The Christmas Cottage

by

Sarah Morgan

Will this Christmas finally bring comfort and joy?

A PAINFUL SECRET

Imogen loves her job as an events organiser, and her colleagues are in awe of her. But Imogen isn’t the person she pretends to be, and she’s hiding painful truths about her past. But as long as she can keep on top of her work, Imogen can put everything else to one side.

AN ACT OF KINDNESS

And then Imogen makes a catastrophic mistake at work, and finally realises it's time to reset. When her favourite client, Dorothy, invites her to spend Christmas with her and her family, in her cottage in the Cotswolds, it sounds like the perfect way for Imogen to take stock.

FINDING HAPPINESS AT CHRISTMAS

Imogen soon settles into idyllic cottage life, especially with the prospect of a new romance on the horizon … but when long-buried secrets and unwanted faces from the past resurface, Imogen’s new peace is threatened. Will Imogen end up alone this Christmas, or can she find it in her heart to forgive and move on?

REVIEW

Imogen is an Events Organiser and is brilliant at her job, but her problem is that she can't say no. She works all hours of the day and night (even over Christmas) and this is because she has no family to celebrate the festive season with. Or so she thought. Her mother only wants to know her when she wants something (usually money) and she has told her that her family didn't want to know her when she got pregnant with Imogen. 

With Imogen taking on far too much work, mistakes are bound to happen and that is when her boss tells her she has to take the month of December off to rest. Imogen has no idea what she is going to do, when her favourite client, Dorothy offers a cottage on her estate to stay in for Christmas.

Miles is the local vet and a very good friend of Dorothy's and when Imogen meets him and his newly acquired dog Ralph, all sorts of thoughts go through her head, but when family secrets are unfolded during her stay, Imogen finds it tough to deal with all the thoughts and emotions it brings and her first thought is to fun back to London instead of facing up to things. 

I loved this book and all of the characters in it (except for Tina, Imogen's mother!). It was such a warm, Christmassy uplifting read which I devoured in just a few days. I have already passed this book on! Just what I needed to read on these grey, dark days of winter. 

 This Christmas

by

Emma Heatherington

Two strangers. One double-booked cottage. This Christmas will be one to remember. . .

Rose used to love Christmas - until the year everything changed. She hasn't been home to visit her family for the holidays since.

Charlie is facing his first Christmas alone. It may be the most wonderful time of the year for some, but not for him. Not this year.

In search of comfort and seclusion, Rose escapes to a cottage in rural Donegal to hunker down for the festive season by herself.

But when Charlie opens the door to Seaview Cottage, the two strangers realise that their holiday rental has been double-booked.

They both expected to spend this Christmas alone. But their lives could be changed forever if they agree to spend it together. . .

REVIEW

Christmas is coming round again and Rose still can't face all the festivities, so decides to rent her cousin's cottage so that she can be alone to get through as best she can. When her car breaks down on the way, she is offered help by a kind stranger, but being the independent woman she is, she declines and gets the car going again and makes it to the cottage. 

Charlie is also hoping to be alone for Christmas. It is the first year without his Daughter Rebecca, who has moved with her mother to Tenerife and so he and his dog Max rent a cottage to get away from it all for the festivities (you can see where this is going!).

When Rose meets Charlie at Seaview Cottage, it dawns on them both that they have been double booked. Rose soon realises that Charlie is the stranger who tried to help her with her car and so things don't really go too well at first as Rose has her dog George and Charlie has Max and the cottage only has one bedroom! What are they going to do?

Rose' car has to go to the garage and it doesn't look like it will be fixed this side of Christmas, Charlie makes a plan that they spend the festivities together, but with certain house rules! If they stick to them, then it will be bearable for them to get through Christmas without too much trouble! But of course, the best laid plans always go pear shaped! 

This isn't just a story of boy meets girl and they end up together. This is a story of love, loss and all of the emotions that Christmas brings with loved ones lost and families that are estranged. It really pulls at your heart strings. 

This is the first book I have read by this author and I can't wait to read her new Christmas book! It really was a page turner and the characters are fabulous and you are routing for them every step of the way. A lovely festive read that I finished in just a few days.