Sarah Morgan writes amazing stories; this was another one with heartbreak and tragedy woven through the storyline and an ultimate festive, feel-good ending.
The story centres around Imogen, a young woman who has worked hard all her life to create a feeling of security around herself—something that she did not have growing up. Christmas is coming, and she doesn't know how to handle the questions and curiosity of colleagues who have a wonderful family to spend time with. She's gone to the extent of creating a fictitious family, boyfriend, and even pet to stave off feelings of pity from others.
But everything comes to a head when she has an awful conversation with her one existing family member.
Sent off on an enforced break by her concerned boss, Imogen ends up in a beautiful cottage hosted by a dear client for the month.
Then things start to unravel further as questions are asked, and the answers to mysteries are slowly revealed.
The story is told through the POV of several key characters, which adds to the story.
There is a dishy, caring vet, and a wonderful golden retriever named Ralph. Oh, and Alpacas!
My only wish? I had more of a conclusion about what happens with Imogen's mother.
Wonderfully written and easy to read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for an ARC.

Imogen loves her job. She’s an event organiser but Imogen isn’t the person she portrays to be and is hiding a few secrets from her colleagues. However something goes really wrong at work and with her boss forcing her to take a time out one of her clients, Dorothy, invites Imogen to spend Christmas with her and her family whilst staying at the cottage set within her grounds.

Imogen settles in and gets on great with Dorothy’s family but a long buried secret resurfaces which threatens to ruin the entire holiday. Will Imogen end up on her own again at Christmas or will all be forgiven.

Sarah Morgan has a way of drawing you into the story and the characters feel like friends by the end of the book. I’m not a lover of Christmas but I do love a Christmas themed book and once again this book is a brilliant read with such likeable characters. My favourite was Ralph. If you know me then you’ll know that I love when an animal is part of the story. Easy 4⭐️ read

I read The Christmas Cottage without taking in the author, but it became clear quite quickly that it was by Sarah Morgan. It has all the trademarks of her books. That's not a complaint; I very much enjoy the characters and settings she creates. There's a woman on the edge and an unknown (and surprising) family in this one, and romance of course. And all at Christmas as the title suggests. It's warm and feel-good but not facile, and there's a good ending, mostly happy, but not everything is neatly resolved. And there's a dog. Oh well, never mind.

This was such an unusual plot for a Christmas themed book but I really enjoyed it. I loved how strong Imogen was, how she had created a life for herself despite her upbringing. It was lovely to read the story through the different characters view points and I could have happily continued reading about them beyond the finish of the book. Thanks Nethalley

À wonderful warm Christmassy hug from Sarah Morgan. I always look forward to Sarah's twice yearly offering as she manages to capture the atmosphere that surround either Christmas or the Summer and this book is no exception with snow, romance and family all set in the Cotswolds with a plethora of animals thrown in. An heartwarming tale to cosy up with over the festive season.

Another great read from Sarah. Full of warmth but, also sad in places with a happy ending. You can always guarantee a great read from Sarah. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Thoroughly enjoyed this story and the journey it took you on through the main characters isolation due to family circumstances. This was a real feel good book.

It wouldn't be christmas without a novel from Sarah Morgan, and as always, she doesn't disappoint. Imogen longs for a proper family and to be like her colleagues, even going as far as to make up an extended family and dog. She is forced to take a month off by her boss and is offered a cottage to stay in by one of her clients leading to a christmas she will never forget.

This book is a delightful Christmas read that captures all the festive charm you'd hope for—snow-covered landscapes, twinkling decorations, and the warmth of romance. The author has carefully crafted each chapter, allowing readers to deeply connect with the characters as their stories intertwine in a beautifully orchestrated way. The storyline is both absorbing and heartwarming, making it nearly impossible to put down once you start. It's the perfect holiday escape, full of joy and just the right amount of Christmas magic.

A joyous festival tale about finding yourself and family.

My only criticism would be the spoiler in the synopsis that Imogen makes a "catastrophic mistake at work" - as I spend the first 20% of the book waiting for this to happen with a feeling of doom. Once this was realised it was great to go along for the ride.

Yet another brilliant read from Sarah Morgan. A wonderful feel good factor which made me smile, laugh and almost cry at times. Well worth a read.

Imogen has been working hard, too hard some might say, durmiente her busiest day of the year she has a call from the hospital to say her mum has been admitted and she needs to go, dropping the ball things go wrong at work and Imogen is forced to take months leave over Christmas the worst time of year for her.

Another fabulous book from Sarah Morgan I hope she never gives up writing.

I loved this book - it's every bit as wonderful as you'd expect a festive Sarah Morgan read to be.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A great festive read. Very heartwarming with a twist in the middle I did not expect.

Thank you Sarah Morgan, HQ and NetGalley for the ARC

A bittersweet mixture of loneliness and Christmas sparkle. This is both a heartwrenching and heartwarming book to snuggle up with on an Autumn day. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story.

Sarah Morgan has done it again with another superb Festive story that is full of romance and Christmas cheer.
Workaholic Imogen loves her job and as it is almost all she has in her life, she devotes all her time to it and her clients. The only relative she has is her mother Tina who she shares a turbulent relationship with. When Imogen’s boss demands that she takes a month off in December as she is worried that Imogen is overworked, Imogen is full of dread wondering how she will fill her time. Then by chance, her favourite client Dorothy invites her to a cottage in the Cotswolds and here Imogen’s life changes forever. Deceit and secrets are aplenty in this story but fortunately does not spoil the positive outcome.
My thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the advanced reader digital copy of this heart-warming five star book.

Any book by Sarah Morgan is almost bound to be a winner. I enjoyed reading this one, with its usual mix of people, some needy, some with long held problems, a 'dog' and of course, snow. Many of her books are set in snow! The story of Imogen is sad, with no family to speak f, she invents a life which includes a dog. I loved the fact that her colleagues at work were so caring about the dog's 'disappearance'. When Imogen reaches burn out in her job, she is offered a cottage at which to recuperate. Then she becomes involved with Dorothy and her family, a whole new slant.
I can recommend this book to anyone who loves a romantic story with deeper angles. Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this Christmas romance by Sarah Morgan. The story flowed well and had an interesting storyline, keeping me hooked. Imogen is the consummate professional, her job is her life and she is 110% committed to it but she is covering up for her home life and family, or lack of it. When it all goes wrong she finds herself having to take a month off work and staying at an idyllic Cotswold cottage belonging to one of her clients. That is when things start to really become interesting.

I loved Imogen, her character is well-written and very endearing. She has had to put up with so much in her life and when things become clearer I was rooting for her. All the characters are excellently developed, as is the storyline and it was a pleasure to curl up with this book.

The story was full of warmth and humour, mixed with Sarah Morgan's trademark family drama. This is the perfect Christmassy read and one I recommend you add to your reading list.

I love a Sarah Morgan and I think this is one of her best yet. Imogen was immediately likeable and you could see how close to burn out she was, how driven she was to improve her life but still so lonely and isolated. Realising the link with Dorothy was exciting as the community and family she had all around her couldn’t have been more different to Imogen’s and it was delightful to see them begin to entangle.
I thought all the characters (bar Imogen’s mum!) were likeable, authentic and people that I would want to be friends with. The Cotswold setting was so Christmassy and I enjoyed the whole novel from start to finish- thank you!

A cheering Christmassy read. Imogen leads a lonely life. She lives alone, doesn’t get on with her mother, has no friends and pretends to have a dog she’s never owned. She’s very good at her job organising events though. Her boss persuades Imogen to take a month off, but where can she go? Will Christmas in the country be a great idea or a disaster for townie Imogen?