The Christmas Highland Lodge by Julie Shackman
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.75 (3.75 stars)

"The Highland Lodge" by Julie Shackman is a cute book that tells the story of Lottie. She's the boss at Christmas Crackers store and dreams of running it one day. But then, some big news shakes things up: the store is going to be sold! This sends Lottie on a job hunt, and luckily, she lands a gig managing cabins for rent, kind of like Airbnb.

In this new job, Lottie meets grumpy Blake, the opposite of her bubbly, Christmassy self. You know the classic story where opposites attract? That's what's happening here. Lottie is all about Christmas, while Blake can't stand it.

As the story goes on, Lottie tries to make Blake like Christmas too. And as she does, we learn why he hates the holiday so much. It's touching to see Blake's change of heart.

I really enjoyed reading "The Highland Lodge" and gave it a 3.75 rating. But, it's important to know that the story takes its time to get going. You don't meet Blake until you're about 24% into the book, which might feel like a long wait for the main guy to show up.

I could relate to Lottie's love for Christmas, and her personality made the story even better. It's a sweet tale about how love and holiday cheer can change even the grumpiest hearts.

In short, "The Highland Lodge" is a heartwarming story where Christmas magic and love triumph over all odds. It's a great pick if you want a feel-good read.

If you are looking for the ultimate Christmas feel book to set you up with that festive feeling, then this has got to be up there with them. One character absolutely adores all things Christmas meets another who absolutely detests all things Christmas, so how on earth are they going to be able to work along side each other on a new job proposition with such differing ideas. Thanks netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I absolutely loved this story!! It was one of those that starts out with a relationship is strained, and then grows. It was very well written, and very unassuming as to when and or if a relationship would actually form. I cannot wait to find more books by Julie Shackman.

Julie Shackman's The Highland Lodge Getaway is a heartwarming Christmas romance set in the enchanting Scottish Highlands. The story follows Lottie Grant, a Christmas enthusiast, whose life takes an unexpected turn when she's tasked with managing luxury cabins just in time for the holiday season. Amidst the snowy landscapes and cozy cabins, Lottie must win over the moody and enigmatic Blake Dempster, leading to a beautifully crafted love story that follows some familiar tropes but infuses its own unique charm. While the book boasts vivid descriptions and a palpable sense of holiday spirit, it occasionally grapples with pacing issues and unrealistic character behavior. Nevertheless, it delivers on its promise of rediscovering the magic of Christmas in a small Scottish town, making it a delightful seasonal read.

This book was like a magnet, I just could not put it down and it was such an easy read. If I wasn't so busy, I would have definitley read this in one sitting. The very first page alone set the perfect Christmas vibe with the phenomenal descriptions! Lottie is such a relatble and likeable character for any Christmas lovers. The cosy cabin and winter vibes are IMMACULATE!!! This book includes 2 of my favourite tropes: enemies to lovers and forced proximity. This was the perfect read to set the vibes for the beginning of cosy season. The steps Lottie takes to understand why Blake despises Christmas so much is heartwarming just like the ending, which made me tear up with joy

"Go for it, Lottie. Be proud. It’s the things you haven’t done that you regret, not the things you have." 🥺

I enjoyed this Christmas novel about Lottie and her love and her excitement for the season. When the mysterious Blake enters her would will they love each or hate each other. Thank you for the advance copy.

The premise was strong - I liked where the story was headed. However, my biggest issue was how Blake was written. The Styles had a business plan and basically hired managers accordingly - that would make them employees, not partners. The way Blake was behaving in regards to the cottages would likely have gotten him told off or even fired in the real world. It felt very unrealistic.

My other issue was timing. The pace started well, but sometime in the third act, everything felt rushed and uneven.

Ultimately, it was a promising start, but a bit of a letdown overall. Two and a half stars.

Lottie's dream of owning a Christmas store comes crashing down just before the holidays, but another opportunity quickly comes knocking, along with a handsome mountaineering man!

This book had all the Hallmark Christmas feels. Although it started a little slow, I really enjoyed it once it picked up and was exciting to see where things went. This was a nice and easy enemies to lovers, closed door romance that is perfect for those ready to get into the holiday spirit.

A cosy seasonal read set in the Scottish Highlands. Very Christmassy in the few weeks leading up to the event in a small town. Slightly predictable and I blew hot and cold with the main character, Lottie, being a bit full on at times and hot headed. Wonderfully atmospheric for the holiday season and plenty of seasonal cheer with a sprinkling of humour along the way.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

This was a cute cozy Christmas story read that follows most Hallmark/Lifetime storylines. Lottie is set to buy the Christmas Shop she manages, but then circumstances change so she becomes In charge of creating cabins to match the seasons. I thought the beginning and all of Lotties talking about the Christmas shop started to drag a bit long, but the story was still cute.

Christmas time is one of my favorite times of the year! I loved this book! One of the main characters, Lottie, is obsessed with Christmas! All is well until she received the news that the shop she worked at, Christmas Crackers, was being sold by the end of the year to a different company. That was not the original plan. She was supposed to buy the business once Vivian retired. Lottie gets a job else where and helps out with the shop when she can. In the book, she meets the handsome Blake. Blake is not a fan of Christmas and she was determined to change that. The ending of the book turned out to be cute. I would totally recommend this book! Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this ARC of The Highland Lodge Getaway by Julie Shackman!

A woman who is losing her job working at a gift shop is hired by a couple to transform 4 cottages on their property to be rented out. The woman is part of a team but she is the designer and she proposes holiday themed design.

A light, breezy Christmas read - pretty formulaic and generic, but sweet and cozy for the holiday season.

The Highland Lodge Getaway was a fantastic read, very easy and captivating. Julie Shackman has some great character development where you're left wondering about certain things that get revealed later in creative ways. I love Lottie's Christmas spirit despite the hard times that have fallen upon her. She continues to push forward doing the best she can, despite grumpy Grinch like Blake appearing and arguing over her ideas.

I love a good Christmas book in the summer and the descriptions of the holiday cabins got me wanting to cozy down in a cabin in the woods for a weekend with some hot chocolate, a blanket and some books. I would love to travel to Scotland and see these cabins if they were real. I love how she got the community involved and you can feel the small town vibes from the writing.

The only issue I had with this story was that a couple of the characters just kind of disappeared for a bit and I understand as background characters they aren't there, but I would have loved to see Lottie go to her mom about a few things that happened in the story. She also definitely took a chance driving into the woods to meet people who seemed to know a lot about her when she did not know them. Lucky for her it all worked out.

I would like to thank HarperCollins UK, NetGalley, and Julie Shackman for this arc copy.

The Christmas Highland Lodge is truly like a Lifetime Christmas movie in book form and I loved it! The author did an amazing job of setting the scene and making you feel like you’re part of an adorable small town around the holidays.

Lottie Grant is expecting to be the next owner of a Christmas themed shop, Christmas Crackers, when she finds out the shop’s lease is ending and they’re being forced to close its doors. She quickly finds another job doing interior design for some new cabins in the area. However, she soon meets another member of the resort team, Blake Dempster, who hates everything Christmas and is doing everything he can to stop her plans. This was a typical enemies to lovers and grumpy/sunshine trope with a really fun Christmas twist.

Save this one for December and it will definitely put you in the Christmas mood!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Lottie loves everything about Christmas. She is excited about her new position and everything it entails. She meets Blake who is her opposite in many ways. I liked the chemistry between Lottie and Blake.

A quick read about a woman who loves Christmas and works in a Christmas store. While she planned to take it over, things change and she finds a new job which brings her with Blake, a new to town hiking and climbing instructor. Love and hate ensue. Really enjoyed.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

I thoroughly enjoyed this cosy Christmas novel.
Perfect Christmas read

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Enjoyed the story of Christmas mad Lottie and not at all Christmas mad Blake. Perfect light Christmas reading!

Lottie Grant, soon to be owner of Christmas Crackers, finds out that the shop is sold to a different company and her world is flipped upside down. Soon after this, she gets offered a job to do interior work for holiday cabins- she accepts questioning her luck. That is up until the grumpy but handsome Blake Dempster, also recently appointed, starts questioning her every move for the interior.

I thoroughly enjoyed this festive romance read. This grumpy sunshine romance was a warming slow burn, and it will leave you feeling the need to keep reading. The intense tension between Lottie and Blake will leave you gaping at the obvious connection.

I do wish the pace was faster, mid way through the book we still hadn't met Blake, as the beginning focused on Lottie and her coworkers at the successful Christmas shop. Although this did make for an interesting read, we really only saw romance towards the very end.

The plot in this book was great, but when you add in the cozy, warm, and comfort of the setting it is incredible. I definitely recommend reading this relaxing Christmas romance novel with a nice warm mocha or tea while snuggled up under a warm blanket- it fits the mood perfectly.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and the author for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publishing Date: 2 October 2023