A Highlander Walks Into a Bar

Romantic comedy at it's best, this novel is one that you have difficulty putting down once you start reading. Isabel Buchanan has grown up in her beautiful, graceful mother's shadow and whilst intelligent and a good organiser, she has always felt klutzy and awkward by comparison. Thus, when her mother comes home from a fact-finding mission in the Highlands with a Scotsman in tow, it is a recipe for disaster. What's more, Isabel has serious doubts about the stranger's intentions towards her mother and their own estate in Highland, Georgia. The plot thickens when another Scotsman arrives in search of his “friend”. Alasdair has been sent on a retrieval mission to extract his uncle from the clutches of an American woman who may be a money digger but meets her suspicious, funny and beautiful daughter instead. Intending to keep his eyes open, Alasdair offers his help with the Highland festival being organised by Isabel and her mother. The plot is warmhearted and humorous, as Isabel and Alasdair find themselves in one awkward moment after the next. Through it all, their attraction for one another grows until further surprise visitors arrive and put the kibosh on the Blackmoors' presence in Highlands. The novel is well-written and keeps the reader's interest throughout. One alternatively laughs out loud and cringes at Isabel's missteps. I loved the main characters in this book, their warmth, and kindness, as well as the somewhat quirky ancillary characters. The book is a standalone and comes to a successful close. I received a copy of this novel as a gift from NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

I loved the emotional depth of this story! A delightful blend of Southern hospitality and rugged Highlanders, this romance gives us two love stories set in a small town that has all the charm of Stars Hollow and all the heat that is Georgia in July. Rose and her daughter Isabel continue the annual Highland festival tradition that was started by Izzy's late father and has become a staple of the local tourist economy. Prior to the current festival, Rose returns from her own Scottish holiday accompanied by an authentic Highlander, Gareth, who is keeping his own secrets. He's followed closely by his nephew, Alasdair, who is concerned with making sure his uncle isn't being conned by his new American sweetheart. Alasdair and Izzy each want to safeguard their own family's estates, so their mutual attraction takes quite a while to get past their trust issues. As the annual festival approaches, things start going really well, until they don't. I enjoyed the focus on both Izzy's and Alasdair's inner conflict of duty vs. dreams, and how that affected their plans for the future - both separately, then together. While Rose and Gareth are definitely basking in the glow of insta-love, Izzy and Alasdair are much more cautious and risk-averse, making their romance more sweetly emotional and relatable. The HEA was not a total surprise, but it was still very satisfying and leads off nicely into the next story. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

So this was Adorable – with a capital A! Izzy takes time off from her accounting business every year to help her mother run the Highland Games on their property – a legacy from her father. After college, rather than traveling or spending all of her hours writing, she stayed home to help her mother and the town – and the games are an integral part of the local economy. But picking her mum up from the airport after a ‘scouting trip’ to Scotland, she finds much more luggage than expected, and her mother brought home an ACTUAL Scot – Gareth. All six foot plus of him. If that wasn’t enough to set off alarm bells and get Izzy’s dander up, her mother is FLIRTING with him! It’s not enough that Izzy is feeling stressed and her mother is more interested in playing with Gareth than helping out with the festival, but another Scot has arrived in town and happens to be looking for Gareth. Alasdair, nephew and businessman responsible for high-end development projects has, after much badgering from his mother, gone to find Gareth and discover if this ‘new woman’ is out to marry the title and strip the ancestral lands. Of course, Gareth hasn’t shared his actual surname or relationship to the Blackmoor estates, and Alasdair is wiling to go along with the deception as he sorts out the issues. Never expecting that Izzy would be the biggest issue and draw of them all! Again – this story was adorable! From the kitschy souvenirs and decorations that make even the most loyal of Scots cringe to the southern charm of the place, everyone being involved with and knowing everyone else’s business, the struggles that Izzy and her mother have with their own property and bills, and even the minutia of putting together an event – the story just bounces from one highlight to another. With a local boy, the all-American archetype farmer who is convinced Izzy is for him, to her unimagined draw to the tall and dark Alasdair, and his to her – the story is full of laughter, challenges and heart – with plenty of caber throws to go around. A lovely start to a new series – one that promises laughter and hotness!! I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.