A delightful read set mainly in the Scottish Highlands this book has heightened my need/want to do the NC500 - something that has been on my wish list for a number of years.

Zara is a travel writer who is used to exotic locations and luxurious accommodation. She is somewhat shocked therefore to find her next assignment is in the Scottish Highlands, her mode of transport is a bicycle and her accommodation a tent.

This was a lovely romantic story which was a bit predictable at times but enjoyable nonetheless.
I couldn’t help think though that Zara must have some stamina to be able to cycle that distance!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I am such a fan of this author and had such high hopes for this novel, but sadly, this was a DNF for me. I started and stopped this book about 8-9 times over the past few months but couldn't get into it. I read other reviews relating to my feeling of it being very slow to start and I tried to hang in there to get to the good parts. However, I found this extremely boring and liked nothing about Zara at all. I mean nothing...

I will certainly come back to Lisa Hobman for her next novel because I have loved them all until this one.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I liked it...I am not a big summer person so sometimes the summer theme doesn't always work for me...this was good though!

**OMG! I cannot believe that these reviews haven't been done! I am so sorry they are so late!!!**

Zara Bailey is a young travel writer whose work takes her to luxurious, elegant resorts around the world so that she may experience them firsthand and write about them for her employer, the magazine The Bohemian. Zara loves her job and her boyfriend Josh and then it all comes crashing down on her. First, Josh tells her about the ten year old son he had with a high school sweetheart who has moved back from Australia and wants to get together. Next, Zara's boss Noah tells her that her next assignment is to travel the NC500, a roadway in Scotland, by bicycle and camp out every night! Zara is still reeling from Josh's revelation and with her decision to keep some distance from him. She begins to see this new assignment as a chance to get away from it all...men, especially. Little does she know what awaits her on her trip.

This was a very pleasant, endearing, fun novel to read. The quintessential beach read. The characters were likeable, for the most part, and the descriptions of the coast of Scotland have me thinking if that wouldn't be a good choice for our next family vacation. Well written. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author Lisa Hobman, and the publisher Aria for the opportunity to read this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

Meet Zara Bailey, a travel writer paid to cover some of the globe's most luxurious locations. Jetting from wooden huts on stilts in turquoise seas to boutique hotels with roaring fires to 7* penthouse suites with panoramic views of the world's most glamorous cities... Zara knows hers is the definition of a dream job! So she is seriously shocked to receive her next assignment; Scotland's Northcoast 500 route. By bicycle. Sleeping in a tent so basic it can't remotely be dressed up as glamping! But this could be just the distraction the recently heartbroken Zara needs. No men, no romance, just the breathtakingly rugged Highland scenery. Until she meets croft owner Lachlan Grant, and his black and white Border Collie Bess, that is...
This was a fairly quick read that I enjoyed. I liked both characters. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

I found Zara's journey along the Northcoast 500 fascinating. I loved the combination of travel, a bit of self discovery and a dash of romance along the way and Lachlan is quite the dash! The beautiful Scottish locations are written about in such a way that I felt like I'd escaped there and the support of those Zara meets along the way is heartwarming. Be prepared because this book is definitely a sleep stealer!

First of all, what a dream job Zara gets to do each day and that is what first caught my eye when reading the summary of this book. The way she described her journey, I felt like I was on a bike beside her in the North Highlands. From the food she ate to the beaches she talked about, I found myself not wanting to put my book down to see what was coming next. Once she met Lachlan, I pretty much knew how it would end which is why I gave it 4 stars but I truly enjoyed their story and the ups & downs of it. Opposites do attract. :) I hope there is a 2nd book, I would love to hear more...

I really enjoyed this book. A lovely story of challenges, friendship, self discovery and romance. I loved the stunning location of the story - set in the beautiful Scottish countryside. I could almost see the breathtaking views. This book has made me want to visit Scotland and see these views for myself. Great characterisation - I was rooting for Zara as she encountered many ups and downs. I loved Bess - I always enjoy a book which has a dog included.

Highly recommended - perfect stunning location, romance and great characters. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon on the sofa with a cuppa or a holiday read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a lovely book even if it was predictable in parts.
It made me laugh in parts and smile in others.
A good easy read

If you want to go to Scotland, this is the book for you. Gorgeous descriptions and a fun, zany adventure story. A lot of fun.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Blurb :
Meet Zara Bailey, a travel writer paid to cover some of the globe's most luxurious locations. Jetting from wooden huts on stilts in turquoise seas to boutique hotels with roaring fires to 7* penthouse suites with panoramic views of the world's most glamorous cities... Zara knows hers is the definition of a dream job!
So she is seriously shocked to receive her next assignment; Scotland's Northcoast 500 route. By bicycle. Sleeping in a tent so basic it can't remotely be dressed up glamping!
But this could be just the distraction the recently heartbroken, Zara needs. No men, no romance, just the breathtakingly rugged Highland scenery. Until she meets croft owner Lachlan Grant, and his black and white Border Collie Bess, that is...

My Thoughts :
Meet Zara Bailey, Zara has the most amazing job of being a Travel writer for a magazine. She gets to travel to the most beautiful locations and stay in some luxurious hotels.
When she is posted to Scotland for her next assignment after standing in for her collegue Dillionnthat ara is far from pleased to discover she is going to be staying in a tent and doing the 500 route, yes 500 miles by bicycle.
I wasnt too sure on reading the blurb, but this turned into a wonderful story with many adventures along the way.
Zara gets involved in a lot of cycling and camping adventures and this story has an array of wonderful characters. Most of all we meet Lachlan Grant, who proves to be a delight in Zara’s experience after spliting up with cheating ex boyfriend Josh. Can Zara let the past go and allow a breath of fresh air into her life again.
This story is full of descriptions of the Scottish scenery and surroundings that we get to experience in Zara’s trip and makes you feel you can be right there in the centre of things.
Great work once again from Lisa Hobman, looking forward to the next release.

This was a lovely feel good book. Perfect for reading in the summer months. New beginnings just what we all want at times. So reading about it is just wgat you need.

This was more like the summer of sweet beginnings of love and happiness. Zara is in a relationship with Josh and has been told by her boss to cycle down the NC500 in Scotland and come up with an excellent travel article about her experiences. She meets Lachlan thrice, kind of falls for him, and comes back to London to routine life, but a part if her is still in Scotland. Till a love story happens...

The author has written a fabulous piece of story, a love story of Lachlan and Zara set in Scotland. I loved the fact that it was not all honky-dory, all goodness with the path to the heart paved smoothly. There were roadblocks, misunderstandings, along with the long distance. But the HEA was soon seen followed by massive successes. Lachlan was the sweetest, both kind and so very understanding. Every woman would want a Lachlan in her life!!

And then came my niggles, Zara was difficult to like, she was nice, but I found her too judgmental. I did understand she was a travel journalist, but she didn't really read between the lines to get to the truth unless knocked into her. The beginning was slow for me, once I got into the rhythm this book had, it was smooth cycling for me...

Overall, a fun read!!

This book would have had five stars, only it was hard for me to get into at the start. I couldn't relate to the main character Zara's personality at the beginning. I get that we weren't supposed to be sympathetic at that point so don't hold it against the book; it is just a part of the character's development arc, but because of it I had to make an effort to get to the good parts, which fortunately came fairly quickly. Once I got past the beginning I couldn't put the book down. While the story contains all of the standard, at times predictable, romance tropes, there was so much more to it than that and I truly appreciated how Zara grew as a person and the introduction of the Scottish Highlands, which stood out as a character all its own. I would definitely highly recommend this book.

Zara has the most amazing job as a travel journalist, being sent to the most exotic locations in the world to stay in the utmost luxury, so imagine how she feels when she is told that her next assignment is to report on the Northcoast 500 route in Scotland......... by bicycle and tent! Her personal life is in tatters when she sees her boyfriend Josh kissing his ex..... so what has she got to lose, and throw the gorgeous Scott Lachlan into the mix and who knows what could happen!

A lovely book, great characters and scenery that made me want to go back to Scotland, plenty of humour......... especially regarding the bike.....definitely one for the beach this year.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria, for the read of Lisa Hobman’s, A Summer of New Beginnings.

From the absolutely gorgeous cover, right through to the end of this wonderful book, Lisa Hobman delivers a sure-fire must-read.

Zara, beautiful, dream job travel writer, seems to have it all going on – even has Josh, the gorgeous boyfriend to boot. Just when Zara starts to think Josh might be ready to move them to the next level, he drops a relationship TNT. Hurt, shaken and confused, Zara needs time to sort out her emotions and figure out what she wants.

Perfectly timed is her boss’s decision to send Zara on assignment to Scotland for the NC500. Zara is not overly thrilled, as bicycling and camping out are not exactly her thing. Nonetheless, Zara is encouraged by her loving family and friends that this assignment couldn’t have come at a better time for her.

Zara resignedly begins her bicycling journey and en route, discovers the breathtaking beauty of the North Highlands. With every aching mile, Zara becomes increasingly enchanted with the sheer splendour of the rugged mountainsides, white sand beaches, friendly locals, and yes, a handsome stranger.

When Zara meets with a head-over-handle bars mishap, she finds herself suddenly being taken care of Lachlan (Lachy), her handsome lawyer-come-crofter stranger. With Lachy, tending to her along with Bess, his faithful furry friend, Zara discovers the peace and calm that comes with the quiet of the countryside, far from the city.

Both Zara and Lachy realize the chemistry brewing between them, but they each have their own past hurts and issues to sort out, and Zara is determined to finish her 500 miles, and return to her London life. But with the beauty of Scotland still steaming in every part of her, can she ignore the crazy beatings of her heart whenever she thinks of Lachy?

After experiencing an extraordinary turn of events, Zara finds herself back in Scotland, where a miscommunication causes a rift between herself and Lachy.

Can the two find their way to each other on this rocky road romance?

You’ll have to read it to find out.

There was so much that I loved about this book. The characters were genuine; Zara could be your real-life friend and Lachy, a sensitive but all-manly man. Friends and family were true to life.

Just as brilliant, was the way Lisa Hobman captured the scenery. The pages were drenched in brilliant blue skies, sandy white beaches, and gorgeous mountains. You could create in your mind so vividly the smell of the aromatic hot chocolate, or the taste of the homemade flapjacks. Just wonderful.

After reading A Summer of New Beginnings, you cannot help but want to experience for yourself the splendour of Scotland … and the chance to bump into a gorgeous Scotsman a la kilt.

Totally loved the book.

An enjoyable read, the story of Zara and Laclan.
Set in Scotland as Zoe cycles 500 miles.
Makes you want to visit Scotland for the scenery described.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a voluntary and honest review.

A wonderfully warm read and one I've so enjoyed!

Zara Bailey works as a journalist for a travel magazine; whilst her colleague Dillon handles  the adventurous assignments, Zara is more than happy to jet her way round the world reporting on all the luxury destinations and returning home to her London flat to spend time with friends, family and her boyfriend Josh. However, when Dillon suddenly leaves his job and Josh turns out to be not quite the man she thought he was, Zara is quite appalled to be given the task of cycling across the Highlands of Scotland and worse - horror of horrors - camping in her very own tent! But then, having sworn off men perhaps a bit of solitude is just what she needs?

I share Zara's dread of camping, so empathised greatly with the situation she finds herself in, but she is strong-willed and even stronger minded and sets off with a determination that I greatly admired. There is lots of humour in this novel, not least Zara's love /  hate relationship with her bike! With an aversion to men coursing through her veins, she makes great time until disaster strikes.

This is such a lovely read with so much going on! The people, the scenery - and the delicious food - of the Highlands would make anyone plan a visit there and I found myself racing through the pages so quickly! Beautifully crafted with flowing writing and a great cast of characters whom I feel I could bump into at any time, this is a real pleasure to read and it's most definitely a book which I recommend utterly and completely. Author Lisa Hobman has more than earned every one of the five stars I'm happily giving her novel.

My thanks to publisher Aria for my copy via NetGalley, and to Victoria Joss for inviting me to take part in this Blog Tour. As always, this is my honest, original and unbiased review.

You’ll remember that I bawled (and fell in love with) A Seaside Escape by this author and this time, from the off, fell back in love with descriptions that put me right there in London as Zara Bailey, travel writer extraordinaire, returned from a job to her flat.

I loved getting to her office and seeing all the madness as they face severe pressure on the exit of a key member of staff. I’ll admit I was ready to jump straight into ‘fish out of water’ scenarios in Scotland, but first we had issues with her boyfriend and as you see in the blurb above, they broke up. If I’m honest, I could have done with this finishing earlier and getting to Scotland where we face an extremely entertaining struggle with the workload (I cannot even fathom people attempting that sort of a cycle!!), beautiful scenery and a host of characters. I loved meeting Lachlan but was a bit shocked we left so early (hence making me wish we’d gotten there sooner!) The story was extremely enjoyable and the romance excellent (although the love scenes weren’t always my thing but that’s just me!) All in all a very enjoyable read. Thanks so much to Aria for the book in return for an honest review.

Set mainly in the Scottish Highlands, travel journalist Zara takes on an assignment that puts her firmly out of her comfort zone. Her cycle ride in the Highlands makes her realise that living life for the moment, and being brave enough to follow her dreams may be worth the risk.

The beautifully described setting makes it easy to imagine Zara’s journey. Her love-hate relationship with her mountain bike provides many humorous moments. Zara’s complex personality makes her both likeable and often frustrating. I found myself shouting at her to see the truth of the situations she’s in. So, she is realistic and easy to empathise. Lachlan is more of a mystery. He hides his kind nature under a brusque outward manner.

The plot is full of conflict and dilemma for Zara, it’s exhausting to read at times but worth the emotional angst. The well-written ending concludes all plot twists and gives Zara the life she deserves and needs.

I received a copy of this book from Aria Fiction via NetGalley in return for an honest review.