"Oh, goodie! Christmas in August!"
That was my exact thought when I discovered my copy of Sarah Morgan's latest Christmas offering in my mailbox. Although I honestly don't find myself reading many romances nowadays, I'm always delighted to get my hands on the year's Christmas book from Morgan. You know it's going to have all the magic and enchantment of Christmas tied up with all the feels, both wondrous and uncertainty of romance. Cliche that it has become, it's the perfect Hallmark Christmas moment wrapped in festive paper and sparkly ribbons and given to readers as a gift. Thank you, Sarah Morgan.
As for the plot, it follows what seems to have become Morgan's pattern. We're introduced to a character early on who dreads Christmas. In Lucy's case it's because it reminds her of losing her beloved grandmother two years ago on Christmas. Toss in that her job may be in jeopardy and she's willing to give up staying home alone for Christmas to travel to Scotland for some festive winter wonderland type photos and moments to use in an advertising campaign. She also plans to drop off a work proposal for Ross at his Miller Family home in the Scottish highlands. That's when things get complicated.
I won't detail the plot further except to say that mistaken identity, meddling parents, and siblings with a plan all combine to keep Lucy at their home for the holidays after a fierce snowfall leaves them snowed in and Lucy is injured in a fall on ice. Morgan introduces us to all the characters, including sisters Alice and Clemmie, not to mention their romantic interests. As with life, things don't always go smoothly. We see how their relationships evolve as they overcome anxiety from "What if it's a mistake?" type reactions, not to mention dealing with the arrival of family members. Ross' grandmother Nanna Jean is a romantic dear, full of chat about "meet cutes" and how things shoulod work in a rom-com. She, of course, quickly enfolds Lucy to her, perhaps providing the love Lucy hasn't felt since losing her own grandmother. Needless to say, there are many twists, near misses, hopes, fears, and even some business talks that happen as we alternate between character viewpoints. Oh, and there is an adorable dog, Hunter.
In all honesty, my only disappointment, and it was more of a surprise than a true disappointment, Lucy and Ross don't actually meet until we're about a third of the way into the book. That said, it provides ample time for us to get to know the various players in this story, both their strengths and weakness. We also discover they have secrets. Don't all families? In other words, they come across as real people we could know and probably embrace as family given the chance.
Bottom line, I thoroughly enjoyed my early Christmas present from #SarahMorgan. Thanks #HQN for allowing her to share such wonderful moments with readers.
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