THE HOLIDAY COTTAGE is one of my favourite authors, Sarah Morgan's, latest festive story. It is set in England and is a heartwarming story of second chances. If there's only one book you can or want to curl up with this coming festive season, pick this one.
Imogen is a high-performing workaholic, working at an event planning agency in London. She prides herself as a hard worker and perfectionist. Imogen has a nonexistent personal life with an absentee mother, being an only child with no extended family she knows of. To fit in better at work and avoid intrusive questions in her home life, she makes up an imaginary family complete with an adorable dog she loves.
She has a complicated relationship with her mother and due to one such latest emergency incident with her, Imogen nearly loses it. For the first time in her work life, she messes up and fears losing her job. Fortunately for her, she's given a much-needed vacation and a chance to spend some time in the country. One of her favorite clients Dorothy invites her to spend time at her rental cottage.
There's more to Dorothy's offer of a vacation home and as Imogen reaches this idyllic cottage it's like her personal life explodes. She receives shocking news about her mother, her childhood and how Dorothy fits into it all. It seems like THE HOLIDAY COTTAGE and its owner are everything Imogen has ever wanted. Will she let Dorothy be her fairy godmother?
What I enjoyed -
The dynamic between the characters is lovely. Be it Imogen with her colleagues, clients or people she only recently meets. I love how strong she is despite her upbringing. It was lovely to see her maturity and way of handling things. It felt a bit rushed at times however that's a minor nag I have.
The emotional current running through the story especially when Imogen goes on a vacation is very multi-faceted. It's everyone having a rethink of their past behaviours, facing their demons and choosing to move forward and give each other a chance.
It is exactly what the festive season calls for, hope, forgiveness, understanding and to move forward in a way that suits your needs and resolves any long-standing emotions that have held you back.
The story doesn't sweep unsolved anger and issues beneath the rug for the greater good or peacekeeping. It shows how the individual characters, have a conversation, a heart-to-heart with themselves and each other to let go of past anger and grief.
I loved how it's fast-paced, without dragging out any drama unnecessarily, and the lightness provided by the romantic angle, the kids and the dog. All done in a quaint village complete with everything Christmas, just the perfect amount of family drama and festivity to curl up with this winter.
From USA TODAY bestselling author of The Book Club Hotel, Sarah Morgan returns with a heartfelt story of friendship, finding yourself, and the surprising ties that bring us together. Perfect for fans of Rebecca Serle and Jennifer Weiner.
To the outside world, Imogen is a marketing dynamo. Her colleagues don’t know that while her high-achieving professional image is real, the happy childhood stories she spins are as fake as her pretend enthusiasm for Christmas. Working 24/7 has always been her solution to surviving the festive season—until burnout leads to a catastrophic blunder.
Suddenly, Imogen is handed a holiday gift she definitely doesn’t want: enforced time off work to recuperate. Then an invitation arrives from her favorite client, Dorothy, to stay at her guest cottage in the Cotswolds. From the thatched roof to the cozy open fireplace, Holly Cottage is a picture-perfect haven… Can it provide the fresh start Imogen so desperately needs?
For Dorothy, helping Imogen offers a longed-for chance to make reparations for her own past. But as her daughter Sara keeps reminding her, it brings risks, too. Yet Dorothy knows that only a leap of courage will allow her family to grow and heal. And perhaps this Christmas, with Dorothy’s help, the new life that Imogen is slowly piecing together could be better than anything either of them could imagine…
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