Book Review: The Book Club Hotel by Sarah Morgan

The Book Club Hotel
Author: Sarah Morgan
Publication: Canary Street Press (September 19, 2023)

Description: "The Book Club Hotel is a gift...the perfect escape-and-find-yourself novel."—Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author

This summer, let USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan transport you with another heartfelt exploration of change, the power of books to heal, and the enduring strength of female friendship. Perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Jennifer Weiner.

With its historic charm and picture-perfect library, the Maple Sugar Inn is considered the ultimate vacation destination. But widowed far too young, and exhausted from juggling the hotel with being a dedicated single mom, Hattie Coleman dreams only of making it through each day.

When Erica, Claudia and Anna—lifelong friends who seem to have it all—check in for a girlfriends’ book club holiday, it changes everything. Their close friendship and shared love of books have carried them through life's ups and downs. But Hattie can see they're also packing some major emotional baggage, and nothing prepares her for how deeply her own story is about to become entwined in theirs.

In the span of a week, can these four women come together to improve each other’s lives and make this the start of a whole new chapter?

Find out what happens when a career-driven woman exchanges her briefcase for a Christmas-kissed cottage in USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan's heartwarming story, The Holiday Cottage!

My Thoughts: This story is about four women who are each at a crisis point in their lives and who rely on each other to help each make decisions about their lives. 

It is Christmas time and innkeeper Hattie Coleman is dealing with a temperamental chef, an unpleasant housekeeper, and her own grief at the death of her husband. She's also raising a five-year-old daughter. She feels way over-stressed and under pressure to make her husband's dreams for the inn come true. 

Then three friends from college turning forty check in for their annual book club vacation. Erika has picked the place which seems way out of her comfort zone being much more at home in big cities than in rural Vermont. She's a high-powered executive who does crisis management for big businesses and travels more than she's at home in Manhattan.

Claudia has had her live-in lover of ten years walk out on her for a younger woman and then has lost her job in a high-end restaurant. She's hoping time with friends will help her choose a new direction for her life. 

Anna is a stay-at-home mother who is facing empty nest syndrome as her twins are about ready to go off to college leaving her wondering what to do with the rest of her life. She's loved marrying her college sweetheart, raising her twins, and making a home. She's trying to hold on to all the traditions she and her husband Pete have built up over the years.

But Erika has been keeping a secret. She has recently learned that the father who abandoned her and her mother when she was born had raised a new family. Hattie is the half-sister she never knew she had. Hattie is pleased when she recognizes Erika since her father had talked about her frequently and talked about his regrets at leaving her. Erika's feelings are mixed. She's as ferociously independent as her mother could make her, but she's finding that living alone and not making commitments is a lonely way to live. 

I loved this story. Each of the characters found a way to change with the help of the others. I loved the caring relationships among the college friends. The setting was wonderful. This was a great holiday romance. 

I bought this one December 29, 2023. You can buy your copy here.