Spending Christmas in your own Scottish Castle but not how you expected…

Synopsis

Izzy McBride had never in a million years expected to inherit an actual castle from her great uncle Bill but here she was, in the run up to Christmas, Monarch of her own Glen – a very rundown glen in need of a lot of TLC if her dream of turning it into a boutique bed and breakfast was to come true. 

But when Izzy’s eccentric mother rents a room to enigmatic thriller author Ross Adair and the Scottish snow starts to settle like the frosting on a Christmas cake, it’s a race to get the castle ready before they’re all snowed in for the holidays.

My review

Izzy never expected to inherit a real castle in Scotland from her great uncle Bill. However, it couldn’t have been a more perfect place to start her own boutique bed and breakfast. But the castle is in dire need of a lot of TLC, and Izzy is determined to use this Christmas period to give the place all the love it needs.
But what Izzy didn’t count on, was that her eccentric mother had plans of her own and has people to rent rooms of the castle. What started with renting the room to Ross, an enigmatic writer, is slowly growing in hosting a real Christmas party for people who aren’t afraid to pay a huge amount of money. Which only makes Izzy more anxious for the high expectations. And she absolutely needs the help of everyone staying at the place to make the castle Christmas – ready.
And while prepping the place, perhaps Izzy and Ross will find out that a castle is the perfect place to fall in love if only they dared to?

It took me literally a few minutes to recognize Izzy and I was absolutely over the moon that I would have the chance to get to know her better and read her story.

Inheriting a real castle in Scotland seemed to me totally over the top, exaggerating, but also some kind of wonderful thing if that happened to me. But well, I have no relatives in Scotland, so my dreams are in vain!

Izzy is such a loveable and recognizable character. Her inheriting a castle didn’t turn her somehow into a snob, she just remained the down – to – earth person she was before. And seeing how now she has the opportunity to realize her dream, was exactly what I wished for her.
Yet seeing her also doubting her own abilities, which we know she has, made her also more real. Because no matter that she went to the famous cookery school, she still isn’t believing she actual is up to the job.

I found it frustrating yet also hilarious to see how her own mother was driving Izzy crazy. While Xanthe seems to be oblivious the extra stress and drama she is causing, it’s also clear she is doing things with the best intentions, even if she does it very loudly.

I loved spending time at the castle together with all the characters. And the more characters arrived at the castle, the more I liked Izzy. Because she is just such a kind and welcoming character!
The extra guests in this book are a lovely addition, with their own stories to tell, but not taking away too much the spotlight on Izzy. In fact, they only brighten the spotlight on Izzy even more!

While initially Ross was enigmatic and even obnoxious, slowly he shows that in truth he is also one of the kindest persons.
And when his own parents arrive at the castle too, I could understand why he behaved previously the way he did.

Obviously, Ross is Izzy’s love interest in this story. But while Ross is a lovely character, he infuriated me at times too! He just goes hot and cold in a blink of a moment. And with Izzy’s history in relationships, I completely agreed with her when she decided to not accept such behaviour for her own sake.
If Ross decides to be a coward (Izzy’s words, not mine!), Izzy is not going to sit and wait for a ‘maybe’.

And I loved reading how Izzy and her bunch of new found friends are changing the castle into a wonderful place, building strong friendships and even trying to solve a mystery.
But what struck me the most is how Izzy has grown before and during the story. She got burned once by love, and now she is not letting anyone make a fool of her again. Or you like someone and go for her, or you don’t. If you are not ready to commit, just don’t bother…
Love can be a scary thing, but for the right person it’s worth the jump!