It’s a kind offer and I appreciate it, but no thanks.” She knew Christmas would be rough. She didn’t want to inflict her misery on anyone else, and pretending to be fine when you weren’t fine became exhausting after a while. Her Christmas gift to herself would be to give herself permission to feel horrible. It was obvious from the look on Arnie’s face that they’d reached that point in the meeting everyone had been dreading. Stop! If you keep reminding me of the stakes I’ll be waving goodbye to calm.” Lucy pressed her hands to her burning cheeks. “I ran the last mile. Tell me honestly, does my face look like a tomato?” She sat, made miserable by memories, and then caught sight of Arnie’s face and felt guilty for being selfish and thinking about herself when he was going through hell. He was worrying about everyone’s futures. Lucy, I’m your biggest admirer but be realistic. The major agencies are pitching. This is the big time. How would you begin to compete?”

Now for the tough stuff. You all know we lost two big accounts last month. Not our fault. One company is downsizing because they’ve lost so much business lately, and the other is trying to cut costs and decided to go with someone cheaper. I tried telling him that you get what you pay for, but he wasn’t listening. It’s a significant blow,” he said. “I’m not going to pretend otherwise.”

Excerpt

Obviously there’s a lot going on as Lucy thought she was dropping in on an idyllic family at Christmas, one she’s yearned for since the death of her beloved grandmother two years ago. She has no other family and the holidays are hard and lonely. It all gets further complicated when she arrives before Ross and the family seems to believe she’s his new girlfriend. It’s pretty hilarious, especially the delightful but unfiltered Nanna Jean who makes it clear that she wants to see some great grandchildren. When a snowstorm sets in and traps everyone, including Lucy, it makes for interesting dynamics and not everything is lighthearted and cozy. There are real issues going on between Alice and Nico that threaten their relationship. Clemmie’s announcement causes some friction and Glenda feels as if she hasn’t served her children well. Ross and his father continue to struggle, both operating from misconceptions about the other. What looks like the ideal family on the outside is just another normal family dealing with the same issues everyone else has to face. I’m doing fine, thanks.” Now she was the one putting on an act, but that was fine. The last thing he needed was to listen to her problems on top of everything else. “You’ve been working too hard. Maybe you should go home.” Lucy felt the lump in her throat grow. Arnie had so many big things to deal with, but the client was still his priority. Even a client as small as this one. Now if I’m going to recommend you one Christmas book this year, it’s going to be this one. The only thing it’s missing is a prologue - I want to know about both Clemmie and Lucy a year down the line.

It is almost Christmas and the Miller family is holding their big holiday get together with the three adult children coming home to their parents home to celebrate. with all three siblings, Ross, Alice, and Clemmie living in London they do get together quite often and during one of their dinners before returning home they contemplate giving Ross a pretend girlfriend to please their mother who worries of his dating life.Look at that. He’s as handsome as his car. Dark hair. I used to love a man with dark hair, although of course as you grow older your standards change. Now I love a man with any hair. Lucy stood up and headed to the coffee machine. She poured two cups and took one to him. Now that she was close, she could see that his face was pale. “Have you taken something for that indigestion? Maybe I shouldn’t give you this coffee.” This book was so heart-warming but not saccharine. I loved seeing the transformation of the characters and found myself sharing their emotions along the way – by the end of the novel, I was grinning like a Cheshire cat! What makes this book so enjoyable is that Morgan doesn’t just focus on the children of the Miller family. The narrative perspective shifts between Lucy, Clemmie, Alice and then the girl’s mother, Glenda. Yes, it is told all from female viewpoints, but I liked the difference in generations and the role they have within the Miller household. In my opinion, this helped to make the story more interesting because of the varied interpretation of how family life was playing out in this secluded lodge in Scotland.

It’s a Christmas campaign,” Arnie returned to the subject they’d been discussing before she’d interrupted. “Think festive sparkle, think Christmas trees, think snow. We want photographs of log fires, luxurious throws, candles, mugs of hot chocolate heaped with marshmallows. And fairy lights. Fairy lights everywhere. The images need to be so festive and appealing that people who think they hate Christmas suddenly fall in love with Christmas. Most of all they need to feel that their Christmas will not be complete unless they buy themselves and everyone they know, a—” Arnie looked blank. “What is the product called again?” A train set?” Ryan, the intern, grinned. “He does know that a baby can’t play with a train set, doesn’t he?” My grandmother knitted it. She said the sparkly yarn was a nightmare to work with. Feels weird wearing it today of all days, but Arnie insisted that we look festive so here I am, bringing the sparkle. They’ve started?” She’d hoped she might just make it, but the desks around her were all empty. Alice Miller, an ER doctor who loves her job, bringing a boyfriend home for the first time and anxious about the message it sends and assumptions her family will make. Alice may be good at her job, but not so great with personal relationships, which puts her romance in jeopardy. There was an exchange of glances. A few people shifted in their chairs and sneaked glances at Lucy.What I got: Half a dozen female point of views. Lucy, both of Ross' sisters and his mother. No point of view for Ross, but it wasn't needed because this wasn't Lucy and Ross's holiday romance story. (Lucy and Ross don't even meet until 40 % into the damn book!) This is a holiday contemporary fiction story following 4 woman as they navigate personal drama.

Also,” he said, pausing by the door, breathless, “I have a train set arriving here today. Can someone take the delivery?” An uninvited guest
Lucy Clarke is facing a Christmas alone, and the prospect of losing her job unless she can win a major piece of business from Ross Miller. She’ll deliver her proposal to his family home in the Scottish Highlands and then leave. After all, she wouldn’t want to intrude on the Miller’s perfect family Christmas.Lucy replaced her running shoes with suede boots, hopping around as she pulled them on. Her fingers were so cold she fumbled. “Sorry. Forgot my gloves.” She thrust her bag toward Rhea, who stowed it under the desk. Don’t worry. I know sport isn’t your thing,” Arnie said. “It was just an idea. Grasping at straws. Even if we came up with an idea that was a game changer, Ross Miller is a tough cookie. I doubt he’s going to give us a meeting or agree to hear our pitch. He has always used the big names. We’re not on his approved agency list.” Ross - owns a successful fitness company, although he has dated his priority is his work and he knows he will be asked about his love life which he wants to avoid Clemmie - The youngest who has none of the ambition of her siblings, she is a highly sought after Nanny a job her mother has never understood why she needed to go to London because of all her kids Clemmie was the one who was more suited to live in the highlands. Clemmie has her reasons Don’t be. I’ve never been happier, that’s the truth, and if some family tension is the price I have to pay then I’ll gladly pay it. And we’d love to have you.”