Title: Fixing a Broken Heart at the Highland Repair Shop
Author: Kiley Dunbar
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: ★★★★★
Source: Boldwood Books / Netgalley
Blurb: When her career stalls and her boyfriend betrays her, Ally McIntyre’s dreams shatter into a hundred little pieces. Which is apt, given Ally’s family has built a haven for the worn out and broken: the Cairn Dhu Community Repair Shop and Café in the heart of the Scottish Highlands, famous for its band of expert fixers (and delicious baking). But repairing gadgets and restoring heirlooms is one thing, fixing herself is quite another.
Jamie Beaton is on a temporary summer transfer to Cairn Dhu as a Special Constable, though there’s a deeper, sadder reason that’s drawn him to the Highlands. When a scandal threatens the repair shop and Ally and Jamie’s paths cross, an instant connection – and attraction – sparks. Could finding new love, and the missing piece of Jamie’s past, help Ally’s heart to heal?
As the long summer days draw in, however, Jamie must leave. An unexpected job offer also comes Ally’s way, which could take her far from the Highlands. Should she take a leap into the unknown? Where does she truly feel whole?
Review: Okay, firstly, I have to confess that Kiley is a dear friend of mine but that hasn’t affected my review in the slightest (BACS me that fiver, hon, lol).
The first thing that struck me about this story is the way it’s told. It genuinely feels like you’re sat by a fire, having Kiley read it aloud. It’s not a narrative style that I’ve come across before and I loved it!
This book is exactly what it says on its somewhat meaty tin. There are few surprises, especially if you’ve ever watched The Repair Shop on TV, but rather than being a negative, it’s very much a positive. It’s like going to your Mum’s for Sunday lunch – knowing what you’re getting doesn’t stop it from being warm and comforting.
I’m going to start with the setting. Dear goodness, the descriptions are so vivid, you can almost smell the heather. Kiley’s love of her home country shines through in every paragraph. I could ‘see’ what Ally and Jamie did, could imagine the weathered paths and the glorious mountain. And, having been a hill walker in a previous life, could easily envisage the clouds coming down.
The there’s Ally. Though lost and broken-hearted, she never came across as pathetic. Her meet cute with Jamie was blinking awesome. But I am a fan of enemies-to-lovers, so no surprise there. Her kind-heartedness and drive once she got focused made me cheer for her, but she wasn’t without fault or flaw. She was no goody-two-shoes Mary Sue. She felt real, like I could pick up the phone and call her.
Jamie is also very sweet. I’m sure such men exist somewhere. It’s just not immediately apparent. I did love his focus on becoming a copper, and I loved his relationship with his dad and sister, especially after “Holiday” was returned to them. It was nice to see them all turning a corner in their grief, and doing that as a family. Not a thing I’ve read often.
The supporting cast at the Cairn Dhu Community Repair Shop are fabulously portrayed. I’d be here all day trying to pick a favourite, though anyone who can bake immediately goes up in my estimation, even if they do use yucky walnuts. There’s a recipe for Scottish tablet at the end, and I’m very tempted to try it.
Knowing that Fixing a Broken Heart at the Highland Repair Shop is the first of a series excites me massively. I’m desperate to know who’s next for the patching up.
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