Cd Brennan

I requested this from Netgalley after reading it was about a young woman travelling to Scotland to research her family tree. I've done the same thing so looked forward to receiving it. At the very least, it sounded like contemporary women's fiction.
What I got was a book that reads like a YA romance & while the family history angle is often talked about, nothing actually comes of it.
Lizzie is a young woman born & raised in Australia to a Scottish mother & a Norwegian father. She's footloose & has travelled extensively, backpacking & working odd jobs to pay the way. She's always been curious about her Scottish family but any time she asked, her mother refused to give any details.
So next stop is Bridge of Allan, a small town near Stirling where she gets a job in the bar of the Queen's Hotel. She works with Kiri, Sophie & Jack, trying to save money while dealing with rowdy football fans. It's there she meets Hamish, a handsome but socially awkward man who offers her another job. He's looking for a dog walker & cook so he can devote more time to his architectural work.
I think we can see where this is going. Lizzie is a character from the author's previous book & if enjoyed that one, chances are you'll like this as well. For me, it was an easy read about two people who came across as much younger than their years, short on plot but not on contrived drama.
For example, on her first day working for Hamish, Lizzie finds a young woman in his house. She's the daughter of his colleague but Lizzie immediately jumps to conclusions. This could have been explained on the spot in one sentence but the BIG MISUNDERSTANDING drags on 'til the end.
And there are many references to her mother's mysterious past in Scotland but when the truth comes out, it's a non-event. Nothing happened.
Unfortunately, the author uses a plot device that is one of my biggest pet peeves....making the female lead a klutz. Despite being describes as graceful & athletic, Lizzie trips over curbs, spills coffee & beer, falls over furniture, bumps into people & lands on her butt. I guess this is an attempt to make our girl come across as cute, endearing, winsome...I'm not sure. Instead, it should make any prospective boyfriend reconsider his health, home & vehicle insurance.
Also, brush up on your Aussie. To make sure we don't forget she's Australian, the dialogue is liberally sprinkled with words like gaff, mingin', chook, yobbo, dag & galah. It felt awkward in places as if an effort was made to use colloquial language instead of flowing naturally. And we know he's Scottish as he feeds haggis to his dogs.
Dialogue between the two main characters in particular is stiff & I didn't feel much more than lust at first sight. They are depicted as complete & polar opposites. Differences are good but there has to be some common ground to make a connection believable.
It's a relatively "clean" read, just a couple of f-bombs & one sexual encounter that occurs off page. And the ending of course is never in doubt. There is also a supernatural angle to the story & an incredible coincidence concerning Hamish's father. Sorry, that one was a bridge too far for me.
I would classify this as juvenile or YA fiction due to the characters & content. As always, it comes down to personal preference as to what you enjoy reading. Would I pick up another in this series? No, but that's not the author's fault. It's due to my reading tastes & I'm happy to have read this one so now I know. If you're looking for a light, fluffy read that borders on fantasy, this is for you.… (meer)