Donna Ashcroft delivers another charming Christmas read with A Christmas Romance in the Scottish Highlands, a heartwarming story filled with laughter, romance, and cozy winter vibes. This book is the perfect start to the holiday season, combining a fairytale-like romance with the magical allure of a small Scottish town.

The story centers on Ella juggling the chaos of running her demanding stepmother Lucinda’s cleaning business and coping with the loss of her beloved father. When Ella reluctantly steps into the role of Cinderella for the town’s pantomime to honor her father’s memory, her world is turned upside down—especially when Alex, a brooding and handsome stranger, is cast as her Prince Charming.

First, let’s talk about Lucinda. I hated her character! She’s mean, manipulative, and downright cruel, and I often found myself wishing Ella would stand up to her. Lucinda’s words and demands make Ella second-guess her dreams and choices, and I wanted to shake Ella and say, “Wake up! Don’t let her control your life!” But this dynamic added tension and gave Ella’s eventual growth even more impact.

On the other hand, Alex's transformation from a grumpy outsider to a lovable Prince Charming is the stuff of romance dreams. Their chemistry builds beautifully, with moments that made me giggle (that on-stage kiss—so romantic!). Their evolving relationship feels natural and incredibly sweet, with Alex’s vulnerabilities and Ella’s steadfastness creating a perfect balance.

The double point of view adds depth to both characters, showing Ella’s struggles with grief and self-doubt alongside Alex’s hidden vulnerabilities. Together, they create a love story that feels both wholesome and earned.

Ashcroft’s vivid descriptions of the Scottish Highlands are a standout feature. I’m a sucker for this kind of wintery scenery, and her writing immerses you completely. You can almost feel the crisp Highland air and the festive warmth of the town. The cozy, wintery vibes are perfect for curling up with a blanket and some hot cocoa.

In addition to its romance and setting, the story delivers plenty of humor and wholesome moments. The mishaps leading up to the pantomime add lighthearted fun, while the warmth of the community brings depth and charm. Even as Ella faces self-doubt and challenges, her journey feels uplifting and inspiring.

If you’re a sucker for romantic, snowy Scottish settings and heartwarming holiday tales, Donna Ashcroft’s latest novel is a must-read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

A modern-day twist on Cinderella set in the Highlands during Christmas. A super cute story that overall, I really enjoyed. It was a fairly quick read without a heavy plot or a lot of tension. I love how much Ella cared for those around her and enjoyed how Alex stepped into her world and basically turned it upside down. Although, truth be told, Ella rocked his world too, which led to plenty of laugh out loud moments. The only reason I am not giving it more stars is the explicit sex scene. It wasn’t needed and took away from the cute, sweet story that had been building up until that point.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

This was such a fun read! This Christmas-themed Cinderella retelling was thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end. It gives all the cozy blanket with a cup of hot chocolate vibes.

Character Rating:
Ella is warm and inviting while Alex is cold and distant. As an unlikely match, they push each other's buttons and push each other to be the best versions of themselves. It feels like an opposites attract situation in the beginning, but Ella and Alex learn that they have more in common than they initially realized. Through everything, the support and encouragement they show each other is heart warming.

Relationships Rating:
Not only are the side characters fun, the dogs have their own little personalities too! The gaslighting from Ella's stepmother is next level, her stepbrothers are wildly dishonest and incompetent, and her godmother is a hoot. There is also a cantankerous yet lovable artist, a town full of nosey nellies with matchmaking tendencies, and the most heartbreakingly adorable little boy.

Emotional Impact Rating:
Hello snuggly blanket, hello winter vibes, and hello all things cozy and Christmas. There are plenty of characters and moments to prompt feelings of frustration, irritation, amusement, heartbreak, and joy. Even knowing that this was a Cinderella retelling, the story still pulled me in and didn't let go.

Writing Style Rating:
Although I have not read any other works by Donna Ashcroft, I really enjoyed her writing style. The characters had both depth and growth, there were more relationships than just those between the main characters, the setting and plot were well written, and a familiar story line was refreshed.

Spice Level Rating:
There are a couple of spicy scenes, but they don't distract from the main plot at all. It is possible to skip them without missing any important story lines if you prefer closed door modifications.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions are honest and my own.

I Really enjoyed this one, you’re sucked in from page one and want to keep turning the pages to see what happens. Perfect for a cosy night in under the duvet with a cuppa. 4 stars for me 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Scotland, Christmas yes, please. i flew through this one so quickly, it drew me in and gave me everything I want in a Christmas read. The fact that a Cinderella theme was weaved throughout was just the icing on top. I need to go back and read the others in this series now!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily. There’s something about the Scottish Highlands that is compelling to me, and I was looking for a holiday read, so I decided to take a chance on this book. This book is part of a series of books set in the Scottish Highlands (volume 1 is currently FREE on Kindle in the US, so yes, of course, I nabbed it!)

This book is a modern retelling of the traditional Cinderella fairytale, set in a Scottish town where there is a castle. There’s a hard working but put-upon Ella and her family’s cleaning business, a Christmas pantomime (play), a manipulative stepfamily, and a rich man who visits the castle. There’s a whole subplot that involves painting and one’s love and need to create art that’s quite lovely and added to the story.

Alex and Ella don’t have insta-love, which I appreciated. Rather, there’s irritation because of misconceptions each made of the other. There’s growth of the characters both within themselves and with each other. Ella is able to take the rather constrained Alex and get him to open up more, which only helps his painting. Alex gets Ella to realize that her family is taking advantage of her and encourages her to stand up to them. And yes, there’s an attraction to each other that grows as they get to know each other.

This was a charming Christmas romance that ticked all the boxes for me!

Ella je upracovaná mladá žena, kterou využívá její rodina. Alex je úspěšný bohatý mladý muž, který není ve svém životě příliš šťastný. Oba spojuje jak umělecké nadání, tak jejich účinkování ve vánoční amatérské hře o Popelce. Zachrání Ellu její Princ Krasoň?

Zbrusu nová kniha i českým čtenářům známe spisovatelky Donny Ashcroftové nás opět vezme do malebného skotského prostředí. Ocitáme se v městečku zabydleném svéráznými postavičkami a duchem pospolitosti, kdy všichni společně nacvičují amatérské divadelní představení. Zdálo by se to jako klišé, ale ono to prostě funguje.

Ashcroftová se nechala v knize A Christmas Romance in the Scottish Highlands inspirovat příběhem o Popelce. A vůbec to nezastírá. Její hlavní postavy se jmenují Ella a Charming (Krasoň). Ona ještě navíc má uklízecí firmu a od rána do večere nedělá nic jiného, než že šůruje. V každé jiné knize by mi to asi vadilo, ale to pomrkávání na čtenáře je tak milé a vtipné, že mě to vlastně extrémně bavilo.

Láska tu je, ale opět je rámovaná i složitějším tématem. V tomto případě je to hledání vlastního štěstí a sebe sama i na úkor zklamání své rodiny. Ellu ta její využívá kvůli dávnému slibu, který dala otci. Alex je zas pro svého otce jen zklamáním. Ale v průběhu knihy pochopí, že pro něj nikdy nebude dost dobrý a přestane se s tím neustále prát.

Kniha je místy smutná, hodně vtipná. Je tam romantika, Sktorsko, Vánoční atmosféra a psi. Takže pokud hledáte nějakou dobrou knihu, se kterou si užijete nastupující Vánoční období, rozhodně tuhle doporučuji.

This was an easy, quick read, finished within an hour. A Cinderella retelling at Christmastime. Set in Scotland, with quirky characters, manors, quaint shops, and a town play. Overall, a nice read.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in return for my honest review.

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

The story of put upon Ella and Alexander. Cosy and Christmassy, what more could you want.

Fun Christmas Romance

I enjoy Donna Ashcroft's books and A Christmas Romance in the Scottish Highlands was no exception. It is a warm-hearted play on the Cinderella fairy tale mixed with a Cinderella themed Christmas play. It has a fierce, sincere, hardworking heroine and a handsome hero with problems relating to his father. It is a great book to read by a nice warm fire or in bed at night, which will make you feel warm and fuzzy (in between the times you might want to smack a character to get some sense)!

Thank you to the publisher who lent me an e-arc via Netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion.

Fun Christmas book with a Cinderella theme. I liked the interweaving of the real-life Cinderella with the village play. The characters were realistic in their situations and their actions.

Ella is an artist whose art takes a back seat to the other things happening in her life. Her father died a year or so earlier, but not before asking Ella to look after the family business, her stepmother, and her stepbrothers. The company is Magic Mops, a cleaning service, but Ella is the only one doing much work. Lucinda is demanding and selfish, and her two stepbrothers constantly call out with excuses; everyone but Ella can see right through. She's exhausted from doing everyone else's work, and because of it, she misses many lessons with famous artist Henry.

Alex is also an artist who has come to Mistletoe to study with Henry. He works for his father in the family business and is on a short hiatus for the lessons. His dad still expects Alex to keep up with his work remotely.

Ella and Alex did not get off to a good start. A runaway dog and a car driving too fast for the conditions nearly led to disaster, and Alex's cold attitude left an unlikeable impression. Ella was doubly dismayed to find they would both be working with Henry. Henry has a unique way of drawing the best out of his pupils, though it takes some time for them to see results.

One of Henry's methods is to get Alex to broaden his experience. To do this, he ropes Alex into helping with the village Christmas production of Cinderella. It was funny and painful to see Alex floundering with things so far outside his experience.

I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Ella and Alex. It is rough initially, as Ella sees Alex as cold and unfeeling, and Alex thinks Ella is irresponsible. Their attitudes begin to change as they get to know each other. I liked seeing Ella encourage him to embrace the feelings he suppressed for so long. She also helps him develop confidence in his artistic ability. Working together on the play adds a layer of complications when a practice kiss as Cinderella and Prince Charming gets out of control.

Their complicated lives leave both wondering whether pursuing a relationship is possible. Alex will return to Edinburgh by Christmas, and Ella is stuck in Mistletoe running the family business. Trouble looms when two misunderstandings stir up Ella and Alex's insecurities. The first was dealt with easily, and I loved how Alex gave Ella the moral support she needed to tackle the problem. The second one involved Alex and his father and was especially painful to watch. Alex's reactions were intense, and he said some hurtful things to Ella. It takes serious self-examination for Alex to break free of the chains that kept him struggling for acceptance. I loved his "aha" moment and the joy he finally embraced. His big moment at the end was sweet, romantic, and fun.

The secondary characters were terrific and added lots of emotional growth and development opportunities. Ella's stepmother was a selfish and manipulative woman who thrived on making Ella's life miserable. Her stepbrothers were spoiled and selfish. Though I detested them in the beginning, by the end of the book, they showed great promise in turning into decent human beings. The artist, Henry, who instructed Elle and Alex, could be insensitive, but he made good points with his instructions. It was interesting to see how he struggled with his relationship with Ella's godmother. I loved Mae's relationship with Ella and her support and understanding as Ella faced the challenges in her life. My favorite was Hunter, the young boy who was a budding artist and so much like Alex. Their conversation in the café was sweet, and I loved how Alex helped him.

I loved reading A Christmas Romance in the Highlands by Donna Ashcroft, her writing style is fun, easy and I like how she sprinkles seriousness into the mix. The story is told from two perspectives, that of Ella and Alex, whose first meeting doesn’t go all too well.
However, life, art and panto throw them together, with the help of Henry and Mae.
There’s cute little Sprout and Wyatt, Ella’s dog that fit into the story beautifully.
Ella’s life is rushed off her feet. Trying to keep her promise to her beloved father who passed 12 months ago, whilst meeting the demands of her selfish stepmother, as well as the family business ‘Magic Mops’.
Her own dreams and art suffer under the strain. Alex’s comes from a life of privilege and is trying to be seen as himself, rather than his father’s son.
Aggie, Mae and Henry add to the fun and drama of the story and I truly enjoyed this light escape. A recommended read.

Perfection. But, Donna Ashcroft is my favorite romance author and nothing much beats a DA Christmas romance, ESPECIALLY one set in Scotland. I loved the characters, all except the evil stepmother! Some unique story arcs here with the art and Cinderella story. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and will be highly recommending, as usual, to everyone! 4.5 stars

A fun twist on a classic fairy tale, Cinderella. Poor Ella is trying to keep her promise to her deceased father, help the family and keep the business going. Unfortunately her stepmother is a modern day doppelgänger of the original and her two stepbrothers that are equally as bad as the stepsisters.
Alex has been all his life trying to get his father’s approval, that he would be proud of his son. So when the opportunity comes up that he could be tutor by a well known artist that happens to be one of their financial clients, his father sets it up with the understanding Alex is to paint him a masterpiece for the office. Where Alex had thought this be a one on one lesson he is sharing time with a local who never is dependable. Till he gets to know her and in the same time learns who he really is.
Such a good read, with lessons to be learned. Well done!

A retelling of the Cinderella story with a Christmas twist set in the Scottish Highlands, what’s not to love about this story? I could probably stop the review there and everyone would still want to read it but I’ll give you a bit more incentive just to seal the deal.

Books are always off to a good start when they have a dog on the first page. I also love books with stately manors, cute kids and teashops, so this book has a lot going for it from the start. The setting of the book in the friendly community of Mistletoe is perfect, although I could have done with a little more Highland flavour (that’s just a matter of personal taste though) and I absolutely loved all the quirky characters that people the book and aid Ella and Alex on their journey through romance.

The use of the pantomime as the central pivot of the story is genius as it allows Ella and Alex lots of moments of intimacy that move the story along and I loved that the pants story mirrored the main plot of the book. The stepmother and stepbrothers were great characters, I genuinely couldn’t wait for them to be put I their place, all in all the Cinderella story works really well.

A cute love story with a dollop of heat and a good scoop of Christmas magic, perfect for the season. Donna’s writing is pure escapism and entertainment and I thoroughly enjoyed this quirky, romantic spin on a classic tale.

Donna Ashcroft is always reliable for a sweet Christmas read!
This was a Cinderella story, which made parts of it predictable, and thus a little challenging for me to really get into the story. And I'm always infuriated by the stepmother and step-siblings in this theme!!
But Ella has others in her life - and not just her (fairy) godmother! - who support her. The community truly rallies around her.
Experiencing Alex's growth as he learns to open his heart is touching.
Both characters have suffered loss, and you can see how it pushed them in two different directions: one so soft that she'll do anything to please others, the other becoming so cold as to earn the nickname "Iceman". Yet the loss also bonds Ella and Alex and helps them find compassion for each other.
I enjoyed the secondary characters, especially young Hunter.
I give this book a 3.5, rounded up. I'm sure many readers will truly enjoy it!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

A Christmas Romance in the Scottish Highlands by Donna Ashcroft is a completely adorable contemporary Cinderella story. It does take place at Christmas, but it is the local festive pantomime and the two main characters that demands the focus of this tale, not the Christmas Holidays as such. I will admit when I first began reading the book the lives of the two main characters were bleak. I wasn’t sure how I felt about them or the book. However, before long I was loving the story and totally invested in the outcome of their lives.

Alexander and Ella have so much growth in this book, I loved that. They were never bad people themselves, but they did find themselves in bad circumstances that others were controlling. I must say that young Hunter is a heart stealer! What started out as a not-so-sure-this-is-for-me book turned into being my favorite Donna Ashcroft story. It could be your favorite too.

Ella doesn’t seem to have time for Christmas this year. She is swamped running a cleaning business that is owned by her step-monster. She recently lost her father and now she feels obligated to participate in the local festive pantomime. She doesn’t feel like Cinderella until she meets handsome, Alexander who plays the part of Prince Charming. Alex wants nothing to do with Ella and just wants to get through the festivities and get them over with. But the spirit of Christmas and the magical snowfall, begins to melt his heart. When they share a kiss on stage, Ella wonders if it is just the play or were there real feelings behind that wonderful kiss. Could Alex be her real-life Prince Charming or is this just another Christmas she is ready to put behind her?

A Christmas Romance in the Scottish Highlands, written by author Donna Ashcroft is a wonderful story full of Christmas magic. I love the Scottish Highlands, and a Christmas story set in the highlands is exactly the escape I needed. Ashcroft is so talented at describing the highlands perfectly making the reader feel like they are in the snowy town. I was completely pulled in to this story from the first page to the last. I actually liked Ella and Alex in the story and they made it feel like a real life Cinderella fairytale. I loved this book and I highly recommend this wonderful festive read.

A Cozy Christmas Romance with a Scottish Twist

I absolutely loved this book! It’s a perfect cozy Christmas read set in the beautiful Scotland. The Scottish language and setting added so much charm, making it feel even more immersive and unique. The relationship between Alex and Ella was heartwarming, and I really enjoyed seeing their friendship grow and develop naturally throughout the story. The Cinderella references were an amazing and at times funny touch, especially with the horrible stepmother (who I absolutely hated). The balance of romance, friendship, and holiday magic was just right. Highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a feel-good, festive escape!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Ella's life feels like its spinning out of control. Their is not enough hours in a day to get everything done. When she participates in a play she likes the male lead. A nice read.