tale of family, acceptance, and being yourself.
I loved the familial relationships with Dororhy, Sarah, and her daughters. Seeing Imogen slot into this after the emotion of reading her upbringing had me absolutely tearing up.
I really felt for Imogen, and the life she had to imagine for herself to try and feel accepted by colleagues, their Xmas gift to her gave me all the feels because she was able to see that people could love her for her true self.
Miles was a lovely male lead, and that Christmas date sounded magical. Take me next, Miles!!
Of course, there had to be a mischievous but adorable dog, Ralph was instrumental in Imogen settling so well.
I stayed up far too late reading this because I couldn't put it down. I read 78% in one sitting! I couldn't wait to get back to it the next day.
A beautifully sweet read, perfect for a December read!

I love a Sarah Morgan book and a The Christmas Cottage might just be my favourite to date. A heartwarming story of Imogen finding family and love set in the most idyllic country Christmas setting. A must read this Christmas

It’s really not Christmas without a new book from Sarah Morgan, her books are guaranteed comfort reads, leaving you with the warm fuzzy feeling wishing you were right there with the characters.

I read this on kindle and audio which was a nice mix and meant that I was listening to it pretty much non stop as I really wanted to immerse myself in Imogen’s world (even while I was running on the treadmill). I absolutely loved Dorothy, Sarah and her little girls - they really just made the Christmas magic for me and the way they handled everything was perfect.

Imogen herself was also a fab character and despite kind off guessing where the story was going I kept hoping that she’d get a happy ending - the only thing missing was a little *6 months later type epilogue* although this meant you could use your imagination. Very little needs to be said about a certain vet as well… 😉

This was a gorgeous Christmas read with loads of traditions, snow, parties and cosiness that has left me well and truly ready to get out tree up!!

Burned out, signed off work, and with no personal life to speak of, Imogen finds herself sheltering in her client Dorothy’s Christmas cottage.

Initially enchanted by Dorothy’s granddaughters, the farm animals, handsome vet Miles and an incorrigible golden retriever, Imogen wonders if there is more to life after all.

However, when a shared pain comes to light, Imogen has to rethink everything about her family, her past and her future.

The ending is a bit sudden with one plot point unresolved but overall this is a warming festive read.

Found Family. Family Secrets. Sweet Love. Festive story.

This may be my favourite Sarah Morgan Christmas book, which considering how much I adore her work, is a big pedestal to place this book on!

Imogen absolutely both broke and took hold of my heart, her situation, though ficticious really made me feel grateful for the loved ones I have to get me through tough times.

I had a feeling we were gearing up for some family reveals and twists but it was still so cleverly written, drawing you in and really rooting for the characters.

Miles was simply a dream man, attentive, understanding and lovely. A festive miracle for Imogen, and Ralph was probably my favourite character, the bounding dog with obedience only for Imogen.

Like a warm hug in a cup, one of my fave christmas reads ever!

I absolutely love Sarah Morgan’s books. They are warm, engaging and uplifting while demonstrating that we all face challenges and that we can overcome them.

Another great book, with interesting characters and a Christmassy outcome. As ever, I worked out where this was going - but I loved the engagement between the main characters and the storyline.

5 out of 5.

Imogen loves her job as an events organiser and is really good at it. To her colleagues she seems like she has it all but there’s a lot she’s not telling them and one thing is that she doesn’t like Christmas but this one turns out completely different! A heartwarming Christmas story perfect to curl up with this festive season. I loved it.

Imogen is lonely and her job is everything to her, so a few lies to her colleagues wouldn’t hurt… would it? This is when she realises she’s hiding painful truths about her past.
She puts her whole life into her job and is close to burnout when her boss advises her to have a month off over Christmas. Her favourite client Dorothy invited her to spend Christmas in the country, and of course she can’t turn it down!

What an adorable read! My first Christmassy read of the year and the book that got me out of my reading slump! A festive, feel good story about family, romance, and how it really feels to be loved.

Definitely recommend!

The Christmas Cottage is such a charming and heartwarming book. If you need help getting into the festive spirit, then this book serves the Christmas vibes in huge dollops.
We’ve just spent a week in North Yorkshire and this book was the perfect book to read whilst away, with the descriptions of country cottages, fireplaces, Christmas markets and lights, hearty meals and stunning wintery scenery. Sarah Morgan has really outdone herself with this book, with each Christmas book i read of hers, i always think this is the best one yet, then the following year she proves me wrong.
The characters (bar one) are extremely endearing and their backstories make you feel you can understand them and relate to them. I love how animals are an integral part of the book and how important they are to many of the characters. The storyline is realistic whilst re also being christmassy and all about the true meaning of the season - family, loved ones, friends, spending precious time together and giving (if you can) to show you care and to see the delight on other people’s faces. There’s only one negative - more please. I’m really hoping this may be the start of a series as some of the storylines appear as if they have far more to reveal. So fingers crossed the story may continue...

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley and HQ, which did not influence my unbiased and honest review of the book.