The Book Club Hotel

With charming characters, an idyllic setting, humorous moments, and complex relationships, Morgan’s (The Island Villa) novel is everything readers could ask for on their holiday wish list. Hattie Coleman’s husband died two years ago, leaving her to raise their five-year-old daughter, Delphi, and run the Maple Sugar Inn. For the past 20 years, college friends Erica, Anna, and Claudia have taken a yearly book-club vacation. This year, Erica chooses the cozy Maple Sugar Inn instead of a big-city setting. Preoccupied with their own troubles, Anna and Claudia don’t know that Erica’s more interested in meeting Hattie than enjoying a relaxing getaway. The friends quickly include Hattie in their group, and together these four women face unexpected hurdles and discover, just like Delphi, that Christmas is truly a time of merry miracles. Even secondary characters are given backstories in this novel, and all the issues are thoughtfully discussed before finding possible solutions. This feels realistic, and the magic of a happily-ever-after at Christmas is celebrated in a satisfying way.