I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. A Very Highland Holiday is an anthology of six novellas by Kathryn Le Veque, Jennifer Ashley, Tanya Anne Crosby, Kerrigan Byrne, Eliza Knight and Darcy Burke. All of the stories except for one take place in 1746, eight months after Culloden, and all are centred at Balthazar’s Inn, which, although not close to the battlefield, has become a repository for weapons and personal items that were left on the site of the battle. If you are expecting heartwarming Christmas stories this is not your book, as firstly Christmas was not being openly celebrated in Scotland at the time, British Soldiers were still hunting down and executing suspected Jacobite sympathizers, and times were hard, families torn apart, loved ones lost. It does have stories with a Guardian Angel, a hot ghost, a Mackenzie family story, an arranged marriage, a legendary magical treasure, and a revenge plot that turns into an HEA. I enjoyed reading the stories but as is often the case found that the novella format was too short to really explore the stories being told.
Steam Level: Medium. Publishing Date: October 27, 2020. #AVeryHighlandHoliday #KathrynLeVeque, #JenniferAshley #TanyaAnneCrosby #KerriganByrne #ElizaKnight #DarcyBurke #HistoricalRomance #RomanceAnthology #RomanceNovellas #DragonBladePublishing #NetGzalley ( )

Look at the authors and weep--for joy!

What a stunning array of authors in one beguilingly gift wrapped cover.
Some of my favs entertaining with Christmas surprises of the past, of the unknown.
All stories are set in the Calvine Village in the Scottish Highlands. Balthazar’s Tavern on the road to Inverness is the focal point for the stories. Culloden is nearby and the tavern owner's daughter Carrie has setup a secret room of artifacts from the battle, from both sides of the conflict. Some Carrie has collected, some have been brought to her. She calls the room 'the Chamber of Sorrows. That’s what it is, ye know… a place full of sorrow. But it’s also a shrine tae the brave dead.”'

The Earl in Winter by Kathryn Le Veque is set just months after the Culloden War. (1746) A Sassenach, the new Earl James de Lohr, has come looking for his older brother's body and family heirlooms. There are some moments that drew me to tears particularly around the letters between the brothers. James finds romance in an unexpected place.

The Earl of Christmas Past by Kerrigan Byrne
'Calvine Village, Highlands, Scotland –1891 Winter Solstice
Victorian photographer, Vanessa Latimer, to a crowded Highland Inn'
I loved this, a super sequel to James' story set over 100 years later. Ghosts of Christmas' past indeed!

Fiona and the Three Wise Highlanders by Jennifer Ashley
A look back into the Mackenzie's and MacBride's past. Culloden has left in its wake disasters and acts of bravery. Once again the Balthazer plays a part. Ian Mackenzie (one of my all time loves) retells his children a story of their ancestors, Stuart Cameron and Fiona MacDonald.

One Nights Stand by Tanya Anne Crosby
A young woman on her way to her betrothal finds herself stranded at an inn, and hand fasted to an entirely different person. There's a mystery about Lady Elizabeth Louise Wolfe. Exactly why she's been deserted by her father and commandeered into marriage to an unknown highland family, especially after Culloden is puzzling.

Legend of a Rogue by Darcy Burke
1744-46. A storyteller, an enchanted sword lost at Culloden, dark enemies, and a handsome stranger. All converge at Balthazar's Inn where truths are uncovered and love wins. A story related to Burke's wonderful Legendary Rogues series.

The Highlander Who Stole Christmas by Eliza Knight
Thane Shaw is burning up with the need for revenge. His twin sister and her husband died during Culloden and he suspects this was deliberate. He is going to make the Campbell's pay. He will steal their jewel, the beautiful Sarah. He just didn't count on meeting Sarah as she flees her family lands.

A Dragonblade ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change ( )

4/5 stars!

After the Battle of Culloden, the couples from the six stories tackle some personal issues and more as they fall in love. Written by Jennifer Ashley, Darcy Burke, Kerrigan Byrne, Tanya Anne Crosby, Eliza Knight, and Kathryn Le Veque, these six Highland holiday romances shared the same tavern where most of the stories takes place as the holiday cheers works its magic on the couples.

Kathryn Le Veque and Kerrigan Byrne wrote about two brothers separate by time and circumstance. Jennifer Ashley writes about a Mackenzie family friend returning back to the woman he couldn't forget. Tanya Anne Crosby wrote about a prodigal son learning that he has a fiancée he didn't know about. Darcy Burke reunites a couple and a legendary magical sword. Lastly, Eliza Knight writes about a runaway bride and a fake kidnapping.

The book is highly enjoyable and quite an entertaining read. I enjoyed reading all the stories, some more than others. There are a bit of a confusion in the central characters residing in the tavern that didn't make it cohesive in some of the stories. And I enjoyed some couples more than others, but overall all the authors wrote stories that gives the holiday romance vibe.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.** ( )