Now, I must say that, before you read this review, please keep in mind that this was my first audiobook ever. I had to get used to listening to someone read out a book to me, but I think I got the hang of it, after going back on a couple of chapters because my mind wandered off (ADHD).
I did love this book though. It was so cute and I love books where the people work with animals (ex-veterinary nurse myself). I loved the whole vibe of a small Scottish village. It was truely adorable.

This book had some good and bad points for me. In the beginning it seemed that the narrator was a bit slow but as it went on she did a great job with the different characters and accents. Some parts were unnecessary and felt like it was added in to make the book longer.
Enjoyed that it was a multi romance book with two other romances in the background. Actually, enjoyed Chloe and Angus’ overall. They could have had their own book.
Was excited to get to the ending to see the HEA’s but felt let down with not giving us more of a look into the future for the couples. Received this audio for my honest opinion.

The premise: a vet in the internship phase ends up in what seems to her a less than ideal place, and the situation is padded by two fast coworker friends and a handsome man in town, but it all feel like the wrong place wrong time for them both. Surely they're better off as friends, right?

Essentially, the book is 100% the premise. If you read the synopsis on the book's Goodread's page, you could quickly imagine how it goes and honestly just skip the read all together. The audiobook is nearly 11 hours long (TEN HOURS FIFTY FOUR MINUTES!) not a thing happens in this book.

While MC main have been relatively fleshed out, no one else really seemed to be. The book takes place over the course of a year, and while there is some progression, there isn't much. It felt very gossipy and high dramatics for little pay off. Additionally, the author seemed to have wanted everyone to win, so there are 3 budding relationships all happening at once, none with very little payoff.

The story didn't tug at the heart strings, cause me to feel invested, or have anything even remotely steamy or romantic. I'd think this one would be way better shelved as YA based on the overall emotional intelligence happening as the book progresses.

...and don't even get me started on the logistics of the ending!

All in, I really hate to give this book one star, but I think it's quite telling that it's barely holding the 3 star average here on Goodreads and hasn't published yet. I think with the help of a strong editor, this book could be wonderful, but unfortunately as it stands, it was quite a long snooze for me.

This is a fun, entertaining read. Holly and Greg are relatable, interesting, captivating characters. I liked their romance and their journey throughout the story. Holly learns a lot about herself and what she thought she knew about her past. I wish we had gotten an answer to Greg’s family’s issue. I’m not sure what I enjoyed more, the various romances or the friendships. The various dynamics in this book make the story richer.

The narrator is easy to understand and follow.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was immediately drawn to the premise for this book - small town veterinarian starting over, Scottish setting, friends to lovers romance with lots of charm?? Sadly this turned out to be a DNF for me when all of the plot happens very quickly on, there are a lot of side characters that I felt deserved their own stories and it was more a women's fic than true romance (at least imo). The narrator was difficult to follow too for me. Overall kind of a miss for me but I would give this author a try again later. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book… was just not it for me. I felt like everything from the synopsis happened in about the first 10 minutes, and then unfortunately it was a snoozefest from there on out. At about 50% in, I still felt like I didn’t know what the purpose was. I was so happy to listen to this one with a friend, but unfortunately it fell flat for both of us. It did pick up slightly towards the end, but by that point I was too bored to care and really was not invested in these characters. The positives- this was a quick, light read. You may enjoy if you like a slow burn, friends to lovers. There may have been 3 of those happening at once?! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this early review copy in exchange for my honest review.

This wasn't really for me.
I went in thinking this was gonna be a fun romcom, spoiler, it was not.
This was a very drama filled women's fiction, which I enjoy, but was not in the mood for.
This is likely my fault since I rarely read the synopsis on a book, or at least not much more than the first few sentences of it.
I prefer to go into books blind, and for the most part this works out for me.
This time not so much.
I did the audio and this was also slightly problematic. Two of the main characters had similar names and the voices did not change enough to audibly distinguish them, so when the names were not used it took a bit for me to sort out who was who in the conversation.
I would still recommend it, but go in focused and aware of what you are reading lol.
Thanks to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for my DRC.

Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-audio version of this title in exchange for my review.

Overall, this was a cute, light read. The narrator added a new level of Scotland with her accent, as well! But it wasn't difficult to understand, just a touch more authentic.

I enjoyed the story of Holly and her move to and settling in her new town, meeting new people, but the changing POV's between Holly and her co-workers was a bit confusing. None of the characters really had a 'true voice' to me - either in description or in the narration - so changing POV's was difficult to track, and I think it also kept some of the characters from really being developed. I never really got a lot of sense of who each of these folks were, just little snippets here and there. Additionally, and hopefully this will be fixed before production, there were errors from one character to another that nagged at me and kept me from really falling into the overall story.

For romance/chick lit readers or those who aren't super detail oriented, this would probably be a very enjoyable book. Listening to it with an aim to write this review, so noting the details, it didn't work for me. Rather than the changing POV's, I would have loved the hint of a possible series, following each of the characters in different books.

This is a 2.5 - rounded down - one for me, because it was "just ok"

This book provides a wonderful opportunity to immerse oneself in the captivating surroundings of Scotland. The story revolves around three friends who work with animals and explores an intriguing romance that resists easy definition. The narration is well executed, although the frequent shifts in point of view may require readers to reflect more deeply at certain points.

The book beautifully captures the essence of Scotland, its landscapes, and the allure of its surroundings. The author's descriptive prowess transports readers to the stunning Scottish countryside, allowing them to experience it through the eyes of the characters. This aspect of the story is truly enjoyable.

The friends-to-lovers romance portrayed in the book is lovely and engaging. The gradual development of the relationship between the characters adds depth to the narrative. However, readers may find themselves desiring more conclusive resolutions for the other friends. The open-ended nature of their stories may leave some longing for further closure or the possibility of future books to continue their narratives.

Overall, this book offers a captivating glimpse into the beauty of Scotland and delivers an enjoyable romance. It will appeal to those who appreciate heartfelt stories and the charm of Scotland. While the title is not disclosed, this review serves as a recommendation for readers looking to immerse themselves in a story set in the enchanting Scottish surroundings.

Thank you Dreamscape media and Netgalley for the audio

This book started off okay, but the entire synopsis happened really fast, like within the first two chapters. Then it just got really boring. I was around 30% when I realized a plot hadn't really been introduced. Eventually it became apparent the book was not one very uneventful love story but three, sort of. A lot of repetitive emotion, a lot of uneven story pacing, and a lot of random events later, everyone dies. Just kidding. It ends exactly how you would predict a book of this genre would end. I would have dnf'd this book if not for reading with a buddy by 50% through. It got mildly interesting at 70%, but I think it was because I was so close to the end. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC audiobook, and opportunity to review this.

Right person, wrong time? Or better off as friends? Holly Anderson needs to decide.

City vet Holly Anderson ends up in small town Scotland and meets hometown Greg Dunbar. The story follows three 30 year olds in the village including Holly. It was an Okay love story. I absolutely loved the Scottish setting and if you fancy a hallmark type read check this one out!

The audiobook production and narration was excellent. Thank you to author, NetGalley, and Dreamscape publishers for an audiobook ARC of this story.

Three friends, a veterinary practice in a tiny Scottish Highlands village, and romantic troubles come together in this novel. Veterinarian Holly is contracted for a year as a locum at the small practice, which is not part of her career plan. She is certainly not going to break her no-romance rule even though house-crasher Greg Dunbar is intriguing. Chloe, the practice’s receptionist, has loved local farmer Angus Dunbar from afar, but is too shy to let him know she’s interested. Paulo, the veterinary nurse, has been dumped when his love won’t come out of the closet and despairs of ever finding love. Follow a year of the friends ups and downs in this woman’s fiction with light romance.

While romantic elements of the plot are predictable, where this book shines is in the sense of place and the scenes involving animals. The Highlands are beautifully described and the animals are memorable. Narrator Mhairi Morrison’s accents contribute to the sense of place and general warm feeling of the story, though sometimes the change in point of view isn’t immediately obvious.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an audiobook ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Katy Turner for an ARC of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of the story sounded so great but I felt it just lacked a lot of substance and didn’t keep me hooked and wondering what is coming next.

There were some aspects of the book I did enjoy especially anytime there were animals in the clinic but overall this just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Cute and sweet slow burn with lots of small town vibes. The narration was great - mainly because of the accent. Perfect easy read for summer.

One thing I wasn't ready for was for there to be multiple POVs. It was a little confusing because there was no notification that the story was continuing from another character's POV. Not a deal breaker, but made it a little tough to follow along. I think multiple narrators would have served well here.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to review.

3/5 stars. Cute, but predictable.

We've seen it time and time again - MC goes to a small town, catches the feels for the hot guy that's jaded/is a player, and then ends up staying in said small town. Here we have the same story, but with highland cows. (side note, we thank you for the highland cows because they're cute as all get out).

Although this idea is done quite often, I will say that I really liked Chloe(side character - sweet, a bit shy, but so lovable). I found the characters a little cliché and that took me out of the moment every time.

My thoughts and feelings about predictability aside, this book is PERFECT for those that need the HEA, the sweet friendships, or may need low-stakes/comfy romance that isn't anxiety inducing.

What I liked- the small Scottish town. The author did a great job describing the small town of Eastercraig. I wanted to go there after reading this book.
What I didn't like- the multiple POV's. I found this to take away from the main romance. There wasn't enough time spent with the main characters to feel the chemistry.

Are we in high school or are we in our 30s? One of my biggest book pet peeves is when the characters are full grown adults acting like teenagers the whole time.

The positive: I loved the setting in the Scottish countryside. It was really well done and easy to visualize. I liked Holly's independence at the beginning. I also felt that Paolo was a good addition and I wish we'd gotten more of him.

The negative: Overall, the story was sort of cute but I did find myself bored a few times. The main character Holly was very likable at first. Unfortunately, she became increasingly annoying as the story progressed. I also did not like the way it switched POVs. It was not clear and it felt very clunky.

The Holiday meets Hallmark in this slow-burn tale following three thirty-something friends as they navigate the treacherous waters of romance and their jobs at the local veterinarian practice.

I really enjoyed this one! Not in the least because the meet cute was reminiscent of the one between Jude Law and Cameron Diaz’s characters in The Holiday. While this was definitely a quieter and slower approach to romance than that film, I think it worked decently here. The characters’ personal histories influenced their decisions to continue denying themselves a relationship with one another, which helped to build continued tension to make me root for them.

One major flaw with this book, however, is that the marketing—from the cover to the synopsis—seems to imply that Holly is the main character and narrator, and Greg is her love interest. While those statements are technically true, the author curiously made the decision to feature the points of view of two other characters almost as prominently as Holly’s perspective: her friends at the vet practice, Paulo and Chloe. I was very off-put by this choice when I realized we had suddenly jumped out of Holly’s head and into one of these two side characters’ minds.

As the story unfolded, I adjusted to it and was pleased to see that all three characters had romances of their own in varying stages of disarray, however, I still stand by the fact that this narrative choice wasn’t the right one. The story became overly bloated by the extra perspectives and it took away from the time the author could have been spending further expanding on Holly and Greg’s connection, which was admittedly sparsely developed. Without that focus, this book felt less like a romance and more solidly rooted in the women’s fiction genre. There’s no issue with that in itself, except for the fact that the cover, the title, and the synopsis all point toward this being a romance. It leaves one feeling baited-and-switched.

Due to that ultimate weakness, my rating is a bit lower than it might have been with different marketing. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed the ride!

Regarding the audiobook, the narrator’s performance was at times really well done, while in other moments, I struggled to discern between her voices for the different characters. This made the story hard to follow in some moments and I found myself rewinding to make sure I knew which character was speaking since her voice didn’t often change accordingly.

A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for providing me with an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

Spice Rating: 🌶️ 1/5 - Doesn’t Exceed Kissing

Overall Rating: 3 stars!

Cute story about a vet who wants to get away and spends a year in a small town in Scotland. There was nothing different about this story than any other with a similar setup. I liked the characters enough but there were so many different points of view that it was hard to distinguish between them (at least on the audio version) and character development suffers as a result. Despite following three characters and their romantic escapades, only one truly had a conclusion, leaving me wondering why the other two were even included. I did love Sporran, though. This was a quick, fun read.

This book took me forever to get through and I did audible I would log out and re get into it . There were to many characters and I could get confused easily.