I am extremely excited to share my review today – on publication day – as part of the Virtual Book Tour hosted by Zooloo’s Book Tours which runs 26 November to 2 December 2025.
Many thanks to Zooloo’s Book Tours for inviting me to be part of this book tour and for offering a digital copy to read and review.
Follow along with the Schedule and hear what other reviewers have to say about this one!
As always, this review reflects my honest thoughts.
Book Description
She came to Scotland for a fresh start — but found a love she never expected.When Roxanne Carr accepts a job as a companion to elderly Amynta Baxter, she hopes the beautiful Highlands of Scotland will offer peace after the heartbreak of losing her father and her family farm. But her arrival doesn’t go as planned. Her first meeting with Amynta’s son, Ciaran, is anything but welcoming.
Ciaran Baxter is a dedicated dairy farmer with no time for complications — especially not a spirited young woman who disrupts his routine and challenges his guarded heart.
But as winter sets in and Christmas approaches, Ciaran begins to see a different side to Roxie: capable, kind and as passionate about the farm as he is.
Soon their relationship turns from wary allies to something deeper. But when Roxie is called back to Derbyshire to save her brother’s failing farm, she must choose between the family who cast her aside and the man who makes her believe in second chances.
A Scottish Love Story by Gwen Kirkwood
Published on 26 November 2025
Published by by Joffe Books
ISBN: 9781805733355
You can find the book on Amazon and Goodreads
The Author – Gwen Kirkwood
All my life has been connected to farming, first in Yorkshire and then in Scotland, so authentic farming details help colour my writing in most of my thirty published books.
The family sagas feature two, and sometimes three, generations, with changing times, clothes and customs, transport, communication, or lack of it, with life’s joys and problems, plus love of course. We all need some love in our lives despite the ups and downs. They have believable characters and settings. A few are shorter romances. The sagas are available as audio books as well as in print, and all are now available as e-books.
I was born on a Yorkshire farm and went to school there. After attending agricultural college and a short spell working for the Ministry of Agriculture in England, I have spent most of my adult life on a Scottish dairy farm with my late husband, who was a well known breeder and judge of Clydesdale horses. We have three children and now another generation to keep me up to date with changing times and customs.
I enjoy gardening, local history, cookery, and of course reading, as well as my writing.
You can follow Gwen on Facebook
My Review
From the very first page, this story settled around me like a comfort I didn’t realise I needed. The opening felt so natural — almost as if I’d slipped into the passenger seat beside Roxie as she headed north towards her new life in the south of Scotland. I warmed to her instantly. There’s something about her determination, her kindness, and her quiet hope for a fresh start that made me root for her straight away. She’s one of those characters who feels real from the moment she appears on the page: capable, grounded, and still carrying the kind of hurt that so many of us recognise.
And then there’s Ciaran. I had a feeling from the start that there was more to him than his first impression. I loved the way he was introduced — prickly on the surface, yet you can feel there’s far more to him than the situation allows you to see early on. Watching his true nature reveal itself, layer by layer, each one softer than the last, was one of my favourite parts of the book. The way these two gradually come to understand each other felt honest and believable, shaped by the everyday rhythms of farm life and the quiet moments in between. The author handled it with a tenderness that never felt rushed or forced.
One of the things that really stood out for me was the farming element woven through the story. As someone who enjoys reading about farming, I absolutely loved how genuine and grounded these parts felt. It added a richness to the setting and made the whole book feel even more real, rooted in the community and the landscape.
Overall, this is a beautifully descriptive, heartfelt story about fresh starts, emotional healing, and finding genuine connection in unexpected places. I loved the characters, I loved the setting, and I loved the gentle warmth that runs through every chapter. It left me with that satisfied sigh you get after spending time with characters you genuinely care about.
A gorgeous, feel-good Scottish romance that I’m so glad I picked up.
This was my first read by Gwen Kirkwood, and now that I’ve felt the emotion and authenticity in her writing, I’ll definitely be exploring more of her novels — maybe even a saga or two — especially if they offer more of that wonderful fictional farming romance.
This review may also appear on my social media and selected book platforms. All links are correct at the time of posting.
A little personal note:
I’ve recently fallen down a very enjoyable rabbit hole with real farming content — especially Dalscone Farm and The Hoof GP, both based in south-west Scotland. If you enjoy that kind of thing too, you’ll understand why I loved how authentic and grounded the farming elements in this book felt.
Dalscone Farm on Facebook and Youtube and their online store at DalsconeFarm.com
The Hoof GP on Facebook and Youtube and online store at TheHoofGP.com
#GwenKirkwood #AScottishLoveStory #JoffeBooks #ZooloosBookTours #NetGalley
#arcreview #blogtour #romance #farming #fivestarread
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