4.5/5 stars!

I had such a fun time reading this book! This is such a perfect choice for spring and will 1000% get you in the mood for St. Patrick's Day.

I loved the enemies/co-workers/ rivals to lovers moments between Addie and Logan. The overall premise was such a blast and immediately convinced me to take a trip to Scotland.

I felt that Alexandra did a fantastic job with grief throughout the book. Addie is coming back to Scotland, this place where there is so much history for her parents and the memories of her deceased mother, that it was so real to watch her navigate that grief throughout the book. I also loved all of the Scottish lore throughout the book. As someone who really enjoys history, I loved being able to learn of the historical significance within the lands and castles that Addie and Logan visited.

There is amazing found family represented and I loved all of the quirky characters working at The Heart of the Highlands! They made my heart so happy and I hope that Alexandra makes a book for Elyse!!

Logan truly is perfection and now I want a Scottish man in a kilt.

If you like the movie, Leap Year with Amy Adams, I highly suggest reading this one!! I cannot wait to read what Alexandra writes next!!!

Thank you HTP books, HTP Hive, Alexandra Kiley, and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Travel consultant Addie is sent to Scotland to help a struggling family owned tour company. Once arriving she butts heads with Logan, the owner’s son who is set to take over the business. This book has beautiful descriptions of Scotland that will have you dreaming of taking a trip. As well as a beautiful love story. I really enjoyed this book.

Thank you Harper Collin’s publishing, The Hive influencer group, and NetGalley for my free electronic copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Kilt Trip was a love letter to the magic of Scotland! This was a sweet and romantic love story between Addie and Logan. They are opposites and manage to find themselves drawn to each other. Addie is throwing up walls to protect her heart and always seeking her next adventure and Logan has strong roots with his home and family hoping Addie will let down those walls and really give them a chance. The rich and beautiful landscape of Scotland is like its own character in the story. Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you HTP and Netgalley for the ARC!

This was such a great read! I didn’t know what to expect going into it and I was really pleasantly surprised at how much I loved it. The setting in Edinburgh was lovely, it made me want to hop on a plane! I really liked our main characters, Logan and Addie, and their own personal struggles they were wrestling with. Logan’s family was a great part of the book too! Overall, a great debut!

When starting The Kilt Trip, I thought I was in for the basic love story or some kind of rom-com that made me laugh a lot. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. What I found was a story that has what so many other novels are missing: a heart, a real beating heart.
Logan is the type of person to never change, to put down roots and grow for generations. While Addie is almost completely migratory. She flits from one place to another, never really stopping for long. But as you read, something magical happens. Subtle changes in both of their lives allow them to be themselves but more. While Addie helps Logan to modernize and make Heart of the Highlands Tour something that works financially, Logan is always pushing back not to lose the magic by going to common places and tourist traps. During this, their immediate attraction sparks and for a while the embers are stoked enough to keep the interest going. Then embers become flames that both keep them warm but burn them.
There’s a heart to this story that sets it apart, makes it magical, allowing two lost souls to find their place in this world. This may be Alexandra Kiley’s debut novel, but I bet it won’t be her only novel. I’ll eagerly be awaiting for more books from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this advanced copy!

I really enjoyed this story not only about love, but also about working through grief over a lost loved one. Addie and Logan had a great meetcute, and I thoroughly enjoyed their scenes on the initial tour/in the pub.

I feel like this attempted to follow an enemies to lovers trope with the rough patches between the two in the office, but that ultimately fell flat for me and I would’ve preferred the book without it. I think there was more opportunity to explore Logan’s feeling of abandonment and Addie’s attempts at connecting to her mother, but that is just a personal preference.

I loved Logan’s family and our look into how Addie fit into their little world while visiting on Hogmanay. Overall this story was very cute and uplifting which was what I was hoping for.

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Kilt Trip
Author: Alexandra Kiley
Romcom

Thank you so much Negalley and HTP books for this arc! I loved this read. It was so cute and funny. I adored the way it made me feel like I was actually on a trip in Scotland myself. Addie is a travel consultant who is sent on a trip to the Highlands to help a struggling family run tour business. There she meets Logan who is wants pretty much nothing to do with her. So it’s a slight enemies to lovers twist. It also had a touch of 🌶️🌶️🌶️ for all my smut queens. Definitely put this on your tbr if you want a feel good romance taking you on a immersive trip to Scotland through the pages.

Review also on my Goodreads and instagram

Dust off the passport. Yes please! One hot Scott taking you on off the beaten path tours sign me up. Scotland has shot to the number one spot for my next travel destination thanks to Ms. Kiley’s descriptions of the places and traditions of the locals go. Logan was one teddy bear of a hero,
Once he got over the thought of there need to be changes to the family tours, he let the attraction he felt towards Addie bloom. Addie with her hang ups from her childhood fought any sort of attachment. The more she was immersed into the local way of life she no longer desired only the companionship of Fred! A fun read full of laughs and Scottish brogue! Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

This was a delightful book set in one of my favorite places, Edinburgh! I think because the cover is illustrated I expected something very light but this story actually had a lot of heart to it.

Addie’s job is to help tour guide companies become more profitable. She is the very definition of wanderlust and is never in the same city for long. She loves traveling and seeing the world. Her mother died when she was a teenager and then her father basically emotionally abandoned Addie due to his intense grief. Since then, she is a closed book, never wanting anyone to get too close. She ends up in Edinburgh tasked with helping Heart of the Highlands, a small family-run tour company. They are having a bit of financial trouble. Logan, the owner’s son and heir to the company does not want to make any changes AT ALL. They butt heads but are also insanely attracted to each other…

There is a wonderful theme of found family but our main character, Addie, is still grieving the death of her mother and the emotional abandonment of her father. She is closed off emotionally and trying to protect her fragile heart. In comes Logan who wants to pry back all of her defenses and see the real Addie hidden away.

There are a lot of beautiful descriptions of Edinburgh and the Scottish highlands. I think the characters had wonderful growth and maturity and I loved the ending.

Very pleased with this and can’t wait to read the author’s next book!

Rating 4/5
Plot 4/5
Writing 4/5
Spice 2/5
Character Development 4/5

[I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.]

Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley tells the story of Addie Macrae and Logan Sutherland. Addie is a travel consultant assigned to help a struggling Highland tour company in Scotland, which happens to be where Logan works (he’s a guide and the tour company’s owner’s son). You can expect to read about Scotland and Scottish history, insta-lust, hilarious banter, tension, and more!

The story starts pretty quickly, and I found myself blushing and giggling from the very beginning when we met Logan hehe. Alexandra’s writing really painted a clear picture throughout the story for the characters, locations, etc.. The banter was sooo smooth, and the story has the he falls first trope which is one of my favourites! I love a good workplace romance, and I loved that there was a cheeky rivals-to-lovers trope included. Overall, this story is filled with so many golden tropes, lighthearted and serious moments, as well as realistic, relatable, and loveable characters!

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, all opinions are my own.

If this doesn't make you book a trip to Scotland, I don't know what will! I've always wanted to visit Scotland, and this book cemented my desire and made me want to book a tour ASAP. The author did a described Scotland so wonderfully. Then there are the characters, Logan and Addie are adorable as they fight each other every step of the way to make Logan's touring company a success. They are supported by some great side characters along their emotional journey. This has great character development. Addie has some emotional baggage from her past that her time in Scotland is dredging up, and Logan has to face the fact that he has to make some changes if he want his family business to remain in business. After a truce between them forms, we really see Addie begin to face the emotions that she has bottle up so deeply and form a bond with Logan. Logan on the other hand is finally willing to give an inch and listen to some of her ideas on how to modernize things a wee bit. While this was a fun book, it also has alot of emotion. Addie is dealing with alot of grief over losing her mom and her feelings of abandonment. Her sense of wanderlust stems from her desire to avoid relationships and emotion. When she finally finds a place that she wants to stay with people she wants to spend time with, she doesn't know how to process those feelings, and we see her go through quite the crisis when she is faced with all the big feelings. I really liked how the author handled the conflict in this, both on Logan's side and on Addie's. They both had to speak up for themselves about what they wanted both professionally and personally.

Now what is this book about? This follows Addie, a travel consultant who's latest client is a family tour company in Scotland. The thing that sets them apart from other tours is their ability to get their clients to see the magic in the hidden gems of the country. The problem is they haven't upgraded their website or itineraries since...well, ever. Addie has been tasked to update their tours to help increase their bookings and help out their bottom line. Logan, is set to take over the tour company when his dad retires and he wants to keep things just as they are. He loves sharing his knowledge of Scotland with visitors and showing them lesser known locations. He prefers booking with local small businesses and family friends and hates tourist traps. Needless to say he and Addie do not get off to a good start. After forming a truce for the good of the company, they realize that they are both after the same goal, and when they stop fighting they realize they are actually quite attracted to one another. Eventually they come up with a brilliant plan for the business, and their relationship is heating up as well. When Addie gets some unpleasant news from back home, a new client at work, and direction from her boss that she doesn't totally agree with it may just undo all of the magic she and Logan have made together for the business and their future.

Ah, Scotland. As I write this, Google Photos are reminding me that I was in Scotland for the first time four years ago. And I’m also still working through posting some recent trip photos from my trip to England and Scotland in December. So, while I always love reading books set in Scotland, it was an especially lovely (and wanderlust inducing) time to read Alexandra Kiley’s debut novel Kilt Trip. I had really been looking forward to this book and it ended up being a nice romance to get lost in while wishing I was exploring Scotland in person again instead of through the pages of a book.

Here’s the book’s description:
Ready or Scot...
Globetrotter Addie Macrae always follows her wanderlust. As a travel consultant, she jet sets around the world—anywhere but Scotland. But when she’s sent on assignment to help a struggling family-run tour company in the Highlands—and save her own job—Addie packs away her emotional baggage and turns on the professional charm.
Rugged as the land he loves, Logan Sutherland’s greatest joy is sharing the beauty of Scotland’s hidden gems…even if it means a wee bit of red ink on the company’s bottom line. The last thing Logan wants is some American “expert” pushing tourist traps and perpetuating myths about the Loch Ness Monster—especially when Addie never leaves her desk to experience the country for herself.


As they wage an office war, Logan discovers Addie’s secret connection to Scotland: a handful of faded Polaroids of her late mother. Hoping for a truce, he creates a private tour to the places in the pictures to help Addie find closure and appreciate the enchantment in less-traveled destinations, never expecting the off-limits attraction sparking between them. But Addie’s contract is almost up, and magic won’t pay the bills. They can’t afford distractions, but how can Addie do her job if she hasn’t explored all Scotland—and Logan—have to offer?
OK, so, while this book was a lovely little romance, I was let down by it. Was it because my expectations were so freaking high? Perhaps. But it started off with tropes that I do not like at all and it was really hard to bring me back from that. I don’t love enemies to lovers and I don’t love when a character waltzes into another’s world and assumes they know best (it’s why some Hallmark movies are so terrible to me). I actually stopped reading a book before the holidays because it started a lot like this one but I persevered with Kiley's because 1. The book was set in Scotland and 2. A trusted friend told me it got better. It wasn’t as “better” as I wanted but I managed and was treated to a perfectly respectable romance but one that won’t stick with me.

I don’t want to focus on the negatives but I do want to illustrate what didn’t work for me at the start of this book. It just seems fair to explore it so you can decide if it’s something that will also be a problem for you or is something that you don’t mind at all. That’s the beauty of books - some people love them, some people don’t. I want you to make your own call here! So, first of all, Addie is late to joining a tour at the start of the story. Which, you know, happens. Part of why she was late though was because the airline lost her suitcase. The woman works for a travel consultancy agency and travels All. The. Time. There is no way she would have checked a suitcase! Anyway. Because she was late, she can’t find the start of the tour so she’s mentally docking points. First of all, if she was on time she’d have seen the group of folks waiting for the tour. Second of all, I’ve been to the exact spot she is supposed to be and I don’t think it's all that difficult to find. Then I realize the tour is literally just bringing people up Calton Hill and learning a little bit about it from a guide. A guide who runs tours that are supposed to be exploring “hidden gems” of Edinburgh. Calton Hill is not hidden. It’s very visible (and, fun fact, was created by the ash of the volcano that Edinburgh Castle now sits on) and has a number of monuments you can see from all over the city. And then when Addie finally meets the staff of the company she’s there to makeover, she assumes she knows best and everything they have to say is stupid and won’t make them any money. I would have LOVED to find a tour company like Logan’s who actually did find some of the hidden gems when I was in Edinburgh because I know there are tons of things to see that are off the beaten path (which I also explored and loved).

And speaking of her work. I have no idea what Addie was actually supposed to be doing. Making the tour company better and more profitable, sure. But if the client (Logan and his family) are set on something, shouldn’t she try to see if it can work instead of dismissing it immediately? Her boss was even worse. I used to work for a PR agency and we’d provide our expertise and opinions but, in the end, what the client wanted, the client got. The woman’s never been to Edinburgh and she thinks she’s an expert? It was just really hard for me to get over how frustrated that made me. Logan was just as bad, though, and wouldn’t listen to anything Addie had to say and was acting like a sulky teenage boy. So many people want a balance of big attractions and little known spots and he didn’t seem to grasp that.

The book looks like it should be a rom com, given the bright, happy, illustrated cover. It’s definitely firmly in the romance category, though there are a few humorous moments that are wacky as you’d expect from a rom com. The issues Addie had to work through (grief over the death of her mother and traveling to Scotland without her, and so on), made the story much heavier than you would expect. It’s not a bad thing, just a case of, don’t judge the romance by the cover.

The thing that saved this book for me was the setting. Surprise, surprise! I loved being able to “visit” places I had just been (Edinburgh and Stirling Castles and Edinburgh itself) while traveling to other spots in Scotland that I wasn’t able to visit. The atmosphere was wonderful and it’s a great armchair travel book if you’re feeling the wanderlust. Just know you’re going to want to book a trip to Scotland immediately if it’s anywhere on your travel bucket list!

While Kilt Trip wasn’t a winner for me, that’s not to say you won’t enjoy Alexandra Kiley’s debut novel. It was a fine romance with an amazing setting that I think other romance readers would enjoy.

*An egalley was provided by the publisher, HTP Books, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Kilt Trip was a delight! You'll be dreaming of your own trip to Scotland, maybe to see the beautiful Highlands or maybe to find your own swoony Logan Sutherland. I have a soft spot for Scotland, having visited a few times, and I felt Kilt Trip really did it justice. (That's not always the case, I've found!)

Addie Macrae is a travel consultant with her own strong sense of wanderlust and a whole baggage of grief, seeking the sense of family and home that she once had and lost as a child. She finds herself reluctantly in Scotland, a once magical place for her mother, at the request of her boss to consult for a failing family-run tour guide business in Edinburgh, Heart of the Highlands. On her first day upon arriving and doing some recon by attending a tour by the business she'll be consulting, she meets Logan, the tour guide.

Logan is immediately drawn to her and sparks fly after the tour, when he invites his tour patrons to continue talks at a local bar. Well, the next morning, it juuust turns out that Logan is the son of the owner of the Heart of the Highlands tours and he definitely doesn't want an American foreigner coming in to tell him how to improve his business after his failed attempts that ran off his brothers. His passion for the culture of his homeland and love for his family business is undeniable.

So while this is marketed as an "enemies-to-lovers" story, it's really more of an "opposing opinions-to-friends-to-lovers" type of friction story. Which I love! But we can be honest about this. Addie and Logan are working towards a shared goal, they just have different ideas of how to get there.

I just loved the magic of the Highlands that Alexandra Kiley was able to write into this story. Again, I've visited a few times and it brought back all the warm memories of travel and the wanderlust of not having a trip planned! I also loved the cast of quirky family members that rounded out the story.

Overall, this story is perfect for anyone who loves great chemistry between leads, quirky and lovable side characters, and contemporary romances set in the Highlands!

Kilt Trip is the debut novel by Alexandra Kiley. I kind of went back and forth with this book. It took me a little while to get into it which kind of bummed me out but I stuck with it and was rewarded with a cute love story. It's an opposites-attract story full of witty banter and hot Scottish men in kilts. Truthfully, the setting and the hot Scot were what drew me to the story and while I didn't go gaga over it, it was still an enjoyable read.

I loved the sparks between Logan and Addie. From the moment they met there was a fire between them, sometimes threatening to burn down the entire room. Their hate-to-love relationship burned slowly but I loved how the tension built up. I think one of my favorite parts of the story was the hilarious back-and-forth banter between Logan and Addie. The loved to push each other's buttons! There were some emotional points in the story so it wasn't all happiness and light. But they found their happily ever after and that's all that mattered.

My other favorite part of Kilt Trip was the setting. I visited Scotland many years ago and the way Kiley brought me back there brought a smile to my face throughout the story. Her beautifully descriptive words had me dreaming of another trip to this beautiful country. Was this my favorite book? No, not by a long shot. But did I enjoy it? Yes! 3.5 stars

Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley is a slow burn enemies to lovers rom-com that will have you wanting to book a flight to Scotland tomorrow.

Addie is in Scotland to help save a failing tourist business. Logan, whose family business is failing, doesn't want help. Can they work together to save him business.

A sweet novel, with emotional depth....that will have you saying Holy Kilts

3.75 stars rounded up

This was another tough one for me, because I loved the premise and the idea of a Scotland setting, since I'd love to travel there one day, but I struggled with the pacing and any time it takes me more than 3 days to get through a romance, I know it's not doing it for me. FMCs who are emotionally closed off and run away from their feelings can be difficult for me to read because it feels a little too much like holding up a mirror to me, and makes me feel bad for the MMCs that have to deal with the fallout.

Addie Macrae is a travel consultant with wanderlust fitting her profession, having run from the pain of losing her mother and her father shutting her down in his grief. Until now, she's avoided travel to Scotland, the place of her mother's heritage and location of her parents' honeymoon, but an assignment to help the Heart of the Highlands tour company turn a profit sees her to her ancestral seat. Spying on one of their tours, she meets the quintessential rugged Scotsman Logan Sutherland, who plays the part of charming tour guide, and unbeknownst to her, is the owner's son. Any initial sparks they felt on the tour are pushed aside when Logan realizes she mislead him on her true identity, and set in his ways, tries to thwart her plans for more tourist trap driven tours. He starts to give back in to his feelings as they spend more time together, and while she feels it too, he falls faster and harder. Addie's behavior was sometimes frustrating to read, but Logan did expect a lot out of her which didn't feel entirely fair either. My "I'll do what I want!" inner alarm bells firmly set off, I'm not sure if this was the couple dynamic for me. I did love reading about the historical landmarks and felt placed directly in the scenery, and felt there was just enough spice to keep my interest when it started to wane.

I've only been to the Shetland Islands in Scotland but wow this book makes me want to go right back and experience all that it has to offer! When Addie was hired as a travel consultant for Heart of the Highlands tour company, she was elated as it would give her an opportunity to retrace her late mother's trip to Scotland. While this may have initially been a way to reconnect with her mother, it became a way for Addie to heal and reconnect with herself - I mean for me traveling heals my heart all the time..

Scotland definitely had a starring role in this tale. Since a big part of this story were the tour packages from Heart of the Highlands, I was treated to several really amazing trips. I commend Kiley on the vivid descriptions which pulled me out of the desert of Arizona and into the Scottish Highlands. I could hear and see the sights and sounds and learned some interesting historical bits.

Logan totally stole my heart - his commitment is commendable with trying to help visitors fall in love with his country. A big thing was his aversion to the "tourist trap" type attractions, but I have to say, I think I would be happy to be on his tours any day. I too love the off-beaten path when traveling; nothing beats the hidden gems! His affection for his history and country shined brightly, as did his love for his family and Addie. I adored how he wanted to help Addie with her quest to find all the sites in her mother's pictures while also just wanting to be a part of her journey.

I felt so much compassion and empathy for Addie and can really related as I lost my mom over 2o years ago; loss is always profound. Losing her mother, and in a sense, her father as well forced Addie to keep people at arm's length. She adopted a nomadic lifestyle that she thought she loved until Logan and everyone at Heart began breaking through those barriers. This was a healing journey for Addie, and I was glad she had so many wonderful people to support her along the way - a really good heart warming story. I adored Logan's family and his co-workers who embraced Addie as one of their own. It was beautiful to see her want to put down roots and also attempt to mend her relationship with her father.

Overall, this book satisfied my wanderlust for travel while touching my heart. It was funny and cute, and it was an absolute pleasure to be a part of this Kilt Trip.

🥳 Happy BOOK BIRTHDAY to KILT TRIP by Alexandra Kiley ✨️

It's here! It's here! It's finally here! Out in the world today, this Scottish adventure with two souls that love sharing the beauty of the world that surrounds us, while both protecting their hearts 💚 from painful memories and hurts of the past... and fighting like heck against a connection that seems meant to be. 🥰

You've got tropes love galore with enemies to lovers, grumpy sunshine, workplace romance, and the like... which all add up to a trip to the bonnie lands you won't soon forget. I loved Addie and Logan from start to finish. She seemed the avid professional, heck bent on towing the line without giving her heart a chance, but was, in fact, feeling so much it threatened to shut her down. He seemed a bit of a flirt, comes with the territory both in location and job, but harmless enough, then a serious contender for a-hole of the year while fighting tooth and nail against anything Addie was offering... until she was no longer offering, and his heart kicked in. 💕

Trust me. You'll want to dust off your passport and hightail it to the highlands post haste!

Synopsis...
Globetrotter Addie Macrae always follows her wanderlust. As a travel consultant, she jet sets around the world—anywhere but Scotland...

Rugged as the land he loves, Logan Sutherland’s greatest joy is sharing the beauty of Scotland’s hidden gems…even if it means a wee bit of red ink on the company’s bottom line...

As they wage an office war, Logan discovers Addie’s secret connection to Scotland...never expecting the off-limits attraction sparking between them. They can’t afford distractions, but how can Addie do her job if she hasn’t explored all Scotland—and Logan—have to offer?

This book is like a hot toddy. Heartwarming, smooth, feel good, relaxing and fun. Just simply enjoyable & feel good! Thank you netgalley and publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review, Loved it and recommend to anyone who needs a heartwarming pick-me up.

Title: Kilt Trip
Author: Alexandra Kiley
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Globetrotter Addie Macrae always follows her wanderlust. As a travel consultant, she jet sets around the world—anywhere but Scotland. But when she’s sent on assignment to help a struggling family-run tour company in the Highlands—and save her own job—Addie packs away her emotional baggage and turns on the professional charm.”

Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley is a delightful romantic comedy that takes readers on a whirlwind journey through the picturesque landscapes of Scotland. When American travel writer Addie Macrae finds herself stranded in the Scottish Highlands after a series of unfortunate events, she never expects to encounter the enigmatic and charming Logan.

Logan, a rugged Scottish innkeeper with a penchant for kilts and a heart of gold, reluctantly agrees to help Addie navigate the wilds of his homeland. As they embark on a hilarious and heartwarming road trip across Scotland, Addie and Logan find themselves drawn to each other in ways they never anticipated.

The banter? Top notch! The angst? So good! The spice? Just the right amount! I love the character growth in this story. Both of our characters have to learn to give as much as take and let down their defenses so they can both win in the end. Plus, the amazing descriptions of Scotland…I’m about to pack my bags.

Alexandra Kiley's witty prose and vivid descriptions bring the beauty of Scotland to life, making this a perfect read for anyone who dreams of a romantic getaway in the Highlands.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.