I started reading this book and found that it was not for me. It didn't seem fair for me to review a book that I didn't finish.

This book has it all. Lots of wit and humor, a long-running family feud, and plenty of angst to go around.

Thea Hamilton-Mottram had two major blows in the same week. First, she was let go from her job with no notice, and second, she found out (through a misdirected text) that her husband was sleeping with one of her friends. Packing up her life in her former home, her soon-to-be ex hands her an envelope from a solicitor in Scotland. She's inherited her great-uncle's home in Baldochrie, along with the contents of the home, and a substantial sum of money. A little desperate to get away from everything that has gone wrong, she decides to go check out this place, which thankfully, gives her something else to dwell on than her cheating husband and jobless status.

Stepping into West Lodge, her new home, Thea falls immediately in love with the place. It's quiet, off the beaten track, and filled with the things her uncle loved. His book collection is the most impressive thing in the house - almost all 1st editions, and very valuable. The solicitor recommends that she see Edward Maltravers, the bookseller in town, if she is interested in selling any of the books. As it turns out, Edward is the only person in town who she can't seem to win over. He's grumpy, disliked by most, and feuding with his brother, her nearest neighbor. Thea, however, loves Edward's shop and when she learns he is looking for help, she applies, refusing to take his no for an answer. As they work together, a friendship develops. Could it ever become more, especially when she discovers that Edward seems to specialize in adultery?

I loved Thea! Her humor shines throughout this book, even when she is most devastated by her husband's betrayal. I didn't like Edward much at first, but as he spends time with Thea, he improves. By the end, I was rooting for both of them.

I didn't know what to expect when I picked this one up, but I did enjoy the book. I listened to it through my public library, which is always fun.

I love books about books and I gobble up anything set in a bookshop. I loved this book. It was light and simply delightful!
Thea had everything she thought she wanted and all at once it was gone. Her husband left her for her friend and she lost her job. But like any good Fiction novel there's always a silver lining. Thea finds out her great uncle has passed and left her his home in Scotland full of books. OMG dream come true for me. ) not the uncle dying, but the house full of books!) With nothing holding her back Thea sets off to Sussex to get the house and books sorted. When she arrives her plans are to sell the books off to a local bookstore and put the house on the market. As the days pass Thea learns to love the quaint little town and the cottage she now owns. No one knows her here and it's nice to not have people asking her about her relationship that ended badly. Her plans to get in and get out quickly fade when she runs into trouble with the bookstore owner who she hopes will buy her uncles books. At first the negotiations and arguing wears on her but as she learns about the collection and their worth it actually becomes like a sport! Loosing her husband, her job, and her uncle seems life crushing but for Thea it ends up being the best things she needed to push her to make positive changes towards long term happiness.

I love a good hate-to-love romance, but this book just didn't scratch the romance itch that I had. It read pretty quickly, but I think in terms of genre it read more like a chick-lit than a romance book. As a reader, of course, I'm a big fan of any book that is set in a library or bookstore or anywhere surrounded by books so that was definitely a plus point for this book. I feel as if I should have also gone into this book without reading the description because that's what most of the book was and not much outside of that. All in all, it was still a cute read, just not entirely one for me.

DNF-Just way too slow for me. Made it to 25% and didn't feel any attachment to characters or care for the over descriptiveness of basic surroundings.

It seemed like it had potential but needed to give me some reason to want to keep reading before the 25% mark.

I read this book following a couple of heavier reads and it was the perfect palate cleanser. If you’re in the mood for a feel-good, easy romance, this is the book for you! I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it.

As a book-lover, the Scottish bookshop setting was a huge win for me. I enjoyed escaping in the quaint, cozy cottage and setting overall. While I found the characters to be a bit annoying and unlikable at times, the story itself, albeit a bit anxiety causing, made up for it. It kept me turning the pages just waiting for some of those unresolved loose ends to tie up.

I definitely wouldn’t hesitate to pick up another book by this author in the future! Her writing is superb.

Many thanks to Ballantine and NetGalley for the gifted copy!

I SO wanted to love this book. I struggled to get into the book until I FINALLY did, but then began to dislike the characters again. I just didn't like any of them enough to care if they got a second chance.

I had a hard time believing our heroine would be so okay with how many affairs he was in. I loved them as a working partnership, but not as a romantic one. It did not sit well with me and didn't feel honest.
I did have a nice time reading besides that and I loved that we had a more mature MC that especially loved books. It is refreshing. I will check out others from this author moving forward!

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for allowing me to read this!

Life decisions can be hard. They're even harder when life's just pulled the rug out from under you twice in a short period of time. And that's what this book is all about. I enjoyed this story of a 40-ish woman whose life has been turned upside down, but when the universe sends her an opportunity in the form of an inherited cottage in a coastal town in Scotland, she decides to get away for a few weeks to regroup. When the town and the people there begin to grow on her, she has to decide where and whom she wants to be going forward. I enjoyed the characters, and especially enjoyed the setting and the sense of place Jackie Fraser established with her first book. I wanted to snuggle in to her cozy inherited cottage and stay a while. Overall this was an lovely debut novel and I wouldn't hesitate to read more from Jackie Fraser.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

I failed to give feedback on this title, but I really liked it! Anything to do with romance and books is a win-win in my book.

Adored this book, it had me laughing, and crying and reading in one sitting as I had to know how this would all pan out. Beautiful read heart warming and perfect for this troubled times.

Sweet, quick read that felt a bit predictable. Nothing super memorable, but enjoyed it overall. Wished it had a bit more substance to the story.

I’m like way too obsessed with Outlander and Scotland so I can’t say my head is in the reviewing game, but I enjoyed this! And the author’s last name is Fraser! What! Only thing that threw me off a bit was the age of the characters, but that’s my fault for always reading books with younger characters. Always here for a Hallmark-y premise even if the romance didn’t exceed that somewhat superficial expectation. Definitely really fun and feel good.

Thea's journey begins when she loses her job and finds out that her husband was having an affair with her friend. Having endured that shocker, she learns that she has inherited a home from her great uncle in Scotland. So off she goes, to get some time away, to heal, to cope with the shock of betrayal and to go through her uncle’s things. There she must decide will she sell the home, or will she keep it?

This was such a cute read for me. I have come to realize that 'acquiring a bookstore from a distant family member' is my new life goal. The main characters, Thea and Edward, had good banter and it was fun to watch them work together. I felt the overall tempo of the book was slow but I still enjoyed it.

I really liked this book! I mean doesn't everyone have a dream to open up a bookstore in Scotland? Will definitely be recommending this book to friends.

I enjoyed the setting but had a really hard time getting in to this one. It was much slower paced than I anticipated. I think I was hoping for more of a Maeve Binchy vibe tho so perhaps it was just me.

Fun! I've purchased it for the library. I'm currently clearing out all of the books that were published in 2019-21 from my title feedback view!

3.5/5 stars. I really enjoyed the characters and the story, but I found it a little slow-paced and hard to pick up once I put it down. It was lovely, though - a good holiday read.

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I’ll tell you to read it

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this advanced copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Book Summary:

Thea Mottram is having a bad month. She’s been let go from her office job with no notice and her husband has decided to leave her for one of her friends. When she learns that a distant great uncle in Scotland has passed away, leaving her his home and a hefty antique book collection, she decides to leave Sussex for a few weeks. Escaping to a small coastal town where no one knows her seems to be exactly what she needs.

Thea falls for the quaint cottage and small town. She loves the locals, except bookshop owner Edward Maltravers. His attitude, ingrained by his long standing feud with his brother, tests Thea. As considers the impulse to stay in Scotland indefinitely, Thea realizes that her new life may quickly become just as complicated as the one she was running from.

Review:

I really enjoyed getting lost in small town Scotland for this story. The interplay between all the characters kept me on my toes! I really enjoyed getting to know Thea and Edward, and I’ve always wondered about used book store practices. The value of some of the vintage books mentioned was shocking! The descriptions of some of the areas they visited made me want to visit Scotland sometime and go stay in a little village to get lost in the world for a bit.