This was such an incredible read. I really loved how Cat Harwick is just like an absolute mess - she's lost her job & decides to look and travel elsewhere; to London to save her grandfather's run down castle in the Scottish Highlands. She reconnects with the son of the laird - he's disagreeable and surly but that just makes the romance so much sweeter.

I really loved all of the characters and I truly found myself loving the banter. I also loved all of the dogs, and just how it all worked together so well to really change Cat's outlook and her future. This was a very interesting fun book to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for this honest review.

F.L. Everett was able to create a beautifully done Scottish romance novel, I was engaged with what was going on and was hooked from the first page. It was a realistic romance and was glad everything flowed together and had that realistic charm.

Dreams of the Scottish Highlands by F.L. Everett is a heartwarming and enchanting read that transports the reader to the breathtaking landscapes of Scotland. With a wonderful mix of romance, humor, and self-discovery, this novel is a delightful escape.

The story follows Catrina "Cat" Hardwick, a woman who has just lost her job in London after an embarrassing romantic misstep with her boss. In need of a fresh start, she heads to the Scottish Highlands to help her godfather, Sir Alastair, save his crumbling castle from financial ruin. However, her efforts are met with resistance from Logan McCaskill, Alastair’s moody but undeniably attractive son, who remains skeptical of her plans.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of this novel is the rich cast of characters. Cat is an organized and determined protagonist, making her easy to root for, while Logan perfectly embodies the grumpy-but-loveable hero trope. Their interactions are full of tension, wit, and undeniable chemistry. The secondary characters, including the feisty housekeeper Agatha, Logan’s brother Rory, and the various loyal dogs, add depth and humor to the story, making the castle feel alive with personality.

The setting itself is beautifully described, with Everett painting a vivid picture of the Highlands. The castle, with its history and charm, becomes a character in its own right. The challenges of maintaining such an estate, from financial struggles to unpredictable weather and even midges, add a realistic touch to the narrative.

The romance between Cat and Logan is a slow burn, filled with misunderstandings, unspoken history, and undeniable attraction. Their journey from reluctant allies to something more is engaging and satisfying. The subplot involving Logan’s past relationship and his initial resistance to Cat’s ideas adds an extra layer of complexity to his character.

While the novel’s short chapters keep the pace moving quickly, at times, they feel a bit abrupt, making it harder to fully immerse in certain moments. A longer chapter structure might have allowed for more character and plot development. That said, the story remains engaging, with plenty of heartwarming and humorous moments to balance out the tension.

The novel’s climax, centered around a grand event intended to save the castle, provides a fun and dramatic twist. When things don’t go as planned, the resulting chaos makes for an entertaining and satisfying resolution. The epilogue ties up loose ends nicely, though it leaves the reader wanting just a bit more—perhaps even a sequel set in this charming world.

Overall, Dreams of the Scottish Highlands is a delightful, escapist read filled with romance, humor, and the magic of the Scottish Highlands. If you enjoy charming settings, grumpy/sunshine romances, and lovable supporting characters, this book is definitely for you. F.L. Everett has crafted a cozy and engaging story that will leave readers eager for more.

I quite enjoyed this although initially I felt sorry for Cat and mostly because she had a terrible crush on her boss. Thankfully that's short-lived and a slight mishap linked to him means she gets to go on an exciting adventure 😊

Cat seems super organised and I did laugh at the reference to her organising her Enid Blyton books... something I've done myself and that reference just helped build common ground with her as a character. There's also reference to Statdler and Waldorf in here and that stood out due to my love for Jim Henson and the Muppets in particular.

Cat's journey to the Castle and her body to save it is really fun and exciting and definitely something I'd have liked to have a go at. Her new found friendships help give a better idea of the community she's in and help give the reader a good few laughs along the way.

Cat and Logan's history is a little sad to begin but things change as the story unfolds and you get to know more about them. It'd be interesting to see what Cat sinks her teeth into next and whether Logan's ideas do ever come into fruition now that he has Cat supporting them

You doesn’t love a Scottish romance?? This is absolutely perfect for a spring/summer romance read. It was fun and entertaining, and the descriptions really make you feel as if you’re in the Highlands yourself. Off to buy my shelf trophy!
4.5

This was a lovely cosy read, and I finished it in 3 days. Realistic and well-portrayed characters with believable and relevant problems, a beautiful setting, and an easy writing style to keep you turning the pages. I'll be looking for more by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for an ARC for review. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

Thank you NetGalley for this eBook in exchange for an honest review.

The first half of this book was so strong, I really enjoyed most of the characters, but especially Alastair and Agatha and the lovely household dogs. I did laugh out loud several times, which is always a plus in a book.

The setting was lovely but I’m biased because I love Scotland and everything about it.

The second half is where it fell off for me. It was not as good as the first, I think it lost the two stars there but the ending was nice.

I ABSOLUTELY adored this book!

I have been in a bit of reading slump, DNFing sooo many books lately but this book hooked me from the moment Logan appeared on the page!

This book contains:
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Sexy, grumpy Scottish Lord (Laird) MMC (I mean WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT?)
💗 Relatable FMC. Cat was easy to like and I was rooting from her from the start!
🗻 The Highlands of Scotland!
🏰 Crumbling castles
⚡️ So much spark between the two MCs!
✨ The perfect amount of conflict to keep you hooked!
🍬 Sweet romance. I usually prefer my books more spicy than this, but I still enjoyed it immensely and sweet romance readers are going to devour it!

The only thing I didn't love about this book was that in the epilogue we also got two couples who were side characters reveals and endings. I would have LOVED to read Alice and Mel's books too! 😍

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the ARC.

This book was amazing! This book transported me to the Scottish highlands and it was so atmospheric! The romance was just what I wanted in a book!

Dreams of the Scottish Highlands
by F.L. Everett

In desperate need of a fresh start after a tumultuous breakup, Cat Hardwick decides to leave her bustling city life behind and embark on a journey to the remote Scottish Highlands. Upon her arrival at her godfather’s sprawling estate, a grand yet aging castle surrounded by breathtaking landscapes of rolling hills and shimmering lochs, she hopes that revisiting the enchanting place from her childhood will help heal her shattered heart.

However, her plans are met with resistance from her godfather’s son, Logan McCaskill. As Cat remembers from her youth, Logan is still grumpy and irritating, but he also possesses an undeniable charm with his thick, tousled black hair and striking dark brown eyes that seem to pierce through to her very soul. His brooding demeanour only intensifies the magnetic pull between them, making her find him both infuriating and alluring.

The characters in this story are richly developed and authentic, each contributing significantly to Cat’s journey of self-discovery and transformation, as well as to the fate of the castle itself, which is steeped in history and mystery. The story unfolds across two timelines, a structure I usually find cumbersome. However, in this case, the brief chapters set in the past seamlessly weave together with the present, offering just enough backstory to enhance the current storyline without detracting from its flow.

This book offers readers a heartwarming experience filled with cozy moments and romantic tension, inviting them to escape into the enchanting beauty of the Scottish Highlands. romantic escape to the Scottish Highlands.

Dreams of the Scottish Highlands by F.L Everett takes the reader to Scotland and focuses on a family who reside in a castle that needs a desperate injection of cash. But the ideas they have had to make this become a reality have sadly been unsuccessful or else not worthy of developing. In steps Cat who herself needs a change in her life having lost her job and now everything she held dear has more or less imploded thanks to an inappropriate passion for her boss that she can’t seem to shake. Cat has rightly screwed up her life and she doesn’t know how to come back from it. All her hopes, dreams, romantic plans and schemes now lie in tatters. Taking a train to the West Highlands she hopes the opportunity to rejuvenate the fortunes of Iolair Castle will give her the boost she needs in her own life. Alastair, the laird of the castle, is her mother’s godfather and Cat feels a connection to the castle as she was once on holidays there with her family many years ago. Although the impact of what happened at that time still lingers long in her mind and she wonders whether she is ready to see someone once again who created these lasting impressions.

Cat is very organised and driven and she has had lots of experience of events through her former job. She is competent and likes routine and order and is determined that shew ill find a way that could make money for the castle so the family don’t have to sell it. When she arrives she finds an eclectic cast of characters living and working there including the vast array of dogs who bring a lot of humour throughout the story. Alastair seems to have his head in the clouds when it comes to the finances and future of the castle where as his son Logan knows that something needs to be done but he is not happy that his ideas for his kitchen garden and a hydroelectric scheme have been dismissed. Cat settle herself into life at the castle and she slowly begins to become used to the ways and eccentricities of the people and the castle itself. It’s providing her with perfect opportunity to put some distance between the mess she has made of her life and deciding what her next steps should be. But still the events of the holiday she had with her family 15 years earlier have a forbearing on how she is acting in the present and she feels she can’t act on a certain feeling that is gathering in intensity with every day that she spends at the castle.

The cast of characters was so varied in this book and lots of them provided numerous humorous moments that balanced some of the more intense times that featured every now and again. Donald and his wife Ishbel look after the castle and grounds Agatha is the cook/housekeeper but she was portrayed as the mother figure to them all and she is the one who perhaps plays the most important role towards the end of the book. Rory, Alastair’s other son, does come back from New York and plays a crucial role in the climax of the plot, attempting to save the castle. But really it’s Logan who I found myself deeply interested in. From the get go he comes across as moody and stand offish and is resistant to any suggestions put forward by Cat. He prefers to spend his days tending to his kitchen garden and cooking in the evenings in the local pub. He is rude, dismissive, bad tempered, grumpy and difficult, arrogant, bull headed and fiercely resistant to change. But yet there is something abut him that is deeply attractive and through chapters told from Cat’s perspective on that family holiday we find out what happened all those years ago and how a spark could potentially be ignited.

I felt Cat didn’t do a huge amount to find ideas to resolve the issues surrounding the castle until Rory arrived. Then a spurt was put under people and different strands of the story started to come together and Cat got more involved as I felt she was at a loss as to what to do at certain points and she appeared a bit aimless in regarding solving the reason as to why she was actually at the castle in the first place. I loved the ideas that started to spring forth and the fact that there was a bit of angst and a dilemma to solve. When things go belly up it all added to the fun and drama towards the end. As for the epilogue, I loved how things were all wrapped up but at the same time I did have that feeling of wanting a little bit more or perhaps another book with the same setting with the addition of some new characters.

The book overall was a nice, easy, relaxed and gentle read. There was nothing too taxing about the plot and at times there was a slight air of predictability around it but still that didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of it. What I will say though is the chapters were far too short and therefore it led to quite a number of chapters in the book. The chapters in my opinion certainly needed to be longer because I felt that mini events arose in a chapter and were dealt with more or less by the end of said chapter before moving on to the next and it was just too much. At other points, I felt I was only getting into the chapter and then it was over and therefore not much development and exploration could occur. Longer chapters would have definitely been more welcome as I could have gotten to know the characters in much more depth and events could have been given greater attention as well. Saying all that if you want if you want an delightful, escapist and heart-warming read with some fun antics and romance and thrown in than this is the book for you.

Set in a castle in Scotland, this is such a lovely read.

It's not often I like all the characters in a book, but I can safely say I did in this one.

Cat is lovely and full of positivity but has a tendency to overthink too much at times. Logan is extremely grumpy but with a soft heart underneath. I loved the exchanges between them and hoped they may come together to save the castle.

A full range of wonderful supporting characters and dogs certainly added to the story. They were all relatable and I think my favourite has to be the fiesty and funny Agatha.

I loved the ending, especially when the event to save the castle goes horribly wrong, but the author throws in a little twist.

This is a grumpy/sunshine read which is heartwarming and fun, and I couldn't put it down.

I would love to read more from this author in the future.

Cat is tasked with finding a way to save a crumbling castle belonging to a family connection. Out of work as an events organizer, and still pining for her ex-boss, Cat thinks this might be just the project to re-direct her life. Woven through the story are flashbacks to when she was sixteen and her first meeting with the future laird of the castle. In the present, one night stranded during a storm proves to be enough to rekindle her feelings for Logan.

This a new author for me and was happy to get it from Netgalley for a review. The description and setting drew me to the book. Cat works in high end events in London and has always fancied Oliver her boss but he had a girlfriend. In a drunken moment she told him how she felt and ended losing her job. He mothers god father stays in a castle in the Highlands of Scotland. Alastair asks for Cats help as the castle is in a bad way and money is running out fast. Logan,the heir to the castle,helps his father,he grows vegetables on the estate and I more into ecology. Cat visited the area when she was 16 so knew Logan and his brother Rory. She had her eyes on Logan but he was 2 years older and she didn’t think he could be bothered with her plus he had a girlfriend,Marina.So when she saw him,her old feelings returned and he was very handsome. Cat finds out Logan was to be married to Marina but decides the night before he can’t go through with the wedding. Cat thought there best way of making money was to open the castle for events but first they would need to spend money doing it up. Logan was against all this. Cat finds Logan a bit grumpy but still finds him attractive. They set out to visit a both on the land ,Cat thinks it could attract visitors but the weather changes for the worse and there is a downpour and the fast flowing bridge ends up collapsing the old bridge. By the time the arrive at the bothy,Cat,who wasn’t dressed for the weather gets soaked. Luckily there is a fire,single bed and Logan has some provisions. Due to the cold,they end up sharing the bed and one things leads to another. They are interrupted in the morning when the are saved so no mention is made of their night. Things carry on,Rory comes back from New York and wants to help save the castle so they decide on having a ceilidh,only problem is it’s in 2 weeks time. You must read the book to find out if they save the castle and what happens with Cat and Logan. I couldn’t put the book down,just loved it.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'Dreams Of The Scottish Highlands' by F. L. Everett

This may be the first book I have read by this author but it most definitely won't be my last!!

WOW!!!! What can I say?!?! What an absolutely beautiful book that I fell in love with!!! I cannot wait to read more books by this extremely talented author! Well done Everett!!! How on Earth have I never read any of your books before? Absolutely smashed it!!!!!!! This may be the first book I have read by this author but it most definitely will not be my last!! This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions creating the perfect atmosphere for the storyline. The book cover and synopsis works perfectly with the book plot and I am most definitely looking forward to reading more books by this incredible author. I have absolutely no idea how this is the first time I have read one of this incredible author's books but I am so glad I have rectified that problem and I cannot wait to get hooked into more books by FL Everett. OMG!!! I absolutely LOVED this gorgeous page turner!! An absolutely gorgeous page turner by Debbie Morrison. I won't go into the details of they storyline as the synopsis does a perfectly beautiful job of telling you all about it so if you want to know more you will have to grab your copy of this stunning page turner to find out for yourselves!!! I can promise that you will not regret it!! This book is beautifully written with vivid descriptions setting the picture perfectly in the readers mind. The title, description and cover works perfectly with the storyline.

I absolutely love, Love, LOVE this absolutely stunning book which is perfect for anyone looking for a sofa escape so don't even waste your time reading more than this and go and grab your copy now!! However, if you need any further convincing I will tell you a bit about the book and how I felt about it. This book is an absolutely gorgeous, romantic and unique escape!!! In this heart-warming storyline Everett will whisk you away to London where we meet Cat Hardwick. Cat has just lost her job as well as the man that she loves so is looking to start her life again. When her Godfather Sir Alastair gives her the opportunity to help save his Scottish Highlands Castle it could not have come at a better time. Cat used to visit when she was younger and jumps at the opportunity. She heads to the Scottish Highlands and when she sees the Castle she decides event planning is the way to save it. However she hits a setback in the form of Alastair's son Logan McCaskill who disagrees with everything that she suggests. This is not the first time Cat has met Logan and he is still as irritating but yet just as attractive as she remembers him being! Will Cat and Logan be able to work together to save the castle? Will it just be the castle that gets mended or will broken hearts be fixed along the way? Well, there is only one way to find out and that is by grabbing your copy of this absolutely stunning page turner today and I can promise that you will not regret it!! You can thank me later!! With a gorgeous storyline ram packed with stunning locations, humour, amazing characters, romance, brilliant dogs, plot twists and more than you can want what on Earth are you waiting for?? This book will have you laughing until you have tears streaming down your face and hooked until you read the last word! I was completely swept away with the storyline and loved having a holiday in the beautiful Scottish Highlands looking over the gorgeous area. I was utterly glued to the pages and I could not bring myself to put it down. I was carrying my kindle around with me every chance that I got as I just could not put it down and ended up devouring it in one sitting then being gutted I had finished it so quickly!! tis is one stunning book with a stunning location that I would absolutely love to visit!! I was devastated when I came to the end of this gorgeous mini break away and had to get back to reality in windy and wet Wales. I cannot wait to get stuck into more books by this extremely talented author and hope she is busy writing the next one as I am writing this! I would absolutely love to return to the castle and see all the characters again so I am hoping that Everett may consider creating more books set here, hint hint!

Clear your schedules and grab the tissues as this is one gorgeous and unputdownable stunner that will keep you hooked and laughing until you have tears streaming down your face❤️

I absolutely loved getting to know the characters in this book who were all strong, realistic. I became completely invested in each and every one of them. They all had their own problems, secrets, feelings and all had unique personalities and I just absolutely loved getting to know them all. The main character Cat is an absolutely fantastic female protagonist and I was rooting for her from the start to the end. I am not going to say much more about the characters will leave for you to meet them for yourselves when you grab your copy of this page turner! I will say that with all the characters, Thanks to Everett's fantastic writing skills she ensured I felt each of their love , friendship, joy, heartbreak, happiness and so much more. Everett does an absolutely amazing job of bringing the story to life and the characters leap out of the pages as your turning them Thanks to her evocative writing skills!! Well done F.L.Everett!!! I am hoping to meet several of the characters in her future books.

Congratulations F.L Everett on an absolutely gorgeous and heart-warming read filled with everything you could ever ask for in a page turner!!! I am looking forward to reading more of your books and would absolutely love to see this book turned into a movie!!! This is why I would like to welcome you to my favourite author list and here's to your next success 🥂

Overall an absolutely gorgeous escapism that will keep you glued to the pages and warm your heart ❤️!!!

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Cat loses her job at a London events company in embarrassing circumstances. An opportunity arises for her to visit a castle in the Scottish Highlands to help with finding a way to make the castle profitable. She visited there once before when she was 16 and fell for the young heir, Logan. When she meets Logan again he is as dashing as before, but moody and seemingly still in love with his ex. Cat has ideas to help the castle, but Logan is opposed to every single one.

I loved the characters in this story. Cat was sweet and relatable, I enjoyed the contrast with Logan's grumpiness and their will they/won't they relationship.
The other characters were also really interesting too. My favourite was Agatha the cook/housekeeper who is a force to be reckoned with. She's clearly the real person in charge of the castle!

The setting of the Highlands and the castle was wonderful, I could really picture it in my head and would love to visit. I loved that the author includes the realistic aspects of the weather and the midges!

I'm reviewing this via NetGalley, as part of a tour with Bookouture.

I've read some previous books by this author, and I enjoyed them, so when I heard about this one, it appealed to me. The other books I read by this author were cosy mysteries, which I enjoyed. This, however, is a romance, and I found it equally charming.

The protagonist is Cat, who I immediately warmed to, as I found her endearing and a little bit relatable. Cat realises that she needs a change in life, and heads to Castle Iolair, which she remembers fondly from childhood.

I enjoyed the Scottish Highlands setting, and the book had some loveable characters too. Logan made my heart melt, and I really liked Cat's friend, Alice, as she made me giggle. I enjoyed Cat's sense of humour as well. This book was full of heartwarming and humorous moments, and it brought a smile to my face.

Thank you to Bookouture, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

With an appealing setting in the remote and rugged Scottish Highlands, this romance filled with family drama and humour is an engaging read. Cat is a successful celebrity event planner in London. Driven to work all hours, Cat has secret romantic longings for her boss. When she uncharacteristically shares her feelings, it ends in disaster, and she is grateful when her mother suggests a place to run to and rebuild her life. What she finds at the rundown but lovely castle changes her outlook on life, but nothing is easy, and she clashes with the owner's son. Unwanted attraction simmers between Cat and Logan into passion, but are they too different to find lasting happiness? I enjoyed Cat and Logan's emotional relationship. I like the immersive writing that invests you in the battle to save the castle. There are many humorous moments to balance the intense emotions, and the cast of characters all add to the story.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

DREAMS OF THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS by F.L. Everett is an enchanting escape to the Scottish Highlands. This contemporary romance’s main character, Cat, has lost her London job and is looking for a new start helping her godfather find ways to save his run-down Scottish Highlands castle. This has a slow burn romance with a curmudgeonly son of the laird, but it also has a cast of family and friends that make this so much more than just a romance.

Catrina “Cat” Hardwick lost her job and the man she loves. When her mother tells her about an opportunity to help her godfather, Sir Alastair, in Scotland, she jumps at the chance to get out of London and return to the beautiful place she visited as a young girl. When she arrives, she discovers the disrepair of the castle and offers her assistance as an event planner to bring in revenue to repair and save the castle.

Logan McCaskill is the eldest son and just as attractive as Cat remembered. He is also still disagreeable and irritating. He is opposed to every suggestion Cat and her godfather suggest. While touring the estate a storm forces them to seek shelter and Cat wonders if this could be the new start she was looking for, but Logan’s old flame reappears in town and Cat feels she may have lost her new home and family forever.

I loved all the characters in this story, including all the various dogs. The humans are all fully developed, believable, and played important roles in changing Cat’s life and saving the castle. The dialogue between Cat and Logan is fun to read with their very different attitudes, but I felt there was a little too much at the beginning of the story spent on Cat’s inner dialogue and her self-negativity which slowed the pace and became a bit repetitive. I also wish Cat and Logan had just communicated more. I don’t enjoy romance plot problems based solely on not communicating. When the event to save the castle ends up being hilarious and does not go quite as planned, the author finds a brilliant solution plot twist to save the castle that was unexpectedly perfect.

I recommend this entertaining contemporary romance. Overall, this is an enjoyable read in a beautiful setting with a heartwarming romantic ending.

Cat Hardwick is in need of a new beginning. She is heartbroken and unemployed, when her godfather phones her and asks her to come to Scotland and help remodel his estate. The timing is perfect so she thinks why not? She hasn’t been to the Scottish Highlands since she was a child.

When she arrives at the estate it’s not at all like she remembered it. With its deteriorating condition, she’s not sure if she can handle the task.

She uses her event planning skills to help give vision to the renovation. But when Logan McCaskill, her godfather’s son, steps in and disagrees with every idea she has, she wonders if this is all a big mistake. He hasn’t changed much since she knew him when they were kids.

He is still just as irritating but she is also finding herself very attracted to him like she did when then they were young. But she is only in Scotland temporarily or at least that is her current plan.

Dreams of the Scottish Highlands, written by author F.L. Everett, is a lovely story from cover to cover. The wonderful detailed description of highlands was a great escape, transporting me to Scotland. With its amazing characters and storyline of second chances and new beginnings, it is sure to be a fan favorite.

This is the perfect book to curl up in your comfy chair with a blanket. This delightful story is one that you will want to read in one sitting, while giving you the hope of second chances that don’t come around very often.

I highly recommend this cozy unforgettable romance, a definite must read.