There have been so many wonderful new releases lately, that NetGalley requests got put on the back burner. But a romance with a red headed hero got me right back on it! Personally, there’s something supremely sexy about a red headed male lead, and for some reason it’s not a characteristic that’s often written in men.

BLURB: Turning 30 means Paige is ready to fight for her happily ever after, no more settling! That means stable relationships with Mr. Forever. Sadly, James, a sexist Scottish library patron does not scream stable relationship, especially since he’s leaving after the summer. Can these two book lovers find love between the pages?

Guys, this book was as warm and cozy as a cup of warm tea. This book was definitely a PG romance (something I normally stay away from) with closed door romance, and low angst. However, if you’re looking for a light, quick beach read this summer, this book is the perfect thing to throw in your purse and read at the park! It was wonderfully written with strong friendships, and small town vibes. Highly recommend!

Heat Level: 🔥

Thank you NetGalley for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I really wanted to love this book. The idea of a sunshine librarian and a handsome Scottish artist falling in love despite the Scotsman only being in town for the summer really appealed to me, but I found it hard to connect to Paige and James' love story. It might not have helped that every time the story appeared to be getting intimate the chapter would end and then the story would just move on. I feel like there definitely was chemistry between the two main characters but it all felt very rushed and without any exploration of the intimate moments I felt it lacked a vulnerability and a relatability that makes readers truly connect to the characters.

This was a lovely little book. As a librarian who is married to an artist, I enjoyed this book a lot. I thought the friends were a little off and I thought there would be more drama. If you are looking for a rom-com with no drama read this!

Paige is a partime librarian who wants a full time job. She meets James who is from Glasgow. It was good the combination of Michigan and Glasgow. The places Alana mentioned were very true to life.

Though this book has some really wonderful qualities to it, I also felt it hard to connect with the hero of this story and the basic love for one another the author was trying to connect. The heroine is a strong personality, I loved the librarian aspect of the character and her determination and strength to follow her dreams. I enjoyed the community she created around herself, and the way she aspires to live her best life even though she is really disappointed with the way things turned out for herself before she reached the age of 30.

For me, the hero had some vibrant personality traits with his art and his emotional availability. I liked the realistic quality of his struggle with his family, it was relatable and it was genuinely written. What I didn't enjoy as much was that the heroine sort of outlined what she was looking for in a partner and this guy magically has every quality? I mean, that is truly lovely, but there wasn't anything really special then also. It was like he just kind of check marked all the list of items the heroine wanted and then he fitted into that. I felt like he was a side note in her quest to be wed, bedded and with kids before she is 31.

I also really had a hard time when things were going to be intimate, that it was just completely cut off and fade to black. For me, one of the delights in a reading a super well written rom com with romance is that when the main characters dive into that intimacy and vulnerability, we get to be part of that love story as well. It brings closeness and care for the relationship and for the characters. When that is taken away, its like a part of who and what makes these two special and relatable is taken away from me. It also makes their love distanced to me, because all the tenderness and emotions that bring them even closer together isn't witnessed and the next day its like, another day. Like it never happened.....so for that, it was a huge let down for me to engage with the story.

I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a light romance with no spice. It was ok, the supporting cast was nice but I didn't love it as much as I wanted to.

arc provided by NetGalley! scotsmaninthestacks

*Thank you NetGalley for providing an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Paige, a public librarian from Michigan, has just about given up on love after her split with her long-time boyfriend. She wants commitment, no more flings or glaring red flags. That is, until a handsome man with a Scottish accent walks into her library.

Despite a slow start, Scotsman is a very cute whirlwind romance. It doesn’t fall too far into the insta-love trope, and really allows the relationship to build throughout the story. I adore Paige and James as a couple! I also felt so seen with the commentary about Paige’s job as a librarian in a public library - from the mythical full time 40 hour/week positions to the over-friendly patrons, those little details made me smile. As public librarians, boundaries are *crucial* and I was so happy to see Paige’s character growth.

I was also impressed with how this romance doesn’t overuse miscommunication as a plot device, like lots of romances that I have read. Paige is very straightforward, stating she doesn’t want a fling. Further into the book, when James is suddenly pulled back to Scotland, he flat out tells Paige that he will be back and that what is between them is important enough to fight for. It was refreshing to not read a very predictable third-act-breakup where no one speaks to each other like adults. Absolutely love seeing open and honest communication when it comes to contemporary romance! My only real gripe is in the beginning of the book, we are told that Paige is 29, yet she has this “my biological clock is ticking!” mindset. 1) girl 29 is not old at all and 2) the concept of a biological clock, especially so young, bothers me just a little bit. Turning 30 is not the death sentence we try to convince women that it is. It was a small inclusion, but it’s just one of those personal things that hurts my soul to see a female character believe.

This is a quick, fun read that will remind you that good people and good partners still exist. 4 out of 5 stars.

As a librarian, I could not get past the truly terrible representation of libraries and library staff in this book. Paige is a part-time librarian who desperately wants a promotion, but she’s basically the worst librarian I’ve ever seen. In the first few chapters alone, she hangs up on a patron, ignores the phone when he calls back, complains about one patron to another, and offers to check out books ON HER PERSONAL CARD for a man who doesn’t have a library card. That is completely unprofessional, if not unethical. She also brags that librarians don’t have to return their books on time.

Paige and James the titular Scotsman have no chemistry, which means the central tension in the story is missing. It was a cute premise and I usually love books about libraries. But this book is not worth your time.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

If you love bookish romances this is for you! Not only is the MC a bookish person she works in a library! (She’s living my dream) this was well written and drew me in right away. I couldn’t put this down. I fell in love with the MC and her love interest. GO BUY THIS BOOK!

This is my first read from Alana Oxford. Let me just say this has to be one of my favorite books to date so far! I absolutely loved how Oxford told Paige and James' Story. It was a cute little romcom between a librarian and a Scotsman. I am huge lover of all thing British/Irish/Scottish. This satisfied my hunger for all of those in just the matter of an hour two, I'm quite the quick reader. This tells the story of Paige, a librarian in her late 20s, and James, an artist in his mid to late 20s (Just a bit younger than Paige). Paige had just gone through a breakup with her long time boyfriend with commitment issues and meets James at her job in the library, Turns out they have much more in common than just books. At first they are just friends but they slowly realize they are meant for each other. I can't say enough good things about this book. I would love to see another book in the book universe or series! Thank you again to NetGalley and 8N Publishing for the ARC!!

Scotsman in the Stacks is pure sunshine! A very cute and sweet romance about a librarian and a book lover falling hard and fast. I love books about book lovers and this one did not disappoint. Paige and James are absolutely the cutest and I’m so glad that Paige got her happily ever after.

This was a 3.5 star read for me but I rounded up. I enjoyed reading this book, but it was little cheesy for my personal preference. I enjoyed the overall story and the way it was written, but it just wasn't my favorite.

I enjoyed Paige, but James was almost too nice. He came off as a little suspicious and I felt like he was hiding something the whole book. It was big romantic gesture after another without a lot of character development for him. It felt like he was solely in this story for the benefit of the MC. I would have liked it more if he had more of a personality, and there was more confrontation and tension between him and the MC. No relationship is perfect, so this story just fell a little flat for me. Not one conflict in the book other than the one set up in the very beginning.

Paige turned 30 during this story, but she also felt immature. She was so focused on getting married and having a baby, that her character was almost lost in the story. Her main personality was a ticking biological clock.

This book was fun and I enjoyed my read of it, but it wasn't exactly my taste in books.

Meh. That's the best word to describe this book. Loved the concept, loved the Scot, didn't really care much for Paige. I just didn't connect with her, and then couldn't believe in their story since I didn't feel connected to her.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review

Thank you, NetGalley for a pre-release copy of this novel.

This book was delightful to read. The plotline, characters, and Michigan setting were endearing. As a Michigander myself, I loved the author's incorporation of some of the tourist staples in our great Mitten state. These activities, businesses, and landmarks were 100% accurately described and the author's perceptions of them closely mirror my own - especially in relation to the Mackinaw Bridge. Although I'd highly recommend this book to everyone, I'm going to tell all my book-loving Michigan-native friends that this is a must-read!!

This story follows the life of Paige a cutesy, outgoing librarian who is looking for her Mr right. Her wish comes true when a handsome Scotsman ends up arriving in town for his art residency. Though he's only going to stay for a few weeks and Paige doesn't want to engage in something temporary. But the attraction between them gets hard to resist and they have very little time together but they find ways to make the most of it. Overall, it was a short, sweet and simple book with great chemistry between Paige & James. Their flirting made me literally blush but the side characters felt bland and I didn't really feel the connection between Paige and her bestfriend. The plot was uplifting with an adorable meet cute situation but there wasn't much angst as I expected.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me the ARC copy of this book

This should have been a slam dunk for me. American librarian falls for visiting Scottish artist. It had adorable written all over it and a cute cover to boot. But nothing happened in this book.

It started off well with Paige dumping her commitment-phone longterm boyfriend, but overall this was a simple story with more telling than showing and some head hopping too. Paige and James are attracted to each other and hit it off right away, but he’s only visiting for eight weeks and she’s looking for commitment.

Their conversations are cute with all the awkwardness of getting to know one another and trying to be “just friends” and coping with his short stay. But it wasn’t enough to hold my interest because there wasn’t enough depth for me. Or any depth. The weekend getaway with every tourist trap described was especially dull and I was just scrolling pages after that to get to the end.

No growth or conflict.

The Scotsman in the Stacks by Alana Oxford is an adorable story.

Paige is on the cusp of something. James is looking for inspiration. Their souls were meant to meet, meant to complete each other. Can a librarian from Ann Arbor Michigan, and an artist from Glasgow Scotland make it work? Well, it's a romance so you know there is a happily ever after.

One thing I truly loved about Paige is that she is not a doormat. Loved it!

I also loved the peek into Bronners! We have some ornaments that we purchased online and it was special to see the World's largest Christmas Store through Paige and James' eyes.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a very sweet rom com! Fast past, witty, fun characters! James and Paige have great chemistry. I had a fun time reading with James Scottish accent! A must read!

I absolutely loved this book! It was super cute, light, and fun and I loved every minute of it! I can’t wait to hopefully add a physical copy to my collection soon!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Along with the blurb of this book, the civer caught my attention. I've ended up being a sucker for cute covers and this one peaked my interest.

After reading the book, however, I'm left wanting more. It had great potential but sadly it lacked, for me. Chemistry between the main characters had ne disappointed even though I was rooting for them. Friends to lovers as a trope (it's the only way to describe it, I suppose) isn't a favorite of mine, but that's just my own personal preference.

As another reviewer stated their annoyance with the scottish "slang", I didn't mind that at all. I quite liked it, in fact.

It's a light and quick read that doesn't require much attention to get through. I'd assume it's perfect to read between heavier books to get out of a slump.

2/5 🌟 simply because it wasn't a favorite nor very memorable in the long run.

What romance reader doesn’t jump at the chance to read this Venn diagram: librarian, Scotsman, modern romance. Scotsman in the Stacks was a sweet story of an unlikely pair meeting at a library. Swoon. It was precious and very tame— I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to my mother and her friends.