Windows

by Anni Holliday

Windows is a celebration of the High Street, small-town life and the hard-working and dedicated shopkeepers, public servants and other people who strive to keep that life going. It’s a funny and poignant portrayal of human nature and its many frailties and strengths, including love, hate, loyalty, ambition, determination, error and redemption. A key theme is the human tendency to rush to conclusions about others which can later prove to be wrong.

It’s also a celebration of family, community, childhood and play, books and the joy of reading, and the beauty of the Scottish landscape.

The apparent idyll in which it is set is, however, in danger from an unknown person secretly bent on revenge, threatening the inhabitants’ lives and livelihoods and the very fabric of the town itself. Will they realise the danger in time or will the threat strike and, if so, when, how, where and on whom? Will the townspeople escape it and, if not, will they survive and how will they put their shattered lives and town back together again?

180 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 28, 2025

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a charming ( with a bite ) little gem of a find this was from debut author Anni Holliday

We find ourselves in a lovely Scottish village ( never named ) and meet shop owners

Fran and Beth - Bookstore
Beek - Turkish Barber
Greg - Cycle Shop
Billy - Toy Shop
Maureen - Gift Shop and
Chrissie - Florist

A wonderful bunch who run their shops with pride,then when a window shop display competition is announced with a prize of £5000 they are all determined to be in with a chance

However there is one person whose aim is to cause them all harm,will he succeed in disrupting events…

We also meet Councillor Blakeney and his wily secretary Sylvia,who is a champion at playing him at his own game

A lovely read,enjoyable and well written and a great first book from this author

[Fictionophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Windows" is a charming debut novel featuring vignettes of the shopkeepers of the small Scottish town of Linlithgow. There is to be a competition for window displays in the lead up time to Christmas. We meet several different shopkeepers and get a glimpse of their lives as they plan their displays.

An over zealous councilwoman who organizes the competition. An elderly man who runs a toy shop. A young man with personal baggage who runs a bicycle shop. A physically handicapped florist. A Turkish family who run a barbershop. A middle-aged woman who runs a gift shop. A lonely, middle-aged woman who travels everywhere by bicycle.

This is definitely a novel that speaks to the strength of 'community'. We meet several nice, and a few not-so-nice people. We visit a charming Scottish town. What's not to love?

In addition to the  story of the shopkeepers, there is a frisson of romance, and a hint of mystery. It is a sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant, glimpse into small town Scotland that is peopled with characters that I would like to meet in person. I quite enjoyed the visit.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an unexpectedly good book! It’s about a group of shop owners who bond over a window display contest. All vastly different stores and people. It does have a dark side too. It’s a quick easy to read story you won’t be able to put down

[Bookworm86 · Rating 5 out of 5]

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Windows' by Anni Holliday

This is Anni's DEBUT novel, not that you would ever think that!!! Anni has written this beauty as if she has been writing for years and I cannot wait to see what she has hidden up her sleeve for her next guaranteed success!

OMG!!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE, LOVE ,LOVED THIS BOOK, AN ABSOLUTELY SWEET, ESCAPIST AND PAGE TURNING MUST READ!!

The first thing I have got to say is an absolutely HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to the amazing author Anni Holliday!! I was absolutely mind blown when I had finished this stunning page turner, went to add the rest of her books to my wish list and realised that it is actually her debut book!! What an absolutely EPIC debut novel it is and if THIS is what you can create for your very first book then I just cannot wait to see what on Earth you will come out with next!! You seriously have to grab your copy of this absolutely gorgeous page turner today!! The descriptions, the characters and the absolutely brilliant and beautiful storyline!!! This book is one of those beauties that was so easy to read, relaxing, will put you in the festive spirit and make you fall in love with Linlithgow and the community. It is just an absolutely charming tale of several members of the community, their lives and setting up ready for a festive window display competition. In this beauty we get to meet and delve into the lives of Ellie Coley who befriends many of the shop owners, Billy Anderson the toy shop owner who is a widow and whose son he hasn't seen for many years, Maureen Enderby who owns the gift shop and has had a falling out with Chrissy after Chrissy sold some jewellery for a friend, Chrissy Dickson who owns the florist, is a wheelchair user and is lonely in love, Greg who runs the cycle shop and has had problems in the past, Berk Arsian who is a third generation Turk and runs the barber shop, Fran and Beth who have had to keep their love hidden and run the bookshop and Councillor Jim Blakeney and his assistant Sylvia who is running the competition. Anni beautifully weaves these protagonists perspectives through the story where we get to know about what they are doing, seeing and feeling as well as getting a real feel for them as they all prepare for the competition. I mean seriously I cannot describe just how charming and heart warming this book is!!! There are just no words. I mean I'll try but my advice is stop reading this review and GET YOUR COPY NOW!!! If you love romance, humour, feel good books, community… Do you know what...whatever you like to read just give this a go and you will NOT regret it!!! As you can tell I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet and stunning page turner!!! If you want to more about this beauty then you will just have to grab your copy of this absolutely fabulous page turner today and I can absolutely GUARANTEE you will not regret it! With a storyline ram packed with friendship, humour, community, love, redemption, loyalty, determination and so much more what on Earth are you waiting for??? This book is a real genuine pick me up and will definitely turn any frown upside down!! It captured my attention from the very first page and kept me glued to the pages until the very last word and definitely left me wanting more!! Anni's fantastic writing skills and vivid descriptions will transport the reader into Linlithgow, Scotland, where they will see everything that is going on around them and fall in love with surroundings and most of the amazing and larger than life characters! I know I did! I was genuinely absolutely mind blown when I realised that this is actually Anni's DEBUT novel as it is written as if it is her 100th!! If this is what she came up with for her debut then I cannot wait to see how this series continues on!! This is one of those fantastic books that is perfect to read anywhere and everywhere from curled up next to a roaring fire to sunning yourself on a beach as regardless of where you are Anni will whisk you away with the storyline!! I absolutely devoured this book in one sitting as there was no way I could put it down!! With the beautiful paperback version being just 216 pages and the kindle version just 180 pages it is the perfect length and filled with everything you could ask for in a lovely escape for several hours. Each and every time I even thought about it to get some actual house work done the characters called me back to demand their attention!! The chapters are quite short which is ideal to pick up and read a few here and there whether on a break or on a bus, the problem is trying to put it down!! One of the things I really enjoyed about this storyline is that it is unique to me as I had never read a storyline like it which always makes a lovely change after reading so many books as it is getting harder and harder to find something new. An absolutely brilliant read that will make your day brighter!

Clear your schedules, get comfortable and enjoy a beautiful escapism to Linlithgow where you will fall in love.

I absolutely loved the larger than life, unique and just fantastic characters that Anni has created for this book!! Thanks to her fantastic descriptions it truly feels like you are right next to each and every one of the larger than life characters throughout. I absolutely loved meeting them all and was rooting for them throughout. I loved watching the personalities and confidence change and develop from the start to the finish as well as friendships and relationships. All of the characters are unique with their own personalities, weaknesses, flaws and strengths and I loved meeting and getting to know them all, well, almost all. The only downfall with the characters is that they are entirely fictional even though Anni brings them to life unfortunately, no matter how much I would love to, I am unable to meet up with them in the real world!! I was completely invested in them all throughout and I was gutted when the time came to say Goodbye! I am really hoping Anni will turn this community and charming story into a series!! Anni truly does an absolutely amazing job of bringing the story to life and the characters leap out of the pages as your turning them thanks to her evocative writing skills and I enjoyed getting to meet them all!! It really goes to show how talented she is creating such a wonderful storyline and all these brilliant characters in her debut book and cannot wait for the next book

Clear your schedules as this is one gorgeous, charming and unputdownable stunner ❤️ Anni welcome to my favourite author list!!! I CANNOT WAIT FOR YOUR NEXT GUARANTEED SUCCESS!!!

Overall an absolutely charming book that will sweep you away, make you laugh out loud and fall in love with Linlithgow and it's community!!

#Windows #AnniHolliday #Troubador #RachelsRandomResources #rararesources

@AnniHolliday @Troubador @RachelsRandomResources @rararesources


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[Karen Mace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a cosy read that I adored! Set in a charming community and following the exploits of a group of shop owners with the highs and lows of the world of retail. It really makes you aware of the importance of having local shops and really celebrates the high streets up and down the land!

We go behind the doors in each shop, with different people all facing different challenges in life be it personally or with the shop itself and I loved the 'soap opera' feel to it all as we switched from shop to shop. There's rivalry too with some shopkeepers always being nosey and trying to see what others are up to, and that's where the new competition for 'best window display' really gets them all going and gives them a new focus.

There's a toy shop, bookshop, barbers, gift shop, florist - to name a but a few and it was wonderful to get different insights on the thought process of each of the sellers, seeing what issues they were facing as they're all different ages. And there's a villain in their midst too, out to cause trouble so it was interesting watching that story bubble up to a very dramatic conclusion!

A really fun and different read and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future - maybe even revisiting the shops and characters as I'd love to see more from them all having got to know them quite well through this book!

[The Book Elf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the idea behind this book . As someone who loves proper high streets and supports small independent shops this ticked the box for me on many counts before I had even opened the cover, which is absolutely gorgeous.

This is a story where you really feel that you could just walk up and down the high street looking at how the different window displays are developing whilst getting to know the characteristics of the owners in each shop.

It is at times tongue in cheek, whilst at others being very poignant as the competition brings out the best and worst in people. I like the fact that the chapters are short, moving easily between the different characters and never leaving it too long before you revisit them again, which I like.

The change in their lives due to one character (I’m not going to give away any spoilers here) is gripping and I couldn’t put the book down until I found out what had happened.

A really good debut read and I look forward to reading more books by Anni in the future.

Right time for me to go shopping on my lovely local high street.

[Emma book blogger Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you @rararesources For letting me be part of this tour and reviewing this book. Windows is a contemporary genre and has a beautiful front cover that makes me want to go there and visit the shops and the shopkeepers. The story is set in Scotland in a small town. Windows is a beautiful, heartwarming, and cozy read, perfect for these autumn/winter months. It is an easy read and engaging from the start. I really liked all the characters and felt like I knew them all very well. I enjoyed finding out about their backgrounds and about the competition to decorate their windows in their shops. Furthermore, I love the descriptions in the book of the windows and wish I could go and visit them. The story is beautifully written and is an enchanting read. It is a lighthearted and heartwarming read. I am so glad I got to read this book. I was hooked, and I read the book in a day. Five stars.

[Duckfacekim09 (Kim Howell) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover of this book is unbelievably beautiful and the title is so appropriate as it was a cute little story about window displays and a community coming together.

Windows was full of really interesting characters, and I enjoyed the majority of their stories, but I found it so hard to follow who everyone was and when the characters turned up in each others' chapters, I had no idea of the significance because I couldn't remember who they were. And there were A LOT of characters (some with similar names too).

The storyline did work really well and the ending was both emotional and succinct but would have been better for me if I could have remembered who each character was and their place in the ending. It's so hard with a short book to explore this amount of characters in enough depth.

I definitely wouldn't object to reading a (longer) book by this Author though 😊

[Nicola Malloch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fascinating insight to small town life in Scotland and the complexities of multi generational history of families and friendships that either thrive or sour over time. I really liked that I got a full sense of what life in that small town where, it felt real and well rounded as if I could walk around and know who I would see, the threat that looms was a really interesting twist and without giving spoilers I really like how the book ended

[Anabel Forrester]

DNF. I got the ARC from NetGalley & thought it was a very quaint & relaxing book, unfortunately I didn’t make it all the way to the end before my arc expired. Might come back to it someday for a vacation read, since I really loved all the descriptions of the shop windows & social politics and think it’d be best enjoyed with a weekend of free time and peace.

[Kieran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book telling the stories of the local people in such a lovely little community. I live near to Linlithgow so quite nice that the book is loosely based on the authors home town. A nice easy and pleasant read. I look forward to reading more from Anni Holliday.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written story set in Scotland and its inhabitants (residents, small business owners as well as families), I found this story to be an interesting read with a very reflective conclusion.
Thankyou to Net galley and the publisher for an arc of this book.

[Sammy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really for me.