Skip to main content

Featured

The Twenty Dates by Ko Porteous #Review #EmptyNesters

It is good to return to The Empty Nesters series by Ko Porteous. The Twenty Dates was published by All Ways Publishing Ltd on October 8th. You can read my review of Book 1, The Freshman Parents   here The kids have left, assuming love endures. But can yours? Book #2 in The Empty Nesters Series   Claire’s marriage is in (total!) crisis. Her husband, Mark, is distracted, presumptuous, and utterly clueless - smart scales for their 19th wedding anniversary? Really? Perhaps she'd be better off alone. At least there'd be less laundry.   When Claire suggests separating, Mark panics. He asks for one last chance: twenty dates, one for each year of their marriage, to prove they're better off together than apart. What follows is a series of adventures Claire never saw coming - some mortifying, some exhilarating, and some that make her question everything she thought she knew. About Mark. About marriage. And about the woman she's quietly become while she wasn't payin...

The Secret Castle in the Highlands by Julie Shackman #Review #ScottishEscapesBook11

Welcome to Book 11 in the Scottish Escapes series by Julie Shackman. Journey to the Scottish Highlands was published on August 30th by One More Chapter.You can read my reviews of others in the Scottish Escapes series here   A Secret Scottish Escape. |  A Scottish Highland Surprise   |  The Cottage in the Highlands | A Scottish Country Escape  |  The Bookshop by the Loch A Scottish Highland Hideaway  |  A Scottish Island Summer  |  A Scottish Lighthouse Escape |  

Prepare to escape to Scotland with a gorgeous feel-good romance this summer…

Returning to the Scottish Highlands was never part of Poppy Summers’ plan. But life had other ideas. 

With her parents’ cherished holiday cottages losing money, Poppy is determined to carry on their legacy and save the business before they’re forced to sell.

Revamping the cottages is Poppy’s priority until she meets Mason Cooper, a charming historian drawn to the highlands for research. As their newfound friendship grows, is it possible that something more might be enough of a reason to make Poppy stay for good?




My Thoughts
This is a real escape to the Scottish Highlands, full of community, family and secrets from the past. Poppy finds herself back in her childhood home, with a quest to relaunch and revamp the holiday cottages which have been in her family for years. This seems to be going along smoothly until an unwelcome visitor appears from the past, who seems to be threatening the future of the project. With her parents on an extended holiday, Poppy and her brother have been left to get on with it and she feels conscious that if they cannot succeed, the cottages may be lost to the family.

    When Mason appears, Poppy feels a connection and a friendship developing despite her misgivings. Poppy is determined to avoid any relationships after a disastrous marriage but she is ready for a new start. The nearby castle adds interest to the setting and a reason for Mason's presence and research. The setting is gorgeous and underpins this uplifting and warm story. 
In short: secrets and romance 
About the Author


Julie Shackman is a former journalist from Scotland, who has always wanted to write feel-good romance. As well as being an author, Julie also writes verses and captions for greetings card companies. Julie admits to having an obsession with stationery and handbags. She has two sons and a Romanian rescue pup, Cooper. The Secret Castle in the Highlands is Julie’s fifteenth novel.


Book links: The Secret Castle in the Highlands: A feel-good heartwarming Scottish romance to escape with in 2026! (Scottish Escapes Book 11) eBook : Shackman, Julie: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

Amazon.com: The Secret Castle in the Highlands: A feel-good heartwarming Scottish romance to escape with in 2026! (Scottish Escapes Book 11) eBook : Shackman, Julie: Kindle Store

You can follow Julie here:  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Instagram |  Website

Thanks to Julie Shackman, One More Chapter and Rachel of Random Things Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour. 

Check out the rest of the tour!



Comments

Popular Posts