Audiobook, Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Holiday

The Book Club Hotel by Sarah Morgan @SarahMorgan @dararosenberg27 @HarlequinBooks @librofm

Jonetta | Blue Mood Café

the setup…
Hattie Coleman and her husband Brent took the plunge a few years ago and became the owners and managers of the Maple Sugar Inn in Vermont, a dream he had hoped to become a reality. But two years ago, he died in a freak accident and now Hattie is left to manage things alone and raise their five-year old daughter Delphie alone. Despite the success of the Inn, she’s white knuckling her way through and is exhausted. Erica lives in New York and is a highly successful business consultant. She and her two former college roommates are best of friends and each year meet for a week to discuss a book one of them has selected. Anna lives in Connecticut and is happily married to Pete. She’s soon to be an empty nester as her twins Gwen and Daniel are high school seniors. Claudia lives in California and is a chef but has just lost her job and her boyfriend of ten years just left her for a younger model. It’s Erica’s turn to plan everything and she’s selected the Maple Sugar Inn, puzzling to Anna and Claudia who love the choice but it’s far from the typical ritzy accommodations she normally arranges. Each other them is dealing with some serious life issues at the moment.

the heart of the story…
Even though Erica, Anna and Claudia live in different cities, the bond between them is incredibly strong. I loved how they had each others’ backs and were highly sensitive to knowing when something was off. They respected boundaries but didn’t shy away from pressing issues when needed. Erica did indeed have a reason for choosing the Inn and it was explosive. Their time there was therapeutic for all of them as they provided much needed emotional support to each other, including Hattie, as there were many layers to their lives. I also loved how their shared love of books was a major aspect of the story and the setting provided the charm and magic it promised.

the narration…
I enjoyed the narrator’s performance and she did really well in giving the characters’ personalities distinctive voice. She also has strong storytelling skills and a great tone. Definitely going on my list of preferred narrators.

the bottom line…
I was hoping for a great holiday story with some weight to it and this delivered on every level. I liked these women, especially their friendship and honesty with each other. They were all very different, which just made things even more interesting and textured. The venue was lovely and the romance aspects added to the appeal of the story. This just might be my most favorite of the author’s Christmas stories.

Book Info

  • Release Date: September 19, 2023 (aka The Christmas Book Club)
  • Narrator: Dara Rosenberg
  • Audio Length: 10 hours, 51 minutes
  • Publisher: Harlequin Audio

 

 

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Published by Jonetta | Blue Mood Café

23 thoughts on “The Book Club Hotel by Sarah Morgan @SarahMorgan @dararosenberg27 @HarlequinBooks @librofm”

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  5. Excellent review, Jo. I also loved this story and am always amazed how Sarah Morgan comes up with original Christmas stories year after year. Definitely one of my favourite Christmas stories this year.

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