Member Reviews

A Scottish Christmas is a delightful festive feel-good story.

Working as a temporary employee in a Christmas Shop, the FMC has a chance encounter with a Laird no less, looking for someone to plan his Christmas Festivities. The characters were charming, warm & extremely likeable. The author really paints a picture and you felt the atmosphere. Impossible to put down once I started, I was instantly hooked. Shoutout to the best character Houdini 🐐

This story is great for anyone looking to curl up with a hot chocolate and dive into a sweet romance,

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

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This was a pretty standard and nice read, nothing particularly amazing and I almost forgot the plot right after reading.
The meeting was extremely rushed and it's completely ridiculous for him to offer her a job on the spot when she didn't even display any skill for it.

Unfortunately, it's very forgettable, I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it either, it's just an okay book to read to pass the time.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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A Scottish Christmas
Alistair and Rose do not like Christmas. Rose’s mother passed away last Christmas and Alistair’s wife left him and their daughter one Christmas. Alistair’s family decides that they are coming for Christmas so he is in search of an event planner. Instead, he finds Rose and offers her triple her pay and asks her stay at his massive cottage estate. Rose reluctantly accepts.

When Rose befriends his daughter, Isla, and the two work together to bring Alistair’s past family traditions again. Bringing back these traditions helps Alistair heal and make Christmas special again and Rose slowly fits into his family making leaving hard.

I found the story to be a heartwarming Christmas story. It was predictable but the romance was slow moving. If you were looking for spice, this book does not provide it. Alistair’s family is likable and if you’re looking for a quick holiday read, this would be perfect for it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffee Books for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

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A charming Christmas story! I enjoyed it. I do wish it was told from duel POV. I typically like when books can offer that. This was still good told from Rose's point of view! Rose is fun to follow along through her journey. She has some bumps along the way which make for a good story. I love how she grew close with all the family members. And you could feel the love she had for them as well. A quick Christmas romance read!

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From start to finish, this has all the makings of a wholesome and sweet story destined to be a Hallmark movie.

Rose is living pay check to pay check with plans for a lonely Christmas holiday. Alistair is a wealthy man from Scotland needing a lot of help to bring the holidays to life for family, friends and colleagues. One unexpected encounter sets the path for a holiday neither of them imagined. Without saying much more, you already get the picture. It’s pretty predictable, but it is that comforting kind of predictable. Two people, a problem, some misunderstandings and wrapped up with a happy finale. I don’t know about you, but that’s exactly what I look for in a Christmas romance. To add to the sweetness, the story is filled with extremely likeable characters. Utterly charming!

If I had the opportunity to change something about the book, I would have two point of views. The book is told through Rose’s eyes, but I think it would have been enhanced if it was told through both Rose’s eyes and Alistair’s eyes. I often found myself wondering what was going through Alistair’s head.

Thank you to Joffe Books for this gifted copy via NetGalley. These opinions are entirely my own. Whether it’s a warm cup of tea or a glass of smooth Scottish whiskey, grab a drink and enjoy A Scottish Christmas.

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I just finished reading this heartwarming and delightful novel. The characters were so vivid and endearing, making it easy for me to connect with them. The stunning Scottish Highlands provided a breathtaking backdrop, immersing me in rich Christmas traditions and festive joy. This book beautifully captures the themes of love, family, and new beginnings, making it a perfect heartwarming read for the holidays. Isla, the goat Houdini, and Aunt Helena were also wonderfully portrayed, adding depth to the story.

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

I enjoyed this book so much that I purchased my own copy so I could read it again!

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"A Scottish Christmas" is a lovely holiday story that will warm your heart. Emma Bennet takes us to beautiful Scotland for a magical winter adventure. The book is all about love, family, and new beginnings.

The main character's journey is fun to follow. She faces some bumps along the way, but that just makes her story more exciting. Bennet does a great job painting a picture of snowy Scotland – you'll feel like you're right there!

The best part? The characters are so likable, you'll wish you could meet them in real life. The story moves along nicely, making it easy to keep turning pages.

If you love feel-good holiday stories, this book is perfect for you. It's a great way to get into the Christmas spirit. Curl up with a cozy blanket and hot cocoa, and let this charming tale sweep you away to Scotland for the holidays!

"A Scottish Christmas" is a real treat for anyone who enjoys sweet romance and festive cheer. It's sure to leave you with a big smile and warm, fuzzy feelings.

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I truly enjoyed this one. A perfect cozy-makes me want to go have a Scottish Christmas tale. It's a slow burn romance with just the right amount of lovely back and forth.

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This was super cute, a fast read, and the perfect light Christmas themed romance! I liked that the romance wasn't the only storyline, she also bonded with his daughter and family. They both made each other better. Really enjoyed this!

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So I am normally not a huge romance person but if you put Christmas and something to do with Scotland in the mix I am going to read it and I enjoyed every second of this book. It read like you were watching a Hallmark Christmas movie. The main character takes a chance and it ends up changing her life completely. Something that probably would not happen in real life but just so cute. The daughter was my favorite in this book. I loved the father/daughter relationship and that her "pet" was a goat. It was just an all around wholesome book and I would say if you like Hallmark movies, you will love this.

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This is a fantastic Christmas love story.. I loved it . Amazing what money can get you. I love Isla and the pet goat. It made you feel very christmasy.. A great happy read with a little sadness . Read it

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This isn’t the usual kind of book that I’d go for, but I can see how it would be a brilliant read for anyone into cosy holiday romances. The characters are endearing, especially Houdini! The book is short and can be easily read in one sitting. Perfect for a wet afternoon in front of the fire!

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A Scottish Christmas is the perfect festive feel-good novel. As soon as I started reading it, I was hooked on the plot. The characters are warm and relatable and you can’t fail to adore Houdini. This is a charming novel that once you start it, it’s impossible to put down. Thank you to NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author for the chance to review.

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The first chapter almost made me stop, as it was a really short awkward way to toss the characters together. Just a bit more interaction before this major job offer would have made a difference. But I was glad I kept with it as once you get going the story itself was good. Good characters a a heart warming Christmas story.

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Warm and wholesome, this Christmas romance set in Scotland should definitely be in your TBR pile this holiday season. It reminded me of those cozy Hallmark movies and was a very enjoyable read.

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This book feels like a warm Christmas hug. It's a very fast-paced, single dad, romance with a lovely wholesome plot and nice characters. It's perfect for a winter holiday book, as it enhances the season rather than moving you to a different place.

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Rose is not looking forward to Christmas. The first Christmas since her Mum passed away. She is working on a zero hour contract in a pop up Christmas Shop. And drifting

When Alastair walks into the Christmas Shop he sees Rose and thinks she could help him.

Alastair hates Christmas too and he has a problem, he was supposed to arrange a Christmas party for his Esatte employees and one for his business associates and has done nothing now its two weeks to Christmas and he needs an organiser fast.

He convinces Rose to leave London and move to Edinburgh and to arrange his Christmas.

Everything is going well even if there is a spark of attraction between them but Rose has a life in London.

This was a great book, the characters were engaging and I loved Houdini, a great read for a quiet afternoon.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book

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Very enjoyable Hallmark-ish story set in Scotland. Rose, grieving her mother, is working temp jobs while trying to come up from her grief. She meets Alistair, who comes into the shop she works at, looking for an event planner. She happens to have done that previously and accepts his offer to come to Scotland for 3 weeks to plan company and family parties. Alistair is a hot single dad and lives in a large estate. He also doesn’t like Christmas. This is more of a slow burn than grumpy sunshine. The pacing is great and this quick read hits everything you want for a chaste Christmas romance. Check it out!

Thank you Joffe Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

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Rose works in a seedy pop-up Christmas shop, situated down an alley between a vaping store and a tattoo parlor. Despite the clearly ideal location, the shop is vacant of customers, and Rose is set to make herself look busy.

In walks the devastatingly handsome Scotsman, Alastair Duncan. He's trying to find someone to fulfill a variety of personal and business holiday events on very short notice, and Rose happens to have events organization experience. He hires her on the spot, and off to Scotland, she goes.

When she arrives, she meets a motherly cook, his sweet and vivacious young daughter, along with her pet goat, and is welcomed into the fold. While she plans out informal and formal events, family gatherings, and the like, her and Alastair find an unexpected comraderie and joy in a holiday they both were dreading. We see both looks and touches linger, as her deadline to leave on Christmas Eve approaches.

With an offer to see the fruits of her labour on Christmas day, and an accountant who has her eye out for Alastair popping by, Rose wonders whether she's found a place to call her own, or not.

*******

This was such an adorable and light-hearted novel. The characters were vibrant, likable, and easy to relate to. The immediate teasing and banter between Alastair and Rose was great, and set the tone for a lot of fun as the book developed. I enjoyed the characters being pushed out of their comfort zone, as well as any miscommunication being approached and settled in a timely manner. I especially appreciated that the emotional toil was incredibly low, with no third act conflict to spoil the atmosphere. The book is the joyful and uplifting light read that it was presented as.

The only real issues I had with the novel were that it was so short it felt closer to a novella, and I would have loved to see more relation development. This leads me to our next point. The declaration of love was a bit much for me. I'd have enjoyed a more realistic declaration of having developed feelings and really wanting to see where it goes. It felt almost blindsided when it felt more logical that they were in the process of really falling for each other with the lingering looks and touches and had an infatuation developing. Especially as they held up the boss/employee barrier the entire three weeks.

Either way, this was a lovely and quick read, and I'd recommend it to anyone who needs a little escape, or palate cleanse, to get back into the joy of a reading a genuinely good book.

****
Thank you, NetGalley and Joffee Books, for the digital ARC copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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