Friday, September 23, 2022

Review & Giveaway - - Snowed in for Christmas

Snowed in for Christmas
by Sarah Morgan
Publisher: HQN
Release Date: September 20, 2022
Reviewed by PJ
 



A family gathering


This Christmas the Miller siblings have one goal—to avoid their well-meaning family’s endless stream of prying questions. Ross, Alice and Clemmie have secrets that they don’t intend to share, and they are relying on each other to deflect attention.

An uninvited guest

Lucy Clarke is facing a Christmas alone and the prospect of losing her job. Unless she can win a major piece of business from Ross Miller, the season promises to be anything but festive. She’ll just deliver her proposal to his family home and then leave. After all, she wouldn’t want to intrude on the Miller family’s perfect Christmas.

A Christmas to remember

When Lucy appears on the Miller family’s snow-covered Highland doorstep, she's mistaken for Ross’s girlfriend. By the time the confusion is cleared up, they're snowed in—she can’t leave, even if she wants to! But does she want to? As secrets spill out like presents from an overstuffed stocking and the chemistry between her and Ross ignites, this is going to be either Lucy's worst Christmas ever or the best mistake of her life.

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED***


PJ's Thoughts:

One of my favorite holiday treats I look forward to each year is a new book from Sarah Morgan. This year's entry aims straight for the heart with a slight detour to the funny bone along the way.

Sarah Morgan is a master of setting scenes. Her descriptions bring the locations of her stories to life, fully immersing me into the story and leaving me wanting nothing more than to jet off to, in this case, a snowy village in the Highlands of Scotland. Logistically, getting snowed in with strangers a few days before Christmas isn't ideal, but in the hands Morgan, it's a sure-fire recipe for a story that kept me gleefully flipping pages from beginning to end.

With the Millers, Morgan has created a family with whom many of us can relate. I loved the dynamic among the siblings. These three are a strong unit but, like most siblings, aren't above throwing one  another under the bus if it's to their benefit. Hence, the family thinking Lucy is Ross's girlfriend when she lands on their doorstep, a scene reminiscent of some of my favorite old-school rom coms. But this story isn't only about the younger generation, their careers and romantic woes, or their complicated relationships within the family. The Miller parents, and grandmother, all have significant roles and interesting journeys of their own; everyone in this family is at a crossroads. I especially enjoyed the heart-to-heart exchanges that occur between the generations, the sometimes difficult discussions between parent and child, and the wisdom dispensed by their grandmother, in her direct and frequently hilarious way. I love multi-generation stories where each character is given a chance to shine, and to grow. Morgan is one of my favorite authors who does this so well. 

Lucy is such an endearing character. My heart ached for the heartache life had tossed her way and I couldn't help but cheer her on. Morgan draws her into the center of the Miller family's joyous holiday traditions while also showing in small, poignant ways the outsider she actually is. Don't worry, everything ends happily. In fact, everything ends happily for all the characters though the path to that end is littered with more than a few emotional pot holes. But that's life, right? 

Some of my favorite scenes in this book take place in the kitchen. Have you ever noticed how the kitchen is the hub of the home, of the family? There can be a roaring fire in the living room, a table laden with food in the dining room, but it's the kitchen where the important work takes place, where emotions are laid bare, life-changing advice is dispensed, eye-opening revelations realized. If you can't have the important conversations over tea, sizzling bacon, or the making of the family's delicious shortbread then where can you? 

If you're looking for a charming, heartwarming story to add to your holiday reading list this year, look no further than Sarah Morgan's Snowed in for Christmas. It's a gem of a treat that will no doubt have you looking for more books from this talented author...to read in your cozy kitchen while the tea steeps and your favorite cookies bake. 

Have you read Sarah Morgan? Do you have a favorite of her books?

Christmas wouldn't be complete at the Miller's house without their famous shortbread. What's your favorite holiday treat to make or eat?
Feel free to share recipes!

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED***

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, September 25 will receive a print copy of Snowed in for Christmas. (Thanks to HQN for the giveaway!)

*U.S. only
*Must be 18
*Void where prohibited







 

18 comments:

  1. I love holiday stories! The lone individual invited to share Christmas with a family especially appeals to me. And Sarah Morgan certainly knows how to capture the reader's heart!

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  2. What a great review! I am adding this to my list of holiday reads.

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  3. I always read Sarah Morgan's Christmas stories. They never disappoint. My favorite books are still all her romance series novels. I'm sorry that now she exclusively writes in the women's fiction with romantic elements genre. These books are very good, but I still miss her 100% romance stories.

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  4. Sarah Morgan's books are memorable and special. My favorite holiday treat to make and eat is brownies.

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  5. The Summer Seekers is my favorite Sarah Morgan book. I enjoy so many treats during the season but my favorite is lemon shortbread biscuits.

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  6. I looked and I have a book of Ms Morgan's on my Kindle. I look forward to reading it, since you have written such a glowing review. I am a huge fan of Christmas books. I think my favorite Christmas treat would be pie....any kind of pie. I just believe they represent the holidays. Thanks for the review and the reminder that there are wonderful Christmas books out there.

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  7. I have read several of Sarah's books and always love a new Christmas book.

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  8. Patricia Bennett BarberSeptember 23, 2022 at 1:12 PM

    I enjoy all her books!!!!
    And Christmas books are good to read all year long.
    And my favorite treat is coconut 🎂

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  9. Great review. This sounds like a wonderful book and I love holiday stories!

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  10. I do read her books. I enjoyed The Christmas Sisters. Funny you should mention Christmas, my local Lowes Hardware store has their Christmas displays up already! I always make Italian Christmas cookies which has become a family tradition.

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  11. I haven't read anything by Sarah Morgan and after reading the description of her writing and looking at her Amazon page books, I don't know how I have missed her. I notice she has a Christmas anthology featuring 8 of her previous holiday books. I love Christmas stories and this set sounds like the perfect way to catch up on those that came out before this one. Thank you for the review and giveaway. She sounds like an author I will enjoy as does the book.

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  12. I love shortbread. I usually make sugar cookies.

    Denise

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  13. I read a couple of her books set in NYC. I know I read at least one of her Christmas stories. I love Christmas themed books!

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  14. Oops above was from me!
    Forgot treat too
    I love buttery spritz cookies,apple streusel coffee cake and cinnamon rolls

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  15. I make Christmas cookies with my daughters and granddaughters. I have never read this author. Story sounds wonderful and I love the cover. Patty B 43 Coral

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  16. I have read quite a few of Sarah's books. I especially enjoyed her Puffin Island series and the O'Neil Brothers series. One of my favorite holiday treats is chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons.

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  17. I may have read some of Sarah Morgans books. This one sounds interesting.

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  18. It's been way too long since I've read any of Sarah's books, but I enjoyed the ones I've read. I make a lot of bourbon chocolate fudge for the holidays (and have started making a Mexican hot chocolate tequila version that I've received requests for this year already.

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