It is a nice romance spiced up with a mystery and an old secret. The plot has some interesting turns with a happy ending. I liked the main characters and enjoyed reading about the beautiful crockery.

What a delightful read! I loved the main characters and enjoyed their interactions. I also enjoyed the tea pot/cups that were described in this story and could see how beautiful the new shop was. This was a sweet read that left me feeling happy.
I would definitely read more books by this author.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley & HarperCollins UK (One More Chapter)!

Event planner Sophie Harkness loses her job after standing up to a difficult bride. She soon discovers that her late grandmother, with whom she shared a love of crockery, has left her with several high end tea sets and a shop to start her own business. While preparing the shop for opening, an unknown woman leaves Sophie with a beautiful antique tea set along with a mysterious letter. With the help of Xander North, renowned collector and art critic, Sophie seeks to uncover the history of the tea set.

A Scottish Highland Surprise is a light mystery with just a touch of romance. While a majority of the plot surrounds the mysterious blue tea set, there are some “flashbacks” that explain where Sophie’s grandmother’s sets come from and why she wants her to set up a shop.

This book had me hooked from the first chapter. I love the unique way the author weaves together the present along with the grandmother’s story and the history of the mystery tea set.

I really enjoyed this book. It would make the perfect read for vacation or even just a rainy day. This is the first novel that I have read from author Julie Shackman but I like her style and plan to add a few more of her books to my TBR list.

Thanks so much to the publisher for inviting me to read Julie Shackman's newest book, A Scottish Highland Surprise in exchange for a review!

I have to admit that I didn't think too long on whether I wanted to read this. Sure, the premise of a fired wedding planner sent to Scotland after her grandmother leaves her a little shop sounded cute and all, but that cover! I don't care that you're not supposed to judge books by them, but I am a cover snob and this one is gorgeous.

Beyond that, I love Shackman's voice and this story flowed really nicely--it's the perfect escapist book, like taking a much needed vacation. And I'll read just about anything set in Great Britain and Ireland. Looking forward to reading more by this author.

A Scottish Highland Surprise, by Julie Shackman, is a light read, set in a small town in Scotland. It's a little bit of romance intertwined with a scandalous mystery. Sophie and her grandmother had a special bond. When her grandmother dies, Sophie's world is turned upside down in many ways. Her grandmother leaves Sophie a few old boxes and another surprise that allows Sophie to move ahead in her life. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

A pleasant read that’s easy to pick up and put down, so perfect for holidays. It meanders along following the adventures of Sophie, her family, her new business and the mystery of the tea set.

I really liked this book! It was original and unusual, with a fascinating setting of a porcelain shop in the town of Briar Glen. I particularly enjoyed the element of mystery, with plentiful twists and turns. I was willing the protagonist on and it was great to read about how successful the shop was and how she set up her business. I also enjoyed the parallels with her grandmother's story and the historical elements. It was a good picture of village life in Scotland, with lots of rounded, well-developed characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! It's a bit of a family mystery with a dash of romance. The characters were likeable and relatable, and the small town setting had a dreamy quality. The writing was strong, not cliched, and easy to read. Definitely one that would be worth reading again!

This book was unique in that it employed some methods of storytelling that I don't normally see. The main character, Sophie, finds herself trying to solve a couple of different "mysteries" related to the crockery shop she inherited and a tea set that finds its way to her as well. Along the way, we read diaries and letters and articles that are part of her research to find answers. Additionally, we are privy to something she isn't -- her grandmother's personal history, which was both sweet and heartbreaking.

The romance aspect was very light and there were no explicit scenes whatsoever. There was also no coarse language in the book for those who might be bothered by it.

I would gladly read this book again, and I plan to see out more books by Julie Shackman!

Starting over - a dream, but intimidating and frightening. Sophie does this and learns a lot in the process. About herself, her grandmother, and why you shouldn’t let first impressions guide you so much about people.

A quick and cozy read, perfect when you’re in the mood for something sweet with a happy ending.

Sophie's Grandmother purchases a local shop for her in Brian Glen, after she loses her job as a wedding planner. a mysterious tea set appears along with a letter. I enjoyed this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sophie and Xander… This book was such a good, lighthearted read. A sweet, cozy romance with mystery thrown in. Sophie was so refreshing as a heroine, she was strong and driven but was also so sweet. I loved Xander “Frozen” North. He was so jaded but came through in such a big way at the end. The mystery portion was done very well and had you truly invested in the outcome.All in all, a wonderful story.

ARC provided by NetGalley HarperCollins UK in exchange for honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is definitely a general fiction, with the main character having the story played out around her. I guess maybe if Xander was more likeable it would've made it a bit more charming.
The mystery surrounding the tea set was interesting though.

Adored this feel good, fun, moving, emotional, funny and life affirming book. I love the authors writing style how the characters and story pop out of the page so that you feel like you are right in the heart of the act really great.

3.5 rounded up to 4 because of the pleasant distraction!

Sophie Harkness is a wedding planner at Castle Marrion, Briar Glen in the Scottish Highlands. Following yet another unreasonable Bridezilla demand, Sophie stands her ground and walks away from the job on a point of principle. Her beloved grandmother Helena has recently died and this offers Sophie a solution in the form of an unexpected bequest of some beautiful and valuable china and a secret purchase of a shop. Sophie embraces the change of career and prepares to open the shop. An unusual tea set with an enclosed mysterious letter dated 1900 leads to an intriguing investigation in order to understand the story behind it. Enter, stage left, Xander North, a good looking but somewhat austere art critic who assists in the discoveries.

This is an enjoyable, easy, beach type read and a welcome change from my usual reading material! The characters are good and mostly likeable. I really like Sophie's passion for china which she inherits from her grandmother and their relationship seems to have been really heartwarming. I enjoy the mystery at the heart of the story and the twists and turns in the 1900 investigation. It's well written, the pace is quite quick and there's rarely a dull moment! I daresay it follows a predictable path in one sense but the romance element has a lower key influence than other books in this genre as it's mostly about the mystery and there's a puzzle over the reasons for her Sophie's grandmother's bequest. Therefore, the romance hook up at the end maybe comes a bit swiftly but that's understandable!

Overall, a diverting read from the harsh realities of life right now, in a lovely setting.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Harper Collins UK: One More Chapter for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Sophie's grandmother who recently passed away bought her a shore that she could open and sell whatever she wishes. I enjoyed the different characters and the small picturesque town in Scotland. This was a delightful read.

A lovely story set in the Scottish Highlands beautifully descripted. making you feel you are there, perfect quick beach read with a hint of mystery. Thank you netgalley for the advance copy

I mostly enjoyed this book, which had a good premise and was well written. I particularly enjoyed Sophie's behavior at the start, when she was still working at the hotel, and liked the self-assuredness and certainty of her decisions. It was a little frustrating, therefore, when she later started second guessing everything and seemed more malleable and less her own woman.
But I happily read it to the end, it just became a 'fine' book as opposed to a brilliant one.

This author truly knows how to write a beautiful, atmospheric book! I have never been to Scotland, but this book makes me feel like I’ve been there. The author did a great job with character building and scene building. This story of Sophie who loses her job and finds out her grandmother bought her a shop in a Scottish town is wonderful. Sophie opens up a porcelain shop in honor of her grandmother and the story grows from there. This story has romance, great characters, and so much heart you’ll want to read it again just to have those wonderful, uplifting feelings you get from this story again!

Thanks to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

This is an light, easy read which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I thought the plot was interesting and well thought out. Although stating that, the book was just okay to me. I never really felt much emotion for the characters. The main character Sophie was a confident, strong willed, capable, talented, person that could easily tell good-hearted people from spoiled brats in the first part of the book.

After Sophie left her job at Castle Marrian as a wedding planner (which is not a spoiler, due to the entire story being about her setting up a crockery shop), her personality changed and she became a person that was easily swayed, second guessing herself all the time. I missed the person I first met as Sophie.

This was a book that I continued reading to find out what was going to happen, without much invested as to what was going to occur. It was not a page turner for me.

This was the first book I read by this author, Julie Shackman. I definitely would read another book by her and maybe it would be more to my taste.

I want to thank HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for allowing me to read the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.