*I was sent a copy of The Christmas Escape in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to HQ and Sarah Morgan* 

Synopsis:

It was supposed to be Christy Sullivan’s perfect Christmas escape – a dream trip to Lapland with her family and best friend, Alix. But facing a make-or-break marriage crisis, Christy desperately needs time alone with her husband, Seb. Her solution? Alix, along with Seb’s oldest friend, Zac, can take Christy’s daughter on the planned Lapland trip, and they will all reunite there for Christmas Day. After all, what are friends for?

There’s nothing Alix won’t do for Christy, but Christy’s plan to save Christmas is testing their friendship. Especially as Alix and Zac have a difficult history of their own.

As long-held secrets unravel, and unexpected romance shines under the Northern Lights, can Christy and Alix find the courage to fight for the relationships they really want? And could this Christmas escape save the precious gift of each other’s friendship?

Review:

This was the second book by Sarah Morgan I have read and it has to be said that I am quite a fan of hers. Yet again she has written a truly festive and uplifting story that is sure to warm even the coldest of hearts. 

First things first – the cover. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that the cover is what first drew me in. Then imagine my excitement when I saw that it was a Sarah Morgan book. Instantly I knew that I needed to read this book. 

You could put the Nothern Lights on absolutely anything and I would be interested in it. Pair that with a beautifully illustrated cover and I am sold. This cover screams cosy Christmas vibes and thankfully the story actually lived up to it. 

As always Sarah has created a wonderful cast of characters that have a realness to them. The Christmas Escape has a different type of magic to it that really makes its characters and story jump off the pages. Everyone feels like a real person and by the end of the book, you feel like you are a part of their little family. 

Alix was a really interesting and great character. I actually wish that the book was told mostly from her perspective. She was very fun to read and she was the most complex character of the bunch. I understand that Christy was supposed to be the main character but Alix really did outshine her. 

With that being said I did still enjoy Christy’s chapters as they were the most progressive storywise and I liked the speculation and drama that came with them. However, I didn’t like when Christy and her husband were in England and it would switch between perspectives. These parts did make the book lose some of its festive feelings, but there wouldn’t have been much of a plot without them I suppose. 

The landscape for this book sounded absolutely stunning. There’s nothing more festive than Christmas in Lapland and I think this book capture that feeling very well. The cabins they stayed in sounded so cosy and wonderful that I couldn’t help feeling festive at the time of reading (which was during October!). 

I absolutely adore the fact that this isn’t your classic ‘girl loves Christmas, boy hates it and she has to try and change his mind’ festive romance. I’m growing very tired of reading the same plotlines in these types of books and enjoyed the refreshing real storyline that The Christmas Escape provided. Not a grinch in sight. 

The Christmas Escape has definitely been one of my favourite festive novels I have read so far. With interesting characters and a solid storyline that had its moments of both drama and fluffy Christmas wonderfulness, it is a standout book in a genre that is often oversaturated with two-dimensional characters and flat storytelling. 

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