The synopsis for this book was definitely something that appealed to me and the title backed that up. A mix of glitzy and glamorous lifestyle and the more down to earth editor Laura Lake.

This is a humorous and a tongue in cheek read. The title itself hints at this fun-filled read. I found myself smirking a lot at the various character names, some of them really suiting the outrageous and slightly bizarre characters.

Mixed in with the slightly eccentric characters is a story of Laura being tasked with a journey to Scotland to sell more advertising space in the magazine she works for. Fail at getting this could mean losing her job so off she sets to Scotland. There are some great facts and descriptions as Laura discovers Scotland for herself. But it is not long before Laura discovers that not everything is as it should be.

There are quite a few things I liked about this story, the humour, the descriptions, some of the characters and the storyline initially, but along the way, I found that I seemed to lose track of where this book was going. What started off as one thing and ended as something else.

For the most part, I did enjoy this story but did find my attention wavering at times. If you are after an upbeat, crazy, funny and madcap read then I think this is one that will appeal.
3.5 stars

I can’t beli what a total waste of time it was to read this book. I am still trying to work out what the actual plot was.

[To be posted April 9th on The Nerd Daily]

Okay, before we begin I must tell you that this was my first book in the Laura Lake series by Wendy Holden, and yes, A View to a Kilt is not the first but rather the third. I got hooked from the description and honestly when I was reading it, you couldn’t tell (for the most part!).

Laura Lake is a journalist for Society magazine and in this book we see her fight and struggle to allow her beautiful and glossy magazine to stay on shelves even if that means an impromptu trip to Scotland. She doesn’t want her work subdued and restricted to only online and this really resonated with me. Being a recent journalism graduate myself, this hit home. We, as a society are moving away from print and moving into a world enveloped in tech and for journalists, this may mean our livelihoods. And yet, here we see a new release novel that doesn’t agree with the status quo and that was extremely refreshing. It keeps the hope alive and I’m so very thankful for Wendy Holden to include this controversial concept.

“Laura gasped softly. Aidan Turner. If he got the part…But this was disloyal.”

And if Lake wasn’t already a great character, she’s also one who appreciates the acting chops of Aidan Turner, the male lead in Poldark as well as the dwarf, Kili in The Hobbit. I definitely agree on her admiration and this really sold it for me. I could see her as a friend and a coworker and this relatability made for an easy read. Plus, her coworker is named after Poldark’s wife, Demelza. So if you’re a fan of Poldark, you may find some kinship with Holden and her books!

“What does she look like? If it was anything like her mother, this was a non-starter.”

One-liners like this kept me hooked. This series also has tons of great humour.

“Scotland was built on a spectacular scale and seemed to demand a spectacular emotional response. It was, Laura felt, the perfect place to fall head over heels in love.”

But I must warn you, this is not a romance novel. I had high hopes just like Lake, because hello, she goes to Scotland, but we were both wrong. I was expecting a whirlwind romance with a Scot and unfortunately that’s not what happened. Instead we have to settle for her on/off boyfriend Harry and a one-night-stand with her ex, Caspar. Harry was absent and the scenes that he did appear in made him cold and unlikable. However, seeing as this book is the third in the series, I won’t hold his actions accountable for reflecting the series as a whole. As for Caspar, I instantly loved his character but I didn’t like them together. He reminded me of Bridget Jones’s has-been popstar friend, but straight. I think it was the cockiness but hell, was he a breath of fresh air.

“But Lulu dressed to please herself. She shook back her cascade, of thick, shining, assisted-blond hair and swept the menu with an expert eye.”

Lulu is a fantastic character! Not only does she exude confidence and dress to impress but she also has the brains and skills of ju-jitsu to stun people out of their assumptions of her. Every scene with her was great because all everyone saw was, for a lack of a better term, a bimbo, which let her turn the tables. Like I said, she’s clever and definitely someone you want on your side. And if they manage to pull a fast one on her, she’s got an Estonian, ex-military assistant who will not hesitate to shoot off a cork to pour some champagne, and yes, you heard that right, so you know where her loyalty lies.

This book is very quirky and full of even quirkier characters. Holden took care while crafting not only her main character, Laura Lake but also with every single supporting one as well. They have their own personalities and most importantly, Holden gives them the time of a day to show it to her readers and that matters!

Although the romance fell flat, there’s a great mystery in here! And it’s one that you’ll never see coming! Hidden dungeons, a mysterious man dressed in oriental garb that guards the front gate and staff that seems to come and go as if they weren’t even there, are just the beginning. This book will definitely leave you wondering what just happened (but in a good way).

I’ve learned many things since reading this book too. Like did you know that the Scotland equivalent to Alexa, is named Fiona and apparently she can’t understand anything unless it has a Scottish accent?

“I dinna knae what ye’re meaning, Mr Ruane,’ unhelpfully responded Fiona.”

I swear I sat laughing, awkwardly (because you know that’s the only way) at my reader because I could not get over this! It was hilarious and extremely relatable. This is an international struggle…

Any Outlander fans will also be familiar with the history explored in here because it traces the Battle of Culloden and the Bonnie Prince Charlie.

I’m evaluating this book for what I read and not basing it off of the entire series, as I haven’t read them. I give A View to a Kilt by Wendy Holden a 7 out of 10 because I was looking for a romance that never happened and what we did get seemed like a poor substitute. This was also another slow read for me and I feel like it wasn’t made for an international audience as there were many terms, slang, and places where if you’re not familiar, it lessens the impact and ends up confusing the reader more than it intended. I enjoyed this book very much and I’m intrigued to see how this all started with Laura Lake and The Hipster Weddings.

Quite an entertaining read, I like the way the author obviously has fun with words, especially names. Have read and enjoyed her books previously, but this wasn't as good as her earlier books. Possibly because it was book three in a series, so I missed previous character development.

Whilst I enjoyed this book, I do feel that it might have been good to have read the earlier books in the series first. I felt like I was missing out on information and sort of thrown in!
However it was a good read with some funny moments and I enjoyed it. It wasn’t a favourite though and I found it hard to read at times. It hasn’t made me want to rush and read the other books though.

The craziness is toned down a little in this book, and it was slightly more serious. There are a lot of descriptions of the Scottish countryside and traditions. This very much overruled the book and unfortunately, it lost the ‘Laura Lake’ magic that had been present in the first three books.
I’m not sure if I was slightly disappointed with this book because I had just read the third book and that was jam-packed with craziness or whether I just wasn’t as enamoured with this one, or not.
I did like that we got to follow Lulu away from Laura, as I really like Lulu she’s hilarious. However, I did feel that even her colloquialisms were also played down somewhat.
I don’t like Harry, at all, and wish Laura would kick him to the curb. I’m not sure why she likes him so much either. Is it just the connection to her dad? He doesn’t seem to have any redeeming features other than saving her every now and again.
It was still an enjoyable read but not as amazing as the first three books in the series.

I was intrigued by this book and I have been attracted by the lovely cover. I was quiet excited to read this novel but unfortunately pretty quickly I found myself a bit bored and I realized that I didn't really click with Wendy Holden way of writing. I kind of struggled throughout the book. I am sure some will love this book and Wendy's writing style but it didn't do it for me. I will give this book a 3 stars out of 5.

I read another book by this writer and I really liked it so my expectations were quite high.
I can say that all my expectations were met as this is a funny, entertaining and engaging book.
I appreciated the cast of characters, laughed out loud more than once, was hooked since the beginning.
The style of writing is as good as always.
A very good book for a relaxing afternoon.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Head of Zeus and Netgalley for this ARC

I enjoyed this book, but as I’ve not read any of the authors previous books I did feel at a slight disadvantage and found myself frequently wondering whether topics/characters had previously been mentioned in other books.
I liked the authors writing style and will definitely read her other books. My favourite genre is romantic comedy, this book hit the mark, but the romance element could’ve been switched up a gear!
I would recommend to others, but would suggest reading the other books first if you have the fear of missing out on something :)

What I particularly appreciated is that in the first chapters there are enough details to bring the new readers up-to-date and to remind the old readers who is who, but not too many to feel like an unwanted repetition. It’s a fine, well-achieved balance for which I was very grateful. Although it had been a while since I read book number two in the Laura Lake series, I was able to pick up where I had left off without having to go back to the previous books for reference.
Funny, smart, hugely entertaining. Wendy Holden’s use of language is only one of her many sterling qualities and as always of high standard and a pleasure to read. Her eccentric characters with outrageous names all contribute to create a very smart satire of certain parts of today’s society thanks to her incredible sense of humour, her dark wit and amazing puns.
The story is full of twists, sudden revelations and more like a play (in fact I think the whole series would make a wonderful script) with turn of events, jokes, humour and no drama with the belief that all is fiction and all is going to end well. No wonder the author herself refers to her characters as ‘dramatis personae’. It’s pure escapism with a twist of a James Bond film.
I have read all of WH’s books (many more than once) since the brilliant character of champagne D’Vyne appeared on the scenes and she never disappoints.
I had the great pleasure to be able to read this book through NetGalley, before it was published. Many thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley.

Wasn’t a big fan of this. Slightly too outlandish for me. Plus nowhere near enough romance for my taste! But I enjoyed its critique of the magazine industry.

I normally don't read romantic comedy but thought to give this one a chance. The characters were well developed and the story line pretty good. If you are in the mood for a light-hearted romance this one was better than average. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

Brilliant book. All in there madness , simpletons, fun romance .
Suspension when she gets stuck in the bog! Also that was gimickie!
Very tongue in cheek. Dry humour which I love.
Thanks xxxx

Liked the sound of this, even though it's not my usual type of 'favourite' read. I love trying different genres and enjoying something outside of what I would usually pick. I did like this, but I think it was a little too far from what I enjoy most. That said it's funny, and cosy, and if you want to read something light-hearted but well written then this is one to pick up.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A View to a Kilt is the third book of a series and I haven't read the two previous ones. Maybe if I had read them I would've understood the plot and who the characters were a bit better.
I've read a couple of Holden's other books and while they had quirky characters, I was able to follow what was happening. Here, I had trouble. Maybe it was the Scottish lingo or the conversations with Lulu, but I struggled to find the humour in Laura's predicaments. It was only the last 10% of the book that helped me make sense of it all. Laura's relationship with Harry made me feel quite sad too.
I really wanted to like this book but am unable to give it more stars unfortunately.

Laura Lake, editor extraordinaire, is in trouble once again in Wendy Holden's 'A View to a Kilt'. This latest instalment finds Laura knee deep in Haggis and Michelin stars as she travels to a high end Scottish estate. The glamorous, glossy magazine industry just isn't panning out as she had hoped! Entertaining, humorous and very readable.

Absolutely hilarious writing. Great satire of the glossy mag industry and celebrity culture, and very readable writing.