One December Morning by Emma Davies

Earlier this year I read my first book by Emma Davies which was called The Midnight Bakery. As soon as I saw that there was going to be a new book out I knew that I was going to read it.

One December Morning starts with a really cute meet-cute. I am sure it is still a meet-cute even when the characters are in their 50s and 60s. When Peg and Henry meet in a petrol station, there is no reason to think that they will ever meet again. Hours later, they are both stuck in a traffic jam on the highway. With no sign of the cars moving, Peg approaches Henry's car and they sit together for a couple of hours chatting, sharing mince pies, until the traffic moves and they go their separate ways. 

It turns out, though, that they are heading in very similar directions. Widow Peg is returning home to her beloved cottage with a patch of wood that she can wander through whenever she needs some peace of mind or inspiration. Peg had been visiting her aging aunt who had been in hospital.

Divorcee Henry is heading a nearby village in the Cotswolds for a visit to his son Adam and uptight daughter in law Sophia. Henry doesn't really enjoy the whole Christmas production which Sophia put on. Everything has to look perfect, taste perfect, and spend time with other perfect people. Henry finds it all very uncomfortable, but he does it out of a sense of duty so that he can spend time with his son. 

After a heated discussion with Adam, Henry goes to find Peg's house looking for refuge. However, things don't come to plan. Peg finds herself becoming involved with Henry's family including Adam, Sophia and her mother Blanche. Adding Peg's aunt Mim and her own daughters into the mix, Peg's plan for a very low key Christmas with just her and a good book have gone right out the window.

Whilst Christmas plays an important part in this story, really the book is about being true to yourself and second chances. Several of the characters are facing unexpected changes in their lives and have the opportunity to think about what life really is all about!

I really enjoyed the first part of the story, and the end was nicely tied up, albeit it did feel a bit rushed. There is an odd change in the direction of the story at a point in the middle which had my scratching my head a bit when it happened. I ended up flipping back a couple of chapters to reread them to try and figure it what happened. In the end I just had to go with it!

I will be looking for books from this author's backlist and, of course, also for any new books she comes out with!

Thanks for Netgalley for the review copy. I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. This will be my last review for the 2025 version of the challenge, but I have already signed up for the 2026 challenge!