This is essentially the book version of a Hallmark Christmas movie. I kind of love those movies, so this isn't necessarily a bad thing. The novel is pretty cute actually, and I enjoyed it more than expected. However, I can recognize that most of these Christmas stories are pretty ridiculous and not executed very well, and that is the case with this book as well. I thought it might be a first novel by the author, but now I see it's the 6th in a series. The writing could still use some development, but if you are looking for a sweet Christmas romance, it's not a bad choice.

I’ve really enjoyed Sarah Morgan’s From Manhattan With Love series, and each installment keeps getting better and better. In book six, Moonlight Over Manhattan, quiet, unassuming dog walker Harriet Knight meets her match in closed-off emergency room trauma physician Ethan Black. When one of her long term clients unexpectedly goes out of town for a family emergency, Harriet must walk the dog, Madi, from the client’s brother’s apartment. While Harriet spots Madi’s distress and trouble getting used to her new environment, Ethan Black is not pleased that his life has been turned upside down by the dog–as well as his personal space by both the dog walker and the very cute canine that Harriet seems to be much more fond of than him.

Harriet runs a dog walking service with her twin sister that covers Manhattan. But both her sister and brother are recently paired off with loves, leaving Harriet on her own for the first time in her life. While she’s always been protected by her siblings, Harriet’s using her newfound freedom to step outside of her comfort zone–to meet new people, do internet dating–and push herself to be someone that she only hopes to be.

Ethan Black has a pretty stressful yet simple life. He practically lives at the hospital, only spending a few weeks each year on vacation with his immediate family and friends that they’ve vacationed with since he was a child. After one divorce, he doesn’t think that he has the time, patience, or necessary skills to carry out a serious relationship–with woman or pet. But the arrival of Madi shakes up his neatly ordered world so much that he asks Harriet to temporarily move in with him, and her calming presence not only changes the dogs behavior, but Ethan’s as well.

I really liked both Harriet and Ethan. While Harriet is quite friendly and nurturing with those she is comfortable with, she’s quite shy and doesn’t have much self-confidence when it comes to strangers or trying new things. Ethan is quite successful at his job, but he’s become quite detached and a bit cold inside when not with patients, and he’s not sure if he can even turn his emotions back on after so long of shoving them down at work. But when Harriet and Ethan’s slowly begin a friendship, Harriet comes out of her shell and blossoms while Ethan finds that he reluctantly does care about more than his job. And when Ethan realizes that there’s more than friendship between the two of them, will it be too late for them to truly find love?

I give Moonlight Over Manhattan a 4.5 out of 5. With a picturesque, snowy Manhattan backdrop during the Christmas season, I really enjoyed jumping back into Sarah Morgan’s great storytelling and getting to know these characters better. The secondary characters added such lovely dimension to the story, and I especially loved Glenys and how Harriet helped her with her struggles. There is plenty of friendship, a bit of misunderstandings and struggle, sprinklings of humor, and a heap of romance–all with great pacing and plotting that I’ve come to expect from a Sarah Morgan novel. Moonlight Over Manhattan can be read as a standalone, and I look forward to enjoying more books in this series. I highly recommend this book and this series for lovers of romantic comedies, Christmas novels, and chick lit.

I love Sarah Morgan's books, and this one was no exception! She has this way of making you care about characters and their lives, as well as steaming up the room with the content.

So, doesn’t it just figure that the first book I read by this author would also be the last book in this series? Ah, well…now I know how it all turns out.

If you read the blurb, you know why I wanted to read this particular novel. Dogs…dogs…dogs! While Sarah Morgan made great use of the dogs, much to my delight, it was her characterization of Harriet and Ethan that drew me in and made Moonlight over Manhattan work for me.

I could identify with Harriet’s desire to challenge herself to take on a new fear/challenge everyday. It’s so easy to live our lives in our comfort zone. It would have been very easy to make Harriet an endless victim, but Morgan allowed her to flourish and grow stronger throughout the book.

The book opens with a waitress helping Harriet escape her date by going out a bathroom window. Great, humorous opening! If you didn’t guess, Harriet ends up badly twisting her ankle, which delivers her to the emergency room where she gets her first glimpse of hot doctor Ethan Black.

You might think that it’s all going to be a fairy tale from then on, but that’s not quite the case. Harriet’s next meeting with Ethan forces her stutter to momentarily return and quells her attraction to him, again, momentarily.

Almost every detail of this novel was well-thought-out, even for the likes of normally nitpicky me. What a pleasure to read such an intelligently written romance! And, for those of your for whom this is a must: there was steaminess.

The characters are all so well-written and the story so enjoyable that I found myself at the end before I realized it. Now, I just have to figure out how to work the rest of the novels into my schedule…and book budget.

This can definitely be read and enjoyed as a standalone.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Harriet Knight’s sister, Fliss, has protected her throughout her life but Harriet is ready to step out on her own and face her fears. Little did she know it would involve climbing out of the ladies’ bathroom window after a blind date goes wrong, forcing her to end up at the emergency room for an x-ray of her ankle. Meanwhile, Dr. Ethan Black is unexpectedly stuck dog sitting his sister’s dog, Madi, and it’s not going well. Harriet isn’t used to dealing with the clients as she’s always let Fliss handle the people side of things, sticking to walking the dogs. However, she can’t turn Ethan down because of Madi. Can Harriet and Ethan find love despite their very different lifestyles and personalities?

I love watching Harriet coming out of her shell! I was initially a little worried about how I would react to Harriet’s book. While I’ve loved the Bark Rangers ever since their introduction, Harriet has always been in the shadows behind her feisty sister. The previous book, HOLIDAY IN THE HAMPTONS, started to show Harriet emerging past her shy exterior and she fully blossoms in MOONLIGHT OVER MANHATTAN.

And Ethan… his gruff exterior upfront hides a heart of gold. His interactions with Susan and the rest of the trauma team showcase a different side to him, one that helps the reader overcome his lack of understanding about Madi’s issues. I have to admit, however, that I am secretly hoping Susan gets her own book in the near future!

MOONLIGHT OVER MANHATTAN is the sixth book in the <i>From Manhattan with Love</i> series but easily stands on its own. I’m not sure why anyone would want to miss a single installment, however, as Sarah Morgan’s stories and characters are pure magic! MOONLIGHT OVER MANHATTAN is yet another stunning example of Sarah Morgan’s talent as she shows love in the most unexpected of circumstances.

*review is in the editing queue of Fresh Fiction*

This is just the perfect kind of book to snuggle up with after a busy day Christmas shopping and gift wrapping. It has the right pace for this time of year - the romance isn't one of those instantly in love kinds and it builds slowly over the course of the story. And the main characters are perfect together - one who is reserved and shy and one who is strong and determined. They balance each other so well, while helping each other see things in themselves that they thought were absent.

Harriet is such a great main character. I loved that she was challenging herself to do one new thing each day in order to get past her dependence on others and the safety of the same old thing. To me this shows bravery beyond belief - to put oneself out there like that and to give all kinds of things a try just because you find them hard or terrifying.

And Ethan, at first he seems so full of himself, but I realize that it's more like how he describes that he's learned to turn off his emotions so that he can be a better doctor. Treat the patients symptoms and don't get attached so he can do his job to the best of his abilities. Sadly, he's taught himself too well how to shut out emotions and it's affected his personal life dramatically.

The best part of the story is watching Harriet go from shy and reserved to strong and confident. All thanks to Challenge Harriet and meeting Ethan. These two things in combination help Harriet get past her stuttering, her need to hide in the background and let go of the past.

The setting is Manhattan during the Christmas season, so it also has that extra element of the holidays and all of the cheer and love that comes with the holiday. I think given that Harriet will be alone for Christmas and not with her family when she is obviously in need and want of a "forever family", like the rescue dogs she fosters, it also adds an extra emotional charge to the story.

You won't be disappointed with the latest book in the From Manhattan With Love series. It can definitely be read as a standalone, just as they all can. It's the perfect season to pick up this book an begin your Manhattan journey.

Moonlight over Manhattan
(From Manhattan with Love Book 6)
Author: Sarah Morgan
Publisher: Harlequin
Release date: 28th Nov 2017
Page count: 384pp

'Do one thing every day that scares you.' Eleanor Roosevelt.
These words from a noteworthy woman in history are words that have included the heroine of this, Moonlight over Manhattan, the sixth book in the Manhattan series.
When I first read Sarah Morgan, it was a series set in the U.K. with nurses and doctors (Lakeside Rescue) and I fell in love. I was gutted when she rolled up that series to start her next one; Snow Crystal series.
It won't be as good, I thought. I was wrong. It was better.
In fact, with every new series Morgan starts, she weaves intricate stories, characters and settings together, until the reader is once again - addicted.
In this continuing Manhattan series, ‘Moonlight over Manhattan’, Morgan deals with the ‘other’ twin Harriet, now living alone with numerous fostered pets after her sister Fliss finds love and moved permanently to The Hamptons, running the other half of their dog walking business. Their brother Daniel found love with Molly and is getting married - and Harriet is alone.
“Here lies Harriet, who knew a lot about hair balls, but not a whole lot about the other kind.”
Yep, she’s single, determined to try dating, which is not her forte, all a part of ‘Challenge Harriet’ or ‘Things Harriet Knight Wouldn’t Normally Do.’
Each day she sets a goal to try something new; which is why she sprains her ankle falling out of a bathroom window desperate to escape the date from hell.
She meets a dashing doctor at the ER who she can’t shake out of her head.
What she doesn’t expect is to meet that doctor again as part of a dog walking job.
Regular client Debra has had to fly off to take care of her daughter Karen who’s been involved in a car accident. The only problem, is what to do with her dog Madi?
The answer seems obvious - get her brother Ethan to look after the dog with Harriet on walking duties.
Ethan - a familiar face from the ER.
This is my favourite in the series so far I think.
Partly because starting with a brief reference to a book by gold medal winning skier Tyler O’Neil, that Morgan fans will recognise from another series and smile at, we get to find out more about those other characters.
Also, because Harriet literally blooms.
Bullied for most of her childhood, she hasn’t stammered in quite a few years until she’s shouted at by Ethan, but she is no timid wallflower despite being shy.
She has fight, courage and compassion.
I also loved the antics of the dogs in this one and enjoyed reading about them. The dogs are another set of characters in the books, just as alive as the humans.
The comedy, the emotion, the romance and the heartache is all here, as well as tonnes of Christmas warmth.
Another fantastic festive feast!
5/5

Magic...this series has had me captivated. Harriet and Ethan's story was so great, and I loved the snowy Manhattan setting. I also really loved the inclusion of the dog in the story, and how Ethan came to really care for it. This was a great story, I can't wait for more!

A sparkling, sweet holiday love story. Sarah Morgan is a pro. I always know that I will get a satisfying romance that leaves me feeling happy and warm. Sarah Morgan's books are also super popular with our library patrons too. The colorful covers grab their attention and the sweet stories keep them coming back for more. I

I thoroughly enjoyed this addition to Morgan's From Manhattan With Love Series. I really warmed up to Harriet in this one, after not finding her that captivating previously. I liked the way she was determined to try to come out of her shell a little. I loved Madi, and her owner's brother, Ethan, who was charged with babysitting the dog. He was a little rough around the edges at first, but I grew to like him quickly.

The storyline in this one was sweet and entertaining, and I liked seeing Harriet and Ethan get to know and develop feelings for one another. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Moonlight Over Manhattan is a satisfying, undemanding story that delivers on both the romance and the Christmas spirit!This is a heartwarming, uplifting story of overcoming fears to face challenges head on and growing in confidence as a result. I just loved this romance, it was so good, exactly what I needed!

A quick and easy, feel good romance! This was my first book by Ms. Morgan, but I’m anxious to read thebotherd in this fun, swoony series!

Another sweet, feel-good read from Sarah Morgan--this time with dogs and Dr. Hot!

I really liked Harriet's character--her love of dogs and her determination to do something every day that she was afraid to from Thanksgiving to Christmas ("Challenge Harriet") was inspirational. It would have been so much easier for her to keep doing what she'd always been doing, so props to her for stepping waaaay outside her comfort zone each and every day. (That first scene with the Great Date Escape--OMG, too, too funny! And a great place to start.)

Though they don't seem to have much in common at first, Ethan was definitely a great match for her--it just took him 90+% of the book to realize it. I loved how Harriet seemed to know him even better than he knew himself at times, and how she really made him work for their HEA in the end--again, it would have been so much easier to take the path of least resistance, but even when it could mean never seeing him again, she does the right thing. Go, Harriet!

Moonlight Over Manhattan does pull in a few characters from the rest of the series (especially those from Holiday In The Hamptons and New York, Actually , since they star Harriet's siblings) but it absolutely works as a standalone as well. There's also an appearance from many of the characters from the O'Neil Brothers series that is extra fun if you've read those books (and if you haven't, watch out, because that setting is unbelievably tempting! TBR piles, watch out...) but won't leave you out in the cold if you haven't had a chance to yet.

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Moonlight Over Manhattan is the second Christmas story in this series, and it seems I adore those the most. Maybe it’s the time of the year, or just the way the author writes holiday inspired novels that tug on my heart strings – whatever the reason, this novel was wonderful.

Moonlight Over Manhattan was exactly what I needed.

A sweet and heart-felt story about finding love during the most festive time of the year. In this sixth installment, Harriet finally finds her HEA. This book, more than others, is a slow burn, friends to lover story that focuses on friendship, self awareness, and two characters that couldn’t be more different if they tried.

Harriet, the second half of a twin that successfully owns and operates a dog walking business in Manhattan, is for the first time without her twin sister Felicity. Felicity found her perfect guy in the last book and decides to spend her first Christmas as a couple – by visiting his family. Harriet, not someone that broods, decides that it would be the perfect time to work on herself, to challenge herself one day at a time. All the things that are hard for her, like dating, talking to strangers and finding the confidence that her twin sister had in surplus, would be checked off the list.

While on such a quest, Harriet comes across Ethan Black, a brooding, and brilliant ER doctor. Ethan, the very opposite of Harriet, is as self confident and assured as Harriet is compassionate and sensitive. She has a way with dogs that Ethan finds complexing but also admiring. When Ethan is being charged with the care for his sisters high-strung dog, he is out of his depth and in need of professional help. By taking over, Harriet slowly and unconsciously works herself into his pragmatic heart and changes Ethan’s workaholic life for the better.

The problem is that dear Ethan boycotts himself by not accepting what is happening. His decision to help Harriet with her challenges, teaching her to conquer her fears and hangups, allows him to rationalize his feelings and chalk them off as just friendship and compassion towards a friend in need.

This drove me nuts!!!!

I really enjoyed those two characters together. By being such complete opposites, they complete each others without realizing. Harriets loving, caring and nurturing personality fills parts of Ethan’s life in surprising ways. He comes to enjoy and crave her homemaking abilities. Suddenly there is someone to come home to, a reason to do something else than just work. And Harriet suddenly had someone that saw her as the individual that she longed to be. A person that likes her with all her flaws and shortcomings.

But Ethan’s persistence in regards to his non existent feelings took some of the enjoyment out of the book. He didn’t believe in love until the very end of the book. That’s hard to swallow. There was no doubt that he enjoyed Harriets company and he genuinely liked her, as well as felt a good amount of attraction towards her. But I just wish he came around much sooner. They were such a sweet couple. I would have loved to see them interact as a couple for more than just a few chapters.

Nevertheless I really enjoyed this novel, it’s been my second favorite after Miracle on 5th Avenue (From Manhattan with Love #3) ( which I haven’t reviewed yet – shame on me).

So far, all of the authors novels have been sweet, sexy and compassionate. The author has the habit of including lot’s of adorable four legged supporting characters – which is for many readers a deciding factor and added bonus. So, if you love wholesome and heart-warming stories – give this series a try – I’m sure you wan’t regret it.

This is my first book by Sarah Morgan and won't be my last. She's a great author and I didn't want this story to end. I will definitely go back and read the other books in this series.

Moonlight Over Manhattan is the sixth book in this series. It can easily be read as a stand alone book. This is Harriet and Ethan;s story. I'll admit that this whole series has kind of been hit or miss for me. This one was pretty much a miss. I finished the book, but it really felt like it took forever to get to the HEA.

The main characters were what were the major part of the miss for me. Harriet, who is the goody-goody, naive twin, now finds herself on her own after her twin sister found love and moved out. She has challenged herself to do something difficult every day. For Harriet, it seems everything is a challenge and that got a bit old after a while. Ethan was kind just plain boring. He is a great ER doctor, but outside of the hospital, he didn't really leap off the pages. I honestly didn't feel the chemistry between this couple. Even their HEA declaration was pretty lackluster. Honestly, I felt like Ethan and Susan had more chemistry and they were just co-workers and friends.

I have seen good reviews for the book, so you will probably want to judge for yourself. It just wasn't for me.

This was the first book I have read by Sarah Morgan and I will say, I am hooked! I loved this story and the characters. Great, contemporary romance that is perfect for this time of year!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Books for the ARC.

Harriet is the shy one of the Knight siblings, having struggled with a stutter when she was young she was used to her brother and sister running interference in high-stress situations. Now that Harriet’s brother and sister have found love, she’s sort of left alone. Not that she begrudges that, Harriet’s thrilled they’ve found love and happiness, but it has made her step back and take stock of her own life, and finds she’s led a sheltered, closed-off existence. With a determination to take life by the horns, she embarks on an experiment: Challenge Harriet: Do the opposite of what the old Harriet would do, and come out of her shell. I admired Harriet’s courage; doing the last thing she’d want to ever do every day, trying to live life with gusto.

Dr. Ethan Black puts Harriet’s experiment to the test; bringing on high-tension situations for a variety of reasons, at first because he’s intimidating and quite a jerk, and then for other, more pleasant reasons.

I just loved this romance! The book description makes the story sound all light-hearted, and superficial fun, but Moonlight Over Manhattan was wonderfully full of emotions! Harriet and Ethan were lovely, well-formed characters that I grew attached to. I wanted nothing but happiness for them; together, of course! This was my first Sarah Morgan, but it won’t be my last!

A copy was kindly provided by HQN via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This review is also posted at The Readers Den.

Moonlight Over Manhattan is a delightful read that is not without its dark and serious moments. Harriet is struggling with the consequences of mental abuse that have undermined her sense of self while Ethan believes himself incapable of real emotions after having to turn them off to manage the stress of trauma medicine.

Harriet’s brother and twin sister have protected her from both their father and life in general for too long, but with both of them falling in love, Harriet knows she needs to learn how to fend for herself. She goes about this in a way that is both strange and yet strangely courageous as she tackles things that intimidate her by attempting something she would not do each day until Christmas from online dating to wearing high heels.

It’s those two elements that land her in Ethan’s emergency room on a busy night in which she appears as a pool of calm, but then she’s gone. She makes enough of an impression to linger in Ethan’s mind.

It’s coincidence, though not as great as you might think with Fliss and Harriet’s-dog walking company dominating half of Manhattan, that she’s called in to help Ethan care for his sister’s dog when she has an emergency trip out of town.

This much you can gather from the book description. However, the description fails to capture a crisis-filled second meeting that leaves Harriet fiercely defending the needs of Madi (the dog) despite having all her fears of being unable to survive on her own thrown in her face.

Both Harriet and Ethan are decent people to start out with, but they grow on the page as they learn more about each other and themselves than many do in a lifetime. While they appear very different on the surface, both of them are observant, caring people who are not consciously aware of the difference they make. Madi helps in this by throwing the confident, controlled Ethan so far out of his element that he has to solicit Harriet’s expertise out of desperation.

I loved how Harriet pushes herself to become self-sufficient, and how that effort grows to include her true mate rather than having him fill the gap left by her siblings’ life changes. It speaks to the strength of Sarah Morgan’s characters that I thought I’d already read Daniel’s story (Harriet’s brother) when he appeared in this one because I know him so well from the previous book I’d read. The characters I met in this book are much the same. I wanted some closure with the instant friend Harriet meets in the very beginning, even though circumstances made it unlikely they would meet again, but Natalie was such a bright spot I hope she shows up something else.

This is not a clean read. There is on-screen sex though not with explicit detail, but it has that kind of feel, focusing more on the people, their lives, and overcoming the shadows they carry from the past. I felt like I was there with them for both the high points and the low ones.

There are quite a few chuckles; heartfelt moments for animal lovers; and deeper, wrenching times when both their pasts come up to haunt them and attempt to disrupt any chance they have of a true relationship. Ultimately, it’s as sweet a Christmas story as it can be with a complexity that makes it feel real.

P.S. I received this title from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Favorite Quotes: She took a cautious sip ad closed her eyes. "How could anyone not like it? This is a hug in a mug. Comfort in a cup."

"Because you're irritable, shouty and you think you know it all."

Lately I've not been loving romance novels. I was scared that my disappointment would find its way to Sarah Morgan's latest, but THANK GOD! it was fabulous. It was really beyond fabulous.

Sarah's books are like the stars in the sky, the are sparkly little things that bring joy into a dark world.

Harriet and Ethan are just wonderful. Am I gushing? Of course, I am. This is a Sarah Morgan book and it just made my day, and reminded me that there are still some good romances out there.

Harriet is such an fabulous character. I love how good she is. How could she not be, she's a dog walker. But she's more than that, she cares about people. That is the same for ER doctor, Ethan.

Both characters have their flaws; Harriet has issues with strangers and stutters, Ethan is an overworked ER doctor with a failed marriage.

The strengths each character possesses helps the other grow. Without Ethan, Harriet wouldn't gain the courage to step beyond her comfort zones. I loved her "Challenge Harriet." it is something many of us could grow from. (Though maybe not climbing out restaurant windows because of a bad date) Ethan learns how to bring his "human" side out and start feeling again. I especially loved how he came to care for his sister's dog, Madie.

Of course the O'Neill's are back, and it is nice to have a brief visit with them in this book as well. I love Snow Crystal. I always find myself longing to visit this fictional destination when its featured in one of Sarah's books.

This is must read book for romance lovers and a perfect read for the Christmas season.