After their father died, Cat and her sisters had to defend their castle from people who are convinced there was a stolen treasure there. Hamish comes to find that treasure and is very attracted to Cat. Together they travel to find what happened to the treasure. While they get some substantial information, they come back empty handed, only to find no one at Cat's castle. I look forward to reading the next in this series to see what has happened to her sisters. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for my honest review.

—Scottish (Georgian!) historical

—commence with the banter

—light witchy vibes

The Basics:

Ever since their father died, the MacLeod sisters have had to contend with those who think he left a secret treasure hidden in Castle Cairncross. A series of coincidences foiling potential thieves has led many to believe the girls are witches, and while they aren't that, they do have their special gifts—Catriona, for example, being a healer and alchemist. When Hamish Muir comes to claim his rightful part of the treasure, Catriona strikes a deal with him: She'll help Hamish decipher her father's notes... as long as she can come along on the treasure hunt. Oh, and as long as her sisters are protected, of course.

The Review:

The pros for this book center around the fact that it has a cool setting and a tribute to magic, which make it fun. The cons for this book center around the fact that its writing style, for me, dragged. While it's a nice read, I really couldn't personally get super into it because of that. This is truly a personal taste thing—if you're a fan of a slow burn, then you may feel quite differently.

There are books that I think exist as, essentially, comfort food. This hits a lot of the beats that people want in a Scottish historical romance. The banter, the leads not liking each other for reasons that really aren't at all serious enough to call "enemies to lovers", the general cuteness. As comfort food, I think this works.

But, I don't know—the first Anna Bradley book I read, Give the Devil His Duke, gave me more than comfort food. It gave me spark and oomph. I feel like the books of hers I've read since then have sort of decreased in spark. This is not only a slow burn, but lower heat than GtDHD (not that her books have ever been super high heat, but more than this).

Yes, there is adventure. Yes, there is whimsy. But it all feels kind of distant because of the pacing. I never really felt like the stakes were that high. Which, again, works for a lot of people. But it doesn't really work for me.

The Conclusion:

This is a solid romance novel, but it's not my kind of solid romance novel. Would recommend to those who are indeed looking for their comfort food, and I'm sure that's a lot of y'all. If a lower heat, slow burn book that hits a lot of historical romance beats sounds right for you, then check this out.

Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What Happens in the Highlands is a slow-burn Scottish romance with heart, history, and just enough heat.

Set against the brooding beauty of the Scottish Highlands, this one has all the right ingredients: a fiercely independent heroine, a charming aristocrat who learns to not be the worst, and a road-trip-style treasure hunt filled with tension, longing, and—of course—only one bed.

Catriona MacLeod is a smuggler’s daughter and the oldest of three sisters. She’s strong, guarded, and used to caring for everyone else. She’s also an apothecary who knows her way around healing plants—and a village that treats her like a witch because of it. Her only goal is to protect her sisters and their home now that their father is gone.

Enter Hamish Muir, the Marquess of Ballantyne. He’s charming, rich, and a little too used to getting his way. He’s on a mission to fulfill a promise to his late father, but when he meets Catriona, everything changes. He’s surprised by her strength and slowly starts to open up.

The treasure isn’t really the point. It’s about family, loyalty, and finding freedom. Catriona’s motivation carries the story, and Hamish’s transformation adds depth.

The pacing builds like a Highland storm—steady and tense, with bursts of action and emotion. The romance grows slowly because there’s a lot of mistrust between them, but the payoff is worth it. The spice is low, but it fits the tone of the story.

This one has themes of sisterhood, legacy, and love built on trust. The historical details feel real and important to the plot. It ends with a cliffhanger, but in a good way! Looking forward to the next book in the series!

4.25 ⭐️ rounded to 4

Catriona McLeod is well…a McLeod. A bright red headed, dainty, daughter of a famous smuggler, and haunted by misfortune. BUT she it not to be messed with. Having lost both of her parents she is the protector of her 2 younger sisters and a centuries old castle that has secrets to hide, or does it? Questions about the last adventure taken by her father arise and unexpected visitors to the castle cause problems in her quiet little corner of the world, all but one. One half English/half Scottish Marquess and his stories of the Bonnie Prince Charlie.

What Happens in the Highlands takes you on an adventure of finding yourself, finding your someone, finding things you never truly lost, and maybe some famous Jacobean gold…? I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would love to see it on TV in some capacity. It’s a really creative take on historical fiction, like an 18th century Goonies but in Scotland. There is a lot of character growth for just a short read, and a good amount of detail to make you feel like you’re apart of the story. The end leaves you itching for the next book and I can’t wait.

Extra kudos for the little tidbits of history and relations in the end notes. It’s interesting to see pieces of how the writer came up with the story.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #AnnaBradley for the early access to #WhatHappensinTheHighlands in exchange for an honest review

Hitting shelves on June 24 2025

Smugglers, sisterly sass, and a dash of royal lost treasure? Yes, please! What Happens in the Highlands is the start of Anna Bradley’s brand-new Highland romance series, and it hits all the right notes for a cozy, slow-burn adventure with heart, heat, and a touch of mystery.

I was immediately pulled in by the plot—there’s a hunt for Bonnie Prince Charlie’s lost gold, secrets tied to the heroine’s smuggler father, and a brooding hero with a complicated past. Add in a classic enemies-to-lovers vibe, and you’ve got a bickering duo whose banter made me laugh out loud more than once.

One of my favorite parts? The sisters. Their dynamic was warm, funny, and totally relatable. I loved how their bond grounded the story—and I’m so betting Hamish’s mysterious friends will end up falling for the other sisters in future books. (Fingers crossed!)

So why four stars? It was a really good read—fun, engaging, and full of heart—but it didn’t quite land in “all-time favorite” territory for me. Still, it was an absolute delight and a fantastic setup for what I hope will be a juicy, romance-filled series.

If you’re in the mood for Highland hijinks, buried gold, slow-burn romance, and a whole lot of charm, give this one a go!

The first book in the series, What Happens in the Highlands is a Georgian romance and historical adventure and mystery that takes place in Scotland. The romance is a slow burn story, the female MC illustrates a wealth of plant knowledge and a natural knack for creating herbal remedies, and the treasure hunt is fun and intriguing. There's potential for this series to be a trilogy with each of the three Macleod sisters finding love and following their individual passions. The plot, pace, and writing style make this novel a quick and easy read that's perfect for a rainy day. For historical romance fans.

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I was looking forward to this story but sadly neither the characters or the writing were strong enough to pull me in. I persevered with it as long as I could but decided to give up after I had no desire to return to the world. The rating is for the premise, which I liked, but unfortunately this one wasn’t for me.

This fast paced, historical romance follows the story of Cat, one of the three daughters of infamous Scottish smuggler, Rory MacLeod, as she navigates protecting her family home after the death of her father, all while the villagers whisper “witch” behind her back. Cat and her sisters are suspected to be harbouring treasure, stolen by their father. And soon find the dark and handsome Hamish Muir on their doorstep, demanding the return of it.

A well written tale centred around the lost treasure of Bonnie Prince Charlie, with the addition of adventure, light enemies to lovers, high stakes, romance and tension, and a splash of spice. I really enjoyed everything about this book, from the history, the setting in the Scottish highlands, the fierce and intelligent Cat, the handsome and protective Hamish, and certainly the banter and eventual relationship between the two of them.

Definitely recommend for those who enjoy historical romances!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I was immediately engaged in Anna Bradley's 'What Happens in the Highlands'. There is a charming mix of mystery, romance and the mystical in the story of smuggler Rory MacLeod's three daughters set in Georgian Scotland. The locale and events are expertly described so that I was drawn in in this story of Rory's eldest daughter Catriona and Hamish, the Marquess of Ballantyne. This is the first in a trilogy which was teased with a light hand so that I was not disappointed in a cliffhanger. I look forward to more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I absolutely loved this book! Hamish and Cat had the best banter, and their enemies-to-lovers dynamic was so much fun. The mix of adventure, romance, and a good old-fashioned treasure hunt kept me hooked. Plus, the Scottish Highlands setting was chef’s kiss. Can’t wait for the next one! #WhatHappensintheHighlands #NetGalley

If you love Scottish romances (which I do!), this is a perfect escape read! The storyline is familiar, especially if you've read a fair share of this genre, but that's not a bad thing. It's definitely a comfort read for me. Recommend if Scottish heroes are your thing.

I really like this book it was a great tale with good characters and settings. I received a review copy from NetGalley but the views and opinions expressed herein are my own.

What Happens in the Highlands by Anna Bradley is the first book in a new historical romance series: Cairncross Castle.

This book follows, and introduces us to, the MacLeod sisters and is set in Scotland during the Georgian era (approximate 1700s-ish).

This book takes us on the journey full of mystery, action, and romance with the elsest sister, Cat, and her forced partner in crime, Hamish. What ensues is surely what readers are looking, and hoping for…and they wont be disappointed.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 6/24/25.

What a fun historical romance this was!

The romance was perfect. Enemies to lovers and slow burn? What's not to like. Plus Hamish and Cat had the best banter. I really enjoyed their interactions a lot. These two were entertaining and had a lot of chemistry. The romance is well done here.

I found this plot of this refreshing. Outlander introduced me to Bonnie Prince Charlie's lost gold so it was awesome to see it again in another story. It was fun too. I mean who doesn't love a good treasure hunt adventure?

A great story filled with sweeping romance, adventure and fun. Would recommend!

This was a fun read! Exactly what I want from a historical romance! The highlights for me were:

🫶 Set in Scotland
🫶 Smugglers
🫶 Lost treasure
🫶 Three awesome sisters who the locals think are witches but are really just a little bit sassy, a little bit badassy
🫶 she accidentally poisons him (sort of)
🫶 slooooooow burn

I was not expecting the cliffhanger at the end and would definitely read the next one!

What a fun historical romance read! I loved the banter between Hamish and Cat. The enemies to lovers with the slow burn was absolute perfection! The cliffhanger has me itching to read the next book.

This is such an atmospheric read. You are transported to the Isle of Skye and it truly feels like you are there, in the dramatic landscape. That was my favourite element of this novel, feeling like I was back in Scotland.

The three sisters are unique, and again, a nod to Faith, Hope and Charity Cuillins in Glencoe.
The magic system felt authentic and easily believable in the setting.

I liked Hamish and Cartiona. I loved them in the first half especially. He thinks she’s a witch, who happened to poison him. She just sees a stranger that she accidentally tried to kill. This was a set up for some funny moments. She was misunderstood and I loved that it didn’t take long for him to see her for herself. With smugglers and a lost treasure, it made the story that much more interesting. Kinda lost steam once they set on their road trip and I didn’t see the need for the epilogue. I can’t wait to read the two sisters books.

I liked this take of hunting for Bonnie Charles lost gold. Hamish and Cat really a quite the pair. They just don't know how to deal with each other emotionally, physically... there's a constant tug of war. The book contained so many tropes treasure hunt, smugglers, road trip, one bed (although she throws him out of the bed and keeps him on the floor) but it came together rather well for a fast paced read.

Cannot wait to read the next book.

#netgalley #WhatHappensintheHighlands