Adorable, Cozy, All the Feelings

This was a quick, cute read about a medieval Scottish village displaced in time and two soulmates living on opposite sides of shift.

I loved how past Christmastime traditions were woven into the story and the references to Outlander. I would have loved a longer story instead of a novella. While I didn’t think any part was rushed I would have liked to see more as I was enjoying the characters and the story.

Charming Christmas novella with a vanilla romance that focuses on the steam instead of spice. Lovely setting and characters.

Omg this was the perfect Holiday winter quick romance! Give me all the Scottish vibes! Seriously this was a fun twist on an Outlander like book but short and fun. I loved it!

This is a fun read for the Christmas period. With instalove you have to take it for what it is. With the scottish Highlands as the setting, this was a cute novella.

What a sweet and fun novella. I really enjoyed the mysticism and the lovely romances. With its basis being Brigadoon, it was easy to love this book. It was a great positive book with a little Christmas thrown in. In addition to the fun mysticism, I also really found the characters easy to connect with. And Maren and Duncan were precious together.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Almost Like Being in Love
By Sariah Wilson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After being stranded in a snow storm Maren and her bestfriend Penny wake up to the surprise of a lifetime. They’ve been transported to a Scottish Christmas castle and time is completely different here. Maren meets Duncan, the leader of the group and learns they only have a few days left before they’re stuck there forever. ✨

This book blew my mind. It sounds like it’s just a light hearted little Christmas book but that’s not the case at all. Of course the time traveling, and disappearing castle brought all the cozy Hallmark feels- but I cried 🤣 The last 50 pages I have been SOBBING. It was just such a beautiful, deep story. I loved the connection between Maren and Duncan, the love between them 🥹🩷 I had no clue what would happen, would she leave, would she go? I got the ending I wanted and this book was freaking amazing. Thank you Sariah for sending it to me via NetGalley!🩷

Brigadoon, but make it Christmas.

Two women travel to Scotland to track the uncle of one of them who disappeared there years ago. They end up in a snowstorm and then find themselves in a magical village that appears in random years, but always during Christmas. And of course one of them falls in love with the clan leader, forcing her to make a choice between him and normal life.

If you can get past the speed at which life-altering decisions are made, it is actually very cute. But it would work a million times better if it had been a full-length novel instead of a novella.

This holiday novella was so freaking cute. It just gave me all the warm fuzzy feelings.

CW: terminal cancer, death of a loved one, grief.

Such a heartwarming and special story. It’s very short, so it’s a quick and easy read. The time travel is something I had to get used to, and still really haven’t, but it’s a neat element in a really fun, quirky story. I also didn’t know much about the Scottish culture or traditions, but this book shined a light on both to help the reader understand what life was like in Scotland. I absolutely adored the magic that was intertwined, different than I’m used to, and really enjoyed the relationship between Maren and Duncan. Only thought - I wish it was a longer story so it could be developed more! Thanks for the opportunity to read!

Almost Like Being In Love by Sariah Wilson was my very first book of this author and won't be my last!

This novella is really something special and in my opinion you've to be open to some kind of magic or supernatural... I don't wanna spoil this beautiful story, so I can't tell you too much about it.

Maren Kelly wants to fulfill her mother's last and biggest wish - finding her brother in Scotland.
On her way with her friend Penny, they are caught in a heavy blizzard and it seems like everything's lost.
But... there comes this huge and handsome guy, who seems to be from another century, to their rescue... and he makes Maren's heart beat a lot faster...

Okay, hear me out!
This novella is really something different and absolutely not realistic!
Buuuut if you're such a hopeful romantic like me? YOU'LL LOVE THIS NOVELLA! ❤️
I absolutely loved how Almost Like Being In Love put me in this magical Christmas mood.
You know, like a heartwarming Christmas movie...

Maren and Duncan... be still my beating heart! They're the reason that I fell in love with the 'love at first sight' trope again. Usually I'm more for the slow burn... buuuuut OMG L-A-F-S! YES! I NEED MOOOORE!
Besides the magical effect that Duncan is from the 17th century and Maren from the future, both have such a wonderful chemistry.
Awwwww! I'd looooove to fall in love with a handsome Highlander too! 😍
I just can't swooning now that I finished this story!
Of course a novella is ALWAYS too short! LOL
Like I said before I loved the chemistry, the mood this story put me in and everything else!

Almost Like Being In Love by Sariah Wilson is a really unique and wonderful novella! It'll pit you in the perfect mood to celebrate Christmas with your loved ones! 😍

Thank you so much to Sariah Wilson and Montlake for this ARC via NetGalley (Read Now category).
This is my honest review in my own words.
Sorry for the delay!

I loved this little novella . A cute time travel one where a town only appears at certain times . The fmc goes looking for a relative that disappeared and no one knows where he went . He mother is dying and would like to know what happened. She does find him snd this magical moving town but in the process she falls for the leader of the clan. She can’t stay though her mothering is dying and can’t leave her alone. She would never forgive herself. This book does end in a hea in the best possible way. Kisses only sweet romance

Almost Like Being in Love is a sweet time travel romance, which I enjoyed quite a bit! It was such a fun book to curl up in bed with and read in the light of my Christmas tree. Maren and Penny get lost in a snowstorm one night and find themselves rescued by a seventeenth-century Scottish laird and brought to his castle. I was side-eyeing this concept a little until it’s revealed that this happens sometimes. A big storm comes to modern-day Scotland every few years, someone gets caught in it and is sent back in time to this castle, and there you have it. So these people at Highglen keep an eye out for people and help them and ask them for updates on what’s been going on in the world since the castle last appeared. Time is different for them, and it’s all kind of magical and interesting. I loved Highglen and the people who live there. I loved reading about their Christmas traditions and their relationships with one another. The romance between Maren and Duncan is sweet, but MAJORLY insta-lovey. Like, the biggest case of insta-love I’ve ever read. You have to just suspend your disbelief and also try to keep your eyes rolling from the melodramatic dialogue and declarations of love. It’s Christmas, so that’s much easier for me than during other times of the year. I thought the ending was really sweet, and I enjoyed learning about how time travel works in this world. Note that this story is all closed-door (just some kisses), which I particularly love in a Christmas story. If you’re looking for a quick, festive, sweet little treat of a book then this is definitely an option!

First off, thank you so much Sariah Wilson for the arc!

I think this works as a super cheesy, insta love, magical Christmas novella and I had a fairly good time while reading “Almost Like Being in Love.” The only issues that I had with it is that it was borderline too cheesy at times. I am a huge romance fan so I love me some way over the top romance but there were moments in this one that had me really trying not to physically cringe.

That being said, I don’t regret reading this one and I think if you are looking for a cute, clean, insta love, Christmas novella to grab than Sariah’s got your back!

I have read a couple of Sariah Wilson’s books and loved them, they are always light and cute romances. This was an instalove novella so I felt like everything happened too fast. I enjoyed reading it but maybe if it would have been a full book and not a novella, the story would have made more sense and we would have fallen in love with the characters and connected with them better. The way they just fell in love was too rushed, the ending felt rushed, but it is a novella so I should have expected that.

If you like novellas and their pace you will enjoy this story!

****Spoilers****

I just wanted to read more about her time back with her mom, about Penny and her kids, and how she felt when she was away, to make the return more emotional for the reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for allowing me to read this advance copy!

2.5

Okay, so the idea of this is super cute: a Scottish village appearing around Christmas to those who need joy. I also don't even mind love at first sight stories that much if I read them once in a blue moon. BUT the instalove was just too much. This is a very short story and its a clean romance, so because of the instalove and short page count - there was absolutely no tension for these characters to explore. Duncan said he dreamed about Maren, but it was never explored as to why. I think the author could have played with this a bit more to make the story more well rounded and to help the reader really care about the characters even though we are only with them for a short amount of time.

Such a great book! Time travel + scottish laird = the best combo ever! After reading this book, I just got this gut feeling that I should make a trip to Scotland. I have always like to read scottish story, so it would be nice to learn more from it properly. I would love to read more from you!

Spoiler: I had so much fun reading this.

Okay, let me start off by saying I am not a fan of insta-love. It just doesn't hit the spot for me, and it feels very unrealistic. However, with this being a very short novella, I still wanted to give it a go.
Lost in the Scottish highlands during a snow storm, Maren finds herself transported through time to a castle stuck in the year 1647. The setting itself was very cute, there is nothing more dreamy than spending the winter holidays at a castle.
There, Maren meets the owner, Duncan. He is a true romantic, and after basically one conversation, they are ready to get married.
Ignoring how quickly they fall in love, their relationship is very cute, and they obviously understand each other on a deeper level. I appreciated the fact that the book was clean, with kisses only. It has some innuendos and intimate moments, but anything more would have felt forced for the still puritan view on relationships at that time.
I did not really understand the time jumps or how the magic works, but that was not the point of the story, and that was totally fine.
Overall, I had a fun time with it, and it reads very easily. I liked the Scottish elements, dialogue and traditions.

I really truly love Sariah Wilson and her books, but this one was so beyond the realm of believable love-at-first-sight that I had a very hard time buying into Maren and Duncan's story. It was still a cute read but just fell flat for me.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for my complimentary e-arc of this book. All opinions here are my own.

I love time travel romances which is exactly what this book is. Maren was such a full and wonderful character and so was Duncan. My favorite character was Ainsley since I can relate to her. The story
was the perfect length for someone who does not want to leave the cozy atmosphere the book sets. Also the ending is so cute!

3.5 stars. A novella about finding love through time travel. Clearly a Scottish lord is dreamy and this story connects all the unbelievable together in the spirit of Christmas magic. Suspend your reality and enjoy this!

It gives Lynn Kurland vibes and that’s a good thing. I think it will be a series? Curious how a full fleshed novel will be because this author is great.