Glentorrin
bakery owner, and lone parent, Caitlin Fraser, is single and finally ready to
mingle.
With her daughter, Grace, about to become a
teenager, and her friends all settling down, Caitlin decides she deserves a
shot at happiness too.
Resisting the pull of dating apps, Caitlin
embarks upon a series of disastrous singles events where she bumps into fellow
villager, and astronomy buff, Archie Sutherland, who is nursing his own past
secrets.
When Grace’s best friend’s father, handsome Lyle
Budge, asks Caitlin to dinner, things progress quickly and she has a taste of
what their future as a family could be, much to both their daughters delight!
But when Archie makes a shocking discovery, and he turns to Caitlin for help,
she soon discovers Lyle isn’t the sharing type, meaning prickly ultimatums loom
for everyone.
Will wishing upon the stars over Glentorrin help
Caitlin to figure out her way forward? Or is her hunt for romance like a once
in a lifetime comet, easily missed in the blink of an eye?
PJ's Thoughts:
Lisa Hobman's village of Glentorrin on the Isle of Skye has become one of my favorite fictional places to visit. With each new book set there I feel like I'm catching up with old friends, meeting a few new ones, and welcomed back with warm hugs. It was fun catching up with couples from the first two books and meeting new villagers with future story potential.
I've been looking forward to Caitlin's story and it did not disappoint. I loved the development of the characters in this book as well as the evolution of Caitlin's relationships. It's true that sometimes you have to kiss a few frogs before finding your prince. Also true that sometimes that prince isn't the one you were expecting.
Caitlin's forays into dating at 40 were frequently humorous, sometimes awkward, and very relatable. I enjoyed the twists and turns her journey took. Of course, nothing you do in Glentorrin is done in a vacuum which means everyone feels they have a stake in the outcome of Caitlin's new adventures, including her friends and her 13-year-old daughter, Grace. All of it comes from a place of love though and they all have Caitlin's best interests at heart.
I really enjoyed Grace, an evolving character who has a journey of her own. She and Caitlin have always been a team of two. Allowing new people into their family requires changes and the way those changes unfold (with some surprising twists) were both heart-tugging and uplifting.
Archie stole my heart with his generous, caring nature. This is a man anyone would be blessed to have for a friend. I was surprised by a twist that occurred as a result of friendship but wouldn't have expected any less from this character. I really enjoyed his slowly-deepening friendship with both Caitlin and Grace. He's a gem and I was in his corner, cheering him on the entire way.
If you enjoy close-knit communities, mature characters, plenty of humor and heart, some surprising twists, and well-deserved happy endings, check out Wishing Under a Starlit Skye. It can be enjoyed as a standalone but I also recommend Dreaming Under an Island Skye and Under an Italian Skye. Characters from both of the earlier books figure prominently in this one.
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This sounds like my kind of read. Thanks again for the recommendation PJ.
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy it!
DeleteOH WOW! I love British stories like this one. Small villages, caring neighbors, and an HEA. And most of all, characters who draw me into their lives because they are caring and kind and funny.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this review. This is a new to me author, but you have made me want to look at her book list and see what mischief I can get into.
Hope everyone is well and safe and happy.
I've only read three of her books but I've enjoyed them immensely. She's an English author now living in Scotland and that familiarity comes through in her stories.
DeleteThank you for the review. We don't often get middle-aged to older settled characters that we can relate to. Wanting companionship and love does not disappear once you are past your 30's. That she tries the old fashioned ways to meet Mr. Right is nice for a change. Even better is the daughters setting them up. This sounds like a nice read with "real" and relatable characters.
ReplyDeleteGreat review thank you! Sounds very good. I'm looking forward to reading it.
ReplyDeletePenney