The Christmas Cottage book review



 This was my fourth festive Sarah Morgan book and for the first 50 pages I was worried that I wouldn’t enjoy this as much as I’ve previously enjoyed her books, however there was no need for me to worry because I loved this and really wanted to keep reading. 

The Christmas Cottage is Sarah Morgan’s 2024 Christmas release following Imogen who loves her job and by keeping herself busy she can keep her painful herself busy she can keep her painful history out of her mind. When Imogan realises she needs a break and her client Dorothy invites her to her place for Christmas it sounds like the ideal getaway until long-buried secrets resurface and Imogen’s peace is threatened. 

One of my favourite things about this book is the family bonds and relationships that are featured. It was really nice to see how close Sara and Dorothy were throughout the story, you could tell that they were really close and wanted the best for each other even when the other didn’t appreciate it when they were doing it. You could also tell that the things they had been through together in the past had brought them closer together. 

Family is such a key part of this book and in many different ways over the course of the story too. It was so special to read and I think it really works with the festive feeling that Sarah Morgan is so good at creating year after year in every book. Sarah Morgan is so good at writing family dynamics and I always love reading the family that she creates and develops. They always feel like real families and the dynamics or arguments don’t feel exaggerated instead things that you could see happening with real families.  

Imogen was a character who throughout the book really grew on me. At the start of the book I wasn’t sure what I thought of her but by the end of the book I really liked her and wanted to spend as many more pages with her as possible. I got to really understand why she was and why she behaved the way that she did throughout the book. 

There was a slight romance during the story which I really enjoyed and fitted the story perfectly. It created some scenes that I absolutely loved and wanted to read. It was nice to see that it was built into the story and the key family part of the book which I don’t think I was expecting but it made the family feel so much stronger. 

I loved all of these characters and the depth that every character had and how likeable everyone was. Sara and Dorothy really made the story what it was but also alone they were just characters who I really liked. Miles was a character who when we first met I didn’t expect to be a key character but was and I just loved what he did for the story and other characters. Then Ava and Iris were just so much fun and added some needed lightness when things felt a bit sadder. Ava especially made me laugh. 

This was definitely a festive book that I will recommend in years to come and makes me excited to read whatever festive book Sarah Morgan releases next. I also think that this is one I will be returning to and rereading.

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