Summer in the Scottish Highlands
- Downloads：1261
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-06-05 23:31:09
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Donna Ashcroft
- ISBN：B08YDMTKV1
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Rachel Kennedy
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Paige is back in Scotland， having left London on stress leave from her job。 She is a single mother and has been struggling since she lost her husband。She meets Johnny on her first day back in her home town - he recognises what she is going through， having had stress issues himself， so he sets out to try and help her， but what will happen when it is time for her to return to her life in London？Nice to catch up with the characters from the previous books too。I received an ARC of this book in excha Paige is back in Scotland， having left London on stress leave from her job。 She is a single mother and has been struggling since she lost her husband。She meets Johnny on her first day back in her home town - he recognises what she is going through， having had stress issues himself， so he sets out to try and help her， but what will happen when it is time for her to return to her life in London？Nice to catch up with the characters from the previous books too。I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a voluntary and honest review。 。。。more
Breezy Ann
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Summer in the Scottish Highlands by Donna Ashcroft is a sweet and charming book about healing and fresh starts。 Paige Dougall returns to the small village of Lockton for a much needed respite from her stressful life。 Intending to spend just a few days with her parents， she is soon involved in a project with the local library， and befriending Johnny Becker who can relate to the toll that the pressures of life can take on a person。The setting was beautiful and and showed the charm of this little v Summer in the Scottish Highlands by Donna Ashcroft is a sweet and charming book about healing and fresh starts。 Paige Dougall returns to the small village of Lockton for a much needed respite from her stressful life。 Intending to spend just a few days with her parents， she is soon involved in a project with the local library， and befriending Johnny Becker who can relate to the toll that the pressures of life can take on a person。The setting was beautiful and and showed the charm of this little village and its residents。 I love seeing Johnny and Paige bring out the best in each other。The perfect summer read。 I look forward to future books by Donna Ashcroft。Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Publishing for the advanced reader copy。 。。。more
Leah
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Paige is a young single mother who has been addicted to her work。 Johnny is a chef who left a bustling life in NYC after a health scare to settle down in a small town in Scotland。 THIS BOOK！ The characters are all so charming。 I love small town vibes in my comfort reads and this book delivers。 The whole time I was rooting for Paige to open her eyes and see what is good for her。 Honestly。。。who doesn't want to find a man like Johnny？ I very much enjoyed this book becuase I've been in a bit of a re Paige is a young single mother who has been addicted to her work。 Johnny is a chef who left a bustling life in NYC after a health scare to settle down in a small town in Scotland。 THIS BOOK！ The characters are all so charming。 I love small town vibes in my comfort reads and this book delivers。 The whole time I was rooting for Paige to open her eyes and see what is good for her。 Honestly。。。who doesn't want to find a man like Johnny？ I very much enjoyed this book becuase I've been in a bit of a reading slump and this was book was never tedious， and throughly enjoyable。 I think you will like this book if you enjoy shows like Gilmore Girls or The Good Witch and movies like The Holiday！Thank you to Donna Ashcroft， Bookouture Publishing， and NetGalley for the ARC which did not influence my review。 。。。more
Els
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You are desperate。 Your life is turned upside down and you have shut everybody out。 You can deal with everything by yourself， until you can’t anymore。 That when it’s time to let yourself be surrounded by your family， but only for a few days。 Afterwards you will be able to go home stronger and ready to tackle your every day life again。Is this what you really want？ Yes， of course it is， or isn’t it？There are a lot of decisions you have to make。 Will you be able to open your heart again not only to You are desperate。 Your life is turned upside down and you have shut everybody out。 You can deal with everything by yourself， until you can’t anymore。 That when it’s time to let yourself be surrounded by your family， but only for a few days。 Afterwards you will be able to go home stronger and ready to tackle your every day life again。Is this what you really want？ Yes， of course it is， or isn’t it？There are a lot of decisions you have to make。 Will you be able to open your heart again not only to friendship， but also to love？ Do you believe the villagers when they tell you you belong here or are you certain the big city is what you call home。 But where is home？ Isn’t is where your heart is or does your brain tells you otherwise？It’s great to be back in Scotland and reconnect with all the lovely characters in the village。 It’s a magical place where love blossoms， second chances are given and the community sticks together。Friendship， love and some TLC are the perfect medicine to cure everything， if you let them in。 A lovely story where a dog seems to be a great doctor too。 🙂 5 starsThank you， Donna Ashcroft and Bookouture 。。。more
Emma Star Crossed Reviews
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This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。 Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley and for letting me take part in this tour。 I read If Every Day Was Christmas at the end of 2020 and I really enjoyed it so I was excited to return to Lockton in the Summertime。 Paige and Johnny are a pair of characters that you This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。 Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley and for letting me take part in this tour。 I read If Every Day Was Christmas at the end of 2020 and I really enjoyed it so I was excited to return to Lockton in the Summertime。 Paige and Johnny are a pair of characters that you just instantly root for。 They both need a bit of love and happiness in their lives。 I really liked them both。 I would absolutely love Jonny to cook for me。 I had quite the rumbling stomach while reading this book。 I adored Mack the little mischievous pup！ He made me laugh with all the antics he got up to。 I really liked having the stories of the other villagers going on in the background。 I think it really helps to me the village more realistic。 The location is so well described that I could see myself there going for walks and look at the countryside。 I am dying to go to Scotland again。 I also loved the library！ This was a lovely easy summer read。 Go grab an ice cream， a cold drink and settle down with this book。 It will be an afternoon you won't regret！ 。。。more
Karen
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Such a lovely book。 I adored the setting and the characters。 The story was heartwarming and engaging， It really pulled you in。 A perfect summer read。
Page~Turners
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Pack your bags because this book is going to launch you to the Scottish Highlands。 This uplifting， enjoyable and wonderful sweet romance is a captivating read。 I really liked the characters and their relationships with each other we very relatable。 Paige Dougall has the perfect life， marriage， family， job until it all falls apart。 Now single mother Paige leaves her job in London， takes her daughter， Grace and moves home to Lockton， Scotland。 Life is quite an adjustment for them transitioning fro Pack your bags because this book is going to launch you to the Scottish Highlands。 This uplifting， enjoyable and wonderful sweet romance is a captivating read。 I really liked the characters and their relationships with each other we very relatable。 Paige Dougall has the perfect life， marriage， family， job until it all falls apart。 Now single mother Paige leaves her job in London， takes her daughter， Grace and moves home to Lockton， Scotland。 Life is quite an adjustment for them transitioning from the city life of London and to the quaint little village life of Lockton。 Paige feels so out of place in life until she meets the local chef Johnny Becker。 Chef Johnny helps Paige step out of her comfort zone and try some new things， mountain climbing， puppy training and of course food。 The more time Paige and chef Johnny spend together the more their relationship develops， and they realize they are stronger than they thought they were。 Will Paige decide she loves everything about the village and want to make it her home for herself and Grace or will she return to the big city life back in London？ This uplifting story has all the feels。 It is a feel good page turner， that keeps your attention from cover to cover。 Thank you Donna Ashcroft for this wonderful read， I was swept away。 It was an charming read and a wonderful escape。 I loved everything about this book and I highly recommend it。 。。。more
Federica
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Oh such a lovely read！ The story is heartwarming and definitely pulls you in right from the start。 Loved both the setting and the characters。 Adorable little Grace and puppy Mack are an added bonus！Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。
Claire
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Summer in the Scottish Highlands is Donna Ashcroft’s latest novel and it is a beautiful heartwarming read。 We’re in the gorgeous village of Lockton where thirty year old Paige Dougall has returned home with her life in a mess。 Twelve months ago she had a handsome husband， top job in London and a gorgeous daughter。 Now the broken hearted single mother has returned to her family home to try to sort her life out。 She’s too wrapped up in her worries to embrace village life until handsome chef Johnny Summer in the Scottish Highlands is Donna Ashcroft’s latest novel and it is a beautiful heartwarming read。 We’re in the gorgeous village of Lockton where thirty year old Paige Dougall has returned home with her life in a mess。 Twelve months ago she had a handsome husband， top job in London and a gorgeous daughter。 Now the broken hearted single mother has returned to her family home to try to sort her life out。 She’s too wrapped up in her worries to embrace village life until handsome chef Johnny Becker enters the scene providing some much needed distraction。 Will Paige remember how to live again or will she return to London as broken as before？I adored this book with its quirky characters。 Well written and flows at a lovely pace。 Thank you to NetGalley， Bookouture and the author for the chance to review。 。。。more
Samadhee Ismail
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Let's talk about the cover--the front book cover is so pretty！！！ I was instantly got attracted to the front cover that I didn't hesitate when I requested this book！ One year ago， Paige Dougall had a perfect life--a steady job， a handsome husband with a daughter named Grace and living in London。 But that all came crashing down and Paige moves to Lockton with her daughter Grace for the summer， nursing her broken heart。 While in Lockton， she meets Johnny， a handsome chef who owns an inn and who als Let's talk about the cover--the front book cover is so pretty！！！ I was instantly got attracted to the front cover that I didn't hesitate when I requested this book！ One year ago， Paige Dougall had a perfect life--a steady job， a handsome husband with a daughter named Grace and living in London。 But that all came crashing down and Paige moves to Lockton with her daughter Grace for the summer， nursing her broken heart。 While in Lockton， she meets Johnny， a handsome chef who owns an inn and who also used to own a restaurant back in New York。 Both then meet each other to reopen a library and soon both Paige and Johnny become closer to each other。Let's start with descriptions - I have never been to Scotland but the vivid descriptions of mountains in the Scottish countryside make the reader feel like they are actually living in Lockton。 Through the author's writing I imagined myself in the beautiful picturesque village in ScotlandPlot and the characters--though I do like how the library became a backdrop and background of the story that actually brought Johnny and Paige closer--what I like is how the romance slowly developed between the two characters。 Both Paige and Johnny seemed to have a past and they both eventually became friends which soon developed into a romance。 Oh， I also like Grace and of course Johnny's dog Mack！ Nearly all the characters in the book are likable！Verdict:- Overall this is a cozy， romantic story that will take you to the beautiful scenic village in the heart of Scotland。 There were some parts in the story that was a bit boring but nonetheless， I enjoyed reading this book--worth four stars！Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC。 The review is based on my honest opinion only。 。。。more
Linda
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🌄Solidly delightful women's fiction with a little Grace！🏰👸4。5🌟 starsPaige and Johnny: both turn up in little Scottish Lockton and find family， friends， a change of pace and kindness enough to counteract their hectic career experiences in the big city。 I've read several of Ashcroft's excellent earlier novels set in fictional Lockton and Paige's story， like the others， is filled with memorable characters and some tough introspection and decisions for the lead characters。 It's a standalone story wi 🌄Solidly delightful women's fiction with a little Grace！🏰👸4。5🌟 starsPaige and Johnny: both turn up in little Scottish Lockton and find family， friends， a change of pace and kindness enough to counteract their hectic career experiences in the big city。 I've read several of Ashcroft's excellent earlier novels set in fictional Lockton and Paige's story， like the others， is filled with memorable characters and some tough introspection and decisions for the lead characters。 It's a standalone story with lots of heart。 A rapscallion of a retriever named Mack and a little three year-old charmer named Grace added to its appeal and made it a lovely addition to the Lockton novels。The romance develops gradually， stays clean and revs up the enjoyment factor。 But community spirit and some side romantic developments also added interest。 And， not to be forgotten， the author includes some well-drawn descriptions of the beauties of the Scottish countryside。Recommended。 Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review。 。。。more
Susan
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Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review。This is a lovely light hearted summer read about Paige and her young daughter Grace returning to Paige's childhood home of Lockton in the Highlands。 It was also nice to read （but only in passing） about some characters I had met in a previous book。 This book can definitely be read as a standalone though。 Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review。This is a lovely light hearted summer read about Paige and her young daughter Grace returning to Paige's childhood home of Lockton in the Highlands。 It was also nice to read （but only in passing） about some characters I had met in a previous book。 This book can definitely be read as a standalone though。 。。。more
helo
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This amazing book is a well-written novel with exceptionally captivating and addictive characters。 Stories that take place in Scotland already have a great A + approval for me， plots focused on this location were made to exist and perpetuate this air of incredible romance。 So many of the main and secondary characters have an engaging energy that makes you fall in love with them， especially with the older ones。 In addition to treating real loves without toxic and wrong acts just understanding and This amazing book is a well-written novel with exceptionally captivating and addictive characters。 Stories that take place in Scotland already have a great A + approval for me， plots focused on this location were made to exist and perpetuate this air of incredible romance。 So many of the main and secondary characters have an engaging energy that makes you fall in love with them， especially with the older ones。 In addition to treating real loves without toxic and wrong acts just understanding and respect for both to heal， support and be happy。 Incredible for those looking for something cozy， light， sweet and extremely loving。 ARC provided by the author and Netgalley。 Thanks for the opportunity。 。。。more
Tara Lanphar
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Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the free ARC I received in exchange for my honest review。If you want to be transported to an idyllic Scottish village and follow relatable， well-developed characters around as they navigate life and love， this is the book for you！ This is the perfect combination of beautifully described settings and fun， likeable characters。 The fact that much of the plot revolves around a quaint community library is icing on the cake for me （and there’s plenty of baked Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the free ARC I received in exchange for my honest review。If you want to be transported to an idyllic Scottish village and follow relatable， well-developed characters around as they navigate life and love， this is the book for you！ This is the perfect combination of beautifully described settings and fun， likeable characters。 The fact that much of the plot revolves around a quaint community library is icing on the cake for me （and there’s plenty of baked goods in the story as well）！ An overall charming read that is perfect for enjoying in a sunny garden with a glass of iced tea， or curled up with a cozy blanket and some hot coffee。 。。。more
Gea
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Summer in the Scottish Highlands is a perfect summer read。 Featuring some wonderful characters， set in a beautiful location and a romance between two people who have had to make big changes in their lives。 Paige heads home to Scotland with her young daughter， never thinking this is someplace she would want to live。 She plans to return to London to build a safe and secure life for herself and young Grace。 After a health scare， Johnny has had to step back from his career as a top chef in New York Summer in the Scottish Highlands is a perfect summer read。 Featuring some wonderful characters， set in a beautiful location and a romance between two people who have had to make big changes in their lives。 Paige heads home to Scotland with her young daughter， never thinking this is someplace she would want to live。 She plans to return to London to build a safe and secure life for herself and young Grace。 After a health scare， Johnny has had to step back from his career as a top chef in New York and is helping his brother at the local pub。 Together they discover that change can be a good thing that may lead to a brighter future。 。。。more
TheWomanCalledSun
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Summer in the Scottish Highlands has a quiet sort of charm。 The book doesn't have any really big plot points or （settings？） but it is one of the most charming books I have read this year。 The characters were lovely， the setting beautiful， and the cooking aspect of the book was absolutely delightful。 I personally love cooking and baking， and aside from reading， I would say that the kitchen is my refuge。 I have never really read a book that captured the essence of that as well as this one did and Summer in the Scottish Highlands has a quiet sort of charm。 The book doesn't have any really big plot points or （settings？） but it is one of the most charming books I have read this year。 The characters were lovely， the setting beautiful， and the cooking aspect of the book was absolutely delightful。 I personally love cooking and baking， and aside from reading， I would say that the kitchen is my refuge。 I have never really read a book that captured the essence of that as well as this one did and I greatly appreciated it。 Though the ending did feel a bit rushed， overall it was a wonderful & charming book which I highly recommend。I only have one criticism for the book which is that it did fall into a bit of an annoying trope for me with the main character （view spoiler）[ （hide spoiler）] 。。。more
Grace Bean
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I had high hopes for Summer in the Scottish Highlands because it started off very cute and with beautiful imagery of the Kindness Cottage in Scotland。 The cover of the book also drew me in to the story。 However， I never found myself attached to the characters， Paige and Johnny， although it was nice to read about the mother daughter relationship between Paige and Grace。 Overall， the ending was predictable and it lacked in regards to a more interesting plot。 If you’re looking for an easy romance s I had high hopes for Summer in the Scottish Highlands because it started off very cute and with beautiful imagery of the Kindness Cottage in Scotland。 The cover of the book also drew me in to the story。 However， I never found myself attached to the characters， Paige and Johnny， although it was nice to read about the mother daughter relationship between Paige and Grace。 Overall， the ending was predictable and it lacked in regards to a more interesting plot。 If you’re looking for an easy romance story that has a bookstore， dog， and the challenges of a blooming relationship， this book is for you。 Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Carrie
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Summer in the Scottish Highlands by Donna Ashcroft is a contemporary romance。 in this story the main character Paige Dougall has decided to return home to the little village of Lockton in the Scottish Highlands。 At thirty Paige feels that her life has fallen apart when only a short year ago she thought she had everything with a loving husband and her daughter but now she is going through a divorce。Paige had every plan made to return to London after taking a break in Lockton with her daughter unt Summer in the Scottish Highlands by Donna Ashcroft is a contemporary romance。 in this story the main character Paige Dougall has decided to return home to the little village of Lockton in the Scottish Highlands。 At thirty Paige feels that her life has fallen apart when only a short year ago she thought she had everything with a loving husband and her daughter but now she is going through a divorce。Paige had every plan made to return to London after taking a break in Lockton with her daughter until she finds herself stepping into the job of helping set up the new library and meeting Johnny Becker。 Paige keeps telling everyone that her work with the library is temporary but with her relationship with Johnny growing each day she doesn’t know if leaving is the right choice anymore。Summer in the Scottish Highlands was originally titled Summer At Kindness Cottage pre-release and I have to say the first title and the cute cover is what drew me in。 After reading though I could understand more the title change as the book didn’t seem to do the setting of either the cottage or the Scottish Highlands justice in my opinion。 This story seemed to focus more on Paige’s regrowth and putting her life back together which was a nice story but I couldn’t help but wish the setting jumped out more。 This sweet summer romance ended up at three and a half stars for me and made a nice， quick summery beach read。I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley。For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews。com/ 。。。more
Immie
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4，5
J
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Thirty-year-old Paige has been struggling since she lost her husband a year ago。 Everything is falling a part， and she decided now that she is homeless for a few weeks， she and her daughter will go visit her parents。 She isn't in a good frame of mind， and she doesn't see the surrounding beauty。 She has too many worries。When she arrives she meets Johnny who recognizes her as a kindred spirit。 He has been where she is and is still a work in progress。 Many things keep bringing them together， but ca Thirty-year-old Paige has been struggling since she lost her husband a year ago。 Everything is falling a part， and she decided now that she is homeless for a few weeks， she and her daughter will go visit her parents。 She isn't in a good frame of mind， and she doesn't see the surrounding beauty。 She has too many worries。When she arrives she meets Johnny who recognizes her as a kindred spirit。 He has been where she is and is still a work in progress。 Many things keep bringing them together， but can anything break through the barriers they have created for themselves。 There seems to be some magic happening around here， and people， although pretending otherwise， bringing them together， they do start to enjoy living life once again。 But the secret is， can they begin to see themselves for whom they really are instead of being stuck in the pain of the past？ I received an ARC from Bookouture through NetGalley。 。。。more
Rachel
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Summer in the Scottish Highlands by Donna Ashcroft is a sweet， wonderful， genuine， uplifting， and enjoyable contemporary romance that I truly enjoyed。This is my first book by Ms。 Ashcroft， and I am most certainly now a fan。 I loved everything about this book:1。 Location: a small village （Lockton） in picturesque Scotland。 The author’s ability to describe not only the natural landscapes but also the quintessential village life was spot on。 2。 Character cast: I loved the full character cast that wa Summer in the Scottish Highlands by Donna Ashcroft is a sweet， wonderful， genuine， uplifting， and enjoyable contemporary romance that I truly enjoyed。This is my first book by Ms。 Ashcroft， and I am most certainly now a fan。 I loved everything about this book:1。 Location: a small village （Lockton） in picturesque Scotland。 The author’s ability to describe not only the natural landscapes but also the quintessential village life was spot on。 2。 Character cast: I loved the full character cast that was depicted。 There are your awesome relatives， quirky and wise older characters， adorable dogs （Mack！！！！）， and a great main character duo: Paige Dougall and Johnny Becker。 Both had excellent chemistry， realistic， imperfect， and down to earth。 Both had been hurt in the past （sometimes self-induced） and both were permanently changed because of internal and external circumstances。 I really liked how both seemed to bring out the best in one another， helped each other work through their hang-ups， and helped one another heal。 I am really glad that both were able to find happiness and purpose not only with one another， but also within their own community， and within themselves。 Those are the best kinds of endings。4。 I lived the inclusion of the library。 That is my true dream job， so anytime a library or bookstore is involved， I am totally on board。 An excellent book that gave me the warm fuzzies， but also was realistic and effortlessly natural。 5/5 stars Thank you NG and Bookouture for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion。I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon， Instagram， and B&N accounts upon publication。 。。。more
Liza
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Summer in the Scottish Highlands by Donna Ashcroft is a sweet little summer read。 It follows Paige and her young daughter Grace， when they return home to Lockton after life becomes disastrous in London。 There she meets Johnny and finds the little library needs help to reopen。 The story revolves around will she or won't she on both these counts。The writing is good， you can immerse yourself into the lives and feelings of all 3 of these characters。 There are plenty of laughs and lots of tears along Summer in the Scottish Highlands by Donna Ashcroft is a sweet little summer read。 It follows Paige and her young daughter Grace， when they return home to Lockton after life becomes disastrous in London。 There she meets Johnny and finds the little library needs help to reopen。 The story revolves around will she or won't she on both these counts。The writing is good， you can immerse yourself into the lives and feelings of all 3 of these characters。 There are plenty of laughs and lots of tears along the way。The pace is reasonably steady throughout， never too fast， but I did find it a little slow in places。Overall， a good little book to while away a quiet evening or to take along to the beach on a sunny day。 。。。more
Sally Tyrer
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Summer in the Scottish highlands is a charming， sweet read that really brings home that saying of home is where the heart is！Kindness cottage， the village library，a wonderful caring community and an enigmatic young man with an adorable bouncy pup gradually work their magic on Paige a single stressed out mum who has been signed off work！Together Jonny and Paige realise they have both been through the same sort of ordeal with stressful careers and that each day should be enjoyed and cherished。A re Summer in the Scottish highlands is a charming， sweet read that really brings home that saying of home is where the heart is！Kindness cottage， the village library，a wonderful caring community and an enigmatic young man with an adorable bouncy pup gradually work their magic on Paige a single stressed out mum who has been signed off work！Together Jonny and Paige realise they have both been through the same sort of ordeal with stressful careers and that each day should be enjoyed and cherished。A real feel good read that demonstrates the power of starting over again and that everyone deserves a second chance！Thank you netgalley for this early read。 。。。more
Els
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Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me witch an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。Summer at kindness cottage is a fun summer beach read about a single mother who is returning to the village she grew up in and a former workaholic chef who slowed down his life after health problems。 The cast of characters is very enjoyable and though the book is clearly part of a series it is written in a way that makes it easy to enjoy as a standalone。
EVANGELIA MARAGKOPOULOU
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A beautifull story about two people who have their own problems and try to live their lives with love 。 A man with health problem who try to be less workacholic and a single mother who must more happy for her young daughter ， Together they find what they are looking for 。 I received this novel from net galley and the publisher as an ARC。 Thank you！ All thoughts and opinions are my own。
Rachel Stansel
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A sweet story about the importance of finding the joy in each day。 I enjoyed the full cast of characters in this quick read。 Full disclosure- I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。
Emma Crowley
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Donna Ashcroft please don’t ever stop writing these brilliant books set in the village of Lockton in the Scottish Highlands。 They are just excellent reads from beginning to end。 Such gorgeous stories that have you hooked and make for real page turners。 Summer in the Scottish Highlands with its stunning colourful cover was no different and I enjoyed every minute of this uplifting， sweet， cosy read which has the most idyllic of settings and of course the prerequisite dash of romance thrown in too。 Donna Ashcroft please don’t ever stop writing these brilliant books set in the village of Lockton in the Scottish Highlands。 They are just excellent reads from beginning to end。 Such gorgeous stories that have you hooked and make for real page turners。 Summer in the Scottish Highlands with its stunning colourful cover was no different and I enjoyed every minute of this uplifting， sweet， cosy read which has the most idyllic of settings and of course the prerequisite dash of romance thrown in too。 This time around our attentions focus on Paige Dougall。 She is jobless and homeless for the next four weeks and so has returned to the village of her birth to stay for awhile at Kindness Cottage with her parents。 She hasn’t been home in six years since she eloped and left her personal dreams behind and perhaps she didn’t leave on the best of circumstances。 Paige not having been back in quite a while and the relatively recent trauma in her personal life and the guilt she feels over this means that when she arrives back home neither her heart nor her mind are in a good place。 But she has to keep going for the light of her life， her daughter Grace。 The one thing she feels she really excels at given all the failures she perceives she has。Paige is a character whom the reader can see so much potential in， and I think so could her family and the people she meets in Lockton， but she was just so down on herself。 She had such love for books and a unique talent for matching the right book to the right person but she didn’t believe in her capabilities。 The fact she was viewing her time back in Lockton as a stop gap before she could return to work after being signed off on stress was another issue which really prevented her from embracing al the natural goodness and support that was surrounding her in Lockton。 She wasn’t in a great frame of mind and clearly wasn’t ready to share things with anybody but deep down there is an urge within her that she is trying to bury。 An urge to confess all， to talk about the trauma she has endured and to want to make up for all her failures。 Will Lockton be able to weave its magic if she allows the barriers to come down？Paige radiated stress and anxiety。 She wears a permanent frown， supressing emotions and never letting herself relax。 You really just wanted to wrap her up in cotton wool and give her a huge hug and tell her that everything was going to be OK。 She might have made a mistake six years ago， and she is finding this hard to admit out loud， but I just knew if she could turn things around I just knew she would have a more positive outlook on life be able to embrace what was there waiting for her in Lockton。 She was placing such huge expectations on herself combined with the burden of guilt unnecessarily in my opinion。 She wants to be great at her job， be the world’s most amazing mother， give Grace a house， security， a perfect life and to be a success and make her family proud and this is all achievable but something is holding her back and she is failing to realise her true potential。 She is carrying so much that she needs to let go of。 Simply she needs to unload and give herself a break from being far too harsh on herself。 I thought Paige was perfectly developed as a character， you could identify with and feel sympathy for her but at the same time as a reader you wanted her to get out there and confront and stand up to what had been dragging her down for so long。A surprise encounter with a dog named Mack， ensuing a very humorous scene with the contents of her suitcase， leads to Paige meeting Johnny Becker。 They get off on the wrong foot but yet a flicker of interest implants itself in her belly but the way Paige is she does her best to ignore it。 This chemistry is so evident between the pair the entire way through the book that you are waiting for that moment when they actually realise it about each other。 But of course some twists and turns， soul searching and some community efforts have to be explored before that point of realisation and acceptance could ever be reached。 Johnny was a soul who I felt was so similar to Paige。 There was something haunting him too， preventing him from the being the best he could be in his profession as a chef。 He had had so much talent but drove himself too hard which led to not the best of circumstances。 Johnny works at Apple Cross Inn， with his twin brother Davey， and he is happy doing that but you could see he really was wasting his talents doing the bare minimum。 Maybe news of a leading restaurant guide showing interest in featuring the pub in their books might make him change his mind？Johnny had done a lot of soul searching and taken a long time to find himself， to understand what made him happy。 He enjoys his life and the pace of it， he can do what he wants without anyone judging him or expecting anything。 But the arrival of Paige has Johnny revaluating things and he sees a fragility in her he wants to fix。 Maybe he had felt this way before previously and knows the way to sort things out。 They share a kindred connection through both experiencing similar feelings and how they dealt with them。 I loved how they started to open up to each other and help each other out and you were just rooting for both of them to have a happy ending but also for them to understand the world wasn’t so serious。 There are room for imperfections and for mistakes to be made and things to go wrong but they can be tackled head on and you can emerge stronger through the other side。The book wasn’t entirely about Paige and Johnny and how they navigated their issues。 I loved and embraced the strand of the story centred around the reopening of the library following the passing of Aileen who had been a mentor to Paige in what seemed like a previous life。 The Book Barn needs someone to take over the reins， to guide it in the right direction or some other person will get their hands on it and ruin everything。 I loved the way this character featured again。 He was just so unbearable and over powering that I think his actions gave Paige the spurt she needed to dig in and give a hand alongside Johnny to get the library up and running and for the grant for this to be approved。 I loved the small element of magic so to speak with books appearing where she hadn’t left them and in turn Paige matched books to the right person。 But Paige was like a dog with a bone insisting she has her career on London that she has to get back on track。 There will be a new house waiting for her and she can secure a future for herself。 I wanted to give her a good shake at this point as I couldn’t fathom why she couldn’t see what was all around her。 That Lockton and its many wonderful residents were ready to embrace her if only she would let them in。I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Summer in the Scottish Highlands。 It’s the ideal read for this time of year sitting relaxing in the garden and being whisked away to a wonderful， impactful and special location with a cast of characters and attention grabbing storylines to match。 I found I flew through this because I couldn’t leave it out of my hands and I hope perhaps a return visit around Christmas time this year might materialise because as I said in the beginning this is a series that I hope goes on and on because it is quite simply the best thing Donna Ashcroft has written so far。 。。。more
Gem ~ Bee
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A terrific book for uplifting and feelgood vibes I really loved this book and though it's part of a series set in this village in Scotland it was perfectly written so I didn't need to have read the others， though having enjoyed this one I will be searching them out A terrific book for uplifting and feelgood vibes I really loved this book and though it's part of a series set in this village in Scotland it was perfectly written so I didn't need to have read the others， though having enjoyed this one I will be searching them out 。。。more
J
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