Via a dating app, Olivia Bingham (Liv to her friends) thinks she’s found the perfect man in Fraser Douglas. They share witty repartee, long online conversations, and a mutual love of Mariah Carey. But when he ghosts her, she decides to drive the six hours from England to track him down in person at the Highlands hotel where he works as a chef. But two events complicate her investigation: an epic snowstorm, and more worryingly, that Fraser has no idea what she’s talking about, as he’s never used the app.

Mistletoe Magic in the Highlands by Bella Osborne offers up everything a good Christmas romance should—stunning scenery, a gruff romantic interest, a colourful cast of supporting characters, Christmas traditions and snow, snow, snow.

Liv’s quest begins a few days before Christmas, but she is undeterred by either the calendar or the Scottish winter weather, which provides a number of funny situations in this romantic comedy. The colourful cast of supporting characters, including Robbie Williams (no, not that one), cousin Effie, grandma Dolly, and computer whizz Winnie. As a bonus, there’s also Ginger, a Highland cow with a penchant for classical music and Jock’O, the dog whose first love is socks.

Comedy aside, Osborne also tackles real problems created by the Internet, including catfishing, mistaken identity and ghosting.

This is a festive Christmas romance as comforting as a mug of mulled wine.

Unfortunately this ended up as a DNF for me. The writing felt juvenile and nothing was believable from any kind of plot or character.

The cast of characters were rapidly added to and none had any real substance, including the main romance leads. It was billed as a rom-com but at 25% in I still hadn’t found any humour.

Would not recommend.

A light rom com set in Scotland with two delightful characters in Liv and Fraser. Liv thinks Fraser ghosted her and she's determined to find out why (it's a little stalker-y to be sure) so she heads to the hotel and discovers that she's a surprise to him. An accident leaves her more or less stranded and so they begin a relationship in real life. It made me smile. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

This was a great read, had me laughing and turning pages. The banter between Liv and Fraser was great, and Effie was an amazing character, her strait laced humour and literal understanding of things was funny and you could see her heart was so huge. Robbie was a great addition too, a policeman who gets stuck in his own handcuffs! Hilarious!

The setting was beautiful and I could really imagine I was there. Some hard hitting topics handled also, which made it interesting as there was also love and humour mixed in which was lovely. And let’s not forget Ginger the highland cow!

An easy read that flowed really well and very hard to put down. A great Christmas read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.
Loved this easy to read Christmas tale, lovely characters, beautiful setting. Will look out for more from this author

This book was such a delight to read! It is full of laugh out loud moments that had me chuckling so much. I love the quirky characters so much! Bella Osborne has created a beautifully unique world that I was thrilled to live in for a while.

I especially love a book with an older person as a main character and there is a gem in this story. Also, there is a highland cow that thinks it is a dog. That is a fun thing to have within the pages. Lots of snow, that made me cold just reading about it! It has a bit of a mystery, strong family unity, and how stepping out of your comfort zone can bring great rewards.

The book came into my real-life for a bit. One of the characters seems to keep falling, most times not due to her own fault. I cannot even remember when I last fell, but yesterday when gardening, and stepped on an uneven surface, I fell. Thank goodness I was not hurt badly, and I just laid there in the mud thinking of Liv from the book. I laughed at her falling so much, and here I was in the same situation!

I recommend this book highly and hope that all readers enjoy it as much as I have and don’t have any ‘real-life’ incidents as I did.

I want to thank Aria & Aries and NetGalley for giving me the pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

Such a fun read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This story was absolutley adorable! This is a cute rom-com with no spice that takes place during Christmas in Scotland. The banter is top notch and I laughed so much.

Olivia “Liv” has had bad luck with finding the right man. She was previously ghosted and tried dating online. Only when she went to tell her friend and sister about it the man’s profile was deleted. She was ghosted again!

After moping around her mother mentioned finding the man. So she decided to go to the restaurant he worked at and call him out on his behavior. Only when she got there he didn’t recognize her.

Things fall apart and she is forced to stay there much longer than anticipated.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

MMC could do with a little more character growth but didn’t hate him or the romance. This is a classic hallmark movie in a book situation, plenty of ridiculous plot lines and fun to be had. Overall enjoyable.

I enjoyed this book, def a feel good Christmas story for curling up with on a cold winters night. There is a lot going on though, lots of characters and lots of sub plots, at times I felt there was just too much going on at the once and it overwhelmed a bit. Loved the talking cow and it’s really quite funny in bits so that made up for it all. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advance copy.

Very cute and clean Christmas/holiday story set in Scotland. There's a quirky cast of characters and some sweet romances while they are all snowed in at an old inn in a small town. There is food, friendship, drama from unwanted guests and just an overall fun book to read around the Christmas season. Even a few small mysteries. Lots of action packed into this book.

The story is somewhat predictable and definitely has Hallmark vibes. And who doesn't love a highland cow as a character in a book and on the cover? The cow on the cover definitely grabbed my attention and was probably what hooked me onto reading this book.

Thank you to the publisher for an opportunity to read an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

✨ARC Review✨

Another holiday novel? It’s Christmas time in ARC land. What can I say?

I can say this is a quick, fun holiday read. It’s less of a romance than a general holiday book in my opinion. In fact, the romance aspect didn’t work for me at all; however, the rest of the novel was really good.

Olivia Bingham has just been ghosted…again. She and Fraser Douglas, hot Scotsman, had been messaging for a few weeks via a dating app when his profile disappears. She decides she’s going to find him at his workplace in Scotland and give him what-for.

She ends up having to stay in the ramshackle hotel he maybe owns due to hitting her head and pretending she has amnesia *and* a blizzard that rolled in. Yes, it’s one of those comedy of errors situations.

There’s a lot of banter amongst the residents and the stranded travelers.
Fraser is a grump to end all grumps which is why the romance part doesn’t work for me. But the friendship that develops between Liv and his cousin is very sweet.

All in all, I enjoyed this story. Very Hallmark-y in Scotland.

I received this ARC via #netgalley and @headofzeus. All thoughts are mine alone.

#contemporaryfiction #holidayfiction #booksbooksbooks #holidaynovels #bookreview #bookrecs #mistletoemagicinthehighlands #bellaosborne

I really enjoyed this book. Some of the characters were a little over the top and the plot was a bit predictable but I absolutely adored it! I found Fraser a little bit grumpy but by the end I’d come round to him. The hotel in Scotland was a perfect setting and there were some really Christmassy scenes that I loved. I found there was quite a bit of comedy in this book too and a few laugh out loud moments. Just a perfect, light hearted festive story. I was sad to finish it.

Liv gets repeatedly ghosted on a dating app and decides to meet the latest culprit by visiting Scotland days before Christmas. All the predicable hi jinx follow. But, while this story was predicable, I liked the characters and the setting.

Olivia is fed up of being ghosted so she decides to go and find the latest guy and ends up in an unexpected situation where many things go wrong in the lead up to Christmas. This is a feel good seasonal read and must be the first book I have reviewed with a slightly mad cow in it. Glorious.

This is one of my favourite romance authors, so was very pleased to see a new story from her! We head up to the Scottish Highlands with Olivia Bingham. She is off to find Fraser Douglas, a Scottish chef who she has been getting on very well with after meeting him on a dating site. She thought he may have been "The One", until one day his profile disappears and she stops hearing from him. Confused, and not very happy about it, she heads to Scotland to confront him, but when she gets there he has no idea who she is!

This was a lovely read! I love this author as no matter what, she can always make me laugh! Olivia, or Liv as she likes to be known, is a great character! She may be slightly crazy with her plan to head to Scotland to find a man she's never met, but her comedic timing and banter with the other characters was absolutely perfect! She is such a likeable character, and you have to feel sorry for her just a little bit when everything that could go wrong does go wrong! Fraser Douglas, on the other hand, is a surly, grumpy man who seems to have an instant dislike to anyone (particularly if they are English!). Whilst he's not the happiest of people, and certainly not in the Christmas spirit, every now and then the real Fraser pops out, and I have to admit that I was won over with his smiles, winks and of course his food!

The storyline flows along well and is accompanied by a magnificent backdrop of snow covered Scottish Highlands scenery. The images that are put into your mind as you read will definitely get you in the mood for Christmas even if we are still a few months away! The other characters within the story are lovely - I particularly like Effie, and Robbie Williams certainly made me chuckle! Of course Ginger the Highland cow gets my vote for favourite non-human, and if I had the room I'd be wanting her to come and live with me!

This was a wonderfully light-hearted and entertaining Christmas read! It's ideal for settling down, under a blanket with a warming drink to while away a few winter hours! Filled with lots of fun and laughs, this story will warm your hearts right through to the last page! Would recommend!

Don’t you just love it when you find a book that you love from page one? No reading a few chapters ‘to get into it.’
That’s how I felt with this one. It was beautifully written, had great characters (especially Ginger!), a fantastic storyline and humour, oh and snow and Christmas! What’s not to love.

All the characters grow on you throughout the book as Liv heads off on a mission to right a wrong in Scotland! Being brave and standing up for herself, she finds everything may not be as clear cut as she thought.

You will laugh, you will fall in love, both with the characters and the setting and want to read it within one sitting (while also not wanting to as you won’t want it to end).

An absolute gem. I love to hear more from these characters.

Book Review: Mistletoe Magic in the Highlands

I recently dove into Mistletoe Magic in the Highlands by Bella Osborne, and it was the perfect festive escape! From the start, Olivia Bingham's struggles with love felt all too relatable. Ghosted more times than she can count, Olivia’s journey to find true connection struck a chord with me, especially during the holidays when the pressure to find love can feel overwhelming.

When she meets Fraser Douglas, a charming Scottish chef, I was immediately swept up in their budding romance—until everything takes a turn. The twist of Olivia discovering Fraser’s online profile has vanished was both frustrating and intriguing. I found myself rooting for her as she boldly decided to confront him in Scotland, a move that takes a lot of courage.

Upon her arrival, the story takes an unexpected and humorous turn when Fraser seems clueless about who she is. This moment was both heart-wrenching and hilarious, highlighting the complexities of modern dating. I enjoyed how Osborne balanced the tension with humor, making me chuckle while simultaneously feeling Olivia's anxiety.

The Scottish Highlands served as a stunning backdrop, and I could almost feel the chilly air and the warmth of the cozy hotel. The setting added a magical layer to the story, making it feel like a true winter wonderland.

Osborne's writing is engaging and heartfelt, beautifully capturing the ups and downs of relationships. The supporting characters added depth to the story, and I loved how the themes of love, friendship, and self-discovery intertwined.

Overall, Mistletoe Magic in the Highlands is a delightful read that blends humor and romance perfectly. It's a reminder that love can be both complicated and magical, especially during the festive season. I can't recommend this book enough for anyone looking for a heartwarming holiday story!

I really wanted to love this book and enjoy it, but this one wasn’t for me.

This had the potential to be an utterly cute christmassy highland romance and yet it fell flat, whilst at the same time having sooooo much going on. The numerous different subplots at times where overwhelming and confusing... 'the arrest'. I especially found the story slow in regards to the 'ghosting' the entire premise of the book and it just seemed to disappear at the start and then reappear at the end which made no sense.

However, I did love Ginger the coo, Jock'o and the main character.

Olivia Bingham has had her fair share of disappointments with men, enduring more ghosting incidents than she cares to remember. Against the odds, she finally meets someone who seems truly special – Fraser Douglas, a charismatic Scottish chef plying his trade at a picturesque hotel in the Highlands. Fraser is not only sweet and sensitive but also thoughtful and funny, and Olivia feels like she's hit the jackpot.

Just when things seem to be falling into place, Fraser's dating profile mysteriously disappears, sparking fear and uncertainty in Olivia's heart. Determined to get to the bottom of things, she embarks on a journey to Loch Lochy Hotel in Scotland to confront Fraser.

However, Olivia's hopes are tarnished when she arrives in Scotland amidst a relentless winter snowstorm, only to find that Fraser is behaving as if she is a complete stranger.

The engaging banter and the vividly drawn characters in this romantic comedy, set in the breathtaking landscapes of Scotland, made it a captivating read for me.