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The Holiday Cottage is a fun, heart-warming, if slightly formulaic holiday story. It centers around three women, Imogen and mother and daughter Dorothy and Sara. Imogen is workaholic with a cold and cruel mother that leads her to fabricate a home happy life to her co-workers. With a (fake) missing dog and a disaster with her mother that leads her to miss a work event, her boss forces her to take a month away from work. In swoops Dorothy, one of her clients, to offer her a place to spend the holidays. Dorothy's daughter isn't too happy about the decision because it will unearth a family trauma the pair have been living with for years - but at the same time it may finally provide them some closure and resolution. The book is definitely centered more around family relationships, but does have some very low spice romance in it as well. The star of the book is without a doubt Ava, Sara's bold and fearless daughter, who as a secondary character steals the show every time she makes an appearance. The plot doesn't have a lot of depth to it, and the second half feels rushed after how slowly things unspool in the first half of the book, but if you're look for warm, fuzzy holiday feels then the book is perfect for you. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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This was a cozy read perfect for the holiday season! The romance felt a bit rushed but it didn’t diminish my enjoyment of this read ◡̈ This is my first Sarah Morgan and I’m excited to read more from this author.

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The Holiday Cottage is yet another holiday hit for Sarah Morgan.
Imogen makes up a personal life when she talks to her coworkers as she doesn’t have a home life except a mother who only contacts her when she needs something and a made up dog.
After she reaches a near breakdown and her boss forces her to take a break , she accepts an offer from one of her clients to get out of town and relax some. Imogen never imagines how this will change her life for the better.
This heartwarming story is full of heart break, love and second chances . No one creates holiday books quite like Sarah Morgan
.thank you NetGalley and publisher for a copy for my opinion.

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3.75/5 rounded up

Classic Sarah Morgan writing with cozy characters, charming town and holiday magic. While I liked the setting and some of the characters, the main character was hard to gauge, the family drama took longer to reveal then to redeem and the romance was soo rushed. It was fine, but just a bit too speedy to wrap things up perfectly

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To be honest after much skimming through the story, I ended up DNFing it at the 40% mark.

I found Imogen's coworkers to be so obnoxious. Maybe it's because I'm an introvert and am easily annoyed with those who keep pestering to know more. Geez, leave Imogen alone.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Canary Street Press for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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The Holiday Cottage is a touching tale of friendship, self-discovery, and the unexpected connections that unite us. Morgan's skillful storytelling guarantees that this novel will linger in your thoughts, much like the comforting embrace of a roaring fireplace on a cold winter evening.

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I loved Imogen and her family. This was such an honest view of what family relationships can be like. This story really resignation with me. My heart went out to Imogen and her grandmother and aunt. In trying to fit in without revealing her true circumstances she put herself in some funny situations by making up an imaginary life. The animals and children just added extra pizzazz. It’s a lovely Christmas story that will have a lot of people relating to it. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

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I requested to read and review this book for free from Harlequin Enterprise/Canary Street Press. This book has drama, mystery, romance. It's a great read anytime of the year. It has a great meaning on how family can come in many different forms. Imogen foe her entire life that she remembers has always been had to take care of things be the adult no matter the age. It has carried her turning into a an adult who loves to stay busy. But while staying busy has its advantages until things go down hill. Can she pick up the pieces of her life or will she have to start all over again. The Rutherford family has faced some tough loses in a short time and with time things get better right? Can Imogen, Dorothy, Sara find their way to the future and to what is in front of them. Or will their past hurt to much for them to move forward like they should. This story is for a mature audience.

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This was a cute story, and I enjoyed the characters. Overall it wasn’t my favorite Sarah Morgan though. I wanted there to be a bit more growth on Imogen’s end, and the romance was introduced a bit too late into the novel.
It’s still a good Christmas read!

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I was such a huge fan of The Book Club Hotel that now anything Sarah Morgan writes (especially with the wonderful cover art!) I want to buy and read as part of my cozy atmospheric reading. The Holiday Cottage is absolutely going on my to-buy list for Christmas books (also doubling as decorations) and after reading this eARC I am SO ready for the holidays despite it being the middle of July! lol

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

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sarah does such a good job setting and describing the scene as if you are really there in the book. i definitely want to re read this come december at christmas time to get a better experience. it was a good one though!

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I absolutely loved this book. Imogen is so strong and resilient yet afraid to trust others. Her mother is a piece of work and understand Imogen’s wish for family. Miles appears later in the story as a love interest which is perfect timing. The plot twist about her extended family was a wonderful surprise that I did not see coming. I would highly recommend this book.

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Another fun Christmas read from Ms. Morgan. I always enjoy her books and this was no exception.

Imogen works as an event planner in London. She has pictures of a pretend family and a dog on her desk so she'll fit in with the others in her office. She also has a pretend boyfriend. She is so busy with work she has no time for anything else. As the holidays approach Imogen's boss is worried about Imogen experiencing burnout and makes her take a month off. Imogen is invited to spend some time in a client's cottage and decides to accept. Lots of things are revealed when Imogen spends time with Dorothy (the client) and her daughter Sara that will change Imogen's life. Add in Miles and his dog Ralph and Imogen's life is turned upside down for the better. Read this one to find out what is revealed and how everything works out.

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This is my third Sarah Morgan, and she's grown to be a must-read author for me. What I love is that her stories center a location to start and then build with the stories of the people who find their way to that place. And yes, it's currently the heat of summer as I read this book, but I loved adding a seasonal read my July! This will be a great read to cozy up with when it's actually winter. The unique thing about this is one is that the story has a big twist at the halfway point that I did not see coming, and it's a big gamechanger. This was full of all the feels, and I loved the layers of relationships. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this September 2024 release!

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Unfortunately I was unable the book because it was a pdf. My e-reader doesn't handle pdf files very well.

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For your readers who absolutely love Christmas, this is the absolute perfect comfort read. Imogen, a successful young London event planning executive, has overcome a terrible childhood with a mother who just was not capable of caring for her. As the holidays approach, her hard work (and the stories she embroiders about her family, just to try to fit in and seem normal) are catching up with her. Her boss makes her take a month off, and a kindly client, Dorothy, offers her the use of a charming country cottage, Holly House, for the month. It's an understatement to say just how much Imogen finds out about herself during this month. This book is romantic, heartfelt, and super Christmasy!

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Thank you to the Canary Street Press, HTPBooks, and NetGalley for this ARC. This is the perfect Christmas book to put me in the Christmas spirit in July. Sarah Morgan did an excellent job developing the characters and scenes in the book.

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This book really captured that Christmas cottage magic. I loved how it incorporated romance, but had depth and focused on self discovery and family relationships as well.

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I was really excited to read this book but it took forever to get going and reallt grab my interest. Overall it was a good story but I almost gave up in it a few times, which definitely impacted my rating. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion

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The Holiday Cottage
by Sarah Morgan
Sept. 24, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
USA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan returns with a heartfelt story of friendship, finding yourself, and the surprising ties that bring us together.
To the outside world, Imogen is the epitome of success, but beneath her professional image lies a woman struggling to maintain the illusion of happiness. Her childhood stories of joy and Christmas cheer are as fake as her enthusiasm for the holiday season. Working tirelessly has always been her coping mechanism, until burnout forces her to reevaluate her life.

Enter Dorothy, Imogen's favourite client and the owner of Holly Cottage. Dorothy extends an invitation for Imogen to stay at the picturesque thatched-roof cottage, offering her a chance to heal and rediscover herself. As Imogen grapples with her past and present, she finds solace in the cozy open fireplace and the Cotswold countryside. The cottage becomes a sanctuary, and is a place where Imogen can unravel her tightly wound emotions and confront her fears. Not my favorite SM read but a good holiday book.

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