This is a cute enemies to lovers Christmas romance, and it gave me all the warm and fuzzies. Though there are a few things that prevent it from getting a higher rating from me, even though I did very much enjoy it.

Both Belle and Jack's issues/obstacles seemed too obvious, and the solutions too simple. To me there wasn't really a believable reason for why they would not have sorted out their issues at some point earlier in their life, but somehow magically manage to do so in the 2-4 week span of the story. But I did like the building of the romance, and felt like the characters had chemistry.

Also, I've been to Scotland (somewhere in the neighbourhood of 8 times) and I'm pretty sure they don't start every other sentence with "Ach". Throwing in a lot of ach, and aye and lassie seems like a lazy way to say "we're in Scotland now". And the use of dialect was not consistent.

Still, it was a fun and sweet story with a good atmosphere and pretty good characters. I particularly enjoyed the character of Edina, and how she was not what you might expect from an old lady living in a castle. I loved seeing her blossom and become part of the community again.

If you're in the mood for a cute Christmas read you could certainly do worse than picking this up.

You can't beat the Scottish Highlands and you can't beat a Christmas story. Donna Ashcroft always gives a great novel and this one is also well worth reading. 5 stars and I can say you will really enjoy reading this.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this e ARC

Okay, so I really, really, REALLY wanted to love this book.

Let me begin with the things that I loved about “Christmas in the Scottish Highlands,” including the cover. The cover (!) It’s absolutely gorgeous. I would fully buy this book just to display it next to a green wreath and some cinnamon-scented candles. And this book could definitely be for you if you like…

• Scottish castles
• Christmas romance
• Sunshine/Grumpy trope
• Forced proximity
• Fluffy books that feel like Lifetime movies

Now on to the things that I ~wasn’t~ super keen on.

I’m in two minds about the Scottish dialect. On one hand, I liked that it helped place me in the Scottish setting; on the other hand, I became distracted by the constant use of “Ach,” “Aye,” and “Lassie.” I felt that it could have been slightly toned down.

I also wasn’t a fan of the protagonist, Belle; I found her to be a little too self-sacrificial at times. While I understand that this is a huge part of her character ARC, I grew frustrated early on with how Belle’s entire personality seemed to revolve around lending out her house to (almost) strangers, teaching primary school children, baking cookies, organizing nativity plays, etc. It began to feel a little one-note to me.

That being said, I adored flawed characters like Jack and Kenzie, who struggled to come to terms with their own emotional wounds. As a North American, I felt that the author (who’s English) did a fantastic job with Kenzie’s American accent.

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend the book to a friend, but “Christmas in the Scottish Highlands” ticks all the boxes for anyone looking for a cozy holiday read.

**I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.**

I was immediately transported to and transfixed on the happenings within the community of Christmas island. The opening to the story is fun, engaging and straight away gives the story not just a festive but an escapist feel.

I loved the characters in this book as they do easily jump off the page. Belle is a caring, likeable character and I couldn’t help but feel quite sorry for Edina too. The development of the ‘relationship’ between Jack and Belle was very entertaining and appeared quite realistic.

Mostly, I just loved the Christmas spirit encapsulated in this book. There are twists and turns and drama to keep you hooked, but ultimately this is a story that promotes generosity, friendship and the ‘true meaning of Christmas’ with the sense of community spirit and fun that is shown.

This has been another fun and wonderful escapist and festive read from this talented author. I look forward to reading more by this author in the new year!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily.
This book is described as a festive romance, but it is so much more than that. It contains all the lovely Christmas ingredients you could wish for with lights, bakes and traditional decorations plus a castle which isn't luxurious, weather which is so cold and snowy it makes the reader shiver, and even a donkey! The storyline about the children's nativity was delightful, and the developing relationships were so interesting and well-written.
It's an excellent read and I have signed up to follow the author after reading this book, thank you.

This was a fun, cute love story. I enjoyed all the characters and the grumpy/sunshine trope in the book. The setup at the very beginning wasn’t the best, but the writing in the rest of the book is very enjoyable. I was a little confused about Jack having memories of the castle and his grandmother from when he was a young child, but then saying he didn’t know she existed until a few months before he visited her, but that didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the book. I would definitely check out something else by this author if I’m in the mood for a light, fluffy read.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me access to this eArc for my honest opinion!

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

I love this author so much I've read a few of her works. Wonderful women's fiction writer and a beautiful setting.

Christmas in the Scottish Highlands by Donna Ashcroft is a good read if you’re looking for an escape to a cozy village that is anchored in Christmas tradition. And who doesn’t love that in a holiday read?

If you dream of escaping to a cozy Christmas village each time the weather starts to get a bit colder, then Christmas in the Scottish Highlands by Donna Ashcroft is your book. Anchored in Christmas tradition, Christmas village (yes, that’s really its name) comes complete with its annual nativity play, the curmudgeonly village character that’s actually a big ol’ softie, and a band of townsfolks who look out for each other no matter what. This book even comes with Scottish accents to give you the full experience.

I didn’t always love the one-dimensional nature to some of the characters, Belle who is selfless to no end, to the point of giving someone her home while she stays with Edina, and the stubbornness of Jack, who refuses to see the good in people – even if he wants to. However, I took those elements with a grain of salt and accepted that I was getting a feel good holiday book, so there was likely to be some things I couldn’t quite reconcile as true – and that was okay with me.

This book is sweet, and its festive – and you should give it a read if covid halted your Scottish escape. Thanks to Net Galley and Bookoture for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank netgalley and Bookouture for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Quirky, and enjoyable.

Belle lives in the Scottish village of Christmas. She is lonely and stuck in a rut. She has an accident on her bike crashing into an elderly lady (Edina) and finds herself looking after her until she is back on her feet. Enter her lawyer and Grinch grandson jack! Will Belle be able to thaw his heart and enjoy her own Christmas?
This is a lovely feel good story, but with an added bit of realism in theta the characters aren’t all quite so sickly sweet. They really do feel quirky and realistic, but on the other hand are genuinely lovely and looking to help each other out so really adds to the warm festive feeling.
The setting is just so perfect with the little community being close knit and quaint. The spirit of them as a team really makes this book and you feel like you are living in the pages amongst them. These characters alongside the gorgeous village and beautiful castle really make this a picture postcard of a Christmas scene.
I especially enjoyed the additions of the characters Jinx the cat and Bob the donkey, I feel that animals really bring these books to life!
It is a quick and quirky Christmas read, nothing is dragged out and I finished this in impeccable timing as I found myself racing through the pages, thoroughly enjoying the story.
Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and Donna Ashcroft for this lovely Christmas story.

A lovely festive read about love, friendship and forgiveness. It will leave you with a smile on your face and feeling like you've just received a lovely hug. Belle is the sweetest character and Jack...well any man who can charm animals like that will automatically have my heart. A definite must read this festive season.

This was a cute Christmas romance but forgettable and not fully developed. I loved the setting of the Scottish highlands, but the characters were too one-dimensional and their very serious inner struggles were too neatly wrapped up.

Absolutely brilliant book, which I enjoyed very much indeed.

Belle accidentally runs into Edina and that starts a whole chain of events that leads to Belle and Edina's grandson butting heads on a regular basis. Jack is a cynical bloke who doesn't actually believe that people can be genuinely good, as Belle seems to be.

Bit by bit, Belle works her magic and gradually Jack comes to the realisation that yes, some people are actually nice without wanting something in return.

Just a feel-good, heart-warming read.

5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

In this book we meet Belle Albany, a primary school teacher in the village school. It’s on the run up to Christmas and Beth is feeling particularly lonely with only her village friends to keep her company. Following a mishap with elderly recluse villager Edina, Belle finds herself moving into Evergreen Castle, Edina’s old crumbling home to look after her until she’s better. Belle wasn’t banking on meeting Edina’s long lost grandson, Jack Hamilton-Kirk. Could he be the one to make her Christmas the best yet?

I loved this book! Not only does the little village of Christmas sound delightfully festive because if its name, but the book is full of so many other festivities, snow and nativity plays that you could be fooled into thinking it was Christmas day already!! Belle is a great character and one which you couldn’t help but like. She’s lived in the village since she was a young girl and knows everyone there, but I found it sad that despite all her friends she seems surprisingly lonely. I loved her friendship with best friend Kenzy and Kenzy’s attempts at snaring old job man Logan for a kiss under the miistletoe had me giggling throughout!!

This was a wonderful read, one which once I started I knew I wouldn’t be able to put it down. The Highlands location was perfect and very picturesque, and all of the characters within the book were so likeable. I loved the simmering romance between Belle and Jack, even though I wasn’t sure what to make of Jack at the beginning and was left wondering if Belle could trust him. My favourite character had to be one of the four legged ones in the guise of Bob the Donkey! Such a wily character who always seem to be in the right place (or the wrong place!) at the right time!

This was a true romantic read with plenty of laughs and lighter moments. There were also some emotional parts which touched on the subjects of loneliness and grief, although they were dealt with sensitively and in an absolutely perfect way. I loved everything about this book, it’s made me laugh, cry and even blush in parts thanks to one or two “romantic” scenes and I found it to be a fabulous light hearted and heart warming read, which will get you well and truly in the Christmas spirit by the end of the book! Fab, fab, fab!!

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Christmas In The Scottish Highlands' by Donna Ashcroft.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Donna Ashcroft, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 11th October 2021.

This is the second book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'Summer In The Scottish Highlands' which I highly recommend.


I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'The perfect cosy romance to snuggle up with this Christmas. Fans of Nicola May, Trisha Ashley and Debbie Macomber will love this wonderfully uplifting novel.' I am a huge fan of Debbie Macomber so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Donna and if this is half as good as 'Summer In The Scottish Highlands' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 27 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually been on holiday to Scotland on several occasions so am looking forward to seeing if I recognise anywhere that Donna has based the book on.

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Belle Albany and Jack Hamilton-Kirk. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

🎶 It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas 🎶 What an absolutely stunning read!!! A perfectly gorgeous book!!! The vivid descriptions left me feeling the fresh air of Scotland and feeling the warmth of the fire. The title, synopsis and cover suited the storyline perfectly.

This book is absolutely rammed full of love, choices, happiness, regrets, friendship and books!!!! Its one of the most heartwarming I've read in a long time. It made me laugh, cry, smile and fall in love with Scotland. I absolutely loved the gorgeous atmosphere and surroundings being based in a castle. The storyline was sweet, Festive, romantic, uplifting and everything you want in a heart warming romance and I completely fell head over heels in love!!! The Scottish dialect was perfect and it really made me feel like I was in Scotland. I was devastated when I came to the end and realised I would have to unpack my suitcase as I genuinely felt as if I'd been on a holiday. It was an uplifting breathe of fresh air!!! It ended absolutely perfectly!!!

The characters were all strong, well defined and realistic. I fell in love with every single one of them, even if some took longer than others!! I was gutted when I came to the end. This book would make a gorgeous series and I would love to meet all the characters again. Belle is such a strong character and after struggling herself I loved watching her form friendships and find happiness. I became really invested in her and she was such a sweet, caring and unique person. There's not many out there like Belle and it was lovely to meet her in this page turning romance. Edina was an absolute sweetheart and I loved watching her make new friendships and feeling her joy and happiness as she watched her Christmas list come to life. I did not click with Jack at first and found him to be such a pessimist but I enjoyed watching is character grow and develop and loved how he turned out !! I also really enjoyed learning about all the different members of the community and it reflected a small town community perfectly. There were so many other characters that I really enjoyed meeting and who will be missed. To name a few I enjoyed meeting Kenzy with her wild in your face personality and watching how her character developed, it was lovely meeting Tara who was a huge animal lover liked me and seeing her grow in strength as she realised what needed doing, Tavish who reminded me of an armadillo 😂 tough on the outside but soft on the inside, Adam and his sheep obsession!!! I could go on and on but I best stop there. Needless to say many of the characters made an impact on me and it would be lovely to see them all again!!!

Get wrapped up warm, put the fire and festive music on, make your self a hot chocolate and clear your schedule ready to get lost in this unputdownable heart warmer.

Well done Donna on an absolutely gorgeous book. Welcome to my favourite authour team!!! I am thoroughly looking forward to reading more of your books past and future. Congratulations on a stunning success!!

Overall an absolutely stunning page turning romance that will make you smile, laugh and keep you up all night absorbing the pages.

Genres covered in this novel include Romance Fiction, Contemporary Fiction and Romance.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Debbie Macomber and anyone looking for a festive romance to snuggle in front of the fire with!!


289 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free on kindle unlimited which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley and for letting me take part in this tour. I have read a few of Donna's books and I really like her writing style.

This book is set in Christmas Village in Scotland ( I know when can we move?) The village sounds heavenly. It has a cute little row of shops and seems to be constantly full of snow. Everyone is so friendly and really looks out for each other. It sounds so pretty and full of

Belle is the sort of person that will do anything for anyone. If she's known you for 5 minutes or 5 years she will help you out. She spreads herself too thin because she can't bear to say no. What Belle needs is someone to take care of her and force her to take some time out for herself. I can't imagine anyone not being friends with Belle, she is such a sweetie. I do worry that sometimes she gets taken advantage of though.

Edina is such a great character. What is it about old people and children that make such fantastic characters? Edina has locked herself away in the castle for so long she has forgotten what it's like to be around people. Belle makes her remember how much she loves being around not only the other villagers but also the wee ones as she calls them. She is so generous to the children in Belle's class. I loved seeing Edina blossom as the book progressed.

Jack, Jack, Jack. This man is so infuriating and yet so utterly gorgeous at the same time. At some points, I wanted to shake the man to make him realise that there are good people in this world. There were times when you could see the shutters coming down and he would not listen. There were other times when he let his guard down and you could see the man he was underneath. A sweet, kind, gentle man who has an affinity for animals.

This was a perfect Christmas escape. Grab yourself a hot drink and a blanket and snuggle down with this book for a few hours. You won't regret it!

A perfect holiday romance set in a storylike village in the Scottish Highlands, castle included! Belle Albany wants nothing more than to please everyone around her even as her wishes go unfulfilled. Then one day she runs over the elderly woman that resides in the village castle on her bicycle and both of their lives are changed forever. Appointing herself Edina’s caregiver until her ankle heels Belle sets out to give the woman a Christmas that she’ll never forget. Jack, Edina’s jaded divorce attorney grandson shows up to protect his grand from Belle and finds his own world turned upside down. Throw in an estranged mother, a cat named Jinx, a donkey named Bob and a whole host of likeable villagers and you’ve got a merry escape for a cold winter’s readin

Good book. Thirty-year-old, single, primary school teacher Belle lives in Christmas Village, a tiny town in the Scottish Highlands. A caring, compassionate woman, Belle tends to put everyone else's needs before her own, often leaving no time for herself. As the book opens, Belle feels a little out-of-sorts because nothing in her life seems to change. But as she rides her bike home from school one day in the snow, she accidentally runs into elderly Edina Lachlan, causing an injury to the lady's ankle. Determined to make amends, Belle offers to stay with Edina and take care of her while she heals.

Edina is a sweet and feisty woman who has lived alone in Evergreen Castle since the death of her curmudgeonly husband. Her daughter, Tara, lives on Skye, runs a donkey refuge, and rarely visits. Edina recently reconnected with her grandson, Jack, who only just found out she was still alive but hasn't visited yet. She loves having Belle stay with her, especially when Belle's class comes to visit.

During one visit, the children write letters to Santa, and the adults do too. When Belle ends up with Edina's letter, its contents inspire her to make Edina's wishes come true - without giving away how she knows about them. I loved seeing how Belle involved others in helping and how her actions encouraged Edina to become part of village life again. One of the first wishes to come true was for Edina to dye her hair pink. It's around this time that Edina's grandson Jack shows up for that long-delayed visit.

A successful London divorce lawyer, when Jack learns of Edina's injury and Belle's moving in, he cynically believes Belle has nefarious intentions. He rushes to Evergreen Castle, sure he'll find Belle in the process of stealing anything not nailed down. At the same time, he thinks Edina shouldn't live there alone and wants her to move to a retirement home.

The first meeting between Belle and Jack doesn't go well as each is suspicious of the other. Jack doesn't trust women at all, thanks to his father. Belle thinks Jack wants Edina out so that he can have the castle and her money for himself. I loved seeing Belle slowly draw Jack into everything from Edina's Santa list to the school's Nativity play. It isn't too long before both realize that they may have misjudged each other. The more time they spend together, the more the attraction between them grows, but their trust issues may prevent anything from coming of it.

Complicating matters, Belle attempts to end the estrangement between Jack and his mother, Tara. I wanted to shake Jack for his obstinate refusal to even listen to Tara's side of the story. A confrontation between Jack and Belle over his stubbornness ends with them having to face some uncomfortable truths. It takes an eye-opening conversation with his best friend's soon-to-be-ex for Jack to see the benefits of looking at things from another's point of view. I liked the ending as both Jack and Belle face their pasts, and in doing so, overcome the obstacles that kept them from having the future they wanted.

The romance between Jack and Belle isn't the only one going on. Belle's friend, Kenzy, has been crushing on local handyman Logan for a long time. But Kenzy believes love doesn't exist thanks to her family background, and Logan doesn't do casual affairs. I loved watching his gentle way of chipping away at her walls and Kenzy's bewildered reaction to his refusing to take what she offers.

I also enjoyed the various aspects of village life. When a family loses their rental lease right before Christmas, Belle lets them have her house while she stays with Edina, and they search for a new place to live. Everyone jumps in to help Belle make Edina's wishes come true. Local curmudgeon Tavish steps up to carry Edina up and downstairs while she's healing. I got the feeling that there was a very subtle romance going on between those two. I especially enjoyed the villagers' support of Edina staying in her home when word of Jack's plan got out. I loved how so many people got involved in making the school's Nativity play happen.

The secondary characters added to the richness of the story. Besides Tavish, Logan, and Kenzy, one of the most important ones was Tara. My heart broke for her as more of her backstory came out. She wants to reconcile with Jack, but standing up to his anger doesn't come easy. The various children in Belle's class were adorable, and I liked how each one found the perfect role in the play. My favorite secondary character was Bob, Edina's donkey. He made me laugh with his frequent walkabouts as he searched for friends. I also loved how he attached himself to Jack.

What a beautiful Christmas story that is so much more than a H/h romance. Edina, Belle, Jack, Tavish, Tara, Rowan and so many more make up this lovely Scottish Village. For me, the message about opening one’s self up to others, and for others, and allowing love to come in makes up the bulk of the relationships. These are shown in wonderful, sweet ways, especially with Belle leading the way. Truly, this book gave me all the Christmas feels.

Belle Albany is now thirty years old and she feels as if her life is the same day in and day out. She wants to find true love, but is feeling like it will never happen for her. She needs a little Christmas magic. Then, while riding her bike, Belle crashes into Edina, an immediate friendship forms, and Belle decides to make this the best Christmas they have ever had. Edina lives in an old Scottish castle and when Edina’s grandson, Jack arrives in the middle of a snow storm, Belle is surprised. Jack is rude and bossy and Belle is sure he is going to ruin the planned festivities. But as they see past their differences and begin to work together, they also find themselves falling for each other. Is this certainly a Christmas to remember for all of them? I absolutely loved everything about this story. The detailed description of the Scottish Village was so vivid, I felt as if I was actually walking through the snowy town. I enjoyed this story so much, I couldn’t wait to get to the end. The characters were so enjoyable and they worked well together. This rapid page turn is a must read, I loved it!

Thank you Donna Ashcroft for such a wonderful and enjoyable read. This was an amazing and much needed escape to the Scottish Highlands. This fantastic, heart-warming and exciting story, is a great festive holiday story. It is a wonderful must read and I highly recommend this book.