IT HAPPENED IN SCOTLAND – Patience Griffin

A Kilts and Quilts Novel

Gandiegow, Scotland

Rachel Granger is back in Gandiegow, this time with her young daughter, Hannah. Hannah’s late father’s grandfather, Abraham, is not well, and Rachel wants her to meet him and to have a “normal” Christmas. Since separating from Hannah’s father, Joe, and then his tragic death in a car accident, Rachel and Hannah have been living in the hotel that Rachel manages. It’s hardly the home she wishes for her daughter, but it’s been their way of life. Ironically, on the flight from Chicago to Glasgow, her seatmate is Cait Buchanan, a resident of Gandiegow. The only person Rachel is worried about seeing again is Joe’s cousin, Brodie – the man she really loved, and the one she rejected the day of her wedding to Joe because her mother insisted Brodie was not good enough. Rachel still loves him, but knows that he will never forgive her.

Brodie Wallace is stunned when Rachel and her daughter arrive in Gandiegow. He, too, has recently returned to his hometown to work the family’s fishing boat, as well as to watch over his grandfather. Now his heart must fight the hurt Rachel inflicted on him six years ago, and he must be strong for his grandfather’s sake.

What Rachel doesn’t plan on is Deydie, the village matriarch, and one person no one wants to cross or challenge. She immediately seizes control of Rachel’s visit when she sees the Christmas tree quilt that Rachel made. Before Rachel knows it, she’s been ordered to give classes at Quilting Central and Deydie will not take no for an answer. Rachel also agrees to stay at Abraham’s house, which means daily encounters with Brodie, whose cold reception is being swayed by Hannah.

The Kilts and Quilts series continues with this sweet story of two people who have hurt each other, but who cannot forget the feelings they shared. Rachel’s unhappy marriage to Joe comes to a head shortly after their daughter’s birth, and while she feels some sadness about his death, she knew that his lifestyle was never going to coincide with hers or Hannah’s. Brodie suffers the pain of knowing that Rachel truly loved him, but chose Joe. And he wonders if she still loves him?

IT HAPPENED IN SCOTLAND is an enjoyable, poignant read. Returning to the unique little village is always a treat. Characters from previous novels return and readers will catch up with their lives.

Patience Griffin continues her series about love in a small Scottish town with her sixth book, It Happened in Scotland. Fans of the series love the quirky characters, authentic setting and the aura of romance that surround Griffin's books. Readers get everything from stubborn hero's to a little bit of mystery in this one. A great new book, in this heartwarming series.

What I liked:

This series is a favorite of mine and Patience Griffin never disappoints. Contemporary romance is a genre that had to grow on me a bit. I started out reading historical romance and it took me a while to branch out to other areas of the romance genre. With this series I get a little bit of both. Scotland is of course near and dear to my heart. And finding an author who is able to bring the highland spirit and customs into the present day is a rare find. Griffin has created a town in Gandiegow that rivals the real thing. I want to go live there. LOL!

Rachel is more than just an average character. She has a past with this village and these people. She took away one of their native sons and returned without him. The sad part is she didn't really marry him because she loved him. She married him because of her mother. She was in love with his cousin all along. It gives a whole different meaning to her reasons for bringing her daughter to meet her father's family. I liked Rachel. She knew what she wanted and she wasn't afraid to fight for it, but I also felt like she knew when enough was enough. She didn't back track but she understood her limits and that was refreshing in a heroine.

Brodie nearly drove me crazy. And I thought I was stubborn. I realize that Rachel burned him in the past and it's to be expected that he would not want to make the same mistake twice. However, he took it a bit too far. His issues with his own family didn't make it any easier and his distrust of women, was down right insulting at times. He did however find redemption in the end. This was really a story about forgiveness and the affects of holding on to grudges as well as, a love story.

My grandmother's were both quilters. That was one of the things that originally drew me to this series as well as my own Scottish ancestry. The Quilter's Cottage is just a place of inspiration where characters in the story learn to quilt, but readers are not overwhelmed by too many terms and techniques. I like the subtle way Griffin uses the theme but doesn't go overboard with it. I always feel like I learn something about quilting and those who do it every time I read one of these books. Romance might be the main crux of the story, but there's a lot of other stuff going on in this little village.

What I didn't like:

There were several secondary stories playing out within this book. If readers are new to the series they may have a bit of a harder time seeing where all of these little things fit into the overall story. They may seem somewhat disjointed or unnecessary to some. To those of us who have followed the series from the git go, it was nice to see old friends and characters that we have read about before. So, it's not really what I didn't like, but something some readers might not.

Bottom Line:

Once again Patience Griffin took us back to Gandiegow and as I reader I wanted to stay. Griffin's characters were believable and easy to relate to. Rachel was a girl after my own heart. Determined and understanding. Brodie was not really my cup of tea, but in the end he complimented the heroine well and provided the overall theme of forgiveness. It was probably not my favorite of the series, but there are just so many good ones, you just have to read them all. A wonderful, heartwarming gem of a tale!

I have a soft spot for stories set in the British Isles. When I think of some of the movies I love, it’s no surprise that The Quiet Man, P.S. I Love You, and the wonderfully quirky The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain are in the top ten. The scenery is as significant as the story—even part of the story. I was inclined to like It Happened in Scotland by its location alone. Griffin made a bold move by setting her story during the cold winter months that do not hold the scenic glamor of spring and summer. The bitter winds off the ocean fit the sad, if hopeful beginning to It Happened in Scotland.

Rachel had a bad marriage to Joe, Brodie’s cousin. The two were as close as brothers, and both loved Rachel. Rachel, not really knowing her own mind at the time had come to Scotland for the wedding. That’s when she met Brodie and fell in love with him. Still, she went through with the wedding and lived to regret it. The couple were in the process of getting a divorce when Joe died unexpectedly. Years later, Rachel is returning to Scotland so their young daughter can get to know her father’s family and country.

Rachel realizes almost immediately that she wants a second chance with Brodie who has been simultaneously missing and hating her for six years. I wanted more about Brodie besides his broken heart and the guilt he carries about loving his cousin’s wife. What’s Brodie doing out on his fishing boat? In January? What does he do with his haul each day? There’s a discussion about him being able to support a wife and family, but in what manner? Does he smell like fish or the ocean? We needed more Brodie details.

At its heart, this is a story of second chances. There was a lot of denial, questioning, and not enough romance between main characters Brodie and Rachel. It needed about 50% less angst and 30% more description of the scenic town that was so dear, Rachel wants to call it home. Where’s the verbal brochure? (Probably in the first five books.) Still, Griffin is occasionally wonderfully insightful and I liked her writing style.

In the strictest sense, It Happened in Scotland can be read as a standalone book, with a beginning, middle, and end, but it really is the sixth in the series. As a new comer, I was aware of missing context even as I got a complete story. That context was most obvious in a cast a side characters which really made the story, but of whom I was not well acquainted. In a town that small, they have to touch on each other’s lives, but having the focus change so often was unsettling. I think if I knew them better it would have been a welcome check in with other books.

I’m always weary of anything with “women’s fiction” attached to it. It seems to be the catch-all category for women being depressed and working through it…and working us all through it too. Heaven help us. This was less “women’s fiction,” made palatable with more romance. Sitting and sewing and stewing is a lovely way to spend time, but not much to write about and it shows. I felt like an observer and not like a part of the story. Lots of open questions, it’s definitely a mid-series novel. It’s good and I liked it, but don’t expect more than that.

My Rating: B, Liked It

4.5 stars

It Happened in Scotland is a story that is about forgiveness and second chances. Rachel has planned a trip back to Gandiegow in order for her young daughter Hannah meets the great-grandfather she has and to see the place her deceased father is from. She wasn’t counting on meeting the one man she loves and let get away when she married his cousin 6 years ago. Brodie can’t believe his eyes that she has the nerve to return after she crushed his heart. Woman aren’t to be trusted he’s been told over and over again. He’s not going to let it happen again. But does he have a choice in the matter?

Second chance stories is a favorite trope of mine because there is hope of love reigniting again even in the most impossible situations. Years ago Rachel came to Scotland to marry Joe but ended up falling for his cousin Brodie. She went ahead with the wedding and regrets the decision. Now she’s back and being here gives her the confidence to try for a second chance at the one that got away. Her resolve and the love of her daughter got her through some rough times and she thinks she can have it all with Brodie if he can forgive her. Her attempts are good but his heart doesn’t soften and she knows she needs to let it go. However, being in Gandiegow has shown her that she can have a good life here with Hannah and makes plans to stay. I liked Rachel because she had a backbone and went after what she wanted and knew when to quit. She’s an older and wiser woman now than she was 6 years ago and finally voices what she wants with her mother and with herself.

Brodie is a very stubborn man and has taken it to a whole new level now that Rachel is back. It doesn’t help that he has had a standoffish relationship with his own mother for years after the death of his father. He is in conflict with his belief that all women can’t be trusted, and what his heart and body wants when he is close to Rachel. Once his grandfather and mother enlighten him with new information, he sees things differently. His stubbornness has caused him to miss years with his mother and also a second chance with the woman he has always loved. Not only does he learn forgiveness from his relations but for himself as well. He also can take responsibility for his own situation and not wholly blame Rachel.

I love this tiny, charming village of Gandiegow and all its inhabitants. With each new story in the Kilts and Quilts series it has slowly become one of my favorites to read. There are also a few side stories that are woven throughout and enrich the main story and move their story forward. It is also good seeing new developments with some of the other characters that were first introduced in previous books. The author has definitely created unique and sometimes quirky characters and has a genuine read on the human emotion of both the men and women and what lies in their heart. Patience Griffin has created a quaint place in Scotland and I have fallen in love all over again.

Review copy provided with no expectations.