I received the audiobook version of this through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

This book had a National Treasure vibe to it, but set in Scotland, mostly. The main characters are trying to find a historical, but also mythical, treasure while avoiding people who want the treasure for themselves. Sounds familiar, right? And much like National Treasure there was a fair amount of historical information. As I'm not well versed in Scottish history, I cannot speak on the veracity of that information. There was one rather unexpected twist that I thought was a really nice touch though.

The narration was solid. The opposite gendered voices didn't come across as caricatures, and at least to my American ear, the Scottish accents for the Scottish characters were well done.

Overall I give Treasures of the Lochs 3.1785 out of 5 stars because although it was entertaining, it also felt a lot like a story I was already familiar with.

An incredible book with wonderful characters and a beautiful setting. It will keep you guessing until the end.

Content warnings: gun violence, kidnapping, being locked in a trunk, being drugged, animal violence

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

Spoiler on the dog: The dog does NOT die, even if the plot at one point makes you believe he will. I get why White chose what happens to Scrounge, as it's a necessary event to move the plot along, but I wish it could have been done differently/less violently. I honestly almost DNF'd on that plot point alone.

Treasures of the Lochs starts off slow and odd, focusing on Lieutenant Carter Porter dealing with addiction and a failing marriage in the United States. I think this could have worked as a super brief prologue instead of taking up a chunk of the first chapters of the book. The plot does get more interesting once Carter arrives in Scotland, though again I think White glosses over the odd pairing of Carter (a grown man from another country) all of a sudden teaming up with a 14 year old Scottish girl. Yes, their fates are brought together by chance and he's trying to protect her from the Russian hired killers, but I wish more acknowledgement was made about how unlikely/potentially inappropriate it was. The characters and the setting could have honestly taken place anywhere - as in this didn't feel like a novel set in Scotland with a plot focusing on Loch Ness. But I've learned to expect as much from American authors setting their books in Scotland so this was a disappointment, but not a surprise.

The mystery itself was interesting and if you didn't pay too close attention to the details of the exploits, it made for a fun read. I do think this could have been a shorter novel, there was a lot of filler in it. And I wish that the sacrifice to stop the Big Bad Guy in the end didn't happen - again I get why it did for the plot but there's a lot of sacrifices being made by the animals of this book to protect the humans that doesn't sit well with me.

American narrator Laura Darrell does an ok job with the audiobook narration though their Russian and Scottish accents need work (especially the Russian one). I also thought it was an odd choice by production to throw in some music at the end of certain chapters where big plot points happen. It was a little jarring and disrupted the flow of the narrative.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Greenleaf Audiobooks, and River Grove Books in exchange for an honest review.

I was super excited for this book, but after requesting it I learned of a trigger warning that would impact my mental health very severely if I were to read it. As such, I will not be reading or reviewing this title. I highly recommend that publishers and authors make trigger warning information available, especially for early reviewers who cannot find this information out any way other than to stumble upon it themselves.

It's a fairly cool Scottish adventure story, turned fighting against the Russian mafia. Some chapters were more enticing to me than others, but it all worked out in the end. I liked reading about a treasure in connection to Loch Ness. Oh yeah, and "the creature" of Loch Ness.

Strange unexplainable miracles take place, in connection to the waters of Loch Ness. It's not really a religious book, but it does have vague spiritual/magical themes.

The audiobook narrator did a great job with all the different characters' voices. I enjoyed the audio experience!

Content: Contains some allusions to mature topics.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley, but was not required to leave a positive review.

I foundt the audiobook very challening to read due to only have one speed. I will be getting this book, however, and reviewing the book at a later date.

Super enjoyable listen overall. Some of the character accents were a bit much and would yank me out of the story occasionally, but that was always short lived.

“Treasures of the Lochs” by Hunter White is an exhilarating blend of historical fact, Scottish legend, and heart-pounding adventure. For centuries, the lost gold of the Scottish Jacobites has eluded treasure hunters. Lieutenant Carter Porter unwittingly joins the quest after a late-night break-in at the United States Naval Academy. Meanwhile, spirited Hassie Douglass stumbles upon old gold coins near Loch Ness, guided by an ethereal voice. Evil forces converge as their fates intertwine, leading to ancient mysteries and nightmares. This powerful tale weaves faith, friendship, and redemption into its thrilling narrative.

This was a fun fantasy! The characters were great and the way their stories all came together made this a really fun read. Who doesn't love a Scottish fantasy? And the narration... so good!

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This one took me a minute to get into but I ended up enjoying it! Loved the setting and the historical bits and the mystery & magic bits worked well. I thought the narrator did a good job.

This book was a slow starter for me but once it got going, I found the storyline to be very engaging. A worthwhile listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thank Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read an ARC copy of this book.

⭐⭐⭐. 5 stars
I have to start the review by saying I really wasn't expecting this book's content and it surprised me positively. The overall chase for me was based on very interesting cues and fun to follow. The evil people were insane and so despicable I can't even put into words how hateful they were, but they reflected some people's true nature and I appreciated the book for not shying away from some of mankind's darkest evils.
I liked the reference from the monster and the ending left me hope, she might not be so dead after all. I loved the fact she requested a different name and not to be defined by how people called her. It really made me reflect on what we allow people to lable us, and how much power we allow them.
I liked the characters very much and the overall development, and also really appreciated the historical references.
Overall a really fun read I would recommend.

I enjoyed this book. It has a lot of historical facts about Scotland mixed in with a bit of fantasy, lore, and mystery of Loch Ness, treasure, and golden coins. It’s fast-paced and character driven. A big plus in my view is a smart, likable mutt of a dog! Thanks #NetGalley for the ARC!

I loved this audiobook! My only complaint was that I couldn't get the NetGalley player to continue reading when the screen timed out but the book itself was so great. I loved the characters, the twists, the great plot - it really was a book that kept you on your toes. Thank you for allowing me to listen to and review it, I highly recommend it!

Thank you Greenleaf Audiobooks, River Grove Books for accepting my request to audibly read and review Treasures of the Lochs.

Narrator: Laura Darrell: good job.

Not for me. The general fiction, mystery/thriller may have worked; however Sci Fi and Fantasy too pushed the book out of my reach.

The synopsis was intriguing, and I did hesitate knowing that science fiction and fantasy are essentially texts written in different languages. I was lured by the Scottish history and my general Loch Ness interest.

I do believe there is an audience for this book, it just isn't me. I

This cozy Fantasy Mystery has been nothing more or less than a pure delights.

Set on the bonnie shores of Loch Ness I enjoyed every part of the story around its mystery.

All of the characters were very well written and I felt an instand connection as I thought their everyday problems very believable.

5/5 would recommend

I thought this story had a lot of potential. I was hooked with the intense opening, and I found the plot to be engaging. However, the writing style was very distracting and needed a bit more polish to feel complete. My biggest complaint was the number of times the author wrote something along the lines of "He didn't know why, but..." or "She didn't have any reason to think it, but..." The characters just felt like they lacked motivation/knowledge to drive some of the actions they chose, as if the omniscient narrator just felt like "Well, it would really move the story along or be convenient if so and so trusted this person, or decided to do this thing that seems out of character." Overall, there were just too many places when it didn't feel like Hunter White had earned the moment.

I loved this story and plan to do a full post on my blog. This story had it all: spunky kids out to solve a mystery, a sick grandfather, a recovering alcoholic who needs to get his life together, some magical realism, and even the Lock Ness monster! I loved the storyline and really appreciated the narrator's ability to change her voice according to gender/age and to do a great Scottish accent.
And of course I like a happy ending!
Thank you for my audiobook which kept me happy during my daily lengthy commute!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. I enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator read in many different accents and made the story interesting. I took away a star because towards the end of the book it seemed to get a little preachy, which I did not enjoy.
Overall, the story was entertaining but I would suggest their are warnings for child death, animal abuse, and possibly more I forgot to mention.

IT took me a couple of chapters to get into this one but then I was invested. Good storyline. Interesting historical aspects. Amazing narrator.