Book: Christmas in the Scottish Highlands
Author: Donna Ashcroft
Pub Day: Oct 11th 2021
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
About the Book:
Welcome to the gorgeous little Scottish village of Christmas, where snow is falling, presents are being wrapped and the locals are writing their festive wish lists. Will this finally be the year that Belle’s dreams come true? Thirty-year-old Belle Albany is feeling lonely this Christmas. Another whole year has passed and her life is… exactly the same as it was last December. She longs for true love and a little bit of winter magic – but she’s almost given up on finding it in the sleepy Scottish community where she lives… When Belle crashes into elderly Edina on her cherry red bicycle, it’s not the meet-cute she’d been hoping for. But she immediately recognises the lost look in Edina’s watery-blue eyes and resolves to organise a Christmas to remember for them both – brimming with mince pies, mulled wine and lots of sparkle. Although Belle hadn’t counted on Edina’s home being a crumbling Scottish castle and she certainly hadn’t been expecting Edina’s handsome long-lost grandson Jack Hamilton-Kirk to turn up on the doorstep in the middle of a snow storm… Jack is arrogant, rude and bossy and Belle is convinced he’s about to ruin the seasonal cheer she has worked hard to create. He’s basically the Grinch in human form, so why does her heart race every time they’re in the same room? They disagree on almost everything, from menu choices to music, and yet she starts to glimpse a softer side hidden behind Jack’s clipped words and brooding countenance. As they hunt down costumes for the annual nativity show and save a donkey from a snowy disaster, Belle can’t ignore their growing attraction. But will a secret from Jack’s past come between them? Or will this finally be the year Belle falls in love? This gorgeous, festive read is like a warm hug in a book! The perfect cosy romance to snuggle up with this Christmas. Fans of Nicola May, Trisha Ashley and Debbie Macomber will love this wonderfully uplifting novel.
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'Christmas In The Scottish Highlands' by Donna Ashcroft.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Donna Ashcroft, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 11th October 2021.
This is the second book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'Summer In The Scottish Highlands' which I highly recommend.
I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'The perfect cosy romance to snuggle up with this Christmas. Fans of Nicola May, Trisha Ashley and Debbie Macomber will love this wonderfully uplifting novel.' I am a huge fan of Debbie Macomber so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Donna and if this is half as good as 'Summer In The Scottish Highlands' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of 27 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Scotland 🏴, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually been on holiday to Scotland on several occasions so am looking forward to seeing if I recognise anywhere that Donna has based the book on.
This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Belle Albany and Jack Hamilton-Kirk. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
🎶 It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas 🎶 What an absolutely stunning read!!! A perfectly gorgeous book!!! The vivid descriptions left me feeling the fresh air of Scotland and feeling the warmth of the fire. The title, synopsis and cover suited the storyline perfectly.
This book is absolutely rammed full of love, choices, happiness, regrets, friendship and books!!!! Its one of the most heartwarming I've read in a long time. It made me laugh, cry, smile and fall in love with Scotland. I absolutely loved the gorgeous atmosphere and surroundings being based in a castle. The storyline was sweet, Festive, romantic, uplifting and everything you want in a heart warming romance and I completely fell head over heels in love!!! The Scottish dialect was perfect and it really made me feel like I was in Scotland. I was devastated when I came to the end and realised I would have to unpack my suitcase as I genuinely felt as if I'd been on a holiday. It was an uplifting breathe of fresh air!!! It ended absolutely perfectly!!!
The characters were all strong, well defined and realistic. I fell in love with every single one of them, even if some took longer than others!! I was gutted when I came to the end. This book would make a gorgeous series and I would love to meet all the characters again. Belle is such a strong character and after struggling herself I loved watching her form friendships and find happiness. I became really invested in her and she was such a sweet, caring and unique person. There's not many out there like Belle and it was lovely to meet her in this page turning romance. Edina was an absolute sweetheart and I loved watching her make new friendships and feeling her joy and happiness as she watched her Christmas list come to life. I did not click with Jack at first and found him to be such a pessimist but I enjoyed watching is character grow and develop and loved how he turned out !! I also really enjoyed learning about all the different members of the community and it reflected a small town community perfectly. There were so many other characters that I really enjoyed meeting and who will be missed. To name a few I enjoyed meeting Kenzy with her wild in your face personality and watching how her character developed, it was lovely meeting Tara who was a huge animal lover liked me and seeing her grow in strength as she realised what needed doing, Tavish who reminded me of an armadillo 😂 tough on the outside but soft on the inside, Adam and his sheep obsession!!! I could go on and on but I best stop there. Needless to say many of the characters made an impact on me and it would be lovely to see them all again!!!
Get wrapped up warm, put the fire and festive music on, make your self a hot chocolate and clear your schedule ready to get lost in this unputdownable heart warmer.
Well done Donna on an absolutely gorgeous book. This is why you are one of my favourite authors!!! I am thoroughly looking forward to reading more of your books past and future. Congratulations on a stunning success!!
Overall an absolutely stunning page turning romance that will make you smile, laugh and keep you up all night absorbing the pages.
Genres covered in this novel include Romance Fiction, Contemporary Fiction and Romance.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Debbie Macomber and anyone looking for a festive romance to snuggle in front of the fire with!!
289 pages.
This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free on kindle unlimited which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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Author Bio
Donna spent a couple of decades writing bad horror stories and worse poetry until she gave up and accidently fell into publishing. After many years of working on other people’s books, she began to write her own romantic comedies and hasn’t looked back. When Donna isn’t lost in her latest love affair, she works for a website where she indulges her other passion – buying moisturiser. Donna lives in Hertfordshire with her own romantic hero, two gorgeous teenagers and a couple of cantankerous cats.
Social Media
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Donnashc
Website: http://donna-writes.co.uk/
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