The Christmas Castle in Scotland by Julie CaplinMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Well my wishes have been answered (albeit I forgot that I made the wish but never mind). Izzy, a side character in The Cosy Cottage in Ireland gets her own book.
Izzy McBride has inherited a castle in Scotland from her great uncle, she returns to the castle after having taken a cookery course at the famous Killorgally Cookery School in Ireland, determined to make the castle a going concern by offering B&B. Izzy's mother Xanthe is a 'free spirit', dramatic, selfish, a spendthrift, lover of big ideas. While Izzy has been in Ireland Xanthe has rented out one of their rooms to a history professor, Ross Strathallan, for an exorbitant amount of money without consulting Izzy, moreover she has also agreed to host an American couple and their family for Christmas, despite the castle not being fit for guests.
Whilst trying to keep her mother's wilder excesses under control, rescuing a young couple who are wild camping in the castle's grounds, supporting local food producers, and frantically renovating rooms for their guests in the lead up to Christmas, Izzy manages to feed the inhabitants, dance at a ceilidh, and decorate three Christmas trees. Oh, and did I mention the rumours that there is a fortune in sapphires hidden somewhere in the castle?
Little does Izzy know that the grumpy history professor is also Ross Adair the writer of a a series of thrillers which she adores.
This is only the second Julie Caplin book I have read but I think the titles and covers give you a good indication of the content. It's full of snow, whisky, sumptuous food, Christmas stockings hung by the fire, dour but lovable family retainers, and a big old dollop of romance. Think Katie Fforde without the virginal female lead and taciturn male lead. Its cute, cosy, funny, and heart-warming - just what you want from a holiday romance.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
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