Member Reviews

A beautiful romance, set in the equally beautiful Scottish Highlands, this story will truly have the reader feeling they are walking amongst the heather with golden spaniels playing at their feet.

This is a five star read for many reasons:

It will have you laughing. From the sassy house keeper with the phrase, “THEY CAN’T DROWN EVERY WITCH,” on her coffee mug, to an unsolicited swarm of midges, and all of the characters’ antics, banter and wit in between.

It will have you falling in love…with everything from the wild and rugged Highlands and the creatures that call it home, to the ‘found family’ you didn’t know you needed to find, the ancient castle and of course, the heir to it all…Logan.

All blended perfectly with engaging writing, a sprinkle of tension and forced proximity, a taste of history and culture and a people and place you won’t soon forget.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review

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Cat has left her job after an extremely embarrassing incident.

Still trying to recover, she is offered a job at a Scottish castle by Sir Alastair, as the castle is going under, and he needs fresh ideas to save it.

Cat has recollections of her time at the castle as a teenager, especially grumpy Logan, one of Sir Alastair’s sons.

The castle has a very long history, and Logan has his own ideas to save the castle, and gives Cat a hard time.

Can the castle be saved? Will Logan and Cat put their mutual dislike aside and work together?

This was a quick read that had me hooked from the first page.

The story is set in the Scottish Highlands, and the author sets the scene well with wonderful descriptive writing.

The characters were believable and entertaining, and the dogs made me laugh a lot with their antics.

A lovely romance story with some great humour at times.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

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A beautiful, romantic story set in the Scottish Highlands. As I've only visited the Highlands in 2024 for the very first time ( and I loved it so much ) I could really imagine Iolair and the quirky characters. Everyone was lovable and each of them added so much to the story. It was an absolute feel good book.

Thank you Netgalley for providing the ARC.

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This was such a delightful and romantic read, perfect for this time of year!
I especially loved the settings; it really felt like I was transported to a Scottish castle, surrounded by lush greenery and rich history. But what I enjoyed the most were the characters: Cat is a strong woman who managed to rise again after a setback that made her feel inadequate, and Logan is the classic man who appears gruff on the outside but actually has a soft heart (I absolutely adore these kinds of characters!). Although they had met before, their story truly unfolds in the present.
I found the author's writing style very engaging and smooth, and I’d love to read more of her works in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

Cat Hardwick works in events planning but has just lost her job due to an unrequited crush on boss Oliver. As luck would have it, she has a godfather who is Laird of crumbling Iolair Castle in the remote Scottish Highlands and he timely invites her to stay in exchange for help in marketing the estate as an events venue so the mounting bills can be paid.

Unfortunately, Sir Alastair's grumpy but handsome son Logan McCaskill, who Cat knows from a holiday 15 years ago when they were both teenagers, is completely against anything she suggests. But he also has "eyes the colour of autumn bracken in sunlight" (how delightfully Princess Bride-esque!) so we know where this is going.

I love the Scottish Highlands so every book with them as a scenic setting automatically gains points. We also have tropes galore (enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, one bed only, miscommunication to name the ones I noticed), not one, not two but four cheeky dogs and a great cast of side characters that round the story off nicely. I particularly loved Agatha, who, quite literally, had her fingers in every pie and did great speeches.

Personally, I think it might have been better to ditch the flashbacks and just tell us from the start what happened 15 years ago, and also tell us how Cat lost her job, because none of it is a huge revelation or twist in the story. It's also best to suspend disbelief in how the castle gets saved, but it's not a spoiler to say we all knew it would get saved somehow, because romance story, thy name is predictability.

This is well-written, warmhearted, cosy and uplifting escapism. There is romantic tension, emotional healing, several pairings, showdowns with exes, a few baddies and scented soaps saviours. Recommended.

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Thank you so much to Negalley and F.L Everett for early access to this brilliant book. Coming from a girl who got married on the Isle of Skye, and spent my whole trip taking the hinterlands- I got to relive it and that of the novel character simultaneously!

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Such a cute and cozy read! I love Cat, Logan and Iolair. Sir Alastair hires Cat to save Iolair in basically a 2-week period. With the help of the family (expect for Logan at first), Cat comes up with the perfect plan to save Iolair and when that backfires, Logan and Agatha step in and save the day.

After a brief meeting when they were teenagers 15 years ago, Cat and Logan finally end up in the right place, right time moment.

I love the location and learning more about Scottish culture while reading. I really like the fact that they were not so lovey-dovey right from the start, not till the very end did we know if they were end-game.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

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I loved this book. Descriptions of the castles and nature in the Scottish highlands made me feel like I was there. Nothing wrong with a little love thrown in. Four stars

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This is a cozy romance that seems ideally suited to a snowy/rainy day in front of the fire. Very charming

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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One of those quick romance reads that you want to sit down and enjoy on a cold snowy day. Set in the Scottish Highlands, Cat returns to her mother's godfather's castle to help out with saving the castle's future. Reunited with her teenage's crush, Logan, the two make a go at saving the place. Typical romance ending, I enjoyed it thoroughly.

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A lovely romance in a beautiful location. I loved Cat and Logan, and Iolair is such a vibrant location. As they work to save the castle, love blooms after a short meeting 15 years before. A cozy read.

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Main character Cat Hardwick is living in city and she basically gets embarrassed by her boss with another woman so she doesn't want to be there anymore so she just in time gets a letter from her godfather in Scotland on a proposal to join their castle and help do some events because of her job she is good at that so she thinks about it talks to her friend and she says its a great opportunity to go since the castle is crumbling and in trouble, she has been there in the past because the book takes place on a past/present story about her when she was in Scotland as a young teen and now when she is going there because of some triggered memories. This is a story about healing a broken heart and I think it was pretty good.

When she gets there she sees someone she remembers from memory in Scotland, Logan Mcaskill and her heart literally stops, Dark hair, dark eyes, muscular, tall and handsome. She hasn't seen him since she was a teen. So between her a and Logan I think there was a lot of brooding he was grumpy and irritating and she would get mad at him for how he wasn't taking her ideas seriously but it was because he didn't like changing the castle but eventually he took to it. And there was tension between them the love was slow but I loved the scene where he takes her to the bothy to check it out and there is a storm, it was really steamy in my opinion. I like how they were stuck together in one bed and the tension broke they had sex that night and it was hot heat.

The next day or whatever you find out he tells her he sees her as a friend I just didn't understand why he would shut her out, a couple of chapters in there was a lot of castle talk and event planning a lot of other things going on and I just kept wanting to know what happened why he shut her out, and you find out this character Logan was also hurt in a relationship and she was cheating on him his x girlfriend Marina, or wife but then he told Cat the truth later on came to town to see where his options were with Marina, there was a lot of back an forth on what happened I couldn't understand if marina cheated or not because she went to marry a guy down the street and Logan wanted his dream was to be a cook an move to new Zealand. I think there was a major confusion there it was a little slow for me and all the way to the end of the book he tells her how he remembers her back when they were teens and was still in love with Cat and wanted to not move anymore he wanted to be with her. I love that they got together but I didn't love the fact that it was too slow to tell like the huge change of heart of not wanting to move the character relationship was hard to figure out during the story of like what happened after they had their one night and he shuts her out cold because he thought the whole time he didn't want to do that to her if he leaves and I think this character was trying to see who he liked better after his break up with Marina. I think it was shady. And then he wanted to get back with Cat and tell her he loves her after that one night? I think he wears his heart on his sleeve. One kiss and I'm in love but then tell her at the end of the book I remembered you from when we were kids I was trying to forget you? Its just strange. But all in all the book was great, It took me a couple of days to finish it because it was pretty long. I think for further suggestions maybe a point of view book in the future of Logan's thoughts or what he thought when he went to see Marina. I was so invested in this story it was pretty good overal.

Thank you netgalley for the book/ it was pretty good.
This book comes out in February 2025..

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A lovely feel good read. Cat makes a mistake and loses her job and ends up in Scotland helping her mums God father. It is a good read. You have romance, some funny moments, lots of yummy food. A good ending . Read it

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A castle that needs rescue, a hero with deep roots, a family that's a little discombobulated and a heroine who is a bit insecure. Logan our hero is all about keeping true to his heritage and being eco friendly. When his father hires Cat to rescue the declining family wealth that supports many, the two are thrown together. They attraction is pala0able and a residue of when they met 15 years ago. But Cats big plans for Logans castle just rises his insecurities leading to an almost missed second chance.

Well written, entertaining, with a really wide cast of characters, this book deals with a lot of individual feelings and how people reconcile with it.

#netgalley #DreamaoftheScottishIsland

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A delightful escape to Scottish castle in the most beautiful of settings. This is a tale of romance, but mainly about people trying to save a castle that they love with some funny moments as well as moments of adventure. This is not the predictable read that you think it might be, it’s more than that.

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Cat Hardwick, now heartbroken and jobless, receives a surprising letter from her godfather in Scotland. He asks for her help renovating his estate. Initially doubtful, she heads to the Scottish Highlands. To her astonishment, the castle is in a huge state of disrepair—far from the luxury event planning she is used to.

With no other options, she decides to give it a try. However, her godfather’s son, Logan McCaskill, opposes any changes his father has planned for the estate. Logan and his father have differing views on the renovations, and Logan’s difficult nature and grumpiness create tension.

It’s been 15 years since Cat visited the castle, and she had developed a crush on Logan back then. As she spends time with him again, her romantic feelings resurface, but she’s only in Scotland for two weeks, making it unlikely to establish a romantic connection.

This delightful story captivates from the very beginning and remains an absolute delight until the very end. Everett’s latest book is a warm and comforting read, perfect for curling up with your hot beverage of choice and immersing yourself in its pages.

Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

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