Excuse me?? This was an amazing read. Actually you do not need to know more. Go, read it now! Thank me later.
For those of you needing more information:
I found this gem on netgalley and once again: thank you so much for ARCs! This probably is one of my favorite reads this year!
Melody Foster has lost everything. Chased through London, she finds refuge at her former gouverness. Raised a lady, she now has to learn to support herself. But she is fierce and determined to make her own way. Her father has cast her out, because she ran away with a footman who now poses as her biggest threat. Once again being chased through the streets of London, she meets a gentleman who offers her help. Will she ever learn to trust again and accept help?
First of all: the title. Oh my, how perfect it is! This book is an ode to Scotland and I’m here for it. The characters were amazing. My absolute favorite was Elsie Findlay, and not just because my daughter’s name is Elsie. All the characters had great chemistry, great character development and the love story unfolding was chef’s kiss! Seriously i cannot stress this enough: read this book! If you love all things Scotland, Cinderella, destiny and magical love stories, this is a must.
#netgalley #scotlandsmelody

As I read this book I thought how different this book was from other Regency romances I have read. This is a very enjoyable and changeable story about Melody. Her father informs her that he has arranged a marriage for her to a man that lives in Scotland. She will have nothing to do with it, as she is already in love with the footman and she runs away to London to be with him. But his is not what he appears and was only wooing her because he wants her dowry. Problem is that her father disowned her when she refused the arranged marriage. Through a series of circumstances, she ends up with Cameron Findley and his sister Elsie. I was intrigued with the twist and turns and enjoyed the ending. It is clear there will be another book, which I cannot wait for! You will love this sweet, clean story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are voluntary and unbiased and are entirely my own.

What a story! Poor Melody! All she wanted was love and who could blame her! I sure don't blame her! I'd run away too!
But really what an awesome adventure she had too! I'm jealous!
I love that this story was told from Melody's point of view! My favorite of course!
I also love the fact that she was flawed and had to learn lessons along the way the hard way. That's what I mean by being adventurous!
Frankly to be honest it was the cover and the harp on the book that drew me to read it and I wasn't disappointed at all!
A slow and pleasant read it is! One that will take you away from the present if only for a little while.

I received a copy of this eARC from NetGalley.

This was a sweet, romantic tale and a really easy read. Some of the language was a bit toooooo saccharine at times, but it was a great escape and a quick read.

Melody has found herself in a dangerous situation after leaving her family and trusting the wrong person. What now?

I liked Melody’s willingness to work hard and find the errors in some of her ways. Her friendship with Elsie was so sweet. I also loved that some of the book was set in Scotland. She and Cam were good together, but I did have issues with her love one minute and hate the next. The swings back and forth got old. Also, I’m absolutely no expert, but I believe some of the phrasing was inconsistent with the time period. I always appreciate a clean romance, I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you Netgally for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book truly captivated me. It truly had all the elements of a beautiful love story. I loved the Scottish background and could truly envision it. The heroine and hero were so sweet. I would definitely recommend this to readers who love Jane Austen.

Scotland's Melody is a sweet story that I thoroughly enjoyed and am happy to have read. I kind of want to just go back and re-read it a second time. There are so many swoony moments between Melody and Cameron and I loved him as the hero. There are themes of love, loss, trust, etc. These things are heavy and are unique for everyone and everyone processes these things differently, as well. I liked the line when Melody thought that love was enough for her, to compensate for her sacrifices. But when love isn't there- could she continued to live with her sacrifices? Love seemed to be a luxury in that time period and Melody was trying to do everything she could to seize it, but was left battered, bruised and unfortunately as sometimes happens, bitter, in the process.

These characters are flawed and human, learning many hard lessons, oftentimes the hard way. I think that makes it a little hard to enjoy the story for some. I have read other reviews and the things that people didn't like about the novel. I can see where they're coming from, but I guess I can also see things a bit differently and try to see Melody and her actions in a different light. Melody, for better or for worse, hasn't known anything different in her life than being raised to be spoiled, entitled and accomplished. This was life of privilege those of her class enjoyed. With the little say that women had in their own lives at that time period, she wanted to have a say in who she married and preferred she married because she loved them. She, as a sheltered young woman who didn't know any better and had little experience with the world, chose incorrectly and makes an enemy of those that love her instead. She gave her heart freely to someone that didn't deserve her or take care of it. She comes to quickly regret her decision and harsh lessons follow. She didn't go crawling back to her family, she owned her choices and did what she needed to in order to follow the course she set in motion for herself. She tried to learn new skills to be able to provide for herself all while nursing a broken heart from not only a deceptive man, but also from losing her family. Having to completely adjust to a new life with still mourning severely must've been very hard for her. Life doesn't stop moving just because something sad happens.

Melody tries to have hope, but her trust in not only others has been shattered, but more-so trust in herself is gone. She doesn't trust her ability to make wise choices and is fearful of being rejected and hurt again, as is anyone who has been hurt. Who would willingly go through that again? She is torn between her mind and her heart and as a result in trying to guard her heart, she has some further trials and heartaches. I agree that she lashed out unnecessarily at Cameron and was rather cruel. I can only assume this was a "fight or flight" situation and she chose to fight, because it was easier than accepting the truth, even though it was completely wrong. I think Cameron was hurt, but understands how much Melody is hurting and is so good at being patient in earning her trust and letting Melody heal. I see this in kids, they would rather fight and blame someone else than admit to being wrong, oftentimes saying very hurtful things, letting fear and emotions drive their words and actions. It's not fair and it doesn't make it right, but sometimes parents just have to be patient, taking the brunt of children's misplaced anger and hope that they can eventually see reason and let their love for them comfort and heal them. Cam has known all along who Melody is and has known that he needed to give her time and I can only hope that he realizes Melody doesn't truly mean what she says, that her fear is driving her words and actions.

I wish Melody had learned faster who she could trust, but of course, I think she had to trust herself, forgive herself and allow herself happiness again after the pain she caused everyone. Forgiving one's self and allowing yourself the ability to feel like you deserve happiness again is a battle in and of itself. I do like the lessons that she learned, not that her father was right and she should've just listened to him in the first place, but that we should open our minds and hearts to other possibilities and not judge prematurely. Obviously not every situation or arranged marriage would work out so well, but if you never try, you would never know. I hope the little cliffhanger at the end of the book turns into Elsie's story. She was a sweet, fun character as well and I hope we get to see her future happy ending.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. And will be the last.

In Melody’s own words, she is a lovesick fool, immature, childish, stubborn, headstrong, hypocrite, wild and hot-headed.

She’s a silly little simpleton, selfish and with a superiority complex. Cameron deserves someone better.

This was a sweet and gentle read that didn’t take too long. It was nice to see a progression of character growth from the protagonist but it ended a little too swiftly and neatly. An overall good read

This was my first experience with a Katie Stewart Stone novel and I enjoyed it. Her writing style is relaxed, interesting, easy to follow and read, and enjoyable. While I did not alway appreciate the first person point of view the story was written in (I think it would have been better to have some of Cameron's thoughts as well as Melody's), overall, I enjoyed the novel.

Melody Foster simply wants to have a marriage based on love. She does not want to be forced into a marriage by anyone, especially not her own parents. So, when she is told she would marry a man in Scotland, she acted hastily, believing that she was in love with a servant, Richard, and defied her father, who in turn, disowned her. Melody flees to London to find the man she believes loves her back, only to find she was wrong and was being used by him for money to pay his debts. After escaping him, twice nonetheless, she finds refuge with a Mr. Cameron Findlay and his sister Elise, who quickly becomes her confidant and best friend. When she begins to feel those familiar feelings of love, and even more than what she thought was love with Richard, she is scared and attempts to fight off the feelings.

This is a rollercoaster of a story that had be laughing and crying, sometimes at the same time! I hope she has plans to write Elise's story as I would love to learn what happens to her and her beloved.

What a beautiful cover! It was the cover that caught my eye, and the story and writing were just as beautiful! A splendid romance sure to appeal to Outlander fans who love a good Scotsman, this book was just perfect in all ways - the story, the romance, the chemistry between the characters. I really liked this and will be looking for more by this author.

Scotland’s Melody is a classic historical romance in which our naive heroine, Melody, makes rash decisions, is caught in a self-made drama, and ultimately finds a little love and a little growth. I personally never get sick of this set up. And while it’s full of swoon-worthy budding romance and frustrating misgivings, the author wrote such a loving, strong hero without giving him the arrogance we, the audience, have come to expect from our Barons to our Dukes. Few, that was a mouthful. Sorry, not sorry. I loved this book and stayed up all night to finish it. It was absolutely charming!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my unbiased review,

Thank you, Net Galley and the author, for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

Where to start, I had seen this lovely novel presented on Instagram a few days ago and I had been elated to see it in Net Galley for an early ARC. I was over the moon about it, as the characters seemed to be strong, witty, and held well-written. I do not have a degree in how history is or was back in the era that this book is set in, so for a novice like me--I look for characters that will garner my attention and make me want to get to know them.

Katie Stone did an excellent job at writing the characters and their backgrounds, to fully fleshing them out by mid-way of the book. However, as I continued to love the flirtations between Melody and Cam, Melody pulled a doozy out of the left field, leaving me floored. The fact that she would make an accusation of such a nature and then further berate Cam into nothing, was repulsive, and the fact that he was willing to forgive her and be guilt-tripped by her own insecurities? That is not love, that's manipulation and narcissistic behavior at its finest.

Melody continued to be manipulative, disguising it as being cute and flirty when I saw a weak and deranged young woman who used her wiles to manipulate a man she already knew had feelings for her. I couldn't continue with the novel because this book just encourages narcissistic behavior in relationships, and I am not for that. With all that Melody hurled at Cam, he should have left her and never looked back--I honestly couldn't even stomach how he easily forgave her for the despicable behavior after just dancing with her at a ball? Then Melody had the audacity to make ground rules while purposely flirting with him, and Cam accepted her terms after she legit accused him of something that shouldn't be taken lightly while guilt-tripping him for days?

No, just no. That's not romance, that's not how it should ever work. I just--no. This book is not for me, and just a fair warning to others who do read the novel, we may have differing opinions, and you have the right to it--as I do to mine. I felt this novel could have been a major hit until that vapid and unnecessary scene. There was just no turning back or fixing a relationship with how she kept acting afterward, it just, you cannot treat people that way and tell them you love them. With the utmost respect to the author, this novel is given 2 stars, and the only reason for the two stars is for Elsie.

SCOTLAND’S MELODY by KATIE STEWART STONE is an enjoyable Regency romance which takes place mostly in London and in Scotland in the early nineteenth century. It is a story about friendship and true love, with quite a bit of intrigue and adventure.
When Melody Foster rebels against her parents’ choice of a husband for her and runs away to London to marry then footman, with whom she imagines herself to be in love, she causes herself and her family a great deal of grief……
I will not tell you any more in case I spoil the read for you.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Covenant Communications. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

In Scotland’s Melody, a 19-year-old flees an arranged marriage, only to be betrayed by the man she loves, disowned by her family, and left to fend for herself in London.

I appreciated the overall plot of the story. It’s difficult to not enjoy Scotland as a setting either once we get there. The relationship between Melody (the protagonist) and Elsie was sweet; however, their relationship does NOT pass the Bechdel test. The book as a whole barely passes the Bechdel test.

Unfortunately, the writing is overwrought. It seems that there was abundant use of a thesaurus, even when the fancier words break the flow of a sentence or the overall narrative. The first-person POV is also not well executed. There is a lot of telling, in part because of this POV I suspect. For example, “His eyes were tight, but he wore an easy smile as he walked away.” I understand what the author is trying to convey here - but this sentence just doesn’t make sense.

From a plot perspective, while the protagonist grows over the course of the novel, she’s ultimately saved over and over again by a man. (A man whose accent is written out in an unnecessary fashion most of the time he has any dialogue. Mild spoiler: Also a man who experiences insta-love with a portrait.)

Finally, this story is more of a classic Regency in that it doesn’t push against class or interrogate social standards. In fact, it aggressively seemed to reinforce them. Perhaps Melody should have listened to her father to begin with. Perhaps she shouldn’t have trusted the footman without money or land in the first place. Perhaps only the rich deserve the rich. It’s a slippery slope. With writers like Courtney Milan, Sarah MacLean, Alexis Hall, Cat Sebastian, and many others trying to push at the very least feminist, if not always overtly diverse or queer, stories that break the mold - this Regency was a little disappointing to read.

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-ARC!

A truly wonderful read
This book takes you on a journey of finding what you really want and what is truly important in life as choices are sometimes an error. Melody’s father has arranged a marriage for her with a Scot, a nobleman. This marriage will allow her to have a secure future with luxury in Scotland, a place she knows little about but already knows she will hate. In an angry moment she vows she will not go through with the arrangement but will find true love. Unfortunately, a young woman with a large dowry is a target for unscrupulous men, as she soon finds out. While trying to escape from the man focused solely on her dowry, Melody hides in a carriage owned by Cameron, a Scot in London with his sister. After hearing her situation, they offer her a job in their home which leads to her moving to Scotland with them. But things are never what they first appear and rash decisions often have far-reaching consequences. A wonderful story I totally enjoyed. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy. This is my review and all thoughts are my own.

I read this in less than 24 hours, I couldn’t put it down! I got lost in it and loved every minute.
Cameron is perfect. Melody is wonderful. And Elsie, oh boy, I can’t wait for her book. Please tell me she’s getting her own book,

While I found the writing style to be a little simplistic, I enjoyed the chemistry between Cameron and Melody. Their love story was sweet and wholesome. It was lovely to see Melody grow into herself and chart her own path. As well, her friendship with Elsie was endearing and kept me reading. I really want to visit Scotland now! Overall, this was a sweet romance that played out exactly how I expected it to.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!