I enjoyed this trip to the Scottish Highlands. The community emerged as a close knit one and it is clear that Elle has got a lot of support from the locals following the tragedy in her family. Although she is grieving, Elle is at the stage where she is ready to start something positive and has decided what she wants to do about the family business. I enjoyed her relationship with her grandmother who has a great sense of mischief but who obviously cares about her granddaughter.

Dexter is a slightly mysterious character at first and he is difficult to work out initially. Although there is always a sense that a romance is brewing, the story is also reminiscent of a cozy crime to me. I think this was not just because of the village setting, but also because of how the characters interacted and the solving of the mystery dominated the story. Friendship and family encourage Elle throughout as she restarts her life.

In short: an uplifting story of romance with a mystery at the centre

I have read a few of Julie Shackman's novels and loved them. Unfortunately, A Scottish Country Escape doesn't live up to my expectations. It's got to do with the character introductions - especially Dexter's as his initial behavior was off-putting. I didn't like Elle as much as I thought I would.

Having said that, the setting - a small Scottish town - setting steals the spotlight.

Overall, this was an okay read.

I am disappointed that I did not enjoy this novel as much as I should have based on the location and the plot! Could've been me or the pace, either way you should give it a turn, hope it's your cup of tea!

I enjoyed this book, it's easy to follow and engage with, it's got great scenery and a descriptive environment. I definitely recommend it.

An enjoyable easy read , set in Fir Haven Scotland ( as the title suggests! )
Beautiful descriptions of locations , well developed characters and a really good storyline.
The story was a romance, and a mystery mixed together.
A really good read which I would recommend
Thanks to Netgalley, Harper Collins Uk , One More Chapter for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

Lovely feel good book to read. Set in the beautiful setting of Scotland. The writers descriptive writing skills made you believe you were right there. Lovely plot that was well thought out. Flowed well. I liked the romance as well as the mystery.

Julie Shackman has done it again and written a fully fleshed out story appreciating the highlands and Fir Haven especially. I loved the sweet romances every once in a while and this one did not disappoint! Elle and Dexter were so adorable and even though they aren’t interacting throughout the whole book, their moments alone are special and truly memorable. I recommend this one for those who love slow burns! Mrs. Carlucci terrified me at first, but once we get her back story, I really wanted her to be okay and set Dexter free of his curse.

Thank you to NetGalley, Julie Shackman and One More Chapter for the ARC.

As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot or publisher's blurb.

This is an enjoyable light read, set in Scotland (as the title would suggest!). The plot (which at first might seem a little predictable) was greatly improved by a number of sub-plots woven into the tale.

There are some interesting characters, and the descriptions of the surroundings are well done so that you can picture the scenes. I really liked the sound of the stationery shop, and would definitely have visited it.

This book is part of a series of "Scottish Escapes", so there are more to catch up on.

This would make an ideal holiday or journey read.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Elle lost her parents in a car crash, they owe a shop in Fir Haven. Elle is determined with her grandmothers help to keep the shop going by turning it into a stationary shop. Elle has recently split from her boyfriend Lloyds and is not looking for a new relationship when she nearly gets run over by Dexter. Dexter is a crime writer who is suffering from writers block following the incident. Dexter blames a curse that was put on him by the Carlucci family for his writers block. Will Dexter break the curse and will Elle be able to make the shop a success?

Lovely feel good book to read. Set in the beautiful setting of Scotland. The writers descriptive writing skills made you believe you were right there. Lovely plot that was well thought out. Flowed well.

When I requested this book, I had hoped it would be filled with wonderful descriptions of the Scottish countryside, alongside a fun and lighthearted storyline.

Now, I know I am in the minority, because this book has received so many glowing reviews, so it obviously just didn’t hit the target for me, however, this was a DNF for me. The ‘foe to lover’ trope was so obvious, it was like iced water in the face. The descriptive were overdone, it seemed like I couldn’t get through a sentence without a liberal scattering of adjectives and participles.

I tried, getting up to Chapter 26, but I found I didn’t care about the ending or the characters, at which point I knew it was time to give up.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Loved it. I liked the romance as well as the mystery. Such a quaint setting.
Many thanks to HarperCollins UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Elle is preparing to reopen her shop, calling it Paper Roses, which is a lovely name for a stationery shop. Dexter nearly knocks her over with his flashy sports car. I could have done without the emphasis on 'witchcraft', but the overall story is pleasant with one or two unexpected happenings.

I loved the setting of this book, I enjoy reading about Scotland and this book is very descriptive about it.
This was a good book, but there was a lot going on, there were several sub plots to follow and I don't think that all of them were given enough time.
I did enjoy reading about the mystery and the curse and this was very interesting.
Overall this is a nice book.

Instantly I was drawn to Elle Cassidy when reading A Scottish Country Escape. She had been through a lot, losing both of her parents in a car accident, and although she did not want to sell their shop, she felt she needed to change it to something she would prefer to sell, so she revamped the shop and called it Paper Roses, selling pretty stationery. As a stationery fan, I thought the shop sounded wonderful and I really wanted to visit it.

When crime writer Dexter Grayling arrives in the village, he nearly runs over Elle, one of her friends, and an old lady, Mrs Carlucci who grips his arm and utters what appears to be a curse. Almost immediately he loses his ability to write, and with deadlines looming, he needs help. Initially Elle’s grandmother forces her to help him try to find Mrs Carlucci, but as he loses his self-centred and pompous attitude, Elle and Dexter find themselves falling for one another.

Their romance was a slow-burn and was complicated by external factors, but the path of true love does not always run smoothly, and once they were both able to accept their feelings were reciprocated, it was heart-warming and sweet.

I loved the characters within the surrounding area of Fir Haven, and the descriptions of the nature reserve just outside the village were so vivid I found myself picturing the wildlife and the trees. I loved the community spirit that brought everyone together to challenge the potential sale of the nature reserve to property developers, and tackle the greedy councillors who saw profit in the sale, irrespective of the destruction of the wildlife.

There was a story from the past being hidden by most of the older locals, and I loved the way it was woven into Elle and Dexter’s search for a solution to his predicament, being gradually revealed as the story progressed. The way it was resolved was both gentle and respectful.

I love Scotland, and A Scottish Country Escape made me crave a holiday in Fir Haven, plus, who doesn’t love a perfect little stationery shop filled with pretty things? This was a story of love, loss, curses, community and nature too.

I love the way Julie is describing Scotland. I love her perspective, showing affecction not only for culture, rich history, but also showing us, readers, some nature or the way life goes by in the small town.

This one is like a hot tea in a winter day. When there is a blizard outside, you just sit under a warm duvet and lost yourself in a book. I was in a dark place and this story, full of hope, but also difficult emotions and past to deal with, help me to just see things in a different light. It was just a blessing.

Pure perfection

A Scottish Country Escape by Julie Shackman features a young woman named Elle whose parents had been killed a year ago in a car crash. Her mother had run a news agent’s/curio shop known as Cassidy’s and currently Elle and her grandmother were surveying the empty shop in preparation for Elle reopening it as a stationary store which she eventually called Paper Rose, after her mother. She was excited about the prospect. Her grandmother wasn’t as sure but supported whatever she chose. She had friends, too, Cate, who made custom jewelry, in particular, who was very helpful. One day several weeks later as Cate and Elle were standing out front, and an old Italian lady, Mrs. Carlucci, was down the way, a sports car came careening down the lane (it was a car-free zone) and Elle barely reached the old lady in time to push her aside. They were both furious, Elle loudly so. It was not until a couple of days later that the driver, new resident, Dexter Grayling, a novelist, came roaring into the shop, declaring Elle had to help him find Mrs. Carlucci, whom he believed had put a curse on him. Elle saw no reason to help him, but her grandmother did. So…

A nicely written mystery/romance that didn’t include murder, although there were deaths. It took awhile to even find Mrs. Carlucci, who refused to speak with them, and even longer to find a way in. Elsa, Dexter’s housekeeper, came to plead his case and told Elle things about his life that made sense of the things she’d seen. Together they tried to find a way to get Mrs. Carlucci to listen, not that Elle still believed in a curse. It was a charming book with interesting characters, different from most mysteries or romances one reads. The plot was good and all the pieces came together in the end, only by coincidence, though, not investigating. The story made my heart weep and the happily-ever-after ending made me smile. The story was well-done and captivating, as were the characters. What else would you expect in a small Scottish town?

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of A Scottish Country Escape by Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions were mine. #Netgalley #HarperCollinsUKOneMoreChapter #JulieShackman #AScottishCountryEscape

A lovely, easy read so descriptive that I could see the Scottish mountains in the distance and feel the rain in my face. The story was pleasant and I got through this quickly. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A Scottish Country Escape is the latest enchanting romantic treat from Julie Shackman.

Elle Cassidy has been having a very tough time lately. Determined to overcome a heart-wrenching family tragedy, Elle decides to reopen her late mother’s struggling newsagent store in the quiet Scottish town of Fir Haven. Elle knows that the road ahead is going to be fraught with difficulty and heartache, but she refuses to be deterred. She vows to make a success out of her fresh start in Fir Haven and she is not going to let anyone come between her and her new beginning in the beautiful Scottish town – not even the arrogant – yet dashing – crime writer Dexter Grayling!

Sparks begin to fly between Dexter and Elle from the very first moment they clap eyes on one another – but for all the wrong reasons! Dexter almost runs Elle over in his sports car and does not exactly make a good impression on the local community – especially because he is putting the blame for his writers’ block firmly on the shoulders of local resident Linda Carlucci, whom he is accusing of putting a curse on him!

Elle has never heard anything so far-fetched in her whole life, however, she is adamant that she wants to get to the bottom of whatever is going on with the Carlucci family – even if it means spending far more time than she wants to with Dexter. As she begins to see a completely different side to Dexter, it becomes abundantly clear that there is more to Fir Haven than meets the eye. Will the town give Elle everything she has always hoped for? Or will moving to the Scottish town prove to be the biggest mistake she has ever made?

Julie Shackman’s A Scottish Country Escape is a spellbinding contemporary romance that cannot fail to whisk readers away into a world full of humour, emotion, drama and intensity. Warm-hearted, witty and achingly romantic, A Scottish Country Escape is a hugely enjoyable page-turner guaranteed to make readers laugh and cry – don’t miss it!

This was a feel good story and I thoroughly enjoyed the escapism, although I did feel Elle's grief was somewhat overdone. A bit of a twist with the story of why Linda Carlucci took against Dexter quite so violently. And gran was such a fab character. A lovely story with great characters set in such a beeautiful backdrop. #netgalley #AScottishCountryEscape