A Highlander is Coming to Town by Laura Trentham is a delightful third installment in the Highland, Georgia series.

It’s the feel-good feeling from a Hallmark Christmas movie, the steaminess of a romance novel, and the wonderful eccentricities of a small town tied up with a giant tartan bow. Merry (early) Christmas to me!

Alastair and Izzy are still living their happily ever after in Scotland. Anna and Iain are taking their relationship to the next level. But for Claire Smythe, the former lead singer of the Scunners, Highland, Georgia, isn’t a place to find love. It’s a place to hide out, to lie low.

That is, until she meets Holt Pierson.

This wasn’t supposed to be complicated. She was just supposed to take care of Ms. Meadows while she waited for responsibility to catch up to her. Her 25th birthday will mean a return to Scotland and her duties as a whisky heiress.

She wasn’t supposed to meet Holt. She wasn’t supposed to fall for him.

But she did, on both counts.

Holt’s a farmer through and through. He’s a small town country boy, a good guy. He deserves to meet a good woman, fall in love, and start a family. She can’t offer him that. She knows her time in Highland has an expiration date.

But could this limited time offer, friends with benefits situation really turn into something permanent? What would happen if she walked away from the life she was supposed to have and build a new life for herself here in Highland?

This book left me smiling; it wrapped itself around my heart like a hug. After seeing Holt and Claire on the periphery of Highland for a couple books, I was excited to get to know them better. Holt deserved a happy ending, and so did Claire. Laura Trentham has a knack for creating flawed but loveable characters. You want their stories to end happily...and thankfully, you know it’s pretty much guaranteed, even if there’s some detours along the way.

If you need a quick, heart-warming holiday read, I can’t recommend this one highly enough!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my complimentary review copy.

I flat out love this series. I do. That said, this was not my favorite of the bunch. Claire was standoffish, prickly, intriguing, with plenty of mystery. Holt was just... wallpaper. A hot farmer do-gooder, waiting to take over the family farm. Yawn. Still, Claire could and did carry most of the story, especially with the return of Anna and Iain and their *MINOR SPOILER ALERT* pregnancy, a fun 'little' addition.

If you've read the others in the series, you won't want to miss this one. Or even if you haven't.

*ARC via netgalley and publisher in return for my agreement to provide review; all opinions are my own*

A delightful story of Claire, a Scottish woman of secrets, who comes to Highland Georgia to hide from her past. She meets Holt, a rancher, and they decide to share their burdens and their happiness. I received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my honest review.

I love Laura Trentham's little town of Highland. The people, town, and stories are so endearing. This is the story of Holt Peirson who grew up in HIghland and is the all-American boy next door who has inherited his parents farm. He lives the same day over and over again. Until he notices the most un-noticable girl in HIghland, Claire Smythe. She came to get lost and ends up being noticed because of her Scottish accent and beautiful singing voice. In this installment, Claire's past is about to catch up with her and she won't be able to hide away in this sweet, charming town for long.

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

This is third book in the series, and while Claire is not from Highlands, Holt is. Claire is the singer we saw in the second book, and Holt was the road not taken in book one. I'm glad he's getting his story- he was always the sweet, dependable guy, but never set Izzy on fire. Meanwhile, Claire is running from a future she doesn’t want, and a past she can’t escape. As Claire helps take care of one of the residents of Highland, she and her neighbor Holt become close.

This isn’t an insta- love story, and I like that. Though these characters were intrigued by each other, they slowly circled each other until each was willing to give it a chance- though he was waiting on her to catch up. They had a good plot to work through in this; it had real emotional problems for them to solve, not just something thrown at them for the sake of it. I think I’m really happy at where this book finished; two genuinely good characters fell in love and found what they want to do most. This whole series is one that I’ve been happy to re-read even after I know what’s going to happen, and I hope the series continues, though if not Claire’s brother, then I don’t know who it will be for next.

I really like Laura Trentham as a author, her dialogue is witty and charming and her storylines are enticing and done very well… except for this one. It kills me to have to give a negative review but I really did not feel it with this book. The chemistry was off, Claire and Holt are having a fling and beyond the immediate now, I didn’t feel as if there was a future for these two. While that’s fine in and of itself, and maybe this is all that Trentham wanted for these two, I didn’t feel like I had read a rom-com romance, or even a romance in general when I finished the book. I felt let down because I really genuinely like the previous two Highlander books from Trentham, but this one didn’t make it for me. It didn’t give me the warm fuzzies that the other two did.
Claire comes off as a spoiled brat in my opinion and Holt is a good old, down to earth, hard working boy next door. I didn’t feel their chemistry together at all. I wanted more for a character such as Holt, and Claire isn’t it.
The storyline is ok, not great, a lot of back and forth useless chatter. Although Anna and Iain make appearances which was nice to see, nothing is said about Izzy and Alasdair. And given what Anna finds out, I’m sure she would have called Izzy first.
Something thing that bothered me was the fact that Claire was from Glasgow yet is referred to as a Highlander which she would not be.
A Highlander Is Coming To Town is a simple story, easy to read, you do not need to have read the previous books before to enjoy. I would recommend if you are a fan of Laura Trentham or like quick, fling type romances.
Thank you to the publisher and author for an advanced copy in exchange for my review.

Cute story. I love that she gives up everything she was told to want for a life of her own and a love.

What a great happy read, full of characters to fall in love with.... I couldn’t put it down because I wanted to know if Claire was gonna fall for Holt and tell him her little secret...

I loved...LOVED...the first two books in this series. They both got a 5 star review from me. This book fell decidedly flat. There is the same great small town and the same great side characters. What was lacking for me was the two leads and their story.

The female lead, Claire, comes off as spoiled and mildly bitchy. She snaps at everyone around her for no reason. Yes, she softens as the book progresses, but not enough to really endear herself to the reader. The male lead, Holt, is similarly a bit spoiled. He grew up with loving parents, a built in community, and inherited his father's successful farm. Yet, he still gripes about his life. It's annoying, but is slightly tempered by his extreme kindness.

The writing in this book feels stripped down. Like I am suddenly reading an Earnest Hemingway novel with very little descriptive paragraphs and heavy bursts of dialog, even during highly emotional scenes. I found myself internally begging the author to slow down and take her time. Even the steamy scenes felt rushed and not very descriptive. This in and of itself wouldn't be a big deal, but they are starkly different than the tone of the other two books in this series.

This isn't a bad book, it just seems vastly different than the other books in this series in terms of tone, characters, and descriptiveness. I was disappointed, but will definitely stick with this series in the future and hope for a return to the prior greatness in the future.

I received and ARC of this title from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I'm sad to see this series come to an end. I've loved visiting Highland, Georgia and getting to know some Scots in the South.
A Highlander is Coming to Town is (finally) Holt Pierson's story. We met Holt in Trentham's previous two Highlander stories. Holt has made his peace with staying in Highland to run the family farm. Claire Smythe is on the run from something and takes refuge in Highland after the summer games. She's taken a job as a caregiver for Holt's neighbor and is spending the time trying to figure out what to do after her upcoming birthday. Because she has a big secret she can't share with anyone. Although she's clear upfront that she'll soon be returning to Scotland right after Christmas.
Inevitably, the sparks between Holt and Claire combust. And as all secrets must, Claire's come to light. And Claire and Holt's simple fling is anything but.
I enjoy these books for their simplicity, their taste of Scotland, their humor. Sometimes I need an escape and these books supply that exactly.
A Highlander is Coming to Town is a Christmas story, complete with a winter storm, hot chocolate, and a heartwarming ending. The perfect holiday read.
I highly recommend it!
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I received an advance e-copy of this book via NetGalley, but it did not induce me to leave a review, complimentary or not.

Great story about people, who have to make choices. Holt is supposed to run his family farm, doesn't matter if he wants it or not. Claire, run away from her responsibility, on her 25th birthday, which is coming, she'll inherit shares of her family company. Will both of them make their decision and how they affect them.
Did enjoy this book.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me via NetGalley. Wow what can I say about this title it was just an awesome read. This book was just something so wonderfully different I’ve never quite read anything like this. You should read to find out you won’t be disappointed. I’m definitely going to read more by this author.

A Highlander is Coming to Town (Highland, Georgia #3) by Laura Trentham I love Highland, Georgia and would loved to live there or at least visit. I hated to put this down to eat or sleep.... I love all the people of Highland and all the feels in this book, tears, fears, hard decisions, laughter, steam, and of course a very HEA.

I have been a fan of Ms. Trentham since her first book.

Claire has secrets and is trying to live her life peacefully, if she is recognized or if someone were to find out who she was, her life would change, again. She is a caretaker for an elderly woman from town.

In walks Holt, ironically the elderly woman is not happy Claire has met him.

Claire knows she can't stay in town, but what will win; love or money?

Claire is an unwilling heir to the Scottish Glennallen whiskey empire. She escaped her families expectations by becoming the lead singer of a Scottish rock band. Her parents agreed to her temporary escape, as long as she agreed to return to Scotland when she turns 25 and inherits her fortune. After tiring of touring with the band, she decides to stay in Highland, GA to hide out until her 25th birthday.

Holt takes over the family farm in Highland, GA after his father semi-retires. He always planned to take over the family farm, but realizes that he is lonely. However, things begin to change for him after he meets Claire. However, Claire tells him that her time in Highland is limited. Despite, Claire’s promises to her family, she falls in love with Holt. Will she fight back against her powerful family and choose love with Holt instead?

This is the third book in a series, but it works as a stand-alone novel. I prefer to grow with these sorts of series, so I'll likely check out the first two at some point.

Clair has a challenge many of us would like to face - a sexy man and grappling with taking a large family inheritance.

Since I read these books to escape, I was there for the steamy romance. It is a fun and flirty read.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is the first I've read in Laura Trentham's A Highland, Georgia Novel series. Right off I felt as if the title was misleading, as I kept looking for someone to come to the town. Claire was already there, and had been long enough to find a job with Mrs. Meadows as a her caretaker. Claire's impending life decisions were weighty, but the angst was a little overplayed for me. Holt was an extremely likable character. I am not a fan of the 'steamy' as I feel it detracts from the love story. I wasn't seeing how it could turn out positively, but the resolution was heartwarming. I will look for the other books in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Claire is hiding out in Highland, Georgia to avoid --I mean, think on-- her impending 25th birthday and the fact that she comes into her inheritance: shares in the family whiskey business that ask her to take a role in the business end of the business. Her uncertainty stems from the fact that she has always felt like the black sheep of her family and that she's never felt like she has belonged in her family. So, she spends the last months of 24 being a live-in caregiver to Ms. Meadows, who lives on a farm outside of town. Holt is Ms. Meadows's neighbor with sexy legs and southern hospitality in spades. When Claire finds herself in need of some help, Holt is there, over and over and over again without pushing the tall and very solid walls Claire has built around herself. Over time, Holt starts to tear down those walls. And then sex crumbles them. With Holt's gentleness, Claire finds her confidence and understanding to do what /she/ wants to do-- damn her family and their expectations.

My issues with this story are small in nature and personal in preference:
- The title: "A Highlander Is Coming to Town" indicates that someone is arriving. Claire is already there. She's already /been/ there since the festival ended, and now it's nearing Christmas. That's, like, several months.
- I really can't identify with --and thus don't enjoy-- protagonists who are running from responsibility. They, in my "old soul" opinion, are immature. So, yes, there is a lot of growth that Claire experiences in the story, but I never sympathized with her plight of what do with her inheritance.
- The inheritance is a bit of a plot hold, imo. Claire could have claimed her shares and then sold them to Lachlan, her parents, Dennison, or an outside person. Her situation was not black-and-white like the way she treats it. This just further demonstrates her immaturity. *insert eye roll emoji*

Overall, the tension between Holt and Claire is why you should read this third book in the series. Or skip it if you want more plot that sexy times.

On the chaste to steamy scale, it's about a 5.

So I was able to secure a review copy for an honest review of A Highlander is Coming to Town by Laura Trentham. Without further ado:
I absolutely loved this book! I'm happy at how the series is progressing and I feel like I've been waiting forever and a day for this book. So enjoyed both of the previous two books, wasn't sure, I was going to like this book as much seeing the preview in the second book and this book's description. However, Trentham has done it again and with the book being such a good time I stayed up all night reading the book. I remember meeting Holt in the first book, A Highlander Walks into a Bar, and knowing I wanted him to star in his own book, so so happy with that story. Can't say enough of how such a great book it is. I would happily recommend this entire series to anyone. The Highland, Georgia series has all the feels and so cute to boot. The characters interact so well and gotta love a happy ending. Also, would recommend reading the stories in order since each book builds on the other with old and new characters coming in for their own scenes.

This is my first venture into the Highlander world, and wow, what I have been missing. Small town charm, quirky/layered characters, and multilayered storylines. The pacing is smooth, the relationships genuine, and the touch of Scots extra fun. Well enjoyed.