The Christmas Escape

I guess I had to give the “most boring book of 2021” award to someone.

I guess I had to give the “most boring book of 2021” award to someone.

This one just did not do it for me, which is such a shame as I've loved pretty much everything from Sarah Morgan.

I found the characters annoying and the scenarios convoluted and unnatural, the dialogue was stilted and overdone, and the endless speeches like everyone was a therapist.

Would It Be Christmas Without Family Drama? This book has a LOT going on, and yes, it does in fact more blend the women's fiction and romance genres than play strictly by either one. (Though it does meet all of the “qualifications” for either even according to the strictest interpretations of the “rules” I am aware of, for those that care about such trivialities.) Your basic plot threads are these: married couple with problems working to reconcile, forced proximity romance, best friend issues between the two women in the aforementioned couples, long lost family/ traumatic secrets. Which in 350 ish pages is a LOT to work through, but Morgan does it well and never drags too much at any given point. The Lapland scenery is described beautifully (at least as I've seen the region on such shows as The World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals on Netflix, this American has never been further North than New Hampshire), and the cold and isolation provide some amazing (and “traditionally” - for northerners) “Christmassy” vibes. This story is a bit more serious and complex than a usual Hallmark Christmas movie, and doesn't rely as heavily on “Christmas Magic”, but instead serves as a more realistic take on a Christmas Romance - which is needed in the overly saturated market. Very much recommended.