Lost in Scotland was my first book by author, Hilaria Alexander. It is a delicious and fun story about, Sam, a makeup artist from Los Angeles. After Sam catches her boyfriend cheating with her friend and producer of the show she works for, she concocts an elaborate plan for revenge. Her plan doesn’t seem to have the effect she desired, however, because Sam ends up losing her job in the process. This forces her to take on a job in Scotland, where she meets and slowly starts falling for the star of the new show she works for, Hugh MacLeod. The problem with this attraction is the crew and cast members are prohibited from having romantic relationships, leaving Sam with yet another dilemma. Besides, she can’t have Hugh and her co-workers knowing about her sordid past.
“People say life is stranger than fiction. I had been in the make-believe business for a while, and I had forgotten that sometimes life can be better than the greatest love stories of the silver screen.”
As a lover of Outlander, I was eager to get my hands on this novel. I love stories set 
abroad, with vivid descriptions of lands I’ve been unable to travel to. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel as if the picture of Scotland formed too well in my mind with this book. I was hoping for more traipsing around the country, based on the title of the book, but it was lacking, in my opinion. As a bit of a picky reader, I hope for the stories I read to trigger more feelings within me, and Lost in Scotland did not quite do it for me. The depth was wasn’t there. In parts I found the story to be too descriptive, though not descriptive about to setting as much I was yearning for, and a tad repetitive. I, personally, did not feel my expectations were met with this book based upon the blurb and title.
However, I did enjoy the pop culture references, the humor, and I liked learning about the role of makeup artists on the sets of tv shows and films. It felt like a unique take on a “Hollywood” relationship. I had never thought about how actors may be forced to pretend to have a relationship with a fellow actor to push fans to love their tv show or movie more. I’m sure this happens in Hollywood all the time- just look at Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, or Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. The story also had a very sweet ending, which made me give a higher rating than I initially thought I would give.
I think lovers of Outlander looking for something lighter than the thousand pages of Diana Gabaldon’s books will love Lost in Scotland. If you’re looking for a fun and easy read, set somewhere other than the usual run-of-the-mill locations like New York City, then you will love this book. Get Lost in Scotland!
Ashes Books & Bobs 