A
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
This RITA® Reader Challenge 2015 review was written by Kim Lowe. This story was nominated for the RITA® in the Best First Book, Long Contemporary category.
The summary:
Welcome to the charming Scottish seaside town of Gandiegow—where two people have returned home for different reasons, but to find the same thing.…
Caitriona Macleod gave up her career as an investigative reporter for the role of perfect wife. But after her husband is found dead in his mistress’s bed, a devastated Cait leaves Chicago for the birthplace she hasn’t seen since she was a child. She’s hoping to heal and to reconnect with her gran. The last thing she expects to find in Gandiegow is the Sexiest Man Alive! She just may have stumbled on the ticket to reigniting her career—if her heart doesn’t get in the way.
Graham Buchanan is a movie star with many secrets. A Gandiegow native, he frequently hides out in his hometown between films. He also has a son he’ll do anything to protect. But Cait Macleod is too damn appealing—even if she is a journalist.
Quilting with her gran and the other women of the village brings Cait a peace she hasn’t known in years. But if she turns in the story about Graham, Gandiegow will never forgive her for betraying one of its own. Should she suffer the consequences to resurrect her career? Or listen to her battered and bruised heart and give love another chance?
Here is Kim Lowe's review:
This is my country,
The land that begat me,
These windy spaces
Are surely my own.
and those who toil here
In the sweat of their faces
Are flesh of my flesh
And bone of my bone.
– Sir Alexander Gray
Caitie MacLeod returns home to Gandiegow, a small village along Alba’s coast, after a failed marriage. The one consolation is her philandering husband died before the costly divorce. Caitie intended to escape to a cottage of her own, only to realize upon her arrival that it had burned. Seeking aid from a neighbor, she stumbles across movie star Graham Buchanan. He often escapes to Gandiegow to visit his family – but Gandiegow is his secret. Caitie’s initial response to her surprise meeting is to write an article about the private life of the reclusive star to jump start her journalism career that withered away during her doomed marriage.
As Caitie settles into the village, she joins the quilting circle, rebuilds her relationship with her cranky Grandmother, and becomes a part of Graham’s life as he struggles with privacy. To Scotland with Love follows a predictable plot as Caitie’s unwritten article will come back to haunt her. Yet this contemporary romance novel is full of heartwarming moments, humorous banter, and Scotland in all its glory. Caitie ultimately recognizes that she is one of the squares in the quilt that binds Gandiegow together.
Griffin explores the complex relationships within families and even communities; it is not all black and white, nor bad or good. Likewise, Griffin incorporates the “circle of life” throughout the story – I’ll leave it at that. Griffin delivered a smooth narrative which kept my interest. I read the book in one sitting. I enjoyed the occasional references to the quilting culture even though I am not a quilter. Recommended read for those who appreciate Scotland’s way of life.
NB: I purchased To Scotland with Love from the author during the RWA Literacy Signing in San Antonio.
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Read this as a result of reading this review, and I’m glad I did. Patience Griffin writes well, and as some things in the book reminded me of my own life, I appreciate that the characters don’t descend into maudlin or trite dialog. It’s quite sensitive and moving. I read it twice over the weekend and with the second reading, I picked up more nuances.