When romance and love are dead…

Synopsis

Get ready to fall in love with the brand new romance in the Scottish Escapes series from bestselling author, Julie Shackman.

When romance author Rosie Winters’s own fairytale romance ends with a bang, she’s determined to get away from everything. Packing up her belongings she sets off for the furthest place she can think of: Scotland.

Rosie spent her summers at her late grandmother’s coastal cottage in the Highlands and knows it’ll be the perfect place to wallow for a while. Even better that there’s a gorgeous lighthouse and dolphins in the bay.

What Rosie didn’t expect was to bump into the new lighthouse keeper, Mitch. Despite her recent heartbreak, Rosie finds herself fascinated by the mysterious Mitch. As they spend more time together, is it possible that he needs Rosie every bit as she needs him…

My review

Rosie Winters had it all: her books are a real success, and she is in a loving marriage with Joe. His flaw though is that he is always late for anything. Even at Rosie’s latest book launch, Joe cannot manage to get there on time, not surprising Rosie at all. But while talking to him on the phone, Rosie’s world falls apart when Joe has an accident. However, Joe’s death isn’t the only shock Rosie gets, as she quickly after the funeral learns that her marriage wasn’t that perfect as she thought it was. Rosie needs to get away from everyone and everything, thus she escapes as far as possible as she can. And that brings her to her late grandmother’s coastal cottage in the highlands. There she can hide and wallow on her own, while admiring the beauty of the place. However, her peace and quiet aren’t all that peaceful and quiet, as people know about her,  and her grandmother. And then there is Mitch, the new lighthouse keeper and her neighbour. Not only finds Rosie being fascinated  by his presence, but he also is there in time of need. But is it Rosie that needs Mitch, or does Mitch need Rosie too?

There are series that I am truly invested in. And from the moment a new book is out in that series, I don’t care about the blurb, I just have to read it. This book is exactly like that. I saw the author has written something new, and I didn’t care what it would be about, I knew I wanted to read it. Perhaps it is even an advantage not knowing what it is about, and just discover the plot reading bit by bit?

I have read several books where right from the start, it is clear that the relationship the main character was or is in, is doomed. Or that there are at least writings on the walls that the main character sees or at least should see, as those signs are obvious.

Unfortunately, Rosie is blissfully happy in her marriage with Joe, and while they both have busy and demanding careers, she is so sure of their love. It was even sweet to learn that Rosie has been using Joe as inspiration in her books.

And that knowledge just made me so angry. Because we know that everything Rosie believed in, is going to fall apart. And while I was mentally prepared for losing Joe, I wasn’t prepared for the level of deceit he has been using.

I could completely comprehend Rosie, her need to hide away, to wallow, to give up on everything, But on the other hand, I also wanted to tell her to not make any haste decision, as perhaps in the future she would end up regretting them… It is normal to lose your mojo as a writer after such a tragedy. But no matter how much it hurts at the moments, never burn down any bridges…

Obviously, I was all in for Rosie to go to Scotland, as I could understand that at home, there would be too many reminders of the life she had, or rather, thought she had.

A getaway is exactly what Rosie needs, to not just lick her wounds, but also to find herself again. And I found it lovely that Rosie returns to her late grandmother’s cottage, to the home to a woman she loved so dearly.

I could feel how Rosie is embraced by everything that connects her with her grandparents, and even if they aren’t around anymore, their love is still palpable, and is what Rosie needs.

My heart warmed in this book, reading how somehow, through artistic eyes, Rosie reconnects with her grandmother Tilda. Discovering not only Tilda’s paintings, but also her diaries, makes Rosie more determined to do her grandmother proud, and fulfil Tilda’s dream.

A mission that makes her work closer together with Mitch, the new lighthouse keeper.

The lighthouse keeper Rosie didn’t expect to meet and is a bit confused about it. The lighthouse keeper that has his own reasons to be hiding away too.

But what I loved about Mitch is the fact that despite his own need to be hiding, he doesn’t hesitate to offer Rosie his help. And he quickly sees behind the façade that Rosie shows him, he doesn’t give up.

Mitch is carrying around a lot of guilt, after an event that has cost him a lot. A guilt that isn’t justified, but we all know how guilt works, don’t we?

So it was just sweet and heartwarming to see how these two hurt and broken people, find out they are neighbours, and slowly, with a lot of patience, time and even some fear, start to get closer.

Of course this all could be possible with the help of their canine friends, that have a hand – or rather paw – in the process. So a big shout – out to them too! 🙂 

While it was lovely to see that romance bloom between Rosie and Mitch, I fell more for the journey they both are going through. Because Rosie has lost her trust, her belief in love. And with her escaping to Scotland, she not only slowly finds herself again, but she sees love all around. Love that is in the romantic sense of the word, but also in many other ways.

I admired the determination to make things right again, to make a dream come true, even if that person isn’t around anymore. And I loved it how even in the most painful situations, people come in your life that affect you, that make you believe in all that is beautiful again.

And Julie Shackman managed to capture all of this, all of those important bits, in a wonderful story, with great characters that have been through hell, but are slowly finding their way back up, with the help of each other.