An American food writer rents a cottage in Scotland, sight unseen, to spend the next year writing a cookbook, trying all the whisky, and maybe finding a hot Scotman. In exchange for room and board, Ruby puts in some hours at the adjacent pub, which conveniently has the kitchen her cottage lacks. The pub has some good whiskey and a friendly vibe, if a little quiet… and then a local guy shows up as the handyman at proprietor Grace’s request, to make a few minor repairs to the flophouse, as the cottage is affectionately known, and Ruby is smitten. She sends all the right vibes to Brochnan, but he does not seem to be picking up what she’s laying down until well into the novel. The relationship was drawn out way too much for my liking.

Ruby only ended up in charming Thistlecross because it’s where her dart landed, but she soon feels part of the community, and ends up overhearing something she shouldn’t have from the mayor, a childhood friend of Brochnan. As their relationship deepens, she wonders if she should tell him what she knows about the future of the pub and cottage, especially after he confides about his trust issues with women… but chooses not to. I may or may not have been grimacing in disappointment at the character’s actions.

The writing is solid and attention to detail is excellent. The food and drink descriptions are good but not enough to make this a culinary read, a little disappointing, since the cookbook idea is a major plot point. Ruby’s first pitch is rejected, and she eventually hits on a winning idea (but WHY not focus on the family style suppers she hosts???). This missed opportunity, dishonesty and slow pacing was like sip of not-aged-enough whisky: yes, complex, smokey, peaty, but a little too much wincing as it goes down rough.

The cover art perfectly depicts a scene where Roo convinces Broo to take a selfie on one of their adventures–well done.

I received an advance reader’s review copy of #RubySpencer’sWhiskyYear from #NetGalley.

This book was cute. I loved the Scottish setting and while it was predictableI I still really enjoyed it. I thought Ruby was a little immature for her age but I still thought the book was fun.

DNF
I tried my hardest with this book, but it wasn’t for me. I found multiple aspects of what I was able to read frustrating and I simply couldn’t bring myself to keep reading.

Pros:
What initially intrigued my about this book was the whole Scotland thing. I think it was interesting that Ruby wanted to go somewhere interesting to rediscover herself.
I liked the subtle hints that since Outlander became popular tourists kept coming with a weird obsession for Scotland.
I think it was unique that Ruby wanted to write a cookbook. Normally books that feature a character as a writer have them as a novelist but I thought the cookbook thing was unique and I liked that she didn’t want to be a chef since that’s a trope I’m sick of seeing.

Cons:
Ruby was a food journalist in NYC before she quit. Somehow she was able to afford to live on her own in a notoriously expensive city while having a job that isn’t known for paying top tier and is difficult to break into.
At one point Ruby refers to her mother as mama. I’ve noticed more books recently with characters who call their mom, mama and I just don’t like it.
Ruby was somehow able to afford to live alone in an apartment in NYC and was able to break her lease to move to Scotland. Neither of these are practical.
At one point Ruby is discussing her dating history and like passive aggressively slut shames herself. This made me feel uncomfortable since it was uncalled for. If the author wanted to express that Ruby prefers to be in a relationship, then I think there were better ways to express that.
There was subtle shaming on Ruby’s part towards a previous partner who had ED that I didn’t like.

This book wasn’t for me. I wanted to like it but I couldn’t get too far into this book before I just couldn’t take anymore. Maybe this book is someone else’s cup of tea but it isn’t mine.

Ruby Spencer is a millennial experiencing burn out at her "dream" job. On a whim she decides to move to Scotland and write a cookbook. Brochan loves his hometown and has isn't easily tempted by the outside world. The idea of finding ones-self and an incredibly handsome Scot made this book appealing. I did enjoy the food descriptions and the fun banter between the love interests. However, I found the main character frustrating. Especially her weird attachment to the "girl code" to a woman she has had all of one conversation with.

This was a delightful read, Thoroughly enjoyed Ruby slowly becoming part of Thistlecross. The romance with Brochan is hot and heartfelt. The only thing this book was missing was recipes at the end.

Because....Scotland! I have never been, but I SO get the gist of this story. Ruby is just beyond and I wanna give Grace a hug. A charming setting, a great finding-yourself novel, and all the cooking made for a perfect read!