I received an advance copy of, High Heels in the Highlands, by Liz Hurley. I found the book and the characters to be cute. A good beach read.

***ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for honest review ****

Scottish men, castles , fashion design and a clumsy protagonist who speaks her mind, right away I knew this was going to be my kind of book.
It all starts out when the main character Clem (Clementine) is screwed over by her horrible boss and needs a place to lay low while she figures out her next moves. Enter the beautiful Scottish estate her sister has inherited , complete with horrible electric and a surly house maid who butt heads with Clem from the start. Ireally enjoyed seeing the main character Clem grow independently as a woman before finding herself a man. The additional perspectives provided by the housekeeper Otto were welcome and I really enjoyed the bickering between her and Clem and was happy when I began to warm up to her that Clem did as well because Otto slowly became a favorite character of mine. My one criticism would be that in the chapters that switch perspectives it is not labeled, which can at times be confusing. But I am not sure if that will be resolved before the final publishing date!
I was not aware that this was a part of a series and will definitely be looking up the others to add to my TBR!

I remember walking in the middle of nowhere in Scotland and thinking, why am I here!? This is exactly what the main protagonist was feeling in the beginning of the book. Although she quickly discovered her passion for Scotland, my sense of confusion remained throughout the story. Her sudden very extreme mood changes and changes in attitude belongs to the character but feels very strange to me. I couldn't follow her thoughts and her decisions. The fact that she annoyed me didn't help either.

'...she had watched, flabbergasted, when girls with nothing between their ears but a pretty smile and beseeching eyes would sail to the front of the queue to get the best jobs, snaffle the richest men. What would they do when their looks faded and their waistlines got fat?'

Oh lord. Maybe then you'll find out they are still very capable of their jobs? What kind of misogynistic remark is it!?

The inconsistency is not only for her character. When you think you can focus on one person's perspective, the next line you read turned out to be the thought of someone else. The switch of perspectives was very random and unnecessary. This is the first time that I would rather have one book written in first-person narrative.

The plot was interesting, I like how the two ladies changed from enemies to friends and how the lady picked up her career again. But the pacing was weird. How do you seize a conflict&solve session in the last 3% of the book!? It's just bizarre and I couldn't believe the progress bar on my Kindle.

So yeah, love the highlands vibes, but the book unfortunately wasn't for me.

There is so much to like about this book. The friendship and love of the sisters shines through and who could resist the beautiful old castle with its hidden treasures

Clem falls in love with not only the castle but the highlands too and wants to find a way to save the money pit of a building The difficult relationship between Otto and Clem is beautifully written, they both have things in their past that need to be addressed before they enjoy their future

The only thing I didn’t like was the ending, it just didn’t fit the rest of the book.

"He rescued me from a sheep. I'm going to rescue him from a shrew." - I just love this quote so much!
If I had to describe this novel in one word I'd simply call it delightful. Cause it is! From head to toe, or from beginning to end.
I haven't read any of the previous books in this series, but that didn't seem to matter. At no point did I feel like I was missing something. This novel has aspects of family, of friendship, and romance - old and new.
The characters are quirky and relatable. The plot, especially towards the end, is a bit far-fetched, but not in a way that made me uncomfortable. The reason I'm only giving it four stars that it was a bit muddled in the end and suddenly there were a couple of new characters that hadn't been there before. All in all, however, I really enjoyed this!

The story of Clem, who is heading to Scotland after losing her job. Her sister has inherited a castle in Scotland, and Clem is going to check it out. She meets some locals and Otto, who has been managing the estate for years.

I did feel I missed a bit as I hadn't read the other books in the series.

I received this book as an ARC from Net Galley. This was the perfect book for an uplifting read in one sitting. It makes the reader want to book a trip immediately to the Scottish Highlands. The main character is loveable and spirited and the romance heartwarming. This is the third novel in the Hiverton Sisters Series and I fully intend to purchase and read the previous two! A feel good romance!

Have the urge to go to Scotland? Because this book is just what you need!

With the quarantine and travelling plans put to a halt, it's always nice to discover new worlds through words and this book was the perfect getaway for Scotland! So much detail and thought went into the setting, making sure the reader saw exactly what the author was imagining at the moment. It was nice to get a glimpse into the author's mind but to also make it our own in our own imagination.

This really was a feel good book. I love the name Clementine for starters, how cute and feel-good is that name? Clementine herself was a very hot-headed and stubborn character which made her all the more likable and perfect for Rory. Also, the fact that she's a fashion designer that goes to live in a run-down castle in a rural area is just wonderful juxtaposition!

This is my first book I've read in this series and by Liz Hurley and I am determined to read about the rest of the sisters and their adventures!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hera for the earc in return for an honest review.

Clem Hiverton is a fashion designer who has recently been betrayed by her lover and mentor who stole her collection and fired her. Because her eldest sister Ari just inherited a title and a fortune, Clem volunteers to travel to Scotland to inspect a property that is part of the inheritance and determine if it can be monetized (it is currently a money pit) or sold. Clem almost immediately falls in love with the castle and the Highlands, but she clashes with the strong-willed housekeeper, Ottoline (Otto). As she works hard to find a way to save the property from being sold, save the jobs of the staff working there, and reclaim her inspiration, Clem and Otto learn to work together and even respect each other. But Otto has a secret that could ruin the Hiverton family, and Clem will have to decide how to handle a very tricky situation.

This book is entirely delightful. Clem is a prickly heroine, likely to fly into a rage at any moment, but quick to regret her hurtful words. Otto is equally prickly, but in contrast her calm is unshakeable. While there is what I would call a romantic romance in the novel, between Clem and local farmer Rory, it is the relationship between Clem and Otto that is the beating heart of this book. I don’t know if there is a female equivalent of bromance, but if there is this book is the embodiment of it. Clem’s relationship with her sisters, who are all unique and strong-willed in their own ways, and with the locals, like Mari the daughter of the pub owner, are all heart-warming and lovely. It is also interesting to note that Clem has a learning disability, probably undiagnosed dyslexia, which has a huge impaction her life, but doesn’t prevent her from being very intelligent and resourceful. It is rare to see something like this portrayed realistically and compassionately in fiction.

The setting is perfect: the description of beauty juxtaposed with the terrible weather give a realistic impression of the Highlands. The locals are warm and quirky, and I would be just about ready to move there if this book wasn’t fiction.

I don’t want to give spoilers, but at some point an element from another genre I absolutely loved is introduced, as if I didn’t already love this book enough. I give this book 4.5 stars, but the only reason the half star is deducted is because my personal rating system allows me to give five start only to books that made me cry, and this one warmed me to my core but was too uplifting to make me cry.

I didn’t know as I read that this book is part of the series, so there are more books to read about two of Clem’s sisters, with at least one more to come. Sadly, these are not set in Scotland, but I’m certain Hurley will make the other locales (one of them Cornwall) equally delightful.

Yes, this is written by a lady called Liz Hurley. No, it isn't the actress who's famous for 'that' dress 🧷

It wasn't till I'd got more than a few chapters in as I marked it down on Goodreads as reading, that I realised this was part of a series, but it can be read as a standalone, as I soon found out more about the Hiverton sisters & their backgrounds.

Not everyday you find you've inherited a castle up in The Highlands is it? This is exactly what's happened to the Hiverton sisters, or should that be 'ladies' to give them their newly inherited titles. Clementine heads to Scotland to their newly inherited home, the delapidated Ruacoddy Castle, what will she discover & just exactly what secrets is the attic hiding?

Many thanks to Netgalley for my ARC in return for my honest review.

I gave this book a 4 ⭐ rating