Scotland

We recently returned home from a two week trip to gorgeous Scotland. It was as picturesque as I've always imagined. With rolling green hills, grassy pastures fenced in by crumbling rock walls, wild heather scattered throughout the highlands, various lochs and castle ruins, and stunning fairy pools. It's the kind of place that inspires stories about folklore, magic and romance.

We had a very busy itinerary with lots of sightseeing and adventure. We traveled from Glasgow to Ayr for a destination wedding in the Culzean Castle, then through Ballachulish, the Isle of Skye, Inverness, Culloden Battlefield, Grantown on the Spey, Balmoral Castle, Dundee and Edinburgh.

Halfway through our trip I was already toying around with new book ideas, and I'm very excited to write a few that are set in this beautiful country. One will be a romance inspired by the destination wedding we traveled to Scotland for, and the other is a YA fantasy romance with series potential.

We absolutely loved Scotland, particularly the highlands, and cannot wait to go back.

Book Review - The Selection series by Kiera Cass

The Selection series by Kiera Cass is a YA dystopian and fairytale romance.

Summary:
For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape a rigid caste system, live in a palace, and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon. But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her, and competing for a crown she doesn’t want.

Then America meets Prince Maxon—and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

My Review:
The Selection: 4 stars = I really liked it!
The Elite: 3.5 stars = I liked it!
The One: 3.5 stars = I liked it!

The Selection has an interesting concept with a touch of the royal romance that I love! It's like The Hunger Games meets Divergent meets The Bachelor. It kept me hooked from the first book through to the third, and the entire time I was rooting for Prince Maxon and America!