The Holiday Cottage by Sarah Morgan – a Review

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Description:
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…

Review:

The Holiday Cottage by Sarah Morgan was a wonderful heartwarming modern Christmas story. We meet Imogen, who is very successful and happy in her marketing job; as she devotes all of her time to her job and clients.  Privately everything she reveals to her co-workers are in actuality illusions; such having, a boyfriend, family, and a dog.   Imogen had a terrible childhood, with a mother, Tina, who wanted nothing to do with her daughter, other than giving her money.  When Imogen is called to the hospital to visit her mother, she is late to a work-related project; which leads to her boss telling her she is burnt out, and needs to take a break for month away from her job.

Dorothy is one of Imogen’s favorite clients, and when she learns that Imogen is taking a break, she offers her to come to Cotswolds, and stay at her picturesque guest Holly Cottage for the month, which is close to Dorothy’s house.  Imogen accepts the invitation, where she will spend the Christmas holidays at the cottage.  Dorothy seeks her own redemption of her past, which will also change Imogen’s life forever.  Dorothy’s daughter Sara, who lives close by, with two children and her husband; as she fears that the secrets of the past, could cause a crumbling effect, if truths are revealed.

Imogene is thrilled to be able to stay at the cottage during the holiday season, and when she meets Dorothy’s family at the house, she accidently sees photos of her mother, and Dorothy’s family.  Imogene is shocked, and leaves the house, planning to go home; but when she slips in the snow, she is rescued by Miles and his dog. Imogen will learn from Miles many of the truths from the past, which make her willing have Miles and the dog help her go back to the cottage, where Sara and Dorothy find her.  As both Sara and Dorothy open their hearts revealing how they loved her, before Tina took her away. 

Slowly, Imogene learns the truths, and together Imogen, Sara and Dorothy will forge a bond, that brings them together, as a family.  Imogen realizes that her mother, was evil, and took away the family she never knew she had.  Her relationship with Miles also changes things, as they both will find love; not to mention the wonderful addition of the dog. 

The Holiday Cottage was a wonderful heartwarming story of family, friendship, hope, love, and discovering to cherish to their new found bond that will enrich their lives.   The Holiday Cottage is so very well written by Sarah Morgan. This was a captivating story filled with many emotions along the way.  I suggest you read The Holiday Cottage.