Suzanne and Stewart McBride are getting the best Christmas gift: all three of their adopted daughters will be home this year, and each sister is bringing her own gift of drama along. Relationship ups and downs can become more pronounced under stress and the fear of disappointing those closest to us. This story gives each daughter, plus her parents, an individual opportunity to face these anxieties and concerns in their own way. VERDICT With the variety of personalities here, it's easy to find one character in particular to identify with to still root for the entire family. The Scottish Highland setting adds special moments in this tender family drama.

Morgan (How to Keep a Secret) mixes angst, love, and family in an all-too-lifelike emotional jumble of childhood hurts, sisterly rivalry, and unexpected pregnancies that's as much women's fiction as romance. As children, sisters Hannah, Beth, and Posy lost their parents to a mountain-climbing accident. Adopted by their mother's friend Suzanne, the accident's sole survivor, and her husband, Stewart, the sisters move from Washington State to Scotland. Fast-forward 25 years, and Hannah is a driven workaholic who refuses to get close to anyone; Beth is a stay-at-home mother to two rambunctious girls and longs for her old career; and Posy, a frustrated adventurer, remains with Suzanne and Stewart, running the family cafe. Heading home for Christmas, each sister holds a painful secret. Suzanne feels responsible for making everyone happy—until unexpected visitors prove Christmas magic exists. Heartfelt and sensitive, Morgan's sometimes bittersweet Christmas tale emphasizes the importance of family. (Oct.)