Scan barcode
A review by beate251
Dreams of the Scottish Highlands by F. L. Everett
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.
Cat Hardwick works in events planning but has just lost her job due to an unrequited crush on boss Oliver. As luck would have it, she has a godfather who is Laird of crumbling Iolair Castle in the remote Scottish Highlands and he timely invites her to stay in exchange for help in marketing the estate as an events venue so the mounting bills can be paid.
Unfortunately, Sir Alastair's grumpy but handsome son Logan McCaskill, who Cat knows from a holiday 15 years ago when they were both teenagers, is completely against anything she suggests. But he also has "eyes the colour of autumn bracken in sunlight" (how delightfully Princess Bride-esque!) so we know where this is going.
I love the Scottish Highlands so every book with them as a scenic setting automatically gains points. We also have tropes galore (enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, one bed only, miscommunication to name the ones I noticed), not one, not two but four cheeky dogs and a great cast of side characters that round the story off nicely. I particularly loved Agatha, who, quite literally, had her fingers in every pie and did great speeches.
Personally, I think it might have been better to ditch the flashbacks and just tell us from the start what happened 15 years ago, and also tell us how Cat lost her job, because none of it is a huge revelation or twist in the story. It's also best to suspend disbelief in how the castle gets saved, but it's not a spoiler to say we all knew it would get saved somehow, because romance story, thy name is predictability.
This is well-written, warmhearted, cosy and uplifting escapism. There is romantic tension, emotional healing, several pairings, showdowns with exes, a few baddies and scented soaps saviours. Recommended.
Cat Hardwick works in events planning but has just lost her job due to an unrequited crush on boss Oliver. As luck would have it, she has a godfather who is Laird of crumbling Iolair Castle in the remote Scottish Highlands and he timely invites her to stay in exchange for help in marketing the estate as an events venue so the mounting bills can be paid.
Unfortunately, Sir Alastair's grumpy but handsome son Logan McCaskill, who Cat knows from a holiday 15 years ago when they were both teenagers, is completely against anything she suggests. But he also has "eyes the colour of autumn bracken in sunlight" (how delightfully Princess Bride-esque!) so we know where this is going.
I love the Scottish Highlands so every book with them as a scenic setting automatically gains points. We also have tropes galore (enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, one bed only, miscommunication to name the ones I noticed), not one, not two but four cheeky dogs and a great cast of side characters that round the story off nicely. I particularly loved Agatha, who, quite literally, had her fingers in every pie and did great speeches.
Personally, I think it might have been better to ditch the flashbacks and just tell us from the start what happened 15 years ago, and also tell us how Cat lost her job, because none of it is a huge revelation or twist in the story. It's also best to suspend disbelief in how the castle gets saved, but it's not a spoiler to say we all knew it would get saved somehow, because romance story, thy name is predictability.
This is well-written, warmhearted, cosy and uplifting escapism. There is romantic tension, emotional healing, several pairings, showdowns with exes, a few baddies and scented soaps saviours. Recommended.