Book Review - Winter Magic at Hollybrae Castle by Jaimie Admans

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Title: Winter Magic at Hollybrae Castle

Author: Jaimie Admans

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 9th September 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

Tartan, tinsel, a fake marriage and one very real festive romance...

❄️ Fake marriage

❄️ Forced proximity

❄️ Workplace romance

❄️ Small town

❄️ Found family

After a window display goes disastrously viral – thanks to a malfunctioning animatronic Santa and an unfortunate encounter with Paddington Bear – Lula Haines finds herself without a job just weeks before Christmas. So she jumps at the chance to decorate Hollybrae Castle in Scotland for the holidays.

There’s just one complication: her handsome new boss, Oliver Bracewell, needs a fake wife for the festive season. To secure a promotion that could save his family’s castle, Ollie has been pretending to be a married father-of-two to impress the family-focused firm where he works. Now his bosses are coming to stay at Hollybrae over Christmas… expecting to meet his non-existent wife and children.

At first, playing along is easy as Lula is swept up in the magic of turning Hollybrae into the perfect festive escape with Ollie. But as Christmas draws nearer and she and Ollie grow closer, Lula begins to wonder if Hollybrae could become more than a temporary escape… and if the man she’s only pretending to love might actually be the one she’s been waiting for all along.

This festive season, can Lula and Ollie turn pretend love into the happy-ever-after they’ve both been waiting for? ❄️💕

What an utterly hilarious and memorable opening this was, and it really set the tone for yet another wonderful Jaimie Admans Christmas book.

I loved every second of this from the circumstances that lead to Lula losing her job as a window dresser at a West End department store, to agreeing to decorate a Scottish Castle for a month, to agreeing to be fake married to the owner of this castle over Christmas, so he can impress his bosses and gain a promotion that will mean he can afford to keep the castle - this is so much fun. 

Oh not only does Lula agree to be fake married, but Ollie borrows his house keeper's grandchildren, fills them in on the plan, and has a pair of fake children for this charade as a family man! So taking the whole fake dating trope to a new level that I was totally there for! 

And Hollybrae Castle itself is like a fairy tale castle, it's not massive, but omg it has a library in a turret! What could be more perfect, and it has great views of the Mull of Kintyre, and although the castle is rather cold, after all heating is expensive, it's a wonderful place and Lula is amazed she is able to go all out decorating it. 

Rory and Maisie the two children in on the charade, are delightful, and really put their "parents" through their paces, in terms of getting their stories straight.  They seem masters of how to pull this off, and are only demanding a Lamborghini and a pony as their payment!  

It's was wonderful to see how Ollie changed as the castle starts to come back to life, and how Lula manages to inveigle her way into his heart, as well as his life. 

I adored every word of this charming, magical and festive story. Utterly fabulous, and another hit for this always talented author. 

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.