DNF at 27%.

Isabel Buchanan and her mother run an annual Highland Games event in their town of Highland Georgia to help maintain their huge mansion, but this year her mother has returned from a holiday in Scotland with a Scottish guy in tow. Now her mother is besotted with her real-life highlander and neglecting the games leaving Isabel to organise everything herself.

Izzy's mother Rosie's boyfriend Gareth isn't who he seems, what seemed like a harmless deception in Scotland, pretending to be a gardener rather than the wealthy laird of the estate has become a concern now that he has followed Rosie to the US. Gareth's sister-in-law is concerned that Rosie is a gold-digger and has despatched her son Alasdair Blackmoor to extract his uncle from Georgia with all possible haste.

Alasdair is an Acquisitions and Development Risk Manager (nope, not a scooby), he's highly paid but his boss is an ass and he works ridiculous hours, he can't afford to babysit his uncle but when his mother gets a bee in his bonnet he has no option but to do as she commands. But when he gets to Highland he finds Izzy utterly charming in a wacky, ditzy way. But as he digs into Highland's finances he can't help but wonder if his mother's concerns are justified.

27% into this book and we don't seem to be getting anywhere. Alasdair lives and works in New York yet he and Izzy have the Scottish/American language confusion conversation. It just feels like groundhog day and I'm not seeing the humour - sorry maybe I'm having a sense of humour failure.

Overall, I must be honest I'm not a fan of any romance with kilts or a Scottish accent, I made an exception when requesting this ARC because it was set in Georgia but it plays to all the old Scottish stereotypes and I just wasn't feeling it.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

A Highlander Walks into a Bar is a perfect summer romance! I'd love to see it as a Hallmark Channel movie (even though they'd take out the smexy parts.) It's got an earl in disguise, a small town festival and a couple that keeps getting interrupted when things get serious. It's fun and funny and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The town of Highland, Georgia is both picturesque and over the top with its small town charm and Scottish-themed kitch. Quirky small towns are my catnip and this one did not disappoint. I also loved the dueling accents! That would be great in a movie. Oh, or in audiobook!

I'm looking forward to the next one in the series, which is set up nicely at the end. Can I have it now?

“A Highlander Walks into a Bar” by Laura Trentham is the first book in the Highland Georgia Series. It is a great start to what I think is going to be an awesome series. This is an enjoyable quick and easy read. I actually did not want to put it down so I read it in one sitting. It is a super fun, clean sweet romance with a Scottish twist. It is filled with lots of laugh out loud moments. The story was well written and the characters likable and fun the scenery and characters were easy to envision. This is perfect for a summer read. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

This book is very well written. However, it lacks passion—and for that reason I couldn’t rate is as high as I would have liked to. I would read more from this author however.

Timely romance when my local city is preparing to host it's own Scottish Games. Alasdair follows his uncle Gareth to Georgia, basically to bring him home fearing Rose is only after his title. He has an epiphany while visiting with Isabel and realizes his life could use some change. I found their story fun and flirty, enjoying the unusual Scottish terms and sexy brogue. Things tend to run a bit slower in the south and it seemed their romance was going the same way, thankfully the games sped things up a bit. I enjoyed reading my early copy and wrote this review voluntarily.

This is a surprisingly cute, laugh out loud funny, sassy book. I couldn't put it down. The characters are all great
you either want to give them a hug, or smack them to look and see what they are about to miss or lose.
Isabel/Izzy goes to pick up her mother at the airport from a trip to Scotland. The trip from home to the airport in stop and go traffic,and heat has left her flustered, hot and dreading the drive back. When her mother, Rose hugs her and and tells her she bought a surprise back. Izzy tries to guess what "it " is with earring, scarf ect
when a bearded, tall man starts helping with the suitcases. Rose's surprise is six-foot, two hundred pounds of Scottish charm and good looks. Gareth is a caretaker for Cairndow, and estate in the Highlands with a rumbly brogue that is charming and warm. Izzy does not trust him on sight. She thinks he is out to take advantage of her mother's money and heart. She will do whatever it take to not let that happen.
Alasdair Blackmoor, is on a mission for his over bearing mother to bring his Uncle, a Earl and Laird of Cairndow back home to Scotland. His mother is sure an American women is out to get his money. When he first meets Izzy sparks fly and not the good kind either. She has not got use to his Uncle being there and now other Scotsman's show up ! Only this one is younger, sophisticated and handsome as sin itself. When Alasdair meets his Uncle he learns of his deception in not giving his real name of title. As Alasdair and Izzy are thrown together for the Highland Games, more secrets come up, and Alasdair learns why Izzy feels clumsy, and usually says whatever she is thinking! Which lands her in some interesting and embarrassing situations with Alasdair.
This is a great story of two love stories, Mother and Uncle and Nephew and daughter.
Lots of twist and turns, finding out what all four really want and need, secrets come out and how they are handled is great.
This is my first book by Laura Trentham, and will not be my last. It was refreshing, delightful, sexy romp
Be sure and get yours. Can't wait for the next one. It has a nice set up at the end.

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review

What can you expect from a book about Scottish men in a town named Highland, Georgia? A good fun read for sure. Izzy's mom Rose brought Gareth home with her from her vacation. He's more than a souvenir- he's a really good guy who seems to make her mom happy. Then Alasdair turns up. There's some sort of thing going on between the two of them but Izzy's less concerned about this initially than about putting together the Highland games, which are really important to the town. Alasdair turns out to be a good guy too but there's a secret. Both men do pretty darn well at wooing Izzy and Rose. This has some chuckle worthy cross cultural stuff, nice dialogue, and a sweet ending. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Ah, romance!

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.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-atW/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

3.5 stars. This was a little slow for me and I didn't feel the spark between Isabel and Alasdair.

Isabel and her mother have run the Scottish games in their Georgia hometown for years. Her mother has just come back from a trip to Scotland and brought a souvenir. A true Scott! Not only does her mother have a new Scottish boyfriend, but his attractive nephew has also come. Of course this is during the busiest time in their lives with the games coming right up. Isabel has no time to deal with any of these new visitors.

Alasdair is wary of his uncle's new relationship. Thinking Isabel's mother is trying to take advantage of his Uncle (who happens to be an Earl), he decides to stay in Highland, Georgia through the Scottish games to keep an eye on him. It doesn't hurt that Isabel is attractive and makes staying in Highland a little more enjoyable. Secrets and complications come in the way of both couples romance, but it all works in the end.

Thank you to SMP for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A Highlander Walks Into a Bar by Laura Trentham

Contemporary romance. Highland games in the Southern US.
Don’t we all just love a foreign accent? In this story two southern women fall for gentleman from Scotland. Izzy is concerned her mother is being taken advantage of but is still charmed by Alasdair, who has also traveled to the small southern town to check on his Uncle.

I absolutely adored Izzy. No filters. No artifice. A bit naive. She says what she is thinking which led to several laugh out loud moments for me.

“With her hair spread around her like a halo, she looked an angel, but he knew better. She was a tart-tongued, sexy dervish who had cast a spell over him.”

A charming romance. I love reading stories by this author. I’m always swept away with falling in love. 1st in the series.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy to share.

The cover, title, and synopsis caught my attention, and I was really excited to read this one. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. Izzy was an okay character and Alasdair had a lot of swoon potential, but the chemistry wasn't there. The slow pacing made it difficult to stay interested too. Thank you for the opportunity to read this one.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

You can just see the train wreck waiting to happen when Gareth comes back with Rose from Scotland. Rose's daughter, Izzy, is worried that Gareth is going to scam her mother so when Gareth's nephew, Alasdair, shows up, she is really worried that these two are con artist working together.

Little does Rose or Izzy know that Gareth is an earl to an estate not the estate manager that he told Rose. Alasdair wants to check out Izzy and Rose as he thinks they are con artist so he sets into motion some events that are pretty bad for them.

Secrets are only hidden for so long and then Rose and Izzy are not happy that they were deceived! There is so much emotion going on in this story as you feel their pain of being kept in the dark and lied to, yet they both have pretty amazing relationships that are starting.

I loved the last chapter with Iain planning on going to Highland and helping out for the festival, wonder who he is destined to meet! Only thing that would have made this better is if we saw some justice served to Alasdair's former boss and co-worker who tried to take advantage of him!!

A funny and adorable story! I love all things Scottish, so this book was right up my alley. I kept imagining the Gaelic accent every time the main male character spoke, which was delightful. A fun and light hearted summery read.

Scotland meets The South in A Highlander walks into a bar. Bikinis ensure amidst planning for an upcoming festival. Good read, but not great.

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.