Yikes. Unfortunately this book didn't do it for me like I hoped it would.

I'm a Laura Trentham fan, so I'm so disappointed that I didn't fall head over heels for this book. I just found it... not gripping enough? Dragging on too much? I can't fully put my finger on what didn't work for me, I just overall really struggled to get into this read and LOVE IT.

3 stars

A Highlander Walks into a Bar by Laura Trentham is a sweet and enjoyable romantic read.
The storyline was entertaining and I enjoyed watching Izzy (Isabel) and Alasdair fall in love.

Overall, A Highlander Walks into a Bar is a nice start to the Highland, Georgia Series and I'm looking forward to reading the next book, A Highlander in a Pickup.

*A big thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the advance copy.*

Laura Trentham is one of my favorite authors if small-town romance. A Highlander Walks into a Bar is a fun, charming and sexy addition to her unique brand of southern romance with quirky characters and plenty of hi-jinx. Highland Georgia won't be the same after the Blackmoor men join their games. The Buchanan women, Rose her daughter Isabel or "Izzy", our main character, have been planning the Highland games for years, and it seems this year, her mother brought home from her vacation in Scotland an expert, Gareth. But Gareth is really only there out of newfound love for Rose. It's his nephew Alasdair, hot on his the heels of his uncle, who comes in and decides to settle for a time, at least as long and his uncle is there.

There are some great family dynamics that play out in this story; between both mother and daughter and uncle and nephew. I love how protective Izzy is of Rose, but Rose has pretty strong instincts that guide her. Rose has a lot of faith in her daughter and that in itself is heartwarming. Gareth and Alasdair have a decade of lost time between them, but the Buchanan women do a fine job bringing them back together.

While there is chemistry all around, it's Izzys' and Alasdair's that's at the center. While he isn't forthright as to why he's there, he and Izzy build camaraderie and a friendship soon follows. But there is so much more to it, and soon they banter their way towards the bedroom. of course, secret will be exposed and their connection will be challenged, but he is Laird of the games after all, and winners never quit.

I highly recommend this delightful romance read ! 4 Stars.

I love a sexy highlander and a funny romantic story. A Highlander Walks into a Bar by Laura Trentham delivered on all fronts! Fun story and characters I could relate to. I recommend for a fun read. I received an ARC for my fair and honest review.

Yikes.

I could barely finish this book. Which pains me to report because I consider myself a Laura Trentham fan. I was charmed by her Cottombloom series, and loved the moving and heartfelt story of The Military Wife. But it took me a month - A MONTH! - to make myself finish this book. And I did have to MAKE myself. If A Highlander Walks into a Bar had been written by any other author, I would have quit before even getting a quarter of the way through.

This book started out funny. Isabel picks her mother up from the airport, only to discover she’s returned from a trip to Scotland with a real, live souvenir...an actual Scottish man. Not only is Isabel suspicious of Gareth and his intentions, but she and Rose are right in the thick of preparations for their town’s own version of Highland Scottish games. Neither need the distraction of a guest just now. When Gareth’s “friend” Alasdair shows up a couple days later to check in on his “friend”, it’s just another distraction - and more to be suspicious about - for Izzy.

Whereas Ms. Trentham did a great job of creating a fictional town with its own personality in the Cottombloom series, Highland, Georgia didn’t work for me. I couldn’t get invested in any of the characters, or any of the goings-on of the town, the townspeople, or the festival events. I can’t put my finger on why. The fact that it was predictable and I could see the conflicts coming from a mile away, isn’t it. The fact that I’m not a fan of either the enemies-to-lovers OR relationship-with-an-end date tropes (both of which were touched on here), isn’t it. And it’s bugging me because I am completely unable to explain why this book didn’t work for me, at all.

The odd thing is that Ms. Trentham is a skilled writer. Her style is often poetic and flowery, but never gets wordy in a bad way. So many times while reading this book I thought I love the words she used in that sentence and loved the way she described things.

And yet, it wasn’t enough.

I was determined to finish this book because my fervent hope was that the ending would be good. Instead, it was not to be. I should have remembered something this author does frequently that I’m not a fan of… Normally an epilogue is used for showing the reader what is happening to the characters sometime after the end of the story. And while we get a smidgen of that, instead the epilogue is about a whole new character that wasn’t even in THIS book, and is used to set up the next book in the series. Now I find myself in a position that makes me oh so sad. For the first time, I’ve finished a Laura Trentham book and have no interest in reading the next one in the series. None at all.

Will I read more by Ms. Trentham? Absolutely. But I don’t think this Highland, Georgia series is for me.

* thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

A HIGHLANDER WALKS INTO A BAR is the first book in Laura Trentham’s “Highlands, Georgia” contemporary romance series. Alasdair Blackmoor is heir to a title and an estate in Scotland. Isabel “Izzy” Buchanan is an accountant in Highlands, Georgia. Their worlds collide when Izzy’s mom brings home Alasdair’s uncle Gareth home to Highland for a visit. The whirlwind romance takes some of their loved ones by surprise and sending Alasdair to Georgia to investigate. What I like about this story initially, is that Laura Trentham doesn’t do the expected thing. Typically, in stories like this, Alasdair would be overly suspicious and be a general jerk to everyone in order to bring his uncle home. That’s not the case here. Just like how Izzy cares about her mom, Alasdair is mainly focused on finding out if his uncle is genuinely happy and if the object of his affection genuinely returns his feelings. Unfortunately for the Blackmoor men, they stumble into an ethical dilemma while unexpectedly finding love.

Laura Trentham tells this story from alternating perspectives and makes these two main characters equally charming and sympathetic. Although Alasdair is hiding his true connection to Gareth and their position in society, he and Izzy reveal more to each other than they have to anyone else. In some ways, Alasdair and Izzy have been leading parallel lives. They have more in common than they originally thought. Both lost fathers around age eighteen. Both understand responsibility and have a strong connection to family estates – Alasdair to Cairndow Castle in Scotland and Izzy to her family home Stonehaven in her small town of Highlands, Georgia. Both also have a growing dissatisfaction with their current jobs and situation in life. Alasdair is growing tired of the cutthroat business world he’s in, and Izzy longs to devote enough time to being an author. They can be vulnerable with each other in a way they aren’t usually with others. You know that it’s just a matter of time before Izzy and her mom find out the truth about the new men in their lives, but until then, the uncertain courtship between Izzy and Alasdair is sublime and fun to read about. The “getting to know you” phase of this romance is delightful and has the right mix of sexy and sweet scenes. The supporting characters add depth to the story and the resolution is extremely satisfying.

A HIGHLANDER WALKS INTO A BAR is a romantic journey for readers full of highlander hotties and plenty of heart. The characters in A HIGHLANDER WALKS INTO A BAR are realistically flawed yet easy to root for. I can’t wait to read Iain’s book next!

Isabelle (Izzy) welcomes her mother back to Highland, Georgia after returning from a trip to Scotland. Her mother surprises her by bringing a true "Highlander" with her who is a very wealthy Earl. His disappearance from Scotland comes as a shock to his family and the Earl's nephew is sent to find him and bring him back home. So we have two Highlanders and two beautiful women and of course the sparks begin to fly. I am an avid fan of Laura Trentham books and I really hope that this series can captivate the emotion and sincere, engaging characters that Ms. Trentham is so popular for in her Cottonwood series.

Izzy is all bent out of shape…her mother has just returned from Scotland with a handsome gentleman in tow! This further complicates matters when her mother is “too busy” with her Scotsman to help with the annual festival. Then along comes Alasdair, another a HOT Highlander! He enjoys teaching Izzy a thing or two!
I just love Alasdair. I can just hear his Scottish brogue in my mind. Oooolala! And Izzy, she is a hot mess. These two really have it going on. They have some cute, flirty moments that will have you laughing out loud. Plus, Alasdair has kept somethings from Izzy. This just adds to the apprehension of their relationship.
This is a charming, cute, funny adorable story! The characters are charismatic and entertaining.
Great for a beach read…or heck…an anytime read!
I received this novel from St. Martin’s Press for a honest review.

This is the first novel in a romance series set in the fictional Highland, Georgia. Highland, GA is a town that is famous for it's annual Highland Games which are a Scottish tradition of feats of strength. American Highland games also feature Gaelic and Celtic food, dance and singing along with arts and crafts and other vendors. In this story, the main character Isabel Izzy Buchanan is whimsical wannabe writer who has let the caretaking of her ancestral land Stonehaven, along with running the Highland games turn her serious and give up her writing pursuits for accounting. When her widowed mother comes back from Scotland with a living breathing Highlander as a souvenir, she finds her carefully laid plans disrupted. The Scot's nephew soon follows and it seems the town is to be invaded by the whole of the Scottish Dragoons (not a bad assumption if you read the synopsis of the second book to come in this series). However this is a romance novel, so of course the newcomers are welcome and attractive and have some secrets which will be revealed and resolved by the end of the book.

I received this book as a free review copy in exchange for an honest review. Thanks NetGalley! I don't read romance novels as a general rule. However I was a fan of Outlander and I am from Georgia and live near where they hold the actual Highland games here in Stone Mountain. There are a much bigger Highland Games held in North Carolina, which is what I assume the author is sort of basing hers off of. I thought I would enjoy the mix of Southern and Scottish, and to tell the truth I did.

I have never read any of Trentham's books before. However her plots are not typical romance plots. She definitely employs many of the same tropes, but I can tell she works hard to make her characters real and her situations plausible. It was a light fun read and there wasn't too much you wanted to slap yourself for. She has done research so that the story isn't that interchangeable from the next typical romance, as can sometimes happen. The only thing I found very annoying was some of the stereotypical Southern sayings she drops here and there. These are so stereotypical and you don't find them that much spoken anymore. For sure there are some people who speak like that but you won't find a whole town full. Also she described the Georgia accent as honeyed and genteel, those usually go to the Virginian accent. Living in Georgia and traveling around, there aren't many people left who speak with strong accents. I was surprised to learn that Trentham actually grew up in the South. But I won't apply to have her Southern card revoked just yet. I'll chalk it up to her wanting to write clash of culture type scenes with Scotsman doing double takes of the line "well butter my butt and call me a biscuit."

As a romance goes, I guess romance readers rate it on how steamy it is? This has one major love scene which you could skip over if it's not your thing. The rest is just kisses. That works for me, but for the serious romance reader looking for heat, maybe not your thing. This is a cozy novel. It follows the typical Hallmark movie schematic. Town of characters, all friendly, stranger comes, the big city types learn their lessons about what is truly valuable, everyone wins in the end. But Trentham is a smart writer. She takes the hackneyed fare and makes a bit smarter, funnier - not enough to bring it to Pulitzer level, but enough that if you were drawn to this book because you like Scotland and live in Georgia, you'll actually be engaged enough to finish it.

This is an enjoyable start to a new series. This is a modern town in Georgia that has a Scottish festival every year which sounds like a good time. It was fun to see what all goes in to setting up a festival like this. I enjoyed the characters and how they fell in love. I received a copy of this book from zest. Martin’s Publicity for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I have to say it won’t be the last, I loved this funny entertaining hot read and I will be looking at other works by this very talented author.
This is book 1 in the new Highland, Georgia Series and what a great start to the series.
Izzy can’t believe that the souvenir her mum has brought back from her vacation in Scotland is a hot Scottish man named Gareth Connors after all souvenirs are meant to be nik naks not a swoon worthy older man who has also happens to have a sexy nephew Alasdair Blackmoor who suddenly shows up on their doorstep. Gareth is actually an Earl and Alasdair is convinced Izzy and her mum are after the family fortune what he doesn’t realise is they have no idea he is an Earl or comes from money....
A sassy heroine and a hero with trust issues lead to a complicated start to their friendship but as they get to know each other feelings start to develop and they quickly decide a friends with benefits maybe perfect after all Alasdair isn’t staying he has a home in London as well as a yearning for Scotland. Will the woman of his dreams be enough to make him stay !!!!!
Fun, games and secrets all make this an interesting entertaining read, I giggled, I laughed and I was left smiling like a Cheshire Cat as I got to know this couple and I’m looking forward to the next book in what looks like a very entertaining series.

Entertaining and unexpectedly charming. Full of laughs and the perfect amount of steam. I look forward to read more by this author.

A Highlander Walks into a Bar is a well written, great story. I really enjoyed this book. This was my first book by Laura Trentham, but I will definitely be checking out more.

When Rose Buchanan told her daughter, Isabel that she had "brought home a surprise" from her vacation, Isabel was in for a shock.

"Lord have mercy, her mother had brought back a six-foot, two-hundred-pound-plus souvenir from Scotland"

So begins Laura Trentham's delightfully charming A Highlander Walks Into a Bar.

Rose's "souvenir" is Gareth "Connors", who is actually Gareth Blackmoor and a bonafide Earl. He told Rose he was the caretaker of his estate, as he was burned by women only interested in his title and enjoys that Rose sees the man and not the title.

Enter Alasdair Blackmoor, a London investment analyst who is Gareth's nephew and heir. He has come to Highland after his mother asked him to go after Gareth and rescue him from the "American tart." After he arrives in Highland and meets Isabel, attraction sparks between them too!

Trentham's writing is very entertaining and enjoyable. She skillfully builds the romance between the two couples, steering them to a HEA. You will also love all the characters of Highland, Georgia. I heartily recommend it!

Yes, the title sounds like the beginning to a bad joke. And, if you don't pick up this Romantic Comedy and read it, the jokes on you.
I adored this story. It had everything that you could possibly want in a story. A little love, a little romance, a little mystery and a lot of laughs. You couldn't help but laugh at Izzy and her mouth. Yep, she just lets things out … sometimes at the most inopportune times. You couldn't help but laugh at Alasdair as he became acclimated to Highland, GA. You were definitely guessing as to what would happen when the truth about both Alasdair and Gareth. And, romance … well, it was a somewhat unorthodox but it was there.
I loved all the antics leading up to the Highland games and how everything finally came together for Isabel and Alasdair until the truth comes out. Then the real fun begins. Alasdair was wonderful and, with some help from his new-found friends, found a way to get Izzy to forgive him for his actions.
All the characters in this story were wonderful. Besides Alasdair and Isabel, Gareth and Rosie were just the cutest. Holt was a true southern bean farmer or eggplant farmer or whatever farmer Alisdair called him. I wasn't sure how to take Fiona until the end when she truly came through for both Alasdair and Gareth. Anna, Dr. Jameson and the rest of the people of Highland were open, honest and true to a fault.
But, what I loved most about this story was how Laura Trentham built her characters, let us see all of their flaws and brought us through their total transformation to who they were in the end. How she has Alasdair questioning his choices in life. How she brought Izzy through accepting her mother moving on after her father's passing. And, the epilogue was just wonderful. I wonder who Iain is going to fall in love with.
What a wonderful and comical story A Highlander Walks into a Bar was. Laura Trentham brought us interesting characters, a story about love and trust and a wonderful and interesting HEA.

Having read several books from Laura Trentham and after reading the blurb I was excited to read this book. Especially as I had just gotten back from Scotland myself and would have like to have brought back a Highlander as a souvenir as the characters did in this novel! However, I have to say that at times I felt as if the story was dragging even though I really thought there was plenty of potential. I think it's because I didn't entirely like Isabel although she could be very funny at times. Overall, I just found it difficult to really get into the story and found myself skimming through sections of the book.

A Highlander Walked Into a Bar by Laura Trentham does not actually involve highlanders walking into bars, but it does involve highland games and lots of references to Scotland. The mother falls in love with rakish older man storyline was fun, but it was Izzy and Alasdair who stole the show. I can’t wait for future visits to Highland.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novel.

First, have to admit I hesitated reading this book, “A Highlander Walks into a Bar”, due to its title. So, if that is your initial reaction, then I want to say—read it! You will be glad you did. This book had a great storyline, with strong lead characters (I like that you get both perspectives) and you genuinely find yourself rooting for both younger and older couples to find a future together. The lead lady, Isabel "Izzy" Buchanan, is in deed sassy and funny, and you will love all her crazy thoughts and those slips of her tongue. This is a romance that both Izzy and Alasdair are struggling to avoid, since they live in different parts of the world, but sometimes in life we just have to follow our hearts and that is a life lesson for many of us. I was glad that when the book ends the author has left open the door for the next book in this series. I will be one of those readers! (I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.)

When I got the email for this blog tour, I initially had no interest. The title sounded goofy but then I read what it was about and decided not to judge a book by its title and I’m so glad I didn’t. I felt in love with Laura Trentham after reading her book The Military Wife. I think Highlander actually topped that book.

There is just so much humor in this book that I caught myself laughing out loud several times. Izzy is such a relatable character with her awkwardness and lack of grace and her aggressive, overprotection of her mother. The mixture of culture between Southern Charm and Scottish sirehood added an authentic flavor that I wanted to last forever and ever.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 (5 out of 5) I really look forward to being an on going fan of Laura Trentham’s. My favorite character in this book was actually one of the supporing characters, good ol’ southern boy Holt. I hope and pray that he gets a story in the series for his HEA because he totally stole my heart.

This book was a fun read. The premise of the protective highland nephew meets Georgia was what made me pick this book up! Plus, you get not one, but two couples with strapping highlanders in this story. What more could you want? Izzy spoke her mind freely, which made her my kind of character, and led to some great laughs. And what better way to get ready for the Highland Games in your own town than by being trained by a highlander named Alasdair Blackmoor?