I need to start this review with an admission. I am a Scotland super fan! Just in case the depth of my obsession comes into question, its only fair that you should know a few things.
My current manuscript has a Scottish hero.
I recently booked my 2nd trip back, I’m taking my son in October.
My pen name is a nod to my ancestry.
Gerard Butler is the sexiest man alive. No need to argue, thank you!
I have a visceral reaction to the accent whenever I hear it. In case you are reading Gerard (a girl can dream), pick more roles where you don’t have to be American. Pretty please!
It is little wonder that a couple of weeks ago Amazon so cleverly recommended Scotlander by Sheila McClure in their Kindle sale.
You may say my feelings on all things Scottish could bias my opinion of the book. Though, that assumption would not be fair. This book introduced me to the delight that is Sheila McClure’s storytelling and now I consider myself a bonafide fan. In Scotlander, Sheila manages to balance an endearing sense of humour with the perfect understanding of her characters by digging deep and peeling back the layers hidden behind the stoic cliche of what it means to be Scottish.
She reminds us of a nation of proud yet humble people, who stop at nothing to help anyone, not just their own. How history and modern day co-exist, honour each other and present a unique beauty found nowhere else in the world. There is a rugged beauty in the land and the people. No pretense.
Scotlander sees Willa Jenkins unceremoniously ripped out of the world she knows, a comfort zone cloaked in the weighted blanket of grief when her best friend posthumously gifts her a fully immersive trip to live like Claire & Jamie would’ve in Outlander. A series Willa never read or watched. It is here she meets Finley. Sexy, rough and guarded, his own secrets and loyalty driving him near to the brink of losing everything.
Without spoiling the story, other than to say it is a great romance (so, of course there will be a HEA), Sheila McClure digs deep into the vulnerability of two people with the weight of the world slumped over their shoulders. Through a lot of well-timed laughs and a cast of eclecticly perfect supporting characters - all superfans of Outlander - Scotlander gives the reader a sense of hope and adventure within the world of Belcraigie.
Even for those not familiar with the world of Outlander, nor an interest to visit Scotland, I assure you, it will have you contacting Flight Centre and binging Outlander before you can finish it, that is if you can put it down! If it weren’t for other commitments, I suspect I would’ve read this in just two sittings!
Happy Reading
Claire x
Beautifully expressed thoughts, Claire! 👌