I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

​Madeleine has lost her mother and braved the seas to come to the hot, untamed Hunter Valley. Within a day of her arrival, she loses her father - and discovers that he has omitted many things in his letters home. There is no grand house. There is back-breaking work to be done, especially if she wants to hold onto her father's land and his dream. But help can come from unexpected places - and so can love.

A stunning debut novel - and I certainly hope it isn't Beavan's last. I stayed up way too late just to finish this, because I enjoyed the book so much (though now I wish I had savoured it a bit!). A lot of research went into this and it shows. The writing itself is superb and flows so well, which is part of the reason I couldn't put it down. I will admit that I was easily enthralled by the setting because my own ancestors arrived near the area at practically the same time as Madeleine!

A family Christmas is always going to be stressful, but add in an ex-alcoholic father, a father reappearing after a lengthy absence, a father flying the coop when he realises his child isn't his, and a father with sad, secret news - then the stress becomes practically stratospheric! Gaby and Jack are so run off their feet with the pub that they haven't any presents for their daughter. Can this Christmas be merry at all?

So I'm writing this nearly a day after finishing the book because MY EMOTIONS. Baird made me love all these people and seeing them go through so much makes me want to hug them all (...even Zac). Evie and Tamar were a delight, especially in scenes together! And Dylan finally shed his cardboard cutout identity and became a well-rounded character. I'm sad that this seems to be the end, but also happy to see off Lochalshie and its people when they're in a relatively good place.

​Times are changing in Lochalshie. It might've been easier if said times didn't occur when Gaby was pregnant and battling changes of her own at work! Gaby and Jack are run off their feet trying to keep a roof over their heads, as well as a roof over their favourite pub. But have they bitten off more than they can chew? And will The Lochside Welcome have to close its doors forever?

I just can't get enough of these books at the moment. The folks in Lochalshie are my friends and I would take a bullet for them. Okay, maybe not Zac. Ahem. Gaby and Jack's journey to parenthood was quite fun and I felt for them as chaos erupted. As always, there were moments where Baird made me chortle out loud. Prosecco and a loch in summer - need I say more? Okay, enough reviewing. I'm keen to get my nose into the next instalment of this runaway train.

​Gaby has just said goodbye to a ten-year relationship and needs a new place to stay - fast. She accepts a cat-sitting position in a remote town in the Scottish Highlands, immediately getting on the wrong foot with local Jack McAllan (who looks uncannily like a certain Outlander actor). Staying in the house of a dating guru might be a mistake...especially when Gaby can't keep away from said guru's ex.

This was a delightful, breezy romcom that transported me right to the place where I currently wish I was right now. And it was the kind of popcorn entertainment that I desperately needed. I am such a sucker for romances with misunderstandings, cats and Scotsmen. Okay, mostly Scotsmen...ahem. Gaby was fun. The town was instantly familiar and its people were a scream! I'm definitely going to check out the rest of the series on my Kobo (it's easier to read on that than on Wattpad, frankly).

Simon Nugent is an unlikely hero, but he feels compelled to assist the daughter of a friend when he finds her in her brothel. Ida Strong's father was hung for a crime he didn't commit and now that she's resurfaced, her life is in danger. An earl is the only one who can help her - but every moment spent with him means risking her heart. Because she can never be his wife, only his mistress.

Bringing back a villainous suitor from one book and making him into the hero of another was simply too off-putting to me. Simon continued to be unlikeable, despite some character development that deal with his cowardliness. I did like Ida, though. And her quest to prove her father's innocence. But Simon was unfortunately in most scenes and I really wanted to throw a chamberpot at his head. I'll give Barnes props for what she tried to do here, but it's not for me.

Regina is desperate to escape a marriage to a mere boy and runs away in her wedding dress on the morning of her big day. She finds herself in St Giles, at the mercy of the streets - and Carlton Guthrie, a crime lord who offers her sanctuary, but out of the goodness of his heart. He wants revenge. Regina's father wronged him and he means to settle the score. Falling in love is out of the question.

I remember thinking "do I really want to see the Scoundrel of St Giles get his own story?" and the answer is a most emphatic yes! Easily my 2nd favourite book in the series (Blayne will always have my heart!). Carlton was perfect as the scoundrel with a heart of gold and I loved how his and Regina's relationship developed. Bonus intriguing subplot. And even if I hadn't already read Marcus' story, I would have felt for him. I could go on and on, but basically I freaking loved this book.