About Books #80: The Little Gift Shop on the Loch

Is it just me, or is Scotland one of those locations that sometimes seems to take almost mythical proportions. I mean, I’m sure it’s just me – but still… In The Little Gift Shop on the Loch? It certainly seems to move in that direction as well!

I was offered an ARC by Netgalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are strictly my own.

The story

Home is where the heart is…

Lily Ballantine is still reeling from losing her job and the man she’s head over heels for all in one afternoon! So with her pride in tatters, she leaves the city behind her for the charming Scottish village of Carroch.

Bequeathed the tiny gift shop by her late, free-spirited mother, she only intends to stay until she sells the place – but instead, finds herself falling for the beautiful shop, the stray cat called Misty… and the rather handsome local, Jack Armstrong.

Lily’s not looking for love, but as the little gift shop weaves its magic around her heart, she wonders whether her mother might just have left her the greatest gift of all?

The opinion

This is probably one of the slowest books I’ve read in a while. You know how sometimes, a romance can feel rushed? This book does like the opposite of it. Lily, when she arrives at the little village of Carroch, is vehemently not looking for love. If there’s an opposite of “looking for love”, that’d be what she’s doing.

Because romance is so clearly not at the forefront of her mind, the author is left with the room to see exactly what happens when you are forced out of your comfortable environment. And in the case of Lily, that’s a job that has become her safety net, but not in a positive way. Being made redundant certainly made that very clear to her.

As Lily slowly learned to open herself to not only the village which she spent so many holidays at as a child, but also the fact that her mother is gone… I felt so much for her, and I so appreciated how the author managed to bring those feelings across.

Add to all that the little snippets, offering a view into the world of whiskey. And the lovely lake. The views of Scotland? And Lily’s growing relationship with her mother’s friends? Well, you end up with an absolutely lovely little gift shop on the loch!

If you liked this, you might also like: The Printed Letter Bookshop

The rating: 3.5/5

This is one of those books that’s just absolutely perfect for when you need a calming read. The slow pace and the views of Scotland that translate so perfectly through the pages? Well, they made for a really enjoyable read! (Goodreads)

-Saar