Recently widowed Serena MacDonald Stewart focuses on her children to the exclusion of her career, her art, and her sanity. When her brothers ask her to oversee the family guest house on the Isle of Skye, it’s a chance to dust off her long-ignored business skills and make a new start. But her hopes for a smooth transition are dashed when the hotel manager, Malcolm Blake, turns out to be irritating, condescending . . . and incredibly attractive.

Malcolm Blake gave up everything—his home, his girlfriend, and his career—to return to Skye and raise his late sister’s teenage daughter. With few job opportunities available on the island, he signs on as the manager of the MacDonald family hotel, which he’s soon running successfully without interference from the owners. That is, until Serena shows up, challenging his authority and his conviction that there’s nothing missing from his new life on Skye.

Before long, Serena and Malcolm have to admit the spark between them is more than mere irritation. But as single parents, there’s more on the line than their own hearts. Will their commitment to family be the thing that draws them together or the only thing that could keep them apart?

Necee’s take:~

“When you have two people who like to do things their own way, sometimes sparks are going to fly.”

The chemistry lifts off the pages between widowed hotel owner Serena MacDonald Stewart and the hotel manager, Malcolm Blake. As they both get off to a rocky start upon meeting one another, you can’t help being pulled into their banter. The descriptions of astronomy and the nighttime sky were inspiring. Laureano’s descriptions of Scotland, the family hotel, and the surrounding community had me wanting to jump on a plane. At the very least, you’ll be checking out the locations to visit on Pinterest.

“Call it attraction or interest or chemistry, there was something about him that made her off balance and breathless.”

Whew, the chemistry between these two is beautifully written. Malcolm is quite the flirt and draws out closed off Serena in a way that flies off the page. However, I also enjoyed their focus on family and how they put family ahead of their own needs. As they both struggle to find their place in the world as parents, they learn to trust God and others to help along the way. Their journey to finding love and how to make it work was heartbreaking at times, but very realistic when children are involved. I thought Laureano did a splendid job balancing out the struggles and the joys in this couple finding their happy ending.

“Faith was an easy thing to talk about but hard to hold on to.”

Beautifully written, this hope-filled journey is for anyone who loves traveling to beautiful locations, finding love in unexpected places, and with a focus on family. Though this is the third book in the MacDonald Family Trilogy, I found it easily read as a standalone. I look forward to reading more by this author. I’ve heard great things about her and wholeheartedly agree with other positive reviewers that she is an author not to be missed.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley by Tyndale House Publishers. I have given my honest opinion in this review.

Carla Laureano is the two-time RITA Award–winning author of Five Days in Skye, London Tides, and the Saturday Night Supper Club series. She is also the author of the Celtic fantasy series The Song of Seare (as C. E. Laureano). A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked as a sales and marketing executive for nearly a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write fiction full-time. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two sons.

Relz Reviewz Extras

Enter giveaway of Under Scottish Stars
All Things Laureano @ Relz Reviewz
Visit Carla’s website and blog
Buy at Amazon: Under Scottish Stars or Koorong