"Escape to the Highland Retreat", the second in the "Loch Strathkin" series, which I hoped would finally give me a clearer picture of the series as a whole. Instead, it only triggered more confused emotions in me, and I continue to find it difficult to ultimately decide what I think of it as a whole.

To be honest, even reading the first book, "Secrets of Swanfield House", was not a completely positive experience for me. Even though I had the picture pretty much put together by the last chapter, I was still left with two negative feelings: on the one hand, I found it very difficult to find a character I could really like, and on the other hand, I was particularly disturbed by Marcie and Ruaridh's relationship.

Marcie's story was especially problematic for me. In the first novel, she left her fiancé behind in London to return to her home village of Strathkin, where she became close again to her first love, Ruaridh – who has since become her best friend's, Dina's husband, and the father of four boys, currently expecting the arrival of a long-awaited baby girl. Even in the first book, Marcie's attraction to Ruaridh was already a source of tension for me, and although in the second novel she no longer yearns for him so blatantly, the novel continues to refer to him as her 'first love', which unsettled me every time. I felt this was unfair to Dina – Ruaridh's wife and mother of his children – and to Simon, whom Marcie could hardly find a more devoted and loving husband.

The other big challenge for me was the characters of the four girl friends. As much as I wanted to like them, they always did or said something that made it almost impossible. This time, Ruaridh was perhaps the character who annoyed me the least – It's a pity that his four adorable, cheeky sons had less of a role this time. Dina was also one of the more likeable characters, but as the novel progressed, I found it increasingly difficult to relate to her decisions. Heather could also have been closer to my heart, but her frequent, exaggerated outbursts left her as a drama queen. Marcie was perhaps less distracting this time than in the first book, but it could easily be because she was given less of a role in the story – her constant tantrums were pushed to the background this time. Bella, on the other hand, disappointed me repeatedly: just when I was hoping she would finally make the right decision, she disappointed me again and again. The lack of honesty between the friends also made the reading experience difficult for me on many occasions.

So why do I still rate the book 4 stars?

Because, despite all this, Elayne Grimes presents the beautiful landscapes of Scotland, and especially Strathkin with exceptional sense, as well as the unique local people. In addition, the suspense of the story kept me interested from chapter to chapter; I was on pins and needles waiting to find out what was going on in the background. I really enjoyed the gradual unfolding of events in the different parts of the village, and the way in which a house or building became an almost indispensable part of the story.

The author also sensitively approaches some of the more difficult themes – several of which touch on the issue of death. Although in many cases I disagreed with the choices made by the characters, it was particularly interesting to read about taboo subjects that we often avoid in real life.

Although this book will not be one of my favourites, one thing is for sure: it provoked a lot of feelings and thoughts in me – whether positive or negative. And in my opinion, these are the two most important characteristics of a really well-written novel: it makes you think and evokes strong emotions.

Marcie Mosses returns back to the little home she kept in the Highlands after selling the grand ancestral home. She is in for a shock what the new owners not only made of the old house but also with the ground around it. They set up a heli port which is in good use. Marcie is suspicious what the new owners use the house for.
Beside this Bella finished her sentence and returns home. The idea is that she gets a look what happens in the former Swanfield House which is now called The Retreat and when he is offered a good job she finds out what the new owners are doing there. She hopes to mend her friendship with Marcie, get back her stables and leave all what happened in the past and most of all the man who caused all this trouble for the town. At least she hopes she will never ever set eyes on him again.
Heather is happy as her business is going well again and as new interesting male doctor shows up all might be perfect for her.
Dina, the fourth of the old friends, has a secret she needs to tell Marcie as she can´t put that off any longer. It is time for her and her husband Ruaridh to accept the unavoidable.
As if the four friends would not have enough on their blades dark shadows appear above this charming Scottish town and will cause again hurt.


Honestly I thought this is a cute story about friendship and secrets in a nice Scottish surrounding.
This is more a mystery book.
Main topics here are deathly illnesses, death, how you want to spend your remaining time and most of all how you want to leave - assisted suicide.

I did not read the first book and got on very well with the story line.
I like the writing a lot. The characters are well worked out, the scenery is nicely described and I would have loved to be.
I liked how much you could feel the old friendship between the four women in this book and also that friendship is not always only easy. All of them are so totally different which made them for me the perfect mix.

Due to the thematic of early death due to illnesses the parts were well written but caused the story to be very sad for me. Especially my heart went out to the family what this diagnosis means for the future of all of them but especially for the kids. I think it was good how talking about your death, how you want to die is portrait here as normally this is a tabu theme in our society.

At the end of the book there was lots of action going on with kidnapping, attempted murder, ...
For me this trope would not necessarily have been needed. I liked the story and how it unfolded before the shadows of the past appeared again and caused this action better.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Secrets of Swanfield House & loved Escape to the Highland Retreat just as much. This was another brilliantly written book, the author has a gift for creating a wonderfully atmospheric setting, painting the picturesque village so perfectly you feel like you are right amongst the residents.

There was definitely a darker feel to this book & some tough, dark, thought-provoking & morally grey topics covered. There is plenty of mystery, suspense, darkness & tension throughout but this is also a beautiful story about friendship, family, love & history, it's an emotional rollercoaster.

A brilliant read I devoured.

This was a very busy story with great characters and an absorbing storyline. Very topical as well with Dignity in Dying being debated in Parliament at this time. Very sad but also soothing conclusion with a sting in the tail.

The residents of the picturesque village of Strathkin in the Scottish Highlands, are intrigued by the new owners of Swanfield House. There are some strange goings on, the house is now like a fortress and the new residents are not talking. Marcie the former owner, comes back from London for a holiday and she becomes determined to get to the bottom of it all.

The author writes in a way that draws you into the story. The setting is described so well that you feel part of village life and the characters are nicely brought to life. 

There is a lot going on in this book, the second I've read in the series, be ready for some tears! Marcie was not as likeable in this book as she was in the first. However, a lot was going on. I think this flaw added to her complexity. There is also a villain amongst them who wants nothing more than to take revenge on the residents of Strathkin.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read that had me invested until the final page.

Book 2 in the Loch Strathkin series sees Marcie, recently married, returning to Strathkin. Plenty of change at Swanfield means more mystery and intrigue for Marcie and her friends.
This story has a huge moral question to ask of its readers, with much of the story focusing on assisted dying. It was hugely emotional and jarring at times. It certainly will promote discussions.
The heart of book 1 was really the friendship between Marcie, Dina, Bella, and Heather. This story comes with trials and tribulations again for the group and many, many tears.
I found this very difficult to put down, reading it in the space of 24 hours.
The series definitely still has much more to give, and I'm looking forward to continuing it.

Escape to the Highland Retreat is a heartbreaking tale of friendship with a side of mystery!

Having read book one I could not wait to get my hands on book two and it certainly did not disappoint. Like the first book I couldn’t put the book down and devoured it very quickly.

I think the author dealt with the difficult, serious topics in this book very well (definitely check the content of this before reading).

I cannot wait to read more by this author.

How nice it was to jump back in to life in Strathkin. To be back with our wonderful cast of characters and to see what had changed since the end of book one!

From the beginning I was hooked. I loved reading about the changes at Swanfield, getting acquainted with our new characters and knowing I was in for another wild ride.

As always Marcie was brilliant, although I have to be honest she did annoy me at times in this book. Heather and Bella were also great this time around and seeing them take a fancy to the same man had me giggling at times. Dina was just as kind and brilliant as before.

The last quarter of this book had be gasping. It had me on the edge of my seat and it had me sobbing. And it had me wishing for more so I’m really hoping another book is heading our way!

Absolutely brilliant writing and a book I have really enjoyed reading!

Escape to the Highland Retreat by Elayne Grimes.
Loch Stathkin book 2.
I really enjoyed this book. I got into it straight away. I loved the cover and blurb of this book. I really liked Marcie Dina, Bella, and Heather. I liled how they were with each other. There is some serious and difficult topics in this book. This was very well written. This is a new author for me. I do like the writing style and the story. I'm really looking forward to the next book.

This is the second book in the Loch Strathkin series and can be read as a standalone. Personally, I feel that reading the first one, Secrets of Swanfield House, is helpful. In understanding the main characters of the book, especially Bella.

This story opens with the strange goings on at Swanfield House, Marcie Mosse (Grainger)’s family home that she sold. She uses some of the money from that sale to help her friends in Strathkin. When a new security gate is installed there, you wonder what is going on behind the gates. As the story unfolds on what is happening at “The Retreat,” I think the reader will be surprised and probably have some opinions.

Dina’s storyline is a tough one and I have to admit I was not a fan of this. That being said, it was well-written and you are along for the ride of every aspect of her decisions and how they affect her family. You feel for Ruaridh as decisions are made and his helplessness.

There is a new doctor in town and Heather and Bella vie for his affection. It must be hard to have a love life in such a small town where the options are very limited. A person from Marcie’s past shows up with repercussions to Simon, her husband.

I think readers will enjoy this story because the subject matter touches all of us in one way or another. The characters have depth to them, though sometimes you might not care for one or the other of the four main women characters, they work well together. This series is interesting because these books have only a handful of characters and usually you are drowning in names of characters trying to keep track of who is who.

I think Marcie’s decision at the end of the book will end up blowing up in her face (if she made the decision for the reason I believe she did), but time will tell on that decision. I am looking forward to more books in this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story captivates from beginning to end, it is the second in a series, it works well as a standalone but I would urge reading the first book to gain the most enjoyment.
Lawyer, Marcie, along with her husband Simon, had returned to Strathkin, her childhood home for a six week holiday, Marcie knew that she had some decisions to make, decisions that could only be made in the one place where she felt at home.
Macie had been brought up in Swanfield House, a huge mansion hidden in the beautiful Scottish highlands, she had sold Swanfield and moved to London but had now returned and was staying in Callum's cottage, Sweet Briar, that stood in the shadow of the big house.
Macie was delighted to be back in the bosom of her three best friends, friends that she had had all her life, Bella who had run the stables until she got into trouble with the law, Heather who ran the local hostelry and beautiful Dina, Dina who had married Marcie's first love Ruaridh Balfour, Dina who now had four beautiful children.
Macie quickly learned that all was not what it is seemed at the big house, Swanfield had undergone expensive renovations and was now like a fortress and had been renamed " The Retreat", there were strange things happening, Masie was determined to find out what was was going on and so, with her friends on board, the journey began.
This is a story of deep love, deep friendship and greed all set in the stunning Scottish Highlands, the author has addressed some really emotive subjects including assisted dying, have the tissues ready as this story will pluck at your emotions, take you through despair and danger with the reappearance of Poytr Medvedev, Marcie's nemesis. Great story, great characters, although I didn't like Marcie as much in this one, perhaps in the next one she will redeem herself and I look forward to reading it.
Thank you Storm Publishing and Net Gallery for this ARC, my review is voluntary.

To be honest I wasn’t sure at first, it took me sometime to get into this book.
The friendship ring of Marcie, Heather, Bella and Dina is tested sorely, by Marcie’s meddling, underlying issues and trust.
Marcie is of the belief that you only have to throw money at a problem to solve it. When she is unhappy about the changes made to her old home, Swanfield, she starts snooping around as she is suspicious as to what is going on there.
Bella has more reason than most to keep under the radar so she is in two minds when she discovers what is going on at Swanfield. There is a spy within the camp watching the coming and goings, will they show face/be discovered.

As I’ve said the book grew on me as it went along. My favourite character was Bella for being so trusting. Leat favourite was Peter.

Macie travels back to Strathkin to her ancestral home. she stays in her uncle's cottage and is drawn into village life.

Marcie has returned back home to Strathkin only to find much has changed - from her family's ancestral home, Swanfield House, being renovated to secrets among her core group of friends to unrest in her marriage. The story includes humor, sad moments, betrayal, detailed descriptions of the location and so much more.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

2⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advanced copy of Escape To The Highland Retreat.

Marcie returns back for the first time to the small little village since she decided to sell her family estate. She is shocked by all of the changes that have taken place since she has been gone. She reunites with her friends who are all faces struggles of their own at the moment. Marcie feels like something deeper is going on in the village.

This is the second book in the series and I was just not a fan of this one. I could not connect to the story this time.

Escape to the Highland Retreat by author Elayne Grimes is an engaging story that will pull you in and keep you interested right up until the end. Perfect pacing, interesting characters. Well balanced combination of action, danger, suspense, and mystery alongside relationships, secrets from the past and tough decisions to be made in the present.

Thanks to Storm Publishing for providing an advance copy of Escape to the Highland Retreat via NetGalley. Storm publishes such a satisfying variety of books across many genres. I’m always happy to receive another one. I enjoyed this book and recommend it. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

A dark tale with some humorous moments.Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It feels unfinished. It took took off in a completely unexpected direction, nevertheless a bit unsatisfying. Well written. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

ARC Review: Escape to the Highland Retreat by Elayne Grimes

Jumping into this book was a bit of a challenge at first, as I later realized there’s a preceding novel. However, once I decided to just go along for the ride, I found myself immersed in the charming town Ms. Grimes has created.

On the surface, this story follows a community grappling with changes to a beloved local estate as new residents arrive, making modifications that initially unsettle the townspeople. But as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that there’s something much deeper at play—something both unexpected and profoundly moving.

At its core, this book is a heartfelt exploration of friendship, family, and loss, navigating life’s most difficult moments with incredible sensitivity. The way Grimes portrays the end-of-life facility is especially poignant, handled with care and emotional depth.

I’m curious to read the first book and then revisit this one to see if the experience shifts with a fuller understanding of the world. Escape to the Highland Retreat releases this week—thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

WEEKEND READ! - Book Review - Escape To The Highland Retreat

I just finished reading Escape To The Highland Retreat by Scottish author Elayne Grimes. If you are after an absorbing read to race through, these characters will deliver.

It’s Book 2 of the Loch Strathkin series but easy enough to read as a standalone.

Things The Highland Retreat Has:

Girlfriends with complicated relationships with each other

Strong female friendships

Attractive highland men

Rogues who are somewhat likeable (except that particular baddie!)

Stunning highland location

Dark happenings and discussion-worthy topics

Challenging material

Fantastic immersive writing

This return to Swanfield kept me hooked from its early pages. Great to experience all the “girls” together again even with all the challenges thrown in their way. Book 2 carries through some of the issues that led to a friendship crisis in Book 1. This is all very relatable. They are strong female friendships but not all rosy!

The characters in this book are so realistic and individual (loved Maureen – could hear her in my head!) that it’s a treat to read, even if the subject matter was a bit dark and very sad at times.

I raced through the last half of the book, afraid for what might happen. The author did an excellent job with such thought-provoking issues that are very topical at the moment in the UK.

I can see this being a great book club read for members to discuss the topics raised.

Highly recommend if you are seeking an immersive read to get lost in for a while.

It’s astonishing that this is only just the second book from Scottish author, Elayne Grimes, with such accomplished writing and challenging material. (It’s Book 2 of the Loch Strathkin series. The first book is: Secrets of Swanfield. Both with Storm Publishing).

It’s on a Spring offer right now over on Amazon, so worth snapping up at that price!



#EscapetotheHighlandRetreat #NetGalley