Guest Review: Wishing Under a Starlit Skye by Lisa Hobman

Glentorrin bakery owner, and lone parent, Caitlin Fraser, is single and finally ready to mingle.

With her daughter, Grace, about to become a teenager, and her friends all settling down, Caitlin decides she deserves a shot at happiness too.

Resisting the pull of dating apps, Caitlin embarks upon a series of disastrous singles events where she bumps into fellow villager, and astronomy buff, Archie Sutherland, who is nursing his own past secrets.

When Grace’s best friend’s father, handsome Lyle Budge, asks Caitlin to dinner, things progress quickly and she has a taste of what their future as a family could be, much to both their daughters delight! But when Archie makes a shocking discovery, and he turns to Caitlin for help, she soon discovers Lyle isn’t the sharing type, meaning prickly ultimatums loom for everyone.

Will wishing upon the stars over Glentorrin help Caitlin to figure out her way forward? Or is her hunt for romance like a once in a lifetime comet, easily missed in the blink of an eye?

Review: This is the third in a collection of books by this author set on Skye, a small island off the west coast of Scotland. Most of he books in this series have striking covers giving a flavour of what the island has to offer the visitor. I have listened to all the books in audio format and been impressed by the narrator. This book shares many characters with the first two in the series, Dreaming Under an Island Skye and Under an Italian Sky, but each can be read as a standalone.

This story focuses on Caitlin Fraser, owner of the bakery in the Skye village of Glentorrin, where she lives with her daughter Grace and their small dog, Cleo. With Grace about to become a teenager, and single mum Caitlin fast approaching 40, it seems to her a good time to think about finding a partner for herself. Unsure how best to go about meeting potential boyfriends, Caitlin attends some singles events where she runs into local man and fellow business owner Archie Sutherland. Caitlin has known Archie all the time she has lived in the village, but is intrigued to learn more about him, including his passion for astronomy. Coincidentally, the father of one of Grace’s friends begins to show a romantic interest in Caitlin, but their budding romance is shattered when he shows his true colours. When Archie shares something in his past with Caitlin and asks for her help, their friendship deepens. Could the person she is seeking be right in front of her all the time?

I have enjoyed this story and returning to the little village of Glentorrin. Caitlin and her bakery business featured frequently in the previous books in the collection; I always fancied trying her legendary shortbread. It was good to learn a bit more about her history and how she and Grace came to be living in the village. It was, of course, also good to catch up with other villagers in this warm community. Archie is such a nice, kind person, always ready to lend a hand, but Caitlin has never thought of him in any romantic way. Only when he reveals his secret to her and she finds that they share something in common does she pay him more attention and find out a little about what lies beneath his simple exterior. I was cheering them on as a couple all the way but was never sure until the end of the story how it would all pan out. I thought that the story had a lovely ending but no spoilers here! I can thoroughly recommend this book, which will probably leave many readers researching a visit to this beautiful island.

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