I have read several of Sariah Wilson's books, but wow! I really enjoyed this one. The characters were relatable and engaging. The storyline was fun. I could not stop reading once I started. Maren and her friend Penny are in Scotland on vacation. While they are there, they are going to see if they can find out what happened to Maren's uncle that disappeared there. They are caught in a blizzard and rescued by Duncan. He takes them to his castle in Highglen to wait out the storm. Maren and Penny are confused because Highglen seems to be from the seventeenth century. Duncan and Highglen feel so familiar to Maren, yet she is sure she has never been there before. Maren and Duncan fall for each other quickly, but Maren's mom is ill and Maren wants to return home to be with her. Will Maren and Duncan find a way to be together with all the distance and complications between them? Sariah Wilson does an amazing job of bringing the characters and the story to life. You can feel the emotions and inner conflicts of the characters. I am hoping that this story will turn into a series. I would love the chance to spend more time in Highglen and get to know the characters some more.

This was, let's just say, weird to me.

I get the whole magical time travel thing, but it was just too quick for me. Plot wise and romance wise. I didn't like it to be honest. I tried to be honest, but I just didn't like it. I didn't even feel the Christmas vibes from it.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc version of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Its basically an Outlander-inspired (it literally mentions Outlander in it) cheesy Hallmark Christmas movie in book form. It was cute in ways, but I am not a fan of insta-love/love at first sight. I let it slide though since it goes along with the whole "magic of Christmas" theme the book is going for. Everything is unbelievable and completely unrealistic, so you just have to take it for what it is: a cute bit of holiday fluff. I could have done without her lusting over Duncan from the first second she laid eyes on him. Having a crush is one thing; constantly talking about wanting to jump his bones in a Christmas book is another. I thought the epilogue was cute. Overall, if you like cheesy holiday fluff, this is for you. Don't be looking for an epic romance like Outlander though.

– It is a CUTE story with a magical twist of time travel and a fantasy village!

At first, the instant love tension between Maren and Duncan felt so cringe and irrational, but I think they’re so cute for each other and maybe all of the coincidence between them was just meant to be.

The world-building is entertaining--I feel like there’s more potential to strengthen the world foundation but for a novella, the writing is OK. For the Scottish accent, it was very unusual for me to read, but it was a great new insight for me!

If you are looking for a cute and quick holiday romance, then you might want to read this book next!

Oh my goodness I don’t even know how to find the words to describe this book. First it is written about a disappearing Christmas town in Scotland which is a lot like one of my all time favorite movies Brigadoon. To be completely honest I didn’t know that going in. I was asked to review it by the author and since I had loved her other books I said absolutely without even knowing what the story was about. I was immediately drawn in and completely mesmerized by the story. I loved every minute.

Fun Christmas rom-com retelling of Brigadoon!

There is an insta-love/soulmates trope (obviously not the book for you if you don't like it but it was handled well here!) and I enjoyed the magical element, the Christmas festivities, and of course the Scottish setting. The romance was sweet and swoony and there was lots of chemistry between Maren and Duncan. I only wish this could have been a longer story because there was so much to digest with the plotline in a novella.

I received a complimentary copy but a positive review was not required.

This was such a fun and charming Christmas novella! I loved the time travel elements and the sweet characters, and all the Christmas activities were so fun. I don’t believe in insta love, but it worked for me in this story. It’s a short and lighthearted story but it also has a lot of depth to it, which I loved. A super cute read for the holiday season!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

This was a hard no from me. Short Novella but took me weeks to get through - I should have DNF. Some people will love this sweet story but insta love is a hard no for me and that’s what this is. I wanted more outlander

This was such a cute Christmas novella! I found myself giggling and kicking my feet throughout the entire story and ended up sobbing.

I loved the fantasy part of it. The magic of Christmas and Highlen.
"Highglen was a place of pure magic. For the first time, I understood why my mother had told me to search for it. I didn’t want to let it go."
And this magic place obviously makes you believe in soulmates. Makes you believe in love at first sight even if you didn't believe in it before. And so you love Maren and Duncan and want them together from the get go just as much as they want each other.

Duncan is a giant softie, charming adorable man and I fell for him just as fast as Maren did. He was so goddamn cute and always said THE most perfect thing ever. I was giggling like a schoolgirl and he wasn't even talking to me (unfortunately).

Maren was so cute as well. She was going through a lot and finding Duncan and a perfect magic place was just what she needed.

Watching their love grow. The stolen glances. The sweet words and kisses. The connection between them... It was everything. I was smiling so hard through the entire novella that my cheeks ached by the end of it. And of course, the happy ending just tied the entire thing in a perfect bow.

I know I'm going to be thinking about this for a long time and I'll smile every single time. If Sariah decides to write more novellas in this world I'll read every single one of them. In the meantime, however, I'll be reading her other books because I have been missing out!!

~ Favorite quotes ~

“I love when you say my name,” I confessed.
“Then I shall say it often. And every time I do, take it as a token and reminder of how much I want to kiss you.”

“Maren, you are my worst temptation and my saving grace.”

“And I am yours. Yours, and no other’s. For as long as I live.”


Thank you so much to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC of this novella. All opinions are my own.

Fun, short, and sweet holiday story. Not quite magical realism, but holiday magic at its best. Marengo and Penny are on a quest to find answers and embraced the beauty and magic of Scotland. They get more than they bargained for. I enjoyed the meaning behind the story and the details of Christmas in the past and stories behind the customs of the time. I totally want to go wassailing lol. The holidays held so much meaning! I have thoughts now for the upcoming holiday!

If you're looking for a painfully cheesy Christmas romance with a fantasy twist and a crash course in Scottish celebrations, look no further! Personally I wasn't a fan, but if you love the festive season and don't mind insta-love, this may well be the perfect book for you!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Almost Like Being in Love is a quick read about a young woman and her friend visiting Scotland as her mother dies in hopes of finding out what happened to her uncle years ago to give her mother closure. The friends stumble into a town lost in time during a snowstorm and find a few surprises. The romance in the book is "insta-love". which is just as implausible as the town lost in time. If you just go with the story and not question anything, it is an entertaining and cute read. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC to review.

There are always going to be some problems with a time traveling story but I enjoyed this one. The Brigadoon like plot was cute and the supporting characters worked well. My only problem was that the romance felt too quick and forced at times.

This is my first Sariah Wilson book and it was so CUTE!

It is the perfect palate cleanser to get you moving past Halloween and into the Holiday spirit! It’s a novella so it's shorter but still has depth and so many characters that I really enjoyed! I am also a HUGE fan of time travel so I loved the elements of that in this book! I loved the hidden kingdom and the christmassy activities too! I have already done a deep dive into Wilson’s backlist and I can’t wait to read more from her!

4 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @amazonpublishing #MontlakeRomace for the early copy

This one is out November 14th

Almost like being love is the perfect Christmas novella if you're a fan of medieval time, insta-love and overall Christmas vibes.

Maren and her friend get stuck in a snowstorm in the Scottish Highlands. When their car won't start anymore and they're about to freeze to death, they spot lights coming from the woods and take a chance. What they don't know is that once they're found, they've traveled back to the seventeenth century.

Usually, I'm not a fan of Insta-love at all, but with the time-traveling storyline being somewhat magical, it didn't bother me as much. The connection between Maren and Duncan was instant, and seemed quite deep from the start. They had banter and little mishaps because of the changed language.

My biggest struggle with this was how easily Maren adapted to the way they lived in the seventeenth century. I'd expected, and hoped for, a bigger struggle, as it would add some tension to the relationship. I wanted them to sweat a little, I wanted to wonder (even though you know) they'd overcome the hurdles.

I would love to read a sequel with one of Duncan's sisters choosing to go back home with someone to the 21st century and how she'd adapt there.

Maren Kelly and her friend Penny are on a trip to Scotland. It's a trip she wanted to take with her mother, but she can't because she's very ill.

When they get lost in the Forrest, they're rescued by Duncan Cambell who's handsome and kind and seems not of this world. So does his village, Highglen. The people are welcoming, and Maren feels like everything is familiar and fantastic.

There are a lot of magical surprises in this story. And familial surprises. How does it all work? Why do things that aren't knew feel so welcoming? The Magic is neat and new to me. I'd never heard of a story like this before.

It's an instant attraction for Maren. But how does she stay? How will it all work out?

Short and very sweet!

I am a sucker for Sariah Wilson's books and when time travel is involved and Christmas, I'm in. I also really enjoy a quick read where characters know what they want and who they like, even if it's fast. I loved Maren and Duncan and the dilemma they had. This book was quite the adventure and I was along for the ride! Huge thanks to the publisher for the Netgalley approval.

Sariah continues to deliver another entertaining and dreamy romance! I'm a big fan of her books. This novella is Christmas-themed and perfect the the holidays! It reminds me of a clean version of Outlander, the book and TV show: romance, time-traveling, family, true love, local customs, and culture. I have been watching Outlander in my streaming service, so the dialogue, local customs, and Gaelic language were very similar and just up my alley. So romantic and gallant. Totally brought me back to that Scottish Highlands!

The connection between the characters was strong and quick (insert "insta-love" here) which is a regular trend in Sariah's books. This one in particular was very quick and it took me a bit to "believe" it and truly feel it, but ultimately it won me over.. I didn't want to put it down! I particularly enjoyed the recurring time-traveling connecting the reader with more generations - love it when a story comes full circle! Or almost full circle! I was left wanting to hear more about the other characters like Ainsley (Duncan's sister), Alasdair (the chaperone), and Robert (the uncle). I hope to hear more about them in a second book!

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free copy to review.

DNF at 41%

Instalove is one of my least favorite tropes and this book is absolutely rife with it. If it's not the main characters falling immediately in love at first sight, it's every other character referencing the fact that they also experienced this once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. While I really enjoyed the concept and the history that the book imparts, the lack of tension in the romance just left me feeling devoid of Christmas spirit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Brigadoon! Maran, from Ohio, is rescued by Duncan during a blizzard Scotland and, if you like insta-love and can suspend belief this makes for an entertaining light read. What will Maran do? Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Perfect for a rainy day.