Member Reviews
Rose was working in a pop up Christmas shop when she was floored by an unusual job offer leaving London the next day to Edinburgh. Alistair hates Christmas but for his daughter and his family he intends to make this one a memorable one with the help of Rose.
Rose gets into the decorating of the big house and the organising of various Christmas events. Alistair and his daughter Isla along with the extended family visitors welcome Rose into the family, she loves it and dosnt want to leave.
Hilarious in parts and heartwarming in others the ideal book to curl up with snd enjoy a wonderful Scottish Christmas. Written by a brilliant author bringing us all into the family over Christmas, highly recommended read.
Scottish Christmas romance yes, please. Rosie meets Allistair and he offers her a job she literally cannot refuse. This was a slow burn, but it was so worth it and I adored every moment. It was exactly what I needed to kick off my Christmas book reading.
Overall it was a cute holiday read that would be good for a Christmas read. This version was very much an unedited version which made it hard to follow at times. For example, names would change from one page to another, Rose would forget information that she had already today us and there was a page where you were given no clue as to who she was talking to. I am sure once the edited version is out, the flow of the story would be more apparent and make for an enjoyable read.
A Scottish Christmas is heartwarming, festive, and full of charm!
Rose and Alistair’s meet-cute begins when Alistair picks up Rose’s Disney Princess Elsa crown that’s fallen from her blonde wig at the Christmas shop she’s working at. Super cute, right?
Anyway, Alistair is in desperate need of a Christmas miracle because he’s put off several important holiday events until the last minute and has no clue where to begin planning. You see, Alistair has a strong aversion to everything Christmas and keeps himself busy throughout the holiday season so he doesn’t have to remember the past. So busy, in fact, that he’s run out of time this year and decides to pop into a cheery shop to garner some inspiration getting things sorted.
Alistair finds out Rose has been an event planner at her previous employ and on a whim, offers her a job for three weeks to plan a few Christmas parties for him, including decorating his home in the Scottish highlands. Alistair hands Rose his business card, giving her a few hours to think about it. Pretty crazy right? Don’t worry about stranger danger, this is a Hallmark-type story, so it’s safe for Rose to accept.
Rose is shocked to get a job offer from the handsome Scotsman. With her job prospects dried up around London–and after an extensive Google search on him–Rose accepts Alistair’s offer. Twenty-four hours later Rose is at Alistair’s estate with him, his 12-year-old daughter Isla, and a cute escape artist goat, aptly named Houdini.
Oh my goodness, this story was so much fun to read! The storyline is lovingly written. The characters are crafted with care and purpose. The romance gave me butterflies.
If you’ve got a case of the holiday blues, A Scottish Christmas is the perfect remedy!
This is just perfect as a Christmas read.,, I read it so quickly that I hardly put it down.. Alistair and Rosie made my heart a little warmer for this winter and Scotland has something magic.. Definitely a cozy read for me
Looking for a cute Christmas novella to get you in the mood for a little romance and a lot of holiday cheer? A Scottish Christmas is likely to be the next book you are looking for. Rose gets an amazing opportunity to decorate for a Scottish laird’s estate. Seeing Rose settle right in with Alistair and Isla was heartwarming. Truthfully, Houdini stole the show with his hilarious antics that left me in stiches. However, all the characters were quite charming and it is a sweet holiday read.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own.
Rose Aldridge never imagined she’d be spending the holiday season working in a temporary Christmas shop, nor did she expect to be offered a job by a dashing, brooding Scotsman!
Alistair Duncan despises Christmas. His wife left him and their daughter on Christmas Eve, and now his family is set to visit his vast Scottish estate. He needs assistance to create the perfect holiday. When he sees Rose, looking overwhelmed while selling decorations, he offers her the position—and is surprised when she agrees.
Rose quickly dives into shopping for Christmas trees and planning parties. Soon, the Duncan family estate transforms into a wonderland of ribbons, gifts, and sparkling lights—even Houdini, the family goat, joins in the festive fun!
As Rose spends more time with the Duncan family, especially Alistair’s 12-year-old daughter, Isla, Alistair begins to realize just how well she fits into their lives—and his icy heart starts to melt.
With Christmas Eve approaching and Rose about to head home, it’s time for the magic of the season to take hold...
This is a cute, quick easy-to-read Christmas vibe that’ll have you feeling festive!
The slow burn was written well, and I really enjoyed the Scottish setting around Christmas time and the way it was written was so vivid you could picture yourself there!
The start was a teeny bit unrealistic with the main character Rose randomly approached by a stranger when at work and offered a job in Scotland starting within the next day or two but it was still enjoyable!
The characters were wholesome, and I loved all of them, a special shoutout to Houdini the goat! I enjoyed the grumpy x sunshine trope and opposites attract trope – both done really well.
Perfect for those who don’t enjoy spice!
ARC Review! Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the ARC.
3.75 stars
Rose was working a dead-end job until she met a Scotsman, Alistair, that offered her a job that she couldn't refuse. Rose relocated to plan Christmas events for Alistair. During the seasonal job Rose and Alistair developed a friendship and romantic feelings. This is definitely a slooooooow burn. I struggled with the pacing of the story towards the ended. It felt that it dragged out and I started to lose interest.
It is a sweet Christmas story with a hit of romance. It gave Hallmark vibes.
This book follows Rose and Alistair and their romance around Christmas. Alistair is in need of a holiday organizer for his business and his home. When he walks into a holiday shop in London, he finds the perfect person when he sees Rose. Alistair offers her a job in Scotland and she accepts because she doesn't want to spend the holiday alone since her mother recently passed away. What she didn't realize is how she would fall in love with not just her boss, but her also his family, his home, his friends.
I loved this story!! The atmosphere was described so clearly and I felt like I was spending Christmas in Scotland. I could feel the crispness in the air and the love that the family and friends shared for each other. This is a bit of a slow burn for a short book, but I loved it. Highly recommend; especially if you like closed-door romances.
4.5 stars but rounding up to 5.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of A Scottish Christmas!
I absolutely adored this book from beginning to end!
It's the first I've read from Bennet and if all of her books are as gorgeous as this one I'll definitely be reading more.
The characters are absolutely charming - was rooting for Rose and Alistair all the way - they were so perfect together weren't they? However, the stars of the show for me were Isla (Alistair's daughter) and a goat, that's more like a dog called Houdini.
It's a fun, lighthearted read that's guaranteed to warm the cockles of your heart and I don't think it could get any more Christmassy than this!
My only quibble...it was too damn short! I could have read about Rose and Alistair forever ❤️
This book was not for me. I love a good Christmas romance full of all the seasonal tropes and although this book had tropes and romance abounding the writing was difficult to follow.
Such a warm, cozy and adorable reading. I loved it very much.
The plot is very simple but lovely nontheless.
I couldn't put the book down.
Perfect for the Christmas season.
This reminded me so much of a Hallmark movie and that’s a compliment. What a cute holiday story. You know how it’s going to end, but the story was sweet. Cute characters.
A flourishing Christmas romance book. Rose is working her festive magic and not expecting to fall in love. A beautiful story that set my heart on fire!
What an adorable and cozy read A Scottish Christmas was - just the perfect story for the holiday season! With just the right amount of Christmas movie cuteness I was completely won over - even if in the beginning things seemed to happen a bit too abruptly - and enjoyed all the festivities in the wonderful Scottish setting immensely. And wished I could go there for Christmas myself! Pure holiday bliss. ❤️
I love a great Christmas read and now is the time to read such a book. And this one was so cosy, cute, festive and fun. I love the setting and the Christmas theme (of course) and the characters were fun and relatable. The story itself is well written and easy to read. I had no problems devouring it in a day, pot of tea by my side and I was happy.
A great holiday read, a feel-good snuggly type of book that made me smile. I like that in a book and although this book was a little predictable it was still fun and entertaining and an enjoyable read. 3 1/2 stars from me for this one.
Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
This is a perfectly pleasant Christmas romance set in Scotland, a Cinderella story featuring a handsome Scottish laird, Alastair, and a grieving, struggling artist from London, Rose, who he hires on the spot to handle all of his Christmas obligations. It begins with a meet-cute when he stumbles into the pop-up shop where she works, wearing a Queen Elsa costume. He hands her the plastic crown that fell off when his entrance startled her and then serendipitously finds out that she has a background in event planning. In less than 24 hours, she on a train to Edinburgh and a fast track to three weeks of family gatherings, festive events, and more.
The problem I had with this book is that it delves into the minutiae of Rose’s three weeks at Alastair’s manor home. Everything from a pet goat called Houdini who, like his namesake, manages to escape his paddock routinely, the foods they’re eating, and the Christmas presents they’re buying and wrapping to all the details of the events she’s planning, including the fancy portable toilets, makes for a very tedious read. In the meantime, the dialogue between the two is often awkward and stilted, and they share very little about their personal lives despite the fact that Rose is grieving her mother’s death and Alastair’s daughter is motherless. It’s a clean, very slow burn romance, but there is no real chemistry between them. I’m sure there are plenty of readers who will appreciate this, but if you like a little spice and tension, this book won’t appeal.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Joffe Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
Cosy, feel good Christmas story with the right amount of family, seasonal festivities, romance and a naughty goat.
Rose is working extra in a Christmas shop in London to earn some badly needed cash. It's definitely not her definition of fun, neither is dressing up which apparently was part of the job description.
Alistair is in London trying to avoid preparing for Christmas, a season he loathes after his wife walked out on him and his daughter on Christmas Eve.
As fates will have it, he enters the shop where Rose works and offers her to organise his Christmas, up in Scottland. To ensure we get the Hallmark story, Rose accepts.
Rose goes all in and sets about organising the best Christmas ever for Alistair, his daughter and his extended family.
Slowly, the Christmas magic is spreading to all involved and Alistair is finding that he once again enjoys the celebrations - all made easier by Rose and her warm heart.
I loved Rose and Alistairs story. Bringing Christmas into his home for him and his daughter as well as the parties for employees and business associates was wonderful. Traditions from the past always make the present so much fun.
This was the ultimate embodiment of a Hallmark movie. It was a perfect blend of holiday spirit and classic rom-com. I loved getting to follow Rose’s party planning process and appreciation for the holidays. This book got me ready for the holidays and got me out of a reading slump. It was the perfect quick holiday read with relatable characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy!