Grace on the Rocks is the first book in Rose Prendeville’s new contemporary series, and as someone who enjoyed her Brides of Chattan novels, I was excited to dive in.

The Isle of Barra in Scotland as the setting alone is absolutely stunning (seriously, look it up if you haven’t!). But what really makes the story come alive is the author’s trademark empathy and care for her characters. They feel real, flawed, and deeply human, which makes their journeys all the more rewarding.

I’ll admit I found myself side-eyeing the female protagonist around the halfway point, as there were definitely moments where I wanted to shake some sense into her. But Bryan’s quiet strength, patience, and warmth (despite personal challenges that make life more complicated for him) made me root for him hard. I’m happy to say Grace won me over in the end, and their chemistry developed in a way that felt both believable and satisfying.

If you’re in the mood for a heartfelt, character-driven romance in a breathtaking setting, this one’s for you.

Rose Prendeville’s new series is set between the isle of Barra in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, and Tennessee in the US. This first book takes us to Barra, with Grace Rios, a writer in a serious funk. She’s got a month to come up with her next novel or she’ll have to return her advance, and to write it, she is using a month's holiday she won on the island. On the same plane there is ex-local Bryan MacNeil, who is returning to Barra after years away. He wants to build a sustainable whisky distillery and he's home to prepare for a visit from his potential investor. Along with Grace's bestie Wes, they end up sharing a cottage.

Author Rose always has something to say and I love the way she has treated their challenges. Their issues are handled with thoughtfulness and, yes, grace. Without spoilering, Bryan grew up with a speech impediment that has impacted his relationships with family, friends and all the people on the island. Mixed with his passion for the environment, vegetarianism and queerness, he’s never fitted in. Grace has challenges around her sexual self and this has affected her relationships and self image. They each champion the other, even when they haven’t resolved their issues and their own relationship is on sticky ground. Grace is harder to like, she’s so prickly, and seems to wilfully misunderstand Bryan. It’s a miracle when she opens up, but it’s so satisfying. While I laughed at times, the overall mood is pensive and I found myself desperate for them to make it work.

Secondary characters are marvellous, with Grace’s college buddy Wes almost stealing the show – I’m hoping her book will come next. Wes is opposite to Grace in almost every way, and yet their friendship feels believable. Without Wes, Grace wouldn’t be able to get out of her own way, let alone open up to Bryan.

Quibbles? There’s a lot of characters on the island to get to know, and the Scottish names are not easy to ‘hear’ - the included family trees were terrific though!

If you like your romance with depth, and a side of the Scottish Hebrides, this book is the bomb! Thank you Rose Prendeville and Eridani Press for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

this is the first in a new series. its set it up and made me look forward to others in the series, im already thinking of who and where this series could go next.
ive not heard of this author before but her writing is really smooth and the flow meant i could just keep reading page after page.
i felt good reading this book. its felt like a perfect spring and cozy read.