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scoutmomskf's review
4.0
Sweet romance with a twist. Callan's friend and mentor has died and the only real home Callan has known is to be inherited to someone Callan has never heard of. Laurie is one of twelve potential heirs to the castle. As a lawyer she can't believe the terms of the will, but she is fascinated by the castle.
The twelve potential heirs to the castle must participate in a murder mystery weekend. The winner will inherit the castle. Callan is disgusted by most of those who have arrived. They are all more interested in what everything is worth than in the castle itself and its history. The exception is Laurie, who spends most of her time asking about what Angus was like and about the history of the castle.
Callan is fighting the hurt he feels that Angus never told him about his family in all the years they knew each other. Angus had been far more a father to Callan than his own had been, always encouraging Callan to go after what he wanted. When Callan met Laurie he was immediately drawn to her, but has a hard time trusting her at first, because of the actions of the others. He soon discovers that she is different. His connection to her grows, but the uncertainty of the situation keeps him quiet about a future. He had a rather narrow view of the castle and its future but Laurie opened his eyes to other things about it.
Laurie is more interested in learning about her family than in what happens to the castle. The thought of having family means a lot to her. She doesn't understand how Angus could have had six children and yet never contacted them. She is drawn to Callan from the first, but can't figure out why he seems so grouchy. As they connect over the castle she learns more about his life with Angus. Being at the castle and away from her job as a lawyer makes her realize just how much she hates what she does and the stress it has created in her life. With Callan's example she starts to reevaluate her future. I especially liked the positive way she viewed the castle and everything about it. I enjoyed seeing her ideas of what it could be.
The identity of the "murderer" was both a surprise and expected. I loved seeing Laurie's reasoning as to her guess. There was, of course, no other winner possible for the story to work, but I enjoyed the process. I loved the ending and the epilogue was fantastic.
I really loved the Scottish setting. Having just returned from a visit there, I had no trouble picturing the castle and its grounds.
The twelve potential heirs to the castle must participate in a murder mystery weekend. The winner will inherit the castle. Callan is disgusted by most of those who have arrived. They are all more interested in what everything is worth than in the castle itself and its history. The exception is Laurie, who spends most of her time asking about what Angus was like and about the history of the castle.
Callan is fighting the hurt he feels that Angus never told him about his family in all the years they knew each other. Angus had been far more a father to Callan than his own had been, always encouraging Callan to go after what he wanted. When Callan met Laurie he was immediately drawn to her, but has a hard time trusting her at first, because of the actions of the others. He soon discovers that she is different. His connection to her grows, but the uncertainty of the situation keeps him quiet about a future. He had a rather narrow view of the castle and its future but Laurie opened his eyes to other things about it.
Laurie is more interested in learning about her family than in what happens to the castle. The thought of having family means a lot to her. She doesn't understand how Angus could have had six children and yet never contacted them. She is drawn to Callan from the first, but can't figure out why he seems so grouchy. As they connect over the castle she learns more about his life with Angus. Being at the castle and away from her job as a lawyer makes her realize just how much she hates what she does and the stress it has created in her life. With Callan's example she starts to reevaluate her future. I especially liked the positive way she viewed the castle and everything about it. I enjoyed seeing her ideas of what it could be.
The identity of the "murderer" was both a surprise and expected. I loved seeing Laurie's reasoning as to her guess. There was, of course, no other winner possible for the story to work, but I enjoyed the process. I loved the ending and the epilogue was fantastic.
I really loved the Scottish setting. Having just returned from a visit there, I had no trouble picturing the castle and its grounds.
witandsin's review
4.0
My review cross-posted from Wit and Sin: http://www.witandsin.blogspot.com/2014/04/review-heir-of-castle-by-scarlet-wilson.html
An unusual potential inheritance bring together a London lawyer and a Scottish social media tycoon in The Heir of the Castle. Author Scarlet Wilson charmed me with this sweet, enjoyable romance and her two endearing protagonists.
Laurie’s a heroine who captured my interest and garnered my sympathy early on. She’s an overworked lawyer who’s stressed out and burned-out thanks to the job she never really wanted. She goes to Annick Castle looking for family and a change of environment but finds more than she bargained for. It was fun watching Laurie fall for not only Callan, but the life she could have if she inherited the castle. And speaking of Callan, he too is torn from what he knows when he learns that the man he thought of as a father didn’t leave him the castle that had long been his home. Callan is understandably wary of not only Laurie but all the potential inheritors, most of whom are money-grubbing and callous. Both Callan and Laurie come into their own over the course of The Heir of the Castle and it was lovely watching them develop both as people and as a couple. The two of them complement each other perfectly and it was easy to become invested in their story.
While the question of who will inherit Annick Castle – Laurie or one of her unknown relatives – plays through the back of the story, it’s not the driving force of the novel. The murder mystery game that’s supposed to determine who gets the castle isn’t really explored, nor are Laurie’s relatives major characters in the book. I would have liked to see a bit more of this plot thread, as it had potential and seemed like fun, but The Heir of the Castle is truly about Laurie and Callan’s journeys. As it stands, I really liked The Heir of the Castle and I’m looking forward to reading more of Ms. Wilson’s work.
Note: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
An unusual potential inheritance bring together a London lawyer and a Scottish social media tycoon in The Heir of the Castle. Author Scarlet Wilson charmed me with this sweet, enjoyable romance and her two endearing protagonists.
Laurie’s a heroine who captured my interest and garnered my sympathy early on. She’s an overworked lawyer who’s stressed out and burned-out thanks to the job she never really wanted. She goes to Annick Castle looking for family and a change of environment but finds more than she bargained for. It was fun watching Laurie fall for not only Callan, but the life she could have if she inherited the castle. And speaking of Callan, he too is torn from what he knows when he learns that the man he thought of as a father didn’t leave him the castle that had long been his home. Callan is understandably wary of not only Laurie but all the potential inheritors, most of whom are money-grubbing and callous. Both Callan and Laurie come into their own over the course of The Heir of the Castle and it was lovely watching them develop both as people and as a couple. The two of them complement each other perfectly and it was easy to become invested in their story.
While the question of who will inherit Annick Castle – Laurie or one of her unknown relatives – plays through the back of the story, it’s not the driving force of the novel. The murder mystery game that’s supposed to determine who gets the castle isn’t really explored, nor are Laurie’s relatives major characters in the book. I would have liked to see a bit more of this plot thread, as it had potential and seemed like fun, but The Heir of the Castle is truly about Laurie and Callan’s journeys. As it stands, I really liked The Heir of the Castle and I’m looking forward to reading more of Ms. Wilson’s work.
Note: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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