A Highlander in a Pickup

Laura Trentham

Feb 2020 · Macmillan + ORM

About this ebook

A Highlander in a Pickup is the second book in award-winning author Laura Trentham's romantic comedy Highland Georgia series, full of love, laughs...and highlanders!

When a gorgeous new man—in a kilt—comes to town, life in Highland, Georgia will never be the same...

Iain Connors is the poster boy for the strong and silent type. Growing up a loner at Cairndow Castle in Scotland with only the cliffs and moors for company, it’s understood Iain will assume the mantle of Cairndow groundskeeper when his father is ready to relinquish it. But his stint in Her Majesty’s Armed Forces has opened up a whole new world—and now, rather than settle down, he accepts an invitation to travel to the States to take charge of the Highland Games. After all, he’s led men into battle, how hard can planning a party be?

Anna Maitland is ready to step up for her best friend Isabel Blackmoor, who can’t run the Games in their hometown this year. Surely Anna, a dance instructor with boundless energy, spirit, and charm, is up for the challenge? What she doesn’t anticipate is a man in a kilt who turns up claiming he’s the one in charge. What’s worse about this Iain? He’s so infuriatingly handsome that she can’t help but fantasize about him whispering sweet-nothings in her ear in his rumbly, sexy brogue. . .

“Trentham never misses the mark when she takes aim at the heart.”—Night Owl Reviews

Ratings and reviews

You could certainly read this story standalone, but I would recommend reading A Highlander Walks into a Bar first. Anna Maitland is Izzy's best friend whom we met in the first book. Now that Izzy is on bed rest in Scotland waiting to have her baby Anna has agreed to run this year's Highlander festival and Izzy decides to send Anna a surprise in the shape of a hunky highlander in a kilt! Iain Connors has just gotten out of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces and is expected to take over his father's position as the Cairndow groundskeeper but Iain wishes instead to see more of the world so instead he agrees to go to the States to help Izzy's friend run the Highlander festival. What he was not expecting was to be instantly smitten with the dance instructor.....to bad she doesn't want to give him the time of day. But little does he know that Anna is secretly lusting over him. As Anna and Iain spend more time together their attraction continues to grow, but Anna doesn't want to pursue anything so Iain just bides his time until these two control themselves! Just when Iain thinks he may have found the direction his life should be taking, a wrench gets thrown into the mix. It will take a lot of deep thinking by both Anna and Iain in order to finally find their happy ending. I really loved Iain! He was so sweet and sexy all wrapped up in a kilt! ;) I really loved him and Anna together!

ARC for honest review with no compensation received from NetGalley, St. Martins Press Highlander in a Pickup is book 2 in the Highland, Georgia series by Laura Trentham. Looking forward to more of this series. Iain Conners, strong, silent, retired from the Armed Forces in Scotland is asked to come to the USA to take charge of the Highland Games. Anna Maitland takes over the running of the Highland Games when her best friend is having a baby in Scotland and can’t do it. Running her dance studio, juggling all the things needed to have a flawless games she isn’t prepared for Iain to show up and think he is the one in charge... Can these two find a way to coexist without letting their hearts get involved since he will be going back to Scotland after the games... or will he discover that his home is really in Highland, Georgia USA with Anna...

Izzy and Alasdair have relocated to Scotland and she’s on bed rest nearing the end of her pregnancy. Having had Anna’s help, and folders full of “festival” information, Anna is now in charge. With Isobel’s mother and her new love Gareth also in Scotland, a busy dance studio to run, preparing to announce her own candidacy for mayor and the worries over ‘getting the festival right”, the last thing Anna needs is a trailer bearing a black faced sheep and a Highland cow (Ozzie and Harriet) to care for. Particularly since the “helper” that Alasdair and Izzy have sent over has yet to arrive. Despite being raised in a community that has it’s fair share of animals, Anna is NOT a fan – and her bewilderment and worries are just beginning. Enter Iain, recently discharged from the British Army, and the next in line to ‘inherit’ the caretaker mantle at Blackmoor estates, he’s here to help organize the festival. Never expecting the fire and resentment from Anna, nor his visceral reaction to the flame-haired beauty. Sure she’s prickly and a bit stubborn, but her need to control every detail points to her own insecurities and need to prove herself to the town. As adorable as the first, you can’t help but laugh at Anna’s missteps and Iain’s need to ‘protect’ her, even as they both understand that he’s leaving right after the festival…. But the two work wonders together – adding elements, taking care of the stock, finding time to do some ‘handyman bits” around town and steadily convincing Anna that she’s got ideas – if a bit heavy-handed with them at times, and being a place where she feels safe and valued. Of course, everyone’s sense of “duty” interferes, despite the many (from all sides) people pushing them together. Both are ingrained with a sense of loyalty and duty, however, and it will take some serious chats between Iain and his father, Anna and many others, and a chance at a reunion that makes everyone smile. A great second book in the series with the little Georgia town that has brought a bit of Scotland over the pond! I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

About the author

An award-winning author, Laura Trentham was born and raised in a small town in Tennessee. Although, she loved English and reading in high school, she was convinced an English degree equated to starvation. She chose the next most logical major—Chemical Engineering—and worked in a hard hat and steel toed boots for several years.

She writes sexy, small town contemporaries and smoking hot Regency historicals. The first two books of her Falcon Football series were named Top Picks by RT Book Reviews magazine. Then He Kissed Me, a Cottonbloom novel, was named as one of Amazon’s best romances of 2016. When not lost in a cozy Southern town or Regency England, she's shuttling kids to soccer, helping with homework, and avoiding the Mt. Everest-sized pile of laundry that is almost as big as the to-be-read pile of books on her nightstand.