Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 14 Feb 23
Scottish romance is one of my favorite reads, historical, contemporary – heck, even paranormal if an author is able to pull me into that. So the blurb for this book intrigued me and I decided to give it a try, despite the fact this is Ms. Bilow’s first romance and she’s a new author for me. And I enjoy cooking too, so a story with kitchen fun written by a trained chef seemed right up my alley.
While I do like Ruby herself and her forays into helping her new landlord in the local but nearly stagnant pub, and I enjoyed getting to know Brochan and his handyman ways, about halfway through the book things just…slow down. Becomes predictable. Even Ruby and Brochan fail to hold my interest to go any further with them.
Ms. Bilow does a terrific job of describing Thistlecross and all things Scottish, at least for this lay person. You feel as though you are right there among all the goings-on when things pick up for the pub due to Ruby’s zeal creating new foods, as well as the mystery that pops up concerning said pub and the dire news that could follow.
By this time, however, things are just not moving at a quick enough pace to continue, though I held on a while longer, wanting to find out what would happen with Ruby and Brochan. When they finally come together, after a day of getting to know one another, it just isn’t enough to keep going. To be honest, I just didn’t care at this point to see how things progress between them and around Thistlecross. And, yes, I realize I could be missing something big, but not being overly invested in the characters at the halfway mark makes it impossible to hang on, for me anyway.
I will try Ms. Bilow in the future. I’m hopeful with this being her debut romance, she will get better over time, as most authors do. So I know I will have no problem picking up another of her stories down the road.
Grade: DNF
Summary:
When a thirty-something American food writer moves to a Scottish village for one year to fulfill her dream of writing a cookbook she finds more than inspiration—she meets a handsome Scotsman she can’t resist.
Ruby Spencer is spending one year living in a small cottage in a tiny town in the Scottish Highlands for three reasons: to write a bestselling cookbook, to drink a barrelful of whisky, and to figure out what comes next. It’s hard to know what to expect after an impulse decision based on a map of Scotland in her Manhattan apartment—but she knows it’s high time she had an adventure.
The moment she sets foot in Thistlecross, the verdant scenery, cozy cottages, and struggling local pub steal her heart. Between designing pop-up suppers and conversing with the colorful locals, Ruby starts to see a future that stretches beyond her year of adventure. It doesn’t hurt that Brochan, the ruggedly handsome local handyman, keeps coming around to repair things at her cottage. Though Ruby swore off men, she can’t help fantasizing what a roll in the barley might be like with the bearded Scot.
As Ruby grows closer to Brochan and the tightly held traditions of the charming village, she discovers secret plans to turn her beloved pub into an American chain restaurant. Faced with an impossible choice, Ruby must decide between love, loyalty, and the Highlands way of life.
No excerpt available.
