WEEKEND READ

Book Review - The Highland Retreat

WEEKEND READ!

I just finished reading Escape To The Highland Retreat by Scottish author Elayne Grimes. If you are after an absorbing read to race through, these characters will deliver.

It’s Book 2 of the Loch Strathkin series but easy enough to read as a standalone.

Things The Highland Retreat Has:

• Girlfriends with complicated relationships with each other

• Strong female friendships

• Attractive highland men

• Rogues who are somewhat likeable (except that particular baddie!)

• Stunning highland location

• Dark happenings and discussion-worthy topics

• Challenging material

• Fantastic immersive writing

This return to Swanfield kept me hooked from its early pages. Great to experience all the “girls” together again even with all the challenges thrown in their way. Book 2 carries through some of the issues that led to a friendship crisis in Book 1. This is all very relatable. They are strong female friendships but not all rosy!

The characters in this book are so realistic and individual (loved Maureen – could hear her in my head!) that it’s a treat to read, even if the subject matter was a bit dark and very sad at times.

I raced through the last half of the book, afraid for what might happen. The author did an excellent job with such thought-provoking issues that are very topical at the moment in the UK.

I can see this being a great book club read for members to discuss the topics raised.

Highly recommend if you are seeking an immersive read to get lost in for a while.

It’s astonishing that this is only just the second book from Scottish author, Elayne Grimes, with such accomplished writing and challenging material. (It’s Book 2 of the Loch Strathkin series. The first book is: Secrets of Swanfield. Both with Storm Publishing).

It’s on a Spring offer right now over on Amazon, so worth snapping up at that price!

Thanks to Netgalley for early access to this book. I would add that I bought the first in the series and am likely to add Books 2 and 3 to my collection as they are gorgeous covers and fantastic female friendship stories.

#EscapetotheHighlandRetreat #NetGalley