The Highland Fling

This raunchy and raucous rom-com from Quinn (The Wedding Game) finds 24-year-old Bonnie floundering after being dumped, fired, and evicted. Her best friend, Dakota, is also struggling, having recently ended her first relationship with a woman. So, naturally, the friends drunkenly respond to a viral job posting seeking two people to work at a café in tiny Corsekelly, Scotland, while the owners are away. The culture shock is intense and the accents often unintelligible, but there’s no denying the bekilted local lads are strapping, especially Rowan, the café owners’ son, with whom Bonnie strikes up a flirtatiously combative relationship. Meanwhile, Dakota falls for local baker Isla. Though their relationship is secondary, it feels more realistic than the romance between Bonnie and Rowan, whose bickering reads as immature. Bonnie’s comically horny narration, while amusing, undermines more serious moments, as when Rowan opens up about his strained familial relationships. Better handled is Bonnie’s inspiring discovery of an entrepreneurial passion for running the café. And, refreshingly, the emotional climax is centered as much on Bonnie’s friendship with Dakota, and Rowan’s relationship with his parents, as it is on the romance. The strong female friendship and gorgeous descriptions of Scotland are the highlight here, sure to appeal to anyone looking for an armchair getaway. Agent: Aimee Ashcraft, Brower Literary. (Aug.)