The Highland Fling by Meghan Quinn

Reviewed by: Laura (The Oldest Sister)

Rating: ♥♥♥/5

Genre: Romance

Summary

Following a breakup and a job firing, two best friends in Los Angeles find a unique "Help Wanted" advertisement on social media. According to the posting, a coffee shop owner in the Scottish Highlands needs two best friends to manage her coffee shop for six months. After some arguing, the best friends apply for the opportunity in hopes that it will be a fresh start for both. The owner selects them, and they quickly move to Corsekelly, Scotland.

The women soon learn that the coffee shop is struggling. With the help of new friends (including the owner's son), they work to revive the struggling coffee shop. In the process, they both find love and begin to learn more about themselves. However, their personal interests and ambitions soon challenge their friendship, blooming relationships, and the coffee shop's future. More importantly, they both start to question if Los Angeles continues to be their home.

"I was jet-lagged, had a Scottish man try to speak to me while tapping his crotch, thought was going to die on a roundabout in a MINI Cooper, was fed sheep intestines—and then quickly disposed of those intestines—only to be accosted by a grumpy Scot who found my broom wielding more comical than threatening. I apologize for not remembering the smallest of details." - Bonnie St. James (p. 117)

Opinion

When I began reading this book, I strongly related to the protagonist, Bonnie St. James. I had just been laid off from my job (unlike Bonnie, who was fired), and I am obsessed with cake. Yet, I did not like her throughout most of the book. I only found her to be a tolerable character when she finally learned to apologize and defended her interests, even when this challenged how her friends and family viewed her.

Personally, I felt like it took me forever to ship Bonnie and Rowan. There was so much hate between them that it felt like Bonnie was going to end up with one of Rowan's friends. Thankfully, when they finally admitted their feelings for each other, I could not put the book down!

Questions I Asked Myself After Reading This Book

• Would I move to another country for a new beginning?

• How much cake is too much cake?

• Can everything be forgiven?