Crank Freddie Mercury’s song “How Can I Go On,” grab the crystal decanter and pour a wee sherry tipple, cut yourself a generous slice of freshly baked Victoria Sponge Cake and get your copy of Christie Barlow’s ‘The Lake House,' because you are in for a heartwarming read with book 5 of the Love Heart Lane series set in the Scottish Highlands.

Ella Johnson has dealt with more than her fair share of heartache. Her parents have recently passed away and now her fiancé, Dr. Alex James, is missing. As if that wasn’t enough, the police have just informed her that he’s emptied her bank account of her parent’s 250,000-pound inheritance and racked up a 10,000-pound debt on her credit card! Six months later with 10 pounds to her name and a best friend at her side, she leaves Chester, England and boards a train headed for Inverness, Scotland. Will she be able to put her past behind her and start afresh? Will her past come back to haunt her? Will she ever be able to repay her debts?

Heartcross Village, not far from Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, is home to an eclectic bunch of lovely people with big hearts; a legendary actor, a TV supervet, a famous chef and her highschool bestie, Callie. Heartcross is the place where friends are there for you no matter what and Ella is about to find out that her time in this quaint little village is just what she needs. Don’t we all need a visit to Heartcross after almost a year in pandemic conditions? I think so!

What a delightful read! Barlow has crafted a charming cast of characters who will instantly make their way into your heart. I would love to grab a broom handle, belt out Freddie Mercury hits into my ‘microphone’, and eat cake for breakfast with the village’s 90-something-year-old, Diva Dolores Henderson. This marvellously written and clean romance novel has everything you’d expect; delightful characters, a picturesque setting, a deaf sausage stealing dog, a girl trying to heal her broken heart, a village heartthrob, and a bistro that holds long-forgotten memories. Barlow's story is a binge-worthy easy read that will pull at your heartstrings and stay in your thoughts long after reading. It reads like a hug and an encouraging pat on the back. I was so excited to discover this heartwarming series and although this is book 5, it can stand alone. There’s no doubt I’ll be quickly reading books 1-4 as Barlow has book 6, Primrose Park, ready for publication on April 30, 2021.

Thank you to Christie Barlow, Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

There were a lot of common tropes in this romance. We start off with a heroine, Ella, who has lost everything. She was conned out of all her money by her supposed boyfriend. Now she has had to sell her business and leave London to start all over. Lucky for her, she has the best friend anyone romantic heroine could ever have who comes and gets her and brings her back to a tiny Scottish town while providing her with a place to stay and a new job.

This little town is just so very sweet. Everyone she meets is so kind and interesting and willing to pull together to help everyone in the town. She is supposed to be a waitress at a charming restaurant that is simply lovely, but isn’t drawing in enough customers to break even. But Ella thinks of an idea to get great publicity and save the restaurant as well as meeting a new love interest.

Once we get beyond the dastardly ex-boyfriend, it was all too sweet for me.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.