Moonlight Over Manhattan

From Manhattan with Love #6

by Sarah Morgan

She'll risk everything for her own Christmas miracle...

Determined to conquer a lifetime of shyness, Harriet Knight challenges herself to do one thing a day in December that scares her, including celebrating Christmas without her family. But when dog walker Harriet meets her newest client, exuberant spaniel Madi, she adds an extra challenge to her list--dealing with Madi's temporary dog sitter, gruff doctor Ethan Black, and their very unexpected chemistry.

Ethan thought he was used to chaos, until he met Madi--how can one tiny dog cause such mayhem? To Ethan, the solution is simple--he will pay Harriet to share his New York apartment and provide twenty-four-hour care. But there's nothing simple about how Harriet makes him feel.

Ethan's kisses make Harriet shine brighter than the stars over moonlit Manhattan. But when his dog-sitting duties are over and Harriet returns to her own home, will she dare to take the biggest challenge of all--letting Ethan know he has her heart for life, not just for Christmas?

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Fiction, Audiobook

384 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2017

About the author

About Sarah

USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes romance and contemporary women's fiction and her trademark humour and warmth have gained her fans across the globe. Sarah lives near London, England, and when she isn't reading or writing she loves being outdoors.

THE ISLAND VILLA (Title SUMMER WEDDING in the UK) is out now! Watch out for Sarah's next Christmas novel, THE BOOK CLUB HOTEL (title THE CHRISTMAS BOOK CLUB in the UK) coming September.

Join Sarah on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSarahM...
Follow Sarah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahMorgan_
Follow Sarah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahmorgan...
Follow Sarah on Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/SarahMorgan_/
Website: www.sarahmorgan.com





Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Dash fan · Rating 5 out of 5]

5☆ Heart Warming Festive Romance

Moonlight over Manhatten is the 6th book in the series, but my first ever book by Sarah Morgan.
However i really do feel you can read this comfortably as a standalone.

Moonlight over Manhatten is a story of finding the confidence to find love and start a new beginning. It's a heartwarming story about facing up to your fears. Not forgetting the adorable pup Madi.

Poor Harriet really doesn't seem to have any luck with finding love. She is very shy and lacks self confidence.
Harriet is a Twin and her sister is her backbone and definitely the confident one.
But when she finds love herself she leaves Harriet having to face life head on, on her own!

So Harriet decides to break down her barriers slowly one day at a time, by challenging herself to do one challange a day that pushes her boundaries! In turn hoping to grow as a person and build up her confidence.

So when Harriet meets Ethan, the grumpy yet very sexy Dr things just might be looking up for her!
You see Harriet and Ethan's first encounter with each other is in A&E where Harriet finds herself with a bad ankle after escaping from a date with disastrous but hilarious consequences.

So when they bump into each other again dog walking. Ethan asks Harriet to help him with his sister's pup Madi.

Ethan hasn't got a clue how to care for Madi and what with his job he just hasn't got the time he needs for Madi.
So he persuades Harriet to move in with him temporary to help settle Madi and look after her.

This is one HUGE challange for Harriet and really will push all of her boundaries at once.
So she shocks herself when she agrees.

As the two get closer it's so heart warming to see Harriet grow in confidence.
But is it all too late and will Ethan open his eyes to how amazing and beautiful inside and out Harriet is before it's too late??

This is such a beautiful story, and I'm sure people will relate to Harriet and her shyness. It was a joy to watch her grow in confidence.
Any book that features pups is a big win for me. So I was hooked from just reading the blurb.

But once I started reading I fell in love with the story and Sarah swept me away with her Characters and the festive feel good factor.

Definetly recommend this book to readers looking for a warm, endearing festive read, that will melt your heart and have you rooting for love.

Perfect read for lovers of Chick Lit and Romance with a sprinkle of humour and feel good festive cheer.

I can't wait to read More from Sarah Morgan!

I received this book from the Publisher in exchange for a honest and fair review in which I voluntarily reviewed.

My Review is also on my blog website:
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2017/1...

[Paromjit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect festive read featuring characters we have previously been introduced to and set in Manhattan, New York. It features the lovely Harriet Knight, who is shy, vulnerable, and the twin of the more feisty Fliss who has just moved out of their shared apartment. Fliss and brother, Daniel, have met their partners in previous novels, and both are protective when it comes to Harriet. Harriet has lived her life being sheltered by them, but as their lives move on, she is determined to protect herself and learn those things she need to learn. With this in mind, she aims to challenge herself every day by doing at least one thing that pushes her out of her comfort zone and gets her standing on her own two feet. This spurs Harriet on to her third disappointing internet date, escaping through a window when she hurts her ankle. This leads to her fortuitous meeting with Dr Ethan Black in A & E.

Ethan's sister has a family emergency that entails leaving their dog, Madi, with Ethan for a few days, whilst Harriet walks him in the day. Harriet runs the successful Bark Rangers, a dog walking service with Fliss. Ethan is hopeless with dogs, and after returning to his apartment to find it comprehensively wrecked by Madi, he takes it out on Harriet whom at first he does not recognise. From such unprepossessing beginnings, the two go on to build a relationship where they begin to matter to each other. However, there are obstacles for both, Harriet has to venture into areas that bring her discomfort and Ethan has been married before to Alison, which has dented his confidence in himself as suitable marriage material as he blames himself for its breakdown. Will the two of them overcome all that stands between them?

I have read a number of Sarah Morgan novels, and so far this has been my favourite. Of course, it is fantasy, but Morgan builds such an enticing web of a heartwarming story in the snowy streets of New York. It is a take on Cinderella, as the sensitive and compassionate Harriet has to battle to not retreat into her shell and open herself up to all that love brings, including the capacity to be irretrievably hurt. This novel was a seamless delight to read from beginning to end and is ideal for those times you need a reliable pick me up. Wonderful festive reading! Many thanks to Harlequin for an ARC.

[Rebecca Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

If you're looking for the perfect Christmas book, then look no further.
It made me laugh, feel sad, smile and feel all warm and cozy inside like I'd just had a yummy, comforting, steaming cup of Bailey's hot chocolate or mulled wine in front of a roaring fire on a chilly winter's day.

For one month between Thanksgiving and Christmas Harriet decides it's time to step out of her comfort zone, and do something that challenges her. She's on a mission to find her confidence as she certainly doesn't want regrets or to live her life alone. She loves dogs - being a pro dog walker - but she craves human intimacy.

On one of her challenges (a date with a guy she met online) she escapes through a bathroom window, only to fall heavily on her ankle. A visit to the ED introduces her to the gorgeous Dr Ethan Black. She can't stop thinking about him when suddenly fate intervenes and her path crosses his again. Harriet can't imagine a guy like Ethan being interested in someone like her, and that's fine by her; he makes Harriet feel uncomfortable which only brings back her childhood stammer. When they are thrown together for a few days in a snowy Manhattan, will the snow thaw slightly when love blossoms, or will Harriet keep to her vow of not dating...

Anyone who has read "Holiday in the Hamptons" will remember getting to know the twins Harriet and Fliss Knight - specifically Fliss - in that book. "Moonlight over Manhattan" is told from the perspective of Harriet, the shyer of the twins. You most definitely do not need to have read the Hampton's book prior to this. They can be read as standalone books, although it's nice to get to catch up with characters from books read a few years back. Sarah Morgan seems to have a lot of cross references between her characters and books, as through Ethan there's a link to the O'Neils at the Snow Crystal resort. Which makes reading her books feel like catching up with old friends.

This is such a lovely and heart warming book with endearing and like able characters. It is on the slushy fairy tale romance side of the spectrum, but Christmas is the time of year I prefer to read books that warm you up from the inside out, full of characters you instantly warm to.

I adored the story line and how Harriet was brave enough to step out of her comfort zone and put herself out there. As Sarah Morgan herself says "it's a story about pushing the boundaries. It's about courage, friendship and of course romance, all wagainst the snowy, sparkly backdrop of New York City". Just a perfect book to read in the run up to Christmas.

Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the opportunity to read this ARC, in return for an honest and unbiased review.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vivacious, uplifting, and downright swoon-worthy!

Moonlight Over Manhattan, the latest novel in the From Manhattan with Love series, is a delightful, character-driven rom-com set in the snowy streets of New York City that introduces us to the sweet, devoted, caring Harriet and the organized, dependable, stoic Ethan as they discover that everything they need and want they may just find in each other.

The prose is witty and crisp. The characters, including the supporting characters, are engaging, fun-loving, and affable. And the plot is a truly festive treat with lots of heart, humour, soul-searching, heat, spirit, and chemistry.

Moonlight Over Manhattan is undeniably another bestseller for Morgan. It's enchanting, effortless, and the perfect holiday read.

Thank you to NetGalley, especially Harlequin Books, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

All my reviews can be found on my blog at https://whatsbetterthanbooks.com

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Do one thing every day that scares you." This is our heroine: Harriet's motto for a month and it was such a joy to watch her try to better herself with this challenge. Our hero: Ethan can be a little scary, especially for someone as shy and timid as Harriet. But a cutie pie pup forces them to spend more time together, easing her comfort level. With tons of chemistry, some emotion, humor, and Sarah Morgan's guaranteed smiles, Moonlight Over Manhattan is another winning addition to an already amazing series. From Manhattan with Love is a collection of connected standalones so just pick one and get started!

My favorite quote:
“Who invented flu?” “Someone who decided that even a confident man needs to be laid low once in a while. It's good for you to be reminded that you're not all-powerful.”

Sarah Morgan's From Manhattan with Love series includes the following installments as of December 2017:
#0.5: Midnight at Tiffany's
#1: Sleepless in Manhattan
#2: Sunset in Central Park
#3: Miracle on 5th Avenue
#3.5: A New York Christmas Fairy Tale
#4: New York, Actually
#5: Holiday in the Hamptons
#6: Moonlight over Manhattan

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit after New York, Actually and Holiday in the Hamptons failed to hit the heights of the first three books in the From Manhattan with Love series, I did go into this with some trepidation. And I was so pleased to discover that Harriet and Ethan brought back some of the Sarah Morgan magic that's been hiding from me.



This was very much a book that grew on me as the story progressed, as did Harriet and Ethan with a chemistry which very much builds as they get to know one another. He's not an easy nut to crack and there were times when I wanted to shake him but, after a wobbly start, Harriet begins to bring out the best in him. As he does her and if you've ever suffered from shyness, then you can't not feel an affinity to Harriet.

"Life would be so much easier if I was better with people."

I really enjoyed the path that Sarah took this story, despite it taking some time to get there, holding a lovely emotional angle—largely down to Harriet, but partly courtesy of Ethan's fellow doctor, Susan who I hope gets her story told—and for lovers of the Snow Crystal series there's a real treat in store. All in all a nice addition to the series which has a winter/festive element, but isn't overly done so can be read at any time of year.

"Make her cry and I’ll hunt you down and fillet you."

Copy received courtesy of Harlequin via NetGalley

[Ivana - Diary of Difference · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book, full of love, joy, dogs and Christmas spirit. I really loved Harriet and Ethan's characters and I fell in love with both of them. Wonderful book!

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harriet is the shy one of the Knight siblings, having struggled with a stutter when she was young she was used to her brother and sister running interference in high-stress situations. Now that Harriet’s brother and sister have found love, she’s sort of left alone. Not that she begrudges that, Harriet’s thrilled they’ve found love and happiness, but it has made her step back and take stock of her own life, and finds she’s led a sheltered, closed-off existence. With a determination to take life by the horns, she embarks on an experiment: Challenge Harriet: Do the opposite of what the old Harriet would do, and come out of her shell. I admired Harriet’s courage; doing the last thing she’d want to ever do every day, trying to live life with gusto.

Dr. Ethan Black puts Harriet’s experiment to the test; bringing on high-tension situations for a variety of reasons, at first because he’s intimidating and quite a jerk, and then for other, more pleasant reasons.

I just loved this romance! The book description makes the story sound all light-hearted, and superficial fun, but Moonlight Over Manhattan was wonderfully full of emotions! Harriet and Ethan were lovely, well-formed characters that I grew attached to. I wanted nothing but happiness for them; together, of course! This was my first Sarah Morgan, but it won’t be my last!

A copy was kindly provided by HQN via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This review is also posted at The Readers Den.

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s no secret that I don’t read a great deal of contemporary romance, but I know that many have enjoyed the other books in Sarah Morgan’s  From Manhattan With Love  series, so when the latest instalment –Moonlight Over Manhattan – came up for review, I thought I’d give it a try.  On the whole, reading it was a successful venture; I enjoyed the author’s upbeat, gently humorous style and both central characters; and while there’s nothing new here, this would certainly be a good option for anyone looking for a comforting and engaging seasonal read.

Harriet Knight (twin sister of Fliss from Holiday in the Hamptons) is fed up with being treated like she’s a little on the fragiie side by her twin and older brother.  She recognises that their intentions have always been good, but realises now that their protectiveness has resulted in her never really having to tackle anything difficult, whether professionally – where Fliss handles the admin and the awkward clients of the dog-walking company they run together – or personally, so she’s never really had to step outside her comfort zone.  This protectiveness originates from their childhood, which was a miserable one owing to the continual tension that existed between their parents, their never-ending rows and their father’s frequent verbal abuse, which terrified Harriet. The fact that she had a stammer just made things worse – and recognising her particular vulnerability, Fliss and Daniel always tried to divert their father’s attention and protect her from the worst of his vitriol.

With Fliss now settled in the Hamptons with her husband, Harriet feels somewhat adrift, and is determined to forge a new path for herself and take charge of her life.  To this end, the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas is designated as Challenge Harriet month, one month during which she will do things she doesn’t normally do or finds difficult – one day, one thing at a time.

One of those challenges is to go on dates.  It’s not that Harriet is desperate for a man – although having someone in her life might be nice if it’s the right someone – it’s that she doesn’t find dating easy, and doing things she doesn’t find easy is what Challenge Harriet is all about.  Unfortunately, however, by date number three, she’s pretty much had enough, and rather than tell the guy – whose online profile was very clearly misleading – that she thinks they should just go home, she instead makes her exit via the bathroom window, and twists her ankle when she lands outside.  Painfully, she makes her way to the ER to make sure it’s not broken, and is seen by the sinfully gorgeous attending physician, Dr. Ethan Black (in spite of the difference in colouring – Ethan is dark haired and blue-eyed –  my mind at this point immediately flew to George Clooney in the early days of ER… *sigh*) who tells her her ankle is badly sprained and to keep off of it for a while.

Ethan Black went into the family business, as it were – his father and grandfather are both doctors – but whereas those two gentlemen went into general practice in their home town – where they know everybody – Ethan decided he didn’t want that and has made a career as a trauma physician. A brief marriage with an equally career-oriented woman didn’t work and since his divorce, Ethan is realising that while switching off his deeper emotions is a necessity in order for him to be able to do his job, switching them on again isn’t so easy, and that if he’s not careful, he’ll forget how to do it completely. But then, he’s not too worried about that; he’s not cut out for romantic relationships anyway.

Or so he thinks. When his sister asks him to dog-sit while she leaves town to deal with a family emergency, he isn’t wild about the idea, but it’s one of the few things Karen has ever asked him for and he can’t turn her down. Fortunately, Karen’s dog-walker (guess who?) will be around to take Madi out, so she’ll be fine while Ethan’s at work. Except… Madi isn’t. On the first day, Ethan returns home to find his apartment looking like it’s been turned over, and in the middle of it is a young woman he doesn’t immediately recognise. Ethan prides himself on his even-temperedness and his ability to remain calm in a crisis, but this is too much and he explodes – and Harriet, furious that he could be so unconcerned for the dog, dishes it right back. Thankfully, Ethan’s natural calm reasserts itself and he realises how unjust he’s been; apologies are made, things are set to rights and hopefully Madi will be more settled from now on.

But that is proved to be a pipe dream when one of Ethan’s neighbours tells him that the dog howled all day and the day before while he was at work. Ethan doesn’t want to be asked to move out, so he asks Harriet if, instead of just taking Madi for walks, she will actually move in and dog-sit until Karen comes back. Harriet is unsure at first. Dog-sitting isn’t something she normally does, but in the spirit of Challenge Harriet she decides to make an exception. Madi is distressed at the loss of her family and familiar surroundings, and if there’s one thing that Harriet could never do, it’s abandon an animal in trouble.

Of course, it’s easy to see where this is going. Harriet is one of life’s natural ‘nesters’, her childhood experiences having made her determined to create warmth and tranquillity wherever she goes. She’s most definitely smitten with Ethan, but makes it very clear that the things she’s doing – cooking, making the place more homely – are things she’s doing for herself, and not in any attempt to impress or romance him. Ethan can’t deny, however, that he is impressed, or that he’s strongly attracted to Harriet. But given they both want different things from life, anything long-term between them is off the table. Isn’t it?

Ethan and Harriet are likeable, nicely-drawn characters, but although I applauded Harriet for her determination to challenge herself, at times, I found her a little naïve. On the whole though, I enjoyed watching her grow in confidence as she worked out what she wanted and what she deserved from life. Ethan initially comes across as rather cold and aloof, but deep down, he’s a caring, compassionate man whose defence mechanisms are in danger of pushing aside that part of him for good. Like Harriet, Ethan realises that he needs to challenge himself to do something different – in his case, by allowing himself to open up to another person and to believe that he does have what it takes to be someone’s ‘forever family’.

With its sweetly sensual romance, cute doggy pals and entertaining secondary characters – someone give Ethan’s colleague and friend, Susan, her own late-night chat show stat! – Moonlight Over Manhattan is a satisfying, undemanding story that delivers on both the romance and the Christmassy schmaltz, and is just the thing to curl up with on a cold, grey winter’s afternoon.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 - "I live my life in my comfort zone..." Stars!

The sixth book in Sarah Morgan’s From Manhattan with love series finally beings us Harriet Knight’s story.



I started this book with some trepidation, having not managed to finish its predecessor; Holiday in the Hamptons, and finding brother Daniel’s book New York, Actually a tad lackluster compared to the first three books in this series, Moonlight Over Manhattan finally returned to the stellar quality of writing and story-line that I have come to expect from this author.

"Relationships are complicated…"

Harriet and Ethan’s book reminded me a little of Eva and Lucas’s book; Miracle on 5th Avenue in that they are a couple thrown together over the seasonal period, and are both a little lost when it comes to their personal life and connections.

She was the sort of woman men wanted to help. Not the sort they wanted to help themselves too…

Sarah gave me the slow build, the simmering chemistry, and the burning emotional connection that I have come to expect from her writing with this couple, and things progress between them at a steady pace, all played out around the care of a highly strung dog, meddling colleagues, friends and family.

Hot he might be, but he wasn’t her type at all…

We get to return to Snow Crystal Resort for a catch up which I loved, and as usual the author delivered a story, brimming with seasonal magic, romance and sparkle. But I do think this series has run its course now in all honesty, and stopping with Moonlight Over Manhattan would certainly close it out on a high point. I am sure we will get to catch up with the characters we have met through the books in future stories and series’ as the author always manages to crossover at points, I hope that the author has something fresh and new up her sleeve for her readers in 2018, with a different locale and lots of new characters to get to know.

ARC generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for the above honest review.

[Fanny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Durante el 90% de esta lectura estaba convencida de ponerle las cuatro estrellas, obviamente Moonlight Over Manhattan no deja de ser un romance sencillo y predecible pero la verdad es que me estaba gustado mucho, sin embargo, en el 10% restante quede un poco insatisfecha, no me agrado completamente el cambio tan brusco que sufre el protagonista masculino, quede con ganas de que su transformacion hubiese sido mas lenta y real, ademas es imperdonable que no haya un epilogo transcurrido un tiempo.

En lineas generales, Moonlight Over Manhattan fue una novela que me dio justo lo que buscaba en este momento : una historia amena, entretenida y sin mucho drama que me hiciera desconectar, con el plus de tener a unos personajes principales con los que es muy facil encariñarse.

Harriet siempre me ha gustado. Ya desde su primera aparicion tuve la sensacion de que su personalidad iba a ser muy entrañable, me gusto que no fuera simplemente una " chica buena ", sino que tambien sacaba su caracter cuando era necesario, encima su evolucion a lo largo del libro me dejo mas que encantada.

Ethan me sorprendio, al leer la premisa no imaginaba que el fuera a ser un protagonista tan humano y carismatico, erroneamente pense que seria un personaje frio y distante pero para nada fue asi, puede que en un inicio sea un poco seco, no obstante, con el paso de los capitulos lo vas conociendo y te va conquistando.

En definitiva, Moonlight Over Manhattan fue una historia romantica, fresca, encantadora y que te da muy buenas vibraciones. Es simplemente una lectura ( casi ) redonda.

3.5 Estrellas!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god you guys, this was the most adorable book I’ve read in a long time! I don’t think I’ve been introduced to a cuter fictional couple in…well maybe ever actually. I absolutely adored every single page of this feel good read and am now a huge fan of Morgan and can’t wait to go back and read some of her earlier work.

Harriet was my idea of the perfect romantic comedy heroine. She’s cute, smart, kind and funny but she is far from perfect, they type of person any woman could relate to. I love the idea of challenging yourself to do things outside of your comfort zone and I so admired her courage. Ethan is the type of romantic lead that you can’t help but swoon over, he’s a handsome doctor for crying out loud but the cliches stop there. They were both extremely well developed and just so much fun! Their relationship progressed at a natural rate, no instant love or annoying, overused tropes to be found here, but their connection was undeniable, magical and flirty.

This had a whole lot of heart alongside some sass, there were also a few sexy moments and enough romance to knock me off of my feet. It’s set in NYC during the holidays, is there anything more romantic than that?! I think not. I can’t say enough good things about this one, it was perfection in my eyes and had exactly what I want when I’m in the mood for a romance and a surprising amount of depth and maturity that I wasn’t anticipating but I wholeheartedly appreciated.

[Lea · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a DNF for me. I was expecting a cute and cosy romance, but what I got was a paint-by-numbers story of a Mary Sue and a guy who's a ~doctor~.

The fact that he's a doctor, and the myriad virtues this apparently entails, take up a large portion of the book. I don't know where people get this idea, but doctors aren't angels. They are regular people who happen to practice medicine. They aren't necessarily sensitive, caring, patient, kind, sexy (etc) just because they are doctors.

The way the main character Harriet was written really bothered me also. She's 29 and lives in New York, but so naive that she "doesn't know people lie in their internet dating profiles". She has this challenge to put herself through uncomfortable situations so she can toughen up, and if you forget this is a contemporary romance, it reads exactly like the beginning of a horror book. When she meets the love interest in his home for the first time (if you don't count the time he treated her twisted ankle in the ER before) for dog-walking, he yells and berates her for something that isn't her fault and terrifies her, but she forces herself to stay at his house after he's "calmed down" even though her insticts tell her to flee. The next time she sees him he manipulates her into moving into his house to take care of the dog, something she absolutely doesn't want to do (she offered to take the dog to her house and he refused).

She could have stayed in the comfort and security of her apartment. It was what she wanted. [...] She didn't want to stay in a stranger's apartment. Which was exactly why she was doing this. Spending a few nights with Ethan Black would be the ultimate challenge.

Tell me that doesn't sound like she's getting murdered and dismembered in a few pages!

When she tells her sister (called Fliss, don't get me started) about this plan, in fact, the first thing her sister tells her is that the guy sounds like a serial killer. And then Harriet tells her that he's the doctor who treated her twisted ankle in the ER in the beginning of the book.

"Well, why didn't you say so right away? Now I approve. Harriet Knight, congratulations." (Not ironic, by the way)

Look, this is too much for me. I know contemporary romances have a lot of leeway for unrealistic storylines, and that's fine by me. I love it. But I draw the line at stories that romanticize unsafe behaviour for women. This story is just crazy.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah Morgan is (IMHO) one of those elite authors, a definite favourite of mine, that I always keep an eye on for when they have new books being released. She is a skilled wordsmith, bringing to life the characters, scenarios and ensuring her readers feel connected to them. This is the sixth book in the series - Sleepless In Manhattan, Sunset in Central Park, Miracle on 5th Avenue, New York Actually and Holiday in the Hamptons are the earlier books. Whilst they have some of the same core characters in them, I don’t think it is essential to have read the earlier stories to appreciate this one, though it is great to discover what has happened to them!

As usual, this is a heartwarming, uplifting story of overcoming fears to face challenges head on and growing in confidence as a result. The heroine is Harriet Knight, who has always been protected by her twin sister, Fliss, and brother, Daniel. Now her siblings have found the love of their lives, Harriet is challenging herself to face her fears and move on without their constant backing. One such challenge is to use online dating - and this third such date results in her visiting A&E with an injured ankle. Here she is treated by the hot doctor, Ethan Black. Both assume they’ll never meet again but fate is about to intervene in the form of his sister’s dog, Madi……

As, after a stormy initial encounter, the two work together to look after Madi, it is heartening how Ethan helps Harriet face her challenges, and both develop personally and in their relationship as the story progresses. There’s a particularly dramatic episode when honesty threatens to ruin any possibility of them having a HEA together but the finale is so sweet and poignant - so appropriate for this delightful festive romance. I have no hesitation in highly recommending this (and all Sarah Morgan’s other books) to anyone who enjoys beautiful stories of facing fears and overcoming impediments to achieve your HEA to read this brilliant page turner that I really didn’t want to put down until I’d read it from cover to cover!

I requested and received a copy of this novel, via NetGalley, with no obligation. This is my honest review after choosing to read it.

[Monica (crazy_4_books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

(read for the #ohwhatfunreadathon hosted by Mackenzie Lane for the challenge: read a book with the word "light" on the cover)
This romantic story set around Christmastime in Manhattan was cute, but not my favorite. I have some conclusions reaching the end of year of what tropes I don't really fancy in romance books:
- Insta-love trope: the story unfolds during 5 weeks until Christmas day. Girl meets boy and they fall for each other, apparently, on the spot. But instead of telling each other their feeling they just keep beating around the bush.
- Slow burn romance: one thing is to build a friendship between characters than later develops into a romantic one, with all the things that that change could damage or not the friendship. It isn't the case here, the girl is infatuated with him from the start, but the guy says again and again he's better off alone in uncommitted relationships, so this thing becomes a slow burn until they finally have sex, 100 pages before the end. I'd be fine if they had been friends before, but they just met. I don't disprove of having sex from the start, but here is neither one or the other case scenario.
- Once they become romantically involved the story develops in common places, situations that are all over in many other books and in movies.
- The Christmas background is just that, a background, does not have weight in the story line, at least not much.
- The girl has a toxic relationship with her father, with whom she's not in contact anymore. She mentions events involving her father when she was growing up that are quite serious but the book doesn't go far into digging the matter. I guess because it's a rom-com the writer wanted to keep things light and easy, she should have stick to comedy situations.
This is my first Sarah Morgan book. I'm planning to read at least a couple more to see if I like her writing or not. Right now, if I had to choose I'd choose Sophie Kinsella because her rom-com books are light and easy with lots of funny situations. On the other hand there are writers that can balance both comical and dramatic sides of a story, like the book "The overdue life of Amy Byler" or "The bookish life of Nina Hill" to mention 2019 releases, but in this one I found an unbalance; hence the 3-star rating.
One surprising fact: once the characters have sex scenes, they were more steamy that I was anticipating. One not surprising fact: the guy is a doctor, and he's basically "McSteamy" from Grey's Anatomy.

[Brandie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much!!

[Bookread2day · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, I do always enjoy Sarah Morgan's books. Harriet is a twin just like marykate and Ashley Olsen. The only trouble is that Harriet is the shy one, and her confident twin has just moved out of their apartment. When Harriet decides to go on an oline dating site she describes herself as a dog walker and spends her days with handsome four legged animals. Harriet meets up with a man but he wasn't exactly the way his profile described him. It was a complete mistake Harriet meeting him. With a brilliant bright idea she escapes from him by climbing out of the ladies room window. Maybe it wasn't a clever idea climbing out the window as she twists her ankle and has to be taken to hospital. But it appears that Harriet is in good hands with the doctor Ethan Black as the chemistry between them made my day. This book has the romantic atmosphere factor.

[Grace {Rebel Mommy Book Blog} · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Rebel Mommy Book Blog

[Elisa ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO FREAKING GOOD!

this book has: a hero that doesn't think he has feelings and falls for a sweet heroine
dogs
he gets sick and she takes care of him!!!
Christmas vibes.

this book just gave me all the feelings i wanted to feel, it was like a warm hug.

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4’5✨

[Els · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!!

[Katherine 黄爱芬 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harriet Knight ini heroine "underdog" dlm pikiran saya. Bayangkan saja sbg anak yg tumbuh tanpa kasih sayang seorang ayah, mudah gagap dan kikuk dlm menghadapi pergaulan sosial, rasa-rasanya sulit membayangkan perkembangan Harriet. Dan disinilah letak jempolannya author. Dia sukses mengubah Harriet yg bukan siapa-siapa menjadi Harriet yg mandiri dan berani menghadapi tantangannya setiap saat.

Harriet sudah mencoba kencan daring dan selalu berakhir dgn kegagalan, bahkan yg terakhir membuatnya hrs ke IGD bertemu dokter seksi yg dingin, Dr. E. Black. Ethan memang tidak tertarik pd Harriet di awal, apalagi dicomblangi oleh kakaknya. Nehi!!! Geli!!! Itulah dlm pikiran Ethan mengingat kegagalan pernikahannya yg tidak disesalinya sama sekali. Sbg dokter yg berdedikasi dan workaholic, Ethan sudah membiasakan dirinya mengesampingkan perasaan. Hingga kemunculan Harriet yg menjaga anjing milik kakaknya mengubah pola perasaannya ini.

Saya suka interaksi Ethan dan Harriet sejak awal. Bukan hubungan yg mulus layaknya jalan tol, justru Ethan memulai dgn sangat buruk, membentak Harriet sehingga kegagapan Harriet kambuh setelah bertahun-tahun menghilang. Untunglah Ethan langsung menyadari kesalahannya dan dia "memanipulasi" Harriet utk tinggal bersamanya demi menjaga anjing manja milik kakaknya. Tapi malah di saat-saat terakhir Ethan sakit demam parah, Harriet mengeluarkan sisi terbaiknya, sangat bisa diandalkan utk merawat orang sakit. Dan kepiawaian Harriet dlm memasak dan rumahan mulai mengikis pertahanan diri Ethan yg tadinya seketat penjara Alcatraz.

Hingga saat liburan di Vermont, Harriet melakukan tindakan drastis yg mengubah semua hubungannya dgn Ethan. Harriet membuktikan dirinya berani mengambil keputusan. Harriet sudah memperjuangkan cintanya semaksimal mungkin tetapi dia takkan sudi mengemis cintanya. Bravo Harriet!!!!



Biasanya saya gak suka kalau relationship di novel berkat provokasi dan matchmaking dari seluruh keluarga ataupun kolega, tetapi yg ini pengecualian. Karena hubungan mereka bukan berdasarkan dikipas-kipasi, tetapi memang tumbuh dan berkembang dari kebersamaan mereka, baik saat susah maupun senang. Dan mereka sama-sama berubah ke arah yg lebih baik berkat kehadiran satu sama lain, mengisi kekurangan pasangannya tetapi tidak mengubah mereka utk menjadi sempurna, tetapi menyempurnakan sinergitas mereka.

[Lily (Night Owl Book Cafe) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Solid Stars

Harriet Knight has lived a lifetime in shyness, when she finally decided to conquer her fears, she challenges herself to do one thing a day in December until Christmas that scares her. That includes online dating, which ends in disaster when the man that showed up at a date is much older than he said he was, a climb out the bathroom window to escape, and a hospital visit due to an injured ankle.

Ethan Black is a workaholic, a doctor that is rough around the edges and has already gone through one miserable relationship. He didn’t count on the fact that he will be sitting his sister’s dog, or that the dog will try and destroy his apartment. So he asks his dog sitter to move into his apartment temporarily, not expecting the explosion in chemistry that follows.

This was cute, it was a decent read. I can see why people loved it.

For me? It didn’t get interesting until about 58% into the book. I felt it dragged until then, I was bored, and had a bit of a hard time. There wasn’t anything particularly wrong with it, I just did not find myself really invested and was really bored. It took me 13 days to read this, ouch.

Harriet was sweet, the relationship, once it got to that point, was cute.

Ethan makes a dumb mistake, realizes he makes the dumb mistake and fixes it… All within a few last pages of the book.

Felt same old.

Also, this takes place in NYC and snows a lot right before Christmas. I lived in NYC for like 15 years and I wish there was this much snow before Christmas…Happens, but not as often and wonderfully as this book made it timing wise.

Overall, romance lovers will enjoy this one. It’s sweet, it’s got winter, good characters and good writing.

[Cori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This week, I also read Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe and explained that, growing up, one of the Christmas traditions my mom had was to play ridiculously predictable and cheesy Hallmark movies from Thanksgiving to New Year, all day every day. And dagnabbitall if it doesn't have nostalgia for me now. So here I am reading ridiculously predictable and cheesy Hallmark-esque books around the holidays. Because...you know. Tradition.

Anyways, as far as cheesy goes, I was pleasantly surprised by the book! The plot was predictable, sure. But the characters were decently fleshed out, likeable, and the story line was good. Not horrendously flat (see my last review for a storyline as flat as Iowa).

Also, the male protagonist was an emergency department doctor. I was actually impressed by the author's research into the hospital setting, and then I looked at her bio and found at she was a doctor prior to her career change! So that explains that.

This is a book I'd actually consider reading again in another year or two.

I'd rate it an R for a few sexual scenes.

[Melissasfandomworld · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED this book so much!
This is a perfect Feelgood read to pick up anytime and just let yourself get lost in a lighthearted romance story.

This series in general is one of my favorite go-to series when it comes to Feelgood books so I'd highly recommend picking up this book and the other ones as well!

[Nhi Nguyễn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came to this book expecting a cute, swoon-worthy romance story (look at the beautiful cover, who doesn’t expect some kind of cuteness? ^^), but the novel turned out to be completely different from what I expected. And I couldn’t be happier. Because what Sarah Morgan created in this book is so real; it matches with the fact that no one in this world is perfect, and it may take some people a lot of time to grow and finally come to embrace the love that they deserve.

We have Harriet Knight - a shy, introverted 29-year-old dog walker who had a lot of trouble opening up to people. She stammered whenever someone made her feel anxious or someone was angry at her, which made it hard for her to communicate with other people sometimes, and which made her feel embarrassed. I relate a lot with Harriet, in a sense that I am an introvert just like her, who also feels it’s difficult to open up to strangers, and may take lots of time to eventually warm up to people. And believe or not, sometimes I also stammer, especially when I get nervous or anxious about something that I’m not comfortable with or in some situations that I don’t want to be in.

Then we have Ethan Black - the dashing doctor who had chosen to build his professional life around the emergency unit, which made him constantly have to face all sorts of awful situations and angry patients. This forced Ethan to develop an ability to switch off his emotions in order to be detached from all the crazy stuff that happened around him at work, to the point that he often came off as a rough man.

The first time Harriet met Ethan, some sparks did fly, but they went away fast, as during the second time they met, when Harriet had to come to Ethan’s apartment to pick up his sister’s dog for walking, Ethan was furious and shouted at her because the dog Madi messed up his living space. And just like that, Harriet’s stammer came back to haunt her. We cannot get any more real than that, can we? Relationships don’t always have a meet-cute moment, when everything is all rainbows and unicorns, and this book just proves that.

But the more Harriet and Ethan spent time together, especially when Ethan asked her to stay over as a dog sitter, not just a dog walker, the more they learned about each other’s different sides and personalities. Behind that frightful, anxious, quiet and unassuming appearance, deep down inside, Harriet was such a brave and passionate person, whose life up to this point had been marred by the fact that her father didn’t love her. And also her fear of stammering. Behind that rough and sometimes snarky facade of a doctor, too engrossed in his professional life, was a man who was ready to listen to Harriet, to allow her the time to finish her sentences, and who saw Harriet as she is, not as someone with stammer.

The way both of them started to open up to each other, to grow as individuals and as the two soulmates who finally found the other half, was both so real and so beautiful to read. I immensely enjoyed the banter between Harriet and Ethan, especially the one when Ethan was so sick and Harriet chose to stay to take care of him. So cute, hot, hilarious and sensual ^^ They both brought out the best in each other, and helped improve the other’s undesirable traits. With Ethan, Harriet learned to be more confident, to challenge herself more, and to appreciate herself more. She learned that it was not her fault that her father didn’t love her, although obviously it would still hurt. In return, Harriet softened Ethan’s rough edges, helping him realize that he was not a cold person; he had emotions, he was capable of feeling them, feeling that he truly loved Harriet, and that she was the one for him.

And did I mention this book feature some hot sex scenes? Oh yes, Sarah Morgan delivered me some real steamy and sensual moments, and I’m not complaining :))) Overall, this book touched me a lot, on so many levels, especially the life story of Harriet - I can relate so much with Harriet, not only her shyness, her being an introvert, her difficulty in opening up to stranger, her stammer, but also how the way her family’s story, especially her father’s behaviors, left emotional scars in her. Not that my father did something to seriously impair our father-daughter relationship; it’s just that a lot of things he has done prove to me that he is not a great husband to my mother, and that hurts… That’s why I cried a lot while reading the parts that Harriet talked about her family, the lack of love and light that stemmed from the strained relationship between her father and mother, and how he used Harriet as an entity to vent the anger that he felt toward his wife. Poor young woman, growing up in that kind of household… Gladly she learned to heal all the scars and become a bolder woman, free from any emotional baggage that she had been carrying all along before meeting Ethan.

[Saly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one and seeing Harriet blossom and push herself beyond her comfort zone instead of letting her siblings fight her battles. The hero Ethan is a doctor who is a bit jaded but Harriet and a dog change his life. Overall I have really enjoyed this series by Sarah.

[Pat Marín · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esta mujer ha sido un gran descubrimiento cuando necesito una novela romántica contemporánea bonita, bien escrita y con personajes adorables. Este final de serie es precioso y me ha dejado con muy buen sabor de boca. Sin duda, Harriet es especial. Reseña completa en https://www.lanarradora.com/2020/06/r...

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was adorable, and everything I've come to expect from Morgan. The O'Neil cameo was everything. Fingers crossed for more books in the series.

[Catherine (The Sassy Bookster) · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're in the mood for a sweet read, Sarah Morgan is always a sure bet. MOONLIGHT OVER MANHATTAN is a delightful and heartwarming addition to this series, with an appropriately festive backdrop that will leave you with fond memories of a woman's brave quest to challenge herself which leads to the ultimate prize: love.

Harriet Knight is shy and prefers to be in the background, especially in view of how she grew up. She has always let her siblings slay her dragons for her while wishing she was as fearless as her twin or assertive as her elder brother. Enter Operation Challenge Harriet, an opportunity for her to leave her comfort zone, which does not start out so well but leads her to ER physician, Ethan Black.

Ethan is committed to being successful at every undertaking and he's doing that at his job. Not so much in his personal life and after a failed marriage he has given up on trying again and prefers temporary liaisons that demand nothing from him. Until Harriet makes him want to try again in spite of his fears.

Harriet and Ethan were really enjoyable characters and I loved the slow pace of the story (surprise!) which the author used to draw readers into the world of these characters. The star of this book is obviously Harriet and there is no way to read this book and not have a smile on your face at the end of it. Every page captures her journey from the retiring and bashful character to a confident woman ready to take on the world; like a flower blooming and is an inspiration for anyone looking to make beneficial changes in their lives. 

The end of this book was my favorite part, especially the cameo by the O'Neils and the chance to catch up on their lives. This is the perfect read for the season: lighthearted and fun; and I recommend investing in the whole series even though this book can be read as a standalone.


Disclaimer: I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely mine.

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