Well, the progression of this reread was too good to be true. After the high of the fourth book that had me in tears for being so perfect, this one left me rather disappointed. It might be my least favourite of the series (though I haven’t reread the sixth yet and never read the seventh, so I might be wrong) …

Ready for the next instalment in our favourite horsey Highland soap opera? Strap in, because this one has a lot going on – and going for it! I pretty much had tears in my eyes throughout. Not because it’s particularly sad, but because it’s particularly perfect! So let’s dive in, revisiting our established plotlines: the relationship between Laurie and Danny and the family feud – with the usual dash of social criticism …

This has been on my tbr since 2008, which is a little weird considering that’s the year I fell in love with all things Irish. It took me a very long time to finally get to it. And what I found is a weird book I’m pretty sure I would’ve utterly disliked if I had read it as a child or in my early teens. And here is why …

If you have read my review for the first book in this series, you know that it’s one of my all-time favourites. Of the three books, however, the second one is my least favourite – which still means that I enjoyed reading it a lot; it’s just not as magical as the first and not as shocking as the last of the original trilogy. So, what attribute does this one get? Well, it’s quite horrific! Not in writing or structure, characters or plot. It’s the themes and topics addressed that had me shuddering more than once. Remember I called the first book dark? Well, this one’s all ‘hold my Waters of Venice’ and literally goes to hell! And hell is not a cosy place …

Welcome back to episode three of our favourite horsey highland soap opera! That may sound awfully cynical, but I really do love this series! We once again continue where we left of and focus on three major plotlines: the very soapy romance/family feud, the grumpy groom revelations, and the never-ending cruelty of mankind …

If you read The Night Circus, you might want to give this a pass, because The Crown’s Game is its watered-down YA version that unfortunately doesn’t come close to the original. I really truly wished I had read these two in reverse, because then I might have enjoyed The Crown’s Game much more. It does have its merits, but overlooking the similarities is next to impossible …

Don’t we all want to crawl inside our reads from time to time? My answer is both yes and no. Yes, because I would love to explore some of those places myself; no, because I don’t really want to stay there for an extended period of time, either because those worlds are lacking our modern comforts or are incredibly dangerous. And I know myself; I wouldn’t survive there for long. Still, here are the five books I’d love to visit – even if the stays come with an asterisk …