Patience Griffin has created a fabulous community in her
Kilts and Quilts series set in the fishing village
of
Gandiegow, Scotland. Unique characters, real life drama and
day-to-day issues add to each of the stories
authenticity. THE TROUBLE WITH SCOTLAND features Gandiegow
native Ross Armstrong and American Sadie Middelton. It's a
heartwarming story which touches on the subjects of love,
commitment and living with a chronic illness.
After learning that she has been diagnosed with chronic
kidney disease, Sadie enters a quilting contest with her
grandmother, and they win a trip to the Kilts and Quilts
retreat in Gandiegow, Scotland. However, her grandmother
passes before they can go on their trip. Oliver, Sadie's
brother, convinces her to attend the retreat and offers to
accompany her. Ross Armstrong is also at a cross roads. He
is thinking about making some changes in his career. His
longtime girlfriend has married someone else, and he's
having reservations about staying in the family fishing
business. Ross has decided to play the field, and he is not
interested in settling down.
Sadie is emotionally overwhelmed when she walks into the
quilting retreat. Everything she sees reminds her of her
grandmother; the fabric, quilt blocks, the smell of starch
and friendly quilters. Sadie quietly sneaks out of the
retreat and makes her way into the local pub where she
spots a handsome Scot who is being set up on a date. Sadie
surmises that Mr. Handsome doesn't want to date this woman
and accidentally spills water on Mr. Handsome's friend
which
allows him to leave the pub unnoticed. Sadie leaves the pub
and runs into Ross Armstrong, Mr. Handsome.
Patience Griffin descriptive writing style shines in THE
TROUBLE WITH SCOTLAND. The reader sees the charming village
of Gandiegow: the busy quilting retreat, the noisy pub and
the quaint cottages through Sadie's eyes. I enjoyed the
scenes when Sadie and Ross sat on the cliff, and she looked
out at the ocean and up towards the sky. I could feel
both Sadie and Ross were at peace with the world and that
they understood each other's needs without saying a word—a
powerful connection.
The author has created a core group of characters in this
series. Gabriel, the town doctor and his therapist wife
Emma are my favorite couple. They treat Sadie with respect,
offer her friendship and provide insight into the tight-
knit community. Father
Andrew and Moira play an important
role in the novel as well. Their wedding celebration is a
village affair which every member of the community
contributes. Ms. Griffin describes several Scottish wedding
customs during the course of the novel. I enjoyed how Sadie
grew to respect and understand how important traditions are
to each member of Gandiegow. Deydie is the no-nonsense
matriarch of the quilting group. She sees the connection
between Ross and Sadie and warns Ross to stay away from
Sadie because of her kidney disease. Deydie notices that
Sadie's brother has a crush on Kirsty, the town's school
teacher and schemes with Ross to entice Sadie to stay in
Gandiegow. Oliver is a computer geek and the computers at
the retreat need updating and new embroidery software
installed. Will Ross regret his decision?
THE TROUBLE WITH SCOTLAND is an intricately woven story.
Both Ross and Sadie must overcome their losses and choose
their career paths. I love the scenes where Ross takes
Sadie
to the dress shop and then out to the local pub while the
couple visits Ross's mother. It is obvious to everyone-even
Ross's young nephew-that this couple is in love. Patience
Griffin does a
fabulous job comparing Ross and Sadie's
journey with the village wedding of Father Andrew and
Moira. The dialogue in the novel is excellent; lots of
humor, and I love the banter between Ross and his family
members. The last few chapters of the book held several
unexpected surprises for the couple and the villagers and
the ending is perfect!
Return to the Scottish Highlands in the latest Kilts and
Quilts novel from the author of The Accidental Scot—The quilting ladies of the Scottish village of Gandiegow
are known to piece together more than just fabric . . .
Life isn’t going as planned and Sadie Middleton is
rethinking her whole future. Thankfully one thing is staying
the same: She’s able to share her love of quilting with her
grandmother Gigi. The two of them enter a contest and win an
all-expenses-paid trip to the Kilts and Quilts retreat in
the Scottish Highlands. But their victory turns hollow when
Gigi passes away before they can go. Sadie is
grief-stricken, but her brother convinces her to take the
trip to Gandiegow anyway.
There she meets a charming circle of quilters who remind her
of her grandmother—and Ross Armstrong, a handsome fisherman
who brings a smile to her face. Newly single, Ross intends
to enjoy his freedom. That plan goes awry as he comes to
know Sadie—and a surprising spark is lit. Too bad some
well-meaning folks want to protect Ross from getting hurt
again and are determined to keep him and the American lass
apart. . . .
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