Half-Light Harbor

Scottish Isles Series, Book 1

By: Samantha Young

Narrated by: Shane East, Stella Hunter

I went to Scotland looking for answers about my past. The last thing I expected was getting trapped on a private island with my stoic, brooding, gorgeous contractor.

Ramsay McRae is a man with secrets. He prefers the company of his dog to people and silence to any semblance of politeness. He says I’m too young, too sweet, too innocent. Only he doesn’t know the truth. That I’m haunted by a crime that tore my life apart two years ago. I’ve come to Half-Light Harbor not just to start over, but to bring the monster who killed my parents to justice.

The last thing I need is a tortured Scot distracting me from my mission. But when his restraint snaps and my walls crumble, the results are explosive. We say it’s only a no-strings-attached affair. A temporary moment to burn out this fire between us. However, when my search for the truth brings danger to my door, it’s Ramsay stepping in to protect me. But it might be the secrets from his past that tear us apart forever…

©2025 Samantha Young (P)2025 Samantha Young

Love this romantic suspense!

This is my first book by Samantha Young and I really enjoyed it. I could picture the Scottish town so vividly. Tierney is an American who moved to Leth Sholas to start all over. She was renovating a B&B and Ramsay was a grumpy contractor that was working on it. I love the suspense aspect that was in it too. Someone was out to get Tierney and Ramsay was going to anything to protect her! They had some serious chemistry and I loved them.

I enjoyed the side characters and cannot wait to read more about them!

🎧Audio:🎧
This was a dual narration by Shane East & Stella Hunter. They were amazing and did a phenomenal job at capturing both of their personalities. Shane portrayed the protective, growly Ramsay perfectly. I love everything Stella does and her Scottish accents were absolutely spot on.

Obsessed!!

This new series is already off to an AH-MAH-ZING start! I will never pass up the chance to read one of Samantha Young’s books, and this one has completely stolen my heart already.

We meet Tierney, an heiress who decides to leave her old life behind and move to a small Scottish isle to buy and renovate a B&B. While exploring her new home, she ends up stranded on an island, one that happens to belong to her contractor, Ramsay. And with all his broody, reclusive energy, it’s definitely an unforgettable first encounter. Thankfully, while Ramsay keeps his distance, his dog Akiva, who doesn’t usually take to strangers, is absolutely smitten with Tierney and keeps her company, much to Ramsay’s dismay.

Of course, since he’s working on her B&B, total avoidance isn’t really an option. So Ramsay does what any self-respecting grump would do…keeps things painfully professional. But when something goes wrong? Ramsay’s always there to save the day. The attraction between them is undeniable, but his secret past has him convinced he can only do casual. And since Tierney’s fresh off a breakup, she figures casual works just fine... until it doesn’t. Because really, he’s grumpy, broody, and Scottish. Who could resist that combo?

And as always, Samantha throws in just the right amount of suspense to keep you on edge in the best way, making it impossible to stop reading. And the side characters? So well written and real and relatable that you just know we’re in for some truly exciting stories as this series continues.

Finally, let me just say that the audiobook was perfection! Shane East and Stella Hunter are both favourites of mine. They really nailed every emotion. And let’s be honest, the accent alone deserves five stars!

Gripping

This was an entertaining romantic suspense story that ticked all the boxes for me. Well written, the narration was good and the narrators, and   were easy to listen to. From the first chapter I was hooked on the story that was told. There were equal amounts of romance and suspense which was entertaining. The characters were easy to relate to and I really liked them. The chemistry between them was intense and I found myself laughing out loud on a number of occasions with the witty banter and humour. The secondary characters were just as entertaining and I will be looking at other books in the series ASAP. The narrators certainly did justice to the characters and the wonderful story that the author created.

The whole story.

Only someone that’s experienced life with a narcissist and how they manipulate and isolate could capture it so perfectly. I cried as I related to it.

Loved Ramsay & Tierney

There's absolutely nothing like getting lost in a book from Samantha Young. She transports you right into the middle of the story. Narration of this audiobook was perfect. I can listen to Shane East for hours on end. His voice making it very easy to get caught up in the story and not want to tear yourself away. Half Light Harbor was a wonderful start to this new series and I will definitely be looking forward to more.