A pink hotel with more secrets than who’s owning and also staying in it…

Synopsis

One hotel. One week. And a secret that could change everything.

Ever-optimistic Briony Dalgleish has watched her dreams evaporate. Now, the only way to save her beautiful hotel in the Scottish Highlands is to sell up. In desperation, she agrees to a deal with an American businessman, but when his representative arrives, Briony recognises him as someone she’d rather forget.

American sci-fi geek Zach Somerton is on a last-ditch mission to redeem himself after an epic business fail. If he messes up this time, his career is over. But Scotland’s like another planet, and Zach’s facing crazy locals, bizarre legends, and a woman who’s out of this world. When his boss forbids him to reveal to Briony the real reason he’s at the Loch View Hotel, Zach’s loyalty is tested to the limit.

Forced to work together, Briony and Zach investigate the hotel’s murky past and face up to their own. But getting too close could end their careers. Can Briony and Zach find a way to let in love? Or will secrets and lies crush their chance of happiness?

My review

Briony Dalgeish has always been known for being an optimist. But now, not only does she have a failed marriage, but also her dream to run the Loch View Hotel may evaporate, as she has no way to save it on her own. Her last chance is a deal with an American businessman, hoping that she will be allowed to keep working at the hotel.
But her hopes turn into shock when the representative arrives in the form of sci – fi geek Zach Somerton. Because Zach is the same person she met five years ago and felt an immediate click with, only to be left betrayed when she discovered it was all part of a bet.
Even if Zach recognizes Briony too, his focus is on a mission to show his worth after an immense fail.
But quickly the both of them realize that the hotel has secrets of its own, and in order to save it, Briony and Zach work together. However, the closer they get to the truth, the more they realize that the truth may be the end of their careers… And then there is still that lingering attraction that even time couldn’t diminish…

I always find it lovely yet also a bit tragic when there are characters in a book wanting to do the right thing, follow their dreams, but for some reason or another, they just cannot…

Just like Briony… she loves working in hospitality, but being the owner of a hotel isn’t easy for her. We all know that being an owner of just anything brings more financial problems, but we also all know that once you have a dream, you know you just have to try.

That passion is obvious in Briony, and even if she has no other option than selling the place, I admired how she also cared about the people working at the hotel. She doesn’t make any promises she cannot keep, but she also wants to make sure they are not left in the dark and on their own.

But I admired her also in the romance aspect. On her own she found the courage to leave her scumbag husband, who is even a bigger scumbag than I initially thought (yet also exactly how I suspected him to be).
And even if love/lust at first sight is not something I believe is, I admired her how she kept Zach at distance after being been played years ago.

However, Zach, despite his past meeting with Briony, just had something that made me like him. I always have a soft spot for the geeky – nerdy man, as they always manage to surprise me in an amazing way.
It’s crystal – clear he feels like a fish out of water in the job he is currently doing. Yet I loved him even more for the reasons he kept the job he dislikes, for a greater purpose. When a man puts his own happiness aside for someone else’s, you know he is a great guy.

And then there is the fact that Zach wants to help Briony, even if it goes against his (or rather his boss’s) wishes. It shows again what a great character Zach is, by doing the right thing and not the thing that has been told him to be doing.

Let that just be what brings Briony and Zach closer, even after the initial clash. With Zach staying at the hotel, and even going beyond by helping Briony on many levels (even against scumbag – ex), Briony sees that her initial feeling of Zach, the one of many years ago, was a correct feeling.

I loved reading how they slowly got together, sticking together and understood each other on so many levels despite the short time they knew each other.

There are several secrets revealed in this story. The one concerning the hotel, and certain valuable bottles, may have an effect on the main characters’ story, but the secret concerning Zach was the most emotional one.
For all that, the combination of these secrets made sure that I got the ending I was hoping for.

I found this a great start of a brand new series, filled with a few mysteries, but mainly filled with lovely characters. Characters that through this wonderful story learn to allow themselves to pursue and follow their own dreams and not make the sacrifices for someone else. Characters that learn that following their heart will make them happier than they ever thought. And this all taking place in a wonderful setting. What else could I possibly want more? 😊