Hello there, bookworms. Happy (almost) middle of the week! I hope you’re all doing well, and most of all… staying safe and healthy. Times are crazy to say the least and we’re all living a new normal and just doing our best to get by. Just take a deep breath and take things one day at a time, and we’ll all get through this.
One way I’ve been trying to cope (other than being surprisingly busy… even in quarantine) is jumping into Christmas super early. I started when the “Countdown to Christmas” aired on the Hallmark Channel and I’ve just gone completely down the rabbit hole. Normally, I at least wait until I can enjoy Thanksgiving festivities, but in recent years, 2020 included, it’s just felt necessary to immerse myself in all the holly jollys I can get my hands on.
That being said, let’s kick off tonight’s review with a long-overdo chat. Tonight’s book is one that I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of at NYC’s Book Expo a couple of years back and now I’m finally reviewing. Let’s talk about The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan!
In the snowy Highlands of Scotland, Suzanne McBride is dreaming of the perfect cozy Christmas. Her three adopted daughters are coming home for the holidays and she can’t wait to see them. But tensions are running high…
Workaholic Hannah knows she can’t avoid spending the holidays with her family two years in a row. But it’s not the weight of their expectations that’s panicking her—it’s the life-changing secret she’s hiding. Stay-at-home mom Beth is having a personal crisis. All she wants for Christmas is time to decide if she’s ready to return to work—seeing everyone was supposed to help her stress levels, not increase them! Posy isn’t sure she’s living her best life, but with her parents depending on her, making a change seems risky. But not as risky as falling for gorgeous new neighbor Luke…
As Suzanne’s dreams of the perfect McBride Christmas unravel, she must rely on the magic of the season to bring her daughters together. But will this new togetherness teach the sisters that their close-knit bond is strong enough to withstand anything—including a family Christmas?
Christmas in the Scottish highlands, does anything more magical exist? To me, it doesn’t seem so, and this book really delivered. Don’t let the cover mislead you; it’s so much more than a cheery, snowy walk in the woods.
Every single page of this story is beautifully written and the characters are so real and relatable while still trying to enjoy their cozy family Christmas full of love, tradition, and yuletide cheer. They (and we) get far more than we’ve bargained for this holiday season. There’s tension, drama, unexpected surprises, angst, heartbreak, and so much more. Whether it’s Hannah obsessing over work and keeping herself closed off from all of her loved ones for reasons unknown, Posy who just wants adventure and to travel the world but feels suffocated by obligations at home, or Beth who loves her family but wants to return to the normalcy of a work day and bits of the life she had before marriage and kids, there’s an endless cycle of fitting situations that we’ve all founds ourselves in one way or another.
Boundaries are pushed, some bonds are broken while other are acknowledged and mended, and it’s all wrapped up in the sweet, little bow that is the magic of the holiday season. This book has all the trappings you’re looking for while sitting in front of the fire and admiring your decorations. There’s wonderful characters, strong women, blossoming romances, and the unconditional love of family that give you all the warm and fuzzy feelings that we all need right now. The Christmas Sisters is a delight, page-turner of a read and makes a wonderful option for a seasonal book club pick if you need one as we head into December!
Until next time – stay safe and happy reading! xx
