C+
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Theme: Forced Proximity, One Night Stand, Road Trip
This is not a happy book. The cover looks kind of whimsical and the title suggests a fun flirtation. You’d be wrong on both counts. This book is somber. But please, do not let that put you off. It is beautiful as well, in an aching kind of way.
Neelu works on a reality TV dating series that’s set in tropical locations. She’s been based in LA since she and her mom moved there when she was a kid. Her dad, Ajit, decided to stay behind in Scotland for work reasons (plus the marriage wasn’t exactly going well) and he and Neelu have a strained relationship because he didn’t really put in any effort to be close to his daughter, at least from Neelu’s perspective.
During a break in filming, Neelu decides spur-of-the-moment to fly out to Scotland for her dad’s wedding. Ajit is marrying Maggie. It’s a second marriage for both of them. Maggie meets Neelu for the first time at the rehearsal dinner where Neelu gets drunk and delivers some home truths to Maggie about Neelu’s experiences with an absentee father. The next day, Maggie stalls walking up the aisle, turns around and flees with Ajit calling her name and running after her.
Where does the love interest come in? The night before the rehearsal dinner, Neelu meets Jacob in a bar. They don’t exchange names or personal information and after some fun flirtation (there is some!) they decide to sleep together. The next day they part, never to see each other again.
Only, guess who is at the rehearsal dinner? Jacob. Jacob was Maggie’s son’s best friend before he died. He and Maggie have grown close in a found family kind of way since her son’s death.
Jacob and Ajit decide to go after Maggie – who has disappeared off to parts unknown. Neelu wants to go with because she’s pretty sure she’s the reason that Maggie did a runner. So the three begin the journey to find Maggie and make sure she’s okay.
I was skeptical when reading the cover copy. Just how romantic can a trip be when the dad with whom you have a strained relationship is in the car the whole time? Turns out, rather romantic, but also kind of sad.
It’s a really interesting read because while Neelu is a bit stuck in childish ways with her dad, she is otherwise very mature, so when Jacob gets upset with her for scaring off Maggie, she’s aware of herself enough not to get upset in return but instead respond with curiosity. This is a hallmark of their relationship for the most part: they both push past their initial emotional reaction and respond to each other (eventually) with kindness and curiosity.
There’s a lot of aching and big feelings and navigating past hurts, including heavy grief. Part of the book takes place at a stranger’s funeral, for heaven’s sake. The somber elements are pervasive. Navigating grief is a big part of this book. Jacob has experienced some big losses, as has Maggie. So stretching out in hope to love and live again takes a lot of bravery. Neelu has a lot to deal with as well with her issues of feeling abandoned by her dad and unwanted by him.
When they get in the car, their goal is to find Maggie and hopefully make the wedding happen. Along the way there are mishaps that extend the journey to where they think Maggie may have gone. By the nature of spending so much time together, issues between Neelu and her dad are brought up and things between her and Jacob develop too.
I was sometimes reluctant to pick this book up because of the heavy themes and generally somber vibe. But there is so clearly great skill at work in portraying these complex emotions that I would inevitably read further.
Despite the heavy themes, there is a resilient hope woven into the story. And not the hope that resembles toxic positivity but the hope with feathers à la Emily Dickinson. While neither Jacob nor Neelu would describe themselves as hopeful, their actions suggest otherwise. They both expect the worst AND YET they reach out for each other – for comfort, for love. On the surface, there are significant obstacles to being together, not least of which is living on opposite sides of the globe. YET, their reaching out for each other suggests that they hope for something different.
Does the romance in this one work? I would have to say an emphatic ‘yes’ to that question. It’s not a smooth ride (when is it ever??) and there are some really heavy themes too, but I really believed that Neelu and Jacob belonged together. Watching them fall in love was great. They grow closer and learn to be vulnerable with each other and brave in their choices. It’s lovely in that respect. If I were to use one word to sum up the romance, I would say: tender.
This was a difficult book for me to grade, however, because it made me feel rather melancholy, despite a really beautiful HEA and a beautifully described emotional journey for everyone involved. I don’t shake off sad books or movies easily or quickly. They linger, leaving me bereft and listless, and Just a Highland Fling affected me for days afterward.
If you’re very sensitive, like me, approach with caution. I finished due to the quality of the writing but the journey was uphill through very angsty obstacles. If you need a happy, light, frothy book, or you think, due to the cover, that’s what this is, keep looking. This is not the book for you.
But if you’re looking for a quieter book with complex emotions portrayed clearly, then you’ll appreciate this one. I can see this being a cathartic, wrenching but satisfying read for some, but it wasn’t for me.
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