The most recommended Isle of Skye books

Who picked these books? Meet our 16 experts.

16 authors created a book list connected to Isle of Skye, and here are their favorite Isle of Skye books.
When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

What type of Isle of Skye book?

Loading...

Book cover of Coming Home to the Loch

Mary Karlik Author Of Hickville Crossroads

From my list on contemporary romances with a Scottish accent.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love everything Scottish. My grandfather was Scottish. I never met him, but mom passed the pride of her heritage and culture to me. Mom used to throw out an occasional phrase or poem that I thought was Gaelic. (I later learned it was Scotts but that’s another story.) I decided I wanted to learn the language and found a short course at a small college on the Isle of Skye and it changed my life. After that short course I committed to learning the language and enrolled in the distance learning program. I travel to Skye for the short courses between my semesters and have made lifelong friends.  

Mary's book list on contemporary romances with a Scottish accent

Mary Karlik Why did Mary love this book?

This is the first book in the Loch Lannick series. I love that this book is set on the Isle of Skye because I know the area fairly well. Like Colgan’s books, she has created a world that I can’t wait to travel back to. She has created a close-knit world on the loch full of highland culture and hospitality. I am only three books into the series but so far I’ve loved the heartfelt humor in each one.

By Hannah Ellis,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Coming Home to the Loch as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

What happens when you meet the right person, at the right time, in the wrong place?

Twenty-two-year-old Leana Mackenzie is looking for adventure. Full of excitement, she leaves her home in a remote Scottish village and heads for the bright city lights. 

In Edinburgh she meets Alasdair – a cute and charming singer/songwriter. As their relationship develops everything feels perfect. 

But as the sparkle of her new life begins to fade, Leana finds herself longing for her cosy home on the Isle of Skye, and the close-knit family she left behind. 

When Alasdair is offered the career opportunity of a…


Book cover of The Treasure of the Isle of Mist

James Stoddard Author Of The High House: The Evenmere Chronicles

From James' 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Audio engineer Musician Fantasy fan

James' 3 favorite reads in 2023

James Stoddard Why did James love this book?

I ran across this book by accident. It’s mostly found used or as an ebook at Project Gutenberg.

It’s a lovely, poetic fantasy about a young girl living on the Isle of Skye. She sets out on a quest to find a Faery treasure, leading to adventures. The description, however, doesn’t do the book justice. It’s a short but enchanting read that left me smiling. I wish more people knew about it, because I think it would rank high in the list of fantasy literature.

By W W Tarn,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Treasure of the Isle of Mist as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"My excavations came to an untimely end," said the Student. "I always owed that old man a grudge for being beaten before my tent. Why couldn't he have been beaten somewhere else? I should like to meet him again and tell him precisely what I thought of his conduct." "You have done both now," said the hawker. "And it is his turn." "Impossible," said the Student. "He was as old twenty-five years ago as you are now." "At my age," said the old man, "one grows no older. No one who walks the world as I do need ever grow…


Book cover of The Cowboy Who Stole My Heart

Janette Rallison Author Of Just One Wish

From my list on embarrassing moments that can lead to a hot guy.

Why am I passionate about this?

Why do I have expertise on embarrassing moments? I wish I could say I just enjoy watching other people occasionally squirm and nothing humiliating has ever happened to me. That would be such a lie, though. I’m an embarrassing moment waiting to happen. I rode to the vet with a cat who wanted to cling to the top of my head. I got stuck in a gas station in the middle of nowhere. I (nearly) locked myself out of my house in my pajamas. The only good thing about having embarrassing moments is that you can use them in your novels. And I do.

Janette's book list on embarrassing moments that can lead to a hot guy

Janette Rallison Why did Janette love this book?

First of all this book has a hot cowboy in it. *Swoons* As far as wish-fulfillment goes, I think most women would like to date a cowboy. Cowboys love horses, have muscles, and wear cool hats. I’m not sure why women ever stopped making men wear hats (top hats especially—every man looks better in a top hat) so I especially appreciate a man in a cowboy hat. 

However, I wouldn’t like a cowgirl’s schedule of getting up at the crack of dawn to do ranch work, which is why it’s so nice to vicariously live through this book. You get to date the hot guy but you don’t have to clean stables. Win-win!

Oh, and mixing up a guy with his twin brother and making a fool of yourself—also fun to read about.

By Melinda Carroll,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Cowboy Who Stole My Heart as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Only two things stand between Skye and the life she craves: a priceless necklace and a hot cowboy. Not necessarily in that order.

Skye Stanton enjoys catering for Aunt Judy’s reception center about as much as she likes sour milk and day-old sushi. But she’s trapped as long as Judy holds Grandma’s trust money hostage. So when Skye learns her family may have the rights to a stolen heirloom necklace, she hatches a plan to track down the jewels in exchange for sweet freedom.

For Dillon Wyle, the necklace doesn’t just represent money—it symbolizes loyalty, family, and the mother he…


Book cover of Dark Skye

Katherine Grace Author Of Just a Fling

From my list on second-chance romance.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been reading romance novels since I was way too young to be reading romances and I love the romance genre. I’m a fan of many tropes, but second-chance romance is one of my favorites and it is the main trope in my debut novel, Just a Fling. When I read romance, I want to read stories that make my heart break and then stitch it back together. Second-chance romances do that because they capture the essence of hope and forgiveness. They give readers the opportunity to experience the beauty and power of forgiveness and to believe in the transformative power of love.

Katherine's book list on second-chance romance

Katherine Grace Why did Katherine love this book?

Dark Skye is both an enemies-to-lovers and a second-chance epic paranormal romance.

It's part of the Immortals After Dark series (the best PNR series out there) and features Thronos, a Vrekener prince seeking revenge against the sorceress Lanthe. But things get complicated when he realizes she might not be the enemy he thought she was.

With action-packed scenes, steamy romance, and tons of supernatural creatures, Dark Skye is a must-read for anyone who loves paranormal romance.

By Kresley Cole,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Dark Skye as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this highly anticipated fifteenth novel in the Immortals After Dark series, #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole spins a sultry tale of a mighty warrior scarred inside and out and the beguiling sorceress with the power to heal him—or vanquish him forever.

Eternal Obsession
As a boy, Thronos, prince of Skye Hall, loved Lanthe, a mischievous Sorceri girl who made him question everything about his Vrekener clan. But when the two got caught in the middle of their families’ war, tragedy struck, leaving Thronos and Lanthe bitter enemies. Though centuries have passed, nothing can cool his seething…


Book cover of A Book of Silence

Louisa Waugh Author Of Hearing Birds Fly: A Nomadic Year in Mongolia

From my list on the intimate lives of landscapes.

Why am I passionate about this?

Louisa Waugh is a writer, blogger, and the prize-winning author of three non-fiction books: Hearing Birds Fly, Selling Olga, and Meet Me in Gaza. She has lived and worked in the Middle East, Central and West Africa, and is a conflict adviser for an international peace-building organisation. She blogs at The Waugh Zone and currently lives in Brighton, on the southern English coast, where she kayaks and drinks red wine on the beach, usually not at the same time.

Louisa's book list on the intimate lives of landscapes

Louisa Waugh Why did Louisa love this book?

Of all the destinations we can and do explore during our lives, our internal landscape is the most intimate. Without silence, how do we begin to know ourselves, and to see ourselves for who we really are? Sara Maitland moved from being a chatterer to “a silence hunter,” seeking out spaces where she could live alone and savour silent solitude. Her book explores histories and landscapes of silence, from contemplatives to explorers. She nails the difference between bad silence (the kind most of us are terrified of) and the spaciousness of prolonged silence that, eventually, becomes a state of bliss. Don’t be put off by the apparent seriousness of this subject: Sara might be a religious reclusive, but she writes in accessible prose that, ironically, induces the sense you could almost be having a drink together. It’s a brilliant book.

By Sara Maitland,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Book of Silence as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

After a noisy upbringing as one of six children, and adulthood as a vocal feminist and mother, Sara Maitland began to crave silence. Over the past five years, she has spent periods of silence in the Sinai Desert and the Australian bush and on the Isle of Skye. She interweaves these experiences with the history of silence told through fairy tale and myth, Western and Eastern religious traditions, the Enlightenment and psychoanalysis, up to the ambivalence towards silence in contemporary society. Maitland has built a hermitage on an isolated Scottish moor, and the book culminates powerfully with her experiences of…


Book cover of The Chief

Jayne Castel Author Of Highlander Deceived

From my list on historical romance set in Scotland.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always had a fascination with the past. After graduating with an Honors degree in English Literature, with a minor in History, I spent years working as an English Language Teacher, while I wrote stories in my free time. Writing is a compulsion for me. It’s my escape and entertainment – my solace in tough times. Now, as a full-time author, I’m lucky enough to get to spend my days in Ancient and Medieval Scotland. I write the kind of stories I love to read: with vibrant characters, richly researched settings, and action-packed adventure romance that transports readers to forgotten times and imaginary worlds.

Jayne's book list on historical romance set in Scotland

Jayne Castel Why did Jayne love this book?

Set upon the Isle of Skye in the early 14th Century, The Chief is an exciting historical romance, with a lot of depth. The hero, Tormod MacLeod, is a man on a mission, to support Robert the Bruce in his struggle against the English. When he’s tricked into marrying Christina Fraser, a young noblewoman whose father was imprisoned for supporting William Wallace, he’s determined to keep his wife in her place. He has no time, or interest, in love. However, control slowly slips from his grip. This novel has one of the best kiss scenes I’ve ever read, and the setting at Dunvegan Castle upon the Isle of Skye is beautifully researched and depicted.

By Monica McCarty,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Chief as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

AN ELITE FIGHTING FORCE UNLIKE THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN . . .

Scouring the darkest corners of the Highlands and Western Isles, Robert the Bruce handpicks ten warriors to help him in his quest to free Scotland from English rule. They are the best of the best, chosen for their superior skills in each discipline of warfare. And to lead his secret Highland Guard, Bruce chooses the greatest warrior of all.
 
The ultimate Highland warlord and a swordsman without equal, Tor MacLeod has no intention of being drawn into Scotland’s war against the English. Dedicated to his clan, the…


Book cover of A Thistle in the Mist

Lynelle Clark Author Of Love at War: A Love Story

From my list on provoking plotlines.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a very realistic person, curious by nature, who loves a good thrill. A good twist—no matter the genre—that has all the above recommendations captures my attention. A feel-good chick flick or book does nothing for my curious side but adds a twist or two and you have me hooked. Love at war is that kind of book. It has a few twists that touch on important topics and leave you with a few thoughts to think about afterward. Life is not only marshmallows and sprinklers. Life is real and I like my books like that, too. Therefore, I call myself a multi-genre author. I don’t want to be bound by one genre.

Lynelle's book list on provoking plotlines

Lynelle Clark Why did Lynelle love this book?

I absolutely loved this book based on true events. Don’t be fooled by the name either. This is intense as it gets. A historical thriller slash romance that made you wonder how much the heroin can endure. Believe me, you are in for a ride. 

So much heartache poured from the pages, and you keep on reading in the hopes that love will conquer, and the evil will be stopped. Every character's persona was well developed and got under your skin as you became part of their lives and struggles. One of my favorites and a book I would read again.

By Megan Denby,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Thistle in the Mist as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Meara isn’t thinking about Death when she kisses her mother good-bye, but hours later she is as her fingers slide into the back of Mother’s shattered skull. Meara thinks her world has ended. She has no idea… Ebullient and feisty, Meara MacDonald lives an idyllic life on the mist-enfolded Isle of Skye, dreaming of the day she will wed her heart, the gallant Duncan MacLeod. Fate, however, has other plans and when Aunt Deirdre and Uncle Sloan arrive, Meara’s family is taken, one-by-one, for reasons she discovers are both personal and nefarious. Unable to rein in her spirit or her…


Book cover of Private Property

Nancy Brown Author Of Mr. Black: A Black Stone Series - Book 1

From my list on romantic thrillers to escape your busy life.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a voracious reader who loves to escape my hectic busy life with a good book when I don’t have the opportunity to do so in person. I’m a sucker for a good love story with a little angst and mystery. I read all genres but sexy romantic thrillers are my absolute favorite. I love them so much I started writing my own sexy stories in this genre. It has become my passion. I currently have three published books, Mr. Black, Mr. Stone, and Mr. Bennett, books one, two, and three of A Black Stone Series. My fourth book, Luke, the first book in my new Cross Security series is scheduled for release later this year.

Nancy's book list on romantic thrillers to escape your busy life

Nancy Brown Why did Nancy love this book?

I am a sucker for dark, broody, and mysterious heroes. And Private Property is a promise of rough emotions mixed with shattering sensuality that will take the reader to the most unexpected and amazing journey. I was so consumed by the mystery, deeply entangled in this dark story that took over my head and soul. Mr. Rochester is a brooding billionaire consumed by secrets and our plain Jayne is an innocent nanny. Both characters’ souls are broken in a way that only the other can fit the empty spaces of their souls. Enter here a permanent and continuous storm, salty air, and a gothic contemporary mansion. There is something forbidden and hunted about the storyline that woken up goosebumps on my skin.

By Skye Warren,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Private Property as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"This. Book. The characters. You will fall in love with them, and you will devour this book so quickly, you'll end up wanting to read it all over again. I loved it!" - New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy


When I signed up for the nanny agency, I didn't expect a remote mansion on a windswept isle. Or a brooding billionaire who resents his new role. His brother's death means he's now in charge of a moody seven year old girl. She's lashing out at the world, but I can handle her. I have to. I need the money…


Book cover of Camp Midnight

Jude Atwood Author Of Maybe There Are Witches

From my list on treating the supernatural with a clever sense of humor.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'd like to claim that my expertise in these matters stems from the fact that I am a supernatural entity—and a funny one at that. But my origin’s more mundane; when I was growing up on a corn & soybean farm miles outside of a rural village, I became a voracious reader. I was always intrigued by writers who could explore a world outside the bounds of reality and do it with style. Over the years, I’ve been a short-order cook, a corn detasseler, a summer camp counselor, a college professor, and a middle-grade author, and I’ve learned that you can find a little magic anywhere if you look hard enough.

Jude's book list on treating the supernatural with a clever sense of humor

Jude Atwood Why did Jude love this book?

In this graphic novel, Skye is a girl who would rather go with her mom to Rwanda than attend the summer camp her dad and stepmom have selected.

She’s determined not to have fun, even after (or especially after) she realizes she got on the wrong bus and is now at a camp for kids who reveal their “true” monster selves only when it’s safe to do so. But even when Skye is in way over her head, she never lets up on the snark.

Seagle’s dialogue keeps the lessons and serious stuff from sounding trite by framing it all in a steady stream of sarcasm and unexpected cultural references. Katzenstein’s art is filled with clever visual gags. (At one point, as Skye is faking tears, she’s holding an Oscar statuette.)

By Steven T. Seagle, Jason Adam Katzenstein (artist),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Camp Midnight as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

Ben 10 and Big Hero 6 creator Steven T. Seagle returns to comics with New Yorker Magazine cartoonist Jason Adam Katzenstein for a new graphic novel!

Reluctant Skye is accidentally sent to the wrong summer camp. Not wanting to please her "step monster," Skye is dead-set on not fitting in. That won't be a problem, as everyone at Camp Midnight-with the exception of fellow camper and fast-friend Mia-is a full-fledged monster! The perfect book for fans of Raina Telgemeier's Smile, but wish it had more bowls of gooey eyeballs.


Book cover of Wanderlust

Kay Freeman Author Of The Devil You Know: Gothic Romance Suspense

From my list on gothic with obsessed characters.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always had an interest in art, growing up a military brat and constantly moving, left me time to doodle and read. I spent the first part of my life as an art professor and artist. I began writing three years ago when my manuscript was chosen for RWA’s Ramp program in 2021. With my art, my interest leans more towards the bizarre and unexplained. I believe the romance stories I write follow suit, dark and gothic romance my primary interest, but always with spiritual and hopeful undertones. I also write some non-fiction for a local magazine where I live, The Greenville Stroll and on substack a newsletter for romance writers.

Kay's book list on gothic with obsessed characters

Kay Freeman Why did Kay love this book?

Skye Warren is one of my favorite romance authors. Her Endgame Trilogy got me hooked on romance. However, I love Wanderlust even more.

It chronicles the story of a budding photographer who leaves her overbearing mother to work in another city. On her way there, a trucker kidnaps and holds her in the back of his truck as they cross the country. This book has a similar theme as my book and some of the others I've listed and deals with captivity and power.

I've read this book several times, once as a reader and then as a writer, analyzing how to transform a morally gray character or someone despicable into someone readers could care about. Turning hatred for an abductor into pity and wanting him to be with the heroine is no easy feat. I'm still impressed with her skill.

By Skye Warren,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Wanderlust as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"I loved the story! I loved that it made me feel, that it turned me on, turned me off, made me pause and think, twisted my stomach into knots..." - Haydee's ReviewsCan love come from pain?Evie always dreamed of seeing the world, but her first night at a motel turns into a nightmare. Hunter is a rugged trucker willing to do anything to keep her--including kidnapping. As they cross the country in his rig, Evie plots her escape, but she may find what she's been looking for right beside her.Wanderlust is a full-length dark romance novel that explores captivity and…


Book cover of Coming Home to the Loch
Book cover of The Treasure of the Isle of Mist
Book cover of The Cowboy Who Stole My Heart

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,355

readers submitted
so far, will you?