For me, Christmas isn't Christmas without a @sarahmorganwrites book to curl up with and The Christmas Cottage was everything I hoped for.

Many Christmas books focus on romance as the central plot but I personally find them a little boring. Although I love a Christmas love story, I need a bit of depth too. This story puts some tough issues front and centre, with just a little sprinkle of romance along the way; perfect for me

The Christmas Cottage is also full of Christmas fun (i'm talking snow, markets, gifts, trees, singing)..... oh and it gets bonus points for including a dog.

If you like a Christmas themed book, this is definitely one I would recommend. Reminding the reader that Christmas can be tough for some and inviting us to reflect on the meaning of family, I found it an emotional read in parts, however it remained a light , easy read . Overall it is a gorgeous book, warm hearted and uplifting, that gave me all the festive feels......it's a luxurious hot chocolate in a book. 🎅❤🎄❤⛄

It’s not Christmas without a Sarah Morgan. Imogen finds herself very alone until a stay at Holly Cottage. Always rejected by her mother. Imogen discovers family and love . Heartwarming festive read.

A Sarah Morgan novel is a go to for me at Christmas time. I’m slowly working my way through the back list of novels so I was delighted when I was approved by HQ and NetGalley to read and review the newest release, The Christmas Cottage!

As expected with a Sarah Morgan novel, there is a cosy wintery setting, wholesome characters, and a storyline full of charm of warmth. I adored the unexpected journey the storyline took the reader on and the protagonist, Imogen, is a brilliant and endearing character.

A heartwarming and emotional read which is pure escapism! Thank you to HQ and NetGalley for my copy.

You can’t go wrong with a Sarah Morgan Christmas book — there’s a reason why HQ market her books as “read yourself happy” (it’s true). Morgan has a real warmth to her writing and a deep understanding of human relationships which she writes with compassion and heart. Including animals and food adds to a winning combination!

The Christmas Cottage was a lovely take about Imogen who is haunted by her past, and tries to hide this by working hard. However, nothing really stays buried and so when her hidden life collides with her work, Imogen has to learn to swim rather than just treading water. There are some challenging moments but the friendships formed within the narrative are real and supportive. I enjoyed Dorothy, Miles, and Sara, but my favourite was Ralph. Another feel-good Christmassy story by Morgan. Recommended!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher, HQ, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was my fourth festive Sarah Morgan book and for the first 50 pages I was worried that I wouldn’t enjoy this as much as I’ve previously enjoyed her books, however there was no need for me to worry because I loved this and really wanted to keep reading.

The Christmas Cottage is Sarah Morgan’s 2024 Christmas release following Imogen who loves her job and by keeping herself busy she can keep her painful herself busy she can keep her painful history out of her mind. When Imogan realises she needs a break and her client Dorothy invites her to her place for Christmas it sounds like the ideal getaway until long-buried secrets resurface and Imogen’s peace is threatened.

One of my favourite things about this book is the family bonds and relationships that are featured. It was really nice to see how close Sara and Dorothy were throughout the story, you could tell that they were really close and wanted the best for each other even when the other didn’t appreciate it when they were doing it. You could also tell that the things they had been through together in the past had brought them closer together.
Family is such a key part of this book and in many different ways over the course of the story too. It was so special to read and I think it really works with the festive feeling that Sarah Morgan is so good at creating year after year in every book. Sarah Morgan is so good at writing family dynamics and I always love reading the family that she creates and develops. They always feel like real families and the dynamics or arguments don’t feel exaggerated instead things that you could see happening with real families.

Imogen was a character who throughout the book really grew on me. At the start of the book I wasn’t sure what I thought of her but by the end of the book I really liked her and wanted to spend as many more pages with her as possible. I got to really understand why she was and why she behaved the way that she did throughout the book.

There was a slight romance during the story which I really enjoyed and fitted the story perfectly. It created some scenes that I absolutely loved and wanted to read. It was nice to see that it was built into the story and the key family part of the book which I don’t think I was expecting but it made the family feel so much stronger.

I loved all of these characters and the depth that every character had and how likeable everyone was. Sara and Dorothy really made the story what it was but also alone they were just characters who I really liked. Miles was a character who when we first met I didn’t expect to be a key character but was and I just loved what he did for the story and other characters. Then Ava and Iris were just so much fun and added some needed lightness when things felt a bit sadder. Ava especially made me laugh.

This was definitely a festive book that I will recommend in years to come and makes me excited to read whatever festive book Sarah Morgan releases next. I also think that this is one I will be returning to and rereading.

Sarah Morgan never fails to deliver. Festive read , leaving the past behind and having new beginnings. Story had me invested.

Many thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I really found it a book of two halves. The first half dragged and felt slow to me. Then suddenly, there was a big twist in the middle and the second half picked up pace. The main story and characters came together, making it feel easier to read. However, the twist was quite deep and heavy, so did not keep in line with a Christmas book! There was the cute, happy ending for the book and all was right with the world.

Unfortunately, this wasn't my favourite Sarah Morgan book.

Every year I read at least one Sarah Morgan book for a Christmas and I was so excited to have this one as my 2024 Christmas book to get in the mood. As always my expectations were exceeded. This book is like a hot chocolate in book form and I loved it! Imogen was my favourite character, she pulled me into the book from the start and I related to her a lot. A 5/5 for me and definitely one I’d recommend!

The Christmas cottage is a fabulous tale! I loved it from start to finish. Wonderfully told, this story will have you laughing and crying.

Imogen is a bit of a workaholic, she loves her job and is great at it, and it also helps her avoid the missing pieces of her life. Imogen gets herself in a sticky situation when she tries to fill in the gaps! But disaster can sometimes turn into triumph!

A lovely tale of family, rejection, misunderstandings, Christmas, love and of course dogs!

As with all of the other books I’ve read by the marvellous Sarah Morgan, “The Christmas Cottage” is an adorable, feel-good, festive treat to curl up with this winter.

I love the back story of Imogen, and the love interest was adorable. The surrounding cast of characters were lovely, and I loved this spin on a wholesome “family at Christmas” tale.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

I loved this book so so much; it was freindships, found family, romance, self worth, mysterious, christmassy and cosy all wrapped into one amazing book.

The chapters were foucused on the 3 main characters either Imongen, Dorothy or Sara but mostly Imogen.

Imogen was really struggling at work and decides to go to Dorothy’s rental cottage for the December period only to get out of it more than she bargained for.

I am such a sucker for a happy ending and this was like happy ending times 5 so I was a very happy girl by the end of this book.

I highly recommend this book this christmas season if you want a cosy happily ever after.

4.5 stars

This was such a heart-warming and cute story that i quickly fell in love with. I loved the whole premise of this one, and even though i guessed a plot twist, it never took away from the experience and actually made me more eager to see how it all came about.

Imagen is a great main character, even if she did make me cringe a lot at the beginning of the book. However, the more you read the book and get to know her, you truly begin to understand why she made certain decisions, and I found myself quickly liking her character and feeling very sorry for her. I really liked getting to know Dorothy and Sara ,who both added so much to the story.

The one thing I absolutely love about Sarah Morgan's books is that they aren't just a romance. They also focus on other topics and focus on the connection between these three women and second chances.

It isn't Christmas without a Sarah Morgan book, so I absolutely recommend this one and cannot wait for Sarah's next book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ii always love a Sarah Morgan book and this one was lovely.
It was a beautiful story about family relations. I did guess what was coming but that didn't matter. In fact it made me want to read it quicker to see how it got there.
I feel it needs another book though to hear more about Tina. Perhaps this could be one of your trilogy sets?
Many thanks for allowing me to read this.

I love Sarah Morgan’s books, especially her christmassy ones, and this one was lovely. It had a lot of heart and emotions at its centre which made it a special read.
The characters were likeable and I enjoyed how the story developed. Ralph the dog was a personal favourite of mine - such a cutie!!

Miles was a great MMC and I loved the effort he went to for Imogen. The family plot line was well executed, as Sarah Morgan’s always are, and it had a good mix of family and romance, with lots of festive elements too!

The Christmas Cottage 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.

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.

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.