Layla doesn't have the best of starts in the novel, and my heart went out to her for the pain she suffered. However, this book is heralded as feel good cosy romance so life didn't remain so awful for her, especially when she embarks on a business venture that will benefit the whole community and finds new love along the way.

I loved the relationship between Layla and her father, and the way their love of music was something they could enjoy together. In fact, music is a thread that runs through the whole story and is as much of a setting as Loch Harris is.

The value of friends features heavily in this book - not so much family, as Layla's mother is a nightmare, and Mac, who was set to shortly become her family, proves to be a total cad. There are several dramas for good measure and a great deal of soul searching. The main theme, aside from the romance, could be said as never giving up, because it's Layla's tenacity which brings about the hoped-for ending.

A Secret Scottish Escape by Julie Shackman was riveting. Imagine opening the door to police officer you know (small town), only to be told your fiancé was dead. Not only that but he died somewhere he didn't belong, in bed with his ex-wife. Imagine being told it had been happening for 18 months. Imagine. Layla Devlin couldn't and yet, here it was happening to her. She was in a cloud of grief, but more in betrayal when she found out he had a heart condition and he hadn't told her. Their whole relationship had been a lie. Then to add insult to injury, he left her all his royalties, a not inconsiderable sum: guilt money. She refused it . . . until an idea came to her. She could revive her village . . . she could open a music venue with his money. He's always hated her type of music. Then things started really happening.

This was kind of a different concept for a book until it wasn't. Part romance, part mystery. Lots of diversions taking the story down a different pathway. It was charming. A little of this, a little of that. Layla was a strong woman. Whatever life threw at her, she fought back, for herself and for others. Most of the situations found here are everyday things, but presented a little differently, until we get to the singer/composer hiding in her village. That, she couldn't let go. He was intriguing, and very hot. It was a fun read. I enjoyed every minute of Layla's rebirth after devastation. I recommend it. HEA

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of A Secret Scottish Escape by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #asecretscottishescape

This book is a nice, easy read, some twists here and there but predictable in places. Overall it is very enjoyable and a great escapism from real life.
I love the setting in the Scottish Highlands, it is a favourite place of.mine. I love books that are set there, as I think that it is a fantastic location for books. As I am not likely to visit there any time soon it was a very welcome read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

The best way to describe A Secret Scottish Escape was that it surprised me. I struggled to get into the story at the start, I wasn’t really connecting with the lead character, Layla. But come the end I was hooked and I really enjoyed it.

The story starts where Layla discovers that her fiancée, Mac, has suffered a fatal heart attack whilst with another woman. From here Layla is set on a rollercoaster. When she learns of her inheritance it sets her down a new and unexpected path. She sets about opening up a new local music venue, but things aren’t plain sailing. She is faced with unexpected twists when it comes to her family and friends.

Layla discovers a famous music star, Mask, has moved into one of the local cottages and she sets out booking him for opening night. She soon finds out he’s a recluse and is turned away profusely. Layla soon realises that Mask is hiding in the Scottish village for a reason and his secrets are unearthed as his past comes back to haunt him.

In the end I really came to like Layla, especially her determination and detective skills. I also really enjoyed her relationship with her father, Harry. Despite what is thrown at them they work things out together and are there to support each other. They are joined by a host of great characters, especially Mask, Faith and Harry’s former bandmates.

Once I was hooked into Layla’s story and finding out how she was going to overcome the challenges thrown her way as well as unearthing what Mask was hiding, I couldn’t put the book down.

A very entertaining book (even though it was fairly predictable) that is a fun getaway to Scotland. I read it in one sitting. This book has a little bit of everything. Mama drama, romance, mystery, adventure, and the hope and support that only family and friends can give.

Actual rating 2.5⭐️

Music is the food of love in the new novel from Julie Shackman.

It’s at a low point in Layla Devlin’s life that we first meet this young lady. If the death of her (much older) fiancé Mac isn’t shocking enough the circumstances surrounding his early demise will no doubt raise an eyebrow or two! Distraught, angry and confused, Layla considers leaving her beloved home of Loch Harris for pastures new despite Mac’s very generous bequest. It’s only when she discovers the old boathouse is up for sale that Layla changes her mind; the idea of establishing a music venue to attract more visitors to the area reenergising and motivating her to move on from her grief and the disappointment she now feels towards the man she had hoped to marry. Music is a big theme in this novel with Layla’s dad a former member of a rock band and the appearance of an up and coming talent in the industry who plays an integral role in Layla’s new venture. Why not select your favourite playlist as you lose yourself within the depths of the Scottish Highlands and enjoy Layla’s metamorphosis from unlucky in love to successful business woman.

First of all let me start by saying that all the necessary components that generally constitute a feel good novel are in place; there is a solid and healthy relationship between Layla and her old rocker of a dad, (which provides the heartwarming element), a reliable and loyal friend in the guise of Faith (we all need someone other than immediate family to offer friendship and support!), the opportunity for new beginnings (the Conch club) together with a smattering of mystery and romance set within the idyllic surroundings of Loch Harris, situated somewhere in the Scottish Highlands. What more could anyone ask for?

As someone who reads a great deal of this type of fiction I never expect anything other than a fairly straightforward uncomplicated and predictable storyline. There’s comfort to be found in the familiar and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with knowing within the first few pages how the author is going to take her readers from A to B. Normally it’s the characters who make up for any lack of originality, elevating a novel beyond the mere average into something that lifts your mood and restores your faith in humanity and if there happens to be a handsome, charismatic male to swoon over (in this case the dark, brooding and mysterious Mask) then that’s the icing on the cake! Characterisation is so important in any novel but in this genre I think there’s an expectation that the lead characters will be easy to befriend, to warm to and to even love. I want to care about these individuals troubles as if they are real life friends; I want to empathise and feel invested in their futures; I hope that they will make me laugh as well as possibly make me cry and ultimately I want to finish reading the last sentence feeling uplifted and happy yet at the same time saddened to part company with them all.

So it pains me to write a less than complimentary review when I know the author’s intentions are to deliver all of the above. Unfortunately I couldn’t take these characters to my heart and if I’m brutally honest I found the storyline weak and a little bit dull. It lacks substance and whilst I appreciate the content will echo the usual sentiments of the value of friendship, love and embracing new beginnings, I had hoped for slightly more depth. I recognise the author’s efforts to create mini diversions on Layla’s path to happiness and true love but to me they simply felt contrived and at times verged on the ridiculous. Mountains out of molehills springs to mind! The strange dynamic between Layla, her father and her absent mother Tina which then results in a drama for father and daughter should have provoked some sympathy within me but a swift resolution puts paid to any real concern that may develop. Layla is at times plain irritating although I appreciate she has Faith’s best interests at heart when she meddles in her love life. The same can be said for her gatecrashing the masked singer’s solitude, intent on discovering the mystery surrounding his arrival in this sleepy, remote Scottish village but I found their interactions bizarre. The singer’s backstory and reason for his ‘escape’ is decidedly tenuous. The romance aspect of this novel seems to blossom out of nowhere and ends up feeling rushed but I actually quite liked the sweet ending!

I know why I didn’t enjoy this novel. All the various strands of this storyline could have worked so much better were it not for the author’s overly descriptive writing style. There’s far too much time wasted on unnecessary detail which adds nothing to the plot and only served to distract me, ruining any enjoyment I may have experienced from reading about Layla, her love for Loch Harris and her desire to turn bad fortune into good. Despite all the flowery language, sadly I never felt transported to the Scottish Highlands and this is a place that holds special memories for me. Normally if an author chooses this location as a setting for a novel it’s guaranteed to be a sure fire winner for me as I could wax lyrical about this part of the world forever more.

Whilst it’s fairly evident I didn’t enjoy this novel, it’s definitely not the worst I’ve ever read and I think given a more rigorous edit my overall impression would drastically improve. Reading is of course highly subjective and there’s every chance that your opinions will vastly differ from my own. On this occasion although the premise is good I felt short changed which may say more about my high expectations than anything else! My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank #HarperCollinsUK for providing me an #ARC of #ASecretScottishEscape by #JulieShackman via #netgalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A Secret Scottish Escape by Julie Shackman centers around Layla Devlin, who is devastated to learn that her fiancé has just passed away ... with another woman underneath him. Surrounded by the memories of him, and the betrayal, she plans to move away from her hometown for a fresh start. But when she learns her fiancé left her a massive sum of money, her love for home, and her other passion - music - lead her to opening her own music venue. While everything for The Conch Club gets squared away, Layla finds herself immersed in a mystery, involving a reclusive celebrity hiding away at another cabin. While trying to get him to perform at her club on opening night, she slowly learns more about the mysterious Rafe, and why he is hiding. Unfortunately, his past doesn't want to stay in the past ...

A Secret Scottish Escape was an enjoyable read for me. It wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting a romance story, and found myself immersed into a woman's fiction story, with the smallest bit of romance. Despite being disappointed by the lack of romance, the story was original and interesting (I finished it in a day), and the characters, and their relationships, were intriguing. For the first time - in a long time - an ARC has invoked emotion from me within the first few chapters. When Layla is finding out the news about her fiancé, and her conflicting emotions afterwards, I found myself teary eyed, and her reaction realistic. My hopes that Layla would find someone worth her time and love kept me invested, especially when I got annoyed that the romance didn't start up until 85% through the book, or the conversations sometimes ending awkwardly, or seeming unnatural.

While I am hesitant to label this book as romance, as general woman's fiction, I found it quite enjoyably. If you are looking for a story about a person finding her way after heartbreak, and making the best out of the worst, you will certainly like this book. With a touch of romance, if you like "clean" romance, this book is also for you.

Thank you NetGalley, author Julie Shackman, and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter publishing for giving me a free arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
4 stars
The book was a very enjoyable read! I loved the characters, the setting, and the true meaning of friends and family.
Layla discovers upon the death of her fiancée, he was the man she thought he was. When she finds herself bitter and hurt, she decides to set out to fulfil a dream of hers, which is to open a live music venue in Loch Harris, upon discovering there is a very talented yet reclusive musician living within the small village, she is determined to find who this mysterious musician is and have him perform in her venue.
Layla was such a wonderful character! I loved how much she wanted to help people. I especially liked the relationship between Layla and her father Harry!
There was a lot going on throughout this book from romantic relationships, reunions of old friends and family, the mystery of "Mask", and betrayals and truths revealed to Layla. There was no lack of action nor movement within the story. The pacing kept everything moving fairly well with little to no dragging. The ending was very sweet and well wrapped up. I did not really buy into the whole "mask"/Layla relationship. It seemed Layla was the one always making the effort to reach out to "Mask." This would be the perfect book to read on a cozy rainy afternoon or on a weekend trip at the beach. I can't wait to read more books by this author in the future.

I always feel bad when I can't give a book a good review, because I always think it's just my opinion and we all have different tastes. So this one was not for me, but might definitely appeal to someone else.
I enjoyed the first part of the story, in which Layla is struggling to get over the shock of her fiancé's dearh, and I loved her relationship with her dad. But I struggled with the second part, when Rafe comes into the picture and the whole story seems a bit far fetched and lacking intensity.
I would still like to read other books by this author because the premise of this was promising.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Light, easy, and extremely enjoyable read.
The characters are easy to relate to and love. I truly loved the relationship between Layla and her dad, Harry. Her mom had taken off when she was little and it has been the two of them ever since.
Layla suffers an emotional blow at the start of the book, one that leaves her doubting everything she believed true and wanting a fresh start. But an unexpected inheritance nudges her in a different direction. And she and her beloved community embark on a new adventure.
Love that the story had more than one thing going on at a time, a true sense of friendship and family.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Julie Shackman excels at writing the heart and this book is no exception. An original story with a cast of characters to champion, I thoroughly enjoyed this read. The author waves together the main story with the sub-plots seamlessly and the setting is so well described, I could imagine it clearly.

A lovely, recommended read.

Twists, surprises, secrets and a picturesque setting🌅

4.5🌟 stars
I have to say I found alot to like in this novel set in a rural Scottish small town by a lake. The author packed so much into the story and it had a very strong start that immediately caught my interest and sympathy for the heroine. I expected some family, friends and romance; here we had several new romances developing simultaneously, terrible shocks and betrayal for female lead Layla, and a mystery that morphs into a dangerous confrontation all while Layla undertakes the task of reanimating the economy of her fading small hometown.

With a packed plot there's no lull in the action and I had to keep reading! Number One Fangirl Heather was a fun bundle of teen energy. I found the father-daughter relationship between Layla and Harry particularly touching as was BFF Faith's conundrum about her attraction to single dad Greg.

While the story on the whole was strong, some elements did not come across as well. Layla's own new relationship was a bit one-sided, with her Mask man pretty uncommunicative, always needing to be pushed. And Mask's visitor/blast from his tragic Australian past was a melodrama that did not work for me. But the ending and epilogue are sweet and, overall, the good points dominate to make it a very enjoyable read.

Thanks to Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

This was a really enjoyable read. Nice and easy and didn't need to think too much about it. The start was quite shocking with what happened to the main character but that's what drew me into the story. I don't think I've read a book set in the Scottish Highlands before so the backdrop to the book was also very interesting.

Overall a light easy read that was very entertaining. Would recommend.

This is a warm, lighthearted read about family and community, with engaging characters and a beautiful backdrop of the Scottish Loch.
I really enjoyed the relationship between Layla and her dad, Harry. He seemed a real character, and it was wonderful to see the bond between them as Layla struggled to move on from Mac.

This was a fun and easy read. The characters were lovable and I loved the escape to the Scottish cottage, I truly felt like I was there!

A lovely book to add to your summer reading list. Layla is devastated when her fiancee dies suddenly and she learns that he has been having an affair with his ex. Forging ahead to fulfill her dream of opening a live music venue in Loch Harris, she discovers that a truly talented musician is living like a recluse close by. Layla's relationship with her dad and the reunion of her dad's old band were highpoints in this story.

I’m not sure how I feel about this book. At times I really loved it and it was total escapism, easy to read and a great way to while away a rainy Saturday morning. However, I felt that parts of it were rushed and some endings wrapped up far too neatly to be realistic.. There were some great ideas but they needed more time to be fleshed out - everything was just a little too neat. Still enjoyable though.

Layla decided to use the money left to her by her cheating fiance (who died in the arms of his ex-wife) to amp up life and possibilities in Loch Harris, her small Scottish hometown. She's bought a boathouse and is converting it info a music venue but she needs a headliner to open it. Who better than Rafe, an Australian singer known as Mask, who's just bought a house in the area. Except he doesn't want to and he's got a good reason. Oh and she's got to deal with her mother, who is insinuating that her father is not her bio-dad. Read it less as a romance than a story about how life takes a village. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's nicely written and makes for a pleasant read.

A Secret Scottish Escape by Julie Shackman is an enjoyable story and the location in the Scottish Highlands adds to the enjoyment. This was a heartfelt book that takes place in a small town. Layla has tragedy in her life when her fiancé dies. She thinks about leaving the small town of Loch Harris but then receives an unexpected inheritance. How will her life progress? Read the story and find out.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this advance copy for my honest review.

I really liked this book. Laylahs fiancee dies and leaves her with quite a lot of money. She decides she is going to use it to open a live music venue so she buys an old pier and goes about renovating it. A mysterious musician called Mask moves into the village and Laylah decides she wants to get to know him and so she starts turning up at his house, not invited i have to say and Mask doesnt like the invasion of his privacy.

Its a fun easy read.