After reading the first book in the Highlands series I was obsessed and I genuinely loved this sequel even more. I love the fact that we back with Olivia and Bella their friendship feels so genuine and we all need a friend like that and Bellas relationship with her granny melted my heart. I loved the writing style and setting of this wonderful book and knowing their will be a third book I am so happy we will get to escape with these lovely characters again.
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The story of Bella, who as well as being PA to her friend is branching out in to interior design as she always hoped. There are a couple of options for romance on the horizon, but will she shy away from being matchmaked by her granny? A great read.

I really love Lisa's writing style and her stories. The first book set at the castle in the Highlands was a 5 star read for me. This book, came close as I especially loved Isla, Bella's feisty and full of life grandma and the friendship between Bella and Olivia was really touching, but somehow I was less invested in Bella's story than Olivia's, perhaps because I did not like one of Bella's potential boyfriends and could not understand Bella's interest in him so for a long while I was leaning towards 4 stars, but my mind was changed for me as I continued reading.

There is a lot going on in this book: events at the castle, Bella and her grandma's home situation, grandma getting older and then also Bella's love life and dreams for what she wants to do with her life.

I loved the warm fuzzy feeling I got from being back with the familiar characters at the castle that we had met in book 1 and the dogs often made me smile too.

Some light reading to take away the winter gloom. This book has a great main character in Bella, a beautiful location and a good story line.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun, cozy book. I enjoyed it a lot!

I really enjoyed the second book in this series.

In the first we met Olivia who is now Lady MacBain and is getting ready to open the castle to the public. Her best friend, Bella, is her PA and this story is mainly about her although the stories intertwine.

Bella has been unlucky with relationship and her 80 year old granny Isla is trying to matchmake with the local Police Sergeant, however, Bella is interested in a mysterious writer who is staying at accommodation at the castle.

I enjoyed the great range of characters and felt that with the curve balls thrown at Bella it helped her grow and realise she could be more. I loved the friendship between Olivia and Bella, the bond is so strong. Granny Isla's malapropisms had me laughing out loud on a number of occasions and her instincts were good especially when it came to Aiden.

A lovely heartwarming read which I would definitely recommend. I hope there will be more books to come. 

Thank you Rachels Random Resources for my gifted eARC and spot on the tour.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Chasing A Highland Dream' by Lisa Hobman.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Lisa Hobman, Rachel's Random Resources, Book And Tonic, Boldwood Books and The Bold Book Club

Publication date 28th February 2024.

This is the first book I have read by this author. It is also the second book in 'The Highlands' series but each book in this series can be read as a standalone.

This novel consists of a prologue, 34 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

An absolute stunner from the extremely talented Lisa!!! Well done Lisa on an absolutely beautiful and perfect read!! This is the ideal beach read where you could sit there and turn around and just imagine the beautiful Highlands coming to life around you!

I absolutely LOVE this stunning book and am absolutely landed that it is part of a series that I can not only look forward to more books to read when they come out but can go back to the first book 'Coming Home To The Highlands' while I am waiting for new ones to come out!!! Lisa's absolutely stunning evocative writing skills ensures the readers are absolutely sucked into the stunning storyline with the atmosphere, emotions and characters coming to life all around them. Lisa ensure the reader hears the Scottish twang in the characters voices, feel the fresh Highland air around them and see the beautiful surroundings. This fantastic storyline is filled with friendship, romance, humour, dogs, a castle, a matchmaking Granny, delicious cake and absolutely everything that you can ask for in a beautiful romantic escapism!!! Bella's best friend inherits the family castle and makes Bella her PA. Bella has been unlucky in love, work and all things life!! Her dream is to become an interior designer but that ended after she dropped out of college. However, things look up for Bella when she gets the chance to work on some holiday apartments at the castle. Bella's Granny Isla is determined to help her find love but will she make the right choice? After so many disasters will Bella take another risk? Well, what are you waiting for? Grab your copy of this stunner now and find out for yourself!!! You wont regret it!! I absolutely fell in love venturing into the beautiful Scottish Highlands and exploring the Drumblair Castle, meeting the amazing characters and getting completely lost in this stunning storyline! I became so invested in this book that it actually felt like going on a holiday and I absolutely dreaded coming to the end again where I had to unpack my suitcase and get back to reality. It was an absolutely compelling and addictive heart lifting read that kept me turning the pages until late at night. I loved discovering the pasts and histories of the characters and I was absolutely swept away in the story line. The characters and locations came to life around me and I cannot wait to return in the next and previous book in this stunning series that I have very quickly fallen in love with. It has everything you could ask for to lose yourself for several hours. I just could not put it down so make sure you clear your schedules!!!! This book and this series would make a beautiful movie!! I haven't been to Scotland for a long time but my son keeps asking to go and this book has tempted me even more. This book is an absolutely gorgeous, cute and addictive addition in what promises to be an absolutely stunning series!!

Do not turn a single page of this book until you have cleared your schedules and when you do get ready to go on a stunning holiday you will not want to leave!!

Although this is the second book in this stunning series I had absolutely no problems reading it without reading the first book 'Coming Home To the Highlands'. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

I very quickly became completely invested in the characters, along with the storyline, who were all absolutely fantastic with their own individual personalities and quirks. They all started feeling like friends so quickly and I cannot wait to meet some of them along with new characters in the previous and future books in what promises to be a stunning series if this gorgeous book is anything to go by!!. I felt like I was leaving amazing people and friends and feel quite sad about that! Each of the characters have rich personalities and they will all stay with me for a long time. Lisa's fantastic evocative writing skills ensure each and every one of them come to life in front of your eyes while you go through all their emotions with them. In this beautiful story our main protagonist is Bella who I absolutely adored and connected with immediately. She is such a likeable woman and I was rooting for her throughout. However, although Bella is our main protagonist I must admit that my favourite character just HAS to be the absolutely fabulous Granny Isla!!!! She reminded me of my own Gran so much and although my Gran is sadly no longer with me it brought so many happy memories of her back while I was reading this. She made me laugh out loud on so many occasions I lost count!!! I will prewarn you not to drink tea, or any liquids, while Granny Isla is about!! Nobody thought to warn me and I ended up spitting my tea out on a couple of occasions!!! There were several other characters that I loved and just a couple I was not a fan of at all but we cant like everyone and it would be boring if we did!! The fact that Lisa clearly cares about her characters absolutely shines through the pages with the fact that they are so well developed, realistic and every character has a part. I just absolutely adored getting to meet them and Im looking forward to meeting them all over again in the first and future books in this fantastic series. An absolutely fantastic, unique and memorable group of amazing characters that i wont forget anytime soon!!

Congratulations Lisa on an absolutely gorgeous success!!! I'm definitely looking forward to my next holiday to the Scottish Highlands in your next book!!! This is exactly why you are now in my favourite author club and here is to your next success 🥂 !!!

Make sure you read to the very end of the book to read the prologue of Lisa's 'Dreaming Under An Island Skye' which promises to be just as gorgeous as this book and is is one I'm definitely looking forward to reading myself!!

Overall a perfect, stunning, page turning beach or fireplace escapism, with a great gang of characters that will sweep you away to the Scottish Highlands from the very first page to the end by the extremely talented Lisa Hobman!!

326 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle,free with Kindle Unlimited and £9.99 in paperback (at time of review) via Amazon 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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Bella Douglas works as the PA to her best friend, Lady Olivia MacBain, who inherited the family home, Drumblair Castle, from her mother. Olivia was chosen over her brother, Kerr, because he has been a gambler and a heavy drinker. This has left Kerr very angry and out for revenge. At one time, Bella had a crush on him but that’s certainly over as he has shown his true colors.

Olivia is updating a lot of the castle to enable her to open it to the public to be used for events, wedding venues, etc. She has also planned to change the stables over to apartments. But when the company lined up to do that for her cancels, Bella’s love of interior decorating comes through and Olivia asks her to do the interiors to Bella’s delight. The first apartment is to be rented to an author who will be working on a novel.

Olivia lives with her grandmother, Isla, who is a funny woman. She loves to visit the day care center to be with other octogenarians whom she calls old. Her malapropos are hysterical. But a problem with their house has them staying in one of the apartments at the castle.

Isla wants Bella to hook up with police officer, Harris, who is the son of her friend. But Bella wants to just choose someone herself. The author shows interest in her but she’s not so sure about that.

This is just the third novel I have read by the author and I'm totally hooked. Cannot wait to read more. Such delightful plots and beautiful descriptions. This story felt like a warm hug. I just loved it and want to reach out and grab another of her books and start it right now. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I have adored each and every single one of Hobman's books I've read to date. This is the second novel in her Highlands series and we find ourselves in the picturesque settings of Inverness - Scottish settings are a bit of a Hobman tradition.

This, is Bella's story and it was an absolute delight to read. It's a light, heart-warming read full of friendships, matchmaking and romance.

Each and every one of the characters are credible and likeable, with Granny stealing the show - what a character she was, wasn't she?

Chasing a Highland Dream was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. It's enjoyable, entertaining and I'm so ready for book three!!

Easily one of my favourites so far for 2024, Chasing a Highland Dream was just a delight to read. Set in Inverness in Scotland, Bella works as a Personal Assistant to her best friend Olivia, who has just inherited a castle. However, Bella has aspirations of becoming an interior designer and certainly has the skills to achieve her dream.

I loved, loved, loved Granny Isla so much! She was hilarious, with her many malapropisms, including her WhatsUp messages, she was just brilliant. I found myself smiling more often than not as I devoured this book in just a day. In fact, with the exception of Kerr (aka Kermit according to Granny), and Aiden, all the characters were absolutely cool and loveable.

Lisa Hobman writes with such humour and fun, bringing the characters, the dogs and the Scottish scenery straight into the readers’ imagination. I spent numerous happy moments drinking tea and eating cake with Bella and Harris, walking along by the loch with Beau, and taking a tour of the castle with Olivia.

Do yourself a favour and add this book to your reading list for your holidays this year. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Now I’m off to close my eyes and make believe I’m being whisked away on a motorbike around the highlands of Scotland by my very own Sergeant Donaldson!

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read Chasing a Highland Dream by Lisa Hobman.

This is a brilliant book which engaged the reader from the start. Many relatable characters, some who appeared in book one . This is a standalone book but I would recommend that you read book one, purely because it gives the background to the Castle and Olivia’s story .
Adored Isla, Bella’s granny , what a character! and her beagle Beau . The close relationship between Bella and her gran was lovely to see. Everyone needs an Isla in their lives !
There is a strong sense of community, everyone helping each other out, plenty of love interest - who would Bella end up with?
Many twists to the storyline, some I didn’t see coming
A book I didn’t want to end and which I would highly Recommend
Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books, and Lisa Hobman for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

I instantly loved this book. I got drawn straight into the story and I have to say I absolutely loved Bella, she's the kind of MC that you can connect with easily and that's exactly what I found myself doing. And Granny Isla is fabulous, she's the kind of Granny I think I'd like to be when I'm older, never too serious and always there with love and fun for her grandchildren. I really loved the relationship she and Bella have, it kind of made me miss my Grandma if I'm honest, I think I had a smile on my face during any scene where those two were together.
Now onto the romance, I have to admit, to begin with, much like Bella, I didn't really like Harris but I think I also didn't like him because Granny Isla was trying to push him and Bella together and I was annoyed on Bella's behalf so I was rooting for her and Aiden to begin with. Aiden seemed like the better choice, until words came out of his mouth, once he started talking more to Bella I started to dislike him so much! But I loved the slow-burn friends-to-lovers path that Bella and Harris took and it made me do a giddy little dance when they finally got together.
I think Lisa Hobman is a brilliant writer because I so easily connected with her characters and became so invested in the story that I couldn't put the book down until I knew the ending. I'm definitely going to go read book one in the series and I can't wait for book three in October!

Lisa Hobman’s newest novel in the Highland Series, Charging a Highland Dream, is a delightful read.

The story follows Bells, who, after facing multiple job losses, takes a position as a Personal Assistant to her friend, Lady Olivia. When disaster strikes their home, Bells and her grandmother find themselves sharing an apartment in the castle.

Lisa vividly portrays the area, immersing readers in the setting, while her characters are incredibly relatable. This book is the ideal choice for a springtime read. Grab your copy today!

As the story opens, Bella shows a real error of judgement in trusting Olivia’s brother Kerr who she still rather carries a torch for – but, against all odds, she manages to save the day and make the castle’s first public event a success. But her own life is about to be turned upside down – after a bit of a disaster at the home she shares with Granny Isla, it’s Olivia’s turn to come to the rescue by offering them a temporary home in one of the apartments Bella’s recently used her design skills to help renovate.

Moving on from Kerr, her love life is rather a desert though – her gran’s pushing her towards a bearded policeman, the son of her closest friend, who enjoys birdwatching and seems distinctly boring, but she’s really not interested. And there’s a much more exciting prospect in the flat next-door – a gorgeous and famous author, who’s most definitely returning her interest. I’ll leave you to find out how that triangle works itself out, but suffice to say that neither man is quite what they appear to be – and Bella needs to make the right choices as she considers what the future may hold.

The characterisation in this book is really excellent – Bella, as she slowly blossoms, and her two romantic prospects, but the whole supporting cast too. There’s a really lovely friendship between Bella and Olivia, who has her own challenges and worries along the way – and Bella’s relationship with Granny Isla is a total joy throughout, with plenty of laughs from her many malapropisms and wicked sense of humour. There’s a real focus on kindness and forgiveness, and the whole book radiates warmth and feel good – but it’s certainly not without its moments of real drama and heightened emotions along the way.

If you read the first book in this series, you’ll be delighted to re-encounter familiar characters – I found it a particular treat, but there would be no issues if you read this one as a standalone – and, of course, Drumblair Castle and the Highlands are as beautifully drawn as ever with the author’s love for her setting shining through. And readers of some of the author’s other books will be as thrilled as I was by its perfect ending – but even if it’s your first, I guarantee it’ll leave you with a tear in your eye and a smile on your face. Read in one sitting, I thought it was a really lovely read – and one I’d very much recommend to others.

I am a big fan of Lisa Hobman, only after a few books from her I know I’m a guaranteed fan for life. Her books I know are guaranteed to give me a smile, make my heart melt and feel better about the world for a little bit and I really think we all need that for the last few years.

I loved Chasing a Highland Dream, not only is it set in one of my favourite places but it’s full of my favourite things, romance of course but also great community, friendships and the most loveable and relatable characters. Of course then there are characters like Granny Isla who steals the show in every scene she was in, she’s and loveable, such a wonderful character I wish she was real. , Harris, Olivia, Aidan et al are all wonderful too, but there’s no one quite like Granny !

This is a wonderful slow burn romance my favourite kind, I love seeing a couple come together and the anticipation for them to realise their feelings and then to act is so lovely. It’s a closed door , I’m always happy with any kind of romantic read so I don’t need steam all the time and it’s nice to not always get the full details. I can wholeheartedly recommend this and any of Lisa’s books for an escape to a better place for awhile.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Chasing A Highland Dream by Lisa Hobman

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Can you live your dreams and also find your destiny?

Since having to drop out of her design degree, Bella Douglas has been unlucky in just about everything life has thrown at her.

She’s lost more jobs than she cares to remember and despite her Granny Isla’s best attempts to set her up with every eligible bachelor in the Scottish Highlands and she’s still single.

Currently PA to her best friend, aka, Lady Olivia MacBain, at the 17th century Drumblair Castle, Bella is yet to find a role that sets her soul on fire. But when disaster strikes for Olivia, Bella steps into the breach to rescue her best friend from a fate worse than a bad interior designer.

When Bella and her Granny Isla find themselves homeless, they relocate to the castle where a handsome new neighbour brings mystery, intrigue and a spark of romance.

Is Bella finally on the track to find true happiness? Or do more catastrophes lie ahead? And does true love hide where you least expect it?

My Opinion

This is the second book in a great series, it could work as a standalone but in order to fully understand the background of the castle I would recommend reading the first book before this one. Lisa Hobman has written some great characters and some great descriptions. An engaging read that will leave you in a great mood.

Rating 4/5

The next in the series a d a good one. I enjoyed this read set in Scotland amongst the Highlands. A quick, sweet read. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Chasing a Highland Dream is the second book in the The Highlands series by Lisa Hobman.

Chasing a Highland Dream is an emotionally-rich novel. The characters are well-written, 3-dimensional, and complex. I enjoyed Bella and the way the author portrayed her character. She is sensitive, loving, strong, and determined. I love how she puts herself out there when Olivia's design firm backs out of a contract.

I enjoyed the author's writing style, the story, and how everything came together. I was pulled into the story from the beginning and kept thoroughly engaged. The author wove a masterpiece together, filled with romance, love, anxious moments, tenderness, frustration, and disbelief. I was captivated by this wonderful story.

The second book in The Highlands series is Bella's story. Her life is a series of bad luck, poor decisions and trusting the wrong people, which seems fated to continue even in her beloved Highlands, working at Oliva's castle. An unexpected chance to utilise her interior design skills is rewarding, and the opportunity for romance signifies a change of fortune, but is Bella willing to take the risk of following her dreams and hazarding her heart? It's a charming story with strong female friendship, familial support, and laugh-out-loud humour. The romance is gentle and tangled. The vibrantly drawn characters and vividly described settings make this an entertaining read. I like the characterisation, the engaging story and the Highlands location.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

This is my first book by Lisa Hobman, and it was great to find myself in a location I visited recently. I could picture all the scenes described of Inverness and Inverness-shire. I also always enjoy a book where one of the main characters is a writer - even if this one is not the most pleasant of the gang.

Our main character, Bella, is very likeable, although I fear her gran somewhat steals the show by mispronouncing certain words to quite a hilarious effect.

This is the story of Bella discovering herself and putting herself first to achieve thwarted dreams while trying to find the happiness her two friends already enjoy with their boyfriend/husband.

A delightful read, sure to appeal to fans of the genre.

My thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for my review copy.