Best-selling American author Sophie Brown travels to Scotland to escape the backlash from her last book, as fans were upset she killed off the male lead as she recently divorced.

Shown the nearby castle, Dun Dunbar, where her grandfather had worked as a groundskeeper by a man she'd first seen in the village, he abruptly turns her out when Sophie explores a section of the house he'd warned was private.

Myles approaches Sophie at the pub and proposes a deal: 90 day escrow, non-refundable deposit and they both live there simultaneously for the three months.

Sophie is given a new tour of the castle, focusing on its problems: no electricity in some rooms, old wiring, leaky roof, half of the fireplaces are inoperable, no heat upstairs, iffy plumbing, wifi and cell service intermittent and Myles gives her a room that's falling to pieces.

Sophie shows him a door jamb with her last name carved into it, which her father had done as a child when trespassing, resulting in her grandfather getting sacked and their moving to the US.

They tell Sophie that, as their landlord, Myles is working to pay off the farmland debt so they all will be able to continue living in their homes, although he would still be homeless.

The next day, Sophie helps Thomas lead a tour through the house as she is recognized, still has writer's block and just spoke with her impatient editor Claire.

[3][4] Dalmeny House, a Gothic Revival mansion to the north-west of Edinburgh, was used as the location for the film's Dun Dunbar Castle.

[8] The music in the film features the song "Celtic Heart" by Glasgow band Starsky & the Fox.

[11] Writing for Variety, Courtney Howard called the film "gently disarming, heartening, holiday-themed escapism" and that it kept "genre-patented shenanigans and hijinks to a bare minimum, which is both a blessing and a curse.

"[12] Writing for The Guardian, Jenny Colgan said there was "no jeopardy in this film at all: it is absolutely perfect for low-maintenance Christmas viewing" and that it was "lovely to see two great-looking actors who aren’t in the full flush of youth falling for one another.