You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
When any of the characters in a book are Scottish, I always panic in case they come across as "comedy Scots!" There is no panic with this book though because it's written by an author married to a Scot!
The idiom and pacing of Alexander's character was spot on I think. He was a great blend of grumpy, sweet and protective. Alex's career and his love for puffins makes him an unusual but realistic kind of MMC. His divorce has also made him cautious about a new love.
Rosie leaves everything she has in the US, all for the chance at a HEA in a new life, a bookstore and a new community. She finds everything she's looking for and more! Rosie is sweet, gentle but not a wimp. She can stand up for herself and just because she wants a simple life doesn't make her weak - she makes the choice to have that life, not anyone else.
There is a wee element of fantasy and magic - flying books, etc. The Book Bitches are hilarious and their age really lets them get away with most things! They interfere, bicker and bully/love those around them.
I love when characters from other books pop up or at least get mentioned in newer books, it makes the whole "universe" the characters reside in more real. My fave coo, Clyde, gets a mention so I was over the moon! Tattie the puffin is a dream and I loved the name! The secondary characters, especially Jessica, are all involved in the storyline and I felt like I really got to know them in a small way and they weren't just filler.
Gentle, slow burn romance with a dry, very Scottish, humour and puffin puns galore! Low spice but with a hint of fiery passion under those woolies!
The idiom and pacing of Alexander's character was spot on I think. He was a great blend of grumpy, sweet and protective. Alex's career and his love for puffins makes him an unusual but realistic kind of MMC. His divorce has also made him cautious about a new love.
Rosie leaves everything she has in the US, all for the chance at a HEA in a new life, a bookstore and a new community. She finds everything she's looking for and more! Rosie is sweet, gentle but not a wimp. She can stand up for herself and just because she wants a simple life doesn't make her weak - she makes the choice to have that life, not anyone else.
There is a wee element of fantasy and magic - flying books, etc. The Book Bitches are hilarious and their age really lets them get away with most things! They interfere, bicker and bully/love those around them.
I love when characters from other books pop up or at least get mentioned in newer books, it makes the whole "universe" the characters reside in more real. My fave coo, Clyde, gets a mention so I was over the moon! Tattie the puffin is a dream and I loved the name! The secondary characters, especially Jessica, are all involved in the storyline and I felt like I really got to know them in a small way and they weren't just filler.
Gentle, slow burn romance with a dry, very Scottish, humour and puffin puns galore! Low spice but with a hint of fiery passion under those woolies!
A sweet and cosy romance with slightly spooky vibes in the shape of a ghostly matchmaker as Rosie leaves her home in the US for a new life in bonnie Scotland after her aunt dies and leaves her a book shop. Sounds like living the dream to me but she soon steeped in mysteries such as a book that keeps jumping off the shelf at her, customers asking for the mysterious highland special – if this was another kind of book that could’ve taken readers down a darker path and she meets the Book Bitches, a gang of age challenged women who bulldoze over everyone they meet to the extent that within days of arriving, her shop is entered in a christmas window competition against those posh St Andrews twats ‘ye ken’. The only thing that brightens her day is Alexander McTavish, computer expert and puffin whisperer extraordinaire until she finds out she’s also inherited her aunt’s magick.
Set in the same world as her Enchanted Highlands series and with an air of the whimsical about it, Highland Hearts Holiday Bookshop has all the quirkiness I’ve come to expect from Tricia O’Malley. Even Clyde the hielan coo gets a mention although sadly he doesn’t make appearance. I loved Rosie and Alex’s romance as it played out in front of the entire village, they were perfect for each other, but after his divorce Alex was more than a little gun shy and awkward, happy to live a quiet life with only Tattie the puffin for company, but Rosie makes him want more. The spice was low level but there was no doubting that beneath Alex’s quiet exterior, there lurked a passionate beast ready to pounce. The overall story was slowburn and gentle, with a dry humour running through and I adored the puffin puns. The secondary characters were just as quirky as the village itself and has left me looking forward to returning to Kingsbarn, lets face it Rosie’s bestie Jessica needs to find a McHottie of her own.
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I ate this book up! It was so perfect for a holiday read. As with all O’Malley books I’ve read, there was a touch of whimsy and banter that had me smiling and happy for almost the entire story. I loved the cozy vibes and the quaint town of Kingsbarns. Rosie is weird and endearing. Alexander is awkward and sexy. Not sure I’ll consider programmers the same from now on. Throw in a shoulder fetish, a haunted bookshop, and ALL the puffin puns you could ever need, and you have the makings of greatness. The return of the Book Bitches made me SO happy, and there was even a Clyde reference so it’s basically perfect. This also made me want to go read Starting Over Scottish so that’s probably going to happen soon.
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A cozy, feel-good romance that is definitely a must-have on any holiday TBR!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, Death of parent, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail