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All By My Selfie
While on vacation at McLeod Castle in Scotland, Gwen Mackenzie has nightly dreams of an ancient warrior bound by a curse. During the day, she sees Niall, nicknamed #ScottishBoyfriend. She clicks a few selfies with him in the background. Oh, and can that man rock a kilt! As she gets to know him, she realizes that Niall is the warrior from her dreams, cursed to live as a ghost for the past five hundred years, to see life around him but never see, taste, or feel any of it—except Gwen.
This is a ghost story romance novella in the clean & wholesome category.
This is a ghost story romance novella in the clean & wholesome category.
131 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 16, 2016
131 people are currently reading
376 people want to read
About the author
Jo Noelle
47 books335 followersThis mother/daughter writing team writes “Sweet, Swoony Ever-Afters.”
Sweet Historical Western under the name Gemma Stuart
Sweet Victorian & Regency Time Travel under the pen name Jo Noelle, who a USA TODAY bestselling author
Sweet Contemporary under the name Evee Tuttle.
They write stories about the places they’ve lived, the places they’ve visited around the world, and the places still on their bucket lists.
Follow us on Amazon, Goodreads, and Bookbub to get notices for all our new releases!
Join our Facebook Groups and chat with us and other readers who love sweet and clean romance.
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Sweet Historical Western under the name Gemma Stuart
Sweet Victorian & Regency Time Travel under the pen name Jo Noelle, who a USA TODAY bestselling author
Sweet Contemporary under the name Evee Tuttle.
They write stories about the places they’ve lived, the places they’ve visited around the world, and the places still on their bucket lists.
Follow us on Amazon, Goodreads, and Bookbub to get notices for all our new releases!
Join our Facebook Groups and chat with us and other readers who love sweet and clean romance.
• Cowboys and Angels and The Matchmaker’s Ball
• Loving Sweet Historical Romance
• Sweet Kisses Readers’ Group
• Sweet and Sassy Books Facebook Page
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
July 17, 2017
Gwen Mackenzie plans to take a trip to Scotland with her husband on their one year anniversary, but when he serves her with divorce papers on their one month anniversary she decides to go alone. She stays at the McLeod Castle and sees a hunky guy in a kilt on the property and in the castle. She takes pictures of him and sends them to her friend, Josie, with the tag #Scottishboyfriend. She soon finds out she's the only one who can see, feel and talk to him.
Niall is a Scottish warrior cursed to live in stasis for the past several hundred years, only being awake 10 days every decade. Gwen determines that she's tied to his curse and she's the only one who can break it.
I liked how the chapters alternated between Gwen and Niall's viewpoint, although there are a few other characters in this novella. I enjoyed the story and loved the ending. This is my first book by Jo Noelle and was a little different than I expected although I did read the description of the book.
Niall is a Scottish warrior cursed to live in stasis for the past several hundred years, only being awake 10 days every decade. Gwen determines that she's tied to his curse and she's the only one who can break it.
I liked how the chapters alternated between Gwen and Niall's viewpoint, although there are a few other characters in this novella. I enjoyed the story and loved the ending. This is my first book by Jo Noelle and was a little different than I expected although I did read the description of the book.
December 12, 2018
After enjoying a different book by the author, I picked up this story to see if the magic held. I'm glad to say that it did. This title sucks even worse than the other, though, so I'm going to try to remember that for future works as well. Also, both ended at about 80% with the rest being excerpts from other works and that kind of irks me, too.
So anyway, this is a very slight story with a romance that happens very fast and with magic filling in a lot of blanks along the way. And I loved every minute of it. I think that what engaged me was that both lead characters were sincerely good people who cared about each other, yes, but each has a deeper well of caring that encompassed many others they meet along the way. I loved that Niall was so dedicated to justice and kindness and that this marked his past interactions with both his own clan and their rivals/friends/enemies as well. I loved that you could feel his kindness, even though he was a trained warrior and that you just knew that his arm would stand to protect the weak and uphold fair and just dealings with others. And that he'd do so in humility after his rashness in the past lead him into trouble.
And Gwen is nearly as outstanding and engaging to me as well. She's kind, yes, but also willing to do the hard things and make the sacrifices for others that are needed to right wrongs and face down selfish darkness. I loved that her relationship with Niall started in infatuation, but deepened in her discussions with him, but also in her visions of his life and clan she got from her surroundings.
I'm going to give this a five star rating, but I want to be careful here to point out that this is not only a personal connection where my mood and this book connected very serendipitously. But this rating is also an effect of my tendency to fill in blanks with my own explanations for why things could work out the way they did. A specific example of this from this story is that it isn't actually stated that Gwen gets details from her visions that draw her closer to Niall or that give her a deeper understanding of him. We see her catching scenes from his past and her reactions are of a "aw, this is so cool" variety. So I'm filling in my own sense that this is part of what justifies their very close connection in a very short period of time because it gave her a deeper and personal understanding of his character. This is a thing I do when I'm enjoying a story and want very badly for it to hold together so I supply the connecting details on my own. I'm doing this here so it wouldn't surprise me if other readers didn't find it as engaging, even touching, as I did.
But I did find it so, so I'm sticking with the five stars...
A note about Chaste: There are three or four kisses, but that's kind of a lot for so short a story. I liked them very much and thought they fit the story very well. And none were even a little bit beyond simply kissing, so yeah, chaste. But with lots of kissing.
So anyway, this is a very slight story with a romance that happens very fast and with magic filling in a lot of blanks along the way. And I loved every minute of it. I think that what engaged me was that both lead characters were sincerely good people who cared about each other, yes, but each has a deeper well of caring that encompassed many others they meet along the way. I loved that Niall was so dedicated to justice and kindness and that this marked his past interactions with both his own clan and their rivals/friends/enemies as well. I loved that you could feel his kindness, even though he was a trained warrior and that you just knew that his arm would stand to protect the weak and uphold fair and just dealings with others. And that he'd do so in humility after his rashness in the past lead him into trouble.
And Gwen is nearly as outstanding and engaging to me as well. She's kind, yes, but also willing to do the hard things and make the sacrifices for others that are needed to right wrongs and face down selfish darkness. I loved that her relationship with Niall started in infatuation, but deepened in her discussions with him, but also in her visions of his life and clan she got from her surroundings.
I'm going to give this a five star rating, but I want to be careful here to point out that this is not only a personal connection where my mood and this book connected very serendipitously. But this rating is also an effect of my tendency to fill in blanks with my own explanations for why things could work out the way they did. A specific example of this from this story is that it isn't actually stated that Gwen gets details from her visions that draw her closer to Niall or that give her a deeper understanding of him. We see her catching scenes from his past and her reactions are of a "aw, this is so cool" variety. So I'm filling in my own sense that this is part of what justifies their very close connection in a very short period of time because it gave her a deeper and personal understanding of his character. This is a thing I do when I'm enjoying a story and want very badly for it to hold together so I supply the connecting details on my own. I'm doing this here so it wouldn't surprise me if other readers didn't find it as engaging, even touching, as I did.
But I did find it so, so I'm sticking with the five stars...
A note about Chaste: There are three or four kisses, but that's kind of a lot for so short a story. I liked them very much and thought they fit the story very well. And none were even a little bit beyond simply kissing, so yeah, chaste. But with lots of kissing.
February 18, 2017
This book is a mash up of a few genres. You have ancient druids, scenes from Scotland 500 years ago, witchcraft, contemporary, ghost (ish), and romance.
All By My Selfie is a novella. There isn't a lot of character development, but I did enjoy them. It is a short and sweet story about breaking an ancient curse and falling in love in the process. It was written well and has great pacing.
I "purchased" it from Kindle for #FREE.
All By My Selfie is a novella. There isn't a lot of character development, but I did enjoy them. It is a short and sweet story about breaking an ancient curse and falling in love in the process. It was written well and has great pacing.
I "purchased" it from Kindle for #FREE.
December 13, 2016
ALL BY MY SELFIE is a fun story set in a Scottish castle. Gwen discovers that she's the only one who can see a #ScottishBoyfriend ghost and that leads to chasing a mystery to set him free. The characters are great and the setting is very intriguing. I was very curious to see how it would all end up, especially as a little romance blossomed, and loved the way it all played out.
April 3, 2017
I somehow missed that I'd previously read this as part of the Castle Collection from Sweet & Sassy Anthology. Rereading it brought some of the same things to mind. There was plenty of humor, some swoon-worthy moments (hello Mr. McDreamy Scottish Warrior), a little mystery, and a touch of magic. Definitely an enjoyable read!
In the end, was it what I wished for? This was fun and sweet with a nice twist. I adored the ending.
Content: Clean
Source: Received a complimentary copy through ebooksforreview.com, which did not require a review nor affect it in any way.
In the end, was it what I wished for? This was fun and sweet with a nice twist. I adored the ending.
Content: Clean
Source: Received a complimentary copy through ebooksforreview.com, which did not require a review nor affect it in any way.
October 21, 2018
4.5 Stars
From a young age, Gwen has been plagued with nightmares about a warrior who has been cursed to live as a ghost. She could never make out faces in her dreams but she knew that she had to be the one to save him. Her parents realized that the nightmares would get worse whenever they would vacation in Scotland. They ended up cutting their vacation short one year and never returned.
When Gwen inherits her ancestral home in Scotland, she decides to take a vacation there to see if she has what it takes to move across the ocean to open up a Bed and Breakfast. The first night she is there, the nightmares come back. But she still can't see the faces. It isn't until she sees and meets Niall that everything starts falling into place.
Niall has been cursed to live in stasis, only awakening every 10 years for 10 days. It has been 500 years since he's tasted, smelled or touched anything. No one can see him. But the moment he sees Gwen, he starts to feel different. He can't explain it but he's drawn to her and wants to protect her. When he realizes that she can actually see him, he has hope that this might be the year he's released from the curse.
While getting to know each other, Gwen and Niall try to figure out a way to break the curse. Niall is all for it, until he realizes what Gwen might have to sacrifice in order to free him. He's come to care for her too much and refuses to let her do it. But Gwen knows, in her heart, what needs to be done. All they can hope for is they will both be alive in the end.
*dreamy sigh*
I know I am late to the party but you guys! I adored this book! It was so good! I was sucked in from the beginning and would get mad whenever I would have to put the book down and attend to real life stuff. Gwen and Niall were amazing! I loved these two together! :)
For those of you who know me, know that I have a hard time when it comes to novellas. But I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised! This book did not feel like a novella at all! And bonus! It had an epilogue! I love it when that happens! Haha.
This is my first book by Jo Noelle and I'm definitely looking forward to checking out more of their books!
And can we just take a minute to look at my casting... *dreamy sigh* I love these two!
From a young age, Gwen has been plagued with nightmares about a warrior who has been cursed to live as a ghost. She could never make out faces in her dreams but she knew that she had to be the one to save him. Her parents realized that the nightmares would get worse whenever they would vacation in Scotland. They ended up cutting their vacation short one year and never returned.
When Gwen inherits her ancestral home in Scotland, she decides to take a vacation there to see if she has what it takes to move across the ocean to open up a Bed and Breakfast. The first night she is there, the nightmares come back. But she still can't see the faces. It isn't until she sees and meets Niall that everything starts falling into place.
Niall has been cursed to live in stasis, only awakening every 10 years for 10 days. It has been 500 years since he's tasted, smelled or touched anything. No one can see him. But the moment he sees Gwen, he starts to feel different. He can't explain it but he's drawn to her and wants to protect her. When he realizes that she can actually see him, he has hope that this might be the year he's released from the curse.
While getting to know each other, Gwen and Niall try to figure out a way to break the curse. Niall is all for it, until he realizes what Gwen might have to sacrifice in order to free him. He's come to care for her too much and refuses to let her do it. But Gwen knows, in her heart, what needs to be done. All they can hope for is they will both be alive in the end.
*dreamy sigh*
I know I am late to the party but you guys! I adored this book! It was so good! I was sucked in from the beginning and would get mad whenever I would have to put the book down and attend to real life stuff. Gwen and Niall were amazing! I loved these two together! :)
For those of you who know me, know that I have a hard time when it comes to novellas. But I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised! This book did not feel like a novella at all! And bonus! It had an epilogue! I love it when that happens! Haha.
This is my first book by Jo Noelle and I'm definitely looking forward to checking out more of their books!
And can we just take a minute to look at my casting... *dreamy sigh* I love these two!
December 18, 2016
I really enjoyed this novella and loved the setting and characters. Something about the Scottish and Irish Brogues that I just love (yes this was a book but my imagination works great to hear the brogue in my head). Definitely a great clean and swoony contemporary/paranormal read.
This had a paranormal twist to it that I really enjoyed. Not quite the normal ghost paranormal story but a Scottish Laird who is in stasis due to a curse brought upon him due to two family's inability to let go of wrongs against them.
Gwen has purchased a great get away trip for her and her husband of a month (or so), unfortunately their marriage ends before it really gets started. Jump ahead a year and Gwen finds herself enjoying this trip by herself with the chance to go visit her ancestral home at the end. As she arrives at the castle she finds herself taking many selfies and trying very discreetly to take pictures of a handsome kilt clad Scotsman. When she finally gets the courage to talk to him and ask the owner of the castle about him, she comes to discover that she is the only person who can see him, in person and in her pictures.
They have an instant connection and are off on a hunt to discover how to release Niall from his curse and be able to move on. Yet as they grow closer together in their friendship, love starts to bloom and both Gwen and Niall start wondering if they want him to move on to the afterlife.
The whole journey and ending of this novel was quite enjoyable for me. I love the setting and the way the authors wrote the curse was fun.
Content: sweet, swoony kisses, some flashbacks to clan wars but nothing too graphic, sword fighting and a little blood but not bad. I'd recommend it for YA and up!!!
I grabbed a free copy from Amazon
Happy Reading!!!
This had a paranormal twist to it that I really enjoyed. Not quite the normal ghost paranormal story but a Scottish Laird who is in stasis due to a curse brought upon him due to two family's inability to let go of wrongs against them.
Gwen has purchased a great get away trip for her and her husband of a month (or so), unfortunately their marriage ends before it really gets started. Jump ahead a year and Gwen finds herself enjoying this trip by herself with the chance to go visit her ancestral home at the end. As she arrives at the castle she finds herself taking many selfies and trying very discreetly to take pictures of a handsome kilt clad Scotsman. When she finally gets the courage to talk to him and ask the owner of the castle about him, she comes to discover that she is the only person who can see him, in person and in her pictures.
They have an instant connection and are off on a hunt to discover how to release Niall from his curse and be able to move on. Yet as they grow closer together in their friendship, love starts to bloom and both Gwen and Niall start wondering if they want him to move on to the afterlife.
The whole journey and ending of this novel was quite enjoyable for me. I love the setting and the way the authors wrote the curse was fun.
Content: sweet, swoony kisses, some flashbacks to clan wars but nothing too graphic, sword fighting and a little blood but not bad. I'd recommend it for YA and up!!!
I grabbed a free copy from Amazon
Happy Reading!!!
December 15, 2016
4 1/2 stars.
This novella was such a pleasant surprise. I really enjoyed the Scottish setting and the premise of the story. I don't read a lot of time travel romance stories but I thought this one was well executed.
Gwen and Niall were great main characters and I really liked the connection between them.
I recommend this one to anyone who likes a quick read and a clean romance story with a time travel theme. This one is set in a centuries-old castle, has a swoony Scot in a kilt, and a girl who saves him from an eternal curse.
I wish the title and cover were different. As they are, they don't fit the story nor the genre, IMO.
ETA- looks like the plot was somewhat based on the Christmas movie "The Spirit of Christmas".
This novella was such a pleasant surprise. I really enjoyed the Scottish setting and the premise of the story. I don't read a lot of time travel romance stories but I thought this one was well executed.
Gwen and Niall were great main characters and I really liked the connection between them.
I recommend this one to anyone who likes a quick read and a clean romance story with a time travel theme. This one is set in a centuries-old castle, has a swoony Scot in a kilt, and a girl who saves him from an eternal curse.
I wish the title and cover were different. As they are, they don't fit the story nor the genre, IMO.
ETA- looks like the plot was somewhat based on the Christmas movie "The Spirit of Christmas".
July 26, 2017
I didn't expect to like this book as much ad I did. It was very well written and had an unusual concept.
Ok, so let me see if I can make sense of it for you. Gwen's family is from Scotland, so right after she married the guy she had been with for a while, she bought tickets to stay in a castle is Scotland for their first anniversary. Anniversary rolls around and Gwen is single. She decides to go anyway. Smart girl.
While on tour at the McLeod Castle she takes a selfie with the hot guy in the kilt in the background. Here is where it gets really cool. She can see him in the photo but no one else can see him. Also whenever she touches anything from his era she can see the story around it. Almost goes without saying that she is the only one who can see him and he becomes solid for her, but still invisible. Makes him carrying her up the stairs very interesting. Also, when he looks at her selfies he can see his past in her photos, too while everyone else just sees the scenery.
Anyway, the Scotsman, Niall, is under a curse and since she has been dreaming about it for years she knows how to break the curse.
It really is a good love story with witches, ghosts and a kind of time travel.
Excellent novella, I would like to read more by this author.
Ok, so let me see if I can make sense of it for you. Gwen's family is from Scotland, so right after she married the guy she had been with for a while, she bought tickets to stay in a castle is Scotland for their first anniversary. Anniversary rolls around and Gwen is single. She decides to go anyway. Smart girl.
While on tour at the McLeod Castle she takes a selfie with the hot guy in the kilt in the background. Here is where it gets really cool. She can see him in the photo but no one else can see him. Also whenever she touches anything from his era she can see the story around it. Almost goes without saying that she is the only one who can see him and he becomes solid for her, but still invisible. Makes him carrying her up the stairs very interesting. Also, when he looks at her selfies he can see his past in her photos, too while everyone else just sees the scenery.
Anyway, the Scotsman, Niall, is under a curse and since she has been dreaming about it for years she knows how to break the curse.
It really is a good love story with witches, ghosts and a kind of time travel.
Excellent novella, I would like to read more by this author.
Read
October 2, 2017Apparently I didn't do a good job at reading the book blurb. I picked up this book based on previous wonderful reading experiences with Jo Noelle and added it to my e-reader.
I was surprised to find it was a paranormal romance with a ghost, but that wasn't a bad thing as he was a handsome warrior in a kilt!
It was a very intriguing and fun twist.
The story had me guessing on every page. Could they have a relationship? Why was she experiencing all this craziness? Was she delusional? Why did her family keep her from Scotland all these years?
I could tell you all the answers, but then it'd spoil the book for the other readers, and that would be criminal.
Loved the side characters. Well written, developed, and emotional.
Jo Noelle has one again proven they can write a romance in any genre and time period and make a heart happy.
I was surprised to find it was a paranormal romance with a ghost, but that wasn't a bad thing as he was a handsome warrior in a kilt!
It was a very intriguing and fun twist.
The story had me guessing on every page. Could they have a relationship? Why was she experiencing all this craziness? Was she delusional? Why did her family keep her from Scotland all these years?
I could tell you all the answers, but then it'd spoil the book for the other readers, and that would be criminal.
Loved the side characters. Well written, developed, and emotional.
Jo Noelle has one again proven they can write a romance in any genre and time period and make a heart happy.
April 9, 2017
All By My Selfie is an endearing romance that also touches on some Scottish history. I received a free copy through Ebooks For Review in exchange for an honest review. Gwen receives their family home in Scotland as a gift. She takes a vacation to visit Scotland and visit the home that was the castle the McKenzie clan inhabited in Medieval Scotland. She stays at the castle that had been inhabited by the McLeod clan during the same time. During Gwen's visit she learns not only the history about the fighting between the clans, but, she learns more about both families and why the relationship was so volatile.
All By My Selfie is also about self-discovery. Gwen starts to learn more about her own history and gifts and how her family came to move away from Scotland. During her visit she meets Niall, but oddly no one else seems to be aware of his existence. The story tells Niall's side of how he became stuck neither dead nor alive for so many centuries. All By My Selfie shows Gwen living up to the potential that her grandmother foresaw for her though her parents appeared to be protecting her from. In discovering herself she found a great man, even though she had to dig into Medieval times to find him. All By My Selfie is a short, romance which is a bit contemporary and a bit historical that is a great find.
All By My Selfie is also about self-discovery. Gwen starts to learn more about her own history and gifts and how her family came to move away from Scotland. During her visit she meets Niall, but oddly no one else seems to be aware of his existence. The story tells Niall's side of how he became stuck neither dead nor alive for so many centuries. All By My Selfie shows Gwen living up to the potential that her grandmother foresaw for her though her parents appeared to be protecting her from. In discovering herself she found a great man, even though she had to dig into Medieval times to find him. All By My Selfie is a short, romance which is a bit contemporary and a bit historical that is a great find.
December 8, 2016
I picked up this novella after stumbling upon it on Amazon. The blurb intrigued me and so I took a chance. The story had so much promise, but sadly, it didn't reach its full potential for me. The writing is solid, but the characters could have been a bit more developed. I'm still trying to figure out the purpose of the ex-husband. He really didn't fit in the narrative. As for Niall, the "Hot Scot," I found his character endearing, though at times seemed to know a lot about current life when his curse limits his time in the living world. This is very insta-love, but with the magical element, it worked well. Overall, the story was sweet, loving, and filled with magic. It's worth a read when you simply need a feel-good quick read.
3.5 STARS
3.5 STARS
February 6, 2017
The lives of a present day woman and a highlander from the past come together in this clean romance. Their lives must intertwine because of a curse that binds their families. With plenty of peeks into Nialls life in the past, a sorceress with a grudge, and a an innkeeper resembling a grandma on steroids who wants a part of the action, you won't regret reading this glimpse of the past with a selfie twist.
September 19, 2019
This short story really surprised me. My history with novellas is not the greatest. Generally, in my opinion, they're lacking in one way or the other. But this one? This is how it's done right.
The writing is good. The characters are solid. The plot is there. It's got a little bit of everything; romance, paranormal, mystery, Scottish-ness (real Forevermore vibes) It really was short and sweet.
I honestly didn't expect to like it this much. I'm at a four with this, but being a short story I'm gonna give it the full five stars. It deserves it.
The writing is good. The characters are solid. The plot is there. It's got a little bit of everything; romance, paranormal, mystery, Scottish-ness (real Forevermore vibes) It really was short and sweet.
I honestly didn't expect to like it this much. I'm at a four with this, but being a short story I'm gonna give it the full five stars. It deserves it.
March 31, 2024
- the title was deceiving and didn't have a lot to do with the book at all
- started off slow but then sped up too quickly
- I lost the plot a bit during the book
- was a good idea with the history and the gothic
- it was an easy read
- started off slow but then sped up too quickly
- I lost the plot a bit during the book
- was a good idea with the history and the gothic
- it was an easy read
August 8, 2025
I absolutely LOVED this so much! It was a mysterious, but also touching story, I only wish there was more of Gwen and Niall!
February 8, 2017
What a fun read. The first chapter gave me pause because I was wanting a light hearted read--but the story didn't disappoint! I loved how the history was blended with current times. The characters were fun to read about.
This was my first read from this author, but it definitely won't be my last!
This was my first read from this author, but it definitely won't be my last!
May 9, 2017
First I should say that I was given this book in exchange for an honest review on ebooksforreview.com.
Newly married Gwen has planned a trip for her and her husband to go to Scotland. She’s recently inherited a home there and is wanting to go check it out. Last minute, her marriage crumbles quickly but still decides to go on the vacation alone.
Upon her arrival, she begins having the strangest dreams about a Scottish man who has been living under a horrible curse.
During a tour of the castle that she is staying at-things begin to get even more strange. When Gwen touches items that are original to the castle, she experiences flashbacks that must be from 500 years ago. They’re so incredibly real that she can smell and taste and touch everything. She’s so afraid that no one will believe her that she takes out her phone and snaps pictures of everything with it’s camera. To her relief, the photos look exactly like what she’s seen in the flashbacks. She also notices a man, in a kilt-obviously seeming out of place in her modern world, but no one else seems to notice him.
When the kilted man, Niall, realizes that Gwen can see him-he cannot believe it. He has been cursed to walk the earth for centuries-invisible to everyone. There must be something about her……..If she’s the only one who has been able to see him in all of this time…..maybe she’s the answer to finally breaking this curse.
Very sweet novella-quick read. I love time travel when it deals with locations in history-so this one was right up my alley!!!
Newly married Gwen has planned a trip for her and her husband to go to Scotland. She’s recently inherited a home there and is wanting to go check it out. Last minute, her marriage crumbles quickly but still decides to go on the vacation alone.
Upon her arrival, she begins having the strangest dreams about a Scottish man who has been living under a horrible curse.
During a tour of the castle that she is staying at-things begin to get even more strange. When Gwen touches items that are original to the castle, she experiences flashbacks that must be from 500 years ago. They’re so incredibly real that she can smell and taste and touch everything. She’s so afraid that no one will believe her that she takes out her phone and snaps pictures of everything with it’s camera. To her relief, the photos look exactly like what she’s seen in the flashbacks. She also notices a man, in a kilt-obviously seeming out of place in her modern world, but no one else seems to notice him.
When the kilted man, Niall, realizes that Gwen can see him-he cannot believe it. He has been cursed to walk the earth for centuries-invisible to everyone. There must be something about her……..If she’s the only one who has been able to see him in all of this time…..maybe she’s the answer to finally breaking this curse.
Very sweet novella-quick read. I love time travel when it deals with locations in history-so this one was right up my alley!!!
January 27, 2026
I'm not a huge fan of romance, but I liked this one. It was unique.
Gwen MacKenzie comes to Scotland from America. She has inherited her grandmother's house. Staying at a castle-turned-hotel nearby, she meets Niall MacLeod. Just one problem - nobody else can see him except her. He's not a ghost, though. An ancient curse means he's in "stasis", meaning no awareness of the passage of time. Once a decade, he spends ten days wandering the grounds of the castle, aware of what's going on around him, but invisible & ghost-like (but not dead). Gwen & Niall fall for each other & Gwen believes dreams she's had since childhood mean she needs to break Niall's curse.
I loved the supernatural, fairytale aspect of the story; almost like a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but not quite. I'm also a sucker for time travel stories. It's described as a gothic romance despite there being no gothic elements. I liked it without those elements, but I would have liked it with those elements as well. I also think the story was too short. I'd love to read this as a full-length novel, fleshing out the characters more, adding some suspense, & more details about Gwen's dreams, visions, & the ritual, & create more tension. The characters get what they need too easily & they need something to get in the way that they need to overcome.
Gwen MacKenzie comes to Scotland from America. She has inherited her grandmother's house. Staying at a castle-turned-hotel nearby, she meets Niall MacLeod. Just one problem - nobody else can see him except her. He's not a ghost, though. An ancient curse means he's in "stasis", meaning no awareness of the passage of time. Once a decade, he spends ten days wandering the grounds of the castle, aware of what's going on around him, but invisible & ghost-like (but not dead). Gwen & Niall fall for each other & Gwen believes dreams she's had since childhood mean she needs to break Niall's curse.
I loved the supernatural, fairytale aspect of the story; almost like a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but not quite. I'm also a sucker for time travel stories. It's described as a gothic romance despite there being no gothic elements. I liked it without those elements, but I would have liked it with those elements as well. I also think the story was too short. I'd love to read this as a full-length novel, fleshing out the characters more, adding some suspense, & more details about Gwen's dreams, visions, & the ritual, & create more tension. The characters get what they need too easily & they need something to get in the way that they need to overcome.
January 17, 2024
A time travel twist - Niall McLeod lost everything centuries before, including his life. He was cursed to walk Scotland as a ghost for 10 days every decade, unable to truly die, unseen, and alone. Gwen Mackenzie has come to Scotland to see the estate she has inherited from her grandmother, whose stories of druids and magic compete with the dreams Gwen has had since childhood of a man who needs her help.
Her trip begins with a stay at a castle, where she takes selfies to send to her friend back home, including a handsome Scottish man. Her friend can't see the man in any of the pictures, and that is just the beginning of the strange happenings. Gwen and Niall eventually realize she can see - and touch - him, but nobody else can. She also sees strange visions when she touches old parts of the castle, of life events from when Niall was alive.
His 10 days are running out, and Gwen is determined to figure out what her lifelong dreams mean, and if they show her a way to help. Even if it means her life in exchange for his.
I enjoyed this clean gothic romance!
Her trip begins with a stay at a castle, where she takes selfies to send to her friend back home, including a handsome Scottish man. Her friend can't see the man in any of the pictures, and that is just the beginning of the strange happenings. Gwen and Niall eventually realize she can see - and touch - him, but nobody else can. She also sees strange visions when she touches old parts of the castle, of life events from when Niall was alive.
His 10 days are running out, and Gwen is determined to figure out what her lifelong dreams mean, and if they show her a way to help. Even if it means her life in exchange for his.
I enjoyed this clean gothic romance!
July 7, 2021
True confessions. I'm pretty sure I picked up this book a while back based on the author without reading the blurb to know what it was about. Based on the cover, it was nothing like I expected. I typically don't even pick up mystical stuff where I can't explain what happens. Anytime a book or movie warps time in anyway, I get a little freaked out. That said, I enjoyed the book. The dreams/visions were pretty horrible and even a little more graphic than my personal tastes but I still liked it.
The story is short and therefore moves really fast. I liked the main characters and secondary characters though there aren't really many of them who are individually important to the story. Most of the story centers around the two love interests and two secondary characters. That is all the story needs though. Everyone else is just background.
Perfect for an evening read.
Sex: no
Language: no
Violence: briefly shown in pictures, dreams or visions
The story is short and therefore moves really fast. I liked the main characters and secondary characters though there aren't really many of them who are individually important to the story. Most of the story centers around the two love interests and two secondary characters. That is all the story needs though. Everyone else is just background.
Perfect for an evening read.
Sex: no
Language: no
Violence: briefly shown in pictures, dreams or visions
March 6, 2017
The concept of this story was intriguing; however, I wish it had been fleshed out. More character development, as well as detailing the evolving romantic feelings between Gwen and Niall would have added more interest and depth to the story. The writing didn't flow very well, but this could be because I don't read many books written in first person, present tense, so I'm not used to this point of view. I also thought the dialogue was forced at times and lacked a natural flow, making it less realistic. There were quite a few errors throughout, mostly typos and missing or misplaced words. I did like this novella, I just wish it had been better executed to allow more exploration of the story and characters.
May 11, 2017
Exciting Scottish castle story mixed with selfies. Sounds odd, but it worked somehow! Gwen ends up at a castle that she had planned to go to with her husband, but their marriage fell apart before the trip, so she went alone and upgraded all of her amenities. AND it just so happens that she had some family business to take care of not far from the castle. The fun part comes in when she sees a Scottish man fully dressed in his kilt and all the garb that comes with that and no one else can and has to try and solve why she can see and talk to him and no one else can. Exciting and fun story and you really cannot beat the setting of Scotland!
I received a free ebook in return for an honest review.
I received a free ebook in return for an honest review.
May 3, 2020
Bored
I’ve been trying to read this book for most of the year I’m not even being quarantined could make me any more interested in it. I found the characters boring. Predictable. Trite. Gwen is So typical in the “I’m leaving my former life to find myself in Scotland!” Way. While nail is a ghost first off, and secondly again very stereo typical romance novel Scottish Highlander. Which if you like that thing it’s fine.
Problem is that it gets a lot of Scotland and the Scots people wrong. First off the druidic Religion is not dead nor was it dead any time in the past. Second the speech patterns are wrong. Third the Gaelic is wrong. I’m just getting hardly sick of American authors writing characters from cultures that they think they know something about because they read Outlander and watched the Highlander.
Honestly I made it to about the 25% mark and gave up.
One star.
I’ve been trying to read this book for most of the year I’m not even being quarantined could make me any more interested in it. I found the characters boring. Predictable. Trite. Gwen is So typical in the “I’m leaving my former life to find myself in Scotland!” Way. While nail is a ghost first off, and secondly again very stereo typical romance novel Scottish Highlander. Which if you like that thing it’s fine.
Problem is that it gets a lot of Scotland and the Scots people wrong. First off the druidic Religion is not dead nor was it dead any time in the past. Second the speech patterns are wrong. Third the Gaelic is wrong. I’m just getting hardly sick of American authors writing characters from cultures that they think they know something about because they read Outlander and watched the Highlander.
Honestly I made it to about the 25% mark and gave up.
One star.
February 7, 2021
3.5 Stars
This book was a freebie several years ago. I put off reading it until now. It’s a story about druids and magic but the title is weird.
Gwen had dreams since she was a child about freeing a man from a 500 year old curse. She thought they were just weird and somewhat scary dreams until she travels to Scotland. In Scotland she sees a man wondering the castle grounds in a kilt and takes pictures of him. She soon discovers that she is the only one who can see him.
I struggled with this story. I found it weird that Gwen didn’t think she was crazy and that other people didn’t think she was crazy. I did like the characters but there wasn’t enough explanation about the curse and the release.
This book was a freebie several years ago. I put off reading it until now. It’s a story about druids and magic but the title is weird.
Gwen had dreams since she was a child about freeing a man from a 500 year old curse. She thought they were just weird and somewhat scary dreams until she travels to Scotland. In Scotland she sees a man wondering the castle grounds in a kilt and takes pictures of him. She soon discovers that she is the only one who can see him.
I struggled with this story. I found it weird that Gwen didn’t think she was crazy and that other people didn’t think she was crazy. I did like the characters but there wasn’t enough explanation about the curse and the release.
November 16, 2022
A great fling romance! So I know some people would feel like this is an instant love kind of thing but I feel a little different. I can totally see the instant love BUT we have all or most of us have had a one week fling where you're insanely attracted and into each other. Having almost the greatest week ever that doesn't mean you love each other but you defiantly have feelings for the other. At the end of the novel they have a year lapse before they get get married. A lot of getting to really know each other can happen in a year. Almost all flings don't work out or turnout I should say but every once in a while they actually do end in happily ever after.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2024
I've read better books, I've read worse books.
What really pulled me out of this one was the insta-love between the heroine and the ghost only she could see.
Also the numerous descriptions of allllllll the selfies she took. We get it. She likes to take selfies. Some of those could probably have been cut out without losing any of her personality/the storyline.
The writing was perfectly fine, no complaints there. I think this would've been better as a full novel, with time to build up the relationship between the couple more, but it was a freebie and I'm not mad I read it. :)
What really pulled me out of this one was the insta-love between the heroine and the ghost only she could see.
Also the numerous descriptions of allllllll the selfies she took. We get it. She likes to take selfies. Some of those could probably have been cut out without losing any of her personality/the storyline.
The writing was perfectly fine, no complaints there. I think this would've been better as a full novel, with time to build up the relationship between the couple more, but it was a freebie and I'm not mad I read it. :)
June 1, 2025
I found this book discounted on Amazon years ago
Wonderful story of a in-between worlds man and a descendant of the enemy. Includes some black magic, mystery, action and adventure, and romance. Mrs. Fowler was a busy-body but quite the helper too. I was a bit confused because they didn't really make any efforts before calling the witch; they could have asked the ghost right away, without having to make a deal with the witch; that part was really flawed. It made me smile, laugh a bit, and relax.
Wonderful story of a in-between worlds man and a descendant of the enemy. Includes some black magic, mystery, action and adventure, and romance. Mrs. Fowler was a busy-body but quite the helper too. I was a bit confused because they didn't really make any efforts before calling the witch; they could have asked the ghost right away, without having to make a deal with the witch; that part was really flawed. It made me smile, laugh a bit, and relax.
December 17, 2016
This was an interesting one. I didn't actually love the whole selfie thing when it came down to it. It seemed like towards the end it was just thrown in there to keep it going. I'm doing this spell...selfie, here I am getting oxblood, selfie...kind of lame.
Overall though it was interesting and kept me entertained.
Moral Note: No language that I remember, passionate kissing, mild violence in talk of midevial wars
Overall though it was interesting and kept me entertained.
Moral Note: No language that I remember, passionate kissing, mild violence in talk of midevial wars
June 28, 2017
Sweet romance with a touch of paranormal
Sweet romance made interesting with Gwen having to figure out if she can save Niall from his curse.
Sex - a couple kisses that would have required marriage for Niall's time but were tame for 21st century (not descriptive at all lol!)
Language - one swear word
Violence - a couple battle scenes but not graphic
Religion - cross necklace worn by mother mentioned, druid magic practiced l
Sweet romance made interesting with Gwen having to figure out if she can save Niall from his curse.
Sex - a couple kisses that would have required marriage for Niall's time but were tame for 21st century (not descriptive at all lol!)
Language - one swear word
Violence - a couple battle scenes but not graphic
Religion - cross necklace worn by mother mentioned, druid magic practiced l
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