An enjoyable story of finding love in the least likely of places, of finding what your passionate about, finding home, and going out of your comfort zone.

I loved this story. I instantly clicked with Zara and her dislike of outdoorsy stuff. I liked her sense of humour, her outlook and just her in general. Her journey was incredible, and she finishes as this strong, independent woman. She takes everything in her stride. I think she is an amazing character. Lachlan. Oh, Lachlan. I do love a Scottish character. He comes across as this sweet, gentle giant. They’re chemistry is sort of a slow build sort of thing , then an instant connection. It works well though.

I loved the flow of the story. It’s definitely made me want to see more of Scotland that’s for sure.. Maybe not on a bicycle though. I loved the author’s writing style. It was easy to read, and as I said it flowed really well. The descriptions of people and places, and the way she put Zara’s feelings across was brilliant.

This book has definitely made me interested in this author. I will read more by her if they are all this good. A wonderful read. Perfect for that time you need something uplifting.

Lisa Hobman writes involving, engrossing and emotional stories you simple cannot help but fall in love with and she is on top form with her latest novel, A Summer of New Beginnings.

Zara Bailey’s job is the envy of all her friends and family. As a travel writer, rather than spend her days in a stuffy office hunched over her keyboard, she gets to travel the world to review some of the globe’s most sumptuous and luxurious locations. When she isn’t jetting off to glamorous cities to take in the panoramic views and breathtaking vistas from the comfort of her luxury seven star penthouse suite, she is sipping cocktails and diving into crystal blue waters – all on expenses, of course! Jet-setting Zara is used to travelling like a celebrity and getting first class service, so she is stumped when she receives her next assignment that is as far removed from her previous glamorous assignments as it is possible to get!

Forget Cuba, Paris or New York and first class travel, Zara’s next job is taking her to Scotland where she will be staying in a tent that is as basic as it is possible to get and her mode of transportation is not a chauffeur driven car or a private jet but a bicycle. Zara is initially appalled. She knows that sometimes you have to suffer for your art, but staying in such basic accommodation is simply too much. However, she quickly realises that taking a break from her life and some time out from her hectic whirl of travelling, relationships and partying might be just what she needs – especially when she meets croft owner Lachlan Grant…

Having recently had her heart broken, Zara had sworn off men off and had decided to focus all of her time and energy into her job. But once she gets over the shock of the simple Highland life and starts to fall under Lachlan’s spell, she soon realises that she has everything she needs to be happy right here, but only if she has the guts and courage to claim her heart’s desire.

I raced through A Summer of New Beginnings and couldn’t put the book down until I’d finished it. A lovely read packed with warmth, humour and charm, A Summer of New Beginnings is a fantastic tale written with all of Lisa Hobman’s trademark magic and heart. I loved Zara who was a spirited, intelligent and relatable heroine I couldn’t help but cheer for and Lachlan is a lovely hero who will surely sweep you off your feet.

Lisa Hobman has done it again and penned an irresistible romantic tale that is absolutely superb! Gripping, compelling and far too good to miss, A Summer of New Beginnings is another winner for this terrific storyteller.

The beginning had me interested. I love books about traveling and was interested in that part. I’ve never been to Scotland and was intrigued about the challenge Zara Bailey was set. From the beautiful cover, I thought we’d see Zara on her transatlantic trip though and the description of that felt a little rushed. I’d have loved to hear her be more enthusiastic about that, although the tiredness and jet lag were realistically portrayed. Zara has a good support network of people who look out for her. I admit, I’m like her in that I like my luxury but was pleased she took on the challenge of going to Scotland.

I liked Josh, and then I didn’t and then I did. I found some of the personal setbacks in the story predictable yet liked how attentive and loving he was. Some of the character backstory was interesting too. Marco was a real character.

Thanks to Lisa Hobman and Aria for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review and a slot on the blog tour for this title. 4 stars. The scenery is beautiful too.

This book immediately grabbed my attention from the moment I digitally turned to the first page. The author's dry sense of humour snacked me in the face and I spent the whole book giggling into my Kindle at the witty retorts and laugh a minute gags. I mean the names Zara gave to her bicycles....you've got to be kidding me? I was creased!

But seriously this book has it all. Great locations with picture perfect descriptions, a captivating plot and a swoon worthy stranger in a kilt - what more could you ask for? Zara is an all out hit as far as your leading ladies go and I instantly fell for her charms and wiles. Lachy is the epitome of a gentleman and the knight in shining armour that most girls hope to meet, unless you're Zara with an 'independent woman' attitude.......well in that case all I can say is 'the lady doth protest too much, methinks.'

A Summer of New Beginnings is an all round shinning star that I could not put down. It will have you chuckling into your coffee one minute and melting with love the next so you really can't fail to enjoy each and every moment of this fantastic book.

Zara is used to travelling to far flung exotic places as a travel writer for her publication, but when the other writer leaves she is asked to do an article on Scotland, and the North Coast 500 route, cycling and camping overnight.
This comes at an opportune time as her boyfriend’s ex girlfriend appears from Australia with his son that Zara knew nothing about, and she sees them kissing. Zara takes off on her travels determined to do a good job, and finds she is beginning to enjoy all that part of Scotland has to offer.
A romantic interest, an accident, a novel, two exes, a few lies, a dog and the realisation of a dream job all add up to a decent read.

I'll hold my hands up and say that really I wasn't expecting that much from this book, A Summer of New Beginnings by Lisa Hobman. I just assumed it would be like all the other romance stories out there - girl meets boy, there is a little to-oing and fro-ing and some decision making and then they get together. We've all read hundreds of those types of book but thankfully this was completely different and honestly I was captivated by this story from the very first chapter. I read it in two sittings within a day and I loved every minute of it, it just got better and better the further I read. This was the first book I have read by Lisa Hobman but it certainly won't be my last if this is the calibre of writing she produces with each book.

The cover for this book is simple but oh so stunning and it really does capture the essence of the story contained between the covers. There is Zara on her bike as she travels the North Coast 500 route in the Highlands with border collie Bess in the background - a canine friend she encounters on the route and who steals her heart. Also the cup of tea and the notebook have a very special significance and it's only as you read through the story that you discover just how apt the cover is. The title as well couldn't have been more suitable considering the themes being explored in the story and all in all it combined to make a riveting read that I am still thinking about long after I have finished reading about Zara and the journey which provides her with a lot more than she had ever anticipated.

It was the cover that first attracted me to this book and then when I read the blurb the premise sounded very good. Yet something made me hold off reading this book until the very last minute that I needed to. I can't quite put my finger on it but it's probably because I presumed I would race through the story and it would be just another book read and off my TBR and not one I would remember in any great detail. I'm regretting leaving it so long to start it because it was a breath of fresh air to read with such brilliantly written characters that will long stay in your heart and mind. You feel a connection to Zara, our main female protagonist and are also inspired by her and the journey and transformation she undertakes.

The setting was stunning and it made me want to get up on a bike and go travelling and see the beautiful scenes as observed by Zara and that's saying something considering I normally would have no desires to jump on a bike at all and get going. For once a book had a distinct, clear beginning, middle and end. The climax was reached and then it didn't wander off track and then abruptly finish, Lisa Hobman plotted the story so well and I truly felt like I was living Zara's life and through the so many heartfelt and important lessons that Zara learned I felt the same was happening for me. I really connected with this book and it has taken me by surprise how much the story affected me. It is a brilliant read and I can't fathom how I hadn't heard about this author prior to reading A Summer of New Beginnings.

The writing throughout is quick, fresh and has such an excellent flow to it and I loved how all the little hints dropped throughout, not that I realised they were hints at the time, were brought together so well which resulted in a brilliant and deeply satisfying conclusion. But before we reached that point we were first introduced to Zara who works for The Bohemian magazine as a luxury travel writer. She loves her job travelling the world reviewing exotic destinations and is quite happy to leave the more outdoor adventure and sports reviews to work partner Dillon. As for her love life she is happy enough with Josh as she has been with him for over a year but yet he has never said the big words - I love you. Marco and Michelle are her best friends and when she is not travelling the world she enjoys nights out and takeaway nights in with them. A school reunion is on the cards but she is reluctant to go given the awful time both herself and Michelle received but maybe she will go if only to prove to herself and the ones who taunted her that she has made a positive and good life for herself.

So when Noah her boss at the magazine calls her into his office she is preparing to hear where her next luxury destination will be only for her world to be turned upside down. Dylan has jumped ship and it is up to Sarah to fill the space he has left vacant. The North Coast 500 cycle route beckons, the complete opposite of what she is used to. It sounds horrendous and totally out of her comfort zone. But Zara is not one to let people down and even though the thought of camping outdoors not to mention the hours in a saddle terrify her she accepts the challenge and wants to write the best article possible.

Little does she realise by agreeing to this trip that her life will be changed in more ways than she can imagine. It also helps that things on the personal front aren't exactly turning out the way she has envisaged, maybe she needs this trip after all to gain some much needed perspective. I did at one point think will we ever get to the actually trip as there seemed to be just a slight dragging out of the earlier London scenes. But it's when you reach that end point that you understand every character, every word they utter, every event that takes place is all necessary and crucial to the overall plot. Lisa Hobman knew where she wanted to take her characters and she had the route to get them there worked out so well. I thoroughly enjoyed the section set in Scotland as Zara works her way through the cycle route.

The descriptions of the countryside and coastal areas were fantastic not to mention all the lovely little spots Zara found to eat. It really does make you want to visit the area and the author certainly did a brilliant job showcasing the Scottish Highlands. It wasn't all about the cycling though as Zara gets herself caught up in some funny but also potentially dangerous situations and this in turn leads her to the door of Lachlan who has his own croft/farm. He is a former lawyer relocated from London through family circumstances. I loved Lachlan and loved how he was introduced and how his story began to intertwine with that of Zara's. I could feel the connection and the attraction between the pair and he brought out something in Zara that she had attempted to keep hidden.

But there was plenty of trouble, strife and misunderstandings that occurred before a path to happiness could even begin to occur. Never at any point did any aspect of the story come across as being clichéd or contrived and I think that's what added to the magic of the story and my enjoyment of it. Lisa Hobman brought something fresh and innovative to the genre and it was evident that she enjoyed writing this book just as much as I enjoyed reading it. When the conclusion of the cycle was reached the plot didn't wander on unnecessarily instead everything was ramped up a further level with more twists, turns, shocks and surprises and I was kept glued to my seat rapidly turning the pages keen to discover how things would connect up and could resolution be found.

Zara is a stand out character and a person I came to quickly admire for her guts and determination. She knew she wasn't without her faults and wanted to work on them and the trip and the people she meets helped her with that. She learns so many life lessons and these are lessons that the reader can also apply to their own lives. Sometimes the things we fear, worry or dislike the most can turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to us. We just need to step outside of our comfort zone or wall that we may have built around us and push ourselves that extra mile. Zara certainly did this and she was a better person for it. It enabled her to expose herself that little bit more, to bring long harboured ambitions into the light to see could they possibly bear fruit. Zara goes through some incredible experiences by going through the very situations she thought she hated. She surprised herself and also the this reader and enforced that one should always fight for their dreams.

I really can't recommend A Summer of New Beginnings enough, read it as soon as you can and I hope you become as engrossed in Zara's story as I was.

Zara works for a travel magazine in London, she travels to different exotic locations and stays in fancy hotels. The magazine has lost the outdoors journalist and her boss wants her to do the assignment, the North Coast 500 in Scotland, This requires her to bicycle for 500 miles through Scotland and camping at night in a tent. Zara is dreading the assignment but then she finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her. We go through the trip with Zara and her experiences along the way. And of course she meets a guy along the way but he is cute!
I loved this book it was so cheerful and refreshing. I want too read more by this author. This is the type of book I love to read for pleasure.

This is a gem of a book. I love the idea of touring Scotland by bicycle. I will be singing 500 miles all day. The Northcoast 500 route sounds beautiful and idyllic. I liked the characters in this book and their story. It was a lovely escape for a few hours.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Three stars: A book with a delightful travel section, but the romance and drama didn’t work for me.

Zara Bailey has a great thing going on. As a travel writer, she gets to visit some luxurious locations. Plus, her relationship with Josh is going well. Just when everything is smashing, the rug is pulled out from under her. Zara’s boss informs her that since their other travel correspondent gave notice, she must cycle the Scotland Northcoast 500. Zara is not a camping type girl, but she acquiesces knowing that the magazine really needs her to do this article. Then right before she sets out, disaster strikes. Her relationship hits the rocks. Now Zara is alone cycling the 500 miles, with plenty of time to sort out her heartache. Will she find her heart?
What I Liked:
*A Summer of New Beginnings was a book I picked up hoping for a light, romantic read, and while I got that, for the most part, what surprised me the most was the terrific section on cycling the Northcoast 500. I loved this portion of the book! The author does an amazing job of describing the route and the scenery. At times, I felt like I was practically on the Scotland Coast. Seriously, after reading this book, I was ready to pack up and check out the Scotland Coast for myself!
*I liked that this book was about Zara’s journey and it showcased her growth. In the beginning, Zara has no desire to cycle and camp, but once she starts, she begins to transform. I loved seeing her be able to trek the mountains and learn to camp. Along the way, she not only discovers many wonderful places, but also she makes some tremendous friends. I couldn’t get enough of this part of the book, it *was fantastic!
I enjoyed some of the more humorous portions of the story. One of my favorite scenes was when Zara has an accident and her rescuers are a group of guys participating in a historical reenactment, which makes Zara erroneously think for a moment she is having an Outlander experience.
*Zara has an amazing friends and a wonderful family. I loved how she had her own cheering squad, and they always had her back.
*I appreciated that on her journey, Zara took some time to realize one of her dreams: write a novel.
*The romance was nice. It personally would have liked a bit more development, but I felt like it worked, and I liked how it came about.
The ending was satisfactory. The books ends on a high note and I was satisfied.
And The Not So Much:
*I almost gave up on this book early on because I felt like it took much time to get going. There is a lot of buildup surrounding Zara’s current romance and its demise. I already knew the romance was headed for a breakup as it is covered in the synopsis. I felt like it took way too much time to get to the breakup and for the story to get moving. Thankfully, once Zara started her cycling trip, things drastically improve.
*I was so invested in the whole cycling portion, and I wish there had been so much more of this part of the book. Instead the final portion of the book deals with more romantic drama that I found irritating. Ugh! Josh needs to go away. There was far too drama in this for me. I wanted more cycling!

A Summer of New Beginnings is a book that had parts that I thought were fantastic. The entire cycling section was amazing. I fell in love vicariously with the Scotland Coast, and found myself wanting to visit. I also appreciated Zara’s journey and her growth. Unfortunately, this book had a little too much romantic drama for my taste. Still I would recommend this one in order to experience the cycling trip, that was well worth the time.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

I have visited Scotland before but didn’t get much time to explore only really visiting Stirling and Edinburgh. So ever since I have wanted to go back, the thing is even if Scotland hadn’t been on my radar it certainly would be after reading this book! Lisa Hobman really sets the scene with her writing with talk of breathtaking scenery along with two characters who I was rooting for from their first, okay maybe second meeting. I loved the connection between Lachy and Zara it was both romantic and sizzling at times. An overall gorgeous chemistry, the type that makes you want to sigh!

There was a lovely use of humour that made me smile and giggle especially some very inventive names for transport! You get two best friends who provide some fun moments and an ex bringing the drama. It all added to the charm of this book and once I started reading I needed to know how it would all end! I did think that I would have liked the scenes in Scotland to have maybe happened a bit earlier in the book but I think that is because I loved every little description and moment once Zara got there.

When Zara sets off on her adventure she really doesn’t know what to expect but what she finds along the way really makes this story shine. As Zara goes on this journey along Scotland’s Northcoast 500 route she not only discovers new places but also things about herself. I really enjoyed seeing her character emerge bit by bit and for me Zara became an even more likeable person. I felt as if I was exploring and seeing all the stunning places right there with her. Of course a special mention has to go to Bess, I love it when dogs are included in stories and she was a wonderful addition! I’m already looking forward to Lisa Hobman’s next book!

A Summer of New Beginnings has stunning locations, a gorgeous romance and a completely heartwarming story!

What a wonderful way to spend a weekend…

No, I don’t mean riding 500 miles but reading #ASummerOfNewBeginnings. I spent a cold and dreary weekend curled up reading about Zara’s adventures along a five hundred mile bike ride through the stunning north of Scotland. Whilst faced paced, Zara encounters kindness and hardship along the way, but as with such journeys they are often a path to finding oneself as much as the destination.

The love interest Lachy is suitably rugged and just reading in my imaginary Scottish accent was enough to curl my toes.

But for me, the star of the show was Bess, the black and white border collie, my favourite breed of dog, whose character and personality was captured perfectly and helped to break the tension.

I have given this book ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, the characters and plot made it a struggle to put it down. My thanks to #Netgalley and #AriaFiction for allowing me the chance to escape in this book.

I give this 3.5 stars. Zara redeems herself by the end of the book. At one point Lachlan calls Zara stereotyping and judgmental and I have to agree for most of the book that is what she is. It is really hard to like her as a person when she stereotyping a place or the people. She also constantly put her own-self down and never thought she was good enough, which again gets annoying. Loved Lachlan and loved the descriptions of Scotland, makes me want to go back. Zara by the end is a better person and also has more confidence in herself. In the end I am happy to see everything worked out the way it should.


*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*

I usually pick out a Chicklit to read for Valentine’s Day. A Summer of New Beginnings caught my eye because of the travel aspect of the story. A little vicarious armchair travel and a sweet romance sounded like just the thing I wanted.

The story starts with luxury travel writer, Zara Bailey, being given a surprise assignment of biking the North Coast 500 in Scotland. Far more used to swanky hotels and room service, Zara is not at all excited to rough it on a biking/camping trip. (This told me right away that Zara and I were not destined to be friends, because I think that sounds like an amazing trip, and her whining about it was excessive.) Not surprisingly, the trip ends up being different than she expects and before long she starts thinking that perhaps this trip might change her life in more ways than one.

The story does have a slow start. There is quite a bit of set up before she heads out on the trip. I was much more invested once the trip started, and I have to admit that that was my favorite aspect of this book. I adore traveling both in real life and vicariously. Scotland was already on my bucket list, but after reading this, I think the North Coast 500 will be bumped up the list! Hobman does an excellent job of describing the landscape and atmosphere of the area. So as a travel brochure, this gets five stars! Unfortunately, there were other aspects of the story that were nowhere near as satisfying.

The writing tends to tell instead of show. Certainly, as I mentioned, the descriptions of the scenery were charming. No, it was the character interaction that was spelled out mechanically instead of letting the reader infer emotion organically. And that really hindered the character development and the romance. Nearly every emotion was spelled out rather than shown – whether it was two people being attracted to each other or feeling annoyed or angry or any emotion really.

The romance was ok but not nearly as cute as I was hoping. As I mentioned, the habit of listing out the characters’ emotions instead of showing them really hindered my belief in their relationship being genuine. There were no butterflies, and the chemistry felt very low. It had its cute moments for sure. But particularly since I read this on Valentine’s, I wanted something more romantic. Even more so than the writing style, my enjoyment of this story was largely hampered because it involves a love triangle and cheating. That’s a personal hang-up, but nevertheless it affected my enjoyment of the story.

I was also extremely frustrated with Zara’s actions in the last quarter of the story. Without getting into spoilers, I felt that part of the story negated the any message of self-discovery and self-reliance as well as completely undermining my belief in the romance. It made all that talk about her being a “strong, independent woman” ring false.

As I read on, my rating fell from four stars to three and a half to only three. That last decrease was because there were far, far too many convenient coincidences in the last part of the plot. I was fine with the initial coincidences involved in the Meet-Cute, but that ending had waaaaaay too many coincidences!

A Summer of New Beginnings was a cute story overall, but it didn’t live up to my expectations. The part I enjoyed most was definitely the travel descriptions. But I really wanted more from the romance.

Oh, you should also expect that Proclaimer’s song to get stuck in your head while reading this!

I loved this book. What a lovely story! I loved Zara and Lachy! The description of the Scottish Highland were beautiful. The chemistry between Zara & Lachlan was lovely. Lachy was so charming and patient, especially when Zara could be annoying at times! I really enjoyed this story and finished it in one sitting. The description of the scenery, the characters, the dialogue, the humour, all put a smile on my face.

So pleased I got the opportunity to read such a wonderful story.

Thank you NetGalley and Aria. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book makes me really want to go to Scotland....and now I have the 500 Miles song by the Proclaimers stuck in my head! This was a really good read, with characters you can't help but like (except one), and a taste of the beauty of Scotland. Lovely!

While the basic plot line is not original and the romance is, well, what you might expect, this still makes for a good read on a rainy day. Zara, a travel writer who has found her way into a sweet job reviewing luxury hotels and resorts, suddenly must take on Scotland. Yes, all of Scotland. By riding a bike. Before she departs, she discovers her boyfriend Josh has a secret past and she isn't in his future. The initial bike riding is rocky as one would expect but then she meets Lachlan when, on an awful day, she camps on his land. This two do the expected dance and then, well..... This isn't Wild (there's precious little description of the bike ride or of Scotland, at least to my mind and Zara's not trying to find herself, only write an article) but it has it's charms. A scrub up edit for grammar etc. would have helped. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

A Summer of New Beginnings by Lisa Hobman is a light and entertaining read set mostly in Scotland.

The most beautiful thing about this book is the authors love of Scotland and it radiates from every page in the book.
There are several quite incredulous things but if you put that aside it is fun to read. Characters are well developed if somewhat predictable. I especially liked easy banter between friends. Some situations were laugh out loud.
Zara is a travel writer, who visits most luxurious locations and write about them for the travel magazine she works for, and is quite used to being pampered. When her editor asks her to go camping and cycle Scotland Northcoast 500 route she is appalled. To top it off her boyfriend has a very unwelcome surprise for her as well.

Lovely romance with funny moments. It shows how some people that we think we know well turn out to be a complete enigma. But it also shows all the wonderful things that can happen if we just let them.
All in all an enjoyable read.

I have loved Lisa Hobman ever since I was introduced to her back in 2016. I have followed her work and loved every bit she has released.

When I saw The Summer of New Beginnings on netgalley I knew I had to read this!! I am slightly obsessed with Europe and can’t wait to travel there one day. I found TSONB to be a light and romantic read. I loved that I was able to connect with Zara because of how “real” she felt. The whole concept of the North Coast 500 had me putting the book down to do a bit of research! I don’t know that I would ever be able to complete 500 miles on a bicycle but I loved being able to take the journey within this book. Following Zara’s story and how she was able to take her ordinary everyday and make it into her own beautiful life was inspiring.


I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

YES, YES,YES, YES a big YES for this book!!!!! 5 stars out of 5 for me, this is the best book I have read for several months now! It's funny because I was a bit reluctant to read it, I thought it was going to be a bit boring... but I decided to give it a try and ohhh I was so right! This book is so well written, it is so intelligent and full of events. Also don't be fooled by the cover. When you look at the cover you might think the story will take place in some place very warm and exotic. It mostly take place in the Scottish highlands and in London. I absolutely loved travelling by bike through the Scottish highlands with Zara and meet the lovely Lachy. I also loved to read about her tumultuous love life. This book was perfect in all aspects and it was perfect from first page to last page! I can't wait to discover more books from Lisa Hobman!!!!

I have given this new book from Lisa Hobman FIVE stars.

Another beautiful story from one of my favourite authors. She has perfectly crafted the ability to pull her readers in from the very beginning and A Summer of New Beginnings was no exception.

This book is by far Lisa's best work to date and it's been a real pleasure, as an avid reader of hers to see her talent grow and shine brighter with each and every book. I absolutely loved every single word and found myself staying up late into the night to finish it. It was just so good!

A Summer of New Beginnings is romance at it's best, it was cosy and so delightfully romantic as Zara, rather begrudgingly embarked on the North coast 500 with nothing but an aptly named bike for company. The beautiful Scottish Highlands were described in such vivid detail, it makes you feel like planning your next trip right away! Zara not only embarked on this trip around the Scottish Highlands, she also took a trip of self discovery, realizing there was much more to life than she had ever realized. Cue an ex-boyfriend causing all sorts of drama and a rather handsome croft owner Lachy, Lisa has hit the winning formula on the head.

I will be recommending this book to everybody!!!!