Since I happen to be a Scot freak, dipping into this book was like walking through Edinburgh again. I was instantly back in Scotland, surrounded by the castle, the tourist shops on High Street, the retail of Princes Street, all of it. I loved how the author brought those memories to life in me.

Strangely enough, I was getting homesick for America by the end of the book, just like the main character. I didn't anticipate that happening, but it did. I went through the emotional rollercoaster along with Eva, one chaotic love life catastrophe after another.

I liked how Eve grew up over the course of the book and learned what it meant to be committed to someone else. What Scotland Taught Me is a great title for the book, since it's really an intense period of growing up, of making mistakes, of learning that what you thought you wanted isn't what you wanted at all.

The author also has a great sense of language, of timing, and turn of phrase. She never used cliches, but found effective ways to paint the picture with vivid similes. The only thing I would have changed is that I'd have liked to see Eva have more of an outside interest apart from whichever guy she was with. She did have an interest in horticulture and I think she would have been a more well-rounded and interesting character if she'd been able to explore that a bit more during the course of the book. Her world consisted mainly of the emotions tied to one guy or another, with very little left over for herself.

If you have been to Scotland and want to reminisce, then delve in and enjoy! ( )