This was a really fast and sad read. The poor nightingale. 

This was a fun book! I like this series because it doesn’t center around lairds but the guards. In this particular story the hero is actually older and thinking about retiring as a warrior which was cool to see, opposed to the more common battle ready hero’s that always seem to be fighting. The hero and heroine were both lovable as were the second couple that fell in love. In some ways this book was short enough, and with some chapters focusing on a second couple, it kind of felt like reading two novellas. Can’t wait to read the next book in the series! 

Ooof. I don’t usually rate books less than three stars but I’m torn between one and two stars for this. The idea could have been great but the execution was just really bad. Aside from the fact that it felt like a lot of really cliche scenes at times, the dialogue was also really cringey. If you’ve ever heard the advice show don’t tell, I feel like the first half of the book was just the characters telling us how noble they are with very little action to actually back those claims up. There were also just inconsistencies in the story that made me think this could be improved a lot had there been a good beta reader. I won’t completely write off the author based on this first read, because maybe it’s one of their first books? But it’ll definitely be a while before I give another one a shot. 

I received an ARC of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This was a cute collection of wholesome holiday romances, though some were a bit difficult to get into. The first story, the Holly and the Ivy, started more sad than I was prepared for, but it was ultimately a sweet story. The second story, Hiding Christmas, started with what felt like a ridiculous premise, but I didn't know there was a time where Christmas celebrations were banned in Scotland so it was cool to learn something new. Of the four stories included, these first two had to do a lot with grief (loss of parent, loss of sibling/grandchild). The third story, A Twist of Christmas, started with me hating the hero, because who did he think he was? Again it was a cute story, but it dragged a bit and then concluded quickly, and I think I might have preferred to have some insight into the other couple (Jemma and Henry) instead. The last story, A Season to Love, might have been my favorite, especially since I really liked Mr. Perry! It also sounded like the sisters had their own stories as well as this one focused on the youngest. I'll likely be going back to read the stories by this author about the other sisters! Overall, this was a nice collection, but be prepared that some stories deal with grief, and I would describe each romance as wholesome (no spicy scenes). 

 

I really struggled to read this book. Especially in the beginning. There’s a lot of pain, and quite a few trigger warnings that I wish I had checked or seen before starting. Is the writing beautiful, yes, but I mostly felt sad consuming it. Maybe this just wasn’t the right time for me to pick this book up. Content warnings for suicidal thoughts, child abuse, physical abuse, alcoholism, emotional abuse, relationship abuse, rape, sexual assault. 

I love Alice and Nicholas but I also LOVE Baldred and Joanna and I can’t believe there isn’t some small novella where I can see more of them. Also where is Robert and Daisy’s story because I feel so terribly teased. Not fair that the last book in the series has me desperate for more! 

What a slow burn compared to the other books in this series! But I love Gemma and Declan. I love the way they just fit together so well as a couple. As always the secondary characters were wonderful too. Except Maud. I want to drop kick Maud in the way that I wanted to drop kick Lydia Bennet, in that I’m pretty sure I’d be doing everyone a favor. 

A lovely story about love and grief and how joy and sorrow can come hand in hand. At first I didn’t think Ross and Caitlin’s story would be my favorite but then by the epilogue I was tearing up! Hope to see the members of Westcairn again in the following books in the series!

Gabriel and Meg probably have the funniest start to their romance so far in the series. Things can get pretty comical when there’s a curse involved. I really enjoyed their story as well as the inclusion of some recurring characters from book two! Hopefully they all stick around for book four as well. 

I’m obsessed with Callum and Julianna. Their story was perfect. I loved the whole gang actually and I really really hope to see more of them. I NEED to know what happens with Brida and Tomag. My heart might not know peace until I do.