How can it possibly be five years since I last read a Sarah Morgan book, The Christmas Sisters reviewed here? Am I insane? I’m delighted to remedy that today by sharing my review of Sarah’s latest Christmas book, The Christmas Book Club and I’d like to thank Sian Baldwin at Harper Collins for sending me a copy in return for an honest review.

Published by HQ on 26th October, The Christmas Book Club is available for purchase through the links here.

The Christmas Book Club

A long-lasting friendship
Every year, Erica, Claudia, and Anna reunite for their book club holiday. They’re bonded by years of friendship and a deep love of books, but there is still so much they keep from each other . . .

A perfect Christmas escape
At the cosy Maple Sugar Inn, Hattie specialises in making her guests’ dreams come true, but this Christmas all she wants is to survive the festive season. Between running the inn and being a single mother, Hattie is close to breaking point.

The start of a brand-new story…?
Over the course of an eventful week, Hattie sees that the friends are each carrying around unspoken truths, but nothing prepares her for how deeply her story will become entwined in theirs. Will this Christmas be the end of the book club’s story or the start of a whole new chapter?

My Review of The Christmas Book Club

Erica, Claudia and Anna are staying at Hattie’s hotel.

My goodness. The Christmas Book Club is the most perfect Christmas read. It’s a complete love letter to friendship and family with added romance and a glorious smattering of books thrown in. I thoroughly appreciated Sarah Morgan’s carefully pitched celebration of the romance genre in her story.

The Maple Sugar Inn is a wonderful setting. Hattie has created a place to stay that is so vividly depicted by Sarah Morgan that it made me want to check in immediately. There’s just enough mention of gifts, snow, food and roaring fires to entice the reader and enhance the narrative. The setting is everyone’s dream of the perfect winter experience and is a glorious backdrop to the action.

The women at the heart of the story are vibrant and realistic. Each has her own doubts, issues and secrets and the rapport between Erica, Claudia and Anna feels so natural that it’s impossible not to want to be part of their lives. There are references to their appearance, but I so enjoyed the greater focus on their personalities and their lives, because this is the heart of who we are. I cared what happened to them. I was even convinced by Delphi and this is testament to Sarah Morgan’s skill because I frequently loathe children in fiction as too stereotyped. Here, however, Delphi helps the narrative to progress but in a highly realistic and appealing manner. 

I thought the plot was equally attractive. The events are completely plausible and the outcomes hugely satisfying, so that I think The Christmas Book Club would be an ideal Christmas film. Much of the action is predicated on feelings and emotions so that there is something for every reader to relate to.

Consequently, despite the fact that The Christmas Book Club has every ingredient desired for a gorgeous, escapist winter read, it is the depth of human understanding Sarah Morgan displays that made me love it so much. Issues of trust and the impact of upbringing, the concepts of family, marriage and responsibility, the ways in which we can lose sight of what is most important in our lives, the acceptance of change, and so much more, permeates these pages so that this lovely story also helps the reader to reassess their own life, to find joy in the small things and even, perhaps, to reconnect with those they may have become distanced from. 

I loved The Christmas Book Club. I suggest putting your phone on silent, making a hot chocolate and totally immersing yourself into this heart-warming, life affirming and entertaining book. It really is rather special. 

About Sarah Morgan

Sarah Morgan is a USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling author of romance and women’s fiction. She has sold over 21 million copies of her books and her trademark humour and warmth have gained her fans across the globe.

Sarah lives near London, England and when she isn’t writing or reading, she likes to spend time outdoors hiking or riding her mountain bike.

For further information, join Sarah’s mailing list by visiting her website. You can also find Sarah on Facebook or Twitter/X @SarahMorgan_ and on Instagram.