ABOUT THE BOOK
One hotel. One week. And a secret that could change everything.
Ever-optimistic Briony Dalgleish has watched her dreams evaporate. Now, the only way to save her beautiful hotel in the Scottish Highlands is to sell up. In desperation, she agrees to a deal with an American businessman, but when his representative arrives, Briony recognises him as someone she’d rather forget.
American sci-fi geek Zach Somerton is on a last-ditch mission to redeem himself after an epic business fail. If he messes up this time, his career is over. But Scotland’s like another planet, and Zach’s facing crazy locals, bizarre legends, and a woman who’s out of this world. When his boss forbids him to reveal to Briony the real reason he’s at the Loch View Hotel, Zach’s loyalty is tested to the limit.
Forced to work together, Briony and Zach investigate the hotel’s murky past and face up to their own. But getting too close could end their careers. Can Briony and Zach find a way to let in love? Or will secrets and lies crush their chance of happiness?
MY REVIEW
Margaret Amatt starts her new Glenbriar series with a run-down pink hotel, a committed woman who believes in dreams, and a clueless man trying to find his purpose in life.
This job should be a cinch but this woman complicated things.
American Zach Somerton has a week to prove his worth to his boss and convince the owner of Loch View Hotel to sell up. However, the owner of the hotel is a woman who happens to hate his guts because he had been responsible for her almost losing her job five years ago. Will he be able to complete his mission and get out alive, or will the attraction he felt for her years ago get him in trouble again?
This was adulting at its finest; she was failing on every level and she didn’t like it.
Briony Dalgleish is in over her head. The hotel she loved as a kid is a money pit and she has no option but to sell. When she meets the rep sent from America to negotiate her deal, he’s the same man who used her for a bet five years ago. It was unfortunate because she thought she felt a connection that seemed to still be there between them. He’s told her what his boss is up to, but can she trust a man who almost ruined her life?
I loved Zach’s awkwardness and nerdiness and Briony’s optimism and kindness. Zach finally comes into his own with Briony’s help. His life has certainly been lonely when he loses his loving grandmother and is left with an ill mother who is not the warmest person. His way of dealing with it is to disappear into computer games and science fiction books so his social skills aren’t the best. It’s so sad that he has never really been hugged by anyone until Briony came along. Briony is a people person and has the perfect disposition as a hotel owner. She is a hard worker and runs herself ragged, but she allows Zach to help her by walking her large mischievous dog and trying to solve the mystery of the priceless whiskey that is rumored to be somewhere in the hotel. The struggles Zach and Briony are going through are made easier by having each other and working together to make a brighter future.
Supporting characters abound. Briony works hard to make sure her two employees, Meg and Shari, keep their jobs. Briony’s friend, Felicity is there to lend her support. The builder, Brann, has a little bromance going with Zach who has never really had a close friend. And don’t forget, Becker, the dog, who steals Zach’s heart. Of course, it wouldn’t be complete without having Briony’s nasty ex show up and make her life even more miserable, but he gets his just desserts. And then there is Zach’s boss, Mr. Beyer who has a surprise in store for Zach.
This lovely second-chance, grumpy sunshine romance is delightful as we watch Zach eventually being won over by the kind and generous Briony and by the beautiful small town of Glenbriar. The characters are captivating and the setting is gorgeous. Just another reason for my wanting to visit Scotland.
Thank you to Ms. Amatt for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.
The Glenbriar Series:
1. Stolen Kisses at the Loch View Hotel (2023)
2. Just Friends at Thistle Lodge (2023)
3. Pitching Up at Heather Glen (2023)
4. Two’s Company at the Forest Light Show (2023)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Margaret is a Scottish author and chocolate lover who has been writing stories for over twenty years (possibly more if you count her primary school efforts). Her early works will never see the light of day and are locked in dusty vaults on some old floppy disks. But after all those years of practise, Margaret released her first novel A Winter Haven in 2021. This is the first of a ten-book series set on the gorgeous Scottish Isle of Mull.
The stories are unashamedly romantic but with lots of drama and an eclectic mix of characters. Each book can be read as a standalone but followers of the series will enjoy catching up with previous characters.
A new spin-off series based in the Scottish Highlands is coming out in 2023.
Follow Margaret on her website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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