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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Easy read - but still intriguing, and kept me reading. Guessed the midway twist, and was expecting another at the end but didn’t seem to come.
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I just adore the authors books and up until now my favorite seasonal read from her was The Christmas Sisters but this may take the top spot for me now. It was SO good, it has a mix of romance, family drama, holiday festivities and second chances and I adored every single page. Parts were emotional and somewhat heavy but it was balanced by holiday activities and Christmas charm. It didn’t hurt that there were cute kids and animals too, definitely some levity for some of the heavier issues. There are bits set in London but the majority takes place in a quaint and charming village, a perfect wintery setting. I’ve been reading a ton of seasonal romances and this was one of the best I’ve read this year!
Sarah Morgan has written another heartwarming Christmas story. Set in both London and the Cotswolds, The Holiday Cottage is about finding family, forgiveness, a true home, and unconditional love and finally discovering the joy that is Christmas. I am a true Anglophile, so I appreciate how beautifully Morgan describes the charm of the fictional Winterbury including the sparkle of lights against the yellow stone shops and cottages, the Christmas market, and the wintry walks through the fields. The sweet friends-to-lovers romance between Imogen and Miles isn’t the central focus but adds another touching plot line to a story that’s full of emotion and second chances. I highly recommend adding The Holiday Cottage to your Christmas story collection.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Canary Street Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Canary Street Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was a cute and cozy holiday read! I really loved the premise and how we got to know the three POVs- Imogen, Dorothy, and Sarah. They were complex and interesting characters. I did find the first 30% of this book extremely slow. And while we got good introductions to the characters, I feel like some of the character traits that were shown early on in the story were never elaborated on or explained. For example, Imogen came across as emotionless and stoic, and possibly neurodivergent, in the beginning, but the farther we got in the story the less that portrayal suited her. There was a lot of mystery as we slowly got to know the characters in the beginning, but then the big reveal happened halfway through and we didn’t really get any more background about the characters. It was kind of like I read two different books. I adore Miles!! And I appreciated that the romance subplot wasn’t front and center. However, this book takes place over like 3 weeks and both the romance and Imogen’s relationships with the other characters seemed like they advanced unbelievably far in that amount of time. Also, her anti-Christmas spirit wasn’t flushed out and resolved easily, and the issues of her lying also resolved extremely easily. I wanted more of a conclusion to this story and some of the major emotional drivers to this story, but I like how the story ended overall; I just wanted more. I enjoyed this holiday read but found the tone of the first and second halves of the book didn’t quite match, though I liked each half for different reasons. Imogen experienced a lot of mature character growth too, which I liked to see. I would read from this author again!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Gaslighting
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Drug use, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is so sweet and heartwarming. It is the perfect holiday read.