I received a free copy of, A Christmas Escape to Arran, by Ellie Henderson, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Poor Amelia, just lost her job, man , and dreams. This will be her worst Christmas ever, or will it? An enjoyable holiday read. Amelia is a strong character, I enjoyed her.

★★★★★ - 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

Highlands Christmas - Wishes Come True by Amy Parrish
Book 1 - Highlands Christmas Romance
༘Spoiler free ༘
⭐️4.25/5
Holiday Romance, RomCom, Novella
➳ 🎄Christmas Vibes
➳ ❤️‍🩹Found Family
➳ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scottish Setting
➳ ❄️ Snowy/Wintery Weather
➳ ⚰️ Inheritances
➳ 🎭 RomCom
➳ 🐑 Scottish Highlands
➳ 🐾 puppies

✨ “The snow was beginning to stick, and Melissa’s imagination shifted from thoughts of Ness to Christmas. The snow added a sparkling layer of frosting to the hilly countryside and the loch, and she enjoyed the drive, humming Christmas carols along with the radio. The loch grew wider and the snow was falling heavier when she finally spotted a sign: Greenhill House. She was home.“ ✨
I loved this little short & sweet read. I wish it were longer. I honestly can’t wait to read the sequel Highlands New Year! This story was essential a cosy christmas episode that made you want to cuddle up beside a wood burning stove and watch the snow fall.

📚📚📚
In the midst of a shattered marriage, Melissa, an American interior designer, unexpectedly inherits a charming Scottish home, leading to a serendipitous encounter with Colin, a delightful Scottish lawyer, living in America. Against the magical backdrop of the Scottish highlands adorned with festive cheer, we get to experience a highlands christmas filled with bake-offs, highland games, puppies, sheep & feats galore. Will their growing affection withstand the holiday challenges, crafting a heartwarming Christmas tale of finding home where the heart belongs?

❧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*❦*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧❧

This is a novella, and as such it’s a short read. I finished it in under an hour, but i really felt there was enough going on for it to have been expanded into a full length novel. I’m crossing my fingers that the sequel is novel length and that we get to see more into Colin & Melissa’s story

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Thank you to the Amy Parrish, Flying Cactus and NetGalley for the opportunity to provide my honest opinion on the ARC of this book.

The perfect escape on a hot summers day! A charming romance which transports you to Arran, the island serving as one of the books main characters. Amelia escapes London after her marriage and job falls through. She makes herself at home in Arran, with the support of Edie and Fergus, gaining a warm community, new friends, a sense of self and romance.

This story had a relaxed pace, and I enjoyed the way the backstories of Amelia, Fergus and Edie were explored. The themes of forgiveness, compassion and courage to start fresh were woven gently throughout the story. The romance was slow burn, and I would have loved to see the ending drawn out a little more, but overall fit well with the gentle pacing of the story. A very enjoyable and relaxing read!

Thank you to Choc Lit and Ellie Henderson for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely quick read set in Aaran. Chock full of wonderful descriptions as well as a very entertaining story. Worth more than 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

What a lovely festive read! Ive never been to Arran even though its super close to me. The setting was beautiful and its made me want to get the boat over! Just made me feel all fuzzy, loved it!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Amelia finds her day going from bad to worse when, first she loses her job, then she comes home to find out her husband has left her.

So, making a decision to rethink what she wants to do now, she accepts a job on a Scottish island, Arran.

The cottage is on surrounded by a lovely setting, people who look out for each other, right at Christmas time.

This is the perfect read at Christmas.

I recommend this book.

When Amelia loses her job and her husband of three months walks out on her the same day, she decides she needs a reset. A job on the Scottish island of Arran will offer her a safe place to find herself again and maybe even find a new place to call home.

Who wouldn’t like to have a cozy cottage on a little island full of wonderful people right at Christmas time. And there is definitely more then a sprinkle of romance in this holiday novel.

Probably best enjoyed in front of a fire with a warm drink but honestly no matter where you read it, it will give you a warm Christmasy feeling.

Thank you to @netgalley and @choclituk for letting me get peek at this one before it’s release on Nov 7.
#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #christmas #christmasbooks #holidayreads #readersofinstagram #netgalley #reader #read #readmorebooks #christmasfeeling #snow #reading #booklover

This book is a pleasant surprise. It starts off with what is becoming quite standard chic lit premise of woman loses her job and husband / partner on the same day. However, this heartwarming story is a real treat to read. Amelia is made redundant and on returning home finds her husband of three months has moved out. After mopping about for two months, applies for and gets a job on the Isle of Arran. Here we meet a cast of lovely characters. Edie, a widow in her seventies has hired Amelia to set up a website and market her shepherds hut. Fergus is the local hottie, nursing a personal heartbreak. We have range of lovely locals, an amazing coffe shop cum cafe run by a lovely Syrian couple. All the right ingredients for a Christmas romance with a few spanner’s thrown into the works before we get to Christmas Day. Even Scrooge would love this story and book his train tickets to Arran. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

*I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review*

I was searching for some romance, some soothing and relaxing reads, which could give me some good vibes and 0 issues. I guess this is the reason why I can't give a 4 or 5 stars to this novel. Unfortunately, I went through what Amelia (the main character) is living in the novel: a walking out and cheating - but she will find out later - husband and a difficult decision to take.
Let's say the story is an oversimplification of what a human being goes through when she/he faces something so unexpected. You were so blind, so in love, that you didn't see it coming. This novel is a novel of forgiving and understanding. Moreover, it is a novel of rebirth and of falling in love again, trying to trust - again. It has awakened some still hurting spots on me. All in all, it's an ok novel, full of good feelings and great characters. I wish there were a place like this village in Arran, I would definitely move there.

Amelia has lost her job and her husband and decides she needs a change of pace, so she moves to the Isle of Arran to take a job as a tourism officer for a 70-something year old woman who is trying to advertise the shepherd's hut she has placed on her property.

Within a few weeks of being in Lamlash (on Arran), Amelia has endeared herself to the small community and really feels like she has friends there. She's particularly friendly with one, very handsome, outdoor adventure guy - Fergus. Fergus has been dealing with his own loss but meeting Amelia has finally given him a reason to move on with his life.

Then there is Edie, the woman who hired Amelia, who has become something of a parental figure to Amelia and to Fergus, but is herself dealing with loss and regret. Eventually they all open up to each other and they see each other through.

It was a nice, sweet story but it didn't move at a particularly speedy pace. It was told from a third person POV but switched between the three main characters, so we got to look into a window at different characters at different times or for different points of view of the same event. This was ok, but there was no real rhyme or reason to the switching so at times this could become slightly confusing and I found it took something away from the story overall.

I felt like the dialogue was quite flat at times and doesn't resemble how normal people would speak to each other in certain situations. I did enjoy reading about Arran though, having been there recently it was easy to put myself in the locations written about.

Thanks to NetGalley & Joffe Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

An absolutely lovely festive read! The setting was beautiful and the characters were really well written. Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed 'A Summer Wedding on Arran' and was excited to see this would be a series. I was a little disappointed that we didn't get any cameos from the characters in book 1, but I did enjoy getting to meet all these new characters. I liked Amelia from the beginning and enjoyed following her on her journey from the worst day ever (losing her job and finding her husband has left her) to becoming a strong, happier person. I loved that once she was settled in Arran she pretty much just went with the flow of island life and really did allow herself to start over. Her romance with Fergus was well developed and came not just from their initial attraction but also from long talks and friendship. I thought the part with Kelly and Declan were unnecessary for the story and only there to add an additional obstacle for Amelia and Fergus. We already hate Declan for the way he had treated Amelia, we didn't need to find out he was cheating with one of their mutual friends too. And I would have loved to have gotten to know how Suna found out and exactly what she told Amelia. As for Edie, I think we could all use someone like her in our lives when things are going poorly. Her ability to forgive her sister the way she did definitely makes her a much person than me.

What more could you want from a Christmas read? Amelia starts the novel with a perfect life, but it all falls apart. Ellie Henderson's words bring characters and locations to life and its not long before Amelia gets a new outlook on the island of Arran surrounded by a colourful array of characters. I didn't want it to end and I want to know more abut the other characters - and I want to go to Arran. It could have been cliched but it turned into something wonderful.

Marketing guru Amelia experiences a sudden upheaval when she loses her job and returns home to discover a divorce note from her husband, Declan. Seeking solace, she decides to start anew on the Isle of Arran. However, her arrival on the picturesque Scottish island takes an unexpected turn when she gets drenched by a passing van, owned by the charming Fergus. Despite her initial resistance to romance, Amelia finds herself drawn to Fergus, who has his own troubled past. As the two navigate their emotions, a face from the past emerges, threatening to disrupt the newfound connection. The novel explores themes of healing, second chances, and the unpredictable journey of the heart against the backdrop of the captivating Isle of Arran.

I did enjoy this story which is set on the Scottish Island of Arran. It had everything you would want from a good Christmas romance. Great characters, a good back story, a wonderful setting and festive fun.

Amelia thinks her life is perfect until it all falls apart, she loses her job and her husband walks out on her. So she takes a job as far away from her life as possible on a Scottish Island, not really knowing what the job or her new life will entail. I really liked Amelia and quickly became involved in her story. Edie her new boss and landlady is wonderful, she has her own sad story but is quite determined to get on with life. Then there is Fergus, a local who is Edie's friend and who also needs a new outlook on life. Together these three support each other as they discover a way forward. Add in some great locals and ghastly ex-husband and the cast is set. These characters are well written and easy to relate to.

This is such a nice story, I didn't want it to end and, personally, I think it could have done with another chapter or two, or at least an epilogue. Saying that it didn't really detract from my enjoyment of this well written book.

A fabulous Christmas season on Arran.

I picked this book up just to read a couple if chapters and the next think I knew it was three hours later.

In the space of one day Amelia is made redundant and finds her new husband has walked out on her.

Dazed and confused she agrees to leave London for a PR job on the Isle of Arran.

Fergus is drawn to Amelia but he has his own skeletons to deal with, is this the Christmas foe their HEA.

This was an amazing book with fabulous characters and I can't wait to read more of her work.

I loved this book. Many years ago 5 quilting friends and I went to Arran for a week it was wonderful. This book brought back some wonderful memories. Following Amelia's story was lovely. She had such courage to leave London and travel to Arran for a "job". It was such a lovely story of love, friendship and courage, A real page turner.

An easy winter read set on the lovely Isle of Arran. From a sad beginning leading to support, friendship, problems solved and romance, this book was read in one sitting.

A long story. Set mainly on Arran. You followed 3 main characters. Amelia newly married but had escaped to Arran was where she met Fergus and Edie. They all had secrets and heartache and I loved the descriptions and the swimming. A nice read but just so long. Made you want to visit Arran

Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe/Choc Lit. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Having read the first in the series, I was expecting to see some familiar characters in this one. That didn't happen. This one takes place in an entirely different village. But that's ok! You'll like everyone here, too. It can definitely be read as a standalone even if it's advertised as Scottish Romances #2.

As in A Summer Wedding on Arran, not a whole lot of action, and sometimes that's just what you need in a book. I loved that Amelia was able to start her life over after heartbreak, I loved Edie who was the voice of wisdom and reason, and I loved Fergus, who was able to move on with his life after a terrible loss. The only reason this isn't 5 stars for me is because the ending was abrupt - I wanted to know more about what happens with them. I hope the series continues even if it's with new characters in a new place. I really enjoy this author's writing.