Two women looking for a fresh start. An escape to a Scottish island. A summer of sisterhood and second chances . . .
When single mum Kitty is given the chance to house-sit pretty Lilybank Cottage on Arran, she jumps at it. What could be better than a summer on a gorgeous Scottish island?
Except when Kitty arrives, the cottage she has been promised is already occupied by dancer Olivia.
Both have their reasons for staying. Kitty's only son has flown the nest and now she feels like she doesn't know who she is anymore. Meanwhile, Olivia is desperate for a fresh start, far away from her former life in New York.
Kitty and Olivia decide to share the little cottage and so begins their summer of rediscovery, friendship and laughter.
Kitty finds herself embracing life again - but could that also be thanks to handsome Logan, aka the Tartan Wanderer, a local tour guide? His intense dark eyes and broad shoulders make her weak at the knees.
But then the past arrives and threatens to overturn everything Kitty and Olivia love about life on Arran. Can their summer of sisterhood overcome the trials of the past and usher in a happy future?
Oh! How I love these 'fresh start,' feel-good books that take you away from the daily grind! A SUMMER HOUSE ON ARRAN by Ellie Henderson led me away on a lovely journey that left me delighted!
I loved the friendship that blossomed between Kitty and Olivia as it evoked a cosy feel that I enjoy encountering in storylines. The other characters blended in seamlessly as well. Kitty and Logan's relationship is also nicely paced, and felt realistic. (Love that Logan is also known as "The Tartan Wanderer.") Made me giggle! He is a tour guide. I'm getting some strong urges to zip over to Scotland myself!
My verdict: A SUMMER HOUSE ON ARRAN is an entertaining book that you should definitely read!
Thank you to Ellie Henderson & Choc Lit for this ARC.
This book is a romance book without much spice for a change! 🤭 Also funny to read a romance with main characters around 15-20 year my senior haha! The author did great on introducing the two main characters, Olivia and Kitty. At first, I was a bit dizzy with all the names thrown around but because those two were clear, it really helped with pushing through. 🤗
It took me a couple chapters before the story fully had me focused, I loved the chapters about Olivia and the other girls in Italy and also liked reading about Kitty, the single mother that has an empty nest for the first time. The author encapsulated the awkwardness of two people house-sharing all of a sudden very well, I even felt a bit uneasy. 😅 As Olivia and Kitty took on their first walking adventure and Logan came into the mix, the story really took off! The chemistry (and reluctance of Kitty) was very well written and nothing too hastily done. 💕
Nearing the end I loved the plottwist with Olivia’s ex for some disturbance in the storyline, it brought about some angry thoughts and I fully was rooting and applauding Olivia for handling the situation. 👏🏼 This was also one of the first times I didn’t despise an epilogue! All-in-all, a great light relatable romance read for this summer! 🌞
Like the previous two in the series, this third story set on Arran is completely independant, as it focuses of brand new characters (with alternating points of view again): Olivia, an American who flew to Europe to get away from an abusive boyfriend; Kitty, invited to spend a few weeks on the island to keep her mind off the worry of letting her son travel by himself for the first time, and Logan, who guides tours all around Scotland. Readers who enjoyed the other books will be happy to see several of their characters make brief appearances in this one, but everyone else can read this without knowing them. This might be my favourite of the three books. I really liked the friendship that quickly developped between the two women, and the fact that there's no love triangle (as might be expected in a romance with three main characters of compatible ages and orientations).
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a fun book with an interesting story. I'm going to try another book by this new-to-me author!
Amazon synopsis: When single mum Kitty is given the chance to house-sit pretty Lilybank Cottage on Arran, she jumps at it. What could be better than a summer on a gorgeous Scottish island?
Except when Kitty arrives, the cottage she has been promised is already occupied by dancer Olivia.
Both have reasons for wanting to stay. Kitty is desperate to find herself again, now that her only son has flown the nest. Meanwhile, Olivia is picking up the pieces of her former life in New York.
The two women agree to share the little cottage and so begins a summer of rediscovery, friendship and laughter that soon brings together a community of women across the island.
Kitty finds herself embracing life again — but could that also be thanks to handsome Logan, aka the Tartan Wanderer? His intense dark eyes and broad shoulders make her weak at the knees.
But then Olivia’s toxic ex-boyfriend arrives on Arran and threatens their summer of sisterhood.
This was absolutely the cutest little summer read ever! This was my first Scottish summer-y read, but it won’t be my last. Two women are looking for a fresh start & coincidentally end up renting the same cottage. Kitty is officially an empty-nester & not quite sure what to do with herself now that her son is gone, while Olivia is just desperate for a fresh new start away from NYC. No better place than to go across the world, am I right? 😂🤪 It took me a minute to get truly focused & hone in on the characters & figure out what was going on. I enjoyed the character development in Olivia, Kitty & Logan as well! Without giving too much away, I love how Kitty & Logan’s relationship evolves throughout the book! Step into the world of Arran as you experience love, friendship & life lessons.
Great book. Kitty and Olivia both find themselves on Arran looking for solitude and fresh starts. They are looking forward to house sitting and being alone. Unfortunately a mistake causes them to find themselves house sharing with each other. Determined to make the best of the situation they face spending time together they look for things to do. They find themselves in great company and really hit it off. Finding a leaflet for the tartan wanderer and booking a tour with him they meet Logan and hit it off. This is a great book. I want to visit Scotland even more now. Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
i really enjoyed this book - and love the series. I feel that you didn't need to read the other books first as a prerequisite. This is an easy-read, but makes you think.
Both Kitty and Olivia are on the verge of starting something new but don't necessarily know the next steps. I loved how there is a support circle that comes around them both very quickly, both with the surprising friendship between the housemates, and with the locals on Arran. The beauty of the friendships and the area is tangible.
Easy reading light romance set on the Isle of Arran. A mix up in communication leads to both Olivia and Kitty arriving to several weeks of house sitting at the same cottage. Friendships are formed. Relationships are started. Hearts are healed. Set at a gentle pace with a little action right near the end. Not wildly memorable but a decent enough read. A wee bit bland.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 ⭐️ I enjoyed A Christmas Escape to Arran by this author so was pleased to see she had a new release for summer. This was a lovely, sweet story. It took me a little time to warm to Kitty but her and Olivia developed a great friendship and there were lots of nice side characters. I really liked Logan and felt the author dealt well with some sensitive topics.
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
A sweet story . Two women end up to house sit a cottage on Arran by accident . Kitty is a widow with a 18 year old son who will spent his summer in a camp in USA and Olivia a dancer who is traveling to Scotland to escape from her past . they share their problems and became friends . Kitty is also falls for the local tour guide Logan . I received this book from netgalley and the publicer as an ARC . Thank you . All thoughts and opinions are my own .
Two strangers arrive separately on Arran to house sit for the summer, only to find they are both supposed to be looking after the same house. Kitty has just seen her son 18 year old Cameron off to America to work for the summer and needs a distraction and Olivia is escaping her ex boyfriend and to rethink her future. Neither want to give up the chance of staying so decide to share the house. This is a delightful story about strangers who become friends and I really enjoyed it.
Very enjoyable lighthearted read. Characters are very likeable and you find yourself wanting to get to know them more and want everything to work out for them. Very entertaining and perfect if you want an escape that will pick you up and make you smile. Story flowed well.
Thank you NetGalley and to @joffebooks and @choclituk for providing this advanced readers copy in return for an honest review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Kitty ams Olivia both need to get away from life and when they both end up in the same cottage on the beautiful Island of Arran they decide to share and soon form a friendship. A lovely lighthearted summer read with great characters, especially Logan, and plenty of fun to keep you turning the pages
This was a set of books that I just had to read. As soon as I started to read A Summer Wedding on Arran, I was hooked. Ellie Henderson’s writing is so thoughtful, interesting and you just want to go to the Isle of Arran immediately. In the meantime, I have enjoyed all three books so much and can only hope there will be more in this series.
A engaging and enjoyable read from start to finish. Lovely to catch up with previously met characters and become acquainted with new ones. This book is easily able to be read as a standalone in its own right. The cosy environment manifested by the writing is second to none. I definitely want to visit!
A Summer House on Arran (Scottish Romance Book 3). Ellie Henderson
I really enjoyed this book, read it until I nearly finished it one go. There was so much description of the Scottish Isle of Arran I could see myself walking with the character’s. I can certainly recommend to anyone who loves a lovely romance with lots of lively humour in, to read read read. 💕
I think this type of books, uplifting and hearwarming, are the right one for this dark times. It made me smile and root for the characters Recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
This is a wonderful story of crashing and burning and then chance, or fate or karma steps in. Three main characters are very well fleshed out, and I was left feeling as if I knew them intimately.
I loved the first two books and this one sure delivers !! The location, the people, the storyline. Amazing. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (full review below - ARC via Netgalley)
This is the third book by Ellie Henderson about people and events taking place on Arran, a beautiful Scottish island - the local tourist board should be giving out copies of her books at events around the world!
Two women looking for a fresh start. An escape to a Scottish island. A summer of sisterhood and second chances . . .
Recent empty nester Kitty is heading to Arran to house sit Lilybank Cottage.
At the same time, Olivia, who is looking for a fresh start after her current life has taken a turn for the worse, is also heading to Lilybank Cottage.
After a tense first encounter, they decide to share the cottage. They soon discover that they have more in common than they expected and a genuine friendship is developing.
Together they help each other find new energy and deal with the past.
I liked the friendship between Olivia and Kitty and also the relationship Kitty develops with Logan aka the Tartan Wanderer, a local tour guide.
In Henderson's world, Arran seems to be a place full of magic, kind people and new opportunities.
Thank you to NetGalley and Choc Lit for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.
This is third in a series yet each can be read as a standalone, even though we do meet up with characters from the first two books here. Like the previous two, it's a quick, very light romance without a whole lot of action. I was left feeling I wanted a lot more from this one though. The relationship between Kitty and Logan could have been explored more. It's like getting just a tidbit of story for each character. I do enjoy this series overall but wasn't thrilled with this one. A solid 3 stars.
Getting to travel around the world to places like Ireland from the comfort from your own home is great. This was an engaging and enjoyable read that flowed nicely. Kitty and Oliva are both wanting to get way and relax from their daily lives. This was a quick summer read that was truly enjoyable. I’m going to have see look into seeing what other books this author has.