I always enjoy Sarah Morgan's Christmas books. A workaholic who isn't honest about her real live spends Christmas in the country. I enjoyed the characters and especially Dorothy. A good heartwarming story, but I do think it could have been a little shorter.

The Holiday Cottage, by Sarah Morgan, is an interesting study in human nature and explores how Tina Rutherford Thorne alters the truth to fit the isolating story she wants to feed to her daughter Imogen. Imogen has no recollection of loving grandparents and a young aunt only ten years her senior or a large country home that also houses the family Tina lies about. In fact, Tina has painted a very negative picture, but like the negative of a photo the true snapshot it the absolute opposite.

Imogen has scraped through life, first to put food on her mother’s table, then to excel in her studies realizing that education was the key to pulling out of the life her mother has created for them. Being responsible from an early age, Imogen has achieved a position as an account executive in a London event planning agency specializing in corporate events. One of her accounts is Dorothy Rutherford and Winterbury Estates wine.

When Imogen’s boss forces her to take a month long leave as a result of some unfortunate events due to exhaustion, Dorothy invites her to spend the time in her holiday cottage on the estate in the Cotswolds. And this is where the heart of the story is revealed, including the lies, the secrets, and the potential for a future Imogen had never imagined.

I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

Sarah Morgan does it once again. I'm so happy I ended up discovering her last year! She's become such a favorite of mine. I really enjoy reading her stories. I don't want to say too much about this book. I don't want to spoil anything but felt like this might be my second favorite book by her. It is Christmasy but it's also on the sadder side. I still ended up really enjoying this book. I'm looking forward to whatever she comes up with next!

"The Holiday Cottage" follows hard-working Imogen, as she struggles with figuring out how to fit in with others when her childhood was so broken. She's never experienced a family Christmas celebration since her mother was a neglectful parent, leaving Imogen to her own devices and eventually telling her that she's not wanted. So, while all of Imogen's coworkers are bonding over their plans for the holidays, Imogen makes up a story of her "loving family" (one that doesn't exist), simply to avoid the pitying glances of her colleagues.

But when she accidentally discovers that she does actually have a family who wants and loves her, everything she thought she knew about herself and her life is turned upside down. So the question is, now that she has options, what life does she want to live?

If you enjoy stories of complex families, made stronger by adversity, with a bit of Christmas festivities thrown in, you'll want to check this story out.

Thank you to Sarah Morgan, Harlequin Trade, and NetGalley for the advance review copy.

I am a huge fan of Sarah Morgan’s books, so I was so excited to receive a copy of this book! I unfortunately couldn’t get into it, so I decided to DNF. I think it was just the timing, so I am going to try it again. I know others loved it, so it was just me for sure.

3 stars! Thank you for the advanced copy. This wasn’t the quite cozy Christmas read I was expecting. Instead of warm holiday cheer, I felt the weight of Imogen and her family’s challenges. While it’s a heartfelt story, I found myself wanting more depth from the characters. Was hoping for a different holiday vibe.

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you HTP, Canary Street Press, & The Hive for the gifted digital copy!

The Holiday Cottage
Sarah Morgan
Publishing Date: September 24, 2024

🎧 Narrator: Henrietta Meire 🎧

Somehow this was my very first Sarah Morgan book and I guarantee it won’t be my last. This book was so good! While I will say the holiday vibes are mild and hit late, this book had so much depth and heart. Our main characters have really heavy back stories, be prepared for the beginning of this book to be a bit of a downer if you’re looking for holiday cheer.

I did find the journey to be worth it, with regard to Imogen’s storyline and its connection to Dorothy and Sara. At its core this is a story about self discovery, healing, and self worth. There is romance and you see it coming, but it did feel a bit disconnected from the bigger storyline as it doesn’t really take center stage until very close to the end of the book. Miles is the perfect cinnamon roll MMC and his side kick Ralph 🐶 was the cutest little buddy.

🎧 The narration here was lovely. A nice smooth easy listen. You can’t go wrong reading this one with your eyes or your ears.

Definitely one of my favorites this season!

This book starts off on the sad side but you can just feel that it’s going to be a big emotional pay off later. After all, Imogen is off to spend Christmas alone in a beautiful cottage in the English country side :)

When we meet Imogene, her whole personal life is pretend. She works a job with very nice co-workers who legitimately care about each other. But Imogene doesn’t have a family, she doesn’t have a boyfriend and she doesn’t have a pet. What does she do in her free time? She works. Even her boss wants her to work less. She’s afraid Imogene will burn out.
And then something happens that starts with a “bring your dog to work day”, then involves her actual (awful) mother, and ultimately lands Imogene with a month of time off work.

Dorothy lives in the English country side near her daughter Sara, her grandkids and a menagerie of animals. You know Dorothy has something sad in her past but you don’t know what.
She runs a winery which Imogene represents at work. When Imogene gets enforced time off during the holidays, Dorothy invites Imogene to stay in her cottage.

I wish I could tell you more! But I can’t tell you more than what’s in the book description without it being a spoiler and everything after this point is spoiler ish. But everything after this point? That’s where it gets good. That’s where it hits its stride. And once it’s hits its stride this book gets so good. There’s something that happens that you’ll probably figure out slightly before the characters do but it’s not obvious from the beginning of the story.

Imogene and Dorothy both have the potential to get everything they want this Christmas.

This is a wonderful, heartwarming read and I definitely definitely recommend it!! I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thank you!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy. I loved this book - the feel good nature and the acceptance by and of the characters. This was a lovely Christmas book to curl up with.

Imogen is a workaholic who’ is making up a fake personal life to her coworkers. The truth is she actually had a traumatic childhood and has no real personal life. When her mom shows up and dumps more trauma into Imogen, she has a break down and is forced to take time off work. One of her clients offers up their Holiday cottage to her. Imogen’s entire life changes during her stay. This book was a warm hug!

Everything you want in a Christmas book! Sweet romance, charming small town, lovely supporting characters, and chock full of holiday cheer. I enjoyed my time with this one!

This wasn’t the cozy Christmas read I was expecting. Instead of warm holiday cheer, I felt the weight of Imogen and her family’s challenges. While it’s a heartfelt story, I found myself wishing the characters were portrayed as more empowered. Not my favorite holiday vibe, but some may appreciate its emotional depth.

Are you looking for a heartwarming tug at your heart-strings holiday read? If so, you’ll want to grab The Holiday Cottage by Sarah Morgan. It’s a story of friendship, finding one’s self and of family. You’ll want to curl up with some hot cocoa by the fire and read about Imogen’s stay at a guest cottage in the Cotswolds.

Our story begins when we meet Imogen, a marketing guru who plans some of the biggest events in the city. An only child whose own mother refuses to be called mum, Imogen has thrown herself at her career and has no life outside of work. In fact, she has resorted to making up things to fit in at work. For example, the picture of the adorable dog on her desk is totally fake, so is the extensive family she spends the holiday with.

While juggling three events in one day, concerning herself about the office bring your dog to work day, she gets a phone call from a hospital and learns her mother has been admitted. The hospital staff insist she come immediately. All of this and a horrible conversation with her mother result a catastrophic blunder. Fortunately, her boss loves her, and insists she take a leave of absence and banishes her from the office until the new year. Dreading spending time in her dismal apartment alone, she accepts an invitation from your favorite client, Dorothy, to stay at her guest cottage in the Cotswolds.

The tale that unfolds was wonderful and full of surprises. Surprises which I will allow you to discover for yourself. I wanted to hug Imogen and was impressed with the touching tale Morgan delivered. Family struggles, dark secrets, an adorable dog and a handsome vet added to the tale. The guest cottage was every reader’s dream. I would love to spend a week there nestled by the fire.

If you are looking for a touching, heartfelt holiday story you’ll want to grab The Holiday Cottage.

Amazon | Audible

This holiday story is simple and heartwarming, focused on family, second chances, and love. Imogen, a successful marketer, hides her unhappy childhood behind a cheerful façade. She pretends to love Christmas, though it means little to her. After a misstep at work, she’s forced to take time off. Dorothy, a client, offers her a stay in a guesthouse in the Cotswolds. Imogen accepts, needing the escape. Very much feels like a nod to one of my favorite Christmas movies, "The Holiday" with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet.

The cottage is charming, and the holiday atmosphere is vivid. As the days pass, secrets come to light, and stories are shared. The characters connect through their struggles, finding common ground. Some moments are heavy, but the story is filled with hope.

The ending is satisfying. It’s a short, simple read with warmth and holiday cheer. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

I can see how some people would love this but it felt half finished to me. It took 50% of the book for Imogen to get to Holly Cottage and then it was whirlwind of everything and then the end. Everything was neatly tied up with no dramatics or climaxes just a simple shrug and a laugh.

4.5 Stars!!

This was such a beautiful, heartwarming story!

The characters were all so lovable. I loved the setting and all the vivid descriptions.

There was a bit of a romance story that I loved, but it also was not the main storyline and this one was about so much more. It was both emotional and sweet along with some funny moments.

This was my first book by this author, but can’t wait to read more! Recommend checking this one out!❤️

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is yet another fantastic holiday book by Sarah Morgan! I read The Book Club Hotel around this same time last year and absolutely loved it so I was very excited to get an advance copy of this one. One of the things I enjoy most about her writing is that she does a beautiful job of setting the scene in her books. The winter, Christmas atmosphere of this one was magical.  I'm ready to find this cozy holiday cottage for my own holiday! 

I really enjoyed the 3 POVs you get with this one, especially the FMC, Imogen.  She is a suupperrr complex character yet extremely relatable. All three female narrators added their own unique backstory that ultimately ties together the plot and big reveal.   I would say this one is heavier on family drama than some of her others, but there's still a lovely romance subplot and adorable animals and kiddos along the way to keep it fun.  If you're looking for a light, sweet holiday read, definitely check this one out!

I am a big fan of Sarah Morgan’s books. This new one started a little slow, but I really enjoyed it. Long lost family set around the holiday season. Told from dual perspectives.

An easy and cozy holiday read! Nothing show stoping but still fun to read. Perfect to binge on in December snuggled up by the Christmas tree!

I adored this book. Sarah Morgan is quickly becoming one of my auto buy authors! I could not put down this book and was engrossed in the story , becoming part of the family in the book. I love the insta love that the MFC and the MMC had but that the book wasn't completely centered around it/ it wasn't the main story arc. Definitely will be rereading every Christmas.