Actual rating 3.5 for a trip to England.

A magical house on the English moors at the holidays, what's not to love? Unfortunately, the answer is Eva, the protagonist and general antagonist. I wanted to find a bit of sympathy for her, but she just kept doubling down and making it harder and harder, until finally I gave up on her. The other characters didn't really get their time until almost the end of the story, generally bouncing in and out for brief appearances, making it hard to have any connection with them. Everything is shrouded in mystery for so long that I found myself getting a bit bored without any true reveals until it was all nearly over. I think that if it had been a little less secretive, and a little more open, it would have been more enjoyable. Are you listening Eva?

My thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager, the author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After suffering multiple losses, the Christmas season became a reminder of Eva's hurt and grief. In an attempt to escape her pain, she threw herself into her work, but what she thought would be a lifeline could ultimately destroy her whole world.

I want to start by saying this is NOT a cute and fluffy holiday romance. This was a tale of a woman whose day of reckoning had arrived. It was a very thoughtful examination of what can happen when grief goes unchecked, or we fail to nurture the important relationships in our lives, and I thought Greenlaw did it in such an interesting way.

The book summary mentions "Dickensian magic". This magic came in the form of a time-loop with a twist. I thought the twist was interesting and really allowed Eva to gain additional insight into how her life had gone wrong. Each day Eva experienced in the time loop brought her closer and closer to understanding what she had to do to fix it, and I really did want her to fix it.

This whole experience also helped Eva deal with her grief. Neglected by her parents, Eva's grandmother became the most important person in her life. She was Eva's anchor, and since her death, Eva was adrift. Trying to fill that hole with work reached toxic levels, and she was able to really reflect on her missteps and pain each day she lived in the time loop.

I greatly enjoyed taking this healing journey with Eva. I also appreciated the message of this book because it is so easy to lose sight of what's really important. It's not money or things, but the people who we love and who love us back. Overall, this was a heartwarming, touching, and hopeful tale.

ONE CHRISTMAS MORNING - Rachel Greenlaw
Avon
ISBN: 9780063288478
October 2023
Fiction

Cornwall, England - Present Day

Eva has given in to her husband's request to attend their close friends' Hallie and Kian's Christmas party in Cornwall. This despite the fact that the opening of her new business looms, and that Christmas brings nothing but painful memories for the past three years. With her valued assistant, Diana, driving through a snowstorm to Penhallow, the estate that Hallie has booked for the holiday, Eva also dreads seeing the estate again since it, too, brings back too many sad thoughts. Preoccupied with establishing her business, Eva has put stress on her marriage to James, and although she's annoyed to lose time away from London and her plans, she will try her best to appease everyone's expectations.

Upon arrival at Penhallow, the memories surface, and, to Eva's shock, Hallie announces that she is pregnant, pushing Eva over the edge. It's obvious to her that James is hoping to renew what they've shared in the past, but for Eva, it may be too late. She packs up and leaves in the middle of the night, only to be halted down the road by the vision of her late grandmother. Only she isn't just a vision, but seems to be real, and Gran tells Eva that if she doesn't face the reality that she is going to lose all of those whom she loves, and who love her, Eva will regret her actions forever. Reluctantly, Eva returns to Penhallow.

On Christmas morning, Eva wakes up, but she isn't Eva, she is her assistant, Diana! And Diana may be hiding some personal issues. The next morning, another Christmas morning, Eva becomes Hallie's sister, Natalie. What is going on? Each morning, Eva emerges as yet another of the women in the house. But what she is learning is what persona she is showing to those around her. Eva also learns what they are all going through individually. And always, there is Gran pushing her to face her past, and her future.

ONE CHRISTMAS MORNING is a debut novel reminiscent of the Dickens classic. Eva's grief has dictated her life for three years, and it's apparent to her that her behavior has affected her loved ones and friends. What will Eva learn from her Christmas visits?

A truly riveting tale that will entertain readers. Don't miss ONE CHRISTMAS MORNING.

A new twist on the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future with a touch of Groundhog Day thrown in. Eva has walled herself off emotionally and Gran has re-appeared to show her that she needs to find balance. So she keeps reliving Christmas Day from different perspectives. Until the last time. Her heart breaks and she knows she must change or lose everything.

Wonderful story, beautiful writing, lovely characters. I very much enjoyed my time reading this! I would recommend!!

Eva is completely consumed with the expansion of her business, so much so that she's neglected every other aspect of her life and is causing pain for others. It's up to her Gran to make her see reason. But Gran has passed away, hasn't she? At its core, One Christmas Morning is a story about a women’s self-discovery and second chances.This is a very angsty Christmas story. The blurb gives most of the premise away. This is a match up between A Christmas Carol and Groundhog Day but without the humor.

Loved this! Fun, festive, heartwarming, with great characters and some depth. Great holiday read! Will definitely be recommending for holiday reads!

This story is definitely a cross between “Groundhog Day” and “A Christmas Carol”. It is a much “heavier” novel than I was expecting. Overall, an enjoyable read but there were times the story moved along rather slowly. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a classic Christmas special in book form. It centers on Eva, who’s been so focused on work she is unable to spend time with her husband for friends even for Christmas. She is guided along a Christmas quest by the ghost of her grandmother- and wakes up in the body of her assistant to gain perspective on her life and priorities. It’s a little bit like Freaky Friday, a little bit like Groundhog’s Day, but overall it’s a fun read to get you in the mood for the holidays.

Book: One Christmas Morning
Author: Rachel Greenlaw
Publisher: Avon on Harper Voyage Books
Genre: Women’s Fiction Holiday Groundhog Day story
Pub Date: October 17, 2023
My Rating: 3
Pages: 336

Eva is about to open her new store which she has been preparing for the past three years. She is hopeful her work will help bury a heartbreak from one Christmas.

Eva does not want to attend Hallie and Kian’s Christmas party; Eve’s husband James’ insistence that she needs to be with friends. However, when Hallie announces she is pregnant, it brings back sad memories for Eva. She decided she is going to sneak back to London in the middle of the night but as the clock approaches midnight the ghost of her grandmother appears. Gran tells Eva she needs to stop shutting out loved ones, or she is going to lose everyone forever.
Eva then gets stuck in a Groundhog Day time loop, and spends Christmas day over and over from the perspectives of those closest to her.

I have read and loved the other groundhog type stories; so one with Christmas in the title had me full of anticipation of something good!
However, I had a problem connecting with Eva and some of the other characters.
It isn’t that the story is bad – it just wasn’t what I was expecting.

Want to thank NetGalley and Avon for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for October 17, 2023.

I am always a little hesitant to read Christmas ARCs in September for the fear that they won't *hit* the same as they do during the season. But in this case that could not be further from the truth. I was transported right into a cozy Christmas wonderland, and it was a wonderful escape from this endless southern summer.

This is a very angsty Christmas story. The blurb gives most of the premise away. This is a match up between A Christmas Carol and Groundhog Day but without the humor. Eva has turned into a workaholic trying to get her new shop up and running. She has ignored her husband and friends for the last three years while trying to move on from personal tragedy.

While at a Christmas house party in Cornwall She realizes her marriage is on the rocks, her life long friendship may not survive the holidays and how poorly she has used and abused her personal assistant. It takes her grandmother appearing to her as a ghost and granting her time when she inhabits other peoples bodies. She feels their emotions and interacts with herself and others.

I found the book compelling reading even though I didn’t necessarily love each interaction. This isn’t about saving Christmas but about moving on from the past and be present for those around you whether friends or spouse. I’ve read several Christmas ARCs in the last few weeks and this is probably the heaviest topic wise. Trigger warners for death of a loved one, miscarriages and infertility. (3.5 Stars).

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC via NetGalley and I am leaving a voluntary review.

Based on the description, I didn't expect such a serious book. It is not a light hearted Christmas romance, it is much more focused on learning to live with the things you cannot control. It took me a bit to get into it, and after reading some reviews I thought I might not enjoy it, as I am not a huge fan of grief as the main plot point of fiction. However, once this book picked up I actually really loved it. The groundhog days kind of reminded me a bit of the midnight library (pointless) at first, but then she started to figure it out and actually make some progress on realizing how far off track her life had gotten. I loved the setting at the mysterious house on the moors. Towards the end there was some redundancy as feelings were processed, but overall, I really enjoyed this read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS! Apparently, this is the British version of "Merry Christmas", and the story takes place in England. I could relate to it in several ways, because I was as close to my grandma as Eva was to her gran and mourned her just as much (well, maybe not quite that much, as my personality didn't change). Also, because of the six miscarriages I suffered, I could feel the pain of the two leading ladies/best friends in this story.

Eva finds herself celebrating the same Christmas Day several different times in several different ways but at the same magnificent Cornwall estate. To explain would be a spoiler, so you'll have to read it and find out for yourself. I appreciate NetGalley for giving me my first taste of the Christmas season this year,

Pretty much a clean book with hardly any offensive language.

This cautionary tale that borrows elements from Groundhog's Day in living the same day over and over again and A Christmas Carol. It blends these two styles well in that our FMC must live Christmas Day over again, but not as herself. She must see herself through the eyes of others. And see just what a miserable mess she's made of her life. 

Three years ago, Eva lost her Gran and the baby growing inside of her. Since then she's shut out everyone and thrown herself into building her business and now, poised on the brink of opening her brick and mortar business just after Christmas, she is thrust back to the one place that brings back the memories. Penhallow. It was her Gran's home. And a magical place at that.

"My Gran, my home, is now three years dead. Now she is my ghost." 

Eva is trying to juggle everything, but she just cannot keep the pins in the air because she's not juggling pins. She's juggling angry cats at this point.  Her husband is fed up and to the point of leaving her if she doesn't show some effort. Her best friend is heartbroken by her distance and more. Her assistant is being poached away by another company, and, with getting snowed in down at Penhallow, being poached is started to look over easy!

Through the device of the Groundhog's Day/Christmas Carol theme, we see Eva get her perspective back. She gains the most when being in the body of Sarah, the serving lady who has two boys and is doing her best to keep them afloat. She's put herself through school and is quite savvy, but the most important thing Eva learns is Sarah has balance. She has learned to balance between working, her family, getting an education, and finally having that all important conversation with her boss. 

All in all, in the end, I liked this book. It was a slow read for me but one I wanted to finish. 
🌟🌟🌟 💫

I loved this book so much! It had a great Christmas theme and was written much differently than other books with this plot.

The premise of this book grabbed me. A cross between Groundhog Day and A Christmas Carol sounded promising. And it mostly delivers. Eva is opening a store right after Christmas. It has been her sole focus for quite some time. Eva has neglected her husband, James, and ignored all of her friends. Eva has promised her husband and their lifelong friends, Hallie and Kian, she will take a few days off to celebrate Christmas. In order to do that she insists on her assistant, Diana, driving her to Cornwall where the celebration will take place.

What happens at the celebration is a combination of Groundhog Day, Freaky Friday, and A Christmas Carol. Eva wakes up as a different person each day for four days. Her grandmother, who passed three years ago, is her spirit guide for this journey. Because the gathering is at the house her grandparents used to live in. I loved the idea of Eva seeing herself from someone else's viewpoint. But Eva was very unlikable for me. She took so long to see how awful she was to the people who love her. Then the ending! It's a Christmas story and I want everyone to end up happy! The author does not give everyone a happily ever after and that is a shame. After listening to Eva whine for so much of the book and act horrid to her loved ones they all deserved to get everything they ever wanted.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this Advanced Readers Copy of One Christmas Morning by Rachel Greenlaw!

Rachel Greenlaw’s One Christmas Morning features a plot drawing on elements of both A Christmas Carol (or A Wonderful Life) and Groundhog Day, set primarily in a manor house in Cornwall, England, and is a well written drama with a touch of magical realism. At its core, this is a novel focusing on self-discovery by a woman who has been dealing with grief by obsessing about her home accessories business while neglecting and pushing away her husband and others close to her. This is not the novel for those seeking a cozy, heartwarming Christmas themed romance akin to a Hallmark Channel Countdown to Christmas movie. Rather, Greenlaw’s story is fraught with emotions - including much grief, angst, anger and frustration, and the tone is on the dark side. The holidays are merely incidental to the plot - the reason for the gathering of friends and family in the manor house. It is a well crafted debut, however, and evidences talent and potential by Greenlaw.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

I grabbed this book on Net Galley mainly because I love a good Christmas story and the author’s last name is the same as my maiden name. My problem with this one is that I really didn’t like the main character, Eva, for most of the book. She is immersed in work so that she doesn’t have to deal with the grief she has from events of three years ago. You get glimpses of who she was before these incidents as she goes through A Christmas Carol kind of scenario. The end is uplifting, but it took way too long to get there.