Escaping from her past life, her divorce and more
A new life on the Isle of Skye to explore
But what comes as a huge surprise
Is that's where her first love also resides.

Although she endeavours Calan Fraser not to meet
Tara keeps meeting him and concedes defeat.
But what happens when danger comes her way
Will she run away or will she stay?

A beautiful, moving second chance romance
With a delightful young girl helping give them a chance.
With dollhouses and miniatures and other crafts, too,
Creating a small community with love running through.

A helpful owner and others, too,
Are what is needed to help these two.
A lovely read, romance with obstacles along the way
As Tara decides whether to run or to stay.

For my copy of this book I say thank you
As I share with you this, my honest review.

Another lovely heartwarming tale from this author.
It’s full of well developed characters that will tug on your heartstrings and set in such beautiful landscapes.

It is a tale of hope, heartbreak, moving on, being honest, new friends and of course love.
It deals with difficult issues of loosing love, never really fully having love and ensuring the well being of a child above everything else. These issues are discussed sensitivity and looks at them from everyone’s perspective.

All the characters grow on you as you loose yourself in this story. It is written in a way that will have you imagining everything in your minds eye. Mhairi is a fantastic character, I love how she speaks and mothers everyone.

All in all a wonderful must read story from the Queen of heartwarming romance stories.

**Surprises on the Scottish Isle**
*by Lilac Mills*

From the very first chapter, I felt an irresistible pull into this heartwarming story, which is filled with the distinctive charm and warmth one expects from a tale set on the mesmerizing Isle of Skye. I had the good fortune to visit this stunning location just seven months ago during my adventure through Scotland. Although my stay lasted only two days, I was utterly enchanted by its natural beauty. This book vividly rekindled those memories, deepening my longing to return. Mills’ writing style is engaging and draws readers into the plot and characters with ease, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in the unfolding story.

We first met Tara and Calan 10 years earlier at university in Glasgow, where Calan has just completed his final year while Tara still has another year to go. They attempt to maintain a long-distance relationship when Calan returns to Inverness to search for work and move back in with his parents. However, during difficult times, Calan ends up breaking both Tara's heart and his own.

Fast forward 10 years, and it seems that these two may just get a second chance, even after both have married and face challenges along the way.

Surprises on the Scottish Isle by Lilac Mills is a delightful tale of new beginnings and second chances. Tara McTaigh, longing for her happily ever after, finds herself starting over after a divorce and in need of a fresh start. Moving from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye, she unexpectedly reconnects with her former university boyfriend, Calan Fraser, now a single father.

The story is easy to follow, with a manageable cast of characters, a stunning setting, and well-developed personalities. While emotions and past mistakes need to be addressed, the narrative offers charming escapism.

Following Tara’s journey of personal growth, romance, and connection, this heartwarming story set in a picturesque Scottish community is an ideal festive and feel-good read.

Surprises on the Scottish Isle is another lovely story by Lilac Mills. You know from the beginning that Tara McTaigh deserves a happily ever after but has not received it. Instead she has a divorce and now needs a place to live. This is a new beginning story along with a second chance romance. Unexpectedly Tara finds that her moves to Isle of Skye from Edinburgh has her reconnecting to an old university boyfriend, now single father, Calan Fraser.

The story is easy reading. Not too many characters to keep up with, a wonderful setting and great character development. Yes, there are emotions and past mistakes to resolve but this is such delightful escapism reading. Find the beauty of a Lilac Mills story with Surprises on the Scottish Isle.

I found this book the perfect piece of escapism. The setting is idyllic, the characters are amazing and the storyline is cosy. This book is so hard to put down and I hope there are more to come in this series. Highly recommended to lose yourself in!

Thank you Netgalley

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

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the first in a new series.

We meet Tara, following her divorce, she has to find somewhere to live. While looking for possible places she comes across an advert for a studio to let, in Coorie Castle.

When she’s agreed to take on the studio, Tara feels that her moving to Skye and opening her business in Coorie Castle is a good place to start her life again.

Then, she meets the manager of the estate, and it’s Cal, the person who left heartbroken years ago.

But, as they lived their lives without each other and now they’re having to spend time together, they realise that their feelings haven’t changed for each other and are still in love.

I loved what Tara did, building dolls houses, and I loved Bonnie too.

The descriptions of Skye and the castle were beautiful and makes me want to visit.

I highly recommend this book.

Another welcome read from Lilac Mills. A will they/wont they love story set on a lovely island’s craft centre. This story is about two people who meet up unexpectedly after a period of years and who have issues to work through regarding the past. This makes for entertaining reading. The book ends as you would expect which is a great relief - love conquers all.

I felt totally at home in this story right from the start. It just had such a lovely feel to it especially once we get to Coorie Castle and the craft centre.

I'm excited to learn that this is the first book in a series set at the craft centre.

Easily one of my favourite characters was Bonnie, Cal's daughter. She is inquisitive, and loved by all the crafters, and is going through a bit of a tough time at the moment adjusting to various changes.

I loved the descriptions of the dollhouses that Tara makes, they were exquisite and the first commission she takes on from the craft centre was a hilarious conversation to observe. The loch the castle is on sounded very picturesque and Cal and Tara certainly seemed to enjoy taking a boat out onto it.

There is a lovely community at Duncoorie Castle and Tara fits in right away, and seeing how her reactions to Cal (her long lost first love) change was enjoyable to see.

I really enjoyed every word of this book which i whizzed through thoroughly enjoying the story. And the more books that I'm reading on the Isle of Skye, the more I think I should potentially add it to my list of places to actually visit, as it once again sounds like a gorgeous place to live (in summer at least).

Thank you to Canelo and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Great setting and moving love story🌅👨‍👧👩‍🎨

4.5🌟 stars
I've been a devoted fan of Lilac Mills' novels for the past few years and was delighted when she decided to set this latest offering on the beautiful Isle of Skye. She incorporated visits to some of Skye's most iconic and dramatic landmarks into a lovely second chance romance between Tara, a doll house crafter, and Cal, a divorced dad estate manager and the man who abruptly rejected Tara ten years prior.

The way the author develops their lives in the ten intervening years before their surprise reunion was, at least to me, very realistic and relatable. And the kicker that threatens their relationship in the present makes Tara's reactions totally comprehensible and Cal's actions disappointing on one level yet admirable on another where he seeks to be the best father he can be to nine year old Bonnie. Rat or fatherly paragon? Or both?

Mills has such an easy style of writing that I just wanted to remain in the story and with the characters to the end, never mind that it meant staying up until almost dawn!

Thanks to Canelo Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Review shared on 1/11/25 with Waterstones, Bookbub, Goodreads and Barnes & Noble. To be shared on kobo and Google Play when published.

I don't mind miscommunication however this one was a little silly it could have easily been solved in the first chapter if he had just said I have to look after my parents and we need to break up.

As others have stated, it's a second chance romance based on the Isle of Skye. The author is incredibly good at setting the scene. The descriptions of the loch, the mountains, and the castle were wonderful!
Tara has a unique profession of building doll houses and after a divorce and quest for new beginnings, in fact, finds herself meeting Cal again, the one true love.
The writing and relationship development were great and so easy to read! I really felt the anguish both Tara and Cal experienced, which pulled the story out of the cozy category for me. I'm not so sure I would have been able to forgive the choices Cal made.
Thank you for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

A gorgeous second chance romance in a beautiful setting!.
Cal and Tara are forced back into one another's lives ten years after they split up, however a whole lot has changed since then.
A heart-warming read as this pair of ex-lovers rediscover their true feelings for one another and learn a lot about themselves along the way.

What a wonderful new book in a new series by Lilac Mills, vastly becoming one of my favourite romance novel writers!

When Tara must find a new home after her divorce, she spots an advert for a studio to let in Coorie Castle. Moving her business and life to Skye feels like the start of a new beginning for her.

Imagine her surprise when the estate manager of Coorie Castle none other than Cal, the man who broke her heart when he graduated from university.

Having lived a life away from each other, and after spending time together again, they both come to realise that they are each other's one and only true love.

I loved that Tara was a minitiaturist! Being one myself the book already won me over before I even started. But Lilac Mills tells a wonderful story about new beginnings and second chances. The way she describes Skye and Coorie Castle makes you want to put them on your bucketlist. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and can't wait for the next installment(s) of the Coorie Castle series!!

Lilac Mills was a new author for me and this the start of a new series - as a crafter I was already invested in that part of the story.

This is a feel good romance of second chances and forgiveness. Bonnie was a precocious child -torn between 2 parents both of whom loved her in their own way but were warring with one another- and making the child slightly unlikeable.
Calum’s ex-wife (and Bonnie’s Mum) Yvaine, was a bitter woman who was determined that Cal couldn’t be as happy as she was. She had guessed that he didn’t love her as much as she had loved him.

Cal had been in love with Tara while at university but felt that his father’s mental illness meant they shouldn’t be together and he should set her free. Shame he didn’t think to ask her how she felt.
10 years later they meet again when Tara rents a craft studio at the Scottish Castle where Cal is the estate manager.

There are twists and turns, recriminations and a second break up before the ‘happy ever after’ ending.

This was well written and a lovely read for a cold winter week just after New Year. I will certainly look out for more of the Coorie Castle craft series - there were certainly characters with more to give - and it will be possible to follow Tara, Cal and Bonnie some more

Surprises on the Scottish Isle didn't have a lot of surprises, given the book summary and the prologue, but it was a cozy and sweet story nonetheless.

We know that Tara, in her quest to start new in a new place, meets up with Calan, the one who broke her heart. We know they will get their second chance, and I think knowing even knowing the predictability of it, I wanted to see HOW it was going to happen.

The journey was charming, light and tender. There's something so cozy and warm about a small village in the Scottish Isles, with a castle filled with a matriarch, a group of artisans, and gorgeous scenery all around. The tight-knit community didn't feel overly nosy, even though everyone knew everyone - there was a sense of support and love and taking care of their own that was heartwarming without feeling too Hallmark movie-ish.

We see Tara and Calan reconnect fairly early on, and there's definitely some slow burn, but I was also waiting for the other shoe to drop. It does eventually, as with all stories, and we do get our happy ending.

The writing is clear, and easy to read, drawing you in for a quick, comfy break from whatever else you have going on. I finished it in one evening - it wasn't a race to the end at all, but the steady and even pacing and charm of the story really kept me going.

I was really rooting for the each character to find his/her way, in whatever way it would manifest. This story was soft, gentle, and steady, like a blanket providing just the right amount of warmth.

I know straight away that there are certain authors I can spot and rely on. Even from the way they have their front covers designed. And Lilac Mills is one of those authors. She along with a few others hold a special shelf for me in this genre. Ones I know I can return to. Ones I know I'll enjoy.
And Lilac once again weaved the perfect setting,scene and relationships. She manages to flesh out the leading characters so you know as much as you need to in one book but would gladly know more. And also the setting and other characters I could happily rejoin for another installment in the series.
I was rooting for this second chance to romance pair. But it wasn't going to be plain sailing. And they both needed to heal whether together or apart we have to read to find out.
Top marks as always.

A second chance romance set on the Isle of Skye. Cal & Tara dated once and then split apart. Ten years later, they meet again & Cal has a 9 year old daughter who's dealing with divorced parents & a change of homes & schools. On top of that, she makes Cal promise not to date again. This is, of course, before seeing Tara again. They spend the story trying to figure their feelings and lives out. It was an enjoyable read.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This book reminded me of all the reasons why I love reading romances. Such an uplifting story, it left me with a lovely glow and a happy smile. I rooted for the couple at the centre of the story and thoroughly enjoyed following their second-chance romance, The setting was idyllic and the author’s gorgeous descriptions meant I could picture it easily and lose myself on the shores of the beautiful Scottish loch. Although this was my first Lilac Mills book, it definitely won’t be my last. I’m left hoping there will be a whole series to enjoy.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the author for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
I enjoy Lilac's romantic stories, and this book reaches her usual high standard. We are introduced to Tara and Calan as they are in the early stages of their relationship at university. Fast forward a few years and they've gone into marriages with other people, and careers somewhat different to their original plans. Lilac draws a beautiful picture of the setting for this book, the Isle of Skye with the loch as a backdrop, conjuring up sights of the sunrises and sunsets along with glorious walks through the varied scenery. I have read other series set in craft centres but Tara's craft is completely unique and descriptions of her work run through the book making an unusual topic within the theme.
The characters are interesting and engaging, particularly Bonnie, Cal's cheeky chatterbox daughter, a completely credible young girl. There are fun moments, lots of romance and the thrilling storm close to the end. This is contemporary romantic fiction at its best: well-written, a good plot, and fully entertaining from start to finish.