Gayle is a highly successful and motivated business woman, but her success has come at a price – she hasn’t spoken to her daughters, Ella and Samantha, for years. But when Gayle has an accident at work, she realises she needs to make amends with her family.
And so she invites herself to join Ella and Samantha for their Christmas in the beautiful Scottish Highlands. The sisters are none too pleased that their mother has inserted herself into their Christmas plans. They have each other – and don’t need their mother back in their lives. Or so they think…
As they embark on their first family Christmas together in years, will the three women learn that sometimes facing up to a few home truths is all you need to heal your heart?
Review: I always enjoy Sarah Morgan’s writing, and particularly look forward to her Christmas book each year; whenever it appears on my Kindle, I know I’m in for a treat. This one certainly didn’t disappoint, as it had me lost in the story in no time and rarely have I felt so disappointed to reach the end of a book and leave the characters behind.
The story revolves around the Mitchell family. Mother Gayle Mitchell is a successful New York business woman who, as a single parent, has brought up daughters Samantha and Ella in a way that she thought best prepared them for a hard world, but which, unfortunately, has ultimately driven them away. The sisters have not seen their mother for five years when a tragic accident has Gayle wanting to reconnect with them. She thinks that an ideal way of reuniting the family would be to spend Christmas together. Thinking back to their childhood Christmases with a mother who saw no point in all the celebrations, the girls are horrified at the thought of spending it with her this year. There is also the problem that a lot has happened in the time they were estranged - Samantha has her own successful travel business and Ella now has a husband and daughter. However, they all set off for a Christmas holiday in the highlands of Scotland, staying in a large country estate owned by Brodie McIntyre, his mother and sister. Samantha was due to pay a flying visit to this new holiday destination with a view to adding it to her recommended destinations for customers, but suddenly she is staying there for real as a tourist. Is this Christmas going to be the nightmare the girls imagine, or is it going to be the making of the family?
I can highly recommend this book to any reader looking for a heartwarming Christmas romance with a strong storyline. It has a wonderful mix of romance, humour and heartache. I found myself completely immersed in the Mitchell family’s world and was easily transported to the snowy Scottish highlands. The picture that the writing conjured up in my mind was so real that I was surprised not to find snow outside when I finally emerged from the book. I would love to be spending my holiday on that estate, but I fear I could never afford it. I thought the characters Sarah Morgan created were all very strong, if not all loveable. Gayle comes over as a hard-headed business woman, but as her story unravels as the pages turn her daughters and the reader begin to understand her parenting motivations and see the person underneath. In addition to the Mitchell family, the McIntyres, including the ruggedly handsome Brodie, also have their own interesting stories. This is another triumph of a Christmas story from a favourite author; I’m already looking forward to her next book.
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