From award-winning USA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan comes this heartwarming, emotionally rich new novel, brimming with her trademark Christmas sparkle!The McBride sisters all have different reasons for finding the holiday season challenging, but their adoptive mother is determined this year will be different. As the countdown to Christmas Day begins, arguments, connections and secrets … connections and secrets start bubbling. The McBride family was made, not born—but will they be able to make this the magical family Christmas their mother has always dreamed of?
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In a flurry of Christmas lights and snowfall comes The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan. Hannah, Beth, and Posy are as different as they come, meeting only once a year for their annual family gathering in the Highlands. Hannah is independent and assured, Beth is motherly and organized, and Posy is her parent’s combined, at least that’s what they’ve led one another to think. Their mother, Suzanne, has dreamed of a perfect Christmas, but this year it’s unraveling before it’s even begun. The sisters are unsure of their futures, but the season is already a difficult one for them and the trust sisters usually share is nonexistent. As each woman faces her individual plight they learn to rely on one another, but Suzanne worries that a Christmas spent together as a family won’t last.
“You didn’t tell him?”
“Of course not. I’m your sister. I’m a barrier between you and the world.”
Oh my heart, how I loved The Christmas Sisters. Sarah Morgan takes us on a magical journey, with Christmas spirit almost like a secondary character in this novel filled with family drama, romance, and a life-altering accident that continues to wreak havoc 25 years later. Suzanne and Stewart McBride are the adoptive parents to Hannah, Beth, and Posy, though they’re their daughters in their eyes. Each year the girls are invited home to warmth, snow, and the perfect Christmas weekend, except this year the pressure of the time together is weighing them down. Each is holding onto a secret and as Christmas day draws nearer those secrets are slowly revealed. On top of those secrets, each sister is facing a relationship hurdle, with Beth hoping to strengthen her bond with her husband, Posy diving head first into new love, and Hannah running from it despite the comfort and joy it brings her. The story explores their past, with each sister evaluating how it has affected their present, and the future that promises many changes for them all. While baking cookies, decorating the house, and bickering the girls discover the bond they each thought was lost.
“I’m loving the honesty. We are the Christma Sisters.”
This was one of the best family oriented, yet still romantic Christmas reads I have ever read. I couldn’t put it down, in love with the Scottish Highlands setting, the blanketing snow, and the family atmosphere. I really enjoyed that each sister discovered that the great responsibility they felt they had to carry alone was the same for each. They all wanted the holidays to be perfect for their mom, they were willing to risk themselves for it even. It was heartwarming, sweet, and a bit of a tearjerker as the girls discovered sisterhood, friendship, love, and the magic of Christmas and Santa Claus. I highly recommend this book, not just for the holidays, but for a year round magical read.
Highly polished with a festive shine!
Sarah Morgan took me right into the middle of The Christmas Sisters! A remarkably entertaining story told from four different perspectives and wittingly tied it all together. 25 years ago, Stewart and Suzanne adopted three girls Hannah, Posy, and Beth after their parents were killed right before Christmas. Despite the memories brought up during the Holidays they get together in Scotland every year.
As each chapter unfolds you realize it is the story being told by a different one of the four women. From their rocky sisterly relationships that end up tying it all together into a well knitted family make this a truly warm cozy Christmas story.
I liked how the stories yet individually tied to the overall story. I shed a few tears from feelings of sorrows and I also found myself laughing out loud so hard a few more tears of laughter ran down my cheeks. Sarah Morgan made me feel like I was right in the shoes of each of these four women.
I didn’t like the feelings of sorrow associated with Christmas. However, Sarah Morgan didn’t let me down as the stories intertwined into a festive heart touching happy tale of The Christmas Sisters!
Ah these women. Wow. The issues they had to work through, the relationships they restored. What a journey. I love a good family relationship story, especially set during the holidays? Makes me believe in the miracle of the season. And of course there’s some romance too. But oh the emotions. Definitely have your tissue ready. I totally needed it. This story just made my heart feel so good.
I was hooked on The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan from page one. While the chapter separations and each being told by a different woman threw me at first, Morgan’s distinct voice for each drew me in quickly; after about the forth chapter I didn’t even need the headings to know who was speaking. There was something I could relate to about each character and I loved the opportunity to be a part of this family, even for a little while. Morgan throws in a few curveballs to keep things interesting, but overall this delightful holiday read will warm your heart.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novel.
I know Sarah Morgan comes highly recommended. I read one other book by her which was more women’s fiction than romance which didn’t completely work for me because of the four different point of views, alternating telling the story of them. I was bummed when I realized that this one is women’s fiction as well, again with four point of views. It’s such a shame because, dammit, I want to read a Sarah Morgan romance!
All four women are connected through one event that took their loved ones away. The woman who lost her best friend, Suzanne, adopted Cheryl’s daughters, Posy, Beth and Hannah and moved from the Pacific North West all the way to Scotland so that the children could grow up without having to experience the very public handling of their parents’ death which made a huge impact of all of them. Christmas is approaching fast and Hannah and Beth, now back in the US, prepare to go back home to visit their parents.
THE FOUR WOMEN
Beth, a stay-at-home mom, loves her children, is a little over-protective of her children but yearns for a grown-up conversation. She is restless, exhausted raising her kids pretty much alone since her husband is the successful business man. Beth wants more and when she gets a chance to interview for her dream job she wants to jump at the chance. Except he wants another child.
I loved that Beth stood up for herself and showed Jason what it means to be a parent who is solely responsible for the children for the majority of the time. He learns a new appreciation for mothers, so mission accomplished. But Beth was also the person who got on my nerves the most. She was overly neurotic and a hypocrite when it came to her sisters. Fortunately they didn’t have an issue to show her that.
Although Posy is supposed to take over the small family business her secret wish is to follow in her parents’ footsteps and be a mountain guide. When she meets Luke the longing is only amplified.
Posy was the easygoing, laid-back baby sister. I connected with her the most because she was accepting and tolerant and let people have their space. But she also knew how to make a point. I love her no-nonsense characters.
Hannah is focused on her career, driven, and seems like nothing can chafe her. She comes across at standoff-ish until you get inside her head.
She has a whole bunch of insecurities, every psychologist would have a field day with her. Her dad played favorites when the sisters were children and she wasn’t #1 – but she never wanted to be. She just wanted to be loved like her little sister was. Hannah had all my sympathy, she was so hurt and so withdrawn I wanted to hug her. And then she started to climb over the walls she built I felt truly proud of her.
Suzanne loves her family. She would do anything for them. At first I didn’t understand what the fuss was about that Hannah came home for Christmas. Everything was Hannah wants, Hannah needs, Hannah loves…in the end I realized that Hannah, being a very smart and intuitive woman, knew how much Hannah was hurt by her father’s favoritism of Posy. Suzanne wanted to show her how loved and special Hannah was. Suzanne is the glue that holds families together. She was wonderful.
For some reason I didn’t feel the disconnect I felt in How to Keep a Secret, brought on by the rotating POVs, as much this time around. While I would have loved to get deeper into the stories of the three women The Christmas Sisters was definitely satisfying. I learned enough about these characters to understand them. While the sisters had issues to solve with one another, no matter how much they argued they stood by each other with all the love they had. I also adored the men at their sides. Especially Stewart, Suzanne’s husband captured my heart with his endless wisdom and his eye-twinkling humor.
One thing that I need to mention because it didn’t make sense: The accident was 25 years ago – in a flashback Cheryl talks about photos of her kids on her phone. Granted, the story hints nowhere in what time period the story is set in but in that case I assume it’s in the present. 25 years ago there were no photos on phones. We were lucky to own mobile phones which were big and chunky.
The Christmas Sisters is a heartwarming, delightful story that will get you in the mood for Christmas. It has a dose of humor and a very low angst factor. The characters are genuine, real and lovable. This story is poignant, holding truths we can identify with about loss, family and how love can heal wounds. It’s the perfect winter read when you want to snuggle up in your book nook with a blanket and hot chocolate!
“You can’t live your life too afraid to do things in case you get hurt. If you get hurt, you heal. And while you’re lying there healing you can think about how much fun you had.”
The Christmas Sisters isn’t your usual light Christmas romance. Ms. Morgan has loaded the plot with individual story lines for each of the sisters and their mother. Each separate story is fascinating in it’s own right as you get to know the characters. Aside from those subplots, there are the interactions of the women together and their individual reactions to the tragic event that resulted in the death of the girl’s birth parents. The resulting awareness, learning and healing make up the bulk of the story make for a far reaching emotional read that won’t soon be forgotten. Wow!
I loved every second of The Christmas Sisters! It was a beautiful story with wonderfully flawed characters. I enjoyed the humorous interactions between Hannah, Beth and Posy, as well as the emotional moments they shared as they each dealt with their own personal crisis. I highly recommend this heartwarming Christmas story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy.
The Christmas Sisters was an early Christmas gift for me and I love it. I enjoyed it so much I stayed up until 3 am in order to finish it. I couldn’t put it down and now I have book hangover.
This book has all the elements I love in women’s fiction: loads of humor, light angst, strong female and male characters, relatable storylines, great settings in New York and Scotland. The addition of a dog, a horse, a toy, makeup, kids, and the happiest season of all just ups the awesomeness to amazing levels.
The POVs are from the four heroines: Suzanne MacBride and her three adopted daughters Hannah, Beth, and Posy. The book starts with their fractured relationship and ended in a celebration of sisterhood and family. There are aspects of each woman that I identify with, which makes for a deeply immersive reading. Sometimes, I wished for a full-length novel for each of them because Ms. Morgan drew them so beautifully I wanted to read more about their individual lives, particularly their separate love stories. But, it was also great to read four fascinating stories combined to form one cohesive tale.
I laughed, I cried, I loved. If there’s only one book, y’all should read this Christmas, make it The Christmas Sisters.