Author: Meghan Quinn

Alright, it’s time for another MQ book! this time it’s one of her few standalone romance books, The Highland Fling. If you’re looking for best friends on an adventure, soul searching, a great escape, and hot Scottish men, this is the book to read!

Let me introduce you to Bonnie, Dakota, Rowan and all of their friends. This is one of the few books that really incorporates the side characters as main characters in the story. The friendships help fuel the story and build on the plot, giving it all around good feels vibe.

What’s the story?

“I’ve become grossly attached to a goat named Fergus. Emotionally invested in a town know by tourists for its castration rock, used by the serpent Queen. And I’ve fallen for the man who is currently staring me down, waiting for a response.”

Bonnie

Right… So I’m going to need some details after all this, and this is only the prologue! Not going to lie, it was mostly the goat named Fergus that had me laughing and wondering what the heck am I going to read? But since it’s MQ, I know it’s going to be hilarious.

Bonnie and her absolute best friend, Dakota, are seeking a new adventure. Dakota, who is in desperate need to refresh after a serious break up, convinces Bonnie to apply to an ad for a job running a coffee shop in Scotland. the duo applies, and wins, the all expenses paid trip of a lifetime. Bonnie thinks Dakotas lost her mind, but when Dakota points out their lives have de-railed, they have no place to live, Bonnie was fired, yet again, and they’re both post break ups. It doesn’t take much convincing to start over. (Heck, I would too…)

Rowan: Kilty Mcgrumpyshire, (I kid you not, that’s what Bonnie calls him, 😂) is not only the coffee shop owner’s son, he is also the town handyman. He’s pretty much everywhere! He is grumpy, moody and put off by the Americans. I’m positive that a rawhide has more warmth than him in the beginning. Rowan has a complicated relationship with his parents, well, his dad. He suspects something is amiss when his parents take an extended vacation without telling him. Yeah, this had me wondering?? It reveals itself, no worries.

The girls explore small town life, the Scottish highlands (which are portrayed so well!) new friendships and of course hilarious mishaps that have you laughing with the witty dialogue. The grumpy ‘frienemies’ between Bonnie and Rowan is comical, cringe-worthy, and hot. Yeah, it hits a lot of check boxes.

The good, the bad the meh…

The good: I loved the story! Bonnie is funny and her obsession with cake is 100% up my alley! Her diary is filled with comical notations like, “Cake consumed today: One slice… Okay, two, fine FIVE, FIVE LARGE SLICES. Days since male induced orgasm: sixty-five, and it wasn’t even a good orgasm.” Was funny and like mini progress notes for Bonnie, who is a little lost and trying to fiqure out life. We have all been there at some point.

Bonnie and Dakota are so damn fun. I love how they both find themselves on this journey. The town was so well done that it makes me feel like I am there in this made up village and loving it! I am dying for my own Scottish experience now.

The Bad: Honestly, Bonnie! There are certain parts of the story where she comes off completely self-absorbed, missing all the clues to what’s happening in her friends’ lives. I felt like she throws herself at Rowan a bit too much. Sorry, but I mean a person should only take no so many times before walking away. With that said, I do like when they come together. I love that this story really encompasses the bond with the girls and their friendship and journey together and apart.

The meh: Somewhere in the middle, things fall apart between Dakota and Bonnie, and I have to say I’m a bit put off by it. It seems odd and childish. It’s weird to say, but it’s both justified, but yet not really… You’ll have to read it to understand what I mean.

How about you? Do you love a book that takes you on an exotic adventure?