Member Reviews
My Review: I really enjoy books by Lisa Hobman and I loved this book too. We follow Olivia who lives a glitzy life. Her brother Kerr is a little obnoxious and entitled. Sadly, their mother Lady Freya passes away and their lives are turned upside down. Grief is a very personal thing, I also think I am the only human on the planet that hasn't seen Love, Actually. There are some gorgeous dogs in this book. I loved the will reading part in the book. I couldn't get She's a Lady and Every Little Thing She Does is Magic out of my head. I smiled broadly when I got to the characters FiFi and Fiona. Don't worry, there's love, drama, friendship and change to be found too. Well Done Lisa, a fully recommended read.
A feel good easy read well worth your time.. The story is sweet and uncomplicated without any surprising twists or turns that I kept expecting.
So, I didn’t really like this as much as I thought I would, I loved it even more than I anticipated I would ! The author’s writing style is fabulous, just like the story it’s funny and light-hearted. I love the fact Liv is living her dream before she comes home to where she is actually living my dream (although I love NYC I don’t think I could live there) how can you beat the community that Lisa writes in her books.
I found the relationship with her brother interesting, with them being at each other’s all the time, having two brothers myself and knowing how we are at times, I can see this being realistic, although I don’t think I’ve ever been as angry as these, although the resolution was a little swift for my liking, to be fair in reality, my brothers I know will often sort things quickly and move on, they tend to not react like me , so yeah it’s realistic . Sometimes get what they deserve, other times not, but no spoilers.
I love Scotland so much, so I can 100 % confirm the descriptions are perfect, just like being there yourself, Lisa’s writing makes me want to book a hotel and train and go right back again, to be honest if working and needing pay wasn’t an issue I’d move up there tomorrow and never leave. Even more so if I could go live in the community Liv gets to be in, it’s just my idea of heaven. So if like me you need an escape to your own personal heaven from time to time, you can’t go wrong reading this or any of Lisa’s books, they are full of joy, love, hope and yes sadness at points, but you will be left happier by the end.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Fabulous story that captured my interest instantly. It was fascinating to see Liv return to her family estate and to watch her come to terms with the change of her life and the loss of her mother.
Some great characters and a sweet romance, it was a very enjoyable read.
Yet again, Lisa has come up with a stunning book with lovely characters. Hoping it will be another bestseller. Thank you Lisa.
Born into the Scottish McBain clan and ancestral home of the 6th century, Olivia MacBain has always dreamed of leaving the farm she grew up on to pursue a career in fashion. And thanks to her older brother, Kerr, Liv is given the chance to spread her wings.
Liv is 28 years old and works in a luxury fashion house and lives in a prestigious flat in NY. Everything in her life seems to be going swimmingly. At least until she receives a devastating phone call from her brother inviting her to return to Scotland with some urgency. Liv is forced to make an important decision that could change her plans for the future forever.
No. I am so sorry but I was not able to fully enjoy this book as much as I would have liked.
The problem is not the author's writing style because, for goodness sake, she is fabulous: light-hearted, funny and very smooth. But for the relationship between the brothers.
For a good 3/4 of the book (if not more) the two of them are at each other's throats, hating each other with every fibre of their being. Then, suddenly, everything settles down and the fractured brotherly bond is 'magically' repaired. I don't know. To me, this 'resolution of the problem' seemed exaggeratedly rushed, even forced at times.
Apart from this small detail, I enjoyed the reading for both the setting and the characterisation of some of the characters.
I have never been to Scotland but the details about the place and the various settings allowed me to imagine this beautiful place, so much so that it made me want to take the first available flight and move there instantly.
3⭐/5
I thank author Lisa Hobmann, Netgalley and Boldwood for sending me the ARC copy of this volume in exchange for an honest review. All considerations are mine and mine alone.
There was a definite feeling of fairytale to this book and I absolutely loved it. Liv is a perfect protagonist, and her back story was beautifully crafted against a backdrop of a silver-spoon upbringing and the world of high fashion. She is definitely living what is often referred to as ‘her best life’. She doesn’t have the worries associated with her ancestral home as that will fall into the hands of her brother, Kerr. Of course, Kerr has plans to sell the family home to the highest bidder and have it all transformed into a hotel and spa. Thankfully, Liv won’t be in Scotland to witness this.
A fateful phone call brings Liv’s world crashing down and she dashes back to Scotland to discover just how much her world is about to change.
As usual, I will avoid spoilers, but I can promise that this is a wonderful story filled with the joy of friendships and new beginnings. Lisa Hobman implicitly understands the power of friendship and that is evident in each of her books. From Liv’s transatlantic connections to those from her childhood, she has a wonderful network to support her as she transitions to a new normal.
My favourites were the relationships with the staff at her ancestral home. In particular, the housekeeper and the gardener were standout characters; not forgetting the gardener’s son. With their unfailing support, she is able to deal with her new responsibilities, navigate her way through her brother’s awful behaviour, and see a future that she never imagined.
Lisa Hobman has done it again! I loved my escape to Drumblair Castle, and I’m delighted to have been invited.
I love anything Scottish! And having lived in the actual Highlands for 2 years this was a trip down memory lane. Olivia visited places familiar to me.
I despised her brother Kerr and felt he mostly got what he deserved (no spoilers) .
I really liked Owain, but like Olivia I too missed chemistry between them, but I'm glad they had their 'thing'
I love that she managed to hang on to her lifelong dream, maybe not how she initially thought but that's the surprising beauty of life.
I loved her found family and how supportive they are and how Brodie and Olivia put their strengths together and created something to carry them into the future.
Once again I thoroughly enjoyed a Lisa Hobman book and always look forward to any future books.
There are some trigger warnings in this book, so check those before reading it.
What a wonderful, heartwarming read, and I do love a happy ending especially in a castle in Scotland
A sweet bit of escapism - in a castle, in Scotland. There's a lot to like in this story especially if you're not looking for anything too emotionally challenging.
Olivia grew up in Scotland but dreamed of working in New York. she loves living there but a phone call from her brother has her rushing back to Scotland. loved the setting and the characters.
While I thought this story may have promise given the title and cover, this was not a very engaging story. I love stories set in Scotland or England. The setting descriptions and characters were charming. The storyline was predictable, as were the characters direction. The book fell flat with not much substance. I still can't figure out whether Kerr, the brother of Lady Olivia, truly changed or the author forgot about his ire and meanness in an attempt to have the story wrap up with a feel-good feeling.. If you want to read a perfectly harmless book, choose this. But it doesn't have much plot that carries it, and the characters are pretty saccharine. It's a fast read, I rate it so-so. I rate it a 2.5 out of 5.
Another wonderful story by the author Lisa Hobman! Loved it!!
I absolutely loved the story. Scottish lass, Olivia, wants to design clothes, moves to New York and works with a great designer. Even some of her pieces are being shown alongside the designers. Looks like Olivia may be getting a promotion but a sudden phone call from Scotland has her packing her bags and going home.
Coming Home to the Highlands was a wonderful story with great characters. The author outdid herself with this one because I enjoyed every word of it. I've read a handful of books by Lisa Hobman and so far, I haven't read one that I didn't love. The author pulls you in right from the first page and I finished it within 24 hours. I couldn't put it down. The way the author describes the small villages and Olivia's home makes me want to travel to Scotland and discover the beauty of the highlands myself.
Highly recommend Coming Home to the Highlands, you won't be disappointed picking this one up.
Thank you to Lisa Hobman, Boldwood Books, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced digital copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving a review.
I like the setting for this romantic family drama, where Olivia's life takes an unexpected turn after a bereavement. The author portrays Olivia's dilemma well. The characters are relatable and conflicts believable. It's an immersive, escapist read.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
A really sweet and entertaining read. With all the glam of New York and achieving amazing career success in a fashion house, Olivia is torn by her duties and love of her homeland in Scotland, at a very impressive castle no less.
Split between the two worlds, this story (and Olivia) takes on the juggle of figuring out where head and heart really lie
I truly loved the characters, especially the dogs Wilf and Marley, the authors own notes regarding this choice of dogs had my heart from the very start.
🏰The road to happiness not always smooth🏞
A good story with romantic feelings that keep hitting roadblocks and some good topics raised, all set in the Scottish Highlands countryside near Inverness. I love a good romance set in a small Scottish community and this one passed the test of a very good story. The sad moments with Olivia dealing with her mother's sudden death felt very real and touching.
Although some of the twists were not difficult to predict, they added touches that made Coming Home to the Highlands just that bit out of the usual mold, especially the dynamic between Brodie and his wife Mags and Owain's hidden depths.
I really adored the author's novels set on the Scottish Isle of Skye and their repeating village characters. I think Hobman has the start of another winning series here.😊
Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
An interesting, if somewhat unbelievable, storyline, I did enjoy reading this book & hope that this is the first of a series. It definitely felt like there were other stories being built up ready to explore (for example a best friend who has a secret boyfriend) which are left as loose strings.
Full of fully-formed characters this book is a great read and kept my interest from beginning to end. Some aspects you need to keep in mind that things happen fictionally that wouldn’t necessarily occur in real life, but this all adds to the feel-good storyline and I found myself rooting for the two main characters.
Hoping there is more to come from the Scottish highlands.
I have read one or two of Lisa Hobman's books, not as many as I really should but I am slowly working on amending that.
I was instantly intrigued by the premise of this book, even though I am currently living in an avalanche of unread books 9honestly, I have books everywhere, all needing to be read😳) but this drew me in and I couldn't resist giving it a read.
Overall, I did love the light-hearted, charming and fun story of a woman who is well and truly out of her depth, a fish out of water comes to mind. Even though liv is Scottish born and bred she has been living the high-life in new York for years so when she must return to Bonny Scotland she is a little daunted by what awaits her - in other words, I do think our Liv has lost some of her hardier Scottishness due to her cushy life in America.
I hate to admit that despite this being a fun and loght-hearted read, one which I was excited about reading, it didn't blow me away, the romance is sweet but I thought t played second fiddle to the rest of the story.
What I did like was the ease of how it flowed, it's charming and despite not loving it I did enjoy it, it's a relatively quick read and one of those books which you can while away a few hours.
Coming Home to the Highlands by Lisa Hobman had me grabbing for an ARC immediately… cute story in the Scottish highlands? Sign me UP. It was cute and engaging and the story kept me entertained. There were some flippant inconsistencies in the characters that weren’t really believable, but the setting alone carried such a bulk of this story for me. Cute easy read!
What a brilliant read this book is. It’s full of warmth with Uncle Innes and Mirren always there for Olivia as she makes difficult decisions. Olivia is happy living in New York working for one of the best designers and a step away from promotion when she gets a call from her brother Kerr saying her mother has died.. That one phone call changes everything. There are some great characters, like Brodie her childhood friend but Kerr, her brother is absolutely vile. He is the heir to Drumblair castle and thinks everything is centred around him, when he doesn’t get what he wants he is nasty and abusive.
I did get confused how quickly Kerr went from being so rude and nasty to being supportive of Olivia however, I loved the ending and was really sorry when I turned the last page although the characters stayed in my mind long after the story ended.