HOOKED IMMEDIATELY!

Wow! I was completely HOOKED IMMEDIATELY! From the very first page! Laura Trentham has a true gift for telling an amazing, entertaining story.

These pages are filled with laugh out loud fun, that leave a huge smile on your face. Totally lovable characters in a small town you have to love.

I’m really hoping there is another book in this series and it comes out very very soon! I need to be back with my people!

Absolutely an enjoyable must read!

I really enjoyed this book with beautifully written characters that blended Scotland highlanders with a quaint American town called Highland which is all things Scottish. The story starts when Isabella's mom, Rose comes back home form vacation and brings back a Highlander with her. It was a lot of fun to read about the town. This is a sweet and charming love story with well written main characters like Alasdair and Isabel and even secondary characters like Gareth and Rose. The chemistry between Alasdair and Isabel and sexy and hot. This is a great modern Highlander novel and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. I am excited to wait for the upcoming book based on the lead we read about in the epilogue of the book.

* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

I loved this book! It was so funny and entertaining. I absolutely devoured every word from beginning to end. At the beginning I kept thinking how a southern lady and a Highlander would sound having a conversation and it was exactly how i imagined. :)
“Hullo, miss, I’m desperate for an espresso. Could you oblige me, please?
”“Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit.” Her words drawled out like stretched taffy.
“Pardon?” Americans might speak a corrupted version of English, but it was still English even if her string of syllables didn’t make sense. What did butter and butts and biscuits have to do with espresso?

Isabel and Rose Buchanan are mother and daughter who live on a lovely Scottish estate in Highland, GA. Every year, they are in charge of a festival highlighting their Scottish heritage. Izzy as she is called by her friends is surprised when she picks her mom up from the airport and she is not alone. Gareth Connors in all of the Scottish glory is with her and Izzy has quite a few mixed emotions about this arrangement. To top that off, a few days later a friend of Gareth's invades their space as well, Alasdair. Izzy is very wary of these two. What are their intentions? Will she and her mother make it through the festival without any issues?

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was really excited to read this book when I first received it. I have been reading a lot of really steamy romance this summer and I was sure this one was going to be the same. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but it left me a bit confused by the language used. The book is set in the South in the US, with ties back to Scotland, but a lot of the wording made me believe that this book was written by a British author. I am also reading an Advanced Copy, so maybe some of that wording will be changed in the final copy.

All the characters in this book are ones I can see myself hanging out with. Izzy is a clumsy woman who is just trying to figure out the life she's living. Whether it brings her joy or if there is something else she can be doing to be happy. Living with her mother and taking care of their home, and being in charge of the festival are all noble deeds, but are they making her happy. When Izzy meets Alasdair, at first she isn't sure how to feel about him. Yes, he is attractive with a deep Scottish accent, but she isn't sure of his true intentions. The same is true of Gareth, although most of her feelings toward him seem to stem from not seeing her mother with anyone else besides her father.

Both of the Buchanan women need some change in their lives. Will these Scottish men be the ones to bring it to them or will they both be left heartbroken?

The book leaves you knowing there is going to be more to this story and I'm interested to find out what is going to happen next.

I always enjoy this author's books and this one takes us to Georgia where this little town is as if Scotland had a baby and it moved away and here it now resides!  

Isobel (Izzy) and Alasdair is the couple that ends up together but not without a few interesting escapades and experiences.  Izzy is a woman of multiple talents and right now works a job that she doesn't love and aspires to be an author.  Her problem is that she isn't writing the right book for her talent.  Alasdair ventures to the US to make sure his Uncle Gareth isn't being taken advantage of by a woman who happens to be Izzy's mother.  I think Gareth has it more in hand than Alasdair.

The town is full of unique characters and shops which rounded out the main characters.  The town sounds like one I wouldn't mind visiting or even living should I choose to get away from it all.

This story had quite a few spots that made me chuckle out loud and I found myself rooting for Izzy and Alasdair to realize what they have in each other and that life isn't all about a job you don't love.  There are some rough patches and distrust in the beginning, but the story moved along (somewhat slower than I would have anticipated at times) and I couldn't wait to see how it ended.  I loved the epilogue especially and it sets us up for the second book in this series.

Some of my favorite lines:

"You might want to practice in the mirror before you unleash it on the tourists."

"You're wearing underwear.  I thought Scots went commando under their kilts."

"No chastity belt. But I should warn you, it's been so long I might have re-virginized."

He unzipped her purse and pulled out one, but the rest followed like her purse was a condom clown car.

Good book! Alasdair is sent to retrieve his wayward uncle from Highland, Georgia. It seems his Uncle Gareth was smitten by an American visiting Scotland and he went to America with her. That wouldn't be so bad if he wasn't the 9th Earl of Cairndow and responsible for the estate and lands. He finds the town of Highland to be more Scottish than Scotland and proud of it. He meets Izzy the daughter of the woman who drew Gareth away. There is a cute story that unfolds in the midst of the annual Highland games held at Stonehaven. Izzy is rather nasty at first but of course, we find she's a mess who says whatever her brain thinks without a filter. Alasdair thinks it's cute and refreshing. As we start to like Izzy, Alasdair does something stupid which will come back to haunt him.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this story is a cute idea but to be honest I found myself getting a little bored. I think that is because Isabel and Alasdair didn’t have a spark for me. They were both similar because they liked to be in control of things. A lot of that had to do with upbringing or events in their childhoods. I think putting two characters together that are similar like made it hard for them to sizzle on the page.

I would definitely read another book by this author. I am intrigued by the couple for the next book A Highlander in a Pickup.

Copy provided in exchange for a voluntary review

Not gonna lie … I totally jumped on this ARC because #TitleWin lololol and what do you know, I LOVED IT!!

I was highly entertained by this story. The plot is not particularly *deep* per say but it is fun and unique in my opinion. The attraction between Alasdair and Izzy of course was instant, but it also was written as a progression from flirting to sexy, if you get what I mean.

Honestly, I found this to be a sweet and satisfying afternoon read. It’s got a bit of angst and a whole lot of heart. I’m looking forward to reading more of this series for sure. The secondary characters have already peaked my interest!

Cute and sweet with some Scottish flair. Isabel and Alasdair were cute together and still interesting apart. Their respective families added a good backdrop to their story, as did the cute little town and the Scottish festival.

You can say that Isabel is more than just a little surprised when her mother has come home with more than, some earrings, and a scarf from her trip to Scotland. Picking her up from the airport she also meets Gareth who was the groundskeeper at the castle she visited, now he was carrying their luggage. You can say that she is little more than shocked at the over six-foot man talking to her. Now on the way home, she is realizing that her mother is behaving in a way that she has never seen before. With the Highlander games coming up it seems that the next morning and many others it is Izzy now doing all of the leg work without the help of her mother who happens to be entertaining the guest. Days later Alistair Blackmoor arrives in town and is introduced as a cousin to Gareth when really he is his Nephew and he is wanting to look into these two women and make sure that they are not going after the family. He starts a search on the families’ property with the company he works for in England. When he begins to fall for Izzy and her for him he realizes his mistake about the search through the company he works for but by then it is too late. Now secrets are being reviled about who both the gentlemen are and the two women are not happy and neither is the town, see who or if either one or both can come out of this mess with either woman. A wonderful story that for me started slow but finished strong. A very good read. With good characters.

A cute, fun book by a new to me author. It was a bit slow, but I enjoyed it anyway. I loved the town.

I loved Izzy so much, she is an awesome character. I loved how both Alasdair and Izzy wanted to protect their families. This book is so well written, I enjoyed it so much. Loved the descriptions of everything, made me feel as if I were there.

If you're looking for a fun, flirty, feel-good romance set in the Georgia mountains, with a bit of Scottish flair, you'll want to add A Highlander Walks Into a Bar to your summer reading list. Laura Trentham is one of my favorite contemporary authors when it comes to quirky characters, small-town charm, family dynamics, and southern flavor, with all on display in this first book of her new Highland, Georgia series.

Izzy's family has always been in charge of planning the Highland Games that keep their small town afloat and since her father's death, it's been just Izzy and her mother at the helm. But when her mother comes home from a trip to Scotland with a kilt-wearing souvenir, Izzy's world is flipped off kilter and the festival planning that she and her mom have always shared falls squarely on shoulders. And when Alasdair arrives hot on their heels, she doesn't know what to think. Sure, he's cute and all, but why is he in Georgia? And when is he leaving? Are he and her mom's constant companion in cahoots? Just what are they after? Alasdair is there to fetch his (wealthy, Scottish Earl) uncle home before he's taken advantage of by an American fortune hunter (Izzy's mother) but once he arrives, he discovers maybe things aren't quite as he expected. Especially, as he begins to get to know the supposed fortune hunter and her daughter. And then the fun really begins.

Humor, heart, sexy times, small-town charm, happy endings, and men in kilts. Trentham pours all of the above into this story that's sure to bring laughter and light to your summer reading and have you searching out the Highland Games nearest to you. I'm already looking forward to book two!

Quiet accountant Isabel is consumed with planning the annual Scottish Festival for her tiny Georgia town. She’s swamped with work, and the last thing she needs is her besotted mother Rose arriving home from vacation with a bonafide Scottish highlander in tow. As if one Scot wasn’t enough, soon his younger, gorgeous nephew Alasdair shows up from London to make sure Rose isn’t after his Uncle’s money. But Rose has no idea that her new man is wealthy...or that he’s an Earl. Isabel just wants both inconvenient Scotsmen gone so she can plan the festival in peace.

Isabel and Alasdair don’t have the most auspicious of starts, but soon attraction sizzles between them. Unfortunately there’s more than just that between them; there’s also hurtful secrets and different lives that are literal worlds apart. There’s a lot of obstacles for them to overcome, individually and as a couple, before they can have their happily ever after.

This was a cute story, well written, and Isabel and Alasdair were likable, fleshed out characters. The setting was unique..small Georgia town with a lot of Scottish flair. It felt a tad long, and isn’t a book I was necessarily sucked in to, plus POV’s switched rather rapidly (which I hope is fixed in the published version), but I still recommend it for a light romance read.

What a fun, fun summer romance! And funny! The heroine’s near inability to filter her thoughts before they leave her mouth led to a number of laugh out loud moments.

As I’ve said previously, Laura Trentham is my go-to contemporary romance writer, and she succeeds here again. A light, fun, sunny summer romance, and I can’t wait to return to Highland, GA in book 2.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Favorite Quotes:

The formality in her voice was nothing new. When he was four and home from his first day at preschool, his mum hadn’t asked him if he’d made friends or had fun. She’d asked him whether his day had been “satisfactory.”

Being a Southerner made her especially sensitive to jokes about no one wearing shoes or everyone using an outhouse or the lack of teeth. And absolutely no one of her acquaintance had married a cousin.

He’s done well for himself even if he does trail eau de manure. But you’d never be short of barbecue or bacon, so that’s a plus.

“I assume you’re well versed at your age, but responsible sex is important. I read in the London Times that the STD infection rate is actually highest amongst the elderly.” “Elderly?” Gareth’s shoulders bowed up and reminded Alasdair of a bull shown a red cape. “I can still put you flat on your back, laddie.”

“Do you have condoms?” “Even if I did have some, they probably would have expired.” “Disintegrated is more like. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust.”

He was so quintessentially all-American he should be handing out baseballs and apple pies to foreigners as they alighted from airplanes.


My Review:

Having both Scottish and Southern roots, I derived considerable pleasure from reading Laura Trentham’s latest offering, which kicks off a new series with a lively start. I was waffling on how to rate this pleasantly amusing tale and in going through my marked highlights I had to bow to Ms. Trentham’s sly and deft deployment of wry wit and sparkling levity. The storylines were slowly entangled and laced together gradually yet were pleasantly engaging and entertaining throughout. I was frequently smirking at Izzy’s foot in mouth tendencies and physical awkwardness as well as the verbal sparring and lively banter that sparked among the various characters, their quips and rejoinders were clever and snicker-worthy. I will be eagerly awaiting the next installment and hoping for a similar “Hotty MacScottypants.”

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it.

This was a delightfully funny read. I so enjoyed my time in Highland, Georgia and look forward to more. This story was a laugh out loud joy. The tale of Gareth and Rose along with Alasdair and Isabel (Izzy). This was a two for one romance that kept me glued to my e-reader.

Izzy goes to the airport to pick her mother up after she vacationed in Scotland for a couple of weeks. Rose brought back a handsome highlander with her. Izzy is suspicious that Gareth is after Rose's money (she is land-rich with Stonehaven but money-tight). Unbeknownst to either Rose or Izzy, Gareth is the Ninth Earl of Cairndow. He wants to be known and wanted as a man not a title. His brother's widow sends her son, Alasdair, to bring Gareth home. Alasdair believes that Rose is after the title not the man.

I adored Izzy. She is not graceful like her former ballerina mother and makes no bones about it. I could totally relate to her. I felt like the author was writing about me at times as I wasn't the most graceful either. Izzy was a delightful character that I had to stop reading to control the laughter at times. She seemed so human at times. Alasdair was the handsome highlander that captures Izzy's fancy and was the perfect foil for her. He knew he made a mistake when he asked his company to investigate Stonehaven when his boss wants the property for a rich Saudi. Now he has to figure out a way out of the mess that he unfortunately caused.

The story is written in my favorite dual POV format. Getting to see the thoughts of the characters really was a joy and made reading fun with this story. The plot flowed and the dialogue was enchanting. I felt like I was watching a movie and not reading a book though. It was totally well done.

The supporting cast of characters were enchanting as well. I hope to revisit Highland, Georgia many times. I highly recommend this story especially if you love romantic comedy!

RATING: 3 STARS
2019; St. Martin's Paperbacks/St. Martin's Press

This was a cute story of a woman meeting a man in Scotland while she is on vacation, brings him home to America, and her daughter is suspicious of his intentions. A boy comes from London to America to check out his uncle's new love interest's intentions. While the woman and man flirt their butts off, the boy and girl try to uncover why these two are even together...and oh, there are big sparks between the boy and girl...so now what?

Unfortunately, I did not feel those sparks between any of them. They were cute together but I wasn't feeling the chemistry. I was reading for the sake of reading, not because I was connected with the characters or story. I am a bit picky with romances so this could just be me.

***I received an eARC from the PUBLISHER via NETGALLEY***

My Novelesque Blog

To borrow from a title of a classic movie, “some like it Scot” seems to be the theme of Laura Trentham’s “A Highlander Walks into a Bar” with two very handsome and very eligible Highlanders at center stage.

One is in his mid-twenties to early thirties; the other one in his mid-fifties to his early sixties. Between the two of them, the book has cover half of the female demographics.

A romantic comedy, “A Highlander Walks into a Bar” has been inspired by a car commercial from a few years ago where a grandson was picking up his grandmother at the airport to find out that she brought home an Italian gentleman in her proper age group.

That ad was so memorable so it’s not surprising that Laura Trentham was inspired to write a romantic novel based on it. But, she changed the scenario, of course. It was the daughter Isabel who picked up her mother Rose from the airport to find that she had brought home a Scot – Gareth Connors.

Then to make matters more interesting, enter Alasdair Blackmoor, Gareth’s nephew who was in Highland, Georgia searching for his uncle. That Izzy finds him breathtaking was beside the point. She needs to protect her mother and their home Stonehaven from these Scots who might only be there because of their highly desirable real estate.

I have always found romantic comedies a fun read. And Laura Trentham did not disappoint. Both Gareth and Alasdair are sigh-worthy romantic heroes. They had enough “naughty” to have a few blemishes, thus making them very believable. Mother and daughter Rose and Izzy also have enough kinks to make them adorable.

“A Highlander Walks into a Bar” is Rated T for Teens.

The catchy title caught my attention, along with the word highlander. What can I say? I’m a sucker for a Scottish themed romantic tale regardless of the time period it takes place. I know it might sound like an opening line to a joke, but, folks, this book mostly centers around the sizzling, instant attraction and sweet/at times humorous connection between Alasdair and Isabel, the main couple. Though they both were leery and skeptical of the circumstances that had their similar yet different worlds colliding, these two perfect for each other soulmates had me at their first “hello”. I couldn’t help but cheer them on the entire time. Their natural back and forth wit/banter solidified them as a couple long before a couple of very graphic steamy scenes sealed the deal later on in the story line. Btw, this book does not really have a bar theme to it despite the name.

There is a sweet, side subplot love story that I enjoyed as well that jump started these two destined to meet and stay together lovebirds.

Overall, I really enjoyed getting to know them and all the characters that played a role here. I thought the author did a good job of interweaving back history, baggage, and the present, which included angst, hopes, dreams, and two true loves that could not be denied.

In the last chapter, we are introduced to an out of the blue character that I suspect will be the leading man in the next book. I think it is pretty obvious who he will be butting heads with then handing over his heart. Here’s to hoping the same wit, charm, and type of love will take center stage there, as well.

Title: A Highlander Walks Into a Bar, Series: Highland, Georgia (Book 1), Author: Laura Trentham, Pages: 336, stand-alone but part of a series, Scottish born, well meaning hero, funny/sweet heroine who can be embarrassing klutzy, some steamy scenes, romance safe, OM wants to date her, no OW drama,

Book 1 - A Highlander Walks Into a Bar
Book 2 - A Highlander in a Pickup, releases 2/25/20

(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given any payment or compensation for this review, nor is there any affiliation or relationship between this reviewer and the author/publisher/NetGalley.)