Inviting you to spend a Summer in the Scottish Highlands.
Escape to the gorgeous little village of Lockton in the Scottish Highlands, where you’ll discover sunshine, secrets and an unforgettable romance. It’s the perfect place to be this summer…
Thirty-year-old Paige Dougall’s life is a mess. Only a year ago she was smashing all of her life goals: handsome husband, high-flying job, cute kid. But in just under twelve months everything has gone wrong. Nursing a broken heart, single mother Paige returns to her childhood home in a picture-perfect Scottish village to try and get her life together.
Paige is too wrapped up in her worries to embrace the beautiful rolling hills and lavender-scented air of the highlands. That is until Johnny Becker, the infuriatingly cheerful chef, with his twinkling eyes and dimpled smile, steps onto the scene and provides Paige with some much-needed distraction…
Johnny challenges Paige to step outside her comfort zone and focus on the things that really matter. From food tasting, to puppy training, to mountain climbing, in every moment she spends with Johnny, Paige finds herself remembering how to live again… will she be able to love again too?
Across long sunshine-filled days, Paige and Johnny grow closer and she’s tempted to open her heart to him. But is happy-go-lucky Johnny hiding secrets of his own?
And can Paige learn to let go of her past and find happiness in the highlands?
A gorgeous, moving summer romance novel about finding joy in the small things and discovering what really matters in life. Perfect for fans of Nicola May, Sarah Morgan and Cathy Bramley.
My review of Summer In The Scottish Highlands
Paige and her little girl, Grace, come home to her parents in the little village of Lockton in the Scottish Highlands to spend what she thinks is a few days. The first person she meets is Johnny, who seems to be a new comer to the village. Off to a turbulent start thanks to Johnny’s puppy, Mack, Paige is not impressed with this man who seems so laid back and quite similar to her ex husband.
Paige and Johnny seem to suffer from the same problem. Going after their dreams and goals seems to lead them to stress and breakdown. Paige has been forced to take a break and since her house in London is not ready for her to occupy, she is forced to to come live with her parents. Johnny, having learned the hard way, what stress can lead to, has opted for a commitment free life in Lockton. While there are sparks between them, Paige is determined to go back to London and Johnny can’t think of making an commitment to keep her in Lockton.
I loved how this story evolved. Despite her fears of rejection from the community she left behind in a hurry, Paige is accepted with open arms by the villages. She’s tasked with refurbishment and relaunch of the library she worked in when she was younger. Meanwhile, Johnny who has been recruited to help her with the library, manages to draw her out and he’s determined to make her relish food again. This calls for him to try out new things and rediscover the joy of cooking, a passion he turned into a profession, but no longer really gives his all to.
This is such a sweet story and one that I’ll remember for a long time. With a lovely young child, a naughty dog, family that’s will to forgive and be there and a supportive and loving community. The community consists of a great deal of interesting characters who are ready to give a lot of their time and effort to make Lockton a thriving village.
The author has created a great cast of characters and her descriptions of the Scottish countryside leave one with a longing to visit.
Under the humour and romance, I found this to be a story of redemption of sorts, with both the main characters gradually becoming better and more centred versions of themselves.
Meet The Author
Donna Ashcroft was born in London and grew up in Buckinghamshire. She went to university in Lancashire and, among other things, worked as a copywriter, buyer, waitress, secretary and marketing manager.
Donna wrote novels for over ten years before being published. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and was a joint winner of the Katie Fforde Bursary in 2017.
Donna loves a happy ending and is never happier than when she’s escaping into a romance novel or movie. When she’s not reading or writing she’ll probably be found hoovering … or negotiating with her teenagers about who is doing the washing up.
Connect with her on her website | Facebook | Twitter
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