A Merry Little Lie by Sarah Morgan

 

Do you travel during the holiday season?  We travel at either Thanksgiving or Christmas to Michigan each year to visit my family.  It’s by car, but the drive through Chicago keeps things exciting.

A Merry Little Lie is a family drama that is told through many point of views.  Becky is trying to get home for Christmas but is stranded at the airport.  She runs into her brother’s best friend Will, and he offers her a ride home.  Will experienced her very embarrassing moment at her twin sister Rosie’s wedding.  Will she be able to face down this embarrassment? 

Rosie married Declan after a very quick relationship.  They are having problems – will they be able to hide them from Rosie’s family?

Hayley is being introduced to Jamie’s family as his significant other and they have some exciting news to share.  Jamie is Rosie and Becky’s older brother.  Hayley is meeting the family for the first time.  Will she find the family she has always wanted?

Jenny is happy her kids are coming home and is trying to put together the perfect Christmas experience.  Will she be able to hold everything together?

My thoughts on this book:

·       A Merry Little Lie by Sarah Morgan is the Brenda Novak Book Club read for December.  I finished it up at the end of the month and still need to watch the book club meeting on Facebook.

·       There were a few different romance tropes in this book including forced proximity, friends to lovers, and second chance romance.

·       I would rate this as some spice.  There were a couple of steamy scenes.

·       It made me laugh when the elders were very excited about the romance between the young people.  Grandma in particular was very forthright in her thoughts.

·       Jenny and her husband, Martin, are having problems as he has just retired as a doctor and doesn’t know what to do with himself.

·       I liked all the relationships in this book including the romantic, sibling, parent, etc.  It was a good family drama.  I liked how the book focused on family in all different stages of life.

·       I loved how Hayley was accepted and able to experience a family Christmas she never had before.

·       This book did move rather slowly for me with all the characters to keep track of.

Overall, A Merry Little Lie by Sarah Morgan is an enjoyable family drama perfect for the holidays and all year round.

Book Source:  Review Copy from NetGalley.  Thank-you!

 

Moonlight Over Manhattan by Sarah Morgan Review and GIVEAWAY! (TLC Book Tour)

Searching for a delightful Christmas romance that will sweep you off your feet?  Moonlight Over Manhattan is the book for you.

Harriet Knight runs a successful dog walking business with her twin sister Fliss.  Now that her sister has met the love of her life and moved out, Harriet is trying to find a way to challenge herself to get out more to overcome her shyness and stutter.  Sometimes going out more on blind dates can lead to awkward moments like hurting your ankle after jumping out a bathroom window to escape your date.

In the ER Harriet met a handsome doctor named Ethan.  Caught up in his work, Ethan has a problem letting go and living life.  After his niece had an accident, his sister rushed cross country to be with her and left her dog Madi with Ethan to care for.  Her dog walker stopped by to care for her . . . and Harriet and Ethan meet again.  Will these two opposites find a way to be together?  Can they let go of the past to forge a positive path forward in the world?  And more importantly, will Ethan learn to love a dog that destroys his apartment?

I really enjoyed this novel.  It was a nice Christmas romance that is perfect for this time of year.  I loved that the story had dogs in it as I am an animal lover myself.  I also loved the setting – New York City at Christmas time with a sojourn up to Vermont.  The descriptions in the book were beautiful. I really enjoyed the characters of Harriet and Ethan and how they both grow and develop in this book.

Moonlight Over Manhattan is the sixth novel in the From Manhattan with Love series.  I have not read the other books in the series and didn’t feel like I was missing any important parts of the story.  This novel holds up well as its own complete story.  It did spike my interest in the other books in the series as I enjoyed reading it so much!

My favorite quotes:

“Harriet had never felt that way, but she did often wonder how on earth you were supposed to meet someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with.”

“’I never believed in love at first sight until now.  It’s magical,’ she breathed, ‘Like something from a Christmas fairy tale.’  The words caught in her throat.  This was Christmas as she’d imagined it should be when she was a child and trying to escape the reality of her own.”

“Anything that involves people is complicated.  That doesn’t mean we should walk away.”

“If you’d stayed I probably would have carried on taking the easy road.  The one with no obstacles.  But a road without obstacles is a parking lot and I don’t want to live my life in a parking lot.”

Overall, Moonlight over Manhattan is a very enjoyable romance with a great setting, characters, and story.  It’s a perfect read for the Christmas season.

Book Source:  E-book Review Copy as Part of the TLC Book Tour.  Thank-you!  For more stops on the tour visit this link.

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