I struggled with much of this book. I thought the problem was that it just didn't translate well from British to American. Then, as I got further in, I realized that there was just too much going on - DNA tests, toxic parents, murder accusations, infidelity, band reunions, and so much more.. Way too many subplots. Too much detail where it wasn't needed. If only the author had devoted as much time to expanding on Rafe and Layla's relationship as she did to Layla's shoe choices. It was almost a DNF at 87%, but I pushed on.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

What a very enjoyable book that was to read. Nothing complicated, just great characters and a very enjoyable storyline that had you wanting to keep on reading until you’d finished the book. Very happy to recommend!

This was a sweet read with beautiful characters, family drama, and some well-hidden secrets. All that got me embroiled deep into the plot and I could finish it in between my thrillers, during the time when life was tough.

Layla’s world comes crashing down around her when the local constabulary break the news to her that not only has her fiancé died but that he died, in the throes of passion, with another woman who was none other than his ex-wife!

She believes that, despite having lived her whole life in the Scottish village surrounded by family and friends, it is time to move on to pastures new. However, a few chance remarks about the future of the village and a ‘windfall’ see her reconsider her options and choose to stay around.

During this time she becomes aware of an elusive male staying at one of the cottages in the village. Is he the infamous ‘ Mask’ and if so what’s the story?

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

This was a new to me author. I really enjoyed this book and the journey our heroine, Layla goes through. Layla is a writer who is engaged to an older man she so in love with. But than she gets some shocking news….her fiancé is found dead at a jolted with his ex-wife! Layla is absolutely heartbroken. When Layla get money from her dead fiancé, she decides to do some good! She used her money to turn an old boat house into a live music lounge! She & Loch Harris are hoping to bring in more tourist. During all this Layla meets an Australian musician who is a little mysterious & famous. Mask is t sure about Layla but they have great chemistry & a pull to one another. I really loved the dynamic of these characters! It felt real with all the secrets and family drama that happened in between as well. All in all a great heart warming romance with all the feels and a side of mystery!

Layla"s fiancee has a heart attack and dies in the arms of his ex-wife. Layla is heartbroken from the betrayal and his death. She takes the money he left her and is going to open a music venue. A very famous rock star moves into the area and he could be a friend or a foe.
If you are into romance then you will enjoy this book. A great summer read.

Layla is left hurt and confused after the sudden death of her fiance. With money left to her she initially doesn't want anything to do with it. Then she sees the old fishing shop in the Scottish village of Loch Harris. A small community that is getting quieter as tourists are looking for something different. She decides to open a small live music venue and this is not the only thing to occupy her time or her thoughts as she gets ready for opening night.

This was such a gorgeous story to read on a wet and rather yucky summers day. I was as shocked as Layla after I discovered the secret that her fiance Mac was hiding. I also found myself siding with Layla's dad, Harry, when I heard that she was opening a music venue. I mean a lovely tranquil village with amazing scenery and then add loud music. How the author described Layla's dream soon had me visualising and imagining what this would actually be like and I found myself getting on board with the idea based on the imagery from the author.

The author has squeezed some wonderful threads into this story a mysterious singer, a stranger, some romance, some lies and deceit and also a whole load of wonderful heart waring and lovely moments. While there are a couple of more serious threads there are also some genuinely lovely ones.

I soon fell in love with the setting and the sound of this amazing village. I love the sound of a certain recluses garden and could see myself hiding out there with several good books and maybe the odd large glass of wine!

A story that I found really hard to put down a mix of mystery, romance, family drama and wonderful scenery just make this an adorable book to read and one that left me grinning like a loon. If you like good all-round contemporary fiction and romance novels then you are going to love this one. It is one I would definitely recommend.

This was a very cute escapist read. The story flowed nicely and the characters were fun. I just wish there had been a bit more actual romance. Not much included here. Still perfect for a quick read.

What a lovely story I could picture it all in my mind fab character that pull you into the plot so easy to great good for hols and very easy to read book loved it

When Layla is told her fiancé is dead, things are obviously bad. When she finds out how he died, things get even worse. To distract herself, she sets about improving the tourism of her home town Loch Harris by creating a new music venue where her Dad and his old bad have promised a reunion show. That is keeping her busy enough but throw in a scarred and masked musician hiding in town, a mother making her doubt who her father is and trying to help her best friend find love, Layla is in a whirlwind. A great read with a happy ending!

This book started out with a lot of promise. Layla learns that her fiance has died in the arms of another woman. Layla is overwhelmed with feelings of betrayal and then finds out that her fiance has left her a substantial sum of money. She initially rejects it but then decides to invest in her cozy little hamlet in Scotland by opening up a live music venue. The plot moved quickly with lots of twists and turns. Layla and her father have a cute relationship and I also liked her dad's former rocker band mates.
The story took an unbelievable turn for me when a mysterious romantic interest showed up-"Mask"-a singer who was hiding himself from the world. I never believed their romance-Mask was downright nasty to her on more than one occasion. I also didn't get the whole stalker woman subplot from Mask's past. The build up to it was melodramatic, and the reconciliation of that storyline was too simplistic.
So even though I enjoyed the getaway nature of the story, I was not a fan of the romance.
Thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Written in a style that was easy to read, and featuring interesting and believable characters I found myself immersed in their lives & invested in their experiences very quickly.
The picturesque scenery of Loch Harris is described in such detail I was able to paint wonderful images in my imagination as I read.
I was rooting for the main characters right from the start, especially Layla, who was not only trying to recover from the deep bereavement of her fiancé’s death but also the hurt of discovering the secrets he had been keeping from her. I was almost cheering when she decides to stay in Loch Harris and set up her live music venue ... something I imagine her fiancé would hate, thus beginning to reclaim her life and start living a new, exciting one full of love (thank you for the epilogue, I do love a happily ever after that ends in such a way!)
A really enjoyable read, packed full of great characters and an interesting storyline.

I wasn't really feeling either the plot or the main character in this one. The scenery was beautifully described but really "Mask" was a bit much. Overall not terrible but could have been a lot better.

The book started off as a story of Layla, a woman who was not only facing the death of her partner but his ultimate betrayal. It has a lovely setting beside a Loch in Scotland. I wanted to stroll along the loch and shop on the little village shops.

Layla’s father is an important part of her life and his inclusion made for a great side story. The book continues along as a beautiful and heartwarming story of love, friendship and new beginnings.

This is a warm and engaging story about love and loss, betrayal and re-birth! The characters were engaging and the setting was really beautiful. I enjoyed the relationship between Layla and her dad, Harry - who stepped in when Layla’s mom left and raised her on his own. You can tell he is very protective of Layla and it was great to see how supportive he was when her fiancé died.

Overall the premise was good but the story fell short of expectations. Part of the issue was the many sub-plots which caused the story to be a bit muddled. I still think this is a good summer read and would recommend it to anyone who likes a little drama and mystery with their romance!!

Thanks to the author: Julie Shackman, NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter publishing for a free arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What would you do if your soon to be husband upped and died in the arms of his ex-wife in a hotel room? Layla who is a local of Loch Harris is devastated and humiliated in front of her family and friends. She decides she is going to get away, but the dead fiancé leaves her a inheritance.
Why should she leave when there is good she could do by putting in a music venue. She finds out that a top celebrity has moved into the area and she wants him to headline for her opening night. He refuses because he does not show his face in public and he will not disclose anything further.
Layla the super sleuth is curious and finds him attractive and wants him to sing.
Things heat up in the community not only for her, but for friends and other family members.
This is one area that becomes a hotbed of drama!

A great summer read!
I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

Layla needs to turn her life around but can she do it ? Read this well written book to follow her in Scotland which has been given beautiful details that you want to live there yourself. I enjoyed reading this book and I a m sure you will too. I am giving this 4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

This is a fabulous story of a woman trying to overcome a betrayal, an unexpected death, and questionable paternity, all while accepting guilt money to help bring back life to her community. Oh, and let’s not forget the mysterious masked man who has captured her attention. A lot is going on, but it flows together nicely as Layla gets what she deserves.

Speaking of Layla, she’s a kind, generous, and passionate person who comes back from a nasty shock by giving back to her community. She has a lot going on with the untimely and uncomfortable death of her fiancé, her mother’s flippant and nasty remark about her paternity, her best friend’s love life, a mystery to solve, and a new business to get ready. Her idea to create a music venue to help the dwindling tourism in her home of Loch Harris is genius and who better to have for her opening act than her dad’s former rock band, Battalion. But first, her dad has to get the retired band members to agree which may be difficult considering an important talk he needs to have with one of them. Her “neighborly” ways are part of her charm, so when Layla asks the mysterious and reclusive singer simply called Mask to perform as well, he shoots her down…until he sends her some tapes with his new songs to play during her grand opening. Can you say whiplash? The guy is rude to her one minute and then engages with her the next. But Layla is a determined gal as she plans to find out who is, what caused the scar on his face, and who the strange woman is who is dead set on ruining him by gossip. Can she finally find happiness in the Highlands?

I have to say, I love Layla’s dad, Harry. He’s a very caring and cool father with a green thumb who adores his daughter and it’s fun to see him find a little happiness himself. Layla’s best friend and commitment-phobe, Faith, has her own attraction going on which Layla gives a little push in the right direction. Mask, is a broken man with a truckload of guilt that finds solace in gardening and singing. Until he meets the woman who can save him from himself. Also, it must be my week in reading about evil mothers because Layla’s mother, Tina, fits the bill when she abandons her husband and daughter for a more glamourous life only to come back when Layla inherits some money. Don’t worry, she gets her just desserts.

This book had me at Scotland and romance. If you enjoy lovely stories filled with heartache, hope, and compelling and engaging characters in a beautiful Scottish setting, give this book a try.

Thank you to Ms. Shackman for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

A Secret Scottish Escape by Julie Shackman. What can I say other than I loved it and read in one day. When Scotland’s sleepiest hamlet becomes the centre of hot gossip, Layla Devlin finds herself caught in a mystery…

The setting of a tiny village called Loch Harris in the Scottish Highlands sounded breathtaking, I could picture it in my mind. It had everything you could want in a story love, loss, regret, laughter, sadness, forgiveness, friendships and families.

I found the characters to be well developed, and multi-dimensional. There were multiple sub-plots to keep you engaged and interested in the outcome.

I will definitely read other books by this author.

I highly recommend this author.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Layla’s life is changed when her fiancé dies of a heart attack….in another woman’s arms.

She wants to up sticks and leave Loch Harris, the place she has made her home and away from her friends and her only family – her father.

But Layla’s circumstances means she is suddenly left an unexpected inheritance and she perhaps can see what Loch Harris needs is to reinvent itself and in turn that will reinvent her.

Some people have other idea though; a mother who puts the seed of doubt of Layla’s actual parentage and a mysterious singer only known as the Mask who has taken up residence locally.

The premise of this book was good and it started to deliver in the first half, but then it slipped into something much more contrived and I started to feel less and less empathy for the characters and their actions. It all seemed a bit too unbelievable and their actions were not something I have recognised before in similar types of novels.

If you wanted a diversionary type of read then this book would fit the bill, but I did not go away from it as uplifted as I thought I might have done. It really pains me to write about a book that didn’t just fit with me, I always feel I am being hard on the book when clearly many others will enjoy it and get much more from it. It shows you that all books and reading for that matter is subjective and that one size certainly does not fit all!