Series: Highland Georgia (Book 1)
The timeless romance, soaring passion - and gorgeous men
- of Scotland come to modern-day America. And the rules of love will never be
the same...
Isabel Buchanan is fiery, funny, and never at a loss for
words. But she is struck speechless when her mother returns from a trip to
Scotland with a six-foot-tall, very handsome souvenir. Izzy's mother is so
infatuated by the fellow that Izzy has to plan their annual Highland Games all
by herself. Well, not completely by herself. The Highlander's strapping young nephew
has come looking for his uncle...
Alasdair Blackmoor has never seen a place as friendly as
this small Georgia town - or a girl as brilliant and beguiling as Izzy. Instead
of saving his uncle, who seems to be having a lovely time, Alasdair decides he'd
rather help Izzy with the Highland Games. Show her how to dance like a
Highlander. Drink like a Highlander. And maybe, just maybe, fall in love with a
Highlander. But when the games are over, where do they go from here?
This was an entertaining book to read. It opens as Izzy
arrives at the airport to pick up her mother, who was on vacation in Scotland.
She is happy that Rose is back, as the town's Highland Games are coming soon,
and it takes both of them to get it all done. She is stunned, and not in a good
way, to discover that her mother brought home a tall, handsome souvenir. Izzy
is wary of Gareth and his influence on her mother for two reasons. First, Rose
hasn't looked at another man since her husband's death, and Izzy isn't sure she
likes that her father seems to have been forgotten. Second, who's to say that this
estate caretaker isn't looking for a way to improve his lifestyle by latching
on to her mother? Her suspicions increase when Gareth's younger friend Alasdair
shows up for a visit.
Alasdair, who was in New York on business for the London
company that he works for, received a disturbing call from his mother. It seems
that his uncle has abandoned his responsibilities to his name and his property
and followed some "American tart" to the States. Fiona insists that
Alasdair drop everything and go check up on Gareth, dragging him back to Scotland
if necessary. Alasdair's suspicions are somewhat reduced when he discovers that
his uncle has concealed who he really is. Intrigued by Izzy and what he sees of
Highland, Alasdair decides to stick around for a few days.
I thoroughly enjoyed the development of the relationship
between Izzy and Alasdair. Both are initially suspicious of each other, but
can't deny the sparks that fly between them. Alasdair is unexpectedly drawn to
Izzy, who is smart and practical, but who also has the heart of a dreamer. I
loved watching him fall further under her spell, especially the way whatever
she's thinking pops right out of her mouth. Alasdair isn't used to that much
candor, and he finds it refreshing. It isn't much of a hardship when Rose and
Gareth talk him into staying longer and helping with the planning of the
Highland Games. It takes a little longer from Izzy to let go of her suspicions,
but the attraction is hot and heavy from the get-go. She is inclined to ignore
it at first since he'll be leaving soon, but then again, why turn down a chance
at a fling with a hot Scot? I liked watching them spend time together and get
to know each other. I enjoyed seeing Alasdair give Izzy a boost in her
confidence, whether it was dealing with a stubborn vendor or encouraging her to
let her imagination go in the stories she writes.
The strength of the sparks between them surprised both of
them. The scene in the closet at the church freaked both out a little bit, and
they tried to ignore it. But that was followed by another flare-up during their
picnic at the river, and they realized they couldn't ignore it. I also had to
laugh at the scene that gave the book its title. Izzy is having a drink with a
childhood friend who wants to be more than friends, while Alasdair is being fitted
with a kilt. When he hears what she is doing, he stalks into the bar - kilt,
tight t-shirt, and boots - and suddenly, she is oblivious to anyone or anything
else. Whew! The more time the two spend together, the closer they get.
However, the two men's secrets are about to come back to
bite them. When Alasdair first arrived, he called in a favor at work to look
into the ladies' financials. That opened up a can of worms that has Alasdair's
boss trying to get their land. Thanks to this, Alasdair faces a personal and
professional crisis and has to make some decisions. When Izzy gets wind of the
problem, she is furious and hurt, and confronts Alasdair. In the process,
Gareth's secret also comes to light, which creates trouble between him and Rose.
While Gareth's deception was understandable, Alasdair has a harder job to win his
lady's forgiveness. I loved seeing how he did it, the unexpected support he
received, and Izzy's reaction.
Both couples still need to face the obstacle of being
tied to different countries. It was great to finally see some real communication
between them as they worked to find solutions. The resolution wasn't too much
of a surprise as it was hinted at earlier. The epilogue was excellent, with a
nice peek at them a few months down the road. It also set up the next book
quite well, and I can't wait to read it.
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