Wonderlight by Tina Spencer

Happy Monday ya’ll! I’m back this week with a review for an ARC that I finished recently and is coming out this June 20! (Yay!) This week I’m going to be reviewing Wonderlight by Tina Spencer!

Before I get into the review, here’s the blurb for this fantastic, up-and-coming book:

𝑰 𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝑺𝒄𝒐𝒕𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇. 𝑻𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒎𝒚 𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒕.

𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆.

𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝒎𝒆𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎.

Avery used to have high hopes for her future until one traumatic night shattered her into a million pieces. Time went on, scabbing her wounds, and Avery learned how to live within the shadows of her mind while keeping her struggles to herself.

Now in Toronto, the place she has called home for the last three years, Avery’s world abruptly capsizes. With no roof over her head, she decides to fly across the ocean to find solace in the rugged hills of the Scottish Highlands.

What she doesn’t expect to find is an unlikely connection with Lachlan—a brooding, local Scotsman in the small town of Corran—who seems to be navigating through his own darkness. While Lachlan anxiously anticipates Avery's departure, she relishes the opportunity to evade her mysterious and sullen Scottish neighbour. Immersed in the captivating splendor of the mountains and valleys, Avery directs her attention towards self-discovery, immortalizing the breathtaking scenery within the pages of her sketchbook.

But the bond between Lachlan and Avery is magnetic, pulling them closer together with each passing day. Yet time is running against them, and what Avery doesn’t know is that Corran is protecting something that is meant to stay hidden: a secret that could end in devastation and heartbreak.

Alright, ya’ll, this book threw me for multiple loops! When I started the book, I began to develop some expectations and predictions for how the book would continue, a typical reader habit, then whammy, the plot had something quite pleasantly different in store! A quick reminder to check the TWs for the book as some heavy topics such as SA are discussed. Mental health comes first! That being said I loved this book! It was a spicy little romp, that had themes of healing and moving on from severe trauma. There were also some themes of found family, so all of you peeps out there that like that, read this book! I must say, mild spoiler here, Lachlan is hot. Sexy Highlander that I did not expect! I don’t feel like you get the sense that he’s hot when you’re reading the blurb, but when I was reading the part where he was introduced I was like holy crap! The chemistry and spice in the book are sizzling, I guess more boiling than sizzling, so if you’re looking for spicy Scottish romance, here you have it folks! I really enjoyed reading the interactions and subsequent banter between Avery and Lachlan all throughout the book and seeing the relationship between them evolve. There is also a huge character arc for Avery too, which was really heartwarming to read. Meanwhile, Avery is the epitome of a spitfire girl boss and I was cheering for her the whole time! So, in short, you have a badass FMC, an amazing MMC, and some found family thrown in!

I’ve been talking about the characters a lot, but a good percentage of the book is about various areas in Scotland. As the blurb states, Avery went there for the scenery, and boy does the book deliver! The descriptions of the various locations visited throughout the book were vivid and breathtaking! I feel like usually I don’t get as much of a connection to the setting in books, as the plots are more character-driven, but Wonderlight takes the time to show the reader the beauty of the Scottish Highlands. I really appreciated these absolutely magical descriptions and I feel like they added to how much I could immerse myself in the book as a reader! So, if you are looking for a dazzling and spicy romance with a beautiful setting, and even better themes of healing and self-care I recommend this book to you! Make sure to keep an eye out for Wonderlight by Tina Spencer, coming 6.20.2023!

Happy Reading!

Renee