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The Buchanans have been running a Scottish-themed festival at their home of Stonehaven in Highland, Georgia, for years. Since the death of their husband and father a decade ago, mother and daughter Rose and Isabel Buchanan have been in charge of keeping it going. The annual festival features traditional games, as well as music, dancing and foods, and while it helps the two women keep up financially with the maintenance on their old home, modeled on castles in Scotland, it is also an important part of their small community’s life and the livelihood of the town’s businesses.
Just a few weeks before this summer’s Highland games, Rose returns from a trip to Scotland with a “surprise” — a handsome Scotsman named Gareth. And not long after, Gareth’s nephew, Alasdair, comes down to Highland as well. Gareth is the earl of Cairndow, and since he’s never married or had children, Alasdair is his heir. Gareth hasn’t told Rose he’s an earl, however, because he wants the relationship to develop without the baggage of his title hanging over it, at least in the early stages, and when Alasdair arrives at the end of a business trip in New York, he goes along with the deception in part to honor his uncle and in part because he wants an opportunity to find out if these Buchanan women are up to some gold-digging.
Izzy, in turn, is suspicious of Gareth and Alasdair’s motives — while she and her mother aren’t wealthy cash-wise, the land they own around Stonehaven is worth a good deal — and Alasdair is ready to get back to his job in London as an investment analyst as soon as he can uncover any suspicious motives in the two women.
But another big surprise is how much Isabel and Alasdair are attracted to each other when they meet. Suspicions and concerns are an initial hindrance, then their busy schedules, then the huge problem that each has a big commitment to an estate. Can a strong attraction turn into a relationship, and can a relationship survive such big hurdles?
A Highlander Walks into a Bar is a fun escapist romance, with a widowed mom and daughter both finding love with handsome Scotsmen. The book also teases a sequel setting up another American-Scot love story, so those who particularly enjoy this book will no doubt find themselves happy to know a second will be on its way.
Rated: High. There are two instances of strong language and some other uses of moderate and mild language. There is one detailed sex scene lasting a couple of pages and other brief sexual references scattered throughout.
* I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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