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 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!