Lost Secrets of the Scottish Castle

by Jane Lovering

When Pax McKell’s brother Lennox asks her for help to fund his hairbrained scheme to renovate a tumbledown Scottish castle, she fears it will only end in disaster.

But a lifetime of sister guilt, complicated family relationships and a general sense of malaise are enough for her to ignore her instincts. The castle in question, Dunaire Castle, was the seventeenth-century home to their ancestor, the Earl George McKell, so Pax can understand Lennox’s romantic notion that they should be the rightful owners and the ones to love it back to life.

Slowly and in ways Pax could never have expected, Dunaire Castle begins to reveal its secrets; secrets and choices that have shaped the lives of generations of her family. As the McKell story opens up to her, Pax realises that it’s in her hands to change the course of history and with it the course of her own life – if only she can work out how…

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Womens Fiction

260 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication July 19, 2026

About the author

Jane Lovering was born in Devon, England but, following extradition procedures, now lives in Yorkshire. She has five children, four cats, two dogs and doesn't believe in housework so the bacteria and dust are approaching sentience and now rank among the pets. Incidentally, she doesn’t believe in ironing either, and the children all learned self-defensive cookery at early ages. She works in a local school and also teaches creative writing, which are extreme ways of avoiding the washing up.

Published since 2008, she writes romantic comedies which are often described as ‘quirky’. One day she's going to find out what that means. Jane is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and has a first class honours degree in creative writing. In 2012, her novel Please Don't Stop the Music won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the RNA.

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up expecting a Scottish castle, a romance, and perhaps a little Outlander-flavoured magic.

What I got instead was five people trapped three hundred years in the past, hiding in a cellar, slowly unraveling while trying to figure out how to get home.

The writing is incredibly easy to read. I flew through this book in a day and a half because it was effortless to pick up, impossible to get lost in, and easy to return to after a break. The pacing is excellent, the character work is strong, and every member of the cast felt distinct enough that I genuinely cared what happened to them.

The time travel aspect is the true heart of the story. Being thrown centuries into the past is terrifying, and the book captures that uncertainty well. The characters spend much of the novel balancing on the edge of panic, confusion, and despair as they try to make sense of an impossible situation. Their emotional journeys and personal struggles felt far more important than the romance.

This is marketed as a romance, but for me the romance was by far the weakest part of the book. It moves at a glacial pace and remains extremely chaste throughout. Normally I enjoy a slow burn, but I still need some tension, longing, chemistry, or anticipation. Here, most of the relationship develops while the characters are hiding together in a damp cellar, exhausted, frightened, unwashed, and struggling to survive. There was plenty of forced proximity, but none of the romantic energy that usually makes that trope work for me.

The ending also didn't quite land. Much of the story focuses on the mystery and characters confronting aspects of their lives they aren't happy with. Instead of earning those changes, however, many of their problems are ultimately solved through a timeline shift that hands them a version of life where everything has already worked out. I found that deeply unsatisfying.

The romance suffers particularly from this choice. After spending the entire book slowly realizing they might have feelings for each other, the characters arrive in a reality where they're already together and moving in with one another. Instead of feeling rewarding, it felt like the story skipped the part I actually wanted to read.

Still, despite my frustrations with the romance and the ending, I enjoyed the reading experience itself. The writing is smooth, the characters are engaging, and the time-travel premise kept me turning pages.

If you're looking for a historical time-slip story with strong character work and a touch of romance, this may work very well for you. If you're looking for a swoony Scottish romance full of chemistry, tension, and yearning, you may want to adjust your expectations.

[Jess Hilbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was immediately intrigued by the premise - a woman falls in her family’s Scottish castle and wakes up in the seventeen hundreds? Sign me up. 🏰✨

What I found was much more historical fiction than romance, with a strong focus on Scottish history, daily life, and the experience of being thrown into another time. The descriptions of the castle, coastline, and countryside were incredibly vivid, and it’s clear Jane Lovering has a real love for the setting and history.

For me, the pacing was a little too slow, and I struggled to connect with the story as much as I wanted to. I kept waiting for the plot and romance to take center stage, but both remained fairly understated throughout. That said, readers who enjoy immersive historical fiction, detailed settings, and time-slip stories may have a very different experience. This one wasn’t quite for me, but I can absolutely see it finding the right reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 📚

[Nicola Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This modern day, time travelling romance begins when Pax McKell’s brother, Lennox, ropes her into helping to fund his harebrained plan to restore a crumbling Scottish castle. The castle, Dunaire, once belonged to their ancestor, the seventeenth-century Earl George McKell, so Pax gets why Lennox is drawn to the idea of bringing it back to life. As the rain starts to fall she seeks shelter in the ruins and suddenly, Dunaire Castle starts to share its long-buried secrets—choices and events that have shaped generations of McKells. As the family’s story unfolds, Pax realizes she holds the power to rewrite their history and her own—if only she can figure out how.

I found this to be a fun read with plenty of comical moments but also a tenderness as Pax comes to terms with why she feels as she does. If you like your romance with a sprinkle of time travel and humour then you will enjoy this novel. With thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

[Rhoda Baxter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am yet to read a Jane Lovering book that I didn't like, so when I saw this on Netgalley, I requested it immediately.

While reluctantly looking around the ruins of the McKell ancestral family castle with her brother, Pax falls 300 years into the past. She also runs into a group of archaeologists who had fallen into the same pocket of time. Together they must work out why they're there and what they have to do to get back to their own time.

For a book with a fantastical premise (time travel), the descriptions of everyday life in the castle, in the 18 century Scotland are very grounded and domestic. The reactions of the people who are trapped in the wrong time feel realistic too (the terror, overlaid with a fragile layer of practicality).

I really enjoyed this. Thank you to the publisher for the review copy on Netgalley.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, given to me by Boldwood Books via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
“Lost Secrets of the Scottish Castle”, by Jane Lovering, is a both fun, entertaining and heartwarming time-travel story, with great characters and a dog that grows on you.
Pax, Lachlan and the other characters are interesting, each with their own difficult life story. The time travel is an opportunity to grow, change ans learn.
The romance happens quickly in the very peculiar circumstances; in a way, flirting might help mitigate the despair of the situation they’re in.
I enjoyed Pax’s relationship with her ancestor.
There are some very funny moments throughout the story.
I liked that kindness coud be found in both different periods in several characters.
Cellar Dog is a wonderful addition, from the shy, fearful animal in the beginning to the smart, devoted companion later. I loved its epilogue.

[Sans Washington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time travel aficionados will love Jane Lovering's latest novel! Perdita McKell falls into the cellar of her family's castle ruin...and is swept back in time. Fortunaely, she immediately encounters a group of "missing" archeologists who had been transported slightly earlier in time. Of course, there are many adventures to be had in merry ol' Scotland. As with all Lovering books, there's a satisfying ending, albeit a little too brief for my liking.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great concept and nicely written story. Characters are clear if a bit 2 dimensional, and missing depth.
The romance is a nice addition to the plot, but definitely isn't the predominate arc for the book, and I did feel a little robbed with the way the ending seem to jump past the main development of the relationship.
Overall if felt rather like a YA story, with the main characters being in their 30s.

[Diane Rey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a fan of time travel romance and I had high hopes for this book. The story is interesting and Lovering puts you right in that castle with her descriptive writing. Unfortunately the romance was sadly lacking for me and the reading was a bit slow which is why this book received a 3 star rating. Thank you to #BoldwoodBooks and #Netgalley for a copy of the book for an honest review.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, Lost Secrets of the Scottish Castle, by Jane Lovering, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Pax's brother wants her to help him him restore their family's castle. This was an enjoyable read, I really liked Pax.

[Liralen]

3.5 stars; review to come July 2026

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this a tad surreal . Time travelling to alter the way of the present and future

[Hazel · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read the synopsis for this book, I was immediately intrigued by the premises: woman falls in her family's Scottish castle and wakes up in the seventeen hundreds?

I thought this book was very well written, but it had more of a historical fiction than a romance vibe to it, the descriptions of the castle, coastline, and countryside were incredibly vivid, and it's clear Jane Lovering has a real love for the setting and history.

I found it was a struggle to connect with the story just because I found the pacing was on the slower side and I was just waiting for the romance, which did get woven into the story just not as much as I would like it to be.
I will say for readers who enjoyed reading the outlander series and immersing themselves in historical fiction and time-slip stories this will be a book for them.

I will say this wasn’t the perfect work for me, but the writing the storytelling the same building was absolutely phenomenal and I see it falling into the hands of the right reader who will absolutely devour this book and love it

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5