Scan barcode
A review by mjhpjansen
A Scottish Country Escape by Julie Shackman
5.0
Bestselling author Julie Shackman returns with a beautiful new spring romance set in the Scottish Highlands, the 4th book in the Scottish escapes series. This brand new novel will be published March 16, 2023. I would like to thank Netgalley and One More Chapter Harper Collins UK for the review copy I received.
We meet Elle Cassidy after a heartbreaking family tragedy. Determined to overcome the grief, she decides to reopen her late mother’s newsagency in the quiet Scottish town of Fir Haven. With help of her grandmother Clara she turns it into a stationery shop called Paper Roses.
At the day of the opening, Elle and local resident Linda Carlucci almost get run over by handsome but arrogant crime writer Dexter Grayling in his brutal sports car. He just moved to town and soon discovers that ms.Carlucci in her anger over the almost-accident, put a spell on him, giving him writer's block.
Dexter asks for Elles help to locate ms.Carlucci and even though she finds him arrogant and self-absorbed she has to put aside her dislike to help him uncover the mystery about what is really going on with the Carlucci's. But there is a lot more to Elle's beloved Fir Haven as she soon will realise.
Last year I read The cottage in the Highlands, the 3rd book in the Scottish escapes series. The cosy mystery feelgood style captured me and soon after I read the first two books as well. Ms. Shackman writes about what she knows and loves. As a former journalist, she builds great stories with a lot of love for details. The pace of the story is a bit slower than you might expect with so many things going on, but that's what makes it cosy. She takes time to perfectly paint a picture and set surroundings. She carefully crafts the puzzle that solves the mystery and I think that is brilliant. The characters have different layers and develop along with the story. As they get to know eachother, so do you. The plot has some interesting twists I never saw coming. Although cosy and not fast paced, the storylines are quite full. You have enough going on to stay interested. There are some secrets in this story and the paranormal twist is very original and well worked out.
Summarizing, Julie Shackman knows how to tell a great story, I said it before and she delivers again. She really takes you to Scotland as it is so well written and detailed, you feel like you are there yourself. The characters steal your heart and you can relate to most of them. The dialogues are spot on, sharp and witty. Everything is crafted with much love for detail and no haste, the romance included. The mystery and the paranormal twist is what makes this story really stand out.
We meet Elle Cassidy after a heartbreaking family tragedy. Determined to overcome the grief, she decides to reopen her late mother’s newsagency in the quiet Scottish town of Fir Haven. With help of her grandmother Clara she turns it into a stationery shop called Paper Roses.
At the day of the opening, Elle and local resident Linda Carlucci almost get run over by handsome but arrogant crime writer Dexter Grayling in his brutal sports car. He just moved to town and soon discovers that ms.Carlucci in her anger over the almost-accident, put a spell on him, giving him writer's block.
Dexter asks for Elles help to locate ms.Carlucci and even though she finds him arrogant and self-absorbed she has to put aside her dislike to help him uncover the mystery about what is really going on with the Carlucci's. But there is a lot more to Elle's beloved Fir Haven as she soon will realise.
Last year I read The cottage in the Highlands, the 3rd book in the Scottish escapes series. The cosy mystery feelgood style captured me and soon after I read the first two books as well. Ms. Shackman writes about what she knows and loves. As a former journalist, she builds great stories with a lot of love for details. The pace of the story is a bit slower than you might expect with so many things going on, but that's what makes it cosy. She takes time to perfectly paint a picture and set surroundings. She carefully crafts the puzzle that solves the mystery and I think that is brilliant. The characters have different layers and develop along with the story. As they get to know eachother, so do you. The plot has some interesting twists I never saw coming. Although cosy and not fast paced, the storylines are quite full. You have enough going on to stay interested. There are some secrets in this story and the paranormal twist is very original and well worked out.
Summarizing, Julie Shackman knows how to tell a great story, I said it before and she delivers again. She really takes you to Scotland as it is so well written and detailed, you feel like you are there yourself. The characters steal your heart and you can relate to most of them. The dialogues are spot on, sharp and witty. Everything is crafted with much love for detail and no haste, the romance included. The mystery and the paranormal twist is what makes this story really stand out.