We are returning to the beautiful Scottish Highlands for Margaret Amatt's thirteenth in her Glenbriar Series: Last First Kiss at the Village Church. This latest novel was published on 6th June by Leannan Press.
Love thy neighbour
Music-loving Kristi Buchanan dresses like a rockstar and
dreams of being an artist, but her reality is much less glam – she’s a single
mum in her late thirties… and a church cleaner. Her love-life is non-existent,
and she can’t even create a dating profile that doesn’t make her life sound
deadly dull.
Young church minister Grant Kerr has a pitiful dating
history. Whenever women discover what his job is, they run. With a new position
in the idyllic Glenbriar parish, he hoped his life was on the up, but the
parishioners don’t appreciate an attractive, unmarried man in the pulpit.
Despite not being religious, Kristi forms an unlikely
friendship with him. With each other’s help, they construct their ideal dating
profiles, only to end up on separate dates in the same place. But the dates
don’t go to plan.
Kristi can’t let herself fall for Grant, not when he’s
determined to win over the parishioners by finding the perfect match, and she
doesn’t fit the description at all. As Grant wrestles with his own feelings,
their friendship is tested. Perhaps if they dare put their faith in each other,
they might just find the love they’re both seeking.
My Thoughts
This great series expands with a story focussing on Kristi, who we have met in earlier novels. On the outside, she is unconventional in dress and appearance but as we find out, she has a down to earth attitude, inherent kindness and fierce loyalty towards her family and friends. Whilst some members of the Church congregation might look askance at her, her instincts are more tolerant and forgiving than theirs.
The newly appointed church minister, Grant is not the favourite choice of some of his congregation but he is determined to keep an open mind and a welcoming attitude towards local people. You can see the friendship between Grant and Kirsti develop. They are both looking for a partner and for a time, they buddy up to help each other navigate dating sites. They both have concerns about their families and come to appreciate each other's qualities. Kirsti is looking for a more demanding focus for her life but feels at a disadvantage against her more conventionally successful peers. Often, she feels judged by others but has proved herself to be a steadfast parent. Facing an empty nest, Kirsti is keen to see where the next phase of her life will take her. Peopled with a range of likeable characters, I thoroughly enjoyed this thirteenth in the series.
In short: appearances can be deceptive
About the Author
Margaret is a bestselling Scottish author and chocolate
lover who has been writing stories for over twenty years (possibly more if you
count her primary school efforts). Her early works will never see the light of
day and are locked in dusty vaults on some old floppy disks. But after all
those years of practise, Margaret released her first novel in 2021. It was the
first of a ten-book series set on the gorgeous Scottish Isle of Mull.
Margaret is also the author of the acclaimed Glenbriar
Series, based in the fictional Scottish town of Glenbriar. This is an ongoing
series with more books coming in 2025.
More Scottish island books – this time set on the Isle of
Barra – are also planned. The first of these is The Castle in the Bay, which
will be out this spring.
All Margaret’s stories are unashamedly romantic with lots of
drama, banter, and an eclectic mix of characters. Each book can be read as a
standalone, but followers of the series will enjoy catching up with the
characters.
You can follow Margaret here: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Website
Purchase links |
Thanks to Margaret Amatt, Leannan Publishers and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.
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