Tour Review - - Shooting Stars Over the Highlands

Shooting Stars Over the Highlands

by Lisa Hobman

The Scottish Highland Series - Book 4

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Release Date: April 29, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

 

Esme Cassidy had two dreams growing up: to be a famous film star, and to own Drumblair Castle.

Sadly, overly cautious parents put paid to a career in front of the camera, instead encouraging her to study towards a ‘proper job’, and Lady Olivia MacBain is the current custodian of ‘her castle’.

After graduating and a year travelling, Esme returns home broken-hearted and throws herself into her new role as Lady Olivia’s PA at Drumblair Castle. It’s not quite her original dream but at least she’s living at the castle in one of the estate cottages with her housemate and friend, handsome, yet quirky, groundsman Judd.

With the news that the castle will be used as a film set for a period movie, Esme gets to witness first-hand the career she missed out on. And with her teenage crush in the starring role, she can’t believe her luck. But he wouldn’t be interested in a girl like her, surely?

PJ's Thoughts:

Lisa Hobman takes readers back to the Scottish Highlands for another story at Drumblair Castle, liberally sprinkled with humor and heart. It's been fun getting to know these characters, catching up with favorites in each new book while meeting new ones along the way. 

Esme is such a relatable and engaging character.  I enjoyed the way her story unfolded as she moved forward on her journey to independence, both in her personal and professional lives. Her relationships with her parents, Lady Olivia, Judd, her teenage crush all grown up, and her ex all unfolded in an organic and realistic way that only deepened my emotional attachment to her. I was in her corner, cheering her on the entire way.

I adored sweet, supportive Judd but I also liked Zach immensely as well. For a while, I wasn't sure which way the author was going to take Esme romantically but I was very happy with the way it played out. I really appreciated the way both of the men's characters evolved throughout the book and I enjoyed each of their unique relationships with Esme. Only one is destined to be her love, of course, but the other is destined for the type of solid, supportive friendship we should all be fortunate enough to have. 

Hobman has a way of pulling me into her stories through her characters as well as the setting. I was ready to hop a plane to Drumblair Castle after reading book one. Each successive book has only intensified that desire. I want to take the tours, picnic in the gardens, hoist a pint at the local pub, and just hang out with all the characters who feel like they've become friends. 

While I'm glad I read the books in order, readers new to this series could easily begin with Shooting Stars Over the Highlands without feeling lost or confused. 

Tour Review - - A Highland Family Affair

A Highland Family Affair

by Lisa Hobman

The Scottish Highland Series - Book 3

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Release Date: October 5, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

 

Can people ever really change or are family ties always set to unravel?

After inheriting Drumblair Castle over her older brother Kerr, Lady Olivia MacBain has had to forge a new life for herself far away from New York and her dream career in fashion. She fears her brother’s bitterness has fractured their relationship to the point of no return and is still clearing away the devastation he left when he disappeared.

Kerr’s unexpected return and supposed change of heart raises eyebrows. He is now seeking forgiveness and to rebuild the bridges he previously wrecked, but can he be trusted, or is it all just smoke and mirrors?

While her friends are settling down, Olivia patiently waits for childhood sweetheart Brodie to propose and wonders if she will ever get her happy ever after.

Can Olivia find a happy future or are promises always made to be broken?

PJ's Thoughts:

Can people really change? That's the question Olivia MacBain faces when her estranged brother Kerr reappears in her life in this third book in Lisa Hobman's The Scottish Highland series. 

I enjoyed the first two books in this series and have been looking forward to Olivia's HEA with Brodie, the childhood friend she reunited with in book one. What I did not expect when I began reading A Highland Family Affair was a possible reconciliation and redemption arc for Kerr. Of course, that part of the journey is filled with ups and downs, as I would expect after Kerr's actions earlier in the series. I really enjoyed the way Hobman laid out that part of the story. There were enough twists along the way to make things both realistic and relatable while also keeping me guessing how things would turn out right up until the end...with Olivia's relationships with both Kerr and Brodie. 

Hobman excelled in bringing both her characters as well as the Scottish setting to life in this series. The descriptions of Olivia's family castle and estate are so vividly depicted that I could easily picture it...and want to visit. The characters are complex and fully developed with complicated back stories and relationships, both present and past. I love Olivia's friends - in both Scotland and the US - and the love and support they all give one another. Bestie Bella's Granny Isla is another favorite. She's back and as hilarious as ever in this book. 

The romance between Brodie and Olivia has been a heartwarming,  though by no means easy, journey and their hard-won happy ending is tearfully sigh worthy. I especially enjoyed the tie-in with some of the characters from Glentorrin from Hobman's The Skye Collection series, a special treat for fans of that series.

I'm going to strongly recommend reading the three books in Lisa Hobman's The Scottish Highland series in order. I think it's essential in order to fully understand the journey these characters have taken and be able to appreciate the evolution of the relationships, both familial and romantic. 

Click the titles to read my reviews of books one and two in this series.

Coming Home to the Highlands

Chasing a Highland Dream