Mistletoe Magic in the Highlands by Bella Osborne Published by Bloomsbury Publishing on October 10, 2024
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Romance / Holiday, Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy, Fiction / Small Town & Rural, Fiction / Women
Pages: 300
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley
Olivia Bingham is unlucky in love...
She's been ghosted more times than she can count, but this Christmas brings a glimmer of hope: Fraser Douglas, a Scottish chef working at an idyllic hotel in the Highlands. He's sweet and sensitive, thoughtful and funny, not to mention incredibly good looking – but there's a catch.
They've never actually met.
When Olivia tries to show her friends the hunky new man in her life, Fraser's online dating profile has vanished, andOlivia fears the worst. Frustrated and wounded, she decides she's going to confront Fraser – face to face, in Scotland.
But when she arrives, things don't go exactly as planned. Worse still, Fraser doesn't seem to have any idea who she is...
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PRAISE FOR BELLA OSBORNE:
'Such a heart-warming and thought-provoking novel!' Jill Mansell
'A touching tale that will warm your heart and put a smile on your face' Hazel Prior
'A story that was deeply moving, and ultimately uplifting... Definitely recommended – it was one of my best reads this year' Janet Gover
'Heart-rending and inspiring in equal measures. A wonderful story. I adored it!' Celia Anderson
'Beautifully and sensitively written, the characterisation is superb!' Sue Moorcroft
'Absolutely LOVED IT! It's Bella's best book yet! A glorious heartfelt novel' Christie Barlow
'The Library is a beautifully uplifting story full of wit, warmth and tender moments, with community at its heart and characters you truly care about' Cressida McLaughlin
'I absolutely loved this book. A great tonic for the times and highly recommended!' Talli Roland
'A truly special book, brimming with charm, heartwrenching moments and inspiring characters' Carmel Harrington
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Readers LOVE Mistletoe Magic in the Highlands:
'The engaging banter and the vividly drawn characters in this romantic comedy, set in the breathtaking landscapes of Scotland, made it a captivating read for me.' - NetGalley reviewer, 5*
'If you are looking for Sottish set warm hearted romance this book is for you. The characters are fabulous and plenty of laugh out loud moments. This is such a fresh read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Christmas magic at its best.' - NetGalley reviewer, 5*
'Don't you just love it when you find a book that you love from page one?' - NetGalley reviewer, 5*
'Really sweet story with characters you fall in love with almost instantly. Picturesque setting and interwoven stories that make you want to keep reading. Thoroughly enjoyed this book!' - NetGalley reviewer, 5*
'What a charming Christmas story, funny, with great characters in a snowy Scottish setting. A little bit quirky and lots of fun.' - NetGalley reviewer, 5*
My Review
I want to start by thanking Netgalley, Bella Osborne, and Aria & Aries for a copy of Mistletoe Magic In The Highlands in exchange for an honest review. Reader, I want it to be known that I am a Christmas enthusiast through and through, and when I got approved for this book, I was beside myself. I mean, just look at that cover. What isn’t to love? It is a Christmas romance that takes place in Scotland and has a cow named Ginger. I was sold. If you can not tell by my ramblings, Reader, I will say it here: I loved this story.
In this story, we follow Liv, an English woman who is consistently ghosted by the men that she meets. Fraser is the latest to ghost her, and this time, Liv has had enough. Liv is talking it over with her mother and sister one night and decides enough is enough; she is going to find out why this man has ghosted her. So, like any frustrated and infuriated woman, she hops into her sister’s car and heads for Scotland in search of Fraser. All she knows about this man are the few things she has learned about him through a dating app and a few weeks worth of communication. The rest she found out through the internet. Liv knows that he is a chef and works in a hotel kitchen, so she sets off for the hotel. Along the way, she ran into a bit of trouble at a gas station, which had me cracking up. I was laughing so hard that I even read it out loud to my husband, which got him laughing as well. When Liv finally arrives at her destination, things do not go as smoothly as she was hoping. Aside from her accident, when she arrives, Fraser has absolutely no idea who she is, or so it seems. This, needless to say, is a bit confusing and puts a major damper on her confronting him. Then, because of Liv’s accident and some unforeseen circumstances that arise, Liv finds herself stuck in the Highlands.
I loved watching how Liv handled being stuck in an unfamiliar place with people she had never met. I enjoyed the friendship that developed with Effie throughout the story. I thought that Liv was a real friend to her, and it was sweet to see how close they became. Liv was patient with Effie even when Effie was struggling. I also got a kick out of some of the grandmother’s friends and the antics they got up to. I do not want to forget to mention the banter between Fraser and Liv, which I found to be rather entertaining. Their dynamic is the typical grumpy sunshine trope, which I thought was handled very well. One thing I appreciated about this story is that there was no spice because I am not a big spice reader.
If you are looking for a cozy, romance-type Christmas story for the season that will give you all the Hallmark feels, then I think this would be a great read for you. There are some heavier topics to be aware of in this story, but for me, I thought it really added a little something to it, and they were handled well. I very much enjoyed this story and will be revisiting it next Christmas season. This is the only book I have read by Bella Osborne, but it won’t be my last. I look forward to reading more by this author. Have you read anything by this author, and if so, what have you read? I am always curious to know. Until Next Time, Reader, Happy Reading.
Trigger Warnings:
- Mentions of Parental Death
- Mentions of Infidelity
- Mentions of Car Accidents