Isabel Buchanan's mother Rose comes home from a vacation in Scotland with an interesting souvenir. She's brought back Gareth Connors. Isabel isn't sure what to think about her mother's actions. Yes, she wants her widowed mother to be happy but her new relationship seems quick and poorly timed. Isabel and Rose are supposed to be deep into plans for the annual Scottish festival in their hometown of Highland, Georgia. Rose is quite distracted by her new flame.

Meanwhile, Alasdair Blackmoor is on the trail of his missing uncle. When he tracks Gareth down it is to find that he has neglected to mention that he is an Earl and, in fact, the owner of the estate that Rose enjoyed touring. Alasdair has had a strained relationship with his uncle since his father died in a car accident and his mother swept him off to London. Even so, he isn't about to let his uncle fall prey to a potential gold digger.

Isabel and Alasdair both want to protect their relatives but end up falling for each other. Izzy doesn't think the relationship has a future though with her future in Georgia and his in London. What she doesn't know is that he really hates his job especially when his boss tries to get him to manipulate Rose and Izzy and get hold of their property.

I liked tall, dark, and handsome Alasdair and really liked clumsy, protective and chatty Izzy. This was a fun romance with great characters.

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<p>With a title like that, how could I say no? </p>
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<p>In this book, Isabel picks her mom up at the airport from a trip to Scotland, and she's brought back a souvenir. An over 6 ft tall souvenir. Izzy isn't exactly okay with her mom bringing a man home, but recognizing that it isn't her choice, she grits her teeth and bears it. </p>
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<p>The man her mom brought home to Georgia is actually an earl. But since he wanted someone who loves him for just who he is, he let her believe that he's just the caretaker of the estate. </p>
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<p>Well, Gareth's nephew is in the States for business and after some prodding from his mom, he flies down to Georgia to save his uncle from the money-grubbing American woman who's stolen his heart. Except he finds Isabel and her mom are nothing like anything he could have expected.</p>
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<p>Isabel is funny, and sweet, and down to earth, and her mom and Gareth are absolutely in love. That changes everything. Then he realizes they have no clue who Gareth actually is. Before he knew that they were honest and their intentions were good, he'd called in a favor to dig into their financials. This bites him in the butt later on, but in the meantime, Gareth convinces Alasdair to join him in helping the town with their Highland Festival.</p>
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<p>The premise of this book is cute. And the whole book reads as if it's ready to be made into the latest Rom Com. It's cute, funny, and fluffy. To be honest, I'd watch it. </p>
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<p>This author has the extraordinary talent of switching between the hero and heroine's points of view and changing their inner voice as authentically as if you were truly in Alasdair's mind, and truly in Izzy's mind. This is a series I'm looking forward to. </p>
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<p>***ARC courtesy of the publisher St. Martin's Press</p>
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"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."

Loved this book very much. It had just enough sweet, sexy romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!

This was an interesting, easy-to-read, romantic story. Since it is a romance, readers know the disagreement/misunderstanding/drama will resolved by the end and the couple will live happily ever after. This is why I chose to read romance. I have enough drama in real life and I do not want to add more from what I read.

This book has two love stories going on. As the book begins, we meet a mature couple where the sparks are flying., Rose Buchanan and Gareth (Connors) Blackmoor. Rose is picked up at the airport by her daughter Isabel (Izzy), who is in for a big surprise. Rose bought home a Scottish gentleman from her research trip to Scotland and soon his nephew, Alasdair Blackmoor, will show up and tilt Izzy's world off its axis.

The story takes place in Highland, Georgia, but you may think you are reading about Scotland during the story. The scenery is described beautifully and I could see rolling hills of a country side. The author does a great job of her character development and I cared about the people in this story.

I enjoyed this book, although the plot was predictable, sometimes it is nice when a story unfolds as you think it should.

I want to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley.com for allowing me to read the ARC of this book. My opinion is my own and not influenced by receiving the ARC.

Loved It! I usually read strictly only historical romance but being that this had Highlanders in it, I was curious. The title for me was a bit off putting, I feel it needed something other than this title. That aside, the writing had me at page one. Witty and funny, I was actually laughing out loud to my computer a few times. More than a few times I read the lines with a southern drawl which made it even funnier. Ms. Trentham has very descriptive writing skills which helps paint the picture as if you are standing right there. The storyline is predicable, and actually could have been set in any time period. The characters yes are a bit shallow and could use working but it is a short story and really your only reading about this quick snippet in their lives so it doesn’t detract at all. I would say that anyone looking for a fast, fun read and believes in two worlds colliding romance then this book is for you. I look forwards to reading more from Laura Trentham. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my review.

I love romantic comedy. I love Scotland. So A Highlander Walks Into A Bar had me at its name. And it did not disappoint. 

Isabel Buchanan is surprised at the souvenir her mother, Rose, brings home from Scotland: a tall, estate manager with a brogue. Except he's not really the estate manager, he's the ninth earl of Cairndow, hiding his true name and identity. Soon, his nephew, slated to become the tenth earl, though hopefully not for a long time, follows him to Highland, Georgia.

Alasdair Blackmoor is concerned about the American woman who convinced his uncle to leave Scotland and Cairndow, so he detours from his business in New York to find out what's what. Instead of the scheming fortune-hunter ensnaring his uncle whom he expected, he meets Izzy. 

Their attraction is immediate. The sparks fly off the page. Their banter is witty and fun. 

Alasdair unwittingly sets in motion a complication that he knows and the reader knows will end badly for all. I loved how Trentham resolved that. 

A Highlander Walks Into a Bar is a fun and perfect summer rom com and I highly recommend it!

I was very happy that I got a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a review, which I am always happy to provide.
The overall storyline was fun, though a bit predictable, and even though I liked the characters, it did move very slowly at times, and I hate to admit it, I fell asleep while reading it a couple of time, never a good sign. I might be the only one who had this problem, but I had no idea how you would pronounce Alasdair name, and always stumbled over it, which for me slowed the pace of the book even more. But having said that I did like the book overall and I would definitely read the next book in the series.

Trentham introduces readers to a charming small town filled with vibrant characters who are exactly like some of the individuals I knew one of the small towns I grew up in. The beginning of the book, in particular, was hysterical and engaging. I can’t even begin to imagine myself in Isabel’s shoes especially when traipsing home from abroad with a man in tow is supposed to be so unlike her mother.

Overall, I enjoyed A Highlander Walks into a Bar. I wasn’t particularly surprised by anything, the end was awfully convenient, but overall the setting was positively charming and the characters were well-developed. I had some issues with Isabel and her mother that kept me from truly sinking into the book. Isabel felt too naive and childish for her age and responsibilities and her mother's complete lack of responsibility and presence leading up to the festival in favor of showing off her new Scottish beau was positively infuriating. That said, I am very fond of Gareth and Alasdair. Their background and conversations quickly became my favorite part of the book. Even with my reservations regarding Isabel and her mother, I still plan to pick up the next book in the Highland, GA series after reading that intriguing epilogue.

This is an absolutely delightful book! Wonderful characters that you want to wrap your arms around.

I enjoyed the aspect of this story that was a widower finding her next happily ever after. Her adult daughter wading through the conflicting emotions the brought about was very well done.

The MC’s in this book had great chemistry and is pulled me in. The charming southern town this plays out in held all of the charm that I get when I watch Hallmarks small town romance movies. Loved this!

I am going to be honest, I was a bit thrown off by the title of this book. It sounded like a bad pun. But in this case, don't judge a book by its title! Izzy is flipping adorable and awkward and Alasdair is absolutely dreamy. These characters are well written and the secondary characters are well rounded (major pet-peeve when they aren't). As someone that has lived in that part of the country, the descriptions are spot-on and it made me a bit homesick for the South (don't tell anyone I said that!) I want to read more By Laura Trentham!

This small town romance novel by Lauren Trentham is a quick and cute read to pass the time on a summer afternoon.

Hilarious, hilarious, hilarious!!! Isabel's mother, Rose, returns to the states with a Highlander she met in Scotland, Soon after another Highlander shows up and Isabel finds herself with a Highlander in the nextdoor bedroom sharing a bathroom. if you live in Highland, GA, you have to have Highland games in July, and two real Highlanders to help is better than none. Let the games begin!!! Snappy dialogue and bust out laughing encounters will keep you totally entertained! A free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this book. A feel good story that engages the reader with the various characters. Can't wait to read the next book in the series.

A Highlander Walks Into a Bar is a rather slow and plodding story for what should have been an interesting and cute storyline. I didn't necessarily dislike it but I believe it would have benefitted from some heavy editing and a few added bits to add some color to the world of Highland, Georgia.

Isabel is a distant and sort of annoying heroine. I wish I'd liked her more than I did but her personality just didn't shine through. Alasdair is a rather dashing hero but the storyline didn't do him many favors and instead he made stupid mistake after stupid mistake. The plot effort was rather lazy and as a result every character suffered.

The most charming part of the book was the town of Highland, itself and some of the descriptions of other small town characters. I'd like to say I plan to read more as some of the other townspeople interested me but I'm not sure I will. If this is the author's normal writing style then I'm afraid it's just not for me.

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

Isabel Buchanan does not like surprises. And yet, that is what her mother brings home in the form of Gareth, a Scotsman with a brogue as thick as his arms. Izzy has enough problems: they are in crunch mode to prepare for the annual Highland festival, her childhood home is in desperate need of repairs (and a loan to make it possible), her lack of coordination reminds herself (and everyone else) constantly why her school nickname was Dizzy Izzy, and her old schoolmate does not understand that he has been friendzoned. This isn't the time for her mother to be canoodling with her new Scottish beau. After all, the Highland Festival was designed to revive the small town of Highland, Georgia, and has kept the town afloat every year since. Izzy is constantly setting aside her own wants and needs to make sure that happens. That includes: sticking with the accountant job she doesn't love, having time to write her novel, and don't get her started on her dating life. Or lack thereof. Because you can't exactly bring men home when you live with your mom.

"Highland was more Scottish than any village in Scotland."

This is Alasdair Blackmoor's first opinion of the small town he has entered in the goal of finding his uncle Gareth, determined to protect him from the American tart who may or may not be trying to swindle the Ninth Earl of Blackmoor out of his fortune. But when he comes face to face with Izzy--the American tart in question's daughter--he starts to think of a few more reasons to stick around in Highland. Those include: avoid his mother, avoid his boss, and come to terms with the crossroads he is now at with his career. Helping out Izzy with festival preparations is much more enjoyable than he thought it would be. But, then again, that may be because of the company he now keeps.

As sparks fly and romance soars in the air, there become more and more secrets that could tear these two pairs of lovers apart if unearthed. And there is now more riding on the success of the festival than ever before.

Can the combined magics of the Scottish Highlands and Highland, Georgia be enough to save the day?

A fantastic first in this series, I loved every bit of it! Izzy is a fantastic "clumsy heroine" because she is so real and relatable. Gareth and Rose are adorable. Anna is awesome. And Alasdair is too good to be true. (Especially when he's wearing his kilt.) I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel and to get to know more of the new character/victim of the South's infamous summer heat!

Great for fans of Alyssa Cole's "Reluctant Royals" series and "Outlander"!

I really enjoyed this book. Although I don't get the meaning behind the title. I wouldn't mind visiting Highland and this festival.

Another good read by this author !
I liked the characters and the town. I laughed and learned ! This revolves around a small town and an annual event.
Isabels mom returns home from a two week vacation to Scotland. With a huge souvenir!
A man !
This upsets Isabel , how much could they really know about each other and is he trustworthy!

I received a complementary e-ARC courtesy of Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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This is such a fun, lighthearted read, set in the fictional town of Highland, Georgia. The first in a series, the story revolves around Isabel Buchanan, Highland, Georgia’s darling and coordinator of the annual highland games, and Alasdair Blackmoor, the nephew of Isabel’s mother’s new Scottish beau.
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In classic romance fashion, there is drama, humor, and gorgeous men--this time in kilts. It’s a little steamy, but not so fiery that it’s all passion and no plot. The story moves quickly and kept me rooting for the main characters the entire time.
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I’m excited to read the next installment in the series.

Sadly this didn’t go particularly well and was a DNF at 30%. And that all fell on Isabel’s shoulders who rather than finding fiery and funny as the blurb suggests, I found immature, confrontational, rude and just not my kinda girl.

On a plus side, I adored Gareth—not even the hero but love me a Scottish silver fox. I just had no will to persevere though which is a shame as I’ve loved so many of Trentham’s books in the past.

Such a shame as I’ve loved so many of Trentham’s books in the past.

This book had a fun and original premise, but I had a hard time getting into it. The author did a great job establishing the background with the accents, the ins and outs of preparing a Highland festival, the cultural contrast between the two different cultures, Scotland and the South, but I think it was to a point that it sacrificed the characters' personalities. They seem to be defined by their backgrounds (being Scottish or a Southern gal) and I had a hard time connecting to them as individuals or feeling their chemistry. I would try other books by the same author since the writing itself was good.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.