Christmas Ever After

Take three great friends - Emily, Brittany and Skylar - a lovely island escape and add romance for a great trilogy from a brilliant author. This is the third book and sadly the final book in this series and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed them all. This one tells the story of Skylar, the daughter of very manipulative controlling parents who always make her feel and inadequate failure who never lives up to their expectations. She is creative, imaginative and a superb jewellery designer. She’s about to have her first gallery showing in Knightsbridge, London, a prestigious affair but not important enough for her parents to bother supporting her. When opening night arrives her very busy politician boyfriend does deign to show up - but mainly to network and make connections, not to support Sky. Indeed his very public proposal is just what she needs to make her night - NOT! Whilst injured it is Alec from Puffin Island who comes to her rescue and that’s the start of their journey from ‘naught to naughty’ with a chance to achieve their own HEA.

This author skilfully takes readers on a highly emotional journey with her characters, helping them feel every worry, fear, joy and traumatic event through the story. Sky’s parents are despicable in how they fail to show any care or consideration for her in all their manipulative moves, I’d love to be a fly on the wall if Alec met them! The story shows how Sky grows more confident about being herself and not trying to fit into a mould created by the expectations of others whilst Alec overcomes the dreadful impact of his first wife’s attitudes and dependancy on his ability to relate to others. Neither have an uneventful journey - that wouldn’t make a great story! The drama, trauma and events keep the reader entertained and it was great to visit Puffin Island in winter for a change! Another great tale of people who overcome past trauma to move on together in a loving, supportive relationship. I do hope there are further stories involving some of these characters in future!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley, too, for letting me read an ARC of this book in exchange for this, an honest review.

I love this series of books on Puffin Island. Skylar and Alec had a strained relationship within their group of friends. But he takes control and takes care of her after an incident at her show.

I loved the developing relationship and their group of friends. Alec's family also provides a lovely picture of happy family life at Christmas and would love to spend some time with them!

I feel like I could walk around Puffin Island and wave to all the people I have grown to know!

Many thanks to Net Galley for a copy of this book.

 
Christmas Ever After,  Sarah Morgan

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  Romance,Women’s Fiction

I wish I’d read the earlier reads – this was such a great book, and I’d like to know more of the other two couples. I didn’t realise it was part of a connected group when I requested it – that didn’t actually matter as Sarah gives enough info for new readers like me to keep up, without boring those who already know the story. I know when I’m reading a later book in a series the last thing I want is precious pages used up recapping events in detail for those new to the series, and here I think Sarah has got the balance just right. Skylar, on the surface a rich girl who has it all, popular parents, fabulous career, successful and wealthy boyfriend and yet...underneath all that she’s lonely. Her parents expect their children to fit a mould suitable to her fathers position, and art doesn’t meet their criteria so that’s always a battle, with them waiting for her to get a “proper” career. Her boyfriend turns out to be more in love with her parents and their use to his career than her, and money – well, that doesn’t bring happiness. She’s got two long term loving friends who live on Puffin Island who save her sanity thankfully, and though they are unable to come to the opening of her latest show in London they make Alec go. He’s friends with their other halves, but he and Skylar have never hit it off, they’re best kept away from each other. He thinks she’s a spoiled princess playing at art, and she thinks he’s an arrogant and aloof man. Events happen though that bring out his chivalrous side at her exhibition, where he won’t leave her after a really bad fall in case she has concussion. She stays the night in his hotel, and then as she’s still sick and dazed he takes her to his parents home,  where he’s visiting while in England. She sees there what a close loving family is really like, and its the kind of dream she’s always wanted rather than the cold, critical, rigidly organised one she has. Thrown together they find that actually they get along quite well, and the sexual chemistry is off the charts! Soon they’re in a friends with benefits, just sex no emotions affair, and when the time comes for her to go back to her parents and he to Puffin Island for xmas he persuades her to come with him. It was great seeing how they changed their ideas, how they sparked off and complemented each other, and to see the other friends and their partners too. That’s where I realised there were more books and what made me want to read them. I thought this would be a light and fluffy read, and to a degree it was but it had some solid emotion, and the kind of problems many people face, family issues and expectations, career choices, and just the problems from everyday life. They all felt so real to me and I was sad to leave them. Its a perfect read for when you want a romance that’s not too dramatic, but full of fun and emotion, and a read to relax with – Alec’s gran – I loved her!
  Stars: five, another winner.  ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers.

Wow wow wow wow! I've been waiting for the 3rd book in the Puffin Island series and thank you to NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've loved every book in the series but this one really is the icing on the cake. Skylar and Alex have sparred and shared a mutual dislike in the previous books but now we find out why. It has nothing to do with their shared history and everything to do with their individual pasts.

This book shows the turnabout of their relationship and goes from the beginnings of mutual trust to deeper feelings. All this is set against snow - first in London, then the Cotswolds and finally on Puffin Island.

I was in tears at the end. Happy tears for the lovely people on Puffin Island but tinged with sadness that this is the final instalment for the 6 friends.

Thank you Sarah, this was sheer, snowy, Christmassy heaven!

Firstly a massive thank you to Mills & Boon for approving me for Sarah’s next novel and the final novel in her Puffin Island series. I was soooooooooooooo so looking forward to this that I started it straight away and finished my first Christmas book of the year in August! (I’m covering my eyes myself reading that!!) Regardless, I absolutely loved it!

This is the conclusion to Sarah’s gorgeous Puffin Island series and features the last of the six friends to star in their own novel – Alec and Skylar. Secretly I knew this was going to be my favourite book, and I knew Alec was going to be my favourite of the Puffin Island men even though Ryan (from First Time In Forever) was possibly one of my favourite guys EVER!

Alec and Skylar have a rather fraught relationship. Alec’s history has him completely wary of all women and he automatically categorises Sky in the same “crazy, demanding woman” section as is ex-wife. Skylar is determined to prove her worth to everyone, especially her family, and Alec’s presumptions about her are the straw that almost breaks the camel’s back. I swear I have never seen more of a build-up of tension between two characters. You could honestly describe their relationship in the first two books as hate-hate and each gave as good as they got. I really enjoyed going into this book knowing some of Sky and Alec’s individual stories because it really put their relationship and its development into the spotlight, showcasing exactly what Sarah does best – hot romance.

The story is set between England and Puffin Island; it’s also set at Christmas time which adds another element of togetherness and the feeling of a family bond. If you’ve never read one of Sarah’s Christmas books then I urge you to do so because they are beautiful and this is no exception.
Alec comes to Skylar’s rescue in London and the pair end up spending time with Alec’s family having an early Christmas celebration. Everything about Alec’s family makes Sky’s own family life pale in comparison and the difference really made me feel sorry for Sky. Alec is known for being a bit of a grump but it’s obvious that he’s a great guy deep down; he’s just trying to protect himself from being hurt again. The characters have a chemistry that is off the charts and it feels like that’s partly due to the sparring they’ve done in the previous novels.

It’s easy to imagine yourself among the group of friends enjoying the love and laughter. It was great to get back to the beautiful setting that is Puffin Island and get swept up in everyone’s lives again. Sarah’s settings are a couple of my favourite settings to read about because she just brings them completely to life.

I can’t wait to see what’s next from Sarah and to immerse myself in another one of her fictional worlds!

Loved this book so much i didn't want it to end. When i first requested this book i did not realise that it was the 3rd book in a series but i did not struggle to understand what was going on at all. Very well written, feel good book that you cant help reading with a big smile on your face, I will definitely be buying the first two books in this series because i loved the characters and want to read more from this group of friends. This is a great book to read curled up on a winters day but i would also say its a great summer holiday read, even though it says Christmas in the title. i cannot wait to read more from this author. Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for letting me have a copy of this book to review.

Sarah Morgan's books are always pure escapism with realistic characters. This is the last in the Puffin Island trilogy and the relationship between Alec and Skylar before this novel had been more than a little difficult.
The story starts with Skylar showcasing her exclusive jewellery without the approval of her parents. She ends up at the wrong end of a very threatening situation and Alec comes to her rescue.
The ending of this book is clear from the start but the fun lies in the journey that takes the reader there. It's a magical, feel-good Christmas story. Ideal to read on a cold Winter's day with a hot drink and a fire.