Sarah Morgan (1) (1948–)

Sexy, fun and smart - that's what came to mind at the end of Sleepless in Manhattan, which is admittedly my first read from Sarah Morgan (how could this be?)

I think we've all had an experience of unrequited love but I doubt we've had to grow into adulthood with that person around all the time. Paige fell for Jake, her brother's best friend (more complexity there) when he kept her company at her hospital bed after heart surgery when they were younger.

There's no sexual tension at the show more beginning with Paige and Jake because they are too busy bickering with each other; he's a serial dater anyway, with relationships averaging a month or so.

When Paige and friends are all let go from the company they work for, Jake proposes that they launch their own company, and inevitably, this throws them into closer contact.

And boy, do sparks fly. Morgan has written for Harlequin, and it shows because this is no docile romance story! The sexual tension between Jake and Paige becomes palpable, but she balances the hot and sexy with a great story.

Paige's adventure is not just her own - her friends are taking the business risk with her, and their personalities couldn't be more different than hers, making them an interesting trio, which paves the way for the next two books in the trilogy.

This is more than a love story - this is a story about finding faith in yourself, and about stepping away from the ledge and taking a chance on something bigger.

I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review (although the rest of the series will definitely be purchased by me. In a hurry.) show less

YES to every single holiday book written by Sarah Morgan!! She's very firmly my favorite for festive holiday stories with great character relationships. This story reminds me of a cross between Sleigh Bells in the Snow and A Wedding in December, both of which are previous holiday titles by Ms. Morgan.

This time the story features Gayle and her two grown daughters, Samantha and Ella. Gayle has been estranged from her daughters for the last few years. This year is different, though: they'll all show more be spending Christmas together for the first time since the girls were young. Samantha's job is what has allowed for this holiday spent together. She owns a company that specializes in finding luxury vacations for wealthy families. Since she has to go check out the location of this resort in rural Scotland, the entire family is tagging along to try out the amenities offered on the property.

Ok, first of all: Ms. Morgan's settings are fantastic. Top notch, every time. This story is set at a family's private-estate-turned-resort up in a snowy, forested, sort-of remote place in Scotland. I loved the scenes out in the forest when the characters found their very own perfect Christmas tree. And all of the snow made the book feel very wintry and festive. I never have snow at my house, so I really love snowy settings.

I felt surprisingly connected to Gayle and her daughters because of some awkward, complicated relationships within my own family. The feelings that Samantha and Ella felt were plausible and felt very real, so the hard work that they all had to put in to move beyond their estrangement was something that I could totally appreciate. Even while the family dynamics were at play, there is a sweet relationship that develops in the story and I loved it. The romance worked really well to break up some of the more serious family scenes scattered throughout the story.

I adored the secondary characters too: the family that owns the property is written so perfectly. The matriarch of that family, Mary, is precious.

Sarah Morgan's holiday stories are literally the thing that I look forward to most about Christmas. I know that she will always deliver stories full of heart and warmth, full of the Christmas season. Her holiday stories are 100% comfort reads for me and I'm always impatient for her next story to release. ALSO: her holiday stories are the books that I reread most in my life.

Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book so I can review it here for you guys. These thoughts are my own! show less

Snowed in For Christmas by Sarah Morgan in a 2022 HQN publication.

Lucy, Ross, Alice, Nico, Clemmie, Fergus, Glenda, Douglas and last, but not least, Nanna Jean have all gathered for Christmas- except that Lucy is an unexpected guest, having found herself trapped there by a vicious winter storm after she pulls an in person ‘cold call’ with Ross Miller, the CEO of ‘Miller Active’, which specializes in activewear, desperately hoping to snag a new and lucrative account.

Lucy has show more idealized the Miller family- but soon discovers their ‘perfect family’ image isn’t as perfect as it seems. The Millers also have their share of personal resentments, broken dreams, and doubts and fears- just like everyone else…

I love Sarah Morgan- she’s one of my ‘go-to’ contemporary fiction/ romance authors, these days. Knowing this author, I knew the book would have depth and might not necessarily have the light festive atmosphere of other Christmas themed stories.

Don’t get me wrong, the issues are not all that heavy, really, but… the story is heavy on the drama, if that makes sense. This is SM’s style, no matter what the calendar says. In fact, with a calendar change and few tweaks here and there, this book would work just as well as a 'beach read'. So, while there are holiday festivities- the story does have a bit more levity.

I admit I got caught up in the Miller’s lives, and their various concerns and relationship woes- it was pretty good stuff. If I must make a complaint, it would be that the story was too busy. I’m ashamed to admit that for a while there I almost completely forgot all about poor injured Lucy, who was left alone for an inordinate amount of time. In fact, the characters seemed to have realized this at about the same time I did- and thankfully, Lucy was checked on- and was woven back into the story. So- yes, a few too many POVs and characters, perhaps.

I also thought that Clemmie and Alice’s issues might have been wrapped up a little faster, as well as the Ross/Douglas/Glenda thread- because all these characters have a long history with their family and prospective partners, whereas Lucy and Ross only just met, and spent precious little time alone. Their banter was not terribly playful or sharp the few times they did have a convo, and their romance was terribly rushed.

That said, Morgan is a seasoned pro, and she was able to adeptly bring all the threads together with satisfaction and with a nice happily ever after!

All’s well that ends well, right?

Right!

Oh-and just one more thing, Nanna Jean deserves a special mention as she very nearly stole the entire show!! I loved her! show less

One Summer in Paris was such a lovely surprise, it was heartwarming, funny, uplifting and a joy to read! Sarah Morgan did such a wonderful job of transporting me back to one of my favourite cities - beautiful and romantic Paris that I felt like I was walking down the cobbled side streets and that I could almost smell the freshly baked baguettes! I loved seeing how much the two main characters, Grace and Audrey develop over the course of the story, particularly Audrey and the friendship they show more form is just beautiful.

I found both Grace and Audrey to be very endearing. Whilst these two women are at very different stages in their lives and have quite different personalities they end up forming a deep bond that seems so natural and they provide wonderful support for each other. The secondary characters are all just as well developed and I enjoyed how their stories intersected with Grace and Audrey.

Sarah Morgan tackles some serious issues in One Summer In Paris including alcoholism, dyslexia, and infidelity but does so with such care and she successfully weaves these topics seamlessly into the story that it got me thinking what I would do in the same circumstances. I do feel that the ending was a little rushed and could have done with another chapter or two but overall One Summer In Paris was beautifully written and so enjoyable and I didn’t want to say goodbye to these wonderful and fascinating characters just yet.

Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Harlequin Australia for providing me with a copy for review. show less