1.5 stars: This book was not for me! I found the writing stilted and overwritten, and the pace was non-existent. It was full of clichés: there was a clumsy but strong female lead who just needed the right man; the "right man" who is British with a stiff upper lip but a soft inside; and NO communication between the two. While I know that tropes/formulas are part of the deal (and charm) of romance books, this had nothing original about it.

This book caught my attention on Netgalley, because of the funny title. It sounds a little like the start of a joke. And actually, the start of the story really is almost like a joke: when Isabel Buchanan is picking up her mother from her trip to Scotland, Rose tells Izzy she has brought a surprise. Well, Izzy certainly hadn't imagined this surprise would be a six foot tall highlander named Gareth. After taking Gareth back to their home, Izzy is suspicious about the man, because she is afraid he will be after her money and estate.
Back in town she bumps into yet another Highlander, named Alasdair, who claims to be a friend of Gareth. Well, isn't that strange. What Izzy doesn't know, is that Alasdair is Gareth's nephew, send to America to check out the mysterious woman who has whisked his uncle to the United States. She probably is after Gareth's title and wealth. So, both Alasdair and Izzy are suspicious of one another and this results in some hilarious situations and conversations. Meanwhile Izzy and Rose are working very hard to prepare for the yearly Highlander Festival, which takes place on their grounds and is a major touristic attraction for the whole village. Determined to find out what Rose and Izzy are up to, Alasdair decides to stick around and help them with the festival. A wonderful and funny read. Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book which kept me well entertained. A lovely ending to a story of twists and turns. I’m not sure exactly what I expected from the title, but that added to the interest. Well worth reading.

Izzy and Alasdair were a great match, the relationship was the central point in this novel and I did not scan a single page because there were a couple of subplots that would affect everything and while I was enjoying the story it made for a constant bit of stress in the background to keep the reader worried that everything was going to fall apart but the small town relationships made this first novel in the series great.

The fact that we are going to see many of the people we have met again in additions to this series makes the story even more entertaining since you get to guessing who will end up with who and from the hints for the next book it looks like my guesses were wrong LOL

4 Stars and almost 5

When I first heard of A Highlander Walks into a Bar, I was totally intrigued by the story-line. It sounded like it was going to be a really cute read, so I couldn’t wait to dive in.

A Highlander Walks into a Bar starts off really promising. The dynamic between Izzy and her mother certainly was interesting. I didn’t know if I wanted to laugh or cringe at times. But, those two certainly kept things interesting! Then we meet Alasdair. Alasdair travels to Georgia to try to talk some sense into his uncle and bring him home. Alasdair only plans to stay for a short time, but can’t help but be captivated by Izzy….

Overall, I thought this book was an ok read. I think it had a lot of potential and is one of those books that is definitely going to be hit or miss for readers. Like I previously stated, this book did have a promising start. I was intrigued by the characters and was looking forward to diving deeper into their story. I enjoyed how cute the fictional town of Highland, Georgia was. I liked all of the Scottish touches. I was really looking forward to seeing Izzy and Alasdair get to know one another more. And there were some nice steamy moments and surprises along the way.

However, I did have some issues with this book. The biggest and most important one I will be touching on today is the pacing. And for me, the pacing can either make or break the story. And when it comes to this one, the pacing just killed me. I can deal with a slow pace as long as the story is moving along and the plot is engaging. Sadly, that did not happen here. The pacing was far too slow for my liking and I found myself getting very distracted. At times, I even found myself skimming sections, just to move things along. And that is something I just don’t like to do.

My final thoughts on this book is that it was just an ok read. It had its moments where I thought things would turn around for me, but it never stayed consistent. As far as rating goes, this is a tough one. For now, I think I’m going to round up to 3 stars, because I do feel that the potential is there, it just needs more fleshing out. This is my first book by this author and while it wasn’t a total hit for me, I’m still glad that I checked out this book and gave it a chance.

A Highlander Walks into a Bar by Laura Trentham is a fun, romantic, easy to read contemporary tale.
This unique contemporary story meshes a titled Scottish highlander with an American town, Highland GA. The tale opens with Isabel Buchanan picking her mother, Rose, up from Atlanta International Airport. Surprise, surprise Rose has brought home a man from Scotland (using another's name, Gareth Connors, not his own). The interaction of Rose and Gareth is entertaining and TMI for Isabel. Highland GA holds a festival each year copying the real highland games of Scotland. Now add into the mix Gareth's nephew, Alasdair, who has been sent by his mother to find out what is going on in Highland GA. Once again there's subterfuge with just how Alasdair is related to Gareth. Isabel is now trying to set up the highland games to be run, with not much help from her besotted mother. But Isabel does get some help from Alasdair. There's a lot of information with just what goes on at a highland games. Romance abounds with Alasdair falling in love with Isabel. There's lots of action and the story does come to a HEA and the revelation of just who Gareth and Alasdair really are.

This is a charming, heartwarming story filled with colorful characters. Alasdair and Isabel come from two different countries and backgrounds but the simmering attraction can’t keep them apart. They both care about their families and their main goal is to protect them. However, it is difficult for them to ignore their growing feelings for each other.

Alasdair and Isabel are brought together because they are worried about their families. At first they are distrustful, but as they open their hearts, they learn to trust each other. Alasdair is a Scotsman with a great accent and is hard to resist. I enjoyed this fun summer read by Laura Trentham.

Cute. It's got a silly but fun story, though I feel like most of the conflict was totally avoidable.

Hang on to your kilt-loving hearts! Laura Trentham’s A HIGHLANDER WALKS INTO A BAR has everything from kilts to modern day Scottish lairds to a sweet and sassy Southern Belle as love may have just crossed the pond, landing in Georgia, twice.

When you travel, don’t you bring home souvenirs? Isabel Buchanan’s mother brought home her own brawny highlander and things are looking pretty cozy for them! When his nephew shows up, in search of his uncle, no one expected to possibly find love in the air again!

Alasdair is smooth, confident and handsome, Isabel has a fiery temper, a ton of sass and a mind of her own. Still, this mysterious highlander has her heart in knots until a very big secret is revealed!

Fun reading! Fast reading! Funny reading! And oh, the romance…almost as hot as a man in a kilt!

I received this ARC copy of A Highlander Walks into a Bar from St. Martin's Press. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Series: Highland, Georgia - Book 1
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (July 30, 2019)
Publication Date: July 30, 2019
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Comedy
Print Length: 311 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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Snoozed my way out of this one. Not sure I should call it a read...maybe a skim?!? Should have a category for that on Goodreads. Read, but kinda not?! BORING! I think that sums this up. If the liars in the story would have just told the truth and stopped lamenting they were lying and how they hated being lied to...........oh sorry fell asleep there again.

Could have been a great book liked the premise of it, execution not so much.

Received a copy from the publisher for an honest review.

Isabel lives in Highland, Georgia with her widowed mom, Rose; together they host a magnificent Scottish heritage festival that brings vendors, tourists, and more to their little town. After a trip abroad, though, Rose brings a beau to Highland: Gareth. Initially wary of Gareth, Isabel comes to realize that the affection and care her mom and Gareth share is sincere. As is the passion and burgeoning relationship between Isabel and Alasdair, Gareth’s (secret) nephew who was sent to Highland to bring Gareth home. Can these relationships survive secrets, familial responsibilities, AND the Atlantic Ocean?

A Highlander Walks into a Bar is a fun read, especially as I am coming down from an Outlander binge/high. Izzy is a bold, sure-footed protagonist who has just enough vulnerabilities to give her verisimilitude but not to be annoying. The “surprise” ending is predictable for anyone who deals with problem-solving, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t an enjoyable read. And the epilogue nicely sets up the relationship for the second installment.

Nit-picky: The title isn’t the best. It is trying too hard to be pithy, and it isn’t even accurate since Alasdair and Izzy meet in a coffee shop/ice cream duo.

I loved the whole concept, the story, and the Highland Games. Great reading thru most of it. Started out strong with dashes of humor. Izzy's Mom saying she brought home a surprise, a 6' brawny Silver Scot certainly qualifies as one h*ll of a surprise, lol!
I did get bogged down a bit as Izzy replayed her own thoughts and history, or going thru what ifs, she had a very active mind. I like a faster pace, which most of the story was. Her unfiltered mouth was a highlight which made me laugh or champion for the truth. When her and Alasdair met neither trusting the other, they each had a lot to figure out, but annoyingly they were very attracted to each other and sparks never lie. I truly enjoyed their cohesion, good stuff, no matter the scenario, humor always lurking.
The truth no matter what, is something I applaud in a read, so I was disappointed with both Alasdair and his Uncle Gareth for not trusting these women sooner, but then Alasdair in a kilt competing in the Highland games as if his life depended on it, was pretty freakin awesome, just to get back in Izzy's good graces.
All finally worked out fantastically and this was somewhat a double romance with HEAs.
I received an advance reader's copy thru Netgalley and am giving my honest opinions voluntarily

This was such a sweet, romantic, and humorous story. Izzy just said everything that came to mind and what she said was always funny and kept Alistair on his toes the whole time. He did need his world shaken up, and she was perfect for that job. I loved their chemistry and interactions. They had plenty of passion and sweet moments and the emotional tension at the end when his secrets came out added to the reader’s ability to connect with Izzy. She was fierce!  The story was great, entertaining, and a jewel among contemporary romances. But that is what I expect from Laura Trentham, and I wasn’t disappointed.

This was a super cute book, with a clash of the accents. You have the Scottish brogue of Alasdair who has come to Georgia to find out if his Uncle is being swindled. He doesn't expect to find his so happy, and falling in love, yet she isn't aware of his title and is asked to keep the secret.

Izzy is the daughter to the woman who has his Uncle smitten. She is also trying to out together the Highland games, a tradition that she has run to build up the town and keep her estate going. Alasdair and Izzy start out hating each other but as they get thrown together find out they have serious chemistry.

Review: ‘A Highlander walks into a bar’ by Laura Trentham. Special thanks to @netgalley @stmartinspress @lauratrentham for the advanced reader e-copy in return for an honest review.
Fun rom-com set in GA (my birth state, whoop) centering around Izzy, Alasdair a Scot (who I imagine as a younger Richard Madden), Izzy’s mom, Gareth, and a big Scotland inspired home and festival.
I enjoyed the characters and setting, and there are some swoon-worthy scenes. Kilt, tee, bar. (Again, I see only Richard Madden)...

Aspects were predictable in a good way. Not too heavy or emotional, a perfect light-hearted read with a steamy scene or two. Perfect for the beach, pool, or summer reading.

4.5 stars - This is a fun read with interesting & likable characters. Izzy was a hoot and Alasdair is everything you'd want in a leading man. I will definitely read the next book in this series.

I think I shot myself in the foot a bit with this read because I had self-hyped it such a lot. I loved the title, I loved the synopsis and the cover is pretty cute too. However, for me, this was just a cute, okay read; it didn’t blow me away like I wanted. That said, I want to tell you what worked and some of things that didn’t.

Firstly, it’s important to understand going into this that it is set in the US not in Scotland, if you’ve read the synopsis, you’ll know this. It is a story of two couples coming together in a mirrored way. Rosie and Izzy (mother and daughter) run an estate that is a piece of Scotland in Georgia, US. Izzy’s mother returns from a Scottish trip with a highlander as a ‘souvenir’. Soon enough, his nephew Alasdair comes to investigate who has captured his uncle’s interest and what her intentions are. From this, Izzy and Alasdair find themselves thrown together for practical reasons.

I found Rosie and Gareth’s story incredibly cute, even though their story was very much in the background. The secrets and lies were less appealing and made for something of a predictable plot point. I found Izzy to be a character that was rather difficult to get to know and this was a barrier to liking her overall. Alasdair was infinitely more likeable. The chemistry between Izzy and Alasdair made for the best part of the book.

My main issue with this story was pacing and the slow sense of the story moving along. I can’t quite put my finger on why I felt a difficulty pushing through but it was pretty consistent. I’ve read and loved Laura Trentham’s books before, so I know this isn’t her normal style of pacing.

The story wrapped up in an amusing and sweet way, also laying the foundations for book two. I am undecided whether I will continue with this series.

Thank you to netgalley and St Martins Press for the review copy.

This book is among my favorites this summer! I do love all things Scottish, so this book had a lot going for it for me with just the cover and title! This story is a blend of the Highlands and southern hospitality. Highland, Georgia is a small town that embraces it’s Scottish heritage and brings in tourists because of it. Rose and her daughter Isabel (Izzy) have been keeping a large estate going by continuing the tradition of the annual Highland festival. The annual festival is a lot of work and Rose decides to take a vacation before the mad dash to the end. When Izzy picks her mother up at the airport, she is not expecting her mom to have brought home a Highlander. They claim it was love at first sight, but Izzy and Gareth’s nephew, Alasdair are not quite as trusting of the whole arrangement.

It becomes pretty apparent to the reader that Gareth and Alasdair are keeping secrets. But so do Rose and Izzy. Neither party wants the other party to take advantage of their family. Isabel thinks Gareth might be interested in the estate and Alasdair thinks Rose might be interest in what Gareth left behind in Scotland. Alasdair decides to help Izzy with the final plans for the Highland Games and they notice the sparks between. In fact, they are quite hard to ignore. Alasdair is a hot Scotsman who looks good in his regular work clothes, but even better in a kilt!

There was so much fun and humor in this story. Lots of laugh out loud moments and lots of really sweet moments. Izzy has her fair share of awkward moments and as a reader you will feel embarrassed right alongside of her. Fortunately, Alasdair thinks her personality and quirkiness are endearing and he enjoys spending time with Izzy. There is a little bit of a mystery going on as Alasdair inadvertently sets off a chain of events that will make Izzy and Rose very mad at him. But part of the fun is watching Alasdair work towards making changes in his life that will bring him closer to his family and find a woman that he genuinely cares for. Izzy and Alasdair bring out the best in each other and their personalities balance each other out. I like the secondary romance between Rose and Gareth and some characters are introduced that will be part of the next book. Imagining Alasdair’s accent and good looks make this for a swoon worthy read. He could very well be your next book boyfriend. The author does a nice job ending the first story, but setting up readers for book two.

This book was very interesting! I love that Isabel and Alasdair come from 2 different world (as in different countries) and caught each other’s eyes. They both were trying to keep an eye on someone they love, but ended up having feelings for each other.

Alasdair comes from a family with titles and priorities. He’s always done what was told of him and doing what would make his mother and his family happy. He was content with his job and his life. He was in line for a promotion at work and the next in line after his uncle to be Earl. And that is why his mother sent him to the state, to check up on his Uncle and make sure no one was after that title and using his Uncle, but what he found change his life completely. He realized he wasn’t happy with his job, he didn’t want to live the life he had and he felt homesick for his Scottish roots that he has ignored for many years. Alasdair was not expecting to meet Isabel and realize she means more to him than anything else and would give up everything for her and to make her happy.

Isabel was in the same boat as Alasdair without the titles. She has family responsibilities she could not escape, even though her dream was to write and travel. And when her mom brought home a man from Scotland, she thought he was after what they had. She would do anything to make sure her mom wasn’t taken advantage of, but what she wasn’t expecting was Alasdair to follow behind. Now with 2 men here she was on high alert about being scammed.

Can they both move past whats expected of them and their problems to be together? Can they confront what they really want? Can their worlds become one? Can they trust each other enough to open their hearts to what they know can be an amazing thing?

I love how in this book you got both perspectives. It would go back and forth, so you knew what each thought about a certain event or their feeling of each other at that point in time. Can wait for the next book!

Received this ARC for my honest review.

I am having a love for highlander as well as period books right now making this a refreshing mix of the two genres. I gained a little history as well as a little modern day romance.
This is a delightful summer read. The characters were believable and the build-up was just enough to keep it interesting. As mom is falling in love with her vacation souvenir, her daughter is trying to stay immune to his nephew. I enjoyed the slow introduction to the small town of friends and the funny moments in between. The community reminded me a lot of a Nora Roberts type book. Anytime a book can make me laugh out loud is a good day. I look forward to the second book in this series. Trentham is a new author for me but I truly enjoy this read.