Snowed In for Christmas

Finished March 27

Snowed In for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

This romance starts off in London, but most of the action takes place in small town Scotland. Lucy Clarke works for a small advertising firm in London. The staff are close and feel like family to each other. They recently lost two of their biggest accounts, one company was downsizing, and the other cutting costs. As the book opens, it is two weeks until Christmas, and the staff are putting together a campaign for a new product, a campaign with a winter theme, but they are also worried about the future. Unless they can get some  new big accounts, layoffs are likely. They've heard that a UK-based athletic apparel company is looking for a new add company and Lucy knows that, as a smaller firm, they will need to be proactive to get the chance to bid. She is a rising star in her industry and that also gives her a potential edge, as does the skills that got her that reputation.

As the holiday approaches, Lucy decides to double up. Going to Scotland for the shots for the winter campaign for one account and hand delivering the plan for the athletic company at the owner's Scottish family home to make an impression.

The Miller family has a long history with their family-based shortbread company, but all three children in the younger generation have careers in other directions. Ross, the eldest has started his own company, that previously mentioned athletic apparel firm, Alice is a busy London-based doctor, and Clemmie is currently working as a nanny, but has a plan for her future that she's kept to herself until now. As all three plan to return home to Scotland for Christmas, they meet up to get their stories in order and know what they should reveal to their parents about their siblings. Their parents, Glenda and Douglas are keen to have them settle into long-term relationships and provide grandchildren. So is their grandmother Jean. 

Of course, a storm is approaching just in time for the big holiday, and they are all three working to get in ahead of it. Lucy is also planning to drop off the carefully crafted campaign plan and get on the train back to the city.

All of the young people have secrets. Most of these are made clear fairly early in the novel, and there is also some fun factors of coincidence that come into the plot to add humour and quirkiness. 

Pretty much all the characters are pleasant people, nice and well-meaning. Some have insecurities and some have experienced loss, but all are well-meaning and care about those close to them, family and friends. As they are thrown together in this small town, they must work through their issues, have their secrets revealed and dealt with, and come to terms with past issues. 

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, with a feel-good core.