Imogen is a character that is not easy to like.

She is a workaholic with a lot of childhood trauma that makes her not so likeable in the way she behaves. And all the lies she makes to create her "perfect" life, mainly for their co-workers. Imogen's boss makes her take time off work and one of her clients, Dorothy, invites her to spend that time at her Christmas Cottage. But Dorothy is not what she seems to be and keeps a secret...

The characters felt very real throughout the story and I like how romance is not central in this kind of story; it is just part of the plot. I don't like instant love stories and usually that's what happens on these books, but as it takes a back seat, so I am ok with that.

I enjoyed it! It was so easy to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for this ARC.

Imogen is a workabolic as she has no one in her life and her mother only calls when she wants money. I'm not exactly sure what she does - marketing, events planning? In any case, she has clients and accounts and is important. She has lovely colleagues but she invents a home life for herself that she does not have, complete with a Golden Retriever called Midas. The blurb is wrong, she doesn't "make a catastrophic mistake at work", she simply drops the ball shortly due to exhaustion and grief, and her very understanding boss gives her a month off for recuperation. Her favourite client Dorothy offers her a cottage on her estate in the Cotswolds for the duration, which is middle of December to middle of January.

This is a multi POV story divided equally between Imogen, Dorothy and her daughter Sara, which works well.

I usually love a Sarah Morgan book but this one was disappointing. I find the story oddly uneven. Imogen only arrives at the titular Christmas cottage at 43%. The time spent before that drags with overlong descriptions of what a workaholic she is, the lies she tells her colleagues and streams of consciousness of how exhausting and hostile her mother is towards her.

Then she finally arrives at the beautiful cottage and suddenly there is a whiplash twist which forces people to confront their painful pasts and explains why Sara was initially so hostile to the idea of Imogen staying. But even afterwards nothing much happens. Yes, she meets Miles the vet and Ralph the dog and spends time with Dorothy's family but there is still way too much talk and inner monologue about her mother and her past. This just isn't fun or heartwarming.

Suddenly there is a realisation that the book is nearly over so the romance gets a move on and the ending is more rushed than any Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve.

Some of the chapters are overlong and there is simply too much drama for me. I need my Christmas romances to be more lighthearted than that, and after all the trauma, Imogen doesn't even get closure with her mother.

Miles is a great character and I liked all the animals although the alpacas etc aren't a huge part of the story really, they are just there to show Dorothy's good heart. I simply wish it really was as feel-good as the blurb and the cutesy cover promise. I'm sure I'll like the next one again.

I'm going to begin by saying that I've always enjoyed reading Sarah Morgan books ever since being introduced to them a couple of years ago.

Told from the three different female narratives, The Christmas Cottage revolves around Imogen, Dorothy and Sara. Imogen's life is complicated because she has made it so. She has a successful career. An absolute workaholic, she makes up a fake home life - whereas in reality, she is lonely. Dorothy is one of her clients and Sara is Dorothy's daughter.

It is after being on the brink of burnout that Imogen is forced to take a month off work. Dorothy asks her to come and stay with her at her family cottage in the Cotswolds. It is here that the story takes a dramatic turn.

In all honesty, I struggled with the first part of this book. I found that it dragged and nothing really happened. The mid-way plot twist came out of nowhere. It initially felt odd and felt like an afterthought but it was after this that the story picked up.

The setting was gorgeous. The romance was very rushed into, but then again, the second half of the book was rushed and with one particular storyline, there was no closure.

If you are looking for a book that gives you the feels and vibes of The Holiday movie, then this is the book for you. It is a cosy Christmas read that really puts you in the spirit of the festive season.

A fantastic coat Christmas read.
Imogen does everything at 100 miles an hour she lives and breathes her job. But she has secrets her fellow workmates think she’s from a large loving family with her own dog and partner she’s living the life she wishes she had.
Her real life is anything but her fantasy one she had no dog no partner and the only family she has is her mother who frequently tells her she’s not wanted or even liked never mind loved.
She never messes up with work until the day she does her boss tells her she’s near burnout and insists she take a month off work to charge her batteries Imogen feels bereft u til her favourite client offers her a cottage for the month in the Cotswolds, but there is more to the offer than that.
Great escapism form Sarah Morgan at her best.

I loved this. A real Sarah Morgan story. You had the magic of Christmas with family secrets , a lovely love story and not quite the ending I expected. I loved the characters of Ava and Dorothy . The things we do to impressive our work colleagues . Ralph was a great dog. Just read it. It is brilliant brilliant read.

Imogen tries had to fit in with her colleagues from the office, she just wants to focus on work doing the best that she can but it appears that she will get things done more quickly if she pretends to be like them. She has everything under control and is definitely not overdoing it, her boss is completely wrong about that. However, her schedule hits a bump in the road causing everything to collapse in a dramatic fashion. As she is wondering how to get through Christmas, Dorothy, her favourite client invites her to stay in her cottage in the Cotswolds. Imogen seizes the chance and is looking forward to the escape from her problems. However, things aren't that simple and she finds that she will have to face her past to move forward.

Imogen is a workaholic. Everything has to be perfect, and she makes it her job to ensure that every clients wish is granted.
One of these clients is Dorothy, who is her favourite.
Imogen doesn't have a home life, so she has created a persona to her work colleagues. Her real life consists of a mother who doesn't want her.
Imogen's boss Rosalind insists that Imogen takes a month off as she is nearing burnout.
Dorothy lets Imogen stay in her cottage in the Cotswolds. Once here, Imogen's lige is rocked to the core.
This was a little slow to start with, but soon picked up a pace where I couldn't put it down until I'd finished.
I could understand how Imogen became so insular as she was trying to protect herself against her mother's vindictiveness.
What a wonderful family, Dorothy has.
Miles was a dishy addition to the story, and I absolutely adored Ralph.
A delightful Christmas read that had me in tears.
The title of this book in the UK is The Christmas Cottage.
Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC in return for an honest review.

A really lovely book. A great cast of characters and a wonderful story. Very heart warming! Highly recommended.

Absolutly loved this book, another cracker from Sarah. A massive warm hug in a book, would be perfect to devour on a winter evening. Relatable characters with depth and real feel good factor at the end.
Imogenis is a perfectionist and work aholic, but outside of work is extremely lonely....although manages to paint a picture at work... albeit built on untruths.

Dorothy, one of her clients, perhaps stretching their work relationship a little too far, as they meet pre Christmas for a catch up and meal.

However, secrets from the past catch up for both of them, leading to outcomes that nobody would have predicted.

Highly recommend this wonderful book.

This is a perfect, feel-good, cosy up with the fire and Christmas tree lit behind you kind of book. Perfect Christmas read, simple and easy! This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

Well it’s that time of year again. By now having the new Sarah Morgan seasonal book is a very well loved Christmas tradition of mine. At this point Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without it! Like all her work this was another perfect book by her, great characters and an amazing setting. Couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended. Make this part of your Christmas tradition too!

Sarah Morgan does it again. I absolutely adored this book. Someone told me it’s hard to read a Christmas book when it’s summer but this book made me forget it was August. I wanted to go and do all the Christmassy things!
Imogen is such a great character and along with all the others we meet along the way made for the perfect story.

As ever, the author gives us a perfect Christmas read. It has secrets, family disharmony, snow and a potential love interest. Just what I want from a Christmas book.

Such a cosy hug in book form. I do love it when the Christmas books start coming through. The characters in this are wonderful and I was attached as soon as I started reading. Finding yourself cared for after years of fending for yourself is the premise of this story, and all comes together beautifully.

Imogen is a workaholic who has no home or social life. She makes up stories about a fake dog, family and boyfriends to try and fit in with her work colleagues. She organises corporate marketing events and is excellent at her job. One day though she has 3 events to supervise when she gets a call from a hospital about her mother. It topples the well planned day Imogen thought she was going to have. The next day she is concerned her boss is going to fire her but instead of that she is given a month away from work to rest, her boss fears that Imogen is close to burnout.
Imogen has no idea what to do with her enforced holiday. She has arranged a pre Christmas lunch with a favourite client of hers, Dorothy who is the matriarch of a family vineyard. Dorothy realises Imogen is very upset and has an idea to invite her to stay in Holly Cottage, a holiday let she owns on her estate.
It’s a happy Christmas book including romance and family with trips to buy Christmas trees, Christmas markets, light instillations, and lots of food with a twist before we get to all of this. I did feel it left an issue unresolved towards the end but maybe that’s another story to be told in a different book.

THANK YOU NETGALLEY FOR AN EARLY COPY OF THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE.

Sarah Morgan can do no wrong in my eyes. I really love her Christmassy romance and I really love how emotive these reads are becoming. I am not typically a crier when I read books but this one had me destroyed - in all the right ways. I found I kept balling my eyes out at several points but I totally loved it. This book had me unlocked. Embracing the joy of Christmas (Yes in July and NO I'm not sorry).

I loved the characters - I loved the intrigue and I loved how everything knitted together so perfectly. I'm so so so glad that a certain character didn't reappear as I didn't need their happy ending and quite frankly it didn't sound it like it was deserved. I'm glad that end was tied up as it was but it didn't take the magic away from the story or the setting.

I'm so glad I picked this up and honestly could read more and more spin offs around these characters so if they're coming... SIGN ME UP.

The easiest 5 star I've ever given.

I always do a little happy dance when I hear that Sarah Morgan has a new book out as she is one of my favourite authors and she writes the BEST Christmas romance books

In A Christmas Cottage we follow Imogen, a dedicated but overworked events organiser who is forced by her boss to take a month-long break. With her personal life in shambles and no family to turn to she accepts her client, Dorothy's offer to stay at her countryside cottage.

This is the perfect read for anyone who enjoys heartwarming christmas stories, it is full of heartwarming moments and sprinkled with Christmas magic 🎄.

Imogen had a job which takes up all her time but then she has no one else. Only a mother who disowned her. She starts a new job and pretends to have a family and a dog so that she fits in. Then just before Christmas it all falls apart but Dorothy one of her clients offers her the chance to stay in her spare cottage. But then things unfold in a most unexpected way. Has she found what’s she’s been looking for? Can love win out in the end?

Imogen is an events organiser but is letting everything get on top of her until a catastrophe happens and her boss makes her take a month off. Her client Dorothy offers her a cottage on her land and everything changes. Loved this book with all the twists and turns