The second book in the Skye Sisters Trilogy focuses on Esmerelda (Ezzie) Wynter, and it was lovely to be back at Rothach Hall on the beautiful Isle of Skye. Unusually, the owners of the Hall, the Larsson family, are travelling from Sweden for an extended Christmas break at the Hall. Ezzie, as manager, must forgo her plans for a quiet and relaxing Christmas. She has much more work to do than she bargained for. She needs to decorate the Hall, stock up with food and organise activities. The Larsson’s attractive son, Mats, along with his two young children, challenge Ezzie’s ordered life and professional manner. Not only that, Ezzie has to contend with surprise, and not entirely welcome, visitors.

I enjoyed Thea’s story in the first book and Ezzie’s story is just as enjoyable. Sensitive themes, which include complicated family issues and alcohol dependence are explored thoughtfully. Ezzie doesn’t have an easy time of it, having to contend with jealousy, an entitled and obnoxious ex-wife as well as supporting her sisters and dealing with her own personal upheaval. Despite all that there are good times, fun and laughter.

Sue Moorcroft has created a cast of relatable, likeable (bar one or two) and well fleshed out characters, not without their human frailties which makes them all the more believable. Despite the obstacles that made the developing relationship seem impossible, the solution was perfect.

The atmospheric Isle of Skye setting is described vividly and the story has all the festive feels which makes A Skye Full of Stars a perfect read for this time of year.

A gorgeous story set at the fictional Rothach Hall on the beautiful remote island of Skye. Ezzie Winter is looking forward to Christmas, having just been promoted to manager of the Hall, one of 3 sisters, she has her dream job, and her sister Thea also works at the hall as the head gardener and Ezzies previous boss and manager of the hall has left her in the lurch, leaving things in a real mess and without giving her any hand over. Thankfully the Larsson family, owners of the Hall, live in Sweden and only use it for family Summer holidays, so she plans to enjoy Christmas and then throw herself into her new role with plenty of time to get everything back on track before her new employers arrive in the Summer. Of course she has met The Larssons before but Ezzie is keen and a little nervous to show she is capable of her new responsibilities. Excited to get involved in decorating the hall, Ezzies plans are thrown a giant curveball when the Larssons announce they've decided to spend Christmas at the hall and want to experience a traditional Scottish Christmas. What's more Mrs Larsson ,her son Mats and his family are intending on arriving ahead of the rest of the family very soon, and want to meet with her. Ezzie is in a panic and it's not helped when secrets of her past threaten to ruin the life she has built for herself in her lovely cottage on Skye.
The second of a trilogy of stories of the Skye Sisters but the author, I read this as a standalone and it was perfectly okay. I can't wait to read the next one though.

This is the second book book in the Skye Sisters trilogy. I found this to be another wonderful read . It gave me a lot of Christmassy feels . There were some parts that I found quite emotional at times. The characters were all well written about and I especially liked Mats and his two young children. This is the perfect Christmas read and it could easily be read as a stand-alone .

A Skye Full of Stars is the second book in The Skye Sisters Trilogy, and I absolutely devoured and adored the first book Under a Summer Skye, you don’t need to read the first book but you’ll have such a better experience if you do, plus why would you want to miss out on another amazing book ! I love the Isle of Skye, I’ve been there a few times and I can tell you it’s just as beautiful as Sue Moorcroft’s descriptions and recommend anyone who thinks they want to go visit, please do, you won’t regret it at all. The first book focused on Thea and in this book it’s Ezzie’s turn for the spotlight.

I loved that this was set at Winter/Christmas as much as I loved the first Im definitely not a summer person, I love the cooler months and I’m the biggest fan of Christmas. It was such a festive delight, just made me want to grab a throw, sit in front of a warm fire with a hot cocoa and I imagine it will make most readers feel the same! I loved the dual POV asi always find it brings so much more to the story and I loved the arrival of the Larsson family as well as an unexpected visitor for Ezzie. No spoilers from me but if you want to know you’ll have to read for yourself. I can guarantee that A Skye full of Stars , Sue Moorcroft’s 25th book is just as entertaining , as loveable, as addictive as her previous books that you may have read, I am hoping for at least another 25 and I will be here for all of them. Absolutely wonderful festive read and can’t wait for the third book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A Skye Full of Stars is a lovely slow burn romance; and so much more. The second book in The Skye Sisters Trilogy, I didn't read the first book and had no problems reading this one as a standalone. This is Ezzie Wynter's story. All three of the sisters were adopted and formed a loving family. They lost their adopted parents several years ago, so only have each other. Something happened in the past to cause Thea and Ezzie to flee to the Isle of Skye. Ezzie is now the manager of Rothach Hall. When the Larsson family (matriarch Grete, son Mats and his two children) decide to arrive early for Christmas this year, Ezzie has a lot to organize. Astrid and Alvin, Mats' children are adorable and steal the show. They pull Ezzie out of her comfort zone and bring her into family activities. The more time she spends with the family, the more she and Mats begin to have feelings toward one another.
I really enjoyed this story. I enjoyed learning about Swedish Christmas Celebrations as well as some Scottish ones, especially the food. I really liked the sisters dynamic of loyalty and also quickly cross. Being adopted, there is also a storyline about Ezzie's biological family which really made me think about what makes a family. I enjoyed the festive activities in this story and it definitely gave me that Christmas feel.

This is an excellent second part to the story of the Wynter sisters and this time it is the story of Ezzie - the manger of Rothach Hall. She is living a peaceful life until the owners, the Larssons decide they are coming to stay for Christmas. Ezzie's peace and quiet is destroyed but may there also be love in the air? Read the book to find out!

A Skye Full of Stars by Sue Moorcroft

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Return to the snow-covered mountains of the Isle of Skye this winter in book two of The Skye Sisters Trilogy – where new loves and unknown family are just waiting to be found…

Journey to Scotland and join Essie Wynter this Christmas on a journey of discover you'll never forget – where new loves and forgotten family are only the start of the story…

My Opinion

This is the second book in a great series – it was lovely being back on the Isle of Skye with the Wynter sisters. Whilst I have read both books in the series, I feel like this could be read as a standalone, but for full enjoyment I would recommend reading the books in order. With Ezzie tasked with helping the Larsson family get ready for Christmas at Rothach Hall, this book will really put you in the festive mood.

With both Swedish and Scottish traditions, Sue Moorcroft has written a stunning book. I am already eager to read the next book.

Rating 4/5

It's been a tumultuous time for Ezzie and her sister Thea, but things are settling down now. Thea is all loved up, and Ezzie has been promoted to manager of Rothach Hall, situated on the Isle of Skye. She loves working at the hall, and on the Isle of Skye.

Normally, the Swedish family that owns the hall only visit during the summer, but this year they have decided that they are going to have a Scottish Christmas, which means only one thing - more work for Ezzie. She is already working on ways to make the Hall a winter tourist destination, and now she needs to ensure that the family areas are decorated, be available whenever required, she's short staffed and more.

Things don't get off to a great start when Ezzie clashes with the (handsome) over-bearing son Mats. He is spending time with his adorable kids on the island while their mother cruises around the Meditteranean on a super yacht with her new partner.

With Mats bumbling around issues that are none of his business and causing chaos, Ezz doesn't need any more stress, so when some unexpected visitors turn up, her whole life feels like it has been turned upside down. So why is it Mats that she turns to when she needs support?

In some ways Ezzie appears to be very in control, but that has come with a lot of work and a lot of strategic coping mechanisms. But with the Larson's in town, soon those somewhat fragile mechanisms are picked apart one by one. What will happen if she loses her job that she invests so much of herself in, and have to start all over again?

The Larsons, including Mats, have issues of their own. There is clearly something going on with his parents, and Mats' ex-wife Inger is being a pain as well, leaving him to deal with their children. What he is realising is that he needs to make some changes in his own life so that he can prioritise them.

When we visited Scotland, I was very excited that we were going to be visiting the Isle of Skye. The reality was though that we were on the island for all of about 2 hours, we visited one small town right near the bridge to the mainland and then crossed back on our merry way and that was that, so it's fair to say we didn't see much of Skye. Reading this book definitely makes me want to go back. The Isle of Skye does also seem to be having something of a moment right now, with numerous books being released recently which take place on the island.

I really loved the mixing of Christmas traditions present in this book. The Larson's are Swedish and so there are loads of mentions throughout the book of Swedish Christmas food and traditions but they are also determined that there will be Scottish elements to their Christmas as well. It was a delightful mix.

Sue Moorcroft has once again delivered a great read, with interesting characters and a great setting. I will definitely be keen to read then next book in this trilogy, which will feature the oldest of the Winter sisters, Valentina. Given some of the things that happened in this book with Valentina, I will be looking forward to seeing how things unfold for her in her own book

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and with British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.

You can read my review of the first book in the trilogy, Under a Summer Skye, here.

This post is part of the blog tour for the release of A Skye Full of Stars. It is, however, also part of a bigger blog tour which is celebrating the fact that this is Sue Moorcroft's 25th book. I will be back later in the extended tour with my post. The details of the extended tour are at the bottom of this post.

Rating 4/5

Five start read! Ezzie Wynters is one of 3 adopted sisters and part of a close family but in this story a secret comes to light that threatens to cause a rift between them. Coupled with that is the unexpected arrival of Eddie's birth family who have managed to track her down, turning her world upside down. All of this is happening on the approach to Christmas while Ezzie is working at Rothach Hall where the owners family are visiting from Sweden, including Mats Larson, and romance is in the air. A really enjoyable, cosy, Christmas book

Book 2 of this lovely series has us back at Rothach Hall with Essie Wynter now the manager. Mats, the son of the owners the Larson family, comes for an extended stay with his two children and their nanny, Essie doesn’t care for him as he comes across as pretentious-but slowly she warms up to him as much as she does to his children. Her sister Valentina buys a holiday home close by and her other sister, Thea and her partner Dev, have some wonderful news. But all is not sunshine and rainbows-something happened in the past that caused Thea and Essie to flee to Skye in the first place. Does this Christmas story have a happy ever after? Of course it does.
This was like a reunion with old friends-like putting on a cozy sweater-just feels so good. I love that the sisters are all adopted and yet formed such a close, loving bond that never weakened as they got older. I also loved learning about all the Swedish traditions and loads of festive activities in the story. There’s humor, found family, holiday merriment and so much more to love in true Sue Moorcroft tradition. I hope there’s more to the series coming.
Thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I didn't find it a particularly festive read despite being based at Christmas. There was a bit too much emotional turmoil and not a lot of the fuzzy feels. So if you prefer a bit more of a gritty read this is perfect!

The setting of Skye was beautiful! I could really envision the house and pretty village nearby. The walks by the beach and feeding the animals were particular highlights.

I jumped into this book without realising it was the 2nd part of a trilogy which is why I think it wasn't 100% for me. The main character Ez was a little to sharp and corporate for me. It was hard routing for a happy ending.

I expect had I read the first book I'd have warned to her more. However I would like to learn more about Thea she was such a sweetheart!

This is the second book in the series and concentrates on the middle Wynter sister Ezzie. I haven't read the first book, which didn't spoil my enjoyment, although I suspect this book recaps some of it.

I absolutely adored the setting of Skye. With it being my favourite island and having visited it often, I could visualise a lot of the places the author described.

I loved the mix of personalities in the Larson family and how lovely and down to earth they all came across as.

Ezzie certainly doesn't have her troubles to seek with relationship troubles and family issues. My heart went out to her at times. I must admit, though, I liked her better when she was more relaxed rather than too professional and uptight.

An absolutely wonderful, but emotional read with family, friendship and romance at the heart of it.

I enjoyed the first installment in this trilogy and was looking forward immensely to this sequel, it did not disappoint. I loved how we found out more about the Larson family in this one and all their quirks. It was also great to return to the other sisters too. Already looking forward to the final story - I would recommend them all!

**Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own **

Lovely festive read about all types of family, beautifully written with interesting and likeable characters. Helps if you have read the first book tbh. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

3.5⭐️

I don’t know if it is the fact that I haven’t read the other book in this series but the beginning didn’t hit the spot. It was a bombardment of names of characters who I had trouble keeping up with.

But when it picked up it unfurled into a wonderful story of family, friendship, sisterhood and support. As I got to meet the characters and the plot unfolded, I couldn’t help but be immersed in the happenings on the island.

The story telling was engaging and entertaining. The drama was full of flair. The setting was gorgeous and you will want to visit with the way the author has painted the scenery and the customs and traditions.

If you are looking for something cozy for Christmas then this will do.

What an emotional roller coaster of a read!
This is a welcome return to Skye to Rothach Hall and to sisters Thea, Ezzie and Valentina.
As Ezzie is not manager at Rothach Hall her duties include meeting and looking after 5he family who own it, who have arrived en mass for a family festive holiday.
This is a book about families; birth families; adopted families; blended families and new families.
With beautiful scenery and great characters this is a festive read to snuggle with.

In this one we meet Ezzie Wynter and follow her story which includes being newly promoted to managing Rothach Hall on the Isle of Skye for the Larsson family. She is preparing for winter and Christmas as the entire family is coming to stay. While Grete, the matriarch of the family is the first to arrive, she comes with her oldest son Mats and his two young children.

Ezzie is not Mats biggest fan as she feels he acts rather entitled but she adores his children. Thankfully he is no longer with his wife and as Ezzie begins to spend more time with Mats she realizes she may have judged him rather harshly. Of course there is a thin line between love and hate as they say.

Of course that chemistry doesn’t mean much when you live in two different countries and your lives are so different. Not to mention Ezzie has her own issues with her sister Valentia and the rift they have. Valentina bought a holiday home on the island and Ezzie hopes to be able to spend more time with her to repair things between them but that proves to be more difficult than she thought. On top of her other sister Thea (from the first book) is having problems with her pregnancy. The three sisters were adopted which is something I liked about the story. It added another layer.

There is a lot going on here and every single page takes on this amazing journey. I love the setting of the Isle of Skye because it is one of my favorite places in the world. Anytime a book is set in Scotland I jump to read it. Add in that the Larsson family is Swedish and you will get so much culture and traditions. The fact that this all takes place during Christmas made my year.

All in all this was a wonderful read and while I am going back to read Thea’s story I can’t wait to read Valentia’s.

This is the second book in a planned trilogy each focussing on one of three sisters. The first book was about Thea (Under a Summer Skye) and this book is about Esmerelda, known as Ezzie. Ezzie is the manager of Rothach Hall, a stately home on Skye. Winter is usually a quiet time of year for the estate but this year, the Larson family from Sweden who own the Hall is arriving for an extended stay meaning Ezzie has to organise Christmas decorations, food and activities. She doesn’t really get on with Mats Larson, although she does find him very attractive. I loved reading about the children in this book, particularly Astrid and Alvin, Mats’ children. They were so sweet and often funny.

Family is at the core of this book with Sue Moorcroft exploring many aspects of what makes a family through the lives of her characters. Thea, Valentina and Ezzie are all adopted and there is a sensitively told story of discovering birth families and how that can make an adopted child feel. Many different aspects of family life are included within the book and we see how complicated families can be. We also see what really ties people together is love and that love can grow between people related by blood or in ‘found family’.

Many secrets are uncovered in the book causing all manner of bad-feeling, upset and confusion for Ezzie and other characters too. I enjoyed the way that the author shows that it’s not always easy to resolve difficulties or to forgive and forget but that honesty and listening can help pave the way for deeper understanding.

As this book is set in the run-up to Christmas, I also enjoyed learning about the festive traditions of Sweden and comparing them with what I am very familiar with here in Scotland. From food, to present giving and celebrating Advent Sundays, traditions were blended together rather like the way the families blended.

I absolutely loved following Ezzie and Mats’ romance which is so well written showing all the difficulties in a relationship where two people live very different lives and in two different countries. With the gorgeous Skye setting and a smattering of snow, A Skye Full of Stars is one of Sue Moorcroft’s best books in my opinion. This warm-hearted and emotional story is definitely one to cosy up with on a chilly dark night. I’m already looking forward to reading Valentina’s story in the next in the series (due out next year) and catching up again with Ezzie and Thea.

This story is the next episode of the Skye Sisters Trilogy with Valentina, Thea, and Ezzie Wynter. It follows Ezzie Wynter, the now manager of Rothach Hall Estate. She is looking forward to Christmas with her sisters and her nephew. She knows work will be busy, as the Larson family will be staying over Christmas, so she will be busy making sure they have all their wants and needs catered for. They are Swedish, and want to celebrate a Scottish Christmas and New Year. The Rothach Estate is described like a winter wonderland, with some animals for the children to love and care for. It sounds so inviting!!
As the family arrive, quite significant changes in Ezzie’s life begin. Some she welcomes, some she definitely does not!!.
This story is an easy read but full of characters you will fall in love with. Unless of course you have read the first Skye Sisters book and you will already know most of the characters!! I felt like I was seeing my friends again!
Many thanks to Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this arc copy for review consideration via Netgalley.
#TheBoldBookClub, #Netgalley, #SueMoorecroftAuthor.

The first book in this lovely trilogy introduced us to the three Wynter sisters, with Thea as its main focus, and we learned why she and sister Ezzie walked away from their previous lives to start afresh on the island of Skye. This time it’s Ezzie in the spotlight – she’s recently become manager of Rothach Hall, working for the Swedish Larsson family.

Without the usual round of public visits, winter would usually be their quietest time – but this year the owners’ family are planning to descend en masse for Christmas. First to arrive is matriarch Grete – not quite her usual cheery self – and her oldest son Mats, no longer with his previously difficult wife but accompanied by his two young children and their nanny. The children are really delightful, but Ezzie’s never been too keen on their father, finding him rather superior and entitled – but when they spend more time together it soon becomes clear that she’s got him all wrong. In fact, there’s a real spark of attraction between them as he involves her in their family activities, even prompting her to share some of the secrets from her past – although that does backfire particularly badly.

Whatever their developing feelings for each other, they both know their lives are too different to make things work – not least the fact that their homes are in different countries. But Ezzie has other concerns making her life particularly complicated. After the delight of finding that sister Valentina has bought a holiday home on the island, planning on spending more time there, there’s a rift in their relationship that she has no idea how to repair – and things aren’t going entirely smoothly for Thea, encountering problems with her pregnancy. All three sisters were aware they were adopted, and it’s never made them any less close – but Ezzie’s life is then further rocked by the unexpected discovery of her own birth family. Ensuring that the Larssons have the happy family Christmas they’d hoped for soon becomes the least of her worries…

Are you perhaps getting the impression that you should have read the first book in the trilogy? Trust me – although I’d most definitely recommend that you do (only because it was so enjoyable…!), you’d have no problems at all picking this one up as a standalone read. And I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed every twist and turn of the story – Ezzie’s such a likeable and sympathetic lead character, really vulnerable behind her professional front, deserving of real happiness but finding it slipping from her grasp. Mats too – a good son and father, an all-round warm and lovely man, and I so hoped they’d find a way to an unlikely happy ending together.

As always, the author deals with the different issues raised by the book with her usual sureness of hand and real sensitivity – especially all the repercussions from Ezzie’s adoption and found family. At times, it’s a particularly emotional story – some of the developments made me ache inside, with no idea how things could be put right – but the author always has the safest pair of hands (along with the most wonderful ability to immerse you in her characters’ lives) and I was happy to trust her to help them all work things out.

And there was a lot more that I loved about the story. The Skye setting is absolutely stunning – there’s a particularly strong sense of place throughout, the dramatic scenery showing a different face in the depths of winter, but every bit as nurturing for the troubled mind. And, of course, I loved the fact that it was all set at Christmas – I learned such a lot about Swedish food and traditions, but also really enjoyed the added Scottish dimension. And I really must mention again that impossible romance, with its misunderstandings and barriers – it was one I was so invested in, although always only too aware that it was unlikely to work out the way I really hoped for.

This was a book I really loved – most definitely a personal favourite – with everything I enjoy about the author’s writing. I’d recommend it really highly – and I’m particularly looking forward to the final part of the trilogy, and finding out more about Valentina’s story.