I just loved this. It had all the elements that I feel make up a perfect romance book - Christmas. Scotland. Castle. Handsome Scottish Lead in a Kilt. Wit. Mystery. What more do I need to say? I'm a tough critic when it comes to romance novels - it's not my favorite genre, but throw in those elements and I'm usually happy. It was cute and funny and not overly saccharine. Good character development, including an eclectic group of side characters. Great setting. If you're a fan of quick and easy rom-coms, I recommend you give this one a try! I just ordered several others of Caplin's in this series (it's dubbed as a "series", but reading this, I had no idea and didn't feel anything was missing - I get the idea each book is more of a stand-alone).

I enjoyed this cozy, warm, Christmas romance. I absolutely loved Scottish setting, and as an interior designer myself, the run down castle and Xanthe’s revamping of each room was spectacular! If you’re a foodie, you will absolutely love all the cooking and delicious food ideas.

The quirky cast of characters drew me in, the found family kept me reading and the slow burn (closed door) romance between Izzy & Ross was well done. This book gives all the Christmas vibes and the cute Outlander references were the perfect “stocking stuffers.”

I did feel as though it was a bit too long, and found myself skimming through some of the middle pages.

This was my first Julie Caplin book, so I had no idea that it is loosely part of a series and read just fine as a stand alone for me.

It’s hard to believe we are already up to book 9 in the Romantic Escapes series by Julie Caplin, and this one follows one of the characters from the previous book The Cosy Cottage in Ireland Izzy as she inherits a gorgeous castle in Scotland, and moves in with her gloriously bohemian mother Xanthe.

As they work hard to get the castle ready to run as a hotel, they end up with a random group of people, some renting rooms like Ross, the brooding hero of the book, and others working to help Izzy and Xanthe. When they take an order for a wealthy family to come for Christmas, and the numbers keep increasing meaning more rooms need to be updated, it becomes a little frantic, especially when it looks like they are going to be snowed in for Christmas.

I loved the warmth and Christmassy vibes that oozed from the pages of this wonderful book. The connection between Izzy and Ross was sometimes frustrating because he kept blowing hot and cold with her, but when things were good, their connection was sizzling. I loved the rag-tag group of people who ended up sharing Christmas with Izzy and her Mum, and there were some funny and heart-warming moments, with a little mystery about some missing ancestral sapphires.

I love Scotland and found the location really romantic, with the addition of some snow. Who wouldn’t want to be snowed in at a stunning castle in the Highlands?

I can highly recommend The Christmas Castle in Scotland, it is a wonderfully festive read, with delicious food, romantic open fires and country dancing too!

If you want a 'curl up on the couch and read a hug of a book' then this gorgeous festive read is going to hit the spot. Take the setting, for example. Up in the Highlands of Scotland, the castle is central to the story as Izzy tries to find a way to make it pay so that she has a chance of keeping it. It almost seems to be a magnet for a few waifs and strays and before long, is filled with such an entertaining variety of characters, from the rather reticent Duncan to the over- effusive Xanthe. They are all extremely likeable and above all, they seem to warm to Izzy and give her such a lot of support.
 
With the castle prepared for a glittering Christmas, you just want to be able to walk through its door to savour all the festive trimmings. Outside, the snow is sparkling, in fact, the setting could not be more romantic. Romance is there in spades for more than one of the characters. Friendship. family and finding your true home are all intrinsic to the story. There are a couple of mysteries to be teased out but mainly the story lives up to its Romantic Escapes label. It certainly is.

In short: romance, love and friendship flourish in this festive tale.
#blogtour

This was a sweet read. Set in Scotland it gave me a perfect snowy picture of the Highlands at Christmas. A fun read with lots of funny and quirky characters. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

My Review: What an absolutley heart warming story, I still feel all warm inside.

I mean the fact Izzy inherits a beautiful castle in Scotland and returns from an intense cooking course in Ireland only to find her mother or Xanthe to everyone, had rented out a room for 3 months to a teacher called Ross who is also an author for an amazing sum of money that will help her redecorate the castle in time for Christmas.

Did you know that Wild Camping was a thing in Scotland? I didn’t. There are all sorts of amazing visitors to the castle that make it all the more special

The local dancing, and all the beautiful Scotish traditions are amazing. It really makes me want to travel there for Christmas and do a Mary Poppins and jump into the scene. There is so much love building slowly.

The weather is also so very typical Scottish and wintery.You cant help but fall in love with Izzy and all the characters. To find out more please read the blurb and read the book. It’s already reached the dizzy hights of number one on the Apple charts on release day. I mean how many people get offered a huge sum of money by a rich man who wants his Christmas at the castle? I love the whole book from start to finish.

Lovely Scottish festive romance novel.

Izzy inherits a scottish castle with plans to turn it into a hotel but the hotel comes some issues and soon with some longer term lodgers than planned. One lodger a muscley brooding man, soon catches Izzys' eye.

I really enjoyed this rom com. This book was about a woman who inherits a castle in the Highlands. The story takes you through her trying to turn it into a hotel while also having unexpected guests at Christmas. This book had all the Feels. Now I want to go back and read the other books in this series. This book can definitely stand alone.

I love a romantic Christmas story and this one hits the spot. It has charm, food, an amazing castle and quite honestly I’d love to be there. The descriptions were so good I felt I was transported there every time I picked up from where I left off

Beautiful story, having read previous Julie Caplin stories I knew what to expect will they or wont they etc. But she always makes it fresh and heart-warming with beautiful locations.
Izzy inherits a castle in Scotland and resolves to renovate and turn it into a luxury hotel. Arriving to find she already has one unexpected guest, and more planned for Christmas Izzy sets to, to renovate.
An enjoyable, cosy, funny read with a couple of characters from a previous book, it is well worth a read, and I will be reading more from Julie Caplin.
Read it you won't regret it.

The Christmas Castle in Scotland

Izzy McBride had never in a million years expected to inherit an actual castle from her great uncle Bill but here she was, in the run up to Christmas, Monarch of her own Glen – a very rundown glen in need of a lot of TLC if her dream of turning it into a boutique bed and breakfast was to come true.

But when Izzy’s eccentric mother rents a room to enigmatic thriller author Ross Adair and the Scottish snow starts to settle like the frosting on a Christmas cake, it’s a race to get the castle ready before they’re all snowed in for the holidays.

Purchase Link:

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Castle-Scotland-globally-bestselling-ebook/dp/B09NZ5BRP9

US - https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Castle-Scotland-globally-bestselling-ebook/dp/B09NZ5BRP9


















Christmas cosied up in a great castle in Scotland? YES
PLEASE!

I absolutely adore every book from Julie Caplin, every
location and story incite the feelings of wanderlust within me and I wish I
could be right there and this is no exception, in fact I think it’s the one I
really do hope I can do one day.

I did not want this story to end (I never do), I think
this is the best yet – the setting, the characters, plot and Julies’ wonderful
writing style is like a comfort blanket, hugging you, keeping you warm and
right in the thick of the action.

I love the characters especially as they are such an
eclectic bunch; each have their own personality and it is easy to picture them
(or in Duncan’s case hear their accent!)

Izzy is our leading lady and we have met her briefly in
the last book (it isn’t a series as such so you can read this without any of
the previous books – although I highly recommend you do!) and she has inherited
a castle in Scotland she is hoping to turn into a hotel. Doing this alongside
an eccentric (but loveable) Mum who has rented out a room to a writer, without
Izzys knowledge of course. This writer is paying for peace and quiet although
it soon becomes apparent; he is getting more than he bargained for.

Getting the hotel ready in time for the festive season
(and another booking taken by Izzy’s Mum) means a real team effort and a lot of

soul searching by all involved. As everyone pulls together and becomes a unique,
slightly dysfunctional family unit we see them overcoming adversities in all
aspects of their lives.

As always this is a story with romance at its core, but
don’t expect smooth sailing, there is drama and tension thrown in as well but
with ups and downs will every character find a positive ending?

I wish we could go back and revisit, just to see how they are all getting on.
It’s a wonderful, cosy read and I cannot praise Julie enough.

Christmas in a castle in Scotland, what more could you want ?
Well throw in a hunky author, a scatty mother, snow and an assortment of people turning up unexpectedly and you have a fab Christmas read
Loved t

Opening a Julie Caplin book always feels to me a little like opening a Christmas present when you think you know what is inside and you are really excited about. Imagine the delight, then, in opening a Julie Caplin book and it is actually set at Christmas?

In fact, don’t imagine it, just go and buy Julie’s new book in the Romantic Escapes series, The Christmas Castle in Scotland, and you can experience that delight for yourself now. For a delight it is, as Julie’s books always are. Every time I read one, I decide it is my new favourite in the series, but this one actually IS my new favourite in the series. (At least until the next one, which there is a teaser for at the end of this book.)

The heroine of the story is Izzy McBride, who fans of Julie’s books will recall meeting in The Cosy Cottage in Ireland, as she brushed up her culinary skills at the Killorgally Cookery School. Now she’s back from Kerry and raring to try out her new techniques on the guests she plans to invite to stay at the castle she has just inherited from her great uncle in the Scottish Highlands. Because, heaven knows, the castle is going to have to pay for the enormous cost of its upkeep if Izzy is going to keep it in the family as she hopes.

Speaking of family, Izzy’s consists only of her eccentric and over-enthusiastic mother, who can be either help or hindrance in the overhaul of the castle, and Izzy never knows which it will be on any given day. For example, is the installation of handsome but taciturn writer, Ross Strathallan a blessing or a curse? You’ll have to read the book to find out but I can tell you the man rocks a mean kilt!

I absolutely loved Izzy’s mother as a character, as well as the rest of the ragtag bunch that Izzy accumulates over the course of the autumn as she strives to get the castle ready to host the Christmas to end all Christmases and earn enough money and reputation to secure the castle’s future. There is a real Monarch of the Glen vibe to this book which I absolutely adored, and it contains all the essential elements for a delicious Christmas read. Cue all the snow, Christmas tree-felling, decorating and present-buying your heart could wish for. Chuck in a ceilidh for good measure. And then there is the food.

Anyone who has ever read any of the other books in this series knows that food plays a massive role in the pleasure these books provide to the reader. I am usually salivating before I even open the cover and the combination here of Christmas and Scottish produce gives the author an even greater scope than ever to set your tastebuds tingling. If you like a book to make you hungry as you read, this is for you, if you are on a diet, less so. Or maybe it will help you to indulge vicariously, you be the judge.

So, the only conclusion here is that Julie has knocked it out of the park again. This is a stonker of a Christmas novel, packed to the brim with Christmas cheer, Highland loveliness and all of your Outlander fantasies come true in one wedge of papery (or pixelated, depending on your choice or reading medium) joy. I insist you buy it immediately. In fact, buy two. Or ten. Wedge them into the toe of the Christmas stocking of every person you love and they will love you right back, I promise. I already have my paperback edition on order. Roll on Book Dix!

Thank you One More Chapter for an early copy of this to review.
I love all Julie Caplin’s Romantic Escapes series, this one is no exception..
Inheriting a remote castle next to the loch in Scotland sounds like a dream come true but in reality it involves a lot of money, time and energy as Izzy McBride realises, even more so as her mother has already taken in a lodger, albeit a very attractive, moody author Ross Adair.
Christmas is fast approaching and with so much to do and the snowy weather coming it’s a race to be ready to welcome the castles first guests, with some unexpected help along the way, and a bit of adventure and romance chucked in for good measure.
I want to spend Christmas in a Scottish castle.

Thank you to One More Chapter for my copy of this book via Netgalley and to Rachel for letting me take part in this tour. This is the 9th book in the Romantic Escape series, but each book can be read as a standalone. In this book we follow Izzy as she returns to the Scottish Highlands to open the castle she inherited as a hotel. Well, I hope I win the lottery because I definitely want to visit this place for Christmas. There are a few characters which I loved in this box. I loved Duncan with his thick Scottish accent and protectiveness for Izzy. Xanthe was quite a character too. She is impulsive and eccentric, but she has a good heart.I recently got married in a castle in Scotland, so I really enjoyed reading this book and it just helped to keep the wedding and honeymoon fever going. I really loved visiting Scotland, so this book was perfect to keep me dreaming of the beautiful countryside. I only visited a small area of Scotland, but this book makes me want to visit more.This book really was like a big warm hug. It's full of all things Christmas. If you are looking for something to get you in the mood for Christmas this book is the one to read.

I want a Scottish castle and I want to be snowed in it with a delectable writer! And I want it now!
Julie/Jules books always make me want to move to some unusual location, take up a new hobby and just live inside the pages. I find a new book boyfriend in every one of her novels and I’m captivated and smitten every..single…time I read her books.
The Christmas Castle in Scotland is another perfect example of a festive romance is a beautiful location, with gorgeous characters and I loved it!
Being snowed in at a castle at Christmas is such a romantic setting for a newborn romance to take place. I could completely picture the castle and the grounds and was whisked away there and living this book alongside the characters.
I adored the character of Izzy and her cooking had me drooling over my Kindle. I have to be honest here and admit I’m a sucker for brooding, slightly grumpy male leads in a romance (no idea why because I would hate it in real life) so I loved Ross. Xanthe is frustrating but I like that there’s a character who isn’t always as likeable as the leads.
The Christmas Castle in Scotland is the perfect festive romance read and rally took me away for a few hours. Perfect to escape to somewhere cosy with.

This book has it all…romance, humor, challenging events, friendship, culinary delights, scenic vistas and a Christmas celebration, Thanks to #NetGalley and #TheChristmasCastleInScotland for an advanced digital copy.

Delicious book!

This is the first book by Julie Caplin that I have read, but certainly won't be the last. It is a light-hearted holiday romance in an interesting location with some over-the-top characters and some more normal types. All ends well, but what kind of a cosy travel romance would it be if it didn't! This book is great for reading by your fireplace before stirring up the Christmas pudding. Or, if, like me, you don't like Christmas pudding, have a nice glass or cup of your favourite beverage! Obviously not serious literature, just a nice relaxing read!

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-constrained e-arc via Netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion. Now if only my libraries would carry the rest of the series!!! Well, I guess I'd better recommend it to them!

If only Izzy could find the fabled family sapphires everyone seems to think might be hidden somewhere really obvious – instead, she’s wondering where on earth she’s going to find the money to repair the roof and carry on upgrading the rooms so that she can turn Kinlochleven Castle into the boutique hotel of her dreams. But while she’s been brushing up her cooking skills on a course in Ireland, her mother Xanthe has been rather busy – she returns home to find a (rather attractive…) professor heating up baked beans in her kitchen, having handed over rather a lot of money for some solitude and peace and quiet while he works.

But that’s not all her mother’s been up to – the Carter-Jones family are ready to pay £25,000 if they can all visit for a few days of luxury over Christmas, which is only a few weeks away, and that’s the kind of money that they just can’t turn down. While Xanthe has a good eye for interior design (as well as spending money faster than they can make it), she’s never particularly hands-on when there’s work to be done, but there’s help at hand from a young couple Izzy offers a refuge, from Duncan (the not-quite-retired former estate manager), and Ross (the professor – who turns out to have a few secrets of his own, and a quite different reason for wanting solitude) proves more than happy to leave his room from time to time and lend some muscle.

The characters in this book are just wonderful – Izzy herself is entirely lovable, making friends wherever she goes, so determined to turn things around as the days tick down to Christmas. Her mother, to quote Izzy, is totally bonkers – their interactions constantly made me laugh, and you could feel the real affection between them. There’s the loveliest spark of attraction between Izzy and Ross – it slowly fans into a bit more of a flame, but they’ve both been disappointed in love in the past, and the obstacles at times look rather insurmountable. And there’s a fantastic wider supporting cast – some with an edge of eccentricity that’s more than a match for Xanthe – and a few significant challenges for them all along the way.

The snow falls, the weather closes in – hopefully Izzy can source all the food and drink she needs, finalise her ambitious menu (I’d really have liked to taste one of her mouthwatering special mince pies – and that venison en croute!), the rooms might just be ready in the nick of time, and Xanthe’s insta-worthy and Christmassy interiors will be spectacular. If they achieve everything they set out to do, they should exceed the Carter-Jones’ increasingly exacting requirements – but there are still a few more surprises to come.

This is a book that’s sheer enjoyment from beginning to end – the perfect escape with its wonderful Highland setting, full of individuals you really care about, a nice focus on family and friendship, plenty of gentle humour, a few perfect emotional touches, a touch of mystery, the race to the finish line, and the loveliest slow burn romance. All that, and a Christmas to remember – a definite 10/10 for me, and what more could you possibly ask for? Very highly recommended – I loved it.

I first met Izzy while reading about the Cosy Cottage in Ireland. She was learning to cook and formed part of the tight knit group of friends who made that such a wonderful, memorable story. But don’t worry if you’ve not read it, this is definitely enjoyable as a standalone story.

As Izzy returns from Ireland, she arrives at the Scottish castle that she’s inherited from her great uncle. It’s run down and in desperate need of repair, but funds are limited to the point of non-existence and her flamboyant mother, Xanthe, has rented out a room to a visiting professor who requires complete peace.

The roof is leaking and the estimate for repair is eye-wateringly high, so it’s a light at the end of a very dark tunnel when Izzy discovers that Xanthe has rented out the entire castle, full board, for Christmas week. Using the professor’s payment and the deposit paid by the party staying at Christmas, it’s all hands on the proverbial deck to try and get the house ready to welcome guests.

Those hands come in the shape of the not-properly retired estate manager, the seemingly moody professor, Ross Adair, and a couple of wild campers whom Izzy rescues from a storm. Thank goodness that Xanthe has a keen eye for interior design which is matched by Izzy’s newly learned skills in the kitchen.

This is a beautifully imagined book that made me feel warm and happy. It’s a Christmas story that embraces all the joys of the festive period as strangers become friends and goodwill is the order of the day. There are mentions and cameos from characters at the cookery school, but they are introduced in such a way that it really doesn’t matter if you’ve read that book or not.

I can highly recommend this Christmas escape to the Scottish Highlands where there’s more than a little romance in the air.