This was a cute and very entertaining mystery with a good dose of romance.. Leonie is fresh off a bad break up and finds out her newspaper is closing and she’ll soon be out of a job. As she frantically tries to figure out where her life is headed, she finds a beautiful abandoned cottage. While peeking in the windows and the garden, she runs into a grumpy, tight lipped and overly protective old lady who lives near the cottage. Why was she so protective? What happened to the owners of the cottage? Why did it look like they just left one day and never returned? It was one heck of a mystery that I could not stop thinking about.

The love interest, Flynn, doesn’t come into the book until halfway through. I really enjoyed how much this allowed me to get to know Leonie. I could relate to her so much and really felt all her emotions. I do feel like I didn’t know Flynn very well, and he’s almost more of a secondary character. It works, because the main focus of the book is the mystery, not the romance.

I loved all the side characters including the newspaper staff, the magazine staff, the family members and townsfolk. They were quirky and charming.

My only complaint was that this book wasn’t Scottish enough. It has “highlands” in the title, so I was expecting to really feel like I was there. But beside the town names, this book could have been set anywhere. I wanted more setting description. I wanted some “aye” and other Scottish slang.

Still, I found this book very entertaining. A great read.

This book was everything I wanted it to be. It had me turned pages without even realizing. It was so good!

I really wanted to enjoy this book. I DNFed at 52% because I just couldn't get into it and I didn't really care what happened next. The setting was on point and there was a puppy! I always love when animals are included. However, Leonie is in her late 20s and she just doesn't act like it. As an almost 31 year old woman, I have my moments of innocence and childlike happiness, but that's now how it is for her. I can't properly articulate what exactly bothers me about the book, but the writing style is not for me.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

In a beautiful small coastal town in the Scottish Highlands we meet Leonie Baxter, a pretty, kind, warm and caring young woman who finds herself out of a job and out of a relationship. She’s not someone who gets depressed fast but now her life has been turned upside down, it's hard to stay positive. She needs to decide and turn her life around, but how? She has to figure out how to start again.

To ease her worries, she goes on a walk in the woods with her rescue puppy. When she starts chasing a fox, Leonie stumbles across a beautiful and intriguing house, fully furnished but unoccupied. She is determined to find out more, after all, she is a journalist and reporting is in her nature.

She soon finds out this will not be an easy task. The not so friendly neighbour chases her away and refuses to answer questions. Leonie needs a plan to find out more about the house and to get on the good side of Lily Cruickshank who lives in the cottage next door. Ofcourse she also needs to move on after the heartbreak and find a new job.
When she contacts the mysterious Flynn Talbot, finds out more and more about the house, the Talbots and Lily, things get entangled with one another and Leonie has to find a way to uncover all the secrets and make sense of it all as Cupid shoots some arrows too.

Julie Shackman has always wanted to write feel-good romance. The cottage in the Highlands will be published on the 1st of december, 2022 and is the third book in the Scottish escapes series. For next year she already has the publication of two more books planned so it's save to say she is quite good at it. The first two books in the Scottish escapes series were much loved and highly appreciated. I am convinced the cottage in the Highlands will be a success too. This book has everything you look for in a small town/Highlands/holiday season/ feel good romance and more!

It was obvious to me that ms. Shackman writes about what she knows and loves. As a former journalist, she builds great stories with a lot of love for details without it being too slow paced or too much described. The pace is just perfect. The details paint a picture right before your eyes. The plot has some twists I never saw coming. There are some secrets in this story that will break your heart as others will bring joy and laughter.
It's very interesting to read how journalists work. I really love the parts about Leonie's job. The investigation for a scoop, the way Leonie contacts people, the interviews, you can tell ms. Shackman knows the trade herself very well.
The way she shows the surroundings is wonderful too. I could see myself walking through the village, as well as Glasgow. The cozy atmosphere of the village, buzzing with seasonal preparations, the busy city, mysterious woods, the coastal view, it's dreamy and you can tell she lives there herself. It's shown with so much love and eye for detail.

The various characters in the story are portrayed to immediately steal your heart. Especially Leonie's rescue puppy. I read somewhere that Julie Shackman has a Romanian rescue puppy herself, named Cooper. I bet there are some true stories in here that are based on Cooper. Anyone with a dog will recognize each anecdote, it's just too cute!

Summarizing, Julie Shackman knows how to tell a great story. As a journalist living in Scotland, details about the surroundings and Leonie's job are well written and in-depth. As a dog mother she worked out the supporting act, Leonie's puppy, to perfection as well. The characters developed in a way you can feel for them all and they have splendid dialogues.
The pace of the story is very nice, the romance is clean and slow-paced. The mystery and the investigations are, to me, the cherry on top of this delicious pie. The last part of the book has a faster pace and is used to wrap up all the lose ends in an original way and perfectly fitting for the story. She did however, leave enough space for more. Personally I can't wait. I love stories like this. It's very complete, all the ingredients to make it a very good book are there.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the review copy I received.

Thanks Netgalley and publicer for giving me the opportunity to read the arc in Exchange for a review.

I loved the cover and it felt a cosy book to read in this rainy autumn week. My daughters name is Leonie too so the main character had a face for me :-). I did’nt read a novel from this author before.
The book vertaling did’nt dissapoint. I loved it because it had a good warm story which was well worked out. The mystery lady in that strange house and the young and eager journalist who meet and find a story to investigate.
If there is one point of critisism than I must say to the two main characters: never leave your door unlocked Lily if you go out and Leonie….never unleash your dog in a strange place :-).

By the way: I am from Dutch origin and think this book should be published in the Netherlands as well In English and in Dutch.

I loved this book.
Finished it a minute ago and felt so sad that it was over.
I want to be in the family. I want to hear about the next steps and stories.

I fell in love with the characters. The author writes them so well.

I can't wait for the next book.

Thanks to Netgalley and One More Chapter publishing I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I decided to request an advanced copy of this book because I wanted to take a step outside my comfort zone and what I normally read and I was not disappointed.

I thought the start was a little slow but it started picking up pace & I knew I was in for a treat with all the plot twists and bumps in the road for poor Leonie. Though I enjoy a book more when it feels like I'm on the same journey as the MC and Julie Shackman does exactly that with this book.

Leonie being the passionate journalist she is, senses a mystery and goes on the hunt to discover and unravel the story behind it, taking us along with her. Without spoiling the ending, I've got to say it was worth sticking it through until the end!

Loved this book and the storyline was great, we follow Leonie who works for a small local newspaper which is sadly closing it's doors on business, while her two colleagues find other jobs Leonie is not exactly inundated with offers until she is offered the role of a beauty writer for a massive magazine, not the role she applied for but still desperate enough for employment she accepts.
While walking her little pup she stumbles across an abandoned house which curiosity gets the better off her, can she discover the story behind merry wood and the secrets that go with it, her journalistic instinct kicks in and she just has to find out what happened at merry wood and to it's occupants.
A lovely heartwarming story with a lovely cast of characters and fantastic storyline
Highly reccomend this book

Leider konnte mich "The Cottage in the Highlands" nicht überzeugen. Die Story war nichts besonderes und der Schreibstil überhaupt nicht meins. Ein typischer, recht seichter Liebesroman. Eher in die Young Adult Richtung.

Such a lovely read - so many components to this story...we had a tenacious reporter, a touch of The Devil Wears Prada and a back story of long lost love that I really enjoyed.

It all connected nicely together with both funny and serious moments along the way. Although it was set around the festive season it was a refreshing change to not be so Christmas focused.

I will be looking up more of Julie's work!

I tried, but I just couldn't get into The Cottage in the Highlands. It seemed like exactly my type of book. . . I was so surprised that I couldn't even finish it. It was just blegh. It never grabbed my attention; I didn't feel connected to the characters. . . Maybe next time. . .

Leonie finds herself without a job. One day while walking her dog she finds a little house in the woods. She’s determined to find out who it belongs to but the neighbor isn’t talking. Many secrets will come to light and old romance will be renewed.
It’s a lovely story, full of romance and some mystery.
I adored it!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Leonie is a young journalist who soon finds herself facing unemployment. While on a walk with her rescue dog, she comes across a cute cottage in a remote part of Scotland... and she needs to find out what happened there.

This book has such a great mix of characters from Leonie (who I loved) to her new boss, a love interest and a neighbour to the cottage she finds. There's really someone for everyone I found and they all blended well together in the story.

For me, there was just the right amount of mystery, a bit of adventure and a slow romance. The pace was great and there was enough going on at all times without being too much. There are some really good twists in the plot too and this made it more than your average romance!

Thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter publishing for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Leonie Baxter is a journalist who finds out her beloved local paper is merging into a bigger publication and she is out of a job. On a walk in the woods with her beloved rescue dog, he chases a fox into the grounds of a mysterious house, fully furnished and abandoned. Leonie is determined to find out more about the place. Especially on meeting it's strange and quiet next door neighbour Lily who doesn't seem to want anyone asking questions or poking about. But when Leonie finds a letter addressed to Lily from a long lost love she tried to track down the mysterious suitor and gets more than she bargained for.

This is a really lovely book, about friendship and romance and second chances. I would recommend it for anyone wanting a good book to curl up with.

A mystery which our heroine, an out of work journalist with integrity is determined to solve. As she does so with the hindrance - or help - of a range of eccentric characters, she falls in love. This is an excellent cosy mystery and romance. Perfect reading for a few hours.

I liked this book. I really liked this book. It reads like nonfiction but is fiction. The characters are likable. The protagonist is quirky, inquisitive, and fun. Her friends rally around her when needed…the house becomes a character…the past…the present…mingle…secrets…love and romance…family ties…more secrets..a lost letter…this author is talented and gifted at writing a cannot put down novel. I enjoyed it from page one…I was transported to the lives of these people…characters. I will read this one again…curl up in a comfy chair…unplug…grab a warm blanket…a cup of steaming herbal tea…just get lost in this book…this novel was sent to me by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher for the electronic copy.

If you’re looking for a feel good book, this is for you! Heartwarming and sweet, and a story about second chances, a perfect pick to cozy up with by the fire.

It’s about Leonie, a young journalist whose forced to look for a new job after the small local paper she works for announces it’s closing. She ends up at a posh, fast paced, cut throat magazine in a position she’d really not have picked for herself, but she doesn’t have a lot of other choices. While out for a walk one evening with her pup she stumbles upon Merrywood and it’s grouchy neighbour. Leonie can’t get Merrywood out of her mind and shes keen on discovering the mysteries this old house holds. It takes her on an unexpected turn of events and friendships.

#indigoemployee

I was expecting more romance, but overall the book was good. The storyline had a surprising little twist that made the whole story make sense and wrap up nicely, with a good happily ever after for all parties involved!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, would recommend it.

Leonie is down on her luck when she finds herself out of a job but her persistence in sniffing out a story doesn't keep her down for long!
I thoroughly enjoyed this quaint, mystery-romance book, so much so that I read it in a day! The characters were all very well developed and our main character Leonie was charismatic and relatable. Even the rescue pup has a cheeky personality that just warms you heart!
I would have liked a bit more romance between Leonie and Flynn though their chemistry is portrayed really well. However, this wasn't a huge issue because although Leonie is our main character, the true focus of the book is the second chance romance element that left me absolutely ecstatic.

Overall, A Cottage in the Highlands was a lovely, easy read and I can imagine readers curling up on a cold evening and delving into the mystery themselves.
I think this book is going to be very popular when it is published and I will be checking out more from this author. Thank you for letting me access this ARC.