A dark tale with some humorous moments.Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It feels unfinished. It took took off in a completely unexpected direction, nevertheless a bit unsatisfying. Well written. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

ARC Review: Escape to the Highland Retreat by Elayne Grimes

Jumping into this book was a bit of a challenge at first, as I later realized there’s a preceding novel. However, once I decided to just go along for the ride, I found myself immersed in the charming town Ms. Grimes has created.

On the surface, this story follows a community grappling with changes to a beloved local estate as new residents arrive, making modifications that initially unsettle the townspeople. But as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that there’s something much deeper at play—something both unexpected and profoundly moving.

At its core, this book is a heartfelt exploration of friendship, family, and loss, navigating life’s most difficult moments with incredible sensitivity. The way Grimes portrays the end-of-life facility is especially poignant, handled with care and emotional depth.

I’m curious to read the first book and then revisit this one to see if the experience shifts with a fuller understanding of the world. Escape to the Highland Retreat releases this week—thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

WEEKEND READ! - Book Review - Escape To The Highland Retreat

I just finished reading Escape To The Highland Retreat by Scottish author Elayne Grimes. If you are after an absorbing read to race through, these characters will deliver.

It’s Book 2 of the Loch Strathkin series but easy enough to read as a standalone.

Things The Highland Retreat Has:

Girlfriends with complicated relationships with each other

Strong female friendships

Attractive highland men

Rogues who are somewhat likeable (except that particular baddie!)

Stunning highland location

Dark happenings and discussion-worthy topics

Challenging material

Fantastic immersive writing

This return to Swanfield kept me hooked from its early pages. Great to experience all the “girls” together again even with all the challenges thrown in their way. Book 2 carries through some of the issues that led to a friendship crisis in Book 1. This is all very relatable. They are strong female friendships but not all rosy!

The characters in this book are so realistic and individual (loved Maureen – could hear her in my head!) that it’s a treat to read, even if the subject matter was a bit dark and very sad at times.

I raced through the last half of the book, afraid for what might happen. The author did an excellent job with such thought-provoking issues that are very topical at the moment in the UK.

I can see this being a great book club read for members to discuss the topics raised.

Highly recommend if you are seeking an immersive read to get lost in for a while.

It’s astonishing that this is only just the second book from Scottish author, Elayne Grimes, with such accomplished writing and challenging material. (It’s Book 2 of the Loch Strathkin series. The first book is: Secrets of Swanfield. Both with Storm Publishing).

It’s on a Spring offer right now over on Amazon, so worth snapping up at that price!



#EscapetotheHighlandRetreat #NetGalley

ESCAPE TO THE HIGHLAND RETREAT, #2 - Sadly, I missed the first book but this book held up its end. Interesting characters with intriguing story lines and plenty of emotions, love, family, friends, and community, along with a bit of darkness. Source: Netgalley. 4*

Moving story with a heart-rending core😢

Well done!
I did not anticipate the depth and serious sadness this story would tackle and yet, I loved it! I expected some friendship bonding between longtime besties Marcie, Dina, Bella and Heather, danger and intrigue, as in the first in the series, and they are all present.
But here enter Dina and Ruaridh's life-altering, surprising developments, set to upend their idyllic family life, and all of Marcie, Bella and Heather's squabbles and issues pale in comparison.

There are greedy and hardly sympathetic new additions to the town at the refurbished and renamed Swanfield House, now called The Retreat. My opinion of the owners and doctors involved in the business operation there changed as the story progressed. Their end of life care facility actually broached some difficult issues about how society handles fatal illness and death and even the mercenary (or, at least some of them) displayed some moral fiber. And this dove-tailed perfectly into Dina and Ruaridh's story.

The author really made me think and feel; I could not contemplate putting the book down until the final page. It's evident from that last chapter that this is not the end of these characters or the series and for that I am grateful. Excellent storytelling.

Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Review shared on 3/28/25 on Waterstones, and Goodreads, and with Barnes & Noble and BAM.

I hadn't read the first book in this series however it reads well as a standalone. The story has a beautiful setting in the highlands and is very well described, taking the reader there along the journey. It also has a bit of everything in it too. Love, loathing, families, some moral and ethical questions but mostly true friendship and how that may overcome most obstacles in life. I enjoyed the story and the characters and look forward to reading the next one.


Thanks to Netgalley / Storm for the ARC to review

this is a second book in the series. book one also follows Marcie and the decisions she has to make. her and her friends are back. this time she is book seeing the consequences of her decisions in book one play out in real time. and she isnt all too happy. things dont feel right. is something wrong? or does Marcie just feel wrong. being home starts to feel really right again. not least meeting a certain someone. so many of her group are going through their own issues and its becoming clear there wont be happy ending all round. so what now? how do they all handle this both individually and on their own terms. and what ripple will this books decisions have?
this book is once again a tick box of all you want from the genre. in the first book i was appalled it didnt end the way i needed it to! or all wrapped up. and basically was all to eager to read the next one. and now? am i satisfied. well, i wont spoil it. but it did have all the ups and down but also brilliantly tender and beautiful moments too. this is a great read. its covers deep subjects. but once again when an author does it well, its just a stunning read. and is all sorts of emotional throughout certain points.
i do love the books that get it so very right in this genre. and this is certainly one of them.

This is the second book in this series and it didn’t disappoint, full of friendships and end of life care. When new neighbours move into Swanfield House changing the name to The Retreat, but what happens inside. It is a delicate topic the book is about, but it’s dealt with very well and with dignity. It is sad, but happy, people can make a choice. A really great read, 5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

I wasn’t aware that this was the second book in a series. I struggled with the various characters and the way their past connections were addressed in narrative.
The subject matter was dark, and I struggled with both the plot and characters

Escape to the Highland Retreat
by Elayne Grimes

I didn't realise that this was the second book in a series. While that usually doesn't bother me, I felt as though I was missing important background and context from the first book. Therefore, I recommend reading the first book before diving into this one; I hope you will enjoy it more than I did. With so many characters introduced at the beginning, I struggled to connect with the plot, which ultimately diminished my overall experience of the story. The narrative is set in a Highland village and revolves around four female friends.

It was great to revisit these characters, as they appeared in an earlier book. This still works as a standalone however. Marcie has come home again, and things have changed a lot. The Retreat is being created out of Marcie's former home. Dina has cancer, and all of this raises questions about what is a good death and how should it be managed. Without preaching, the various issues are covered, including the possibility of crime. Potyr, the villain of the first book, returns and creates havoc. The setting and the friendships really make this book work. I hope there is a further instalment, as I would like to see how the characters progress after all that has happened. Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

In the first book of the series Marcie Moss came home to a remote Highland village where her family own the big house; she arrived for her Grannie's funeral and was pleased to meet up with the other three main women of her youth. At the end she returned to high power lawyer's job in London. This time she returns with her newish husband for a holiday and a lot of money given that she had sold the 'big house' of book 1 after she inherited it. The new owners are a suspicious lot - very rich, totally redone the big house, lots of short-tern VERY rich guests, helicopters, dubious goings-on. Marcie doesn't like it or them. Her three friends have also changed a lot and there's plenty of tension between them. There's a lot of death and some sensitive issues are discussed in detail. Descriptions of the scenery are great. I still see Marcie as a rather controlling and not that likeable a female lead although she had her good moments. I can't put my finger on it really but it was not as fulfilling a story as No 1. 3.5* but I couldn't round up, sorry. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Elayne Grimes has createdIn Marcie Mosse a memorable protagonist: spirited, impetuous, flawed, but supremely relatable. Throw in a bunch of hunky Highlanders and a spectacular loch-side setting and you have a sure-fire bestseller.
Outlander meets Bridget Jones. This series could run and run.

An emotional read with a gorgeous Highlands setting. This is the first of Elayne Grimes books I’ve read and it worked well as a standalone novel. The book tackles some fairly heavy issues and there is plenty of drama to keep the pages turning but at times it slightly lagged. The characters and setting are brilliantly brought to life though and all in all it is an enjoyable and engaging read.

Escape to the Highland Retreat was a charming and emotional read, though not without its flaws. Marcie’s return to Strathkin and her family’s ancestral home brought a lot of tension, both in the village and within herself. The small-town setting of the Scottish Highlands really drew me in, and I loved the vivid descriptions of the landscape and the sense of community. The unfolding drama around Swanfield House was intriguing, and I enjoyed seeing Marcie reconnect with old friends and face her past. However, I felt like the pacing lagged in certain spots, and the tension could have been built up a bit more. Still, the heartfelt moments, especially Marcie’s relationship with Ruaridh, made it an enjoyable read. I’d give it 3.5 stars—pleasant and full of heart, but I was left wanting a little more from the story.

**Rounded up from 3.5 stars**

I was eager to return to Strathkin, having enjoyed the first book in the series but found this one a little harder to get along with. The characters were all well rounded and well written but the plot and subplots were muddied in places and made it hard going in places.
That said, the relationships that were set up in book 1 carry through beautifully into this story and are built on in a very natural way and the book is still eminently readable.

Marcie is back in Strathkin for a long visit with her new husband, Simon. She has sold the family estate, keeping a smaller cottage adjacent to the main house. She is displeased by the changes being made to her old home and suspicious of all the activity. What are they doing? Marcie and her circle of friends are each struggling with their own issues and the group’s ties are strained at times.
This isn’t a light book, but it is engaging. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

This has lots going on with some tough situations to deal with! Marcie returns to Strathkin with her new husband, Simon, for a 6 week holiday. Having sold Swanfield she's staying in Sweet Briar, Uncle Callum's cottage, which has been renovated. After seeing all the renovations to Swanfield House, now called The Retreat, she's regretting selling it, and is also convinced there's something 'going on' there. Bella has been released from prison following the events of the previous book and the 4 girls are back together. But Marcie is still very nosy and very controlling which actually made me start to dislike her. Her heart's in the right place but she's still trying to 'fix' things which nearly costs her her relationship with her friends. There's some devasting news about one of the girls, and then a twist that I did not see coming that turns the whole story upside down. A good read with a great twist.
Thanks to Netgalley, Storm Publishing, and Elayne Grimes for the free ARC. All opinions are my own.

I am going to struggle to review this. It covered a very delicate subject and if I had known I would not have read it. But I can’t mark it down as that is a very personal opion. It is a serise but can read alone. Set in highlands. You follow a set of friends. It is moving at times. You feel very sorry for the new local doctor. Money can be very powerful. This book makes you think. I won’t spoil the plot but a book that makes you think.